The first major domino of MLB free agency fell on Wednesday night, when the Atlanta Braves managed to re-sign closer Raisel Iglesias to a one-year, $16 million deal. The fact that the 35-year-old righty was willing to settle for a short-term contract was a bit of a surprise considering how effective he was in 2025 (3.21 ERA, 0.995 WHIP, 73 strikeouts in 67.1 innings), and the Braves should feel great about the fact that Iglesias chose a return to Atlanta over other comparable offers from contenders like Los Angeles and Toronto.
This should just be the beginning, though. The bottom fell out for the Braves in 2025, and while there's still plenty of talent on this team, there are plenty of holes as well. Bringing Iglesias back only makes sense if Alex Anthopoulos and Co. are willing to go all-in on rebuilding this roster for next season. Here's how they can do just that.
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Raisel Iglesias reunion is a start, but Braves must do more
Make no mistake: Braves fans should feel very good about bringing Iglesias back for at least one more year, and doing so at a price that's hardly prohibitive. And the fact that Atlanta did it so early in the offseason suggests that all the chatter about Alex Anthopoulos getting aggressive this winter was spot-on — which is good, because that's what this team will need to keep pace with the Los Angeles Dodgers and the rest of the National League's elite.
Team | 2026 World Series odds |
|---|---|
Dodgers | +350 |
Yankees | +700 |
Phillies | +1000 |
Mets | +1100 |
Mariners | +1200 |
Astros | +1400 |
Red Sox | +1800 |
Blue Jays | +1800 |
Braves | +2000 |
Even after the Iglesias deal, Atlanta still has the ninth-shortest World Series odds for next season, behind not only L.A. but two other teams in their own division (the Phillies and Mets). And it's not hard to see why.
For starters, the bullpen still needs plenty of work even with Iglesias back in the fold. Dylan Lee and Aaron Bummer are the only other trustworthy relievers on the roster as of this moment, and neither of those names move the needle all that much in 2025. The Braves need not just one but preferably multiple high-leverage options in addition to Iglesias ... and that's not even to mention the needs that must be filled elsewhere.
Shortstop remains the glaring weakness in this lineup, and it's not clear who will replace Marcell Ozuna at DH. Plus, while Atlanta's starting rotation figures to be formidable if/when everybody gets healthy, there's no guarantee that all of Spencer Strider, Chris Sale, Spencer Schwellenbach, Reynaldo Lopez, Grant Holmes and Hurston Waldrep will be healthy at the same time next season — meaning more reliable depth is needed.
That's quite the shopping list. But the good news for Braves fans is that there's money to burn; even after re-signing Iglesias, there's around $65 million or so to go before even hitting the first luxury-tax threshold. And this market holds plenty of potential fits to elevate this roster and erase the memory of 2025.
How Atlanta can catch up to the Dodgers and the rest of the NL's elite
Find a way to sign Bo Bichette
Again, Atlanta still has the capital to make a very big splash in free agency. Bichette has been floated as the obvious target for said splash, and it's not hard to see why: Not only is he an All-Star-caliber player at a position of need, one of the more well-rounded hitters in the entire sport who'd be ideal hitting in front of Ronald Acuña Jr., Matt Olson and Austin Riley, but the infield market is far thinner than the pitching market this winter.
Sure, the Braves could make a run at Framber Valdez, or Georgia native Dylan Cease, or former Mets closer Edwin Diaz. But if they don't land Bichette, the quality options at short for next season start to dry up in a hurry. If they do land Bichette, on the other hand, they could take this lineup into the stratosphere — and still have every chance to bolster the pitching staff.
Add rotation depth without breaking the bank
Zac Gallen
On the surface, Gallen's 2025 numbers don't look all that impressive, a 4.83 ERA and a career-low 8.2 K/9. But in some ways his arc this past season resembles Iglesias: He was truly dreadful to start the year, but he pitched to a 3.97 ERA in the second half.
Gallen finished top-five in Cy Young voting as recently as 2023, and he's still just 30 years old. There's plenty to work with here, and with a tweak to his repertoire, he could be one of the best values of this offseason, a frontline guy available for less than nine figures. And just as importantly for the Braves, he chews up innings, having thrown at least 184 frames in three of the last four years.
Chris Bassitt
Speaking of eating innings, Bassitt has thrown at least 170 four seasons running now, still a perfectly solid mid-rotation starter as he approaches his 37th birthday next February. He won't light up radar guns, but his deep repertoire keeps hitters off-balance, and he just got done shoving in a relief role for the Blue Jays in October. If you're looking for rotation depth that won't break the bank but can plug any holes that need plugging until the young stars come back, Bassitt's your man, especially considering that his age will keep his price down a bit.
Keep overhauling the bullpen
Ryan Helsley
Sure, Helsley was downright disastrous after coming over to the Mets at this year's trade deadline. But New York's pain can be Atlanta's gain, as the hard-throwing righty feels like an obvious bounce-back candidate whose next contract might not be as exorbitant as expected after how badly he struggled down the stretch.
Helsley's stuff and velocity was as electric as ever despite his 7.20 ERA with the Mets. Instead, the problem appeared to be a fixable one: He was tipping his pitches, an issue he's vowed to fix over the offseason. If he does, he should get back to the All-Star he was with the Cardinals, as the 31-year-old has as devastating a fastball/slider combination as there is in the league. He'd be an ideal pairing for Iglesias at the end of games without costing an arm and a leg.
Hunter Harvey
Injuries limited Harvey to just 10.2 innings in 2025, but he should be healthy and ready to go come next spring. And quietly, the former top starter prospect has blossomed into one of the better relievers in the game in recent years, pitching to a 3.07 ERA and 2.94 FIP with a 9.9 K/9 since the start of 2022.
That'll play, and he'll only turn 31 in December. Harvey doesn't have the longest track record, but the profile is absolutely worth betting on at what should be a reduced price. He's got back-end stuff, and it's only a matter of time before he's capturing more attention.
Danny Coulombe
The Braves already have a couple of lefties in Lee and Bummer, but the beauty of Coulombe is that he attacks righties effectively as well. He's pitched to an eye-popping 2.38 ERA while averaging 67 appearances a year over the last three seasons. He's the ideal guy to have either situationally or to handle the sixth or seventh inning as needed, and he'd bring some very valuable depth to the Atlanta bullpen.