3 looming World Series champions the Braves should sign this winter

The Atlanta Braves' season ended with a disappointing first-round sweep at the hands of the San Diego Padres, but expect Brian Snitker's squad to be back and as strong as ever in 2025. The 2024 campaign was marred by injuries up and down the roster for Atlanta. When this group is healthy, it stacks up with any team in the National League.

Ronald Acuña Jr. and Spencer Strider will be back in the fold. Austin Riley should be at 100 percent capacity. Before too long, we could be talking about the Braves as World Series favorites again. Especially if Alex Anthopoulos takes the appropriate approach to free agency. That is to say, the Braves shouldn't pinch pennies.

This won't be a simple offseason for Atlanta. Health alone should help the Braves rebound next season, but there are clear holes in need of plugging on the depth chart. An obvious point of emphasis will be the rotation with Max Fried and Charlie Morton both primed to leave, but outfield help, a new everyday middle infielder, and general depth would all benefit this Braves team immensely.

Thankfully, several potential free agent targets will be on display in the upcoming World Series matchup between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Yankees. Assuming Atlanta doesn't have the financial gumption to land Juan Soto, here are a few realistic Braves free agent targets from this showdown between top seeds.

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3. Jack Flaherty, Los Angeles Dodgers

Admittedly, it would be hilarious to replace Max Fried with his former high school teammate and break up the dreams of an LA reunion. But, more practically, Flaherty is a great mid-level pitching candidate to plug Fried's void in the rotation. Atlanta will need bodies on the pitching staff next season, even with Strider re-entering the fold. Chris Sale isn't guaranteed to stay healthy for another full season, Reynaldo Lopez's 2024 production feels like a fluke, and there's no telling what Spencer Schwellenbach's follow-up season holds.

The Braves have a ton of interesting pitchers kicking around Triple-A, but none feel ready. AJ Smith-Shawver got blasted in his postseason start, Bryce Elder has been on a dramatic decline ever since his All-Star berth, and Hurston Waldrep is probably a year or two away. With Atlanta's sights set on the World Series, there's no reason to play it safe or conserve cash. Flaherty won't come cheap, but he's not going to break the bank in the same way Fried might.

Flaherty inked a one-year, prove-it deal with Detroit last offseason after flaming out in the playoffs for Baltimore. He latched on with LA at the trade deadline and performed admirably down the stretch for a team in need of rotation reinforcements. That said, Flaherty's postseason has been a series of ups and downs for the Dodgers. His inconsistency in October could dissuade the Dodgers from paying up, especially with Shohei Ohtani and Tyler Glasnow rejoining the rotation in 2025.

At 29 years old, Flaherty has a lot left in the tank. He finished the regular season with a 3.17 ERA and 1.07 WHIP through 28 starts and 162 innings, K'ing 194. That's real-deal stuff. He's not on Fried's level, but Flaherty would become well-liked in Atlanta.

2. Teoscar Hernandez, Los Angeles Dodgers

The Ronald Acuña injury — not to mention a prolonged midseason absence for Michael Harris — left the Braves scrambling for solutions in the outfield all season. Adam Duvall and Eddie Rosario weren't up to it. Jarred Kelenic was supposed to be the new set-and-forget option in left, but he couldn't hit for half the season. Jorge Soler can still rake, but he's literally the worst defender in the MLB. He can't be out in right for the Braves, lest Atlanta wants to bleed extra runners and runs.

Teoscar Hernandez is coming off of a career-best season in LA, slashing .272/.339/.501 with 33 home runs and 99 RBI. The Dodgers probably want him back, but if Atlanta comes forth with a serious long-term offer, anything is possible. The 32-year-old does feel almost expendable in LA with the volume of star-power in that lineup.

He's not exactly an all-world defender, but Hernandez can play regular reps in right or left field and give the Braves' lineup some much-needed pop. Injuries weren't the only factor holding Atlanta back this season. A lot of the Braves' top bats went ice-cold, from Matt Olson, to Michael Harris, to Austin Riley. Adding another elite power source to the middle of Atlanta's lineup could perk up the Braves' numbers and revive the win column.

Hernandez now has significant postseason experience under his belt. He has been a source of clutch hits all season for the Dodgers. If LA occupies itself with different big-ticket free agents, that could free up Atlanta to sneak in the backdoor and make a compelling pitch to Hernandez. Perhaps this is a tad overly ambitious for Anthopoulos' taste, but Hernandez would drastically improve the Braves' outlook.

1. Gleyber Torres, New York Yankees

The 2024 regular season was not particularly kind to Gleyber Torres, who appeared to tank his free agent appeal in real time. But he has turned it around in October, slashing .297/.400/.432 through the ALCS and setting up run after run for the Yankees' offense out of the leadoff spot. Torres deserves credit for his willpower in the face of severe backlash. He turned his season around and earned the respect of fans as a result.

Atlanta has its sights set on this very stage, the World Series, and players who show up in October tend to have a place in the Braves lineup. With all due respect to Orlando Arcia, the Braves' shortstop was borderline unplayable this season. Most of the Atlanta headlines in 2024 centered on outfield woes or pitching depth, but upgrading the middle infield spot opposite Ozzie Albies is a sneaky-major priority. A meaningful addition at shortstop or second base could completely revamp the Braves' lineup.

You don't want Torres defending shortstop (and he made a scene when asked about switching to third base this season), so Atlanta would presumably move Albies to short and plant Torres at second. That is a workable setup, and suddenly the Braves' infield feels airtight. Riley, Olson, and Albies are all long-term locks. Torres, at just 27 years old, has a chance to earn that same status.

On the whole, Torres went through his slumps this season, but he's a disciplined hitter who draws plenty of walks and puts a nice swing on the ball often enough (15 home runs) to earn the faith of Atlanta's front office. Swiping Torres from New York could be what it takes to get this Braves offense humming at its customary level again.