ATLANTA — As Braves president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos met with media members at the General Managers’ Meetings in Las Vegas on Tuesday, he was asked about how some recent event developments might influence how the team addresses its offseason needs.
1. Even with the decision to not exercise options for Pierce Johnson and Tyler Kinley, do you anticipate prioritizing your other needs (starting pitcher and shortstop) ahead of rebuilding the pen?
This one drew a very short response from Anthopoulos, who simply said, “I would say starting pitcher and shortstop are what we’re spending the most time on right now.”
This was the anticipated answer. It’s also one that seems to indicate the Braves could be in the mix for some top free agents this winter. Yeah, the bullpen needs a total reconstruction. Closer Raisel Iglesias is a free agent and there’s still some uncertainty about Joe Jiménez, who hasn’t pitched since undergoing knee surgery in Oct. 2024.
Asked Tuesday if there are any lingering concerns about Jiménez, Anthopoulos said, “We’ll see as we get closer to Spring [Training]. We’ll know more in January.”
If the season started today, Dylan Lee might be the Braves’ closer. But that doesn’t mean the Braves should have exercised Johnson’s $7 million option or Kinley’s $5.5 million option. If they believe they can find similar production at a cheaper cost and use the savings to land a top-notch starting pitcher and high-value shortstop, then this will be a decision that could be praised throughout the 2026 season.
Is it a risk? Sure, especially with the bullpen currently being barren. But it’s also a risk to ignore the volatility of relievers. Anthopoulos was the one who was willing to take a chance on both Johnson and Kinley when they were struggling with the Rockies.
So, maybe he’ll be successful in his search for their replacements. But with starting pitchers and shortstops being the current priority, then Braves fans can keep their focus on how the gained financial flexibility will be utilized.
The following weeks will provide a better idea of whether a top starting pitcher like Dylan Cease or a top infielder like Ha-Seong Kim or Bo Bichette are realistic possibilities for Atlanta.
There are a lot of uncertainties for now. But it certainly feels like this past season has only motivated Anthopoulos’ attempt to keep the Braves among baseball’s elite teams.
2. Do you anticipate being a top-five payroll in 2026?
This was in response to Braves Chairman Terry McGuirk recently telling Braves Holdings LLC shareholders his goal is for the team to have one of MLB’s top five payrolls in 2026. Not knowing exactly how other teams will spend, this would be an unknown target.
And, it’s not whether you end up having a $250 million payroll. It’s all about how you spend that approximate $250 million.
It seems safe to say the Braves have at least $50 million to spend this season. But for now Anthopoulos has zero interest in even attempting to answer payroll questions.
“Right now, we’re just so focused on addressing needs,” Anthopoulos said. “We’ll just see where that ends up.”
3. Do you envision many different players filling the designated hitter spot next year?
While Marcell Ozuna served strictly as the designated hitter over the past few years, the Braves didn’t even have the option to occasionally “rest” some of their key players by putting them in this role.
With Ozuna now a free agent, does it make sense to have a different approach with this role? Sean Murphy and Drake Baldwin could fill the spot when not catching. Or, Matt Olson, Ronald Acuña Jr. and every other projected position player could be used as the DH.
Or, is Anthopoulos going to surprise everyone by pursuing Kyle Schwarber or Pete Alonso to be the DH? He’s been known to surprise from time to time. But this would be a real surprise.
“We haven’t closed the door on guys like Ozuna, but we just don’t know,” Anthopoulos said. “We’ll see what opportunities present themselves in the winter. If someone who is a pure DH is the right move, we’ll make it. But right now, we’re not committed to anything.”
