At the start of the offseason, Atlanta Braves GM Alex Anthopoulos excited Braves fans by claiming that the luxury tax would not stop him from improving their roster. Once spring training rolled around, however Anthopoulos had a completely different perspective.

The Braves faced multiple injuries last season which caused them to severely underperform compared to their expectations. Anthopoulos and the front office decided that getting healthy and finding solutions internally was the best route to go in 2025. What followed was a very quiet winter, in which Atlanta signed outfielder Jurickson Profar and spent the rest of their time merely tinkering around the margins.

The Braves entered Opening Day against the San Diego Padres with sky-high expectations, having mostly avoided the injury bug during camp and expecting Spencer Strider and Ronald Acuña Jr. back before to long. But it only took one game for the team’s unwillingness to spend money this winter to expose their biggest weakness.

Alex Anthopoulos leaves Braves bullpen out to dry on Opening Day

The Braves opened their 2025 season by proving their offense is ready to go. They put up four runs in the first four innings of the game, with homers from both Ozzie Albies and Austin Riley.

After Chris Sale pitched out of some trouble in the fifth inning to hold a 4-3 lead, it was time for Brian Snitker to turn it over to his new-look bullpen. Left-hander Dylan Lee answered the call in the sixth inning by tossing a scoreless perfect frame. However, trouble arose when veteran Hector Neris made his Braves debut.

Neris gave up a game-tying solo homer to Gavin Sheets, which ignited a four-run rally for the Padres. Aaron Bummer relieved Neris with Atlanta down by one, with runners on the corners and no one out, and allowed both to come in to score in an eventual 7-4 loss.

The Braves remain a favorite to compete for a World Series this year because of their lethal offense and solid defense. But their bullpen remains a weakness, and if Opening Day is any indication of how this season will go for Atlanta, we could see them yet again fall short of expectations.

To make sure the Braves remain within striking distance of their season goals, someone within the organization will have to step up significantly or Anthopoulos will have to make some moves — maybe even before the trade deadline.