Offseason Outlook: Atlanta Braves

After finishing the 2023 season with the best record in baseball, the Braves disappointed somewhat in 2024 amid an avalanche of injuries to star players and underwhelming numbers from much of their offensive nucleus. This offseason, they’ll need to reshape their rotation as their longest-tenured starter hits free agency while also overhauling their bench mix in hopes of re-capturing their hold over their NL East from the division-champion Phillies and a surging Mets club that made it all the way to Game 6 of the NLCS.

Guaranteed Contracts

• Austin Riley, 3B: $176MM through 2032 (deal includes club option for 2033)
• Matt Olson, 1B: $110MM through 2029 (deal includes club option for 2030)
• Spencer Strider, RHP: $73MM through 2028 (includes $5MM buyout on 2029 club option)
• Michael Harris II, CF: $64MM through 2030 (includes $5MM buyout on 2031 club option; additional club option for ’32)
• Sean Murphy, C: $60MM through 2028 (deal includes club option for 2029)
• Ronald Acuna Jr. RF: $44MM through 2026 (includes $10MM buyout on 2027 club option; additional club option for ’28)
• Jorge Soler, RF: $32MM through 2026
• Reynaldo Lopez, RHP: $26MM through 2026 (includes $4MM buyout on 2027 club option)
• Chris Sale, LHP: $22MM through 2025 (deal includes club option for 2026)
• Joe Jimenez, RHP: $18MM through 2026
• Raisel Iglesias, RHP: $16MM through 2025
• Ozzie Albies, 2B: $11MM through 2025 (includes $4MM buyout on 2026 club option; additional club option for ’27)
• David Fletcher, INF/RHP: $8MM through 2025 (includes $1.5MM buyout on 2026 club option)
• Pierce Johnson, RHP: $7.25MM through 2025 (includes $250K buyout on 2026 club option)
• Orlando Arcia, SS: $3MM through 2025 (includes $1MM buyout on 2026 club option)

Option Decisions

• Marcell Ozuna, DH: $16MM club option with $1MM buyout
• Travis d’Arnaud, C: $8MM club option with no buyout
• Aaron Bummer, LHP: $7.25MM club option with $1.25MM buyout (deal also includes $7.5MM club option for 2026 with no buyout)
• Luke Jackson, RHP: $7MM club option with $2MM buyout

2025 financial commitments: $188.75MM
Total long-term financial commitments: $674.5MM

Arbitration-Eligible Players (projected salaries via MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz)

• Ramon Laureano (5.159): $6.1MM
• Cavan Biggio (5.110): $4.3MM
• Huascar Ynoa (3.117): $825K
• Jarred Kelenic (2.169): $2.3MM
• Dylan Lee (2.150): $1.2MM
• Eli White (2.140): $800K

Non-tender candidates: Laureano, Biggio, Ynoa, White

Free Agents

Max Fried, Charlie Morton, A.J. Minter, Whit Merrifield, Gio Urshela, Adam Duvall, Jesse Chavez, John Brebbia

With a number of quality players still under long-term team control, Atlanta remains firmly in the midst of its competitive window despite a disappointing 89-win campaign in 2024. The impending free agency of Max Fried, who has anchored the club’s rotation for the past half decade, would perhaps be more concerning for the club’s chances of rebounding in 2025 if GM Alex Anthopoulos’s front office hadn’t already successfully navigated the departures of both MVP first baseman Freddie Freeman and All-Star shortstop Dansby Swanson in recent years.