The Braves are heading into another winter with the same question hanging over the roster: who helps Chris Sale carry the rotation in 2027?
Atlanta made the playoffs in 2026, but the finish didn’t go the way the club wanted. Now the pressure ramps up again, and the biggest issue remains the starting staff. The Braves already know they can’t bank on several arms returning to full strength next season.
“The Atlanta Braves enter another offseason trying to solve the same puzzle: how to enhance their starting rotation. In 2026, they hoped Spencer Strider, Spencer Schwellenbach and Hurston Waldrep were the cavalry needed to solve the issues. But all three dealt with injuries and can’t be counted on to pitch in 2027,” The Athletic’s Jesus Cano wrote.
Sale is the one clear anchor. He’s set to lead the group again, and other internal options could be in the mix behind him.
“While it wasn't their downfall in the end, the starting rotation has been a constant thorn in the Atlanta Braves' side for multiple seasons now. For 2026, it was no different.
As the page turns to 2027, it's to see how it shakes up. There will be at least one guarantee.
Chris Sale is the ace. You probably guarantee that Bryce Elder is in the mix, too, along with Grant Holmes.
After that, we'll see what happens," SI's Harrison Smajovitts wrote.
That’s why CBS Sports’ Mike Axisa sees Atlanta landing former New York Mets pitcher Freddy Peralta. Axisa pointed to a season that started badly, turned around with the Rays, and ended with Peralta helping Tampa Bay and reestablishing his value.
“It has been a roller coaster year for Peralta, who flopped with the Mets, rebounded with the Rays, then faced the Brewers(his former team) in the World Series and lost. The post-deadline stint with Tampa salvaged Peralta's free agent year. They made several adjustments, most notably raising his arm angle and getting him to pitch exclusively from the stretch, and the result was a livelier fastball and also better command,” Axisa wrote.
Peralta would give Atlanta the kind of top-end partner Sale needs, creating a potential one-two punch at the front of the rotation. He’s also coming off winning the ALCS MVP award with the Tampa Bay Rays, and his second-half rebound suggests he found something that worked.
With the Braves searching for healthy, dependable starters, Peralta looks like the kind of arm they should chase hard this offseason.
In Other News...
Braves May Have An Ozzie Albies Question They Never Expected
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Ozzie Albies is part of the conversation because of how valuable he still is to the roster, even as his offensive production has trended down in recent seasons. Atlanta still has him under contract beyond this year, and his presence matters both on the field and in the clubhouse, but the bigger question is whether the Braves can keep his spot stable while also reshaping the rest of the middle infield around him. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Prospect Tate Southisene Is Forcing Fans To Revisit His Timeline
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The broader Braves contingent has been encouraging, too. Left-handed pitcher McKenzie has rebounded nicely after forearm nerve irritation, LaPorte has flashed the kind of strikeout ability that can make a pitcher stand out even when the command wobbles, and Owen Carey has been one of the more pleasant offensive surprises. Southisenes progress is the one that keeps nudging the conversation forward, because every good stretch makes fans wonder how quickly he can re-enter the bigger picture. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Catcher Decision Still Stings For One Painful Reason
When the Braves swung the December 2022 deal for Sean Murphy, they were paying up for what looked like a long-term answer behind the plate, parting with William Contreras and a package of prospects to get him from the Athletics. The move made sense at the time for a club looking to stabilize catcher, and Murphy has done enough in Atlanta to justify why the front office targeted him in the first place, even if injuries have interrupted the picture along the way.
What still gives the trade a sour edge for Braves fans is how the rest of the deal has unfolded elsewhere. Contreras has turned into a far bigger storyline in Milwaukee, while the broader prospect haul sent out in the trade never really turned into much of anything in the majors, leaving Atlanta with a move that still looks reasonable on paper but carries a painful reminder of what was given up to make it happen. [Read more 🡒]