The Atlanta Braves are coming off a down 2025 season, one marred with injuries to their star players and lackluster play from key spots. But there's still a lot of hope for the future, as Walt Weiss takes over as manager.
Retaining his general manager job, Alex Anthopoulos has his work cut out for him this winter. There are a few key areas to address, and at the GM meetings, he revealed his plans.
David O'Brien of The Athletic revealed what Anthopoulos plans to do this winter, as the Braves GM highlighted three positions of interest and which two he's going to focus on the most.
Braves GM reveals which three positions Atlanta will address in the offseason
O'Brien reports that the Braves GM is planning to add "a lot of relievers" this winter. Atlanta will also explore additions in the starting rotation and at shortstop, the two highest priorities this winter.
"We're gonna focus on those spots," Antholoupos said. "We'll see where those lead us, what the acquisition costs are, and all that, and then we'll turn our attention to bullpen."
The Braves' plan is clear: start the offseason scouring the market for starting pitchers and shortstops, then shift to addressing the bullpen.
With Ha-Seong Kim declining his player option, the Braves' shortstop spot is a dire need. There aren't many great options for the Braves in free agency, with Kim and Bo Bichette as the best options for Atlanta this winter.
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The starting pitching market is a lot more robust, with plenty of interesting options available for the Braves to explore. Pairing another strong starter with Chris Sale and Spencer Strider is a must, especially with Sale's career potentially winding down.
Bullpen is the other main need for Atlanta, as Raisel Iglesias, Pierce Johnson, and Tyler Kinley are all free agents. Regardless of whether they decide to re-sign them, the need in the bullpen is just as clear as the rotation and shortstop needs.
It's looking like Antholoupos will have a busy offseason, as he looks to add a shortstop, a starting pitcher, and multiple bullpen arms to attempt to reclaim the NL East from the Philadelphia Phillies.
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