Alex Anthopoulos didn’t need much time this season to realize he had made a major misstep by failing to bolster the Braves’ bullpen during the offseason.
Once the season kicks off, fixing that kind of oversight becomes incredibly difficult. Even the teams with no realistic playoff hopes typically aren’t ready to part with key relievers in April. That left Atlanta scrambling for help, eventually landing Rafael Montero from the Astros in a rushed deal.
Back in 2022, Montero was one of baseball’s top high-leverage bullpen arms, posting a 2.37 ERA, 2.64 FIP, and a stellar 161 ERA+. That performance earned him a hefty three-year, \$34.5 million contract from Houston — a deal the Astros quickly came to regret.
Montero’s effectiveness vanished. He posted a 4.70 ERA in 2023, followed by a 5.54 mark in 2024. Houston was eager to offload him and finally found a taker in the Braves, who acquired him on April 8. The Astros agreed to cover part of his salary, leaving Atlanta responsible for roughly \$3 million this season.
But Montero has failed to deliver. After allowing two more runs without recording an out in his latest outing, his ERA with the Braves has ballooned to 5.67 — the eighth-worst among all relievers with at least 30 innings pitched. He’s also posted a -0.5 WAR, making his performance a liability.
This situation has been a complete mess for Atlanta — not because they gambled \$3 million on a struggling reliever, but because they ignored a clear bullpen deficiency during the offseason. The departures of A.J. Minter and the injury to Joe Jimenez — their top setup arms from 2024 — should’ve prompted urgent action. Instead, the front office waited too long.
Anthopoulos now faces serious questions about his offseason approach and how it’s contributed to the Braves’ underwhelming 2025 campaign.