After finishing the 2023 season with the best record in baseball, the Braves disappointed somewhat in 2024 amid an avalanche of injuries to star players and underwhelming numbers from much of their offensive nucleus. This offseason, they'll need to reshape their rotation as their longest-tenured starter hits free agency while also overhauling their bench mix in hopes of re-capturing their hold over their NL East from the division-champion Phillies and a surging Mets club that made it all the way to Game 6 of the NLCS.
Guaranteed Contracts
- Austin Riley, 3B: $176MM through 2032 (deal includes club option for 2033)
- Matt Olson, 1B: $110MM through 2029 (deal includes club option for 2030)
- Spencer Strider, RHP: $73MM through 2028 (includes $5MM buyout on 2029 club option)
- Michael Harris II, CF: $64MM through 2030 (includes $5MM buyout on 2031 club option; additional club option for '32)
- Sean Murphy, C: $60MM through 2028 (deal includes club option for 2029)
- Ronald Acuna Jr. RF: $44MM through 2026 (includes $10MM buyout on 2027 club option; additional club option for '28)
- Jorge Soler, RF: $32MM through 2026
- Reynaldo Lopez, RHP: $26MM through 2026 (includes $4MM buyout on 2027 club option)
- Chris Sale, LHP: $22MM through 2025 (deal includes club option for 2026)
- Joe Jimenez, RHP: $18MM through 2026
- Raisel Iglesias, RHP: $16MM through 2025
- Ozzie Albies, 2B: $11MM through 2025 (includes $4MM buyout on 2026 club option; additional club option for '27)
- David Fletcher, INF/RHP: $8MM through 2025 (includes $1.5MM buyout on 2026 club option)
- Pierce Johnson, RHP: $7.25MM through 2025 (includes $250K buyout on 2026 club option)
- Orlando Arcia, SS: $3MM through 2025 (includes $1MM buyout on 2026 club option)
Option Decisions
- Marcell Ozuna, DH: $16MM club option with $1MM buyout
- Travis d'Arnaud, C: $8MM club option with no buyout
- Aaron Bummer, LHP: $7.25MM club option with $1.25MM buyout (deal also includes $7.5MM club option for 2026 with no buyout)
- Luke Jackson, RHP: $7MM club option with $2MM buyout
2025 financial commitments: $188.75MM
Total long-term financial commitments: $674.5MM
Arbitration-Eligible Players (projected salaries via MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz)
- Ramon Laureano (5.159): $6.1MM
- Cavan Biggio (5.110): $4.3MM
- Huascar Ynoa (3.117): $825K
- Jarred Kelenic (2.169): $2.3MM
- Dylan Lee (2.150): $1.2MM
- Eli White (2.140): $800K
Non-tender candidates: Laureano, Biggio, Ynoa, White
Free Agents
Max Fried, Charlie Morton, A.J. Minter, Whit Merrifield, Gio Urshela, Adam Duvall, Jesse Chavez, John Brebbia
With a number of quality players still under long-term team control, Atlanta remains firmly in the midst of its competitive window despite a disappointing 89-win campaign in 2024. The impending free agency of Max Fried, who has anchored the club's rotation for the past half decade, would perhaps be more concerning for the club's chances of rebounding in 2025 if GM Alex Anthopoulos's front office hadn't already successfully navigated the departures of both MVP first baseman Freddie Freeman and All-Star shortstop Dansby Swanson in recent years.
Unlock Subscriber-Exclusive Articles Like This One With a Trade Rumors Front Office Subscription
- Access weekly subscriber-only articles by Tim Dierkes, Steve Adams, and Anthony Franco.
- Join exclusive weekly live chats with Anthony.
- Remove ads and support our writers.
- Access GM-caliber tools like our MLB Contract Tracker
This is one of the highest quality organizations in MLB.
They will be contenders in 2025.
B4 it was free now it’s paid….. good!
I’m sure they’ll sit out free agency once again and hope players magically get better.
Yeah like last year when they sat on their hands and traded for Cy Young. What a miserable franchise……..
That’s not free agency…
So you re saying they should not b credited for acquiring NL Triple Crown Wimner since he was not signed as a free agent?!?!
No, I’m saying they didn’t participate in free agency. Has nothing to do with Sale or anybody else. Just stating a fact.
@Saint Nick: Reynaldo Lopez was a FA signing. Your “fact” isn’t a fact.
Oh come on nick. You were clearly mentioning that to be salty and make an unfounded implication that the braves were complacent about upgrading the team last year when in fact they made some impact additions by trade. They got absolutely wrecked by the injury bug this year and that’s the main reason they underperformed expectations.
@Nick You stated a bit more. The remark at the end about “hoping players to magically get better” is the difference. That statement turned the non participation into a statement about them addressing needs. Between Sale and Lopez they clearly addressed needs.
As far as having depth and being prepared, there’s only so many injuries a team can take. Magnitude of injuries is also a factor. Every single team would feel an impact losing players such as Strider and Acuna.
Sitting out free agency is a good thing. Their plan of extensions is much better than signing free agents. Trades much better than free agency.
@Saint Nick
They didn’t sit out of free agency…They actually offered Aaron Nola more money per year than Philadelphia did. Philly just added 1 more year than Atlanta was comfortable going.
The Braves are players in free agency every year. They just set limits and stick to that framework.
@@Braves well said. He doesn’t seem to be interested in facts though. He seems interested in trying to back peddle and twist his original statement opposed to taking any accountability.
