At some point over the next few weeks, the Atlanta Braves will have to find a way to get some bullpen help for the 2021 season.
Luckily for the Atlanta Braves, this year it seems to be a buyers market in terms of bullpen help.
As it stands now going into the 2021 year, the Atlanta Braves have both Mark Melancon and Shane Greene as pending free agents. Those two were the 8th and 9th innings guy for the most part last season.
They could very well opt to bring them back at lower rates and try to keep it status quo, but again, it seems like teams with bullpen needs are going to wait until the very last minute and try and sign some relief options off the market.
One would have to guess at this point that Chris Martin would be the favorite for the closing job for the Atlanta Braves next year. Perhaps, they could turn back to last years big time signing of Will Smith who the Braves desperately need to get back on track after a up and down first year with the Atlanta Braves organization.
Options like Josh Tomlin, Luke Jackson, and Grant Dayton are nice but in all fairness to those guys, a team with aspirations like the Atlanta Braves need some more reliable guys pitching what will be some crucial mid innings in big time games.
Many would point out the bullpen as being a key reason the Atlanta Braves were able to get so far and come so close to the world series in the shortened 2020 season.
Again though, for teams that in the same place as the Braves, they have plenty of options with names like the following still on the free agent wire
A few more interesting names besides those also remain as well.
No doubt the Atlanta Braves will most likely make a move for a name or two to boost up the pen but for now their focus probably remains on finding a middle of the order bat.