Following their NLDS elimination by the Dodgers, Atlanta Braves president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos addressed offseason priorities during a press conference. Key discussions included potential reunions with impending free agents, rotation stability amid injury concerns for Spencer Strider and Spencer Schwellenbach, and the roster outlook for Jurickson Profar.
Fantasy & Market Impact
- Rotation Uncertainty: With Strider and Schwellenbach not considered “locks in the rotation” due to extensive elbow recoveries, fantasy drafters should discount their projected volume until spring health is proven.
Addressing Free Agency and the Shortstop Void
The NL East champion Braves saw their season end on Wednesday when the Dodgers eliminated Atlanta from the NLDS in four games. Addressing the media during the team wrap-up press conference, Braves president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos outlined the front office’s timeline for impending roster decisions, confirming that the club will speak with all of its free agents before the market officially opens five days after the World Series.
Among the most glaring roster needs is shortstop, with both Mauricio Dubon and Ha-Seong Kim hitting the open market. While Kim is unlikely to be re-signed following extreme struggles during the 2026 campaign, Dubon proved durable by appearing in 153 games and hitting .276/.321/.399 with 12 home runs over 619 plate appearances following a trade from the Astros. Anthopoulos noted that he is “very comfortable with” Dubon as a shortstop.
Defensively, metrics present a complex profile for Dubon at short. The Outs Above Average metric credits him with a favorable +18 over 1177 2/3 career innings at the position, while Defensive Runs Saved grades him with an exactly average zero. Because Dubon functions best as a super-sub, deploying him strictly as an everyday shortstop limits his overall roster utility, and his below-average bat could create a lineup bottleneck if he shoulders a full-time load.
Rotation Planning Around Health and Workloads
Rotation depth remains a primary winter objective given the extensive health hurdles navigated by Atlanta’s pitching staff. Tyler Mahle caught fire after arriving via trade from the Giants, posting a 1.99 ERA across 54 1/3 regular-season frames followed by a 1.35 ERA in 13 1/3 postseason innings. Anthopoulos’s comments strongly implied mutual interest in retaining the veteran right-hander.
Conversely, the recovery timelines for Spencer Strider and Spencer Schwellenbach complicate standard rotation projections. Strider did not pitch after June 12 due to elbow inflammation, while Schwellenbach has not pitched since June 2025 following three elbow surgeries addressing a fracture and loose bodies. Addressing the media, Anthopoulos stated: “I think from a planning standpoint, I don’t think it’d be responsible to sit here and say, ‘OK, those guys are going to start 30 games and throw 180 innings.’ So that’s something we’re definitely going to have to account for and talk about where we’re going to get our innings for next season.”
| Pitcher | 2026 Status / Role | Key Metrics |
|---|---|---|
| Tyler Mahle | Pending Free Agent | 1.99 ERA (Regular Season), 1.35 ERA (Postseason) |
| Spencer Strider | Recovering from Elbow Inflammation | Shut down since June 12 |
| Spencer Schwellenbach | Recovering from Three Elbow Surgeries | No game action since June 2025 |
| Didier Fuentes | Bullpen / Potential Starter | 97 combined innings (New Career High) |
While Anthopoulos acknowledged that the club views Fuentes as a starter long-term, the front office remains mindful of pacing his workload after he topped his previous 75 2/3 frame high from 2024.
The Jurickson Profar Contract Dilemma
Front-office evaluations also extend to outfielder Jurickson Profar, whose tenure in Atlanta has been repeatedly disrupted by league discipline. Profar signed a three-year, $42MM free agent deal in January 2025, but was issued an 80-game suspension four games into that season for testing positive for the PED known as chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG).
With one more year and $15MM remaining on his contract, Anthopoulos confirmed that internal evaluations regarding Profar’s future will take center stage now that the offseason has arrived. While Profar could theoretically fill the club’s need in left field, evaluating his readiness after a year away from the field presents a distinct challenge for the organization.
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