The Atlanta Braves are coming off of what fans hope is only a minor detour. Plagued by injuries in 2024, Atlanta couldn’t quite live up to its lofty competitive aspirations. Alex Anthopoulos has compiled arguably the most talented and balanced roster in the MLB, but it’s hard to deliver results when your MVP and Cy Young candidates miss the entire season.

Both Ronald Acuña Jr. and Spencer Strider are expected back in 2025, while ideally, Austin Riley, Ozzie Albies, Michael Harris, and Sean Murphy can all put together healthier campaigns, too. The Braves are at risking of losing Max Fried and Charlie Morton to free agency (or retirement), but Chris Sale, Reynaldo Lopez, Spencer Schwellenbach, and Strider is one hell of a rotation to build on.

We should see the Braves back in the thick of the National League contenders circle next season. The question is, how much better will their rivals get? The Philadelphia Phillies finished first in the NL East and figure to add more firepower this winter. The New York Mets, meanwhile, scrapped their way to the NLCS behind an MVP-level campaign from Francisco Lindor.

Both Philadelphia and New York are expected to pursue this offseason’s biggest prize — right fielder Juan Soto, who is due for the largest contract in MLB history. The Mets are essentially the betting favorite, while Soto has several deep-rooted connections with Phillies personnel.

Either outcome is a nightmare for the Braves, and either outcome should spur Alex Anthopoulos into aggressive action.

3. Braves can trade for Garrett Crochet to boost pitching staff

Sometimes it’s best to zag when other teams zig. If the Mets or Phillies load up on offense with Soto, perhaps the Braves should take the opposite approach and add Garrett Crochet to arguably the best pitching staff in the National League. We’ve seen Atlanta connected to Crochet and it’s a clear fit, made all the more appealing with Fried’s potential departure looming over the franchise.

Crochet would solve the long-running fifth starter conundrum in Atlanta, giving the Braves another ace to work into the rotation behind Sale and Strider. There are lingering injury and workload concerns with Crochet, but he managed 32 starts and 146.0 innings for the last-place Chicago White Sox in 2024. His effectiveness dipped a little bit after the All-Star break, but Crochet finished the campaign strong (3.58 ERA and 1.07 WHIP).

A hard-throwing southpaw who earns his keep with strikeouts, Crochet would add a palpable electricity to the middle of Atlanta’s rotation. The best recipe for postseason success, unless you can afford billions of dollars invested in the offense, is a rock-solid pitching staff. The Braves would be devoid of weaknesses in their starting rotation, with a four-headed monster of Strider, Sale, Crochet, and Lopez that is ready-made for a deep postseason run.

Crochet doesn’t have a ton of winning experience yet, but the Braves can deliver him to October with an opportunity to pitch meaningful innings for once. I’d be pretty psyched to leave White Sox purgatory for recent World Series champs, personally.

2. Braves can add Willy Adames to shore up the middle infield

Not to state the obvious, but Willy Adames should be a top priority for the Braves. The were several positions of weakness for Atlanta last season, but at full strength, this team’s greatest bugaboo is shortstop. Orlando Arcia just does not live up to the rest of Atlanta’s offensive personnel. Upgrading to an elite shortstop would leave very few noticeable holes in the Braves roster.

Adames has been frequently connected to Atlanta this offseason. The Braves don’t traditionally field out-of-house stars, but Adames is too obvious a fit to ignore. The 29-year-old was raking in the middle of the Milwaukee Brewers lineup last season, slashing .251/.331/.462 with 32 home runs and 112 RBI. He finished in the 82nd percentile for expected slugging (.461), so there’s nothing fluky about that production.

The Braves’ slugging took a major hit last season with their deluge of injuries and slumps. Aside from Marcell Ozuna, nobody really lived up to expectations. That should change — positive regression is a borderline guarantee for this Braves team — but adding Adames insures against another frigid streak. He adds 30-plus homers and 100-plus RBIs to an offense that lapped the rest of the league a couple years ago. That is a tantalizing proposition.

He’s excellent in the field and dangerous on the bases, too (21 steals). There’s not much to dislike about Adames, and the Braves need to operate with a mix of aggression and desperation if Soto ends up in the division.

1. Alex Bregman is the Braves infield solution nobody is talking about

The best front offices in the MLB are creative. On the surface, Alex Bregman isn’t a fit for Atlanta. He’s a battle-tested third baseman and the Braves already have an All-Star at the hot corner in Austin Riley. Bregman has said he’s open to playing second base, but that’s Ozzie Albies’ position. The Braves’ star-studded infield, on the surface, negates the need for Bregman.

That said, what if Bregman takes over second base and Albies moves to shortstop, a position he frequented prior to his ascent with Atlanta’s big-league squad? That is a compelling option. Albies did not put together the best defensive campaign in 2024 (nor 2023, for that matter), but we have seen him flash the leather successfully in the past. Bregman also has spot experience at shortstop. He’s a rangy, polished defender. Sometimes it’s worth thinking outside the box.

A former World Series foe with the Houston Astros, Bregman would bring winning experience and a well-rounded offensive approach to the Braves lineup. He’s still effectively replacing Orlando Arcia, whether he ends up at second or short. This wasn’t his best offensive season, but Bregman still managed 26 home runs and 75 RBI while posting a strikeout rate (13.6) in the MLB’s 94th percentile. His plate discipline and consistency are traits the power-happy Braves should covet.

Bregman is going to run up the tab in free agency due to his positional flexibility and five-tool skill set, but the Braves shouldn’t be afraid to shell out extra dough when the World Series is so plainly within reach. Few know what it takes to win in October better than Bregman.