Not one, but two, different options for Atlanta’s first 26-man roster of the 2025 season.
Atlanta Braves full-squad workouts begin one month from today, but much to the chagrin of Braves fandom, the organization has been stunningly quiet this offseason when to comes to making moves that – on the surface – move the needle on the quality of the big league product.
Between now and Opening Day, the likelihood that at least one of the presumed depth issues – the starting rotation, bullpen, outfield or shortstop – will be addressed seems high, but no one knows for sure.
Four years removed from the 2021 World Series Championship, the Braves 2025 Opening Day line-up will likely feature less then 10 players who were on the roster that season.
Despite high-profile names like Jorge Soler, Travis d’Arnaud, Max Fried, Charlie Morton and A.J. Minter now no longer part of the organization – and another half-dozen contributors to last year’s squad still on the open market – Atlanta is still one of the better clubs in the National League.
Projecting the Opening Day lineup 10 weeks out is akin to forecasting a Southern snowfall more than 10 days out. Everyone gets lucky and guesses correctly some times, but no one really knows what is going to happen until the the day-of.
That doesn’t mean it isn’t fun to offer up a hypothesis. Like that meme that’s made its round recently, these days everyone is an expert about everything all the time. Today baseball, tomorrow snowfall, the day after that foreign policy.
Steering clear of those last two items, let’s have a little fun and look at two different possible 26-man roster options.
The first option is purely from players in the organization – including both 40-man and non-40-man options.
The second is speculative based on realistic free agent options using an assumption that there are some financial constraints. Yes, trades could – and likely will happen – but there is so much uncertainty there, this will focus just on players available on the open market.
Currently in the organization
Catchers: Sean Murphy, Chadwick Tromp
Infield: Matt Olson, Ozzie Albies, Orlando Arcia, Austin Riley, Christian Cairo
Outfield: Michael Harris II, Jarred Kelenic, Eli White, Conner Capel, Garrett Cooper
Designated Hitter: Marcell Ozuna
Starting Rotation: Chris Sale (L), Spencer Schwellenbach, Reynaldo López, Grant Holmes (L), Davis Daniel, Ian Anderson
Bullpen: Raisel Igesias, Dylan Lee (L), Aaron Bummer (L), Pierce Johnson, Angel Perdomo (L), Anderson Pilar, Conner Gillispie
Cairo and Pilar are Rule 5 picks and thus will be projected as the last two members of the Opening Day roster. The only two players that could be considered a mild surprise here are Capel and Gillispie. With the Cooper signing, the Braves could opt to give outfielder Bryan De La Cruz time to work on his swing in Triple-A while Capel would give Atlanta another left-handed option and White’s ability to play second base in a pinch gives him a nod as a platoon outfielder and emergency infielder. Cooper give the team insurance at first base as well.
Once Ronald Acuńa, Jr. and Spencer Strider come back, the line-up and rotation should be shored up. Speaking of the rotation, this projection has the Braves committing to a six-man rotation from Opening Day with the recently acquired Daniel given a look in the rotation.
Free agent additions to the roster
Catchers: Sean Murphy, Yasmani Grandal
Infield: Matt Olson, Ozzie Albies, Orlando Arcia, Austin Riley, Christian Cairo, Jon Berti
Outfield: Michael Harris II, Jarred Kelenic, Mark Canha, Garrett Cooper
Designated Hitter: Marcell Ozuna
Starting Rotation: Chris Sale (L), Spencer Schwellenbach, Reynaldo López, Jose Quintana (L), Ian Anderson
Bullpen: Raisel Igesias, David Robertson, Dylan Lee (L), Aaron Bummer (L), Pierce Johnson, Angel Perdomo (L), Grant Holmes (L), Jakob Junis
Note: Ha-Seong Kim
Starting the with last note, this scenario begins with Atlanta bringing in Kim – who is still recovering from shoulder surgery. Arcia is well worth what he is being paid, so the Braves could allow Kim to fully recover and expand their depth once he returns with Arcia shifting to a reserve role. Cairo still sticks as the last man on the roster with Berti added as solid infield depth who could start, if needed, and multiple infield positions.
Behind the plate, Grandal would be an upgrade from Tromp and provide the team with much more insurance in the event of an injury to Murphy. In the outfield, Mark Canha has continued to be an solid all-around performer who could could also cover first and third. Cooper sticks as bench depth until Acuńa, Jr. is ready.
In the rotation, Quintana is a prototypical innings eater, who could make up some of the lost innings Morton provided. Holmes shifts to the bullpen and becomes an optional sixth starter. Adding Robertson gives the team an experienced high-leverage, late-inning, right-handed arm to offset the loss of Joe Jiménez. Adding the right-handed Junis gives the team another reliever with starting experience who could pair with Holmes making starts when the team wants to give their normal starters an extra day of rest.
Admittedly, adding Julio Teheran and Jason Hayward were considerations for the nostalgia factor, but their performance in recent seasons gives the nod to players with more productive seasons in the recent past.
Free agents from last year’s team like Jesse Chavez, Luke Jackson and Whit Merrifield were also considerations, but with Chavez and Merrifield both reportedly mulling retirement, they were left on the other side of the chalk for these fantasy rosters.
Who would you like to see the Braves add? Are you hoping for Jurickson Profar or Jack Flaherty for a more premium upgrade?
Let us know who you think will be on the team’s Opening Day roster in the comments below.
