When the Atlanta Braves reunited with Raisel Iglesias, it was fair to wonder exactly how much more the Braves would be willing to commit to their bullpen. There were openings to be sure, but Atlanta also has to think about shortstop and the rotation not to mention that they just went ahead and paid Mike Yastrzemski on a two-year deal.
Well, we know now that Atlanta was well aware of their bullpen need and added as decisively as possible.
On Thursday, it was reported that the Braves had agreed to a deal with Robert Suarez, one of the absolute best relievers on the market, that is for three years and $45 million. That escalated quickly.
BREAKING: Closer Robert Suarez and the Atlanta Braves are in agreement on a three-year, $45 million contract, sources tell ESPN.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 11, 2025
Braves stun all of baseball with signing Robert Suarez to a surprisingly reasonable contract
Now, there is a lot of fallout to consider with this move. At the moment, the reporting is saying that Iglesias will remain the Braves' primary closer even after signing Suarez. However, given the level of investment here, one has to think that Iglesias' leash as a closer could be short especially given his struggles in the first half of 2025.
Fortunately, Suarez did not have a qualifying offer attached to his free agency which means that the Braves didn't have to give up the draft pick Drake Baldwin got them after his ROY win in order to sign. As a result, it is honestly surprising that Atlanta was able to land Suarez at an AAV that is lower than what they gave Iglesias despite having more upside at this point.
Just like that, the Braves' bullpen went from a question mark to a real position of strength, especially in the late innings. Whoever ends up getting most of the high leverage action between Suarez and Iglesias, Atlanta appears to be in a great position now. Hopefully this leads to even more action to come.