While the Atlanta Braves did opt to bring back Raisel Iglesias for 2026, they have to do a lot of work on their bullpen. After surprisingly moving on from Tyler Kinley and Pierce Johnson, Atlanta's relief corps is rather depleted coming off a disappointing showing last season as a whole. However, the one wild card that could make-or-break the Braves' bullpen next season may be Joe Jimenez.
It is not hyperbole to say that Jimenez's knee injury was the beginning of the end for the Braves last season. Losing him for the season unexpectedly created a roster hole the front office failed to fill. With as many close losses the Braves suffered especially early on in the season with the bullpen melting down regularly, it is hard not to wonder what might have been if Jimenez was handling setup duties.
With the news that Jimenez needed an additional clean-up procedure on his knee that could very well threaten his availability on Opening Day, it is unclear what fans should expect from him going forward. However, the Braves' next bullpen moves could give everyone some big clues as to his actual prognosis.
Fans may find out what they need to know about Joe Jimenez once Braves take their next steps
The logic here is that the Braves' internal evaluation of Jimenez's chances of contributing next season will dictate their bullpen moves in the coming weeks and month. While Alex Anthopoulos has already said that the Braves won't know about Jimenez for a while, you can bet a large sum that the team has a good idea how bad things are based on the need for a clean-up procedure and their access to his scans.
If the Braves stick to smaller bullpen additions in the range of the Joel Payamps signing, Atlanta probably at least thinks that Jimenez will be able to contribute at a pretty high level in 2026 even if he isn't immediately ready at the start of the season.
However, if the Braves pursue another higher profile, high-leverage reliever to either serve as a setup man or share some closing duties with Iglesias, that probably isn't good news when it comes to Jimenez. Given the nature of Jimenez's knee injury being portrayed as a pretty severe and a potentially chronic problem, there is a real chance the Braves reach the conclusion that they simply can't rely on him going forward.
Fortunately, it does not feel like there will be a long wait to find out. While the more expensive parts of the offseason market (starting pitching, outfield) might take a while to resolve themselves, we are already seeing movement in the bullpen market. Anthopoulos likes to act quickly and decisively when markets are active and what choices he makes soon may tell us everything we need to know.