This story was excerpted from Mark Bowman's Braves Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
ATLANTA -- With the Winter Meetings starting on Monday, the next few days and weeks could provide more clarity about how the Braves will complete their offseason roster reconstruction.
The Braves improved their roster on Nov. 19 when they re-signed closer Raisel Iglesias and acquired Mauricio Dubón from the Astros. But they didn’t necessarily erase any of their needs. There’s still possibly a need to add a high-leverage reliever, and until Dubón’s role is defined, there may still be a need for a shortstop.
Braves president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos will address media members on Sunday night and the rumor mill should be churning once the Meetings officially begin on Monday at a Walt Disney World resort located just a couple of miles from the Braves’ former Spring Training facility.
MLB Network, MLB.com and braves.com will provide full coverage of the events, which conclude on Wednesday.
Club Needs: Starting pitcher, additional bat, bullpen depth and maybe a shortstop
Dubón is a talented utility player who is capable of serving as the everyday shortstop. If the Braves go this route, they would have greater financial flexibility to address their other needs. Coming off a season plagued by a plethora of injuries to the rotation, the Braves could benefit from the addition of a frontline starter. Will Reynaldo López return to his pre-shoulder surgery form? Will Grant Holmes avoid elbow surgery? These are just a couple of the rotation concerns that could be minimized by the addition of a proven starter.
The uncertainty regarding Joe Jiménez’s surgically repaired knee creates the possibility a high-leverage reliever will be needed.
Burning Question: Will the Braves add a bat?
The Braves need to address the exit of Marcell Ozuna’s expected production from the DH role. Even if the Braves were to sign shortstop Ha-Seong Kim and use Dubón as a utility player, there’s reason to argue that the lineup still needs another bat. Going with an everyday DH would take plate appearances away from Drake Baldwin when he’s not catching. But there’s a chance the Braves could strengthen their offense with the addition of an outfielder who would be one of many candidates to fill the DH role.
Atlanta’s offense should be much improved with Ronald Acuña Jr., Austin Riley and Ozzie Albies healthier than they were at the start of the 2025 season. But there are a lot of questions as the Braves bank on their health and the hope to receive strong contributions from Jurickson Profar and Michael Harris II for more than just a few months. So, there’s seemingly a benefit to adding another hitter.
Potential Trade Candidates
Sean Murphy’s name has been bounced around, but there hasn’t been any indication the Braves are willing to move the veteran catcher. Even if they were, they would be getting dimes on their investment until the 2023 All-Star proves he has recovered from hip surgery. Murphy and Baldwin have the potential to be one of the game’s best catching duos if the former returns to health.
While there is a need to protect pitching depth, the strides JR Ritchie (ATL No. 2 prospect/No. 86 overall) and Hurston Waldrep took last year helped strengthen the organization’s pitching depth. This doesn’t mean the Braves should trade Cam Caminiti (ATL No. 1/MLB No. 72) or Didier Fuentes (ATL No. 7). But there’s enough depth in that department that the Braves would be dealing from a position of strength.
Prospect to Know
Ritchie posted a 2.64 ERA while combining to make 26 starts over three levels in 2025. The 22-year-old right-hander began the season in High-A and ended up producing a 3.02 ERA over 11 starts at the Triple-A level. Not bad, especially when you consider this was his first full professional season without any restrictions following Tommy John surgery. The No. 35 overall Draft pick from 2022 could force his way into Atlanta’s rotation at some point in 2026.
Rule 5 Draft
The Braves took two players, right-hander Anderson Pilar and infielder Christian Cairo, in the MLB portion of the Rule 5 Draft last year. Both were sent back to their former clubs before the end of Spring Training.
If the Braves lose a player during the Rule 5 Draft, it could be No. 11 prospect Blake Burkhalter.
Atlanta didn’t add anyone to its 40-man roster ahead of the Rule 5 deadline, leaving Burkhalter (among many) available. The 6-foot right-hander had solid success as a Double-A starter in 2025 before moving to the Triple-A bullpen, where he didn’t miss as many bats (23 strikeouts in 31 innings). His 92-95 mph four-seamer does have impressive ride (17.9 inches of induced vertical break at Triple-A, on average) and some cutting action that could be appetizing for Rule 5 clubs, and he has a truer cutter in the upper-80s, a low-80s curveball for righties and a mid-80s changeup for lefties.