The Atlanta Braves have unfinished business this season, and they are well on their way to achieving many of their goals. However, they still also have to plan for the future. That means figuring out what upcoming free agents could actually work for the Braves given their roster needs and, to some extent, financial situation. Thankfully, there is one name in particular that absolutely should be of interest to Atlanta this offseason.
Yes, Atlanta needs to add real rotation depth this coming offseason, and it would be just terrific if the Braves could find a real shortstop for the first time since the early Orlando Arcia days. However, one area of their roster that has become a glaring problem is out in left field. One of the better free-agent bats, period, Randy Arozarena, would not only be a great fit, but the Braves could also have a built-in geographic advantage that appears to be factoring into his thinking.
“I think we all know Randy [Arozarena] would prefer to stay on the east coast. I’m guessing Boston is ready to cut a huge check for him.”
— Gordo (@BOSSportsGordo) September 19, 2026
- @RyanDivish on @FoulTerritoryTV pic.twitter.com/TQVHNj1FyN
Randy Arozarena apparently wants to come back east in free agency, and the Braves would be wise to pounce
The Braves could really use an offensively productive left fielder who hits from the right side. It seems like it would be objectively insane for Atlanta to give Jurickson Profar another chance after two seasons basically lost to PED suspensions, and their other options right now are platoon bats, fourth outfielder types, or prospects who are not ready yet.
Arozarena checks most of the boxes that the Braves should be looking to check when addressing left field. Despite playing home games at one of the most pitcher-friendly parks in MLB in Seattle, Arozarena has still managed to post an .861 OPS with 26 homers in 639 plate appearances thus far. He is particularly good against lefties, but hits well enough to play regularly against right-handers as well. He isn't a particularly strong defender, but Truist Park is easier to defend in the outfield than T-Mobile Park, so that isn't a total dealbreaker.
The one problem is Arozarena’s price tag, and it is a real problem. This upcoming class of free agents looks pretty awful, and impact bats in particular are in very short supply. As Ryan Divish mentioned on Foul Territory, the Red Sox are extremely likely to get heavily involved in his market, and Arozarena does apparently want to head back east. That plays into the Braves' hands, but Arozarena's strong track record in the AL East could also let teams like the Red Sox, Yankees, or even the Orioles get an edge.
In short, even if only half the country is in play (which probably isn’t true), there will definitely be a bidding war for Arozarena once free agency starts. The Braves can sell themselves as an extremely appealing landing spot for Arozarena, as they are a very good team with multiple stars as well as real World Series aspirations. However, Alex Anthopoulos has not gone out in free agency and landed the big fish, as he wants to maximize every dollar he spends. That may need to change this coming offseason, because Arozarena is one of the few impact bats available who might actually fix what has become a long-standing roster problem.
Add us as a preferred source on Google