Alex Anthopoulos addressed the media Saturday and in true Anthopoulos fashion, gave fairly little information. A couple of takeaways for me is to expect the managerial search to take a while, as he indicated it has barely even started. Another is him listing shortstop and starting pitcher as priority spots going into the offseason. Shortstop is fairly obvious, especially after claiming Ha-Seong Kim late in the season, but listing starting pitcher is an important statement. The Braves could plausibly enter the 2026 season with a rotation of Chris Sale, Spencer Schwellenbach, Spencer Strider, Reynaldo Lopez, and Grant Holmes (health pending), with Hurston Waldrep, Bryce Elder, (Alek Manoah?) and a host of top prospects as depth options. There is huge injury risk in that proposition, however, and the Braves have felt the consequences of mass rotation injuries a lot in recent years. Adding a meaningful playoff caliber starter would be a major boost to the rotation depth and help the team weather pitching injuries that are nearly inevitable in 2025.
