The Atlanta Braves entered the offseason fully aware that a significant transition period was rapidly approaching. For years, their front office has worked with a clear vision: maintain a strong core of long-term talent while treating complementary veterans as short-term resources.
Because of that approach, the Braves already knew that the conclusion of the 2025 MLB season would mark the end of contractual control for several players. Even so, while management recognized that certain roster pieces were nearing free agency, the club made an intentional decision not to sell at the trade deadline.
The Braves were competitive enough to believe they had a chance to make noise in the postseason. Being a few games down in the standings did not sway the organization into tearing apart its roster or signaling that a rebuild was starting.
Rather than surrendering to short-term struggles, the front office held onto veteran contributors, hoping that their experience and presence might spark a late-season surge. That optimism did not pan out, and Atlanta ultimately finished the season without postseason success. Still, the Braves stood by their choice—maintaining stability and believing in the group they had assembled.
READ MORE: Mariners officially have 4 players entering free agency with different story entirely
Now that the offseason has arrived, reality has settled in. The World Series wrapped up on Saturday night when the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Toronto Blue Jays in a dramatic Game 7 showdown. With that final out, Major League Baseball officially shifted into winter mode, where teams reposition themselves and where players not under contract can explore new opportunities.
Sunday marked the date when MLB published its annual list of newly available free agents, and among the players whose contractual obligations have expired are four members of the Atlanta Braves.
The four players entering free agency from Atlanta’s roster are:
Connor Seabold
Raisel Iglesias
Marcell Ozuna
Charlie Morton
These names represent a mixture of roles, skill sets, and career stages. Some of them still have obvious purpose in the league. Others are at a point where their future is dependent on how much interest front offices believe remains in their abilities.
READ MORE: Reds to cut ties with Zack Littell, Nick Martinez and 3 others this offseason
CONNOR SEABOLD
Seabold’s time with the Braves has been more about organizational depth than headline-grabbing production. While the right-hander does not carry the same star recognition as the other three players on the list, his departure still matters in terms of roster construction. Throughout the season, Seabold functioned as a fill-in starter, middle-relief option, and emergency innings-eater.
Players like Seabold often fly under the radar, but teams will always need pitchers who can bridge games, absorb innings during long stretches of the schedule, and prevent bullpen overuse. His transition into free agency opens a spot that Atlanta will need to replace—either from within their own system or by taking a chance on a similar type of pitcher on a minor-league contract.
RAISEL IGLESIAS
Among the four departing players, Raisel Iglesias has the clearest and most stable standing as a contributor at the major-league level. For years, Iglesias has been viewed as one of baseball’s more reliable back-end bullpen arms. While his peak years featured elite strikeout numbers and lights-out closer performances, he remains effective enough to be trusted with high-leverage situations.
His strengths include command, veteran poise, and the ability to attack hitters with a steady pitch mix that does not rely on overpowering velocity. Even if he isn’t the same shutdown closer he once was, Iglesias continues to be a pitcher capable of shoring up the back end of a bullpen—particularly for contending teams that value stability and playoff experience.
READ MORE: Tigers trade land Cardinals’ $5.4 million All-Star second baseman, to replace Gleyber Torres
With bullpen roles always shifting and relievers being among the most unpredictable assets in baseball, Iglesias still holds value on the open market. Some team will likely sign him to strengthen the final innings of their relief corps.
MARCELL OZUNA
Marcell Ozuna presents one of the more complicated free-agency cases. Offensively, