The Atlanta Braves have a shortstop problem. This is not news. After Orlando Arcia was unceremonious let go, the job has been solely in Nick Allen's hands and while he has been very strong defensively, his offense has been lacking and it is clear that he is not the long-term solution at short. As a result, the Braves went very shortstop heavy in the 2025 MLB Draft and in doing so, their offseason plans may now be coming into focus.
First round pick Tate Southisene is coming from high school, so he isn't going to factor into the Braves' plans for at least a couple years and likely longer than that. If he was the only shortstop Atlanta had picked, their offseason plans probably wouldn't change all that much.
However, the Braves went out and also grabbed college shortstop Alex Lodise from FSU (as well as Cody Miller, but that was pretty clearly a money saving pick). With that much of a shortstop focus, the Braves may not be looking to shop at the top of the shortstop market this coming offseason.
Braves seem likely to target short-term shortstop fix given their 2025 draft class
There are no shortage of Braves fans that want the team to go big this coming offseason after what has been a dumpster fire of a season. Shortstop is a pretty easy roster spot to identify as needing an upgrade and names like Bo Bichette and Ha-Seong Kim could be available. An easy match, right?
Well, not anymore. Atlanta clearly has designs on developing their own solution at shortstop with their picks. If they were to sign or trade for a big name shortstop, it wouldn't be the best use of their draft resources given how hard they went after shortstops early in the draft.
As a result, we could see a stopgap shortstop solution brought for 2026 and then the Braves can use their money to address other problem areas on the roster (bullpen, outfield, rotation, etc.) while waiting to see which of their prospects will start panning out. Names like Isiah Kiner-Falefa or Paul DeJong make some sense as options that fit that mold.
It is far from a perfect plan and risks letting quality players go elsewhere while you place bets on players with very uncertain future. However, with as many issues as the Braves have right now, it may still be the correct course to take.