The free agent market has trimmed quickly as the new year approaches. Braves President of Baseball Operations Alex Anthopoulos has clearly been wary of a market that has been inflated in the early going, particularly when it comes to starting pitching. But with so many holes, the Braves might have to be willing to get out of their comfort zone to fill them, and there are still several free agents worth monitoring.
Jack Flaherty
Flaherty is coming off the best season of his career since he was a 23-year-old with the Cardinals back in 2019. He posted a 3.17 ERA and 10.8 K/9 between the Tigers and Dodgers, looking much more like the guy that was well on his way to becoming a perennial NL Cy Young candidate before injuries derailed his career. In this market, Flaherty is likely looking for a 3-4 year in the $25 million AAV range. That might be too pricey for the Braves liking, given his injury history, but there aren’t many sure things remaining on the free agent market.
Ha-Seong Kim
It feels like shortstop will have to take a backseat to some of the Braves’ other needs this offseason. Orlando Arcia has not been good since the first half of the 2023 season; eventually, he needs to be replaced. But for $2 million next year, the Braves will likely roll with him and hope he experiences some positive regression offensively, allowing Anthopoulos to spend his funds addressing the outfield and pitching staff. With that being said, the Braves are all about value. If they see an opportunity with Kim, they could very easily pounce.
Teoscar Hernández
The next three players on this list would fill the Braves top need in the outfield. All of them are looking for multi-year deals, most likely in the $20-30 million AAV range. It’s not going to come cheap, but left field has been a big problem for the Braves since their World Series run in 2021. They’ve continued to shop in the bargain bin for an answer, and it’s come back to bite them time and time again. Perhaps that changes this offseason. Teoscar Hernández is coming off the best season of his career, recording 4.3 WAR on the back of a career-high 33 homers. He has at least 25 home runs in every full season dating back to 2019. Adding him to the middle of the order would give the Braves lineup a ton of depth.
Anthony Santander
Santander is another power-hitting outfielder. He has at least 28 homers in each of the last three seasons, including a career-high 44 long balls in 2024.
Jurickson Profar
Of the three outfielders on this list, Profar comes with the most risk. He’ll be 32-years-old next season, and 2024 was really the only year he’s been productive, hitting .280 with 24 homers and an .839 OPS. Reports indicate Profar is looking for a three-year deal. That might not be in the Braves’ best interest, but if he ends up settling for a two-year contract, that might change things for Alex Anthopoulos.
Nick Pivetta
Nick Pivetta somewhat shockingly declined his qualifying offer from the Red Sox, which would have paid him over $21 million in 2025. The surface-level numbers aren’t eye-popping. Pivetta went 6-12 with a 4.14 ERA over 145.2 innings in 2024, but the stuff suggests his best baseball could be in front of him. Somebody is going to offer Pivetta a pretty lucrative multi-year contract this offseason, but the compensation pick the Braves would lose by signing him could deter their interest.
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Photographer: David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire
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