The Braves are headed into another winter where the rotation will be under a microscope, and Kris Bubic has the kind of profile that could land squarely on Alex Anthopoulos’ radar. Atlanta’s general manager has never shied away from a one-year deal, and some of his best moves with the Braves have come from that exact kind of gamble. Josh Donaldson and Marcell Ozuna are two examples of short-term bets that paid off in a big way.
Bubic fits the mold of a player who could make sense on that kind of arrangement. He’s still only 29, and after dealing with injuries last season, a one-year prove-it contract could appeal to both sides. For a Braves club that will be looking for rotation help all winter, he stands out as a name worth watching.
The left-hander’s 2026 season showed both the risk and the upside. In 55 innings, he posted a 3.76 ERA, a 3.54 FIP, and 1.1 bWAR. He was traded midseason from Kansas City to Los Angeles, and once he returned from a shoulder injury, he finished the year working out of the Dodgers’ bullpen.
Before that, Bubic had already put together the kind of season that gets attention. In 2025, he was an All-Star for the Royals and turned in a 2.55 ERA, 2.89 FIP, and 3.1 bWAR across 20 starts.
At that point, he looked like he was building toward becoming one of the better left-handed starters in the American League. Injuries and some regression slowed that momentum in 2026.
Even with that setback, the traits that tend to matter to Anthopoulos are still there. Bubic doesn’t overpower hitters with velocity, but he does bring an excellent groundball rate, which ranked in the 81st percentile in 2026, along with a respectable strikeout rate. That combination gives him a real appeal as a low-cost arm with upside.
If Bubic is looking for a short-term deal so he can rebuild value and chase a bigger payday next offseason, the Braves would make sense as a team to watch. Anthopoulos has a track record of jumping into that market, and Bubic looks like the kind of pitcher who could fit the pattern.
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Braves Bring Back A Familiar Voice As Anthopoulos Builds Again
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Browns return also reconnects him with president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos, a relationship that stretches back years through multiple stops. Their shared history has run through Montreal, Toronto and Atlanta, and the reunion adds another layer to a Braves operation that keeps leaning on trusted relationships as it builds for what comes next. [Read more 🡒]