Braves poised to exceed luxury tax in 2025

The Braves had been relatively quiet over the winter up to this point, having done little beyond the trade up to this point Jorge Soler to the Angels at the start of the offseason. That has given the impression that a club is being cautious about its personnel situation this winter if it risks exceeding the luxury tax for the third time in a row, which would entail hefty tax penalties and result in it being eliminated in the first round will be selected in the 2026 draft to move back ten places. Despite the club’s slow start to the winter, Braves president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos told reporters (including The Athletic’s David O’Brien) that the club is willing to exceed the luxury tax for the third year in a row to meet needs of the club this winter.

According to O’Brien, the club’s original off-season plans were scuppered when he received worrying medical news regarding the stars Ronald Acuna Jr. And Spencer Strider as well as as a relief agent Joe Jimenez. Neither Acuna nor Strider are expected to be ready for Opening Day as things stand, and O’Brien adds that both could be out of action “well into May.” That news, coupled with losing Jimenez to knee surgery for most or all of the 2025 season, prompted the Braves to look for ways to free up salary. According to O’Brien, the club would probably not have restructured the contracts Reynaldo Lopez And Aaron Bummer He still declined the club option of an experienced catcher Travis d’Arnaud Wouldn’t these injuries have put additional pressure on the club to find help in the outfield, rotation and bullpen?

Of these three areas of the roster, the outfield appears to be the most pressing area for the club. O’Brien points out that after his second ACL tear in four seasons, the Braves may prefer to be extra careful with Acuna next season, especially after he struggled upon returning to the lineup in 2022 (at least compared to his own elite ranks standards). as quickly as possible. This has led to the club seeking outfield support due to the relatively poor internal alternatives Eli White, Luke Williams And Carlos D Rodriguez as options to combine Jarred Kelenic And Michael Harris II on the lawn until Acuna returns.

On the pitching side, however, the Braves seem more comfortable with their internal options. The reigning NL Cy Young Award winner will be supported by Lopez and the rookie Spencer Schellenbach in the club’s opening day rotation for 2025, and the club has a large number of possible internal options to manage the other two rotation spots, including Bryce Elder, AJ Smith Shawver, Hurston Forest RepAnd Ian Anderson among other things, but Anthopoulos also suggested a surprising internal candidate for a rotation job: right-hander Grant Holmes.

The 28-year-old made his MLB debut for the Braves last season and excelled in his swing role for the club, posting a 3.56 ERA and 3.20 FIP in 68 1/3 innings pitched over seven Starts and 19 substitute appearances. Given that Holmes appears comfortable switching between the rotation and bullpen, he could prove to be a sensible choice to fill in for Strider on the club’s Opening Day before taking on a backup role once the hard-throwing righty returns to action . Similarly, O’Brien notes that Anthopoulos has expressed interest in using right-handers Daysbel Hernandez in a development role in 2025 to make up for the loss of Jimenez. Hernandez threw just 18 innings in 16 appearances for Atlanta in 2024, but made a strong impression in that limited time with a 2.50 ERA, 35.1% strikeout rate and 2.11 FIP.

Another option to offset the loss of Jimenez that O’Brien says could be on the table is a reunion with the southpaw AJ Minter. While O’Brien suggests the club may re-sign Minter this winter, one potential problem with bringing Minter back to mitigate the loss of Jimenez is that the left-hander could also potentially miss Opening Day following surgery. Minter underwent season-ending hip surgery in August, and O’Brien notes that it is not yet clear whether he will be ready to take the field at the start of the 2025 season.

Even ignoring the potential impact of Minter’s health on Atlanta’s interest in a reunion, his ongoing season-long injury issues could continue to have a significant impact on profitability this winter. MLBTR predicted a two-year, $16 million deal for Minter earlier this offseason as part of our annual list of the Top 50 MLB Free Agents, but that prediction came with the assumption that the southpaw would be ready for Opening Day in 2025. If Minter’s rehab goes through surgery, Opening Day remains in question for the left-hander in the offseason. It would hardly be a surprise if the 31-year-old settled for a one-year deal this winter in the hopes that he proves healthy and has a better chance of landing a more lucrative multi-year deal next year.