Much of the Same for Braves as They Make Offseason Changes

The Atlanta Braves are at work to set the stage for 2027 and beyond. There have certainly been changes, but it’s been a series of familiar faces, both in the front office and on the roster.

Dana Brown and Perry Minasian both reportedly have rejoined the Braves. Both have previously worked with Alex Anthopoulos for years, first in Toronto and then in Atlanta. Now that their stints as general managers are over, the band is getting back together.

As for the roster, among their two additions so far, one of them is their former utility man, Vidal Bruján.

Then, there’s the coaching staff under manager Walt Weiss. According to The Athletic’s Jesús Cano, the entire coaching staff. In one way or another, much of the mantra is to run it back.

For the record, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Brand and Minasian have worked with Anthopoulos to assemble some pretty good teams over the year.

With the Blue Jays, they built teams that reached the American League Championship Series in back-to-back seasons. Josh Donaldson won an MVP. Over in Atlanta, they won division titles. Minasian was there for an appearance in the National League Championship Series in 2020, and Brown stuck around for a World Series ring the year after.

Even what’s unfolded after their tenures includes their fingerprints in the form of the players they drafted and developed.

If you want to look at what Bruján did during his month with the team in 2025, he was someone who got on a base at a nice clip.

Much of the coaching staff is pretty new. With the exception of Walt Weiss and his eight years as a bench coach in Atlanta before becoming the manager, it’s all coaches who have been here one or two years.

Under Weiss, this group can say they won a division title despite all the injuries. Even if they’re running back, it’s still a group of pretty new faces.

It’s a weird situation where much of the change is what the team already knows, and the retention is in regard to faces that are still pretty new. You may think you know what this team has with them. The reality is that we may not. If you get to three or so seasons and nothing is clicking, that’s when you probably have a good idea - not after one or two.

Perhaps this combination of the same as things change could bring about something different. That would certainly be ideal.

However, that doesn’t mean more new shouldn’t be ushered in.

For the roster, Bruján is fine to bring back, but this is a roster that would benefit from new faces. It could be a bat, a starting pitcher or both. In that regard, they certainly need new faces. They can still match the current vibe of the clubhouse, but they would have to still bring something new to the table.

While there is some valid criticism for bringing back the entire coaching staff, keep in mind that the top frustration was that certain key needs on the roster were not addressed. This was a 94-win team that was far from perfect. Injuries especially made that pretty clear.

With the stoppage looming, there isn’t much time to lay the groundwork ahead of it. But for the long term in the front office, that’s been figured out beyond 2027. The short term is still a mystery with the players and the coaching staff.

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