Potential Braves Free Agent Targets By Position: Starting Pitchers

This continues a series breaking down potential Braves free agent targets by position, if you missed any of the previous parts to this series, follow the links below

• Potential Braves Free Agent Targets: Right Field
• Braves Free Agent Targets: Shortstops
• Braves Free Agent Targets: Left Field

Potential Braves Free Agent Targets: Starting Pitchers

• Gerrit Cole
• Blake Snell
• Yusei Kikuchi
• Michael Wacha
• Max Fried
• Nathan Eovaldi
• Jack Flaherty
• Nick Martinez
• Kyle Gibson
• Justin Verlander
• Nick Pivetta
• Sean Manaea
• Charlie Morton
• Andrew Heaney
• Kyle Hendricks
• Shane Bieber
• Max Scherzer
• Jose Quintana
• Mike Clevinger
• Alex Cobb
• Trevor Williams
• Luis Severino
• Adrian Houser
• Frankie Montas
• Spencer Turnbull
• Michael Soroka
• Carlos Carrasco
• Walker Buehler
• Corbin Burnes

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This is a very long and extensive list that doesn’t even include everybody. There are also a few Braves featured in Max Fried and Charlie Morton, both who may not be on the team next season. I expect Alex Anthopoulos to be interested in trying to retain them, but Max Fried may prove to be too pricey and Charlie Morton may opt to retire.

That leaves a couple of open spots in the Braves rotation. One of those will presumably be filled by Spencer Strider, and it’s possible Alex Anthopoulos hopes one of the Braves younger arms can compete and fill out the rotation. However, the Braves have tried that before without much success, and given how injuries have ravaged their rotation at the end of the last three seasons, I expect them to acquire depth at the very least.

Anthopoulos likely won’t be in on any of the top guys on this list like Corbin Burnes or Gerrit Cole. Max Fried is about the only lucrative contract I could see them handing a starting pitcher this offseason, and even that feels highly unlikely.

However, outside of the top guys, there are still a ton of intriguing names the Braves could bring in, featuring veterans with incredible records of postseason experience and high upside options that haven’t quite lived up to their potential in recent seasons, whether that be because of their situation, injuries, or poor luck.

Alex Anthopoulos said just a few days after the season that he doesn’t see starting pitching as a top priority as he has in previous offseasons. That’s a fair assessment considering what transpired in 2024. Chris Sale will soon be named the NL Cy Young. Reynaldo Lopez made his first All-Star appearance. Spencer Schwellenbach is a budding star, and Spencer Strider is still one of the best young arms in baseball.

29 other teams would kill for four guys like that in their rotation, but the Braves should still be looking for one more high-quality arm to round out the group. You can never have too much pitching, and this is an organization that’s learned that the hard way three postseasons in a row.

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Photographer: Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire

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