While there were a number of disappointing performances from the Atlanta Braves during the 2025 season, few stack up to just how bad Raisel Iglesias was in the first half. After 2.5 seasons with the Braves where he was among the best closers in baseball, Iglesias fell off a cliff before the All-Star break with a 4.42 ERA across 39 appearances including some very notable and complete meltdowns. Iglesias looked like a shadow of his former self and the idea of bringing the pending free agent reliever back for 2026 and beyond looked foolish.
However, Iglesias managed to change the narrative in the second half after pitching much better and being a rare bright spot in what was otherwise a lost season for Atlanta. All of a sudden, the idea of bringing Iglesias back to help the Braves' underperforming bullpen actually had merit again.
According to Braves insider Mark Bowman, not only is overhauling Atlanta's bullpen a top priority for the team this offseason, but it sounds like re-signing Iglesias is very much on the table.
Braves insider Mark Bowman hints that Atlanta could be working towards trying to re-sign Raisel Iglesias
Bowman doesn't cite any sources in particular here and given that the offseason hasn't officially started yet, it is going to be a while before we get any substantive updates as to Iglesias' market and where the Braves fit in.
However, there is a lot of reason to believe that it might be in the Braves' best interest to bring back the veteran closer. Iglesias' track record before the 2025 season had him among the league's best relievers and in the second half of this past season, Iglesias got back on track with a 1.76 ERA in 31 appearances. Given the lack of reliable bullpen arms under contract in the Braves' bullpen outside of Pierce Johnson and Tyler Kinley and the uncertain return of Joe Jimenez, bringing back Iglesias on a two or three year deal has some merit.
The question that will dictate everything, as it often does, is cost. Iglesias is 35 years old, so the idea that he is going to get a four year, $58 million contract again is extremely unlikely. However, given his bounceback in 2025, Iglesias also probably is not going to be all that interested in taking an AAV pay cut especially since he could probably easily get $16+ million a year on the open market if he wanted to.
It feels like there should be a payroll number that would work for both sides here. Atlanta mercifully has some money coming off their books and while filling the void at shortstop could prove expensive, locking up Iglesias would still work with the Braves' payroll situation. Beyond that, it just comes down to how much risk Atlanta is willing to take on with Iglesias and how hellbent he is on getting one last big payday.