It may not be talked about as much as finding a frontline starter or an impact bat, but the Braves have some massive holes in their bullpen — holes that are going to require significant resources to fill.
Atlanta’s decisions to decline the options on Tyler Kinley and Pierce Johnson were minor head-scratchers. Neither one is an All-Star, but both were dependable arms with a tomahawk on their chest. Johnson was one of Atlanta’s most heavily used relievers over the last three seasons, posting a 2.91 ERA across 147 appearances. Kinley wasn’t here long — acquired at this year’s trade deadline — but he was flat-out dominant, recording a 0.72 ERA in 24 outings.
Letting both guys walk for roughly $11 million in savings was borderline shocking.
On top of that, the Braves have to be extremely cautious when evaluating Joe Jiménez’s role going forward. He missed all of 2025 after knee surgery and has since suffered a setback, raising even more doubts about what he’ll be able to contribute in 2026.
“Right now, [Jiménez] isn’t somebody we’re counting on for the eighth inning,” Anthopoulos said, via Mark Bowman of MLB.com.
The Braves are essentially heading into 2026 under the assumption that Joe Jiménez won’t be a major part of the bullpen — the correct approach, given the uncertainty surrounding his recovery. It also means they need to add at least two or three proven relievers who have real experience in high-leverage situations.
As things stand, it’s Raisel Iglesias… and not much else. Dylan Lee and Aaron Bummer have had success in the past, and there are a few intriguing young arms in the system — Hayden Harris, Daysbel Hernández, and Jhancarlos Lara. Maybe one or two of them can take a meaningful step forward in 2026. But even if that happens, this group still needs a lot of work, and the answers aren’t going to be found in the bargain bin.
The Braves need to open up the checkbook and address their holes the right way, or the results in 2026 won’t look any different than what we just watched this past season.
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