As we’ve seen in years past, Alex Anthopoulos is full of surprises. Last offseason, the crafty Atlanta Braves’ GM made a shocking move when he signed Reynaldo Lopez with the intent of making him a starter. It seemed like a losing idea.

Lopez had served as a starter for the Chicago White Sox over the course of five years. After posting back-to-back seasons of ERA’s well above 5.00 and 6.00 respectively as well as giving up an MLB-worst 110 earned runs in 2019, it seemed his days as a starter were done. Lopez had only posted one season with a sub-4.00 ERA up until that point, throwing 3.91 in 2018.

After being converted into a reliever, Lopez only posted ERAs below 3.50 reaching as low as 2.76 in 2022. However, Lopez was yet to reach his peak. After signing with the Braves and becoming a full-time starter for the first time in four years, Lopez threw 135.2 innings in 25 starts (26 appearances) and finished with a career best 1.99 ERA.

Now just one year after Anthopoulos’ under-the-radar diamond heist, he has the opportunity to do it again.

The Atlanta Braves could convert Jeff Hoffman back into a starter

When scouring the free agent market in search of an undeniable steal, Anthopoulos needs to look no further than Jeff Hoffman.

After spending five years in Colorado, Hoffman’s career ERA stood at an abysmal 6.40. His two seasons in Cincinnati saw that ERA steadily drop, but he didn’t realize his full potential until landing with the Phillies. After changing his approach, Hoffman pitched to a 2.41 ERA in 2023 and a 2.17 ERA in 2024 as a full-time reliever. Now, he is a free agent and one of the most sought-after bullpen arms. But relief work might not be his future. Hoffman had this to say:

“I think I would be a great starter if given that opportunity again. It was cool seeing what [Reynaldo Lopez and Jordan Hicks] did last year and, for me with how healthy I am and what I’ve done the last few years with my arsenal, it’s an interesting thought. … It makes sense that guys with deeper arsenals than most relievers have found success.”

With his newfound success, it is very possible Hoffman becomes a great starter. The two most likely outcomes of a Braves-Hoffman deal could be best described by Alex Lord of SportsTalkATL.

“Worst-case scenario: the Braves sign Jeff Hoffman to a fair market deal to be a high-end reliever. Best-case scenario: the Braves sign Jeff Hoffman to a below market deal to be a starter.”

Hoffman represents a golden opportunity to pick up a great starter at a low price. However, should that not work out, Hoffman could easily fit in their bullpen.