With all of the talk about the Atlanta Braves’s rotation and shortstop spot, it is easy to forget that the Braves initiated a substantial overhaul of their bullpen at the start of the offseason. Now, they did go back and re-sign Raisel Iglesias which helps, but the fact remains that Atlanta is still down a couple of quality relievers whose spots will need filling and that doesn’t account for the Joe Jimenez factor.
We already know that losing Jimenez to knee surgery last year was a bigger blow than anyone would have thought. The Braves’ bullpen in 2025 was oddly vulnerable and while Iglesias’ rebound in the second half helped, losing a high leverage option in Jimenez was felt all year long and one would think that Atlanta wouldn’t be eager to repeat.
However, that is exactly what may happen if the Braves follow through with their offseason plans for their bullpen. We already knew that the bullpen was already a secondary concern, but Braves insider Mark Bowman recently implied that Atlanta isn’t going to entertain a significant bullpen move until they know exactly what Jimenez’s health situation is in January.
If the Braves wait for Joe Jimenez’s progress before making a bullpen move, they are asking for trouble
One can at least understand the Braves’ thought process here. If Jimenez recovers well from his clean-up procedure and is ready to start the season, Atlanta doesn’t technically need to add another high leverage reliever. Even though the team needs multiple arms, the types of arms they would want if Jimenez was out may be very different if he is healthy and in the plans.
The problem with the plan, though, is that if you wait for January to make a decision on your bullpen, you are going to be picking through other team’s leftovers and overpriced guys represented by Scott Boras. That is just reality. The way the Braves should attack the bullpen is targeting the middle tier of relievers that might be able to handle some higher leverage spots. If Jimenez is healthy, great…the Braves now have a very deep bullpen. If not, they at least got a guy they wanted and who could potentially fill the void instead of just hoping passable arms are available once Jimenez’s follow-up scans come in.
The good news is that the Braves have made some minor bullpen signings that may or may not pay dividends, so they aren’t completely neglecting the problem. However, Atlanta would be well-served to make a real run at a reliever they like now instead of crossing their fingers on Jimenez and accepting the consequences if they are wrong.