The Atlanta Braves find themselves in a precarious situation this offseason. They have a few spots to fill in some important positions. A new manager is the first item on the docket. After that, the team has to fill a gap at shortstop, retool the bullpen, and add pitching depth. Some of these spots need to be filled for multiple seasons.
Unfortunately, there is an obstacle they could run into once the current MLB Collective Bargaining Agreement expires. The CBA is set to expire on December 1, 2026. This will likely give the front office a tough time handing out long-term contracts. That kind of uncertainty isn't ideal when discussing high-dollar contracts.
Upcoming CBA negotiations (and the inevitable lockout) could force Braves to play it safe this offseason
The last MLB lockout occurred after the Braves won the 2021 World Series. That lockout lasted three months and led to teams having to scramble with their contract negotiations. This, along with some poor communication, led to Freddie Freeman landing with the Dodgers.
It's hard to imagine there won't be some hesitation to hand out long-term deals when there is so much unknown. The main things to navigate are player salaries, revenue sharing, and roster size. However, there are some things that may come up that could affect what teams will comfortably spend.
The main concern fans have is the lack of a salary cap/floor implemented. Teams that spend the most have the best chance of making it to the postseason. However, you also have the extreme of some teams not spending enough to be competitive.
That lack of certainty around financial expectations could make the Braves a bit more conservative with their spending ahead of the 2026 season. Ha-Seong Kim needs to be the priority, so that shortstop is covered for the next few seasons. But with this uncertainty, I'm sure they're hoping he exercises his player option.
The CBT threshold hasn't kept teams like the Mets and Dodgers from spending as much as they want to. A cap may be the only way to ensure the playing field is as competitive as possible. Although owners of those organizations aren't likely to support a cap, and the majority of players probably aren't as motivated to agree to that kind of structure either.
The tough thing for Atlanta is that they set expectations to spend big last offseason and didn't follow through with it. Fans are now expecting them to spend money and make an impact next year.