Hurston Waldrep, a 2023 first-round pick, has been let go by the Atlanta Braves after being thoroughly outplayed for the second time in as many MLB starts. He has been returned to the minors by the club.

Waldrep will head back to Triple-A, according to Mark Bowman of MLB.com, shortly after Atlanta’s 8-6 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday. After two dismal outings, the right-hander battled terribly on the mound, giving up six earned runs in just 3.1 innings worked.

Though regrettable, the truth is that Waldrep wasn’t prepared for the major leagues and the Braves called him up in the first place out of need. Before Atlanta’s rash decision to promote him, he made just one start at Gwinnett. The 22-year-old demonstrated he isn’t ready to answer the bell, so while they might use a backend rotational starter, this was a hasty decision.

So what happens next? From here, where do the Braves and Alex Anthopoulos, their president and general manager of baseball operations, go? Do they keep looking within for answers to their problems with pitching? Or was the front office in a position to contribute something external after the failed attempt in Waldrep?
Hurston Waldrep’s demoting by the Braves might put pressure on Alex Anthopoulos to make a deal before the deadline.
Waldrep had two big league starts but was unable to finish an inning. In addition, he let up 13 runs to the Rays and Washington Nationals, neither of which have particularly elite offensive lineups. The young pitcher has performed horribly for the Braves, as evidenced by his 16.71 ERA and three-to-eight strikeout-to-walk ratio, which led them to decide to option him.

Waldrep is not, though, the Braves’ first underutilized pitching prospect of the season. Therefore, according to David O’Brien of The Athletic, Atlanta will try to make things right before the July 30 trade deadline.

“Rather than keep cycling kids who aren’t ready or fringe major-league starters through the rotation, the Braves seem likely to pursue a starter,” O’Brien stated.

Right now, Atlanta is in more need than ever of reliable pitchers. Ronald Acuña Jr., the Braves’ outfielder and current National League MVP, suffered a terrible torn ACL injury that ended his season. The squad will need to find other ways to compensate for losing what was probably their most effective offensive player, especially with their staff of hurlers.
Chris Sale, Max Fried, and Reynaldo Lopez are “as solid a frontline trio” as baseball has, as O’Brien notes. Still, beyond that, there has been uncertainty in Atlanta. Following the Waldrep misstep, will Anthopoulos strike a deal?