Unlike a number of teams around baseball, the Atlanta Braves did not have any prospects who they simply had to protect from the upcoming Rule 5 draft on Tuesday. There were no can’t miss offensive prospects that would have been snatched up in a heart beat and the most popular demographic in the Rule 5, high upside relievers, are not well-represented at all among Atlanta’s eligible players. However, it was still a little surprising that the Braves did not protect Blake Burkhalter.

A second round pick back in 2022, the early portion of Burkhalter’s pro career got derailed by Tommy John surgery. However, after missing all of 2023 and performing pretty well upon his return in 2024, Burkhalter began to really regain his form last season. Across 32 appearances including mostly bullpen appearances at Triple-A, Burkhalter posted a 3.32 ERA and 3.53 FIP in 103 inning with 88 strikeouts and 45 walks.

Now, Atlanta could be betting that other teams around the league think that Burkhalter’s command issues and late season shift to relief will make it unlikely he gets picked in the Rule 5. However, an alternative explanation could be that the Braves envision trading him this offseason.

Not protecting Blake Burkhalter from the Rule 5 draft could mean the Braves intend on trading him

The logic here is very simple. Atlanta has probably already had talks of varying levels with teams to address their roster needs. Whether it is shortstop, the rotation, or relievers, the odds are very good that Alex Anthopoulos knows which players the Braves like that are actually available in trades and how much their current teams value them in talks. More importantly, Atlanta also probably knows which of their own players that are garnering the most interest in trades and that is where things get interesting.

By not protecting Burkhalter, by definition he does not occupy a 40-man roster spot which could make him more appealing to potential trade partners with 40-mans that are currently bursting at the seams. Given that the Rule 5 draft doesn’t happen until December at the Winter Meetings, Atlanta has plenty of time to potentially trade Burkhalter before there is any risk of losing him anyways.

Now, this does raise some questions as to whether or not the offseason trade market is a good place to address the Braves’ needs given what quality players are likely to cost. However, at minimum, leaving Burkhalter exposed to the Rule 5 feels like the Braves know other teams are interested in him and if a trade opportunity arises, positioning him in this way is the most likely way to get the highest value for him.