The Atlanta Braves are returning Rule 5 draft pick Anderson Pilar to the Miami Marlins, as reported by ESPN’s Jesse Rogers. While neither team has officially confirmed the move, Pilar’s departure reduces the Braves’ 40-man roster from 39 to 38. Pilar, a 27-year-old right-handed pitcher, had shown potential in the Marlins’ minor league system last season after spending much of his early career with the Colorado Rockies. In 2024, he delivered a standout performance across three minor league levels, recording a 2.64 ERA over 58 innings. He struck out an impressive 30.6% of batters while walking just 5.6% and maintaining a groundball rate of nearly 47%. This success led the Braves to select him in the Rule 5 draft, giving them a chance to evaluate him during spring training.
However, Pilar struggled in his spring appearances, posting a 9.00 ERA over six games. While he struck out 12 batters, he also gave up 10 hits, six walks, and nine earned runs. Rule 5 rules require selected players to stay on the major league roster or be placed on waivers before being offered back to their original team. It’s unclear whether Pilar has cleared waivers yet. If he returns to Miami, the Marlins can keep him without using a 40-man roster spot.
The Braves initially brought two Rule 5 picks to camp, with Pilar joined by infielder Christian Cairo, selected from Cleveland. Cairo has also struggled this spring, batting just .179, raising questions about his future with the team. Atlanta has been actively seeking affordable bullpen options this offseason, signing several veteran relievers to minor league deals, including Craig Kimbrel, Héctor Neris, Enyel De Los Santos, Buck Farmer, and Chasen Shreve. The Braves have already made roster adjustments, trading Angel Perdomo to the Angels and releasing Jake Diekman to ease their roster crunch ahead of Opening Day.
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