The Braves have been relatively quiet this winter, having done little to this point other than trading Jorge Soler to the Angels at the beginning of the offseason. This gives the impression that the club is cautious about the salary situation this winter. The club is in danger of exceeding the luxury tax for the third year in a row, incurring hefty tax penalties and a 2026 first-round draft pick. To go back 10 digits. But despite the club’s slow start to the winter, Braves President of Baseball Operations Alex Anthopoulos told reporters (including The Athletic’s David O’Brien) that the club is working hard to meet the club’s needs. has said it is prepared to exceed the luxury tax for the third year in a row. This winter.
O’Brien said the club’s original plans for the offseason were derailed after receiving alarming medical updates regarding star players Ronald Acuña Jr. and Spencer Strider, as well as reliever Joe Jimenez. That’s what it means. As things stand, both Acuña and Strider are expected to miss Opening Day, with O’Brien adding that both could be out “well into May.” This news, along with Jimenez missing most or all of the 2025 campaign due to knee surgery, left the Braves looking for ways to free up salary. According to O’Brien, if these injuries didn’t add to the club’s added pressure for outfield help, the club would likely restructure the contracts of Reynaldo López and Aaron Bummer, as well as veteran catcher Travis d’Arnaud. He also wouldn’t have turned down the club option. rotation and bullpen.
Of these three areas of the roster, the outfield appears to be the most pressing issue for the club to address. O’Brien said the Braves won’t have Acuña next season due to his second ACL tear in four seasons, especially after he struggled (at least compared to his own elite standards) after returning to action in 2022. He points out that people may need to be especially careful. as soon as possible. That leaves the club with a relatively lackluster in-house roster of Eli White, Luke Williams and Carlos D. Rodriguez as options to pair with Jared Kelenic and Michael Harris II on the grass until Acuña returns. Thanks to the replacement players, we decided to pursue reinforcements in the outfield.
But on the pitching front, the Braves seem more comfortable with their internal options. Current National League Cy Young Award winner Lopez and rookie Spencer Schwellenbach will be part of the club’s opening rotation in 2025, and the club has two remaining rotation spots, including Bryce Elder and AJ Smith. There are many internal options that could play a role. Schovar, Hurston Waldrep and Ian Anderson, among others, but Anthopoulos suggested one surprising internal candidate for the rotation job: right-hander Grant Holmes.
The 28-year-old made his MLB debut with the Braves last season and has excelled as a swinger for the club, pitching 68 1/3 innings in seven starts and 19 relief appearances, posting a 3.56 ERA and 3.20 FIP. He achieved excellent results. Given that Holmes is clearly comfortable moving between the rotation and the bullpen, it would be wise for the hard-throwing right-hander to fill in for Strider in the club’s opening rotation before moving into a relief role once he returns to action. may prove to be a good choice. Similarly, O’Brien notes that Anthopoulos has expressed interest in using right-hander Daysbel Hernandez in a setup role in 2025 to compensate for the loss of Jimenez. Hernandez appeared in 16 games with Atlanta in 2024, pitching only 18 innings, but he made a strong impression in that limited time with a 2.50 ERA, 35.1% strikeout rate, and 2.11 FIP.
O’Brien noted that another option to compensate for the loss of Jimenez could be to reunite with southpaw AJ Minter. O’Brien has indicated the club could re-sign Minter this winter, but one potential issue in bringing Minter back to cushion the loss of Jimenez is that the left-handed Minter The fact is that he may miss the opening game after surgery. Minter underwent season-ending hip surgery in August, but O’Brien said it’s not yet clear whether he will be able to pitch at the beginning of the 2025 season.
Even putting aside the potential impact Minter’s health could have on Atlanta’s reunion interest, his season-long injury troubles could also have a major impact on his earning potential this winter. There is. MLBTR predicted Minter would be signed to a two-year, $16 million contract earlier this offseason as part of its annual MLB Free Agents Top 50 list, but that projection does not suggest the southpaw will be ready by Opening Day in 2025. There was a premise that everything was in place. Opening day is questionable for the left-hander this offseason due to surgery, but it wouldn’t be surprising if the 31-year-old settles for a promising one-year contract this winter. It gives him a chance to prove he’s healthy and sign a lucrative multi-year contract next year.