I feel sure the Braves’ priority this off-season will be depth, after a season in which the team was racked with injuries to so many key players. So, adding another veteran, reliable starting pitcher and a backup infielder should be on the top of the list.
Anthopoulos always surprises with his trades and free agent signings, so I won’t speculate with specific names.
But I will say that Dru Hackenberg really shot up thru the minors in 2024, and has a great chance to be the next Braves young pitcher to surprise. He probably won’t be in Atlanta on opening day, but look for him to be added to the rotation mid-season.
Most contenders look to address and be prepared having some level of depth. The fact the Braves contended so long is a testament to how important depth is.
They lost one of top 2 pitchers for pretty much entire season in Strider. Rotation took another hit with Elder’s huge step backwards. They almost certainly will be replacing Morton. Holmes seems like an excellent candidate for rotation. As you stated they should look to add an arm as well(possibly 2 depending on Fried).
As far as their lineup they lost Axuna for 60% of season, Albies 40%, Riley and Harris 25% each.
That’s just an enormous hit from injuries. They can and likely will address depth, but taking that many hits would again have a significant impact.
Duvall and Merrifield will be lucky to get offers from Oakland or the Marlins.
I haven’t seen any scout suggest that Nacho sticks at shortstop, but there’s no help anywhere unless they feel Kim can recover by mid-year. They’ll stick with Murphy and d’Arnaud for at least one more year, with Baldwin and Tromp in case of injury
I expect Soler to go somewhere like Detroit that needs a DH, someone should burn every glove he owns.
If the league-wide offensive slump goes away, the lineup will be enough to hide Arcia again, but a player who gets on base at a high rate would certainly improve the bottom of the lineup.
@fireboss: Glad to see you’re still continuing to churn out your good content at HTHB Fred. Miss seeing you participate in the now defunct comment section there though. I know it’s a pipe dream, but I’d love to see the Braves pry McClain away from the Reds.
Alex got burned on the David Fletcher manipulations and maybe on Kelenic (time will tell) but AA is great (Sale, Reynaldo Lopez, and much more) and he will put us back in the playoffs in 2025. He’ll strengthen SS (Bichette, Adames), add at least one SP besides the developing youngsters, maybe keep Arcia in utility IF role, probably sign another stud reliever to ease Iglesias’s workload, maybe keep lefty-hitting Baldwin on roster to learn catching from Murphy and D’Arnaud and learn 1B to rest Olson on occasion, and somehow lure Chipper back to coach when Braves are at home. And of course, pray for better health of the starting eight and Strider.
im just not sold on Bo. His defense is bad and going to get worse with age. If we dont care about defense then we can move ozzie back or even riley to SS for that matters… i wouldnt mind grabbing hoffman to help iglesias.
I think you hit the nail on the head with resting olson so we need a DH that cam fill that spot but keep olsons bat in the lineup, thats why i would trade soler and ozuna. great take brotha
Traded for Sale last year and inked for a shorter deal … 2 yrs. Gray this year? Already inked on a shorter deal.
Whelp I guess I gotta subscribe to front office since they hid this Braves article behind a pay wall. Damn.
Cry?
I will. Got a tissue for me?
This is an interesting take “despite a disappointing 89-win campaign in 2024”.
Really? “Disappointing”?
The fact that they won 89 games & made the playoffs at all was impressive as far as I am concerned.
No other MLB team has ever made the playoffs in a year where 3 of their Opening Day starters missed the final 35+ regular-season games (plus the playoffs) on the IL, Acuna, Riley, Strider, plus Murphy, Albies, and Harris missed large chunks of the season.
i think i seen where the original starters only played 8 games together all year, which is crazy to still be able to win that many games
You can absolutely forget the Braves signing any big time free agents or any mid level free agents with a qualifying offer attached. The Braves do not, and rightly so, want to give up draft picks. They need to keep Kelenic around for at least another season and The Old Turtle Snitker needs to give him more playing time. I would give Chipper what ever he wants to come be the hitting coach. Let Bummer the bum and Jackson walk. AA also does not need to trade any of the Braves good minor league pitchers, Alvarez or Baldwin as they are the future of the franchise.
Alvarez isn’t the future of anything. He won’t be a be a SS in Atlanta anyway. His future is probably a throw in on a trade. Agree on keeping Baldwin. Bummer’s a lock to have his option picked up. Minter’s injury all but guaranteed it.
@Bucsfan4ever
Explain why you believe they should get rid of Bummer, at first I was not impressed with him, but for the full season he was solid enough and did the job that Snitker asked him to do. More often than not he pitched with runners on when the Braves were behind in games and he stranded 18 of 28 which means only 10 (36%) of his IR scored. That’s good solid pitching. The question is, you want to cut Bummer and Jackson, who are you replacing them with.
Luke can walk and be re acquired on less money if AA sees it that way, although another high impact arm or two is needed in that pen, and I believe Bummer is going nowhere.
No way Murphy is traded, Braves have made a big thing about not trading the guys who got locked up early
yea i still dont get why anyone wants to trade him, he was hurt half the year and probably came back to soon more than likely
they always find a way to be contenders… but living and dying by the long ball will never get you WS rings… we see it every year. Hoping AA can work some more magic with the As and grab some of their studs for cheap.. or trade half our overrated prospects
Minter is with Excel, the same agency behind the departures of Freddie and Dansby. Do we want to deal with them?
I’m fine with the current catcher situation. Any ideas for where to send Soler? Maybe Pay half and send him to the Cards for a potential SS?