The Atlanta Braves have a very long checklist to work on this offseason. Not only do they have to find a new manager (and potentially a new coaching staff), but they also have to fortify the roster. The starting rotation, bullpen, and lineup all have holes to be filled.

While most of these will be taken care of with external options, the most important additions will come from current players returning healthy in 2026.

Atlanta was forced to begin 2025 without Acuña, Strider, Reynaldo Lopez, and Joe Jimenez. Those were four vital pieces missing. Even with Acuña and Strider returning, the season still went sideways and now the Braves have a chance to use this offseason to get healthy as show what they are capable of again.

Braves have a chance to enter 2026 (mostly) healthy and that should be huge

Having a full offseason for both Acuña and Strider to recover and get their normal work in should pay massive dividends for the Braves. Acuña ended the season quite well, but Strider has some work to do in the offseason to get his mechanics and pitch mix dialed in. His decreased velocity and lack of fastball carry forced Strider to pitch differently and more adjustments are probably needed.

Not only that, Austin Riley and Ozzie Albies both suffered from underperformance in 2025. They both had poor seasons offensively, and as Braves insider Mark Bowman explained, it could have been lingering effects from the hand/wrist injuries they both suffered in 2024.

With Albies, it’s still unclear if Atlanta will exercise their club option to return him next year. His contract is very affordable, and it feels like they’d be wise to bring him back. But his continued struggles with injuries don’t provide a lot of confidence.

Riley’s hernia surgery was obviously not ideal, but the rest should, in theory, help him return strong and we know how good he is when he’s healthy. Then you have the looming returns of Lopez, Jimenez, Sean Murphy, and Spencer Schwellenbach. This impacts the team drastically as all players are expected to have zero limitations in spring training.

However, all of the players mentioned returning healthy will help make the remaining decisions a bit easier. The front office cannot be as complacent as they were last offseason. These players coming back is great, but it doesn’t mean there’s no work left to be done.