Unlike other teams far removed from the playoff race, the Atlanta Braves aren’t facing a rebuild or considering wholesale changes as the offseason looms. For the most part, Atlanta has precious few losses to free agency and should get bounce-back performances from injured stars Austin Riley and Reynaldo López. The winter, then, won’t involve a complete overhaul but will instead focus on a few changes to improve what should be a strong team.
1. Rebuilding the bullpen has to be a priority for the Braves
The return of López, who nearly cracked the Top 10 in Cy Young voting last season, should go a ways toward solidifying the late-inning pitching crew. Joe Jiménez and Aaron Bummer should be back from injury, but that pair has each only amassed more than 1.0 bWAR once. The bullpen could certainly use more help than picking up another washed up former All-Star. Luckily, the Braves have both internal and external options that could revitalize the relief corps.
Rolddy Muñoz, a top relief prospect, got his first taste of the big leagues earlier this month. His slider certainly plays; his whiff rate with the pitch was 53.3% across his three appearances. However, he struggles with command and has limited movement on his sinker, making the possibility of him becoming a high-leverage arm fairly low. Homegrown reliever Dylan Dodd, on the contrary, seems to have figured out his control issues and could grow into a more prominent role next season. Dodd’s fastball and cutter have significantly improved and helped him transform into a ground-ball specialist.
On the free agent market, the Braves have a few high-profile targets they could pursue. Ryan Helsley’s value has plummeted thanks to a terrible post-Trade Deadline time with the Mets. Although the closer has expressed a desire to return to St. Louis, Atlanta could make a play on a guy who could come at a discounted rate. Luke Weaver would cost a bit more after two strong seasons with the Yankees, but the Braves will have room to spend once Marcell Ozuna and Raisel Iglesias’ contracts ($32 million total) come off the books.
2. Bring in a better fourth outfielder to compensate for the loss of Marcell Ozuna
Between Ronald Acuña Jr., Michael Harris II, and Jurickson Profar, the Braves have an All-Star caliber outfield. Each outfielder, though, has a weakness, whether it be Acuña’s health, Harris’ seemingly rectified slump, or Profar’s defense, and the group has averaged just 100 games per season over the past two years (as of September 9). The Braves would do well to nab a fourth outfielder who can serviceably play the corner spots so that Profar can shift into the DH role vacated by Ozuna.
The prime target here is, of course, Kyle Tucker, but Atlanta probably won't be racing to join a bidding war. The Braves largely stayed out of the Juan Soto rumors last offseason and instead set their sights on the much cheaper Profar. Cody Bellinger, who may opt out of his contract with the Yankees, would be the most buzzworthy choice, but a player like Ramón Laureano feels like a likelier option (if the Padres turn down his club option).
3. Adjust Bryce Elder’s changeup before his lack of variety catches up with him
There’s not much the Braves could do about their starting rotation this season. Injury after injury doomed the group, but the remaining starters haven’t always been up to the task. Bryce Elder, once a promising young arm who rocketed through the Minors, is mired in his second straight disappointing season, and the results have everything to do with his changeup.
In 2023, Elder’s first full big-league season, his slider-changeup combo was deadly. The two pitches combined for 14.9 weighted runs above average according to Statcast. His changeup, for example, produced a 24.6% hard-hit rate, leading to a .188 batting average against the pitch. His slider, on the other hand, made the batters miss altogether, producing a 33.9% whiff rate.
In 2025, Elder’s slider has remained largely the same. Still a good swing-and-miss pitch, still a primary weapon. His changeup, though, has been crushed. Opponents have a 39.4% hard-hit rate on the pitch and are hitting .254 with a .476 slugging percentage. For Elder to be a productive member of the rotation, he needs the changeup to be useful. The slider and changeup account for nearly half of his offerings this season. When his sinker doesn’t play, which has been the case often this year, he needs other pitches to lean on. The changeup could be make or break.