The Atlanta Braves are heading into 2026 with their sights set on reclaiming the NL East crown for the first time since 2023. After a frustrating 2025 campaign derailed by injuries and inconsistency, the front office has been active this offseason, looking to shore up a roster that still boasts plenty of talent-but also a few glaring needs. Chief among them: starting pitching.
General Manager Alex Anthopoulos has been candid about the club’s pursuit of another arm, ideally one capable of starting a postseason game. That’s not just GM-speak-it’s a reflection of both the Braves’ ambitions and the urgency created by a tough blow to their rotation depth.
The news came early in camp: Spencer Schwellenbach, one of the organization’s most promising young arms, landed on the 60-day injured list with inflammation in his right elbow. The hope is that it's nothing more than bone spurs, but any elbow issue-especially one that knocks a pitcher out for two months-is enough to set off alarms in a front office with October aspirations.
That injury only amplifies the Braves’ need to bring in a reliable veteran starter. One name that’s surfaced as a potential fit is Lucas Giolito, a pitcher whose 2025 season was a tale of two halves. He struggled early but finished strong, and now finds himself on the market looking for a short-term deal to reestablish his value.
Giolito isn’t the ace he once looked like during his peak with the White Sox, but he’s still a seasoned arm who knows how to work through a lineup. While the long ball has been a persistent issue, he brings a relatively high floor-especially for a team that doesn’t need him to carry the rotation, just to stabilize it. And for the Braves, who’ve had success with buy-low veterans in the past (remember Josh Donaldson’s resurgence in Atlanta?), the fit makes a lot of sense.
With Schwellenbach out for the foreseeable future, the Braves can’t afford to wait too long. The rest of the rotation has talent, but depth is thin, and the NL East won’t give them much breathing room. Adding Giolito-or someone with similar experience and upside-could be the kind of under-the-radar move that pays off in a big way down the stretch.
Anthopoulos has made a habit of finding value in unexpected places. If he sees something in Giolito, now might be the time to strike. Because if the Braves want to be playing deep into October, they’ll need more than just talent-they’ll need arms they can trust when the lights get bright.