Many of the Atlanta Braves’ struggles in 2025 stem from in-season misfortune, especially injuries. That said, a few choices made in the lead-up to last season had negative ramifications that are still impacting the team today. Here are three moves from last offseason that, with hindsight, are holding back the Braves as 2026 draws near.
Braves are still feeling the effects of these mistakes from the 2024 offseason
1. Choosing Profar over Laureano
The Braves probably couldn’t have foreseen the PED suspension that kept Jurickson Profar off the field until July. Still, in trading for Profar and non-tendering Ramon Laureano, Atlanta entered into the realm of “what if.” Profar was productive in his return, slashing .245/.353/.434, in 80 games, but even after losing nearly half of his $12 million salary during the unpaid suspension, he is looking a bit overpaid, especially considering he will make $15 million in each of the next two seasons.
Laureano, on the other hand, signed a $4 million deal with a $6.5 million club option for 2026. He was one of the most sought-after players at the trade deadline and finished the season with a .281/.342/.512 line. Laureano is functionally Profar’s replacement in San Diego. The Braves’ decision to non-tender him freed up payroll space, but now Atlanta is paying twice as much for a fairly similar player.
2. Hiring Tim Hyers as hitting coach
The hitting coach is often the first staff member to face scrutiny when the team struggles. Tim Hyers, who joined the club prior to the 2025 season, is no exception. The Braves barely scraped their way into the top half of the league in OPS (13th), runs (13th), and homers (14th) despite boasting one of the most feared offenses in the sport. Hyers is one of just two coaches staying with the club under new manager Walt Weiss. If the Braves can’t find the offensive spark, Hyers’ role may not last too long into 2026.
3. Betting on back-loaded contracts
Aaron Bummer and Reynaldo López signed deals that offered guaranteed years rather than money on the table. The moves, like the non-tendering of Laureano, helped cut the Braves’ payroll in 2025. Unfortunately, López spent significant time on the IL, and Bummer ran into injuries and endured a rough season. They’ll be due a combined $23.5 million in 2026. In order to cut costs, the Braves got stuck with a pair of contracts that may be difficult to offload due to the pair’s injury history.