Braves look to add ‘playoff starter’ but may lack reliable arms to get there

Braves President of Baseball Operations Alex Anthopoulos said he’s looking to add a “playoff starter” to the rotation, by which he means a No. 3 pitcher or better.

That seems presumptuous. The Braves must make the postseason first.

They didn’t qualify last season, in large part because of injuries to starting pitchers. They may not have enough reliable arms to make the playoffs this year, either, unless Anthopoulos pulls a “playoff starter” out of his sleeve.

Potential staff ace Spencer Schwellenbach (right elbow inflammation) went on the 60-day injured list last week. Right-hander Hurston Waldrep was shut down a couple of days later because of “loose bodies” in his elbow, manager Walt Weiss said Sunday. Waldrep was a candidate for the No. 5 starter.

Waldrep’s injury presumably doesn’t change the calculation for Anthopoulos. He said he’s reluctant to add pitchers to the back of the rotation because it would mean knocking Grant Holmes and Reynaldo Lopez down the pecking order. That doesn’t make sense to me, but it’s what Anthopoulos said.

So, it’s “playoff starter” or bust for the Braves, as the “bust” odds get shorter with each injury.

The top four healthy pitchers are Chris Sale, Spencer Strider, Lopez and Holmes. All of them spent at least one month on the IL last season.

It doesn’t seem possible the Braves can have such lousy injury luck again. Yet they haven’t even started spring training games, and they already are down a top-flight starter and a viable depth piece.

Meanwhile, Anthopoulos continues his search for a “playoff starter” while lesser pitchers who could help the Braves sign elsewhere.

Chris Bassitt would have been a perfect fit because he’s durable and effective. He’s a playoff starter by accomplishment, if not by Anthopoulos’ criteria. The Orioles signed Bassitt for one year and $18.5 million.

It’s the kind of relatively low-risk deal Anthopoulos has made many times before. Is Anthopoulos really not making a move like that now because he doesn’t want to take away opportunities from Lopez and Holmes?

Other options

Some solid free-agent pitchers remain unsigned. I like Zack Littell the best. Like Bassitt, he’s durable (unlike Bassitt, he surrenders a lot of home runs). Lucas Giolito has had some recent injury issues, but it’s getting late to be too picky.

Those aren’t top-of-the-rotation guys. But it seems prudent for the Braves to add one of them or an equivalent pitcher so they won’t be caught short of solid, reliable arms. After all, it’s not as if the Braves can count on ending their two-year streak of mediocre run production.

When Anthopoulos said the top three available pitchers “have had a lot of success,” he was counting Sale, Strider and Lopez. Sale obviously fits that bill. Strider had two very good years before two years hampered by injuries.

Anthopoulos loses me when he gets to Lopez.

Lopez had some success as a reliever before the Braves tried him as a starter. He was great in that role in 2024, surprising even himself. But Lopez ended that year on the injured list with a shoulder issue. He made one start in 2025 before getting shut down for shoulder surgery.

That’s the pitcher the Braves are counting on to hold up the middle of the rotation until Schwellenbach returns, if he does. The top two pitchers also have injury concerns.

Sale got hurt last year on what looked like a routine play, diving for a ground ball. He spent more than two months on the IL with a rib injury. A hamstring injury derailed Strider’s 2025 season. He compiled a 4.45 ERA in 23 starts.

As for Holmes, he was on the IL from July 27 through the end of the season because of a torn elbow ligament. He reported to camp and said the elbow feels strong. Holmes made his MLB debut in 2024 at age 28 and has been surprisingly solid as a starter (4.02 ERA in 28 starts).

Anthopoulos said positive reports on Holmes and Lopez early in the offseason prompted him to modify his view that finding a starting pitcher was a priority. The Braves signed former All-Star Martín Pérez as a nonroster invitee for spring camp. That’s it for starting pitchers.

Anthopoulos said money isn’t an issue. He noted the Braves are projected to have their highest-ever payroll. They made major investments in the bullpen and lineup depth. Per Spotrac, the Braves are still about $55 million short of chairman Terry McGuirk’s stated goal of a “top-5” payroll.

The Blue Jays are No. 5 at $300 million. There’s no way the Braves beat that figure, but Anthopoulos could add a “playoff starter” while keeping the payroll well under it. If not, then the Braves are set to start the season with Sale, Strider, Holmes, Lopez and a fifth starter to be named later.