The holidays have slowed down an already painfully slow MLB free-agency period that still features many of the biggest names in the game remaining on the market, some of which appear to be piquing the interest of the Braves.

Alex Anthopoulos has not shied away from his desire to add an impact arm — a guy that could potentially start a playoff game down the road. Framber Valdez, Ranger Suárez, and Zac Gallen all fit that mold, but they would likely require Anthopoulos to go to a place he has never gone before in terms of value with free agents.

The trade market also offers several potential starting-pitching targets for the Braves, even if it feels like few things are developing on that front at the moment. It could be a while before we see Atlanta make another move, or they might not make one at all. The Braves are confident in the pitchers returning from injury and really feel like Spencer Strider will start to look more like himself now that he’s a year further removed from InternalBrace surgery. Additionally, young arms like Hurston Waldrep and JR Ritchie further inspire confidence in what the Braves already have at their disposal.

If that’s the route Anthopoulos chooses to go, the roster is essentially set for 2026. Here’s what it could look like on Opening Day in just a few months:

Rotation

1. Chris Sale
2. Spencer Schwellenbach
3. Spencer Strider
4. Reynaldo Lopez
5. Hurston Waldrep

The Braves should feel really confident about their top two, as long as they can stay healthy, which obviously wasn’t the case last season. Spencer Strider comes with some legitimate concerns after posting a 4.45 ERA in his first year back from surgery, but the upside is just as obvious if he can get back to the pitcher he was when he burst onto the scene as a rookie.

The key decisions the Braves must make start to arise after those three, but not because of a lack of options. A case could be made that Reynaldo López should be moved back to the bullpen. Atlanta has a need for another set-up man, he has thrived in that role before, and he’s dealt with shoulder fatigue since joining the Braves as a starter, which limited him to just two starts in 2025. However, the Braves have at least suggested they plan to stretch him out again come Spring Training.

As for the fifth spot, Grant Holmes certainly has a case to be included, and perhaps the Braves choose to roll with a six-man rotation at times as they’ve done in the past. Still, I feel confident Hurston Waldrep showed enough at the end of last season to cement himself a spot in the rotation on Opening Day.

Bullpen

1. Raisel Iglesias
2. Robert Suarez
3. Daysbel Hernandez
4. Dylan Lee
5. Grant Holmes
6. Joel Payamps
7. Joey Wentz
8. Hayden Harris

The Braves need another bullpen arm, which could potentially come from the rotation if they were to acquire another starting pitcher this offseason. As things currently stand, there would be a lot of trust being placed in bounce-back campaigns and younger arms.

If guys like Daysbel Hernandez, Hayden Harris, and Jhancarlos Lara can prove themselves in 2026, it would go a long way toward this unit becoming one of the most electric in baseball. It’s also likely the Braves add a few notable non-roster invites to Spring Training for competition purposes, which should be plentiful once things begin to ramp up in March.

Catcher

1. Drake Baldwin
2. Sean Murphy (?)

No surprises here, although it’s currently unclear whether Sean Murphy will be ready for Opening Day. The Braves have indicated they will take things slowly with him as he continues to recover from hip surgery, and there’s absolutely no reason to rush anything with Drake Baldwin in the fold. It’s likely the Braves’ backup catcher on Opening Day is not currently in the organization.

Infield

1. Matt Olson
2. Ozzie Albies
3. Ha-Seong Kim
4. Austin Riley

Outfield/DH

1. Ronald Acuña Jr.
2. Michael Harris II
3. Jurickson Profar
4. Mike Yasztremski

Bench

1. Mauricio Dubón
2. Eli White
3. Vidal Brujan

Dubón will be the Swiss Army knife of the Atlanta Braves, capable of playing literally everywhere on the diamond. He’s likely going to rack up a ton of starts throughout the year, while Eli White and whoever fills the final spot on the Braves’ bench play much more sparingly unless injuries strike.