Although the regular season is just days away, the Atlanta Braves have kept busy by adding new players to strengthen their depth. Recent additions, including Hector Neris and Craig Kimbrel, are expected to play key roles in the team’s plans for 2025. Additionally, the Braves recently traded for Nathan Wiles and re-signed Jesse Chavez.
The primary goal behind these moves has been to enhance depth, particularly in pitching. The Braves understand the importance of having a reliable group of pitchers, as injuries and underperformance are inevitable over the course of a long season.
The Braves continued their strategy making another trade to acquire reliever. However, the deal came with a surprise twist, as the return for Los Angeles was former top draft pick and long-time Braves player Ian Anderson.
Braves add struggling reliever Jose Suarez in trade with the Angels
The main focus of this trade is the Braves parting ways with Anderson, who had entered camp with a shot at making the Opening Day rotation. Anderson had just pitched for the Braves on Sunday, but once again struggled with his control, barely escaping serious trouble. It had become evident that his time with Atlanta was coming to an end, although the timing of the trade still came as a bit of a surprise.
Suarez’s team control through 2026 is a positive aspect of the trade, but his recent performance has been tough to ignore. Coming off two difficult seasons with the Dodgers, where he posted a combined 6.91 ERA over 33 appearances in 2023 and 2024, Suarez struggled with a shoulder issue and command problems.
This trade almost seems like a favor between old friends—Braves GM Alex Anthopoulos and former Braves executive Perry Minasian—helping each other clear struggling arms off their rosters. The one bright spot in Suarez’s profile from last season was his breaking stuff, which performed decently, but his overall arsenal was lacking, and opposing hitters had little trouble making solid contact against him. Meanwhile, Anderson’s struggles this spring, following a serious arm injury, are well-documented.
The Braves will likely stash Suarez in Gwinnett, hoping he can provide long relief if needed. Given the current state of Atlanta’s roster, the options available are clearly superior to what Suarez has shown in recent seasons, and his spring performance hasn’t been encouraging either. It’s possible the Braves see something they can fix in Suarez, but more likely, they added him as a cheap depth option—someone who could be DFA’d without much hassle, similar to his situation in the middle of last season, and serve as a minor league depth arm.
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