The offseason is winding down and it looks like the Atlanta Braves are pretty close to done. Sure, there is a chance that they push even harder for a Freddy Peralta trade, but those odds appear to be long at the moment and the Braves have checked pretty much every box they needed to this offseason. However, there is still business to attend to as international free agency is upon us.
Every January 15 including this year, the market to sign international free agents opens up and teams can sign (mostly) teenagers from Latin America who are declared eligible to sign. The Braves have had a lot of success internationally with Ronald Acuña Jr. being the obvious example, though their track record lately isn't quite as good. While the Braves aren't expected to sign the biggest names on the market, it still appears as though they are poised to add some real talent in this upcoming IFA signing period.
Here is how international free agency will work for the Braves in 2026
There is some nuance when it comes to eligibility, but the important part is that players must be 16 years old when they sign and they also must turn 17 by September 1, 2027 to be eligible. This matters more than you think as there is plenty of age fraud (or at least attempts at it) and official records can be a challenge in some countries.
That is for the teams to figure out, though. What matters more is that the Braves have a set amount they can spend in international free agency which is called their international bonus pool which is determined by their revenue status and whether or not teams sign players with qualifying offers attached. This year, the Braves are in the middle tier when it comes to bonus pools league-wide and have $6,679,200 to spend. Of note, bonuses that are $10,000 or less do not count towards bonus pool limits.
Braves' expected international signing class looks very solid despite missing on top names
Sadly, Atlanta is not in play for the top top names in international free agency after nabbing Jose Perdomo, Luis Guanipa, and Diego Tornes in previous classes. However, their class still looks strong at the top with shortstop Jose Mañon being the headliner. In addition to Mañon, the other top 50 bonus the Braves are expected to hand out is to outfielder Starling De La Cruz whose game appears weirdly similar to Michael Harris II.
Those are just a couple of the names the Braves are expected to sign and based on bonus estimates, it feels like Atlanta could spread their money around with several six figure deals. The big names will get the most press to start, but success is not guaranteed with any bonus and just because a player isn't a millionaire doesn't mean that they can't turn into stars in the big leagues.