Atlanta’s offseason begins with a familiar piece of hardware in the clubhouse — another National League East title, its seventh in nine years — but also with a rotation board full of unanswered innings after the Dodgers ended the Braves’ postseason in the National League Division Series. President of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos made clear that the club cannot simply pencil in its returning arms and expect the usual workload.
Key takeaways
- Atlanta must plan conservatively for Spencer Strider and Spencer Schwellenbach while setting its 2027 rotation.
- Schwellenbach recently had a screw inserted in his pitching elbow, while Strider has resumed bullpen work in Florida.
- Tyler Mahle impressed after arriving from the Giants on Aug. 2, and the Braves will use their exclusive negotiating period to discuss a return.
- Didier Fuentes has starter upside, but his workload will be a central question after throwing a little more than 70 innings.
- Anthopoulos said the Braves will discuss Jurickson Profar’s future internally following PED suspensions in each of the last two seasons.
- The club remains high on Mauricio Dubón’s defensive ability at shortstop and values continuity on Walt Weiss’ coaching staff.
Rotation planning starts with workload, not assumptions
The Braves survived an injury-heavy regular season and still captured the division, only to run into the two-time reigning World Series champion Dodgers in October. Now Atlanta must determine where next season’s starting innings will come from, particularly with Chris Sale the only established rotation name Anthopoulos was willing to describe as a sure thing at this stage.
Strider has been throwing bullpen sessions at the club’s Spring Training complex, and Schwellenbach’s elbow procedure is part of the winter medical picture. Anthopoulos said it would be irresponsible to project either starter for 30 outings and 180 innings before the club sees how each progresses.
“We have to account for that and talk about where our innings are coming from next season,” Anthopoulos said. He pointed to Grant Holmes as an example of how a pitcher’s offseason development can shape the role the club ultimately assigns him.
That caution also extends to Fuentes. The young right-hander has already shown he can be an impact bullpen weapon, but Atlanta sees the possibility of more if his changeup and slider continue moving forward. The unanswered part is whether his body can take a starter’s schedule — 25 or more starts and roughly 150 to 180 innings — after an innings total just above 70.
“There’s tremendous upside if he can put it together as a starter,” Anthopoulos said, while stressing that the Braves must consider both the immediate jump in workload and what it would mean for Fuentes in 2027.
Mahle, meanwhile, gave Atlanta exactly what it needed after the Aug. 2 trade with San Francisco. Anthopoulos praised the veteran’s work and said the club will speak with all of its free agents during the exclusive negotiating window that lasts through the end of the World Series.
Position-player decisions and staff continuity
Atlanta also has a few harder conversations ahead. Profar’s two PED suspensions over the past two seasons disrupted the club’s plans, and Anthopoulos did not offer a commitment regarding the outfielder’s place on next year’s roster. He said the organization needs an internal discussion that considers the situation in full.
Austin Riley’s season will receive its own close review. The third baseman endured his third straight difficult offensive year, though this time he did so without the injuries that affected his 2024 and 2025 seasons. Anthopoulos emphasized that Riley remains a strong defender and valued teammate, and that the club believes the still-young hitter has more in him.
“He has shown what he is capable of,” Anthopoulos said. “We’re going to keep working to get him back on track.”
Dubón heads into free agency after a season in which his versatility again became essential. Injuries to Michael Harris II and Ronald Acuña Jr. pushed him into outfield duty more often than the Braves might otherwise have planned, limiting his time at shortstop. Still, Anthopoulos said he is fully comfortable using Dubón at the position and praised both his season and his presence in the room.
As for the coaching staff, Anthopoulos signaled that stability is the preference. He will talk through matters with manager Walt Weiss, but said he was pleased with the work done by the entire staff during a season that demanded plenty of adjustments.
