Atlanta Braves Bolster Rotation with Erick Fedde
The Atlanta Braves have finalized the acquisition of experienced starting pitcher Erick Fedde, coming from the St. Louis Cardinals. The agreement involves a player to be named later or financial compensation, as announced by both teams on Sunday.
As part of the deal, the Cardinals will assume most of Fedde’s remaining salary for 2025, which amounts to $7.5 million.
Fedde, 32, will become a free agent at the end of the season, which makes this acquisition a surprise for a Braves team that has performed below .500 and is a considerable distance from first place.
However, the Braves have suffered a series of injuries to their starting rotation recently. Among the affected players are AJ Smith-Shawver (torn ulnar collateral ligament), Spencer Schwellenbach (fractured elbow), Chris Sale (fractured rib cage), and, most recently, Grant Holmes (elbow inflammation), all entering the injured list since the beginning of June.
Fedde resurfaced in South Korea in 2023, transforming a dominant season into a two-year, $15 million contract to return to the United States with the Chicago White Sox. Fedde continued his success in 2024, recording a 3.30 ERA in 177⅓ innings with the White Sox and Cardinals.
So far this year, it has been a challenge for the right-hander, who doesn’t generate many strikeouts. In twenty starts, Fedde has a 3-10 record with an ERA of 5.22 and a WHIP of 1.51.
