The MLB offseason is crawling along at its usual snail’s pace, but the hope is that the upcoming Winter Meetings — running from December 7th–10th — will finally jolt things to life in both free agency and the trade market.
The Atlanta Braves haven’t been tied to many big names lately, but with so many holes to address — shortstop, outfield, DH, and the bullpen — it’s hard to imagine Alex Anthopoulos isn’t already working the phones. He’s a GM who prefers to strike early, and according to MLB insider Robert Murray, the Winter Meetings could set the stage for the Braves’ next significant move.
“The most secretive franchise in baseball is the Atlanta Braves,” Murray writes for FanSided. “Most of their moves break via the team Twitter account in a press release. Knowing how active the Braves have been this offseason, with needs at shortstop, bullpen and in the rotation, part of me thinks we see another Braves transaction announced via their Twitter account.”
Every organization has leaks, even the Braves. But more often than not, Alex Anthopoulos operates in the shadows, navigating the market without anyone getting a whiff of what’s coming. He also tends to get his biggest moves done before the calendar flips.
That sets the stage for some real action over the next 3–4 weeks. The Braves are coming off one of the most disappointing seasons in franchise history — entering with the second-best odds to win the World Series and somehow missing the playoffs altogether. A quiet offseason last year played a major role in that collapse; they can’t afford to run it back and simply hope for positive regression.
The next month should provide our first real glimpse at what the 2026 Braves will look like.
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