Allan Winans could be a sneaky good addition to the Braves' postseason roster
Speaking of long relief options, one way that the Braves can hedge against Bryce Elder completely imploding in on himself as well as giving the bullpen another length option is by adding Allan Winans to the playoff roster. Not only has he pitched pretty well this season in limited action, but his profile lends itself favorably to pitching in the postseason.
In the playoffs, you want guys who can miss bats, don't walk many guys, and keep the ball in the park. Winans has struck out better than a batter an inning in 2023 with an impressive 2.00 BB/9 walk rate to go along with it and his 2.74 FIP points to his batted ball characteristics being right in line with what the Braves should want even if he has been a bit unlucky at times this season. Having Winans on the roster would also mean that if Elder struggles, the Braves can handcuff Winans to him and have him pitch multiple innings to preserve the bullpen and keep Atlanta in the game.
Luke Williams is too redundant to carry on the bench in the playoffs
Finally, we come to Luke Williams who is easy to forget is on the big league roster and that is the problem. While carrying Williams right now as the last bench slot in the regular season makes a lot of sense, the postseason introduces some wrinkles that makes keeping him around far less likely.
For starters, the Braves are a lock to carry a third catcher as both Sean Murphy and Travis d'Arnaud are top candidates to have pinch runners come in for them late in games and both guys have been banged up this season. That means Chadwick Tromp is going to need a bench slot. With Nicky Lopez around as the backup infielder and Forrest Wall seemingly the best pinch runner option, Williams just doesn't have a role and including him would be a waste.