Two Braves Pitching Prospects Unlikely To Be Part of Offseason Trades

Despite recent speculation, the Braves are unlikely to move these two top pitching prospects this offseason

Don't expect these Braves prospect to be traded / Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

As the MLB offseason goes on, rumors start to pop up for who could be traded and what the return could be. While we aren’t for certain who could be on the move as part of an Atlanta Braves trade yet, we have an idea who is safe. 

MLB.com’s Mark Bowman put out a piece breaking down the Braves' top trade candidates. He concluded that “ it’s not clear exactly what the Braves will do,” but said we shouldn’t expect the Braves to trade top prospect pitchers Cam Caminiti (No. 1) and Hurston Waldrep (No. 3) 

Both arms are the Braves most recent first-round picks in the MLB Draft. 

While Bowman won’t guarantee them staying put, he feels it's a pretty safe bet. 

“I’m not sure I’d put [Waldrep] in an untouchable category, but let’s take the 2023 first-round Draft pick out of the discussion for now,” Bowman wrote. “We can do the same for last summer’s first-round pick Cam Caminiti, an 18-year-old southpaw who already ranks as MLB’s No. 92 prospect. Let’s just put Caminiti and Waldrep in the ‘highly unlikely to be moved’ category for now.

The 22-year-old Waldrep made his MLB debut on June 9, less than a year after being drafted out of the University of Florida. After two rocky starts, he went on the Injured List with an elbow injury - he was heading back to the minors if healthy. 

In his two starts, he gave up 13 earned runs on seven innings pitched. After his return from the IL, he finished his season with Triple-A Gwinnett. 

There was some recent speculation that Waldrep would be one of the top trade pieces during the Winter Meetings this month. However, that speculation appears to have been, barring an offer they can’t refuse, put to bed. 

The 18-year-old Caminiti made his pro baseball debut with the Single-A Augusta GreenJackets on Aug. 31. He gave up an earned run and struck out four in three innings pitched.  

When two pitchers have been in the system for such a short time, it makes sense why the Braves are hesitant to part with them. They still need to see what they actually have.