There’s no shortage of moving parts around the Braves this offseason, and the rotation sits right at the center of it. Atlanta needs more than one arm, too.
The Braves need a legitimate starter to work alongside Chris Sale and they need depth behind him. If they don’t add at least two starting pitchers, it will go down as another frustrating offseason for a club that has seen too many of those.
The wild card, of course, is the looming lockout. It’s hard to know how much that will end up affecting free agency, and missed games are very much in play. But even with that uncertainty hanging over everything, pitchers still have to land somewhere, so here’s a look at five free-agent starters that make sense for Atlanta.
Trevor Rogers is the one I like most from this group. His 2026 line - a 4.03 ERA in 30 starts - doesn’t jump off the page, but the underlying stuff is loud.
He posted a chase rate in the 92nd percentile and didn’t issue many walks. That’s the kind of profile that can get sharpened quickly.
His 2025 season is the better snapshot of what he might become, when he put up 5.3 WAR in only 18 starts. It would be really interesting to see what Jeremy Hefner could do with him in Atlanta.
Sonny Gray is a familiar name in this conversation. I’ve lost count of how many times the Braves have been linked to him, either through trade talks or free agency, and it has never quite happened.
That could change now. Gray is expected to turn down his $30 million mutual option with the Red Sox after another excellent year in which he led the league with 18 wins and posted a 2.72 ERA.
He won’t come cheap, but he has a track record of succeeding wherever he lands.
Clay Holmes is another arm who could fit the Braves’ needs without costing the kind of top-end money some of the bigger names will command. His season was interrupted when a 111 mph line drive broke his fibula, but he still managed 18 starts between the Cubs and Mets and turned in a 3.23 ERA.
That followed a 3.53 ERA in 2025, his first season back in a starting role since his rookie year in 2018. He’s not the sort of pitcher who overwhelms hitters, but he limits traffic and seemed to settle in with Jeremy Hefner while they were together in New York last year.
He looks like a reasonable middle-of-the-rotation fit.
Tyler Mahle is one of the more fascinating names available because of how his 2026 unfolded. He struggled badly with the Giants, finishing with a 5.13 ERA over 18 starts, but his work with the Braves told a much different story.
In Atlanta, he posted a 1.99 ERA and then backed it up in the postseason, which is going to get attention around the league. Mahle has already said he’d like to stay with the Braves, and the feeling is likely mutual.
Still, this may come down to contract length. If another club is willing to go three or four years, Atlanta may bow out.
If the deal is for one or two years, he could remain in place.
Michael Soroka rounds out the list, and there’s an obvious appeal here for Braves fans. Watching him rebuild his career after the injuries he dealt with in Atlanta has been one of the better subplots from afar.
He’s coming off his strongest season since his Braves days, putting up a 3.41 ERA and 3.19 FIP over 116 innings. That production should push him to opt out of his mutual option with the Diamondbacks and test free agency.
The nostalgia factor is real, but even beyond that, he’d be a strong middle-rotation addition at a price that shouldn’t be out of reach.
In Other News...
Braves Have A Shortstop Decision That Could Bring Back A Familiar Fit
Mauricio Dubn became a useful late-season answer for the Braves after arriving from Houston in the Nick Allen trade, giving Atlanta the kind of defensive versatility teams always seem to value when the stretch run gets tight. The two-time Gold Glove winner fit a need almost immediately, shuffling around the infield before settling in as the starting shortstop down the stretch and bringing a steady glove to a position the Braves have been sorting through.
Now the question is whether that short-term solution turns into something longer. Dubns defense and clubhouse value have given Atlanta reason to think about keeping him around, and there is at least some sense that a reunion could make sense if the price is right. For a Braves team that likes flexibility and reliability, the offseason decision at shortstop could end up being about more than just filling one spot on the lineup card. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Could Turn One Bad Contract Into A Risky Upgrade
The Braves are still weighing ways to reshape their roster, and one speculative idea floating around would turn Jurickson Profars contract into a chance to land a more proven bat. The framework is simple enough on paper: Atlanta would be trying to convert a shaky financial commitment into a player with a stronger recent track record, while also looking for a better fit in the middle of the lineup.
Teoscar Hernndez is the name attached to that conversation, but any move of that size would come with obvious risk and a cost beyond salary. Even if the Braves found a willing partner, the deal would not be a clean one, since it would likely take more than just swapping contracts to get it done and there is still no indication either club is actually close. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Face A Costly Mauricio Dubon Decision They May Not Like
Mauricio Dubon has put the Braves in a familiar offseason spot, weighing fit against cost at a position where stability matters. His versatility has value across the roster, but Atlantas interest appears tied to a more specific need as the club looks ahead and tries to sort out its infield plans.
The complication is that the market rarely prices a player like Dubon as a simple utility piece, especially when teams see a dependable defender who can move around the diamond. For the Braves, the question is whether they can keep him in the fold without bidding against a free-agent market that may treat him as something more than an extra glove. [Read more 🡒]