The Braves Reportedly Pushed 'Extremely Hard' To Add Byron Buxton at the Trade Deadline

The Atlanta Braves, now 47-64, seemed like they would be sellers at the trade deadline for the first time in nearly a decade, but didn't really end up offloading any assets. As it turns out, general manager Alex Anthopoulos may have actually been trying to add for 2026 and beyond as much or more than get rid of guys like Marcell Ozuna or Raisel Iglesias.

The Braves "pushing extremely hard" could really mean anything, especially given that Byron Buxton said at the All-Star Game he would not waive his no-trade clause, but if this deal had any legs, it's a fascinating one. It almost certainly would have included Michael Harris, who had an abysmal first half of the season, but has actually turned things around in the second half and is now playing very well again. I don't know what additional prospect haul it would have cost, but the Braves going into 2026 with a presumably healthy outfield of Ronald Acuña Jr., Jurickson Profar and Buxton would have made Atlanta's lineup look formidable again with just a little bit of progression back to the mean from most of the other mainstays.

As it stands now, though, the Braves stood pat at the deadline and will head into the offseason with a lot of questions to answer after a horrific 2025 season. And maybe Buxton changes his mind in November and decides he'd be open to returning to his home state of Georgia, after all.