MLB Insider Names Three Key Positions Braves Should Upgrade Over Offseason

The Atlanta Braves find themselves at a crossroads heading toward this offseason. They balked at certain upgrades last season in the hopes that getting healthy would be enough, and it wasn’t. 

Even with prospects coming along in their development and getting certain guys back from injuries, they’ll likely need to go out and get external help. MLB Insider Jeff Passan joined 680 The Fan to discuss potential upgrades. 

Three main areas of focus he pointed to for upgrades were at shortstop, the starting rotation and the bullpen. 

Shortstop was the one position on offense that Passan felt the Braves would see the need for a big upgrade. Currently, the starting shortstop is Nick Allen. He has Gold Glove-level defense, but his bat has yet to translate from Triple-A to the Majors. 

In 111 games played, he’s batting .223 with a .544 OPS, no home runs and 19 RBIs. His defense has meant he’s had no trouble hanging on to the starting job this season, but once the offseason comes, that could change. 

The only other position that could be potentially upgraded is second base. Ozzie Albies has a club option coming up, and the Braves have to decide if they want to exercise it. However, Nacho Alvarez Jr. could be a potential in-house replacement for that position that would allow the Braves to focus on a splash at shortstop. 

Passan said a “consistent, free-agent” starter would “go a long way” and sees bullpen upgrades as doable for the team. 

The starting rotation was battered and bruised this season, and the Braves were left scrambling to find patchwork options. They really felt the absence of Charlie Morton’s 30 starts and the innings that Max Fried provided. 

When the rotation was the backbone of the team in 2024, even with injuries, it was because they had veterans who anchored the rotation. Right now, they don’t have that, even if they had a healthy Chris Sale. 

The difference has altered the rotation from one that was third in ERA (3.58) last season to one that’s 23rd in ERA (4.50) this season. 

The bullpen this season has consisted of a lot of players who have come off the waiver wire with mixed results. The bullpen ERA has jumped from 3.32 last season to 4.01 this season. This is with guys like Daysbel Hernandez, Dylan Lee and Pierce Johnson having sub-3.00 ERAs this season. Raisel Iglesias, who has returned to form recently, might not be back next season since he’s a pending free agent. 

Joe Jimenez coming back next season should help, but getting a solid upgrade to the bullpen could help prevent some of the meltdowns they’ve experienced this season. 

More From Atlanta Braves on SI