MLB Offseason Pulse: Braves Keep Acuna as Yankees, Padres, Dodgers Retool
Alex Anthopoulos slammed the door on Ronald Acuna Jr. trade chatter while Max Fried underwent elbow cleanup for New York, San Diego signed Ryan Weiss, and Los Angeles hired hitting coach Pedro Guerrero.
- ▪Braves GM Alex Anthopoulos emphatically dismissed Ronald Acuna Jr. trade rumors ('We need him') as 94-win Atlanta prepares to welcome back Acuna and Spencer Strider in 2027.
- ▪Yankees left-hander Max Fried had an elbow bone spur removed and is slated to begin his throwing program in December ahead of spring camp.
- ▪The 91-71 San Diego Padres agreed with right-hander Ryan Weiss on a one-year, $1.85 million contract featuring a 2028 club option.
- ▪After a 100-62 season ended against Milwaukee, the Los Angeles Dodgers hired former draftee Pedro Guerrero away from Miami as hitting coach.
Alex Anthopoulos didn't bother with front-office diplomacy or coy winter ambiguity when asked Tuesday night about trade chatter swirling around superstar outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. Stepping straight to the microphone, the Atlanta Braves general manager declared he had no idea where the speculation originated and delivered a three-word verdict—'We need him'—that froze rival executives cold across Major League Baseball's general managers meetings.
Anthopoulos' emphatic declaration headlined a furious 24-hour stretch across four perennial postseason heavyweights that combined for 378 regular-season victories in 2026. In New York, Yankees left-hander Max Fried underwent surgery to remove an elbow bone spur ahead of a December throwing ramp-up; out West, the San Diego Padres inked right-hander Ryan Weiss to a $1.85 million pact, while the 100-win Los Angeles Dodgers poached hitting coach Pedro Guerrero from Miami.
Atlanta Braves (94-68): Shutting Down Acuna Rumors Ahead of a 2027 Health Surge
Atlanta captured the NL East at 94-68 under manager Walt Weiss in 2026 by pairing the majors' eighth-ranked offense (4.58 runs per game) with fifth-ranked run prevention (3.86 opponent runs per game), anchored by veteran lefty Chris Sale, first baseman Matt Olson, second baseman Ozzie Albies, catcher Sean Murphy, and closer Robert Suarez. Moving on from a generational talent like Acuna—who ended the year on the injured list alongside center fielder Michael Harris II—never made competitive sense for a club built to win right now.
Keeping Acuna at the heart of Truist Park aligns perfectly with Atlanta's 2027 pitching reinforcements. Right-hander Spencer Strider (elbow, estimated February 2027 return) is tracking toward spring training readiness, with Spencer Schwellenbach (elbow, estimated April 2027 return) close behind while Mitchell Parker rehabs further out. Reintegrating Acuna, Harris, and Strider onto a 94-win division winner gives Atlanta arguably the highest internal WAR ceiling in the National League.
| Seed / Team | Overall | Conf | GB | Home / Road | PT DIFF | Streak |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. Atlanta Braves | 94-68 | 94-68 | 0.0 | 52-29 / 42-39 | +0.7 | L1 |
2. Philadelphia Phillies | 88-74 | 88-74 | 6 | 43-38 / 45-36 | +0.1 | W1 |
3. Miami Marlins | 80-82 | 80-82 | 14 | 47-34 / 33-48 | 0.0 | W1 |
4. Washington Nationals | 77-85 | 77-85 | 17 | 39-42 / 38-43 | +0.1 | W1 |
5. New York Mets | 74-88 | 74-88 | 20 | 36-45 / 38-43 | -0.2 | L1 |
New York Yankees (93-68): Max Fried's Elbow Bone-Spur Cleanup and December Timeline
For the New York Yankees, who went 93-68 to finish second in the AL East under manager Aaron Boone while boasting baseball's second-stingiest run prevention (3.73 opponent runs per game), Tuesday night's medical update on Max Fried brought far more relief than alarm. Fried had a bone spur removed from his throwing elbow—a routine arthroscopic debridement rather than ligament reconstruction—and is already cleared to initiate his offseason throwing progression in December ahead of a February 2027 spring camp return.
