Braves remain focused on pitching ahead of winter meetings
The Braves have continued prioritizing pitching ahead of the winter meetings, which begin next week in Orlando, Florida.
President of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos hasn’t shied from stating the obvious since the offseason’s outset: He’s seeking pitching help, adding another starter and multiple relievers.
The Braves have ample spending room, so their options aren’t limited by finances. There are intriguing free-agent starters galore, including Ranger Suarez, Framber Valdez, Zac Gallen, Michael King, Chris Bassitt and many others. The trade market offers additional avenues.
Dylan Cease, a Milton native who was long desired by some Braves fans, inked a contract over $200 million with the American League champion Blue Jays. Sonny Gray, who lives in Nashville, Tennessee, and has been linked to the Braves over the years, was traded to Boston. Those were two of the more popular names fans cited, but there is an abundance of choices beyond them.
The prevailing thought is the Braves would prefer signing a starter versus trading assets to acquire one. That makes sense. Anthopoulos has noted in the past there’s value in spending dollars rather than surrendering young talent. The Braves are replenishing their farm system, so it’d behoove them to retain their talent and spend instead.
They already took that approach with the bullpen, re-signing closer Raisel Iglesias for one year and $16 million. The reliever market is steep: Ryan Helsley received a two-year, $28 million pact from Baltimore. Devin Williams got three years and $50 million from the Mets. Phil Maton and Emilio Pagan signed two-year deals worth $14.5 million and $20 million, respectively, with the Cubs and Reds.
Reliever prices could dip as winter continues (outside Edwin Diaz, who’s looking at another $100 million agreement). The Braves declined their team options on Pierce Johnson and Tyler Kinley, giving them more flexibility with how they disperse their resources. But they’ll need to re-sign or replace those players.
Unlike adding a reliable starter, though, the team shouldn’t need to make any sizable financial commitments to do so unless it’s so inclined. Anthopoulos has spent on his bullpen consistently in the past. But he’s also shown great aptitude for finding value.
The rotation is a greater question. The Braves have a tremendous 1-2-3 in Chris Sale, Spencer Strider and Spencer Schwellenbach if the trio is healthy and performing to standard. Reynaldo Lopez and Grant Holmes are returning from injuries and could help the rotation or bullpen. Breakout rookie Hurston Waldrep could fill the final spot in the group, and the Braves have other experienced options like Bryce Elder and Joey Wentz if needed.
But the team has been clear it needs another reliable piece in the rotation. Consider how much better the group looks with someone like Bassitt inserted as the No. 4 starter; now imagine how extraordinary the rotation could be with a Suarez or King.
It’s unclear how willing the Braves are to commit a substantial contract to a starter, but not doing so likely wouldn’t be due to financial constraints. Braves chairman Terry McGuirk’s comments to shareholders last month were heard across the South and the majors: He envisions the team flirting with a top-five payroll.
That would mean the Braves have the ability to compete for any of these premier starters, though it doesn’t mean they’ll have the appetite to win a bidding war.
Anthopoulos has never signed a free-agent starter to more than a three-year contract in his time running the Blue Jays and Braves as a lead executive.
He never signed a pricey starter in Toronto, and his free-agent signings with the Braves have been short-term, higher average annual value deals like the ones given to Charlie Morton, Cole Hamels and Dallas Keuchel. He did give Lopez a three-year deal two offseasons ago.
Anthopoulos’ splashier moves have come via trade and extending his homegrown talent. His method has worked without needing to splurge on a free-agent pitcher. But he’d tell you that’s situational more than just being risk adverse.
Each player is a different case. Yes, there’s the reality that most long-term deals with free-agent pitchers don’t end well. The Braves didn’t push to retain Max Fried last winter. Extension talks had fizzled out well before then. Fried wound up with an eight-year deal.
But a year prior, the Braves dabbled in the Aaron Nola market. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution had learned the Braves were a viable option if Nola was leaving the Phillies. Consider that Nola was among baseball’s most durable starters at that time, had success in the National League East and had a relationship with then-pitching coach Rick Kranitz. New Braves pitching coach Jeremy Hefner, who came from the Mets, will surely have his own thoughts on any candidates.
All that’s to say: Who knows what Anthopoulos does in the coming month. Suarez would be a tremendous addition, but he’ll be costly. He’ll also almost certainly command a deal more than three years. The same goes for King, who dominated the Braves in the 2024 postseason.
Valdez would seem a nice fit, but he’s 32. How far would the Braves go to secure him? They’d be betting on him aging well (the Braves won the bet on Sale, who at one point appeared done, so perhaps one should trust their judgment there). Gallen had a disappointing contract year, so if his market doesn’t develop as hoped, maybe the Braves could snag him on a shorter term deal. Bassitt, who turns 37 in February, would fall into Anthopoulos’ track record.
That’s without delving into the trade market, which could include pitchers like Freddy Peralta, Cole Ragans, Mitch Keller, Kris Bubic, Pablo Lopez, Joe Ryan and others.
The Braves need a shortstop, but their worst-case scenario is rolling with newcomer Mauricio Dubon, who provides great defense and a better bat than last season’s starter Nick Allen. The Braves could spend there — retaining Ha-Seong Kim or acquiring another expensive player in trade — but it’s clear they really want to upgrade their rotation.
They might not do it next week during the meetings, but a move is coming. The Braves will add a starter.
“I was in Colorado all those years, spent 15 years in that organization in a variety of roles — pitching is near and dear to my heart,” new Braves manager Walt Weiss said last month. “Because that was a struggle there (in Colorado) during my years there. I lived it. So I always lean toward the pitching side. I think it’s impossible to win in this league without quality pitching. It’s impossible. Can’t do it. So for me, that’s paramount.
“Alex has a great feel for constructing a roster. I have no worries there. But me personally, I always lean toward the pitching side.”
About the Author
Gabriel Burns is a general assignment reporter and features writer for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. After four years on the Braves beat, he's expanded his horizons and covers all sports. You'll find him writing about MLB, NFL, NBA, college football and other Atlanta-centric happenings.
