Alex Anthopoulos is doing everything he can to get the Atlanta Braves back atop the NL East mountain. Each of the top three NL East favorites (Braves, Phillies, and Mets) have made their fair share of moves, but when you focus on the bullpen additions, it becomes clear Atlanta has won the offseason thus far.
Having a dominant bullpen can carry a team in October, and Alex Anthopoulos is doing his best to make sure Walt Weiss has late-inning weapons. The additions of Robert Suarez and Raisel Iglesias create a dynamic one-two punch Atlanta did not possess last season. If Anthopoulos adds any more impact arms, the Braves may start running laps around their NL East rivals.
"We could certainly say the Braves have had one of the best offseasons of any team so far..."
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) December 12, 2025
- @jonmorosi after Atlanta's signing of Robert Suarez pic.twitter.com/GT0G19mEz0
Why the Braves have made the biggest bullpen push this winter
After the Braves made their typical early winter splash, the Phillies tried to answer with a bullpen addition of their own. On Wednesday morning, the Phillies agreed to a two-year deal with Brad Keller. The 30 year-old Keller is coming off a career season with the Cubs, and even got some buzz as a potential starting pitcher this offseason. However, Keller is expected to slot into a setup role for closer Jhoan Duran in 2026.
Meanwhile, the Mets lost their star closer Edwin Diaz to the Dodgers and tried replacing him with the addition of Devin Williams. The Metropolitans stole another reliever from their cross-town rival on Wednesday when they signed Luke Weaver to a two-year deal. Both Weaver and Keller's contract are worth a reported $11 million AAV. Not to dismiss the signing of either player, but these transactions feel like each rival pivoting to a less attractive plan b.
Conversely, the Braves spent a hair more, but got undeniably more upside with the signings of Suarez and Iglesias. It feels like an alternate universe where the Braves are outspending the Mets and the Phillies, but last season's underperformance clearly lit a fire under the organization. The best thing about all of this is that Alex Anthopoulos may not be done yet.