Potential Braves free agent targets by position: Starting pitchers

This continues a series breaking down potential Braves free agent targets by position. If you missed any of the previous parts of this series, follow the links below

Braves’ potential free agent targets: Starting pitchers

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This is a very long and extensive list that doesn’t even cover all of them. There are also some Braves in Max Fried and Charlie Morton, both of whom may not be on the team next season. I expect Alex Anthopoulos will be interested in keeping them, but Max Fried might prove too expensive and Charlie Morton might decide to retire.

That leaves a few open spots in the Braves rotation. One of those will likely be filled by Spencer Strider, and it’s possible Alex Anthopoulos is hoping one of the Braves’ younger arms can keep up and fill out the rotation. However, the Braves have tried this before without much success, and considering how injuries have affected their rotation at the end of the last three seasons, I expect them to at least add depth.

Anthopoulos probably won’t be one of the top players on this list, like Corbin Burnes or Gerrit Cole. Max Fried is pretty much the only lucrative contract I could see them getting for a starting player this offseason, and even that seems highly unlikely.

Beyond the top players, however, there are still a ton of intriguing names the Braves could bring with them, including veterans with incredible postseason experience and high upside who haven’t quite lived up to their potential in recent seasons, be it because of their Situation, injuries or bad luck.

Alex Anthopoulos said just days into the season that he no longer sees starting pitching as a top priority as he did in previous offseasons. That’s a fair assessment considering what happened in 2024. Chris Sale will soon be named an NL Cy Young. Reynaldo Lopez made his first All-Star appearance. Spencer Hügelbach is a rising star and Spencer Strider is still one of the best prospects in baseball.

29 other teams would kill for four players like that in their rotation, but the Braves should still be looking for another quality arm to round out the group. You can never pitch too much, and this is an organization that has learned that the hard way three postseasons in a row.

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Photographer: Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire