Up to this point in the offseason, the Atlanta Braves you could certainly state have been fairly quiet in terms of making significant moves at the major league level.
At the time of writing, Atlanta’s biggest move has arguably been to sign outfielder Bryan De La Cruz as a free agent, while the club has seen some prominent names go elsewhere such as Max Fried and Travis d’Arnaud, leaving massive holes to fill in those spots.
Looking at the former of those as well, the departure of Fried leaves the Braves starting rotation in a bit of a scenario where just who fills that spot during the 2025 season a bit of an unknown. Because of this, it would make sense for the Braves to make a move to fill this spot via free agency or a trade.
Should they do this, here are a few names that the Braves should consider targeting going forward:
Michael Lorenzen highlights Atlanta Braves free agent starting pitching targets
Michael Lorenzen, Right-Handed Pitcher
We begin with a veteran right-handed pitcher in Lorenzen, who spent the 2024 season with both the Texas Rangers and Kansas City Royals where he owned a combined 3.31 ERA with a 97:60 K:BB ratio across 130.1 IP, with 24-of-26 appearances for the year having been starts. Not only would a signing of Lorenzen give the Braves an experienced and proven No. 5 starter, but the right-hander would also be a potential bullpen option should Atlanta opt to do so down the road later in the season.
John Means, Left-Handed Pitcher
A name already mentioned previously this offseason, Means is also a veteran pitcher who simply has not pitched much in recent years for the Baltimore Orioles due to injury, making only a combined 10 starts dating back to the 2022 season. Across four starts a year ago, the left-hander held a 2.61 ERA with a 16:2 K:BB ratio across 20.2 IP, and it would make a lot of sense for the Braves to take a chance on a player they originally drafted out of high school back in 2011.
Wade Miley, Left-Handed Pitcher
Another veteran left-handed pitcher that could be an option is Miley, who made only two starts during the 2024 season with the Milwaukee Brewers prior to suffering an injury. Prior to last year, Miley had a trio of consecutive sub-4.00 ERA seasons from 2021-23, and is a name that Atlanta should consider taking a chance on coming off injury to recapture that prior form.
Spencer Turnbull, Right-Handed Pitcher
A right-hander, Turnbull was in the Braves division in 2024 as a member of the Philadelphia Phillies in which he made 17 appearances with seven starts. Turnbull posted a 2.65 ERA with a 58:20 K:BB ratio across 54.1 IP during that span, and similar to Lorenzen previously, is a player that the Braves could end up moving to the bullpen later in the year.
Julio Teheran, Right-Handed Pitcher
Lastly, we conclude a name that is certainly familiar to Braves fans in Teheran, who spent the first nine seasons of his MLB career in Atlanta as a starter. The veteran right-hander made only one start a year ago as a member of the New York Mets, and would be a signing where the Braves know exactly what they would be getting.
