Braves Could See Fruits of Free Agency Patience as Late as July

With Spring Training beginning this week, the Atlanta Braves could be waiting until the 11th hour to add starting pitcher depth in free agency. But more than likely, they are confident in what they already have on their roster ahead of the 2025 season.

The Braves can be remain patient in part because it's possible an intriguing free agency fit will remain available until around the mid-season point.

Bleacher Report's Tim Kelly argued right-handed pitching free agent Nick Pivetta is still on the market because the Boston Red Sox extended the veteran a qualifying offer this offseason. If another team signs Pivetta before the MLB draft, the Red Sox will receive draft compensation.

"The MLB Draft now isn't until mid-July, which complicates things. But the idea of surrendering draft compensation for a pitcher who has a 4.76 ERA career ERA—even if he has always had good stuff—feels like a stretch. The fact that Pivetta didn't just accept the one-year, $21.05 million offer looks like quite the mistake right now," wrote Kelly.

"Who knows, maybe a team will step forward and give Pivetta a multiyear deal, because it's hard to imagine giving up draft compensation to sign him for just a season. But there's been little buzz about him this offseason, and it makes you wonder whether he might not have a team until after the All-Star break, when signing him no longer would require giving up anything other than dollars."

Kelly included Pivetta on his list of the top seven MLB free agents remaining on Feb. 10. However, Kelly didn't name a landing spot for the right-hander.

This could be the ideal situation for the Braves. Atlanta is set to enter the 2025 season without replacing Max Fried or Charlie Morton in its rotation. Those two pitchers threw about a combined 320 innings last year.

But the Braves appear willing to see what their young arms can do with the opportunity. Spencer Schwellenbach is poised for a bigger role while Grant Holmes, Ian Anderson and A.J. Smith-Shawver will have an opportunity to earn a starting role in Spring Training.

Then about a month into the season, Spencer Strider will return from his 2024 surgery.

If that collection of arms overperforms, as the Braves rotation did last season, then they won't need another starting pitcher. If they faulter, Pivetta could be Plan B, likely still waiting to be signed after the MLB draft.

Ideally, the Braves wouldn't sign Pivetta until after the draft to avoid giving up anything but cash for the veteran. But if the Braves see a rash of starting pitcher injuries during the first couple months of the year, there is nothing preventing them from adding Pivetta earlier.

Of course, this assumes Pivetta remains available. It would only take one team to spoil Atlanta's potential Plan B with its rotation.

But if the Braves are interested in Pivetta and are hesitant to add him, as teams appear to be, because of the qualifying offer, Atlanta could first see what it has on the mound before making a final decision on Pivetta this offseason.