Breaking down the Braves' areas of need ahead of Winter Meetings

ATLANTA -- The Braves have been quiet since making a stir on the evening of Nov. 19 with the re-signing of closer Raisel Iglesias and the acquisition of utility man Mauricio Dubón. They strengthened their bullpen and possibly found their shortstop with these moves.

But with the Winter Meetings set to begin on Monday in Orlando, Fla., the Braves still must address three areas of need: shortstop, starting pitching and bullpen. Or is it four? Won’t they need a big bat if Dubón is their shortstop? And if Dubón is going to end up being their shortstop, then how many needs does this team actually have?

At some point within the next couple months, we’ll have a better feel for what Dubón’s role will be. But for now, let’s evaluate each of these potential areas of need.

1. Starting pitchers

Rotation locks: Chris Sale, Spencer Strider

Likely lock: Spencer Schwellenbach -- All expectations are that he’ll come to Spring Training fully recovered from the fractured right elbow he suffered in June.

Possible lock: Reynaldo López -- Beyond the argument of whether he’d be best utilized as a starter or reliever is the one that faces every pitcher returning from a shoulder surgery. The procedure that limited López to one start this year was just a cleanup of his right shoulder. So if López stays healthy, expect to see him in the rotation.

Questionable: Grant Holmes -- It’s great that Holmes was able to throw pain-free before shutting things down this year. But whether he can avoid UCL surgery on his right elbow will be determined once he pitches in Spring Training games and begins to experience a normal schedule again. Even if he is healthy, Holmes might begin the upcoming season in the bullpen.

No. 4 and No. 5 options: Hurston Waldrep, Joey Wentz, Bryce Elder -- If López is in the rotation, you could actually say these three would compete with Holmes for the fifth starter role. Waldrep was great after he was called up on Aug. 3. But Wentz and Elder are both out of options. One or both could be used out of the bullpen. Either way, the Braves are going to want to preserve as much depth as possible.

Conclusion: Eight starting pitchers are listed here. There’s also a chance JR Ritchie (ranked by MLB Pipeline as Atlanta's No. 2 prospect) or Didier Fuentes (No. 7) could give Atlanta innings at some point this summer. But when you account for all of the question marks, it’s easy to see why adding a proven starter should be high on the priority list.

If the Braves are going to add a starter, they may need to dip into their depth of pitching prospects. Ranger Suárez and Zac Gallen are among the free-agent starting pitchers who could strengthen Atlanta’s staff. But because both of these pitchers declined a qualifying offer, the Braves would lose the 26th overall pick in next summer’s MLB Draft if they signed either of them. This pick was gained courtesy of Drake Baldwin winning the National League Rookie of the Year Award last month.

The question would be whether it would be better to part ways with the pick or the prospects that would be needed to finalize a trade.

2. Relief pitchers

Locks: Raisel Iglesias, Dylan Lee, Aaron Bummer

Likely: Joel Payamps -- By giving Payamps a one-year $2.25 million deal on Nov. 23, the Braves seemed to signal their intention for him to begin the season in their bullpen.

Possible: Daysbel Hernández -- If his control and command remain a problem, Hernández still has a Minor League option remaining.

Questionable: Joe Jiménez -- If there’s still concern about Jiménez’s surgically repaired left knee in January, there may be an urgency to add a high-leverage relief option.

López element: If Jiménez isn’t available, would that lead the Braves to move López back to the bullpen? They certainly won’t want to ask López to build up in the middle of the season. So any such decision would erase a starter option.

Other options: Holmes, Wentz, Elder

Conclusion: Jiménez’s health will determine whether the Braves make another significant addition to the bullpen.

3. Shortstop and designated hitter

If Ha-Seong Kim returns, Dubón can be used as a super utility player. But sticking with Dubón as the shortstop would give the Braves much more financial flexibility to use on their other needs. Kim adds more from an offensive perspective, but does he add enough to account for the fact Atlanta's projected lineup doesn’t currently have the production Marcell Ozuna was expected to provide this past season?

Is there a need to take another chance on Ozuna, or at least sign another DH-type player? Or should the Braves target someone who would provide defensive value while also serving as one of the many different DH options in 2026?