The 2026 season is over and the Brewers took the title, so the offseason starts with a likely lockout looming. The Braves face pressure to make real moves before it hits, and Battery Power also looked back at top prospect Owen Murphy's debut year in the majors.
Braves' shortstop hole is obvious, but second base may need a shakeup too. Ozzie Albies, who started 1,117 games there over nine years, followed a 2026 All-Star first half with a rough stretch, and his production has slipped in recent seasons. 🤔
Adam Duvall, who hasn't played since 2024, has earned $30.8 million in his career per Spotrac, about $17 million of it with the Braves. His last season: .182, 57 OPS+, -1.4 bWAR. Not a bad payday for a Gold Glove and a 2021 ring. 💍
Jim Bowden's top-40 free agent predictions link the Braves to Randy Arozarena, Raisel Iglesias and Mauricio Dubon, but the only starter he pairs with Atlanta is Hiromi Itoh. With rotation depth a real need, that's a thin rotation plan. 🤔
Braves are being urged to target free-agent lefty Nestor Cortes as a low-cost rotation option for 2027, a Martín Pérez-style reclamation project. Cortes missed all of 2026 after arm surgery, and Atlanta's depth behind Chris Sale remains uncertain. 🔍
Braves are being urged to sign free agent Nestor Cortes as a buy-low rotation project, but it's only a suggestion. The ex-Yankees All-Star missed all of 2026 and had a 6.29 ERA in 2025, so Heavy suggests caution. 🤔
10/28/1995: David Justice put the Braves ahead in the sixth inning of World Series Game 6 with this solo home run. The reaction from Tony Peña behind the plate will always be elite.
Owen Murphy's rookie year: five appearances, 12 innings, 6.93 FIP after a July 6 debut. He kept walks down (3) and missed bats, but loud contact and shaky command exposed him. Offseason could define his role. 🔧
Braves prospect Isaiah Drake logged his first extra-base hit of the fall, a double, as Glendale edged Salt River 1-0. Logan Samuels covered 1 1/3 scoreless innings, and Owen Hackman closed it out with a scoreless save. Tate Southisene went hitless. 🔒
A "wild" Bleacher Report trade pitch floats Ronald Acuña Jr. to the Phillies for Bryce Harper. It's pure speculation, with Acuña's contract decision looming. Atlanta hasn't moved, and Harper would need to waive his no-trade clause. 🔄
Battery Power: Which guy in the organization didn’t get enough playing time in 2026?
Braves' 2026 player review series reaches right-hander Hurston Waldrep. Elsewhere, the Rays forced Game 5 of the World Series with a 4-3 win, leaving Milwaukee up 3-1 with a shot at its first title tonight. Atlanta watches from the couch. 🍿
Braves could hunt another bargain-bin arm like last year's Martín Pérez (142 IP, 3.04 ERA). Speculative targets: Nestor Cortes, Jordan Montgomery and Zack Littell, all cheap-buy candidates for Jeremy Hefner's reclamation shop. 🔧
Cooper Pratt's 12th-inning World Series homer for the Brewers, erased by a Rays comeback, is drawing comparisons to Adam Duvall's first-inning grand slam in Game 5 of 2021. Braves fans know how that story turned: Jorge Soler delivered in Game 6. ⚾
Triple-A Gwinnett's farm tour wraps up with several Stripers who may have earned a 2027 look in Atlanta. Patrick Clohisy, the 2024 11th-round pick, headlines the bats after a big step forward, starting 2026 at Double-A Columbus with a .788 OPS. 🔭
Ozzie Albies is enjoying the offseason after the Braves' NLDS loss to the Dodgers. His wife, Andreia, posted Montana trip photos on Instagram, drawing 3,000+ likes in an hour. One fan called him "Atlanta's 2B for life." 🎣
Braves could consider trade targets among third-base prospects as insurance for Austin Riley, whose production has slid amid injuries and swing issues. Internal options like Alex Lodise, John Gil and Tate Southisene exist, but all are unproven. 🔍
Hurston Waldrep's 2026 ended in Tommy John surgery after elbow trouble and just 29 innings, three rough MLB outings included. He's out through 2027, with a 2028 return the target. The 2025 breakout feels distant. 🩹
Braves may already be priced out on Randy Arozarena. Jim Bowden projects five years and $124M, and with Alex Anthopoulos wary of long-term, high-AAV deals, Atlanta likely bows out, even as a right-handed bat tops its needs. 🔍
The Braves made the 2026 playoffs despite a brutal June and a middling offense afterward. They ranked 18th to 26th in xwOBA and wOBA across every post-June split, nowhere near top ten, yet kept winning around .580 ball. 🤷
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