NY Mets can laugh at the Braves trade deadline failures today, but consider this

The Atlanta Braves can be regarded as one of the biggest trade deadline losers of 2025. They did nothing but trade away Rafael Montero. With an opportunity to bolster the farm system, they failed to find a trade partner for players like Marcell Ozuna and Raisel Iglesias. While the New York Mets got better, the Braves stayed the same.

Atlanta recently added Erick Fedde and Carlos Carrasco to their depleted starting rotation. The purpose isn’t to turn their season around. They just need innings.

Frustrated Braves fans should feel some sense of betrayal from the front office. Mets fans, and the rest of baseball, should laugh at them. But consider this: by not selling certain pieces, the Braves will be a bigger pest in the 6 games the Mets play against them in August.

The Braves lost the long-term battle, but should be able to give the Mets a better skirmish this season

The Mets play the Braves at home August 12-14 and again in Atlanta August 22-24. For non-contending teams, those final two months are a chance to play young players or give depth pieces in the minors a closer look. We saw it with the Mets in 2023 when a regular lineup featured Brett Baty, Mark Vientos, and later Ronny Mauricio. We got to enjoy the DJ Stewart experienced as well as more Joey Lucchesi in the starting rotation than anyone ever thought we’d get.

With the Braves keeping their roster intact, it’s not going to be an easy 6-0; not that it ever would be. Certain players were never going to get traded. Rivals, even when they’re far behind in the standings, tend to wake up when facing a division foe.

What’s better for the Mets? Failed trade deadline moves would have benefited us most. The Braves were never going to get much for Ozuna or Iglesias. Disinterested in trading away a player like Pierce Johnson with an option for next year, the 2025 Braves will have a chance to make up for some lost time.

For those curious, the Philadelphia Phillies only play the Braves four more times, all at home. We’re getting to the point where we may need to start looking at strength of schedule to get a better idea of who’ll win the NL East. The Mets sit a half game ahead of the Phillies heading into August. And if having two more games against a Braves team that failed at the trade deadline ends up being the difference, we’re not going to be laughing after game 162.