Who could surprise us? The under-the-radar free agents the Braves should target

The Atlanta Braves have a very important offseason in front of them this winter. First of all, they're coming off quite a disappointing 2024 season after losing both Spencer Strider and Ronald Acuña Jr. to season ending injuries.

This offseason, they also face the possibility of losing two key starting pitchers, Max Fried and Charlie Morton, to free agency. Not only do they need to improve for their own team, but they're also at risk of watching superstar Juan Soto sign in the NL East with the Philadelphia Phillies or New York Mets.

The Braves could be attached to some bigger free agents, but they could also make e few moves to surprise us. Which under the radar moves could Atlanta make to surprise the league and improve their roster at the same time.

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3. RHP Walker Buehler

The Braves need to add a starting pitcher this winter whether they re-sign Morton and Fried or not. Obviously, re-signing Fried should be the top priority of their entire offseason, but it's going to be a competitive and expensive bidding war with a lot of the top contenders in the hunt for him.

One of the best backup plans on the market is the Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Walker Buehler. Buehler struggled in 2024 as he looked to bounce back from a major elbow injury, but as the season went on, he found his stride. The right hander was a crucial piece to Los Angeles' World Series victory this season. On very short rest, Buehler put his arm and body on the line to secure the final outs of the season.

Heading into 2025, Buehler seems to be headed towards a return to the player that he used to be. He's projected to sign a contract worth less than $10 million a year while other pitchers are projected in the $25 million to $35 million range. If the Braves can bring him in for one or two years at an AAV less than $10 million or $15 million, they would be in a great position with their starting rotation.

2. RHP Kirby Yates

Every contending team needs to add bullpen help this winter. It's what separates the good and great teams from the average teams. But when you think about the Braves, you don't picture them going out and pursuing some of the better bullpen arms on the market. They already have one of the best closers in the league with Raisel Iglesias. But that doesn't mean Atlanta couldn't add an elite aging veteran to be their setup man in a similar role to the way the San Diego Padres used Tanner Scott in 2024.

The Braves could try to add veteran closer Kirby Yates would be quite the shocking move, but it would be a huge addition to the team's bullpen. Obviously, Yates would have to accept a backseat to Iglesias or else this signing wouldn't work.

Yates is coming off a career year where he posted a 1.17 ERA in his age 37 season. He's likely to be pursued by a lot of different contenders that look for a new closer. The Texas Rangers will also likely be very aggressive in his market, but the Braves have the chance to offer him a solid contract and bring him to Atlanta.

1. SS Ha-seong Kim

There's no denying that Atlanta needs help at shortstop. They have a lot of options to choose from here though. The first option, albeit the worst, would be to ride with the duo of Orlando Arcia and top prospect Nacho Alvarez Jr. The next option is to sign a shortstop, though the market is quite thin. Then, the Braves have the ability to sign a second or third baseman like Gleyber Torres or Alex Bregman and shift them to shortstop. Ozzie Albies also has the ability to move to shortstop if needed.

But the best option, for cheap, would be for the Braves to sign Padres shortstop Ha-seong Kim. Kim suffered a shoulder injury late in the 2024 season, so he's likely to miss the start of the 2025 season. But he will be back and he'll be a solid piece in the Braves infield rotation.

Kim slashed .233/.330/.370 with some of the best infield defense in the league. He might not add a huge bat, but he's a league average hitter with some of the best defense in the league. Plus, he would be willing to sign for very cheap following his shoulder injury. Signing Kim as an upgrade over Arcia would be a shocking, but smart move for Atlanta.