The Atlanta Braves' front office is no doubt already having conversations about their offseason plans. There are a good number of things to address, and they'll need to make some good moves to give the fanbase some optimism about next season.
Last offseason, the Braves said they would be able to spend without a problem. Atlanta had the 6th-highest payroll in 2026, but they really didn't do very much to equip the team for the postseason. They needed more starting pitching, and at least one more dependable bat.
Atlanta did add some impressive options at the trade deadline with Tyler Mahle and Brent Suter. However, that wasn't nearly enough to get past the Dodgers in the NLDS. The Braves' offense disappeared, with the exception of Michael Harris II and Ozzie Albies. It only highlighted what needs to be tweaked ahead of next season. Left field was a glaring misstep for the Braves last year. Jurickson Profar ruined that with his second straight PED suspension. Mike Yastrzemski had his moments and tried to fill the void, but he wasn't consistent.
This is an area the Braves must improve in the offseason, and bringing Profar back isn't the answer. It would be hard for Atlanta to eat the money owed to him, but he's broken everyone's trust. That doesn't feel like a smart decision to bring someone back into the clubhouse like that. They need to just eat the money and start with a clean slate. Atlanta could simply look to a standout outfielder from Chicago to begin that process.
Braves should target Seiya Suzuki in free agency to improve their offense
Seiya Suzuki burst onto the scene in 2022 after years of success in Japanese baseball. He signed a five-year, $85 million contract with the Cubs ahead of that season. That's a pretty nice contract for a first time player in Major League Baseball.
He came to the end of that contract at the end of the 2026 season, and he was a pretty good addition. Suzuki was impressive this past season with a .270/.368/.473 slash line, 31 doubles, 26 home runs, 86 RBI, 81 walks, 155 strikeouts, and an .841 OPS.
Suzuki was very good offensively despite the high strikeout rate. However, his walk rate and on-base percentage made up for it. Suzuki also had the best defensive season of his career with a 5 OAA, a 4 arm value rating, and great arm strength.
His OAA was the third-best among all MLB right fielders, and his arm value ranked in the 94th percentile, with his arm strength landing in the 85th percentile. That's exactly what the Braves could use. Suzuki could easily slide to left field and give Atlanta a pretty impressive outfield on both sides of the ball.
Suzuki's offensive output has remained pretty consistent as indicated by a .269/.351/.472 slash line, with 142 doubles, 18 triples, 113 home runs, 382 RBI, 316 walks, 719 strikeouts, and a 128 wRC+. He would be a welcome addition to Atlanta's lineup next season. Now, the Cubs will likely offer him a qualifying offer, but there are a bunch of teams that will be bidding for the outfielder in free agency. That could be a tough task for the Braves, who have to bid against some great competitors. But they absolutely need to do their best to surprise everyone by signing him.
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