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The Atlanta Braves have not made a big offseason splash yet. They lost star pitcher Max Fried to the New York Yankees on the biggest contract ever given to a left-handed pitcher. Now, they have a massive hole in their starting rotation. There are still plenty of free agents available, such as Sean Manaea, Walker Buehler, and Nick Pivetta, who could be valuable adds to the Braves.
The Braves have over $56 million in tax space, according to Spotrac. That is more than enough to land any of these pitchers and have money for other moves. They have a tremendous amount of space because of the long-term contracts they signed many of their best players to before they became stars. The Braves had a rough season because they had a lot of injuries, so they should keep their core together. Adding a pitcher to replace Fried will help them this season and in the long run.
Which of these pitchers would be the best fit? And how can the Braves continue to add and keep up with the New York Mets?
Braves snag Sean Manaea from the Mets
The Mets have made the move of the offseason by signing Juan Soto. No addition will create as much of an impact on the 2025 season and the next decade of Major League Baseball. The NL East has belonged to the Braves for nearly a decade but an injury-filled campaign saw them bow out in the Wild Card Series last year. They cannot let the Mets gain momentum and they can prevent that by signing Sean Manaea.
The Mets were not expected to be any good last year because of their pasted-together rotation. And then Manaea had a career year. They want to bring him back but the focus has been on Soto and the Braves could swoop in and snag him. Manaea revitalized his career by mimicking Chris Sale's arm angle. This would give him a chance to be teammates with Sale.
Sale and Spencer Strider top the rotation with high expectations. Those two Cy Young candidates allow the Braves to shop in the second tier of starters and let Corbin Burnes head elsewhere. Strider is not expected to return from his UCL injury for opening day, so bringing Manaea in could be huge for their start.
Walker Buehler finishes off his career in Atlanta
Manaea is expected to get more money than Eovaldi, which was three years and $75 million. If that is too rich for Atlanta's blood, Walker Buehler would be the depth addition to make. Last year, the Braves traded for Sale and gave him an extension very few teams would have given him. They saw something others did not and he won the Cy Young. Do not rule out something similar with Buehler.
The veteran struggled in the regular season for the Dodgers. He missed the entire 2023 season with injuries, came back for 2024, and put up a career-worst 72 ERA+. In 2021, he put up a league-high 171 ERA+. His arm injuries impacted him but if the Braves can fix him, it would be a great addition to the team.
Buehler shined in the playoffs, finishing off the World Series on short rest. The Dodgers replaced him with Blake Snell, a clear upgrade, but that does not mean he is washed. The Braves should consider bringing Buehler in on a cheap, one-year contract.
Nick Pivetta comes in as an under-the-radar add
There has not been much conversation about Nick Pivetta this offseason. His 2024 team, the Boston Red Sox, added Garrett Crochet in the biggest trade of the winter so far. That does not mean they won't bring Pivetta back but it does mean someone could swoop in and grab him. He is the type of player the Braves pick up and revitalize their career. It could happen again with Pivetta.
The Athletic projects Pivetta's contract at three years, $48 million. That is between the Manaea level and the Buehler level, which may be where the Braves want to live. Don't be surprised if Pivetta pitches big games for the Braves on a reasonable contract for the next few years.
