When the Atlanta Braves entered spring training, they had yet to cross off starting pitching from their offseason wish list. That need became even greater after the club announced that Spencer Schwellenbach would miss the first two months of the season.
However, despite the growing urgency for the Braves to add another arm, they don't appear to be interested in the more obvious starters on the market.
The Braves did not seriously pursue Chris Bassitt. They have not been interested in Lucas Giolito to this point. More on their rotation: https://t.co/gCyyZumDS0
— Gabe Burns (@GabeBurnsAJC) February 17, 2026
Braves disinterested in Lucas Giolito, did not pursue Chris Bassitt
Before Chris Bassitt ended up signing with the Baltimore Orioles he seemed like a perfect match for the Braves. The righty has been a qualified starter in each of the last four seasons and is 24th in baseball in fWAR since 2020.
When Bassitt signed for one year and $18.5 million, it seemed like a deal the Braves should have made, especially considering that he signed after the Schwellenbach injury news. However, according to Gabe Burns of the AJC, the Braves never seriously pursued Bassitt.
Since Bassitt agreed to his deal with the Orioles, the short-term starting pitching market has heated up. The San Diego Padres inked both German Marquez and Walker Buehler, the Rangers signed Jordan Montgomery, and Zac Gallen returned to the Diamondbacks.
One arm that still remains on the market is Lucas Giolito, who had a 3.41 ERA with the Red Sox last season, and is a longtime teammate with current Braves starter Reynaldo Lopez. But, as with Bassitt, the Braves do not appear to be interested at this point.
This seemingly passive approach to addressing their pitching needs is baffling fans. While it's understandable that each free agent pitcher available at this point would have their drawbacks, the injuries the Braves have already suffered doesn't give the team much room for passivity.
There are a few other notable starting pitchers aside from Giolito that remain free agents, like Zack Littell and future Hall of Famer Max Scherzer, but the pickings continue to slim, and if the Braves don't act soon, the back half of the Opening Day rotation could look very ugly.