The Atlanta Braves recently signed Robert Suarez to a three-year, $45 million contract in a move to give their bullpen a boost. Raisel Iglesias is expected to close with Suarez working in a setup/backup closer role. Signing Suarez projects to be a quality move, strengthening the Braves' bullpen without question. Overall, the ball club still has uncertainty on the roster, though.
Pitching has been a need for the team. In fact, new Braves manager Walt Weiss even acknowledged the pitching necessity during the MLB Winter Meetings.
“Pitching is near and dear to my heart, especially after my last experience,” Weiss said during the Winter Meetings. “So I always, I'm always looking at that side of things. And truth be told, our position players, it's pretty set. So it's a little bit more difficult to create some fits there. Now, you can do it with some trades and you can be creative and make some things work, but a lot easier on the pitching side as we sit here today to add.
“We all know Alex (Anthopoulos). Alex is just relentless in his pursuit of improving the roster. So he never stops. He never stops trying to do that. I'm sure he's doing it as we speak.”
With the Braves already addressing the bullpen, starting pitching has emerged as their most obvious area of need. Spencer Strider and Chris Sale can lead the rotation, but there is overall uncertainty. Strider even endured inconsistency last season. Reynaldo Lopez is a quality veteran white Spencer Schwellenbach and Hurston Waldrep can make an impact. Still, bringing in a proven starting pitcher should be a priority for the Braves.
Braves should add a starter — but who?
There are a number of starters still available in MLB free agency who could realistically provide a positive impact for the Braves. The team could also look to make an addition via a trade.
There is one specific pitcher who — if Atlanta were to sign him — would both help the Braves while also dealing a blow to the Philadelphia Phillies.
The Braves should pursue Ranger Suarez in free agency.
Suarez, 30, is a left-handed starter who has spent his entire career in Philadelphia with the Phillies. He's emerged as one of the better pitchers in the sport in recent seasons, earning an All-Star selection in 2024. Although he was not an All-Star in 2025, Suarez still pitched to a 3.20 ERA across 157.1 innings pitched.
The Phillies are the best team in the National League East at the moment. It appears that the Washington Nationals are continuing to rebuild as MacKenzie Gore trade rumors continue to swirl. It's tough to pinpoint exactly what the Miami Marlins' plan is, but they are not going to be a legitimate contender anytime soon. The New York Mets' offseason has been a disappointment, as they have lost both Edwin Diaz and Pete Alonso in free agency.
In other words, the Braves can easily step up as the second best team in the division following their lackluster 2025 campaign. Catching the Phillies won't be a simple task, but signing Suarez would be a tremendous move given the circumstances. He'd help Atlanta while Philadelphia would lose a star pitcher to a division rival.
