For a team facing several uncertainties and dealing with significant player departures in free agency, the Atlanta Braves’ offseason has been surprisingly quiet. Despite the loss of key contributors like Max Fried, Charlie Morton, and A.J. Minter to free agency, and Joe Jimenez suffering a potential season-ending injury, the Braves made only a few notable moves. They did sign proven outfielder Jurickson Profar to a three-year deal, but other than that, the pitching staff remained largely unchanged. With so many innings to replace, some might question whether the Braves have done enough to fill those gaps. Still, general manager Alex Anthopoulos is confident in his internal options.
“We’ve lost free agents, no doubt about it, but we have some people we are going to give opportunities to,” said Anthopoulos. “Strider and Fried are not the same, but we lost Strider last year and had the best ERA in the game. Now, we lose Fried, but Strider comes back. We lose Charlie Morton, but can Grant Holmes step up and take that opportunity? We think he certainly has a chance.”
Spencer Strider, if healthy, is expected to step up and replace the production lost by Fried’s departure. While it may seem ambitious, there’s optimism around Grant Holmes potentially exceeding the performance Morton provided last season. However, despite this optimism, the depth of the Braves’ rotation remains a major concern. One injury, particularly to a key starter, could leave the team scrambling to find solutions mid-season.
The bullpen presents an even more pressing issue. A.J. Minter, who has been the Braves’ most reliable reliever over the last few years, has now departed. Along with him, Joe Jimenez, who was the team’s second-best setup man, is also unavailable. While Anthopoulos could still have a move or two up his sleeve before the start of the season, the Braves are essentially going to have to rely on their depth and hope that Anthopoulos has found another hidden gem in the bullpen.
Over the course of his tenure in Atlanta, Alex Anthopoulos has been excellent at uncovering under-the-radar pitchers, particularly in the bullpen, who go on to become key contributors. His ability to spot talent that other teams overlook has been a hallmark of his management style, and it’s a trait that has helped the Braves compete at the highest levels. It’s for this reason that manager Brian Snitker has complete trust in Anthopoulos’ judgment.
“I have all the trust in Alex to do all that,” Snitker said in an interview with 680 The Fan. “He processes everything and has such a good feel for things… I’ve seen a lot of teams make all those moves this time of year, and they’re not around in October.”
Heading into the 2025 season, the Braves’ pitching staff looks thinner than it has in years, at least on paper. However, as Snitker wisely points out, championships are not won based on paper projections. Alex Anthopoulos has built a reputation for his ability to identify players who can outperform expectations, particularly when it comes to pitching roles. This gives the Braves the confidence to enter the season without making significant moves in the offseason.
That said, the Braves are still in a very competitive division, and if their pitching depth doesn’t hold up, Anthopoulos could face significant criticism. While the benefit of the doubt may still lie with the Braves GM, the pressure will be on him if things go wrong, especially in a division race that is expected to be highly competitive.
The Braves’ offseason, while quiet, reflects a larger faith in their existing roster and front-office acumen. If Strider returns to full health and Holmes steps up as a key contributor, Atlanta could very well weather the storm of these departures. But as always, the true test will come when the games start counting. The Braves’ ability to develop talent internally and make midseason adjustments will likely play a major role in determining their success in 2025.
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