Unlike a number of teams around baseball, the Atlanta Braves did not have any prospects who they simply had to protect from the upcoming Rule 5 draft on Tuesday. There were no can't miss offensive prospects that would have been snatched up in a heart beat and the most popular demographic in the Rule 5, high upside relievers, are not well-represented at all among Atlanta's eligible players. However, it was still a little surprising that the Braves did not protect Blake Burkhalter.
A second round pick back in 2022, the early portion of Burkhalter's pro career got derailed by Tommy John surgery.