For anyone that watched the Atlanta Braves in 2025, it was clear that the bullpen was an area of deep concern. Sure, shortstop was the more obvious need and Atlanta was trumpeting their desire to add starting pitching, but the absence of Joe Jimenez was felt all year long and Raisel Iglesias' struggles were a harsh reminder that nothing is a given with any bullpen arm.
Thankfully, the Braves did the work to turn that roster weakness into a strength. They quickly went ahead and reunited with Iglesias before adding Robert Suarez who is among the best high leverage relievers in baseball at the moment. Combine that with bringing back Tyler Kinley in a move that always made sense for both sides and you have a really strong group.
What is interesting now is how all of that good work on the bullpen may make it less likely that the Braves add a starting pitcher at all as Braves insider Mark Bowman recently pointed out.
Braves' strong work in rebuilding their bullpen could (and perhaps should) take urgency away from starting pitching search
The stated reason for the Braves desire for rotation help that persists even today is related to general concerns over depth and injuries. Atlanta found out the hard way last season that you can never have enough pitching when the whole rotation was on the IL and relying on some of those arms rebounding, especially early in the season, was seen as dangerous.
However, the calculus changes when you have a bullpen that can shorten games like the Braves should be able to, at least on paper. All of a sudden, you don't need Spencer Schwellenbach fresh off a broken elbow to go six plus innings and you can ease him into a regular workload. Same goes for Grant Holmes who the Braves are going to be extra careful with considering that he opted against elbow surgery.
There is danger with this plan, though. While this arrangement could take the burden off of the Braves' rotation which certainly has some age and injury concerns, it could also make it more likely that the bullpen is overworked early. Preserving the bullpen for the entire season while making sure the rotation can ease into things is a delicate balance that new manager Walt Weiss is going to have to strive for.
In an ideal world, more starting options emerge in spring training like top pitching prospect JR Ritchie who looks pretty close to ready for the big leagues. Then the Braves would be deep in their rotation AND their bullpen and would be in a terrific spot for 2026. Even if that doesn't happen, Atlanta should still be able to reap the benefits of their bullpen overhaul.