Being in a division with the Mets and Phillies always subjects Atlanta Braves fans to star players entering the NL East. Neither of the Braves top division rivals have shied away from spending big money to bring in talented players to get them over the October hump. Every single offseason, at least one top free agent ends up with a division rival to terrorize Atlanta.
There is an argument to be made that the top teams in the NL East are facing the most important offseason in quite sometime. The Mets went all out for Juan Soto last year and still missed the playoffs, the Phillies are looking to get over their October dry spell, and the Braves are looking to bounce back after missing the postseason for the first time since 2017.
Plenty of talented impending free agents will garner attention from each of these clubs. Braves fans have their own wishlist for the roster this winter, but perhaps just as important is holding out hope certain superstar free agents don't find their way to Queens or the city of brotherly love. This list of names will consist of impending free agents currently not in the NL East (Yes, Kyle Schwarber and Pete Alonso signing elsewhere is desirable too) that Braves fans hope don't land in the NL East.
Five impending free agents Braves fans really hope doesn't sign with the Mets or Phillies
Alex Bregman
Bregman signed a three-year $120 million contract back in February, but he expected to utilize his opt-out and command a longer term deal with winter. The Mets have long had a problem at third base, and the Phillies have been down on Alec Bohm dating back to last offseason. Boston will push hard to retain Bregman, but should Dave Dombrowski or Steve Cohen throw unlimited cash at Bregman this nightmare scenario could come true.
Kyle Tucker
The 28 year-old right fielder is set to hit free agency for the first time in his career. Tucker has been an All-Star in four consecutive seasons, and will arguably be the most prolific bat on the market. The Phillies have had an outfield problem for awhile now, and with Nick Castellanos' recent comments there is reason to believe Philadelphia's front office may want to shakeup their outfield.
Tucker is likely to command such a big payday that only the typical big spenders feel likely to be in play here. Thus the Mets, Phillies, Dodgers, Cubs, and Giants all could be in play for Tucker's services this winter.
Dylan Cease
The soon to be 30 year-old Cease has the arsenal that can frustrate future Braves lineups for years to come. Atlanta has seen the best of Cease firsthand during his time with the Padres. Although Cease's 2025 wasn't quite up to his high standards, his underlying numbers suggest he's still quite good. Cease has surpassed 200 strikeouts in five straight seasons, and strikeout pitching is usually one of the most expensive tools to acquire in free agency.
Cody Bellinger
The current New York Yankee has another .800 OPS season. Bellinger's quality defense and baserunning helped him finish with a 5.0 bWAR this season. It's likely the Bronx bombers will attempt to keep Bellinger around, but should they fail teams like the Phillies and Mets, who have no problem handing out longer contracts to 30 year-old players, will probably be in the thick of the Bellinger sweepstakes.
Michael King
We end this list with another another San Diego Padre pitcher. King has a $15 million mutual option for next season that he is expected to be declined. While he was limited in workload this year due to a nerve impingement near his shoulder, King still looked great when he's on the mound. King has been one of the nastiest pitchers in baseball for a few seasons, and anytime a rival has the chance to add a starting pitcher you would fear in a postseason series it is a haunting situation.