The Atlanta Braves struggled all season to keep their starting rotation healthy. In fact, the team faced challenges with pitching overall throughout the year. This offseason, there will be many questions to answer regarding the pitching staff. A reunion with Raisel Iglesias could still very well happen.
“When Atlanta didn’t trade Raisel Iglesias this season, some fans wondered if this was a sign the closer would stick around beyond this year. Well, he could have been traded and still re-signed this offseason. But now, he could just be re-signed,” Braves insider Mark Bowman wrote.
The Braves’ ongoing health issues with pitchers also put pitching coach Rick Kranitz under scrutiny.
“With that said, the Braves cannot be successful in 2026 without fixing whatever problems they have with keeping their pitchers healthy. The organizational depth clearly isn’t built to withstand the rash of injuries that has hit Atlanta’s rotation the past few seasons, and at the end of the day Kranitz may not be built for it either,” HTHB’s Chase Owens wrote.
To address their rotation problems, the Braves could consider a trade for Sonny Gray.
“One of the clear best fits for Gray’s services is Atlanta, who were reportedly in on Gray when he was a free agent two offseasons ago. Since then, the Braves have struggled to stay healthy and even fell out of the playoff picture this year due in large part to a rotation that was desperately missing Max Fried’s stabilizing presence after he left for the Yankees last winter. Atlanta has never been the sort of club to go out and spend hundreds of millions on an ace in free agency, so unless they change course this year they’ll need to get creative to add some certainty to a rotation that saw all of its established starters spend significant time on the injured list this year,” MLB Trade Rumors’ Nick Deeds wrote.
Acquiring Gray would provide the Braves with another Cy Young-caliber arm. Gray is also an All-Star, making this a move that would significantly bolster the rotation.
This would be yet another power move by GM Alex Anthopoulos, to say the least. Sonny Gray in a Braves uniform would certainly make the team a scary opponent.
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