The Atlanta Braves’ ice-cold start and litany of injuries, particularly to their starting rotation, may have tanked the 2025 season. However, seeing as the Braves entered this season on a streak of seven straight playoff appearances and were regarded as one of the best teams in the majors, GM Alex Anthopoulos will be looking to tweak, not entirely retool, this offseason. Luckily for him, few of Atlanta’s major players will be testing the waters of free agency this winter.
Anthopoulos has a significant degree of control this winter thanks to six players facing club options at season’s end. Four of these will be no-brainers: Chris Sale, Ozzie Albies, Pierce Johnson, and Tyler Kinley. Even missing much of the second half due to injury, Sale has been one of the most consistent and dominant arms since joining the Braves prior to 2024. The reigning Cy Young winner will be 37 next season and would be the third-highest paid player on the Braves thanks to his $18 million option. Still, if 2025 has proven anything, it’s that a contender can’t have too many arms.
The Braves are in an enviable position thanks to their few free agents and plethora of useful club options.
Albies seems like he’s returning to form and is bashing lefty pitching, so he will be well worth his $7 million option. Johnson and Kinley, the latter of which joined the Braves at the trade deadline and has only allowed one run since, have been two of the best arms in the bullpen. The pair has combined for a 1.46 ERA and a 5-0 record with seven holds since the beginning of August. The fee to retain them both – $12 million – is a paltry sum for such success. The Braves should also budget for Ha-Seong Kim who, until recently, seemed guaranteed to pick up his $16 million player option.
In the Mminors, reliever John Brebbia has a $4 million club option. The 35-year-old has made just two appearances with the big-league club since signing with the Braves as a free agent in late June. Similarly, infielder David Fletcher has an $8 million option. It seems unthinkable that the Braves bring either vet and will instead shell out a total of $2 million in buyouts to part with the pair.
The most significant players the Braves stand to lose then are Marcell Ozuna and Raisel Iglesias. Iggy is heading into the winter on a hot streak, which may encourage him to play the market, but the roster of free-agent relievers is deep. Iglesias will be competing for resources around the league with Andrés Muñoz, Ryan Helsley, and other top relief arms. Ozuna is slowing as the season wanes. He’s hit just five homers since the beginning of August, which simply isn’t enough for a DH. The Braves may very well be in a better place without this duo.