ATLANTA -- One week after the Braves were eliminated by the Dodgers in the NL Division Series, there’s still reason to wonder how things might have been different and how things could be better in 2027.
Here are five quick thoughts about what is on my mind:
1. There’s no way the Braves can bring Jurickson Profar back after he weakened the club with PED suspensions the past two years. Yes, the team would likely need to eat the $15 million the outfielder is owed. But the cost of putting him back in that clubhouse would be greater.
2. William Contreras’ success this postseason has reignited the ire Braves fans have for the Dec. 2022 three-team trade that sent Contreras to Milwaukee and brought Sean Murphy to Atlanta.
Nobody knew Murphy’s Atlanta tenure was going to be marred by injuries, and it was hard to see Contreras becoming a dependable defender behind the plate. He might have remained a defensive liability had he remained in Atlanta. It wasn’t a coincidence that Sal Fasano’s days as Atlanta’s catching coach ended after Contreras thrived with both the bat and glove during his first two seasons in Milwaukee.
It would have been nice to have Drake Baldwin and Contreras serving as a catcher/designated hitter combo in Atlanta. But if you had to choose just one, Baldwin should be the choice.
Baldwin was slightly better defensively per Fielding Run Value (-1 as opposed to Contreras’ -3) this year. Looking at offensive stats over the past two seasons, the current Braves catcher has the edge in home runs, batting average and OPS.
3. It was easy to assume Austin Riley’s production would improve this year. He was finally healthy after sustaining season-ending injuries in 2024 and ‘25. But instead of getting back to being himself, he endured the worst season of his career. So it’s hard to anticipate what lies ahead. That’s not exactly comforting given he is owed $22 million annually through 2032.
Riley will turn 30 on April 2. He still has the potential to get back to where he was in 2023, when he produced a third straight 30-homer season. But if he doesn’t turn things around, his contract is going to look even worse than the one given to Spencer Strider, who is owed $22 million each of the next three seasons.
The Braves can at least project Riley to be their third baseman next year. Strider’s elbow creates uncertainty about his future.
4. We’ve spent the past couple months knowing the Braves can’t make offseason plans without knowing what Strider or Spencer Schwellenbach could physically offer next year. The same can be said of Reynaldo López, who will be entering the third year of a three-year, $30 million contract extension.
López battled arm discomfort most of the final six weeks of the 2024 season, made just one start in 2025 before undergoing shoulder surgery and then spent most of this past season’s final two months on the injured list.
Schwellenbach has a screw in his previously-fractured elbow, Strider has had two UCL elbow surgeries and López’s inconsistent velocity makes him a potential liability even when he’s healthy enough to pitch.
With all of this in mind, the Braves should pursue at least two starting pitchers this winter. I feel like I’ve written that sentence in some form or fashion a few times over the past year.
5. Brewers manager Pat Murphy might be the NL’s best skipper right now. But in terms of this season, there wasn’t a better manager than Walt Weiss. The Braves lost four starting pitchers, a left fielder (Profar) and a catcher (Murphy) during Spring Training. But they thrived through May, bounced back from a rough June and hit all the right buttons when necessary in September. Weiss handles the clubhouse, media and front office in skillful fashion. He was certainly the right man for the job.