Well, it’s official. The San Francisco Giants have given up. They chose to place three players onto waivers on Wednesday, giving themselves a chance to clear some money if teams competing are interested in claiming those players.
One team that should always be looking for reinforcements is the Atlanta Braves, who are not only in an uphill battle for the NL East title, but are trying to fend off the New York Mets for the third Wild Card spot.
Taylor Rogers is a great reliever, but his $12 million salary for 2025 makes him an easy pass for the Braves. Tyler Matzek would be fun, but we’ve seen how he’s been this season, and it hasn’t been pretty. The player that Atlanta might be and probably should be interested in, though, is Thairo Estrada, who can add to their infield depth.
Braves should strongly consider adding Thairo Estrada to bolster infield depth
Atlanta has been ravaged by the injury bug all season long, and their infield is a prime example of that. Both Ozzie Albies and Austin Riley are on the IL with serious injuries. Whit Merrifield and Gio Urshela have done a superb job replacing them, but Atlanta could use even more depth. That’s where Estrada would come in.
The 28-year-old has had a down year, slashing .218/.246/.345 with nine home runs and 46 RBI in 94 games played for the Giants, but he’s an excellent defender, fast base runner, and his track record with the bat isn’t half bad.
Just last season, Estrada had a 102 OPS+, making him slightly above average as a hitter. He hit 14 home runs, stole 23 bases, and was arguably the best defensive infielder in the sport. He ranked in the 100th percentile in OAA according to Baseball Savant, and is in the 96th percentile this season.
All the Braves would owe the infielder is the remainder of the $4.7 million he’s set to make this season, and he happens to be under club control through the 2026 campaign only adding to his value.
Estrada can play both middle infield positions splendidly, giving them an alternative option if Orlando Arcia struggles, and if one of Merrifield or Urshela slows down. Estrada even in his down year would probably be an upgrade over Luke Williams, a utility man who has barely seen the field this season.
Merrifield and Urshela are prime examples of trusting track records of veterans who have struggled. Perhaps in a new situation, Estrada can be the player he was just last year. It’s not as if he’s 38, he’s 28 and a really solid player. If all fails with Estrada, the Braves can simply non-tender him over the offseason. They wouldn’t be trading for him, and he isn’t locked in on a long-term deal.
There’s very little risk with the chance of very real reward by giving Estrada a shot. Hopefully, he can fall enough in the waiver order so Alex Anthopoulos can scoop him up before others regret passing on him.
