Once Raisel Iglesias rebounded in the second half of the 2025 season, a reunion with the Atlanta Braves felt like the most likely outcome. The details did matter, but Atlanta clearly held Iglesias in high regard which is why he had such a long leash last year and Iglesias seemed to thrive with the Braves the vast majority of the time. There was a chance that some team blew Iglesias away with an offer, but it did seem as though returning to the Braves was the most likely outcome.
However, most thought that Iglesias would probably get at least a two-year deal given his track record and that is what most experts predicted Iglesias would get. Instead, Iglesias did indeed return to the Braves and it only required a one year, $16 million deal. While the AAV might not be ideal for an older reliever like Iglesias, one year deals are rarely terrible and it solidifies what could otherwise be an expensive roster hole to fill.
In fact, in the wake of Ryan Helsley's deal with the Orioles, the Braves look particularly smart in striking as early and decisively as they did.
Raisel Iglesias' deal with the Braves looks even better after Ryan Helsley's deal
There is risk in making deals early in the offseason. Even if you stick to strict rules for specific rules like avoiding long-term deals with relievers, there is a real chance that you either set the price too high for other bullpen needs or miss out on better values later in the offseason when guys get desperate.
Thankfully, neither seems to be the case with Iglesias' deal. The Braves still have payroll room to address the rest of their 2026 roster after signing Iglesias without requiring a commitment beyond next season. Given that Helsley got a two-year deal at only a slightly lower annual value despite the fact that he had a down year in 2025 and had well-documented issues with tipping pitches, it actually seems like Atlanta may have gotten quite the deal.
With the big name closers like Edwin Diaz and Robert Suarez still on the market, we'll know for sure whether or not the Braves did well with the Iglesias deal soon enough. However, the early evidence suggests that Alex Anthopoulos may have gotten a steal considering what the relief market is likely to do. Now, it is only a matter of Iglesias proving the Braves right in 2026.