Braves Potential Free Agent Targets: Starting Pitchers

This has all the makings of a fun offseason for the Atlanta Braves — the complete opposite of last winter, when Alex Anthopoulos essentially sat on his hands for five months.

A disappointing season can light a fire under any front office, and with the Braves having reset the luxury tax, there’s no excuse not to be aggressive once free agency begins and the trade market reopens after the World Series. If they aren’t, an already frustrated fan base has every reason to raise its pitchforks. This team brings in far too much revenue to be pinching pennies.

This continues a series where I cover the top free agent targets at each position of need for the Braves, moving on to starting pitchers — and, oh boy, are there a lot intriguing names set to test the open market. If you missed any of the previous parts to this series, follow the links below.

• Braves Potential Free Agent Targets: Designated Hitters
• Braves Potential Free Agent Targets: Shortstops

Braves Potential Free Agent Targets: Starting Pitchers

Framber Valdez

Valdez might be the best starting pitcher in this year’s free-agent class, boasting a 3.21 ERA and 127 ERA+ (27% above league average) over the last four seasons. He’s also been battle-tested in the postseason, winning a World Series with the Astros in 2022. What perhaps makes him most attractive to the Braves is his durability — something they clearly value, as shown by their pursuit of Aaron Nola a couple of years ago. Valdez hasn’t spent a day on the injured list in four straight seasons, making at least 28 starts every year.

Ranger Suárez

Ranger Suárez might be the most underrated free-agent starting pitcher in this year’s class. Overshadowed by the big names in Philadelphia’s rotation, he doesn’t get nearly enough credit for what he’s done — racking up 17.7 WAR and posting a 129 ERA+ (29% above league average) since 2021. He’s also been lights-out in October, boasting a 1.48 ERA in 42.2 postseason innings.

Dylan Cease

Dylan Cease is one of the most intriguing names on the market because he might be the most talented arm available. When his stuff is right, he’s nearly unhittable, but the results haven’t always matched the raw ability. Cease is coming off a season in which he posted a 4.55 ERA after recording a 4.58 ERA in 2023. The run prevention hasn’t been elite, but his workload and strikeout numbers are consistently impressive — at least 32 starts in five straight seasons with absurd K rates. Someone will bet big on that combination of durability and upside.

Michael King

Cease’s teammate, Michael King, has actually been the better pitcher over the last couple of seasons. However, injuries limited him to just 15 starts in 2025, making it difficult to gauge his market value. When healthy, King is a legitimate No. 2 starter, posting a 3.10 ERA over the last two seasons in San Diego after transitioning full-time into the rotation.

Zac Gallen

Gallen fits the mold of the type of pitcher the Braves typically target — a proven talent coming off an unusual down year who could be open to a short-term, prove-it deal. After back-to-back top-five Cy Young finishes, Gallen posted a 3.65 ERA in 2024 and followed it up with an unsightly 4.83 mark this season. The dip in production could create an opportunity for teams that want to avoid long-term contracts, even if his track record before that is pristine.

Brandon Woodruff

Woodruff has quietly been one of the more underrated pitchers in baseball throughout his career, boasting a 3.10 ERA across 745 innings and 18 WAR. Unfortunately, injuries have limited him to just 12 starts over the last two seasons, and he’ll turn 33 next year. That will likely scare teams away from long-term offers, but a two- or three-year deal still feels realistic for a pitcher with his résumé when healthy.

Merrill Kelly

Kelly didn’t finish the 2025 campaign particularly strong after being traded from the Diamondbacks to the Rangers, but his production over the past four seasons — a 3.47 ERA across 107 starts — should still earn him a two-year deal in free agency, even as he enters his age-37 season.

Chris Bassitt

Bassitt is cut from the same cloth as Kelly — an older, steady middle-rotation arm. Since 2018, he’s posted a 3.58 ERA over 1,135 innings, including a 3.96 mark in 170.1 innings this past season. He may not have the flash of some other names on this list, but he brings reliability that contenders always covet.