2025-26 MLB Offseason Recap: Atlanta Braves

The 2025 campaign was a complicated one for the Braves. Injuries piled up, and so did the losses early in the year. Still, the Braves finished out the year strong and should compete for a playoff spot in 2026. If the Braves do make it back to October baseball, the team will need to rely on some new faces brought in over the winter.

Additions

• INF/OF Mauricio Dubon
• RP Ian Hamilton
• C Jonah Heim
• INF Jorge Mateo
• RP Robert Suarez
• OF Mike Yastrzemski
• RP Danny Young

Atlanta had an active offseason, re-signing familiar faces like Ha-Seong Kim & Raisel Igleisas but also adding some new ones, as well.

Robert Suarez, one of the best closers in baseball over the last two seasons, was signed to a multi-year deal this winter. The move has multiple effects on the Braves.

One, it gives Atlanta a big matchup arm to use outside of the ninth inning, making the bullpen deeper outside of Iglesias and the returning Tyler Kinley. Two, Suarez becomes the heir apparent closer in Atlanta. Igleisas coming back shifts Suarez to a primary setup role, although that could change depending on other circumstances.

Suarez wasn’t the only notable relief pitcher addition. Ex-Yankee Ian Hamilton also joined the Braves in the winter.

The other big addition was Mike Yastrzemski, who will line up as the new left fielder in Atlanta. Yastrzemski is a good power hitter who can also get on base, offering more depth to the back half of the lineup.

He’ll also become even more important after the Braves lost Jurickson Profar to a one-year PED suspension. It’s the second straight year that Profar was hit for a positive performance-enhancing drug test.

The Braves also plucked several individuals from the rival Mets. Pitching coach Jeremy Hefner, let go by the team in the winter, came over as Walt Weiss‘ new pitching coach. And after the Mets could not agree with first base coach Antoan Richardson, he joined Hefner in Atlanta.

Danny Young, who was hurt last season but pitched for Hefner previously with the Mets, signed a deal with the Braves over the winter.

Losses

• SS Nick Allen
• OF Jake Fraley
• RP Pierce Johnson
• SP Alek Manoah
• SP Charlie Morton
• DH Marcell Ozuna

The Braves added Mauricio Dubon, a versatile infielder and former Gold Glove winner, in a trade with the Houston Astros. However, that move cost the Braves Nick Allen.

Allen himself is a terrific defender and one of the best at the shortstop position. A fluid, rangy defender, Allen’s deficiencies, though, came by way of his bat. He finished with the worst wOBA in the Majors last season among hitters with 350 or more plate appearances.

While Dubon isn’t that impactful as a hitter, his bat is more valuable than the player he’s replacing in Atlanta.

Aside from Allen, the Braves didn’t re-sign Pierce Johnson after turning down his team option in the winter. Atlanta brought back Tyler Kinley after doing the same with him. However, Johnson, who pitched well after he was acquired from the Rockies, signed with the Reds.

The most notable loss was Marcell Ozuna, the slugger who had a complicated tenure with the Braves.

Ozuna got his career back on track in 2023 and became one of baseball’s best sluggers once more. But last season, Ozuna had a more muted offensive season in a year where he was battling a hip injury.

The Pirates signed Ozuna late in the winter.

Overview

One area that the Braves didn’t go to in the winter was the starting pitcher market.

That is notable, given all the injuries that the Braves dealt with last season. The good news is that some of those injured pitchers are healthy and pitching well this spring. Grant Holmes struck out 16 over his first 12 spring innings and didn’t concede an earned run. Reynaldo Lopez is also pitching again after missing most of last year.

However, the Braves still have pitching depth concerns. AJ Smith-Shawver is recovering from UCL repair surgery and won’t be available to start the year. And earlier in the spring, Hurston Waldrep and Spencer Schwellenbach suffered significant injuries.

Joey Wentz was believed to be a rotation option all spring before he suffered a UCL tear. Meaning, the Braves may have to go further down the depth chart to log innings, including giving early looks to JR Ritchie and Didier Fuentes, the latter of whom is having a good spring.

But putting that aside, the gets of Yastrzemski and Suarez are massive additions. Especially, when taking into account that scoring runs and the bullpen will be important, for obvious reasons.