As spring camp nears, Braves need one more move to break from NL East pack

After winning back-to-back World Series titles, the Dodgers signed the best position player (Kyle Tucker) and best relief pitcher (Edwin Díaz) on the free agent market. There’s a gap between Los Angeles and a group of three National League teams clustered below that includes the Braves.

The challenge for the Braves is that the other two teams, the Phillies and Mets, play in the same division. The Phillies are essentially the same team that won the NL East in 2025. The Mets signed big-money players to replace the big-money players who departed.

There’s still time for the Braves to break free from that pack by acquiring a proven, effective pitcher to bolster their top-heavy rotation. The Mets and Phillies are looking for starting pitchers, too. The Braves will gain an edge by beating them to the punch for one of the best available arms still on the free-agent market.

There still are good options to choose from. At this point of the offseason, those pitchers must consider signing one-year deals and then trying again next summer.

The Braves specialize in that kind of deal. I think there’s a good chance they’ll do another one before pitchers and catchers report for spring training in less than three weeks.

According to Spotrac, the Braves’ team payroll of roughly $267 million is slightly above the second luxury tax threshold. Each dollar they spend up to the third threshold of $284 million is taxed at 32%.

So, the Braves could spend about $17 million on a pitcher while staying below the third threshold. They could go higher than that while paying a 42.5% tax on the amount above $284 million.

The Braves might not be able to win the bidding for one of the top two pitchers on the market, Framber Valdez and Zac Gallen. They likely want to stay away from them, anyway.

Gallen and Valdez both turned down qualifying offers from their previous teams. If the Braves signed them, then it would cost them their second- and fifth-highest draft selections plus $1 million in international bonus pool money. Braves general manager and president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos has said he’s reluctant to give up high draft picks to sign players.

Chris Bassitt and Zack Littell are better bargains. Neither player would cost draft picks to sign. Both have a good track record of durability. That’s key for the Braves after injuries to pitchers played a major role in last season’s slide out of the playoffs.

Braves general manager and president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos has said he’s reluctant to give up high draft picks to sign players. (Daniel Varnado for the AJC 2025)

Bassitt pitched at least 170 innings in each of the past four seasons while compiling a 3.77 ERA with solid strikeout and walk rates. Bassitt would be no worse than the No. 4 starter for the Braves. He could be No. 3 if Spencer Strider can’t rediscover his All-Star form.

Littell was a reliever before the Rays claimed him off waivers in 2023 and turned him into a starter. He pitched a total of 343 innings over the past two seasons for the Rays and Reds while compiling a 3.73 ERA. Littell doesn’t strike out many batters, but he also doesn’t walk many. That mitigates his high home-run rate allowed.

The largest salary for a player signed by Anthopoulos was Josh Donaldson’s one-year, $23 million deal in 2019. It’s plausible that the Braves could sign Bassitt or Littell to a similar deal. Bassitt made $22 million in 2025, and Littell made $5.7 million.

In addition to Gallen and Bassitt, two legendary pitchers are still looking to sign with a club where they can win in the twilight of their careers.

Justin Verlander made 29 starts during his age 42 season in 2025 and had a 3.85 ERA for the Giants. Max Scherzer, 41, was out from March until late June last season because of inflammation in his throwing hand. Scherzer made 17 starts with a 5.19 ERA, though he was effective for the Blue Jays in the playoffs.

Signing a free agent pitcher for one season at a high salary would be a logical pivot for the Braves. They reportedly pursued ex-Phillies lefty Ranger Suarez before he signed with the Red Sox for five years and $130 million. There might not be a similar deal for unsigned starters at this stage of the offseason.