Getting Fried cleaned up in early November preserves around 14 weeks of structured ramp-up before Grapefruit League games open in Dunedin. Alongside starter Luis Gil, young arm Cam Schlittler, shortstop Anthony Volpe, and catcher Austin Wells—plus superstar Aaron Judge and outfielders Cody Bellinger and Jasson Dominguez recovering from late-year injured-list stints—GM Brian Cashman can shop for bullpen and corner upgrades knowing his frontline southpaw avoided structural ligament damage.
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San Diego Padres (91-71): Targeted Pitching Depth With Ryan Weiss' $1.85M Deal
Out in the NL West, manager Craig Stammen's San Diego Padres went 91-71 in 2026—inducing 1,860 ground balls (fifth in MLB) and holding foes to 4.20 runs per game (ninth in MLB)—before running into eventual World Series champion Milwaukee in October. Late Tuesday, San Diego executed a classic high-upside depth strike, agreeing with right-hander Ryan Weiss on a one-year, $1.85 million contract that includes a club option for 2028.
With reliever Bryan Hoeing (elbow) and Luis Gutierrez sidelined until February 2027 and stars Fernando Tatis Jr. and Jackson Merrill concluding the campaign on the injured list alongside active pillars Manny Machado, catcher Ethan Salas, starter Randy Vasquez, JP Sears, and flamethrowing closer Mason Miller, Weiss provides cost-controlled swingman and middle-innings insulation. Locking in a 2028 team option caps San Diego's downside at $1.85 million while capturing two seasons of surplus value if Weiss' stuff plays up at Petco Park.
Los Angeles Dodgers (100-62): Homecoming for Hitting Coach Pedro Guerrero
Nobody in baseball prevented runs better in 2026 than Dave Roberts' Los Angeles Dodgers, who won 100 games to claim the NL West behind MLB's #1 pitching staff (3.70 opponent runs per game) featuring Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Landon Knack, Edwin Diaz, and Tanner Scott. Yet despite ranking fourth in regular-season scoring (4.94 runs per game), Los Angeles bowed out against Milwaukee in a 6-4 postseason loss that prompted an immediate offensive staff tweak.
On Tuesday, Los Angeles hired Pedro Guerrero away from the Miami Marlins as hitting coach, bringing Guerrero full circle back to the organization that originally drafted him as a player. Tasked with sharpening situational two-strike execution for Freddie Freeman, Will Smith, Tommy Edman, and returning injured outfielders Kyle Tucker and Teoscar Hernandez in 2027, Guerrero steps into the deepest lineup laboratory in the sport.
Atlanta's Internal Health Bounce Carries the Sharpest 2027 Futures Upside
Comparing all four 90-plus-win contenders reveals a clear market inefficiency between headline offseason splashes and quiet injury-return equity. Los Angeles (100-62, 3.70 opponent runs per game) always commands heavy public tax atop NL Pennant boards, while New York (93-68) faces minor December watchfulness until Max Fried completes his initial flat-ground throwing sessions without soreness.
Atlanta (94-68) won the NL East despite missing elite stretches from Ronald Acuna Jr. and Spencer Strider, and Anthopoulos' firm refusal to entertain Acuna trade talks locks in their 2027 core. Meanwhile, San Diego's $1.85 million addition of Ryan Weiss exemplifies smart roster hygiene ahead of spring MLB dime-line markets, keeping Petco Park's pitching floor squarely in the NL Wild Card and division mix.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sharp Wire Market DeskAre the Atlanta Braves trading Ronald Acuna Jr. this offseason?
No. Braves general manager Alex Anthopoulos emphatically shut down trade speculation on Tuesday, stating 'We need him' and dismissing any notion of moving on from the star outfielder.
When will Yankees pitcher Max Fried start throwing after elbow surgery?
After having a bone spur removed from his throwing elbow, New York Yankees starter Max Fried is expected to begin his throwing program in December ahead of February 2027 spring training.
