Atlanta’s winter starts on the mound, but it does not end there. Five years removed from a World Series title and just as long since a trip beyond the National League Division Series, the Braves are weighing a roster that still carries star power while confronting a narrowing window around Ronald Acuña Jr.
Acuña has two seasons of club control remaining, and the organization must decide how aggressively to reinforce a group with rotation uncertainty, an unsettled left-field/designated-hitter situation and several key free agents testing the market.
Rotation needs could shape the winter
If the 2027 season opened immediately, Chris Sale, Bryce Elder and Grant Holmes would stand as Atlanta’s first three rotation options. JR Ritchie, AJ Smith-Shawver and Owen Murphy also belong in the mix, but there is no shortage of questions behind the established names.
Didier Fuentes is the most intriguing workload decision. The 21-year-old logged 80 1/3 innings including the postseason while excelling in relief. His long-term fit appears to be in a starting role, yet the Braves would need to manage his innings carefully. A move into the rotation could help him build toward that future, though it likely would not make him a 180-inning answer next season.
- Fuentes could be stretched out as a starter, with the expectation that his total workload would remain well short of a full veteran starter’s load.
- Smith-Shawver or Ritchie could take a meaningful step and claim regular turns.
- Spencer Strider and Spencer Schwellenbach might contribute, potentially even from the bullpen, but neither can be treated as a reliable rotation fixture after right-elbow injuries.
- That leaves Atlanta with a strong case to acquire two proven starters rather than betting entirely on internal development.
Tyler Mahle is a natural reunion candidate. There is mutual interest, but his late-season success — driven by more splitters and fewer cutters — should draw attention from plenty of other clubs. Atlanta may want him back, but it will not have the field to itself.
Profar’s status carries baseball and clubhouse questions
Jurickson Profar is owed $15 million for the last season of his three-year contract. His deal has been overshadowed by performance-enhancing drug suspensions in each of the past two years, including the 162-game penalty handed down in March.
That absence removed a switch-hitting left fielder and designated-hitter option from the middle of Atlanta’s order. The larger issue now is whether the club and its players want to continue the relationship.
- Atlanta will hold internal conversations regarding Profar’s place with the team.
- The views of teammates affected by his repeated suspensions will matter in those talks.
- Even apart from the off-field concerns, the Braves must judge what offensive production can reasonably be expected after he missed the entire season.
Some fans already see Randy Arozarena as the preferred outside target if Profar does not return. Any decision on Profar, however, will involve more than a simple search for left-field offense.
Acuña remains the center of the window
The final month offered a reminder of Acuña’s ceiling. Over his last 26 regular-season games, he hit seven home runs and posted a .997 OPS. That is still the look of a player capable of carrying an offense.
The postseason, again, was a different story. Acuña faced premium pitching, but he also played through discomfort in his right knee. His health remains the unavoidable part of the conversation after two reconstructed ACLs, two left-hamstring strains and the knee trouble that followed him into October.
Few athletes attempt to maintain elite performance after reconstructive surgery to both knees. If Acuña can get his legs into a stable place, Atlanta has reason to believe he can deliver two more productive seasons. The path may include more designated-hitter days, though that role is also needed for Drake Baldwin when he is not catching.
Coaches appear positioned to return
Pitching coach Jeremy Hefner met the high expectations attached to his first Atlanta season. The situation was less straightforward for hitting coach Tim Hyers, whose lineup began the year in excellent form before turning uneven for most of the summer.
Atlanta ranked among baseball’s top two offenses through the end of May, then fell into the bottom five in production during the following four months. Injuries to Baldwin and Acuña played a role, but Austin Riley’s third consecutive disappointing season also weighed on the attack.
Still, the expectation is that the coaching staff will remain intact. The club’s leadership did not signal an impending shakeup when addressing the media.
Free-agent decisions still await
Mahle is not the only player open to an Atlanta return. Mauricio Dubón has also expressed interest in staying, although both players should have meaningful markets elsewhere. A reunion with closer Raisel Iglesias is possible as well, provided the price lines up for the Braves.
The winter will reveal whether Atlanta sees this as a retooling job or a more urgent push around Acuña’s remaining control years. The answer likely begins with starting pitching, but the Braves have several decisions that will shape both the roster and the room around it.
