The Atlanta Braves clearly want to add to their bullpen this offseason. Between the potential (and more and more likely) loss of AJ Minter in free agency and Joe Jimenez's injury, the Braves bullpen is looking more vulnerable than usual. With Atlanta's rotation losing Max Fried, Spencer Strider missing the first month or so of the 2025 season as he rehabs, and Chris Sale not being a young man, having a strong bullpen next season feels like a must.
The Braves have some strong pieces in their bullpen right now especially with Raisel Iglesias closing out games, so this isn't an emergency situation necessarily. However, adding some real depth would put Atlanta in a much better spot for a playoff run and seems to be on the Braves minds especially after their deal with Jeff Hoffman fell through.
Here are the free agent bullpen arms should be targeting right now
Relievers are the most volatile demographic in baseball, so there is a good chance that some of these takes will age exceedingly poorly. That is okay! This is just a look at what we know right now about the free agent market and how these guys are expected to perform next season. This list isn't meant to be exhaustive, but should be a bit instructive as to what fans should and should not be looking for when it comes to the Braves' next bullpen moves (assuming they come at all).
Tanner Scott
Scott is a popular Braves target right now and with good reason. He is coming off a season where he posted a 1.75 ERA and 2.92 FIP in 72 innings of work and he has been one of the best relievers in baseball the last couple of seasons overall. The one hang-up here is Scott's asking price which is rumored to be as high as $20 million a year over multiple years. That could be outside of the Braves' comfort zone especially on a long-term deal, but there is no denying that he would make Atlanta's bullpen a force to be reckoned with and he would instantly become Iglesias' heir apparent assuming the latter leaves after the 2025 season.
Tanner Scott, 99mph ⛽️ pic.twitter.com/d3TUxTH0Yu
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) October 12, 2024
David Robertson
If the Braves are looking for a short-term relief option with upside, they could do a lot worse than David Robertson. It is a weird profile as he is a cutter/knuckle curve guy who is also about to turn 40, but Robertson still posts elite strikeout numbers and is really good at limiting hard contact and keeping the ball on the ground. A multi-year deal would be very ambitious at Robertson's age, but a one year deal with an option for a second could be exactly what the Braves need.
Here are the free agent bullpen arms the Braves need to avoid
While there are some intriguing bullpen arms still available, not all of them are created equal. In addition to the guys that are just objectively mediocre, there are also a couple prominent names left on the market that the Braves should probably steer clear of unless they can be signed at a discount.
Carlos Estevez
Estevez is a weird one because when one looks at the counting stats, he looks like an ideal fit. He just posted a 2.45 ERA with the Angels and Phillies in 2024 and has extensive experience pitching in high leverage situations. Easy choice, right? In Estevez's case, the answer is no. Not only did Estevez just post a career-best 3.24 FIP last season that looks like an aberration compared to the rest of his career, but he doesn't miss a lot of bats and ranks among the worst relievers in baseball when it comes to getting ground balls and preventing hard contact. He has gotten the job done the last couple of years, but he isn't a gamble worth taking for the Braves unless that risk is priced into his deal.
Kenley Jansen
Everyone loves a reunion and Jansen is, without question, one of the best relievers of his generation. While he isn't anywhere near the pitcher he once was, he still has been consistently a low to mid-3 ERA guy including his lone season with the Braves. The problem is that he is probably going to be asking for real money with his next deal and with his strikeout rate trending downward, his ability to limit barrels diminished, and the fact that he is 37 years old, the Braves just have better options available to them that are less likely to turn into a pumpkin after signing.