The Atlanta Braves have had a busy offseason so far, first watching manager Brian Snitker announce his retirement and accept a role within the organization's front office, and not long after that, hiring Walt Weiss to be their new manager. The Braves' decision to restrict their candidacy pool to in-house was met with outrage from fans, as the team looks to bounce back from their first season missing the playoffs since 2017.
Meanwhile, the team certainly has some more tweaking to do on what was a flawed roster throughout last season, and recently, Jeff Passan of ESPN wrote about one target the Braves could try to go after this offseason: right-handed pitcher Brandon Woodruff of the Milwaukee Brewers.
“Woodruff's return from a major shoulder surgery that caused him to sit out the 2024 season and more than half of 2025 couldn't have gone much better. Even with 3 mph missing from his fastball, he added a cutter and remains an elite strikeout pitcher. If he doesn't stay with Milwaukee, the only team for which he has ever played, Woodruff would be a great fit in Atlanta,” wrote Passan.
Indeed, the Braves could use all of the help they can get in the pitching department, particularly after their staff was once again riddled with injuries throughout last season. While the team may be wary of signing someone coming off a major shoulder surgery not too long ago as Passan referenced, Atlanta seems willing to take a chance if it means the team may be able to reinsert itself into the playoff mix.
In any case, the Braves' 2025 regular season is slated to get underway in late March. They'll have a chance to tune up with spring training beginning in February.
