The Braves know exactly what this offseason is asking of them: find more star power, and find it fast.
Atlanta’s series loss to the Dodgers made one thing plain enough. If the Braves want to keep pace with the league’s best, they can’t just patch holes and hope for the best.
The starting rotation will get plenty of attention, and it should, but shortstop looks just as urgent. That’s where Bleacher Report’s Zachary D.
Rymer has Atlanta making a bold swing.
Rymer is predicting the Braves will trade for Orioles All-Star Gunnar Henderson, calling it the kind of move that would feel like a dream for Atlanta. In his view, the shortstop spot has been unsettled for years, and it gets even murkier once Ha-Seong Kim and Mauricio Dubon hit free agency.
"The Atlanta Braves will trade for Gunnar Henderson," Rymer predicts. "... Their shortstop position has been unsettled for years, and it stands to be wide-open once Ha-Seong Kim and Mauricio Dubon file for free agency."
That part matters. The Braves’ two top options at the position are headed to the open market, and neither looks like a clean long-term answer. With the market thin, chasing a true difference-maker starts to look less like a luxury and more like a necessity.
Henderson fits that idea cleanly. He’s under control for the next two seasons, and he brings the kind of upside Atlanta would be hard-pressed to find elsewhere. Even in a 2026 season that fell short of his previous three years, he still posted 3.2 bWAR with 141 hits, 88 runs scored, six triples, 27 doubles, 24 home runs, 60 RBIs, 10 stolen bases and a .715 OPS.
Names like Trea Turner and Francisco Lindor might come up in this kind of conversation, but the source notes they’re unlikely fits for Atlanta because of the intra-division nature of a possible trade. Henderson, by contrast, is a realistic target from Baltimore and exactly the sort of player the Braves should be hunting if they want a legitimate answer at shortstop.
Baltimore could also decide this is the time to cash in. The source frames Henderson’s trade value as unlikely to get higher after this offseason than it is right now, which gives the Orioles a reason to listen.
Of course, a player with Henderson’s profile would not come cheap. The source says a deal could even require someone like Didier Fuentes.
Still, the idea is simple enough: if the Braves can land Henderson and potentially extend him, the price would be worth it. For a team trying to rebuild its edge at the top of the roster, that’s the kind of swing that changes the entire offseason.
In Other News...
Braves Face Two Roster Decisions They Cant Afford To Miss
The Braves have spent plenty of time building around pitching, and Chris Sales 2024 season only reinforced how much top-end starting help can still carry this roster. But the longer view is harder to ignore, especially with the rotation needing more depth by 2027 and with health questions hanging over other arms. In the meantime, the lineup has its own soft spots, and the lack of production at several positions has put more pressure on the front office to sort out the next layer of everyday contributors.
One of the biggest calls sits at shortstop, where Atlanta has to decide whether Mauricio Dubn is best used as an everyday option or kept in his familiar utility lane. The late-inning side of the roster brings its own choice, too, with Raisel Iglesias now part of a discussion that is as much about timing and commitment as it is about performance. For a team trying to stay ahead of the National League pack, neither decision feels like one it can afford to get wrong. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Could Soon Face A Surprising Ozzie Albies Decision
The Braves already have one major long-term decision lined up with Ronald Acua Jr., whose club options for 2027 and 2028 are expected to be picked up. Ozzie Albies is in a different spot, but not by much in terms of importance to the roster. He has remained a core part of Atlantas infield and helped himself with a strong postseason showing, which only adds to the appeal of keeping him in place.
Still, the front office may have to weigh whether the best path is to hold onto him or explore a trade while there is still value to be extracted. Even if Atlanta is inclined to keep the lineup together, moving a player with Albies profile is not simple, since roster fit and financial realities both come into play. For now, the Braves appear headed toward another decision point that could shape the infield picture beyond next season. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Fans Will Love The Pitcher Suddenly Tied To Atlanta
After the Cleveland Guardians were bounced from the ALCS, pitcher Gavin Williams took to Instagram to post a message following the end of the season. It did not take long for Braves fans to notice the social-media ripple effect, with one commenter joking that Williams was headed to Atlanta and the post drawing just enough attention to stir the usual October rumor mill.
Williams liking that comment was the kind of small digital moment that can fuel a fan base, even if the baseball reality is far less dramatic. He is under team control through 2029, which makes any near-term move to Atlanta highly unlikely, but it was still an easy enough link for Braves supporters to latch onto while the offseason chatter begins to take shape. [Read more 🡒]