The Braves did not sit still last offseason. They traded for Mauricio Dubon, brought Raisel Iglesias back, and landed Robert Suarez, the top reliever on the market. Those were real additions, and they made Atlanta better in 2026.
But the flip side of any offseason is the bill that comes due later, and the Braves are paying it now. A few of the front office’s choices looked reasonable at the time. In hindsight, they’ve left Atlanta with holes that keep showing up in the worst possible spots.
The biggest miss was the rotation. Atlanta had chances to add an impact starter, and instead largely left that part of the roster alone, with Martin Perez the exception.
That approach has come back hard on them. Grant Holmes and Bryce Elder have been up and down, while injuries hit Hurston Waldrep, Spencer Schwellenbach, and Spencer Strider again almost right away.
Rotation depth was already going to matter, and the lack of offseason urgency made the problem much worse.
Shortstop was a different kind of mistake. The market did not offer many clean answers there, so finding a perfect solution was never going to be easy.
Even so, the Braves chose to give Ha-Seong Kim $20 million on a one-year deal, and that decision cost them flexibility elsewhere. It did not solve the shortstop issue, and it tied up a chunk of payroll that could have been used during the offseason or at the trade deadline.
The outfield brought its own headache. Atlanta signed Mike Yastrzemski to address the left side of the platoon, but the club banked on Jurickson Profar, who has now been suspended twice, to carry the right-handed side.
That gamble created a problem that lingered into the season. The Braves eventually patched it with Lane Thomas at the trade deadline, but by then the team had likely already dropped some early games because of the imbalance.
It also meant fewer resources and less time to chase a better left-handed bat to improve on at least Dom Smith.
The bullpen strategy has been messy, too. Suarez and Iglesias were strong decisions in the abstract, even if Suarez’s injury dulled the impact.
After that, the group thinned out fast. Aaron Bummer completely fell apart, several other arms underperformed, and the high-leverage relievers have been leaned on heavily.
That usage has been part of why Atlanta has had to keep Didier Fuentes in the bullpen instead of giving him a look in the rotation, which needed help badly this year.
In Other News...
Braves Bullpen Squeeze Could End A Veteran Relievers Atlanta Run
The Braves bullpen shuffle took another turn when Tyler Kinley was designated for assignment and then released after clearing waivers, a move driven by the clubs need to recall AJ Smith-Shawver and settle into a six-man rotation. For Atlanta, it was another reminder of how quickly roster math can change when pitching depth and workload management become part of the daily equation.
Kinleys departure leaves open a familiar question for a veteran reliever who spent time in Atlanta: whether the door is still open for a return, or whether another team will jump in first. A minor league deal with the Braves remains possible, but for now his next stop is unsettled, and the bullpen squeeze that pushed him out may not be the last roster decision tied to the rotation plan. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Lineup Debate Is Putting Sean Murphy In The Spotlight
The Braves lineup choices have started to draw extra scrutiny, and Sean Murphy is right in the middle of it. Atlanta has leaned on Jim Jarvis at shortstop instead of Mauricio Dubon, while Murphys role has remained more limited than some around the club would prefer. For a lineup trying to squeeze out every bit of offense, those decisions have become part of the bigger conversation about how the Braves are deploying the roster.
Murphys track record is part of why the discussion keeps circling back to him. When healthy, he has shown the kind of production that makes him look like more than just a part-time catcher, and the argument for getting him into the lineup more often is hard to ignore. The question now is whether Atlanta keeps handling things this way, or whether the recent debate pushes the Braves toward a setup that better matches their offensive ceiling. [Read more 🡒]
Braves May Finally Be Getting A Crucial Arm Back Soon
Reynaldo Lopez looks to be on the verge of taking a meaningful step back toward Atlantas rotation plans. The Braves right-hander is set to begin a rehab assignment at Triple-A as he works his way back from a knee injury, a development that gives the club a little more clarity as it moves into a three-game set with the Brewers after a win over the White Sox.
Lopez has been one of the steadier arms for Atlanta when available this season, making 24 appearances with a 3.64 ERA and 66 strikeouts. The rehab stint wont answer every question about when hell be ready to rejoin the big league club, but it does at least put him on a more concrete path toward helping a staff that could use the reinforcement. [Read more 🡒]