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So much of the Braves’ roster core is locked up for a while that there is only so much they can do in the offseason. Two years ago, they traded for Chris Sale at the nadir of his value and Sale nearly won the NL Cy Young Award. Last year, they signed Jurickson Profar pretty late and saw him suspended for 80 games. Both contributed partial seasons in 2025, two of the reasons the Braves, who have very little second-tier depth, slipped to 76-86.
This winter brought, again, one significant move, the signing of righty reliever Robert Suarez to a three-year deal. Suarez, from Venezuela, had no U.S. professional experience when he headed to Japan in 2016 and eventually became one of the best relievers in NPB. Landing with the Padres in 2022, he posted a 2.91 ERA and 3.36 FIP in four years, taking over the team’s closer role in ’24 and registering 76 saves over the next two years. He hit the market off his best year, with a 2.97 ERA and 2.88 FIP. He’s probably better than Raisel Iglesias right now, though they’ll likely line up with Suarez pitching the eighth and Iglesias in the saves spot. Suarez gives the Braves a hard-throwing bat-misser, an element they needed in what’s become a patchwork, year-to-year bullpen.
