5 Free Agents The Braves Should Target: Outfielders

The Braves are in a bit of a pinch when it comes to free agency. There are a ton of impact starting pitchers available, and there are always good relievers to be had, but the two places where Atlanta could really stand to upgrade its lineup don’t have much to offer on the open market.

I covered shortstops last week. Mauricio Dubon is really the only free agent who should be considered starting-caliber, so if the Braves want an upgrade there, they’ll have to find a trade. The outfield class isn’t as thin, but it’s going to cost a lot of money to land an impact bat.

Randy Arozarena

Arozarena is arguably the best outfielder set to test the open market. He’s coming off back-to-back All-Star campaigns, with 2026 the best season of his career, hitting 26 home runs with an .865 OPS. He’s also shown a knack for big hits come October, with 12 long balls in just 45 postseason games to go along with a .946 OPS.

That’s exactly the kind of bat the Braves need to add, but in this market, Arozarena is going to have suitors lined up to pay him. It’s likely going to take a contract north of $100 million to land him, and the Braves are typically hesitant to hand that kind of money to players approaching their mid-30s.

The fit exists. I’m just not sure Anthopoulos makes an exception for Arozarena.

Seiya Suzuki

If Anthopoulos is unwilling to budge on paying 32-year-old free agents, Suzuki isn’t going to be his cup of tea either. He’s done nothing but mash since coming over from Japan, posting an .823 OPS across five seasons with the Chicago Cubs — and like Arozarena, he’s coming off a career-best campaign.

He’s likely in line for a very similar deal, and given he’s slightly older than Arozarena, that might take him off the Braves’ board as well.

Jake Bauers

One of the heroes of the Brewers’ World Series run, Bauers entered this season with -1.3 WAR to his name. Then he hit 26 homers with an .874 OPS over 144 regular season games before taking home NLCS MVP honors in Milwaukee’s triumph over the two-time defending champions.

Bauers is a year younger than Arozarena and Suzuki, and the fact that he has just one year of production under his belt should make him much more affordable. But I have a feeling he’s going to be very tough to pry away from Milwaukee, which, while not a big spender, would love to keep the core of its team together.

Ian Happ

One of the most consistent presences of the last decade, all Happ does is show up every season, post an OPS around .800, and win a Gold Glove. His numbers were down a little this season — .218 with 24 homers and a .738 OPS — but he’s still a really solid veteran who would be a considerable upgrade over what the Braves have continually trotted out in left field over the last four seasons. He should also be much more affordable than Arozarena and Suzuki, though he’ll require a multi-year deal.

Taylor Ward

After the top four, there’s a significant drop-off. Ward is coming off a down year in which he hit .225 with seven home runs and a .670 OPS, but he’s just a year removed from hitting 36 home runs with the Angels and owns a career .798 OPS against left-handed pitching.

In a perfect world, the Braves would really invest in the position. It’s one of the few areas where they can meaningfully bolster the offense. But Mike Yastrzemski is still under contract, so it’s more than possible they settle on a platoon option to pair with him.