Skip to main content

Talking Chop

Your one stop shop for everything Atlanta Braves

Latest Entries

Which reliever will have the best MLB season in 2026?

Trying to forecast relievers is a nightmare. That’s not stopping MLB teams from once again giving them substantial outlays of moolah so far this offseason. So, who’s going to be the pinnacle of that particular craft in 2026? Historically, Cade Smith has taken the fWAR-for-relievers crown in each of the last two seasons, by a […]

MLB

Braves News: NL East, ZIPs Braves Outlook, More

As the Winter Meetings are just days away, the closer market in free agency continues to be red hot. The Mets signed former Brewers and Yankees closer Devin Williams to a 3 year deal on Monday. So the three NL East Powers now have Jhoan Duran, Rasiel Iglesias, and Williams as their closers. It will […]

This Day in Braves History: Braves sign Chipper Jones to a 3-year extension

Braves Franchise History  1942 – The Boston Braves acquire shortstop Eddie Joost and pitcher Nate Andrews from the Reds in exchange for shortstop Eddie Miller. 2005 – The Atlanta Braves agree to terms with third baseman Chipper Jones on a three-year contract. MLB History  1916 – The National Commission orders that injured players shall receive […]

December 1 open thread

So, we’re just six days away from the Winter Meetings kicking off for this year. Do y’all envision anything big happening between now and then? Or do you think that we’re going to see all of the action happen during or after the Winter Meetings? Let us know what you think! Here’s a random clip […]

MLB

2025 Atlanta Braves Prospect Reviews: Jaylen Paden

How Acquired Jaylen was an undrafted free agent signed by the Braves following the 2025 MLB draft. What Were Expectations? Thanks to his injury history, Jaylen came in without any expectations. He appeared in 15 games for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets where he had a 10.6 K/9 rate, but sometimes struggled with his command […]

2025 Atlanta Braves Prospect Reviews: Ethan Workinger

How Acquired Ethan Workinger was a non-drafted free agent signed by the Braves in 2020. What Were Expectations? After posting a .561 OPS for Double-A Mississippi in 2024, there were not any expectations for Ethan heading into the 2025 season.2025 Results Ethan was a key starter for the Columbus Clingstones, appearing in 120 games. He […]

No huge surprises in ZiPS’ 2026 outlook for the Braves

Thinking about the 2026 Braves from a forecasting perspective is a pretty fraught exercise. You could say, “Hasn’t it generally been a fraught exercise?” But, honestly, not really! The 2018 Braves were forecasted to be largely irrelevant. They surprised everyone and pulled off a once-in-a-generation-for-a-franchise turnaround. Did that carry over into 2019? Well, not really […]

2025 Atlanta Braves Player Review: Aaron Bummer

Generally-speaking, I’m not a huge fan of reliever extensions and long-term contracts, unless you’re one of the tippy-top relievers in the game. They’re too volatile, and their lifespans in the game are too short. but sometimes, you get a super cheap one that you can’t pass up, and the Chicago White Sox got one of […]

Which team is going to sign Kyle Tucker?

Question’s in the title, pretty much. Kyle Tucker is very good — he’s had five consecutive seasons between 4 and 5 fWAR, and he could’ve possibly cleared 5 in three of those seasons if not for some xwOBA underperformance there. He’s also the relatively rare star that has hit free agency before turning 30, which […]

This Day in Braves History: Braves sign Billy Wagner to a one-year, $7 million deal

Braves Franchise History  1912 – Boston Braves owner James Gaffney purchases the Allston Golf Club on Commonwealth Avenue with a plan to construct a ballpark there. Groundbreaking will take place on March 20, 1915. 1998 – Free agent outfielder Otis Nixon is signed by the Atlanta Braves. The speedster Nixon was a starter for Atlanta […]

Braves News: December Arrives, Winter Meetings, More

While it may seem a bit odd, December typically is one of the most exciting months on the baseball calendar. The Winter Meetings is typically the peak of off-season activity, and we are just a week away from the 2025 MLB Winter Meetings starting. This does not mean that moves will stop until then, but […]

Last day of November open thread

Well, here we are. The penultimate month of the year is nearly in the books, and soon we’ll be heading off to December. Personally, I can’t wait for this year to be over, so I’m very much looking forward to the symbolic turning of the calendar page. Meanwhile, the Orioles signed Ryan Helsley for $28 […]

2025 Atlanta Braves Player Review: Pierce Johnson

2025 was the second full season in a Braves uniform for Pierce Johnson and the outcome was pretty similar to how things had gone for him in his first full season, and really his overall tenure since he got traded to the Braves. Usually that’d be enough to stick around for another year — especially […]

This Day in Braves History: Braves trade Tommy Hanson to the Angels

Braves Franchise History 1961 – Braves catcher Joe Torre finishes second in the Rookie of the Year race in the National League to Cubs outfielder Billy Williams.  1970 – The Braves acquire 48-year old knuckleballer Hoyt Wilhelm from the Cubs in exchange for minor league first baseman Hal Breeden.  1999 – Braves minor leaguer Roger […]

Braves News: Ronald Acuna, Nacho Alvarez, more

Braves News Ronald Acuna is in Venezuela (where things are getting…tense geopolitically) playing baseball, and hit a huge homer, his first of the winter season. We took a look at Nacho Alvarez’ resurgent 2025 season, in which he looked much more like a real major league player, if perhaps only a depth option. MLB News […]

Offseason open thread: November 29

I hope everybody’s continuing to enjoy themselves through this holiday weekend. Here’s the random clip of the evening:

2025 Player Reviews: Nacho Alvarez, Jr.

Injuries taketh away and injuries giveth. For Atlanta Braves rookie Nacho Alvarez, Jr., what began as a possible lost season ended up providing the biggest opportunity of his fledgling big league career. How acquired The Braves drafted Alvarez in the fifth round of the 2022 draft. He made his big league debut in 2024 with […]

MLB

This Day in Braves History: Clete Boyer joins the Braves

Braves Franchise History 1966 – The Braves acquire Clete Boyer from the Yankees in exchange for outfielder Bill Robinson and pitcher Chi-Chi Olivo.  MLB History 1936 – Judge Landis declares Reds players Lee Handley and Johnny Peacock are free agents after they were covered up on minor league teams by Cincinnati.  1957 – Mayor Robert […]

Black Friday open thread

I hope everybody’s continuing to enjoy the holidays and that your Thanksgiving was lovely, as well. Also, I hope today’s been a great day for y’all as well. The floor is now yours. Here’s a random clip:

2025 Atlanta Braves Player Review: Hunter Stratton

The Atlanta Braves had a rough season, in part due to injuries to key players. According to Spotrac, we’re talking 17 players, paid approximately $47 million, missing in action across 1,169 combined days of play. (Amazingly, the dollar total is somehow only the eighth-highest in MLB). Since injuries were tilted to the pitching end, we […]

Which team will be the next to have a fire sale?

Baseball is kind of bizarre, if you try to explain it to someone who doesn’t follow it. There’s literally the concept of moving current assets for presumed future assets, in a sport that is about trying to win individual contests with a combination of talent, execution, strategy, and tactics. I dunno, it’s weird. Well, in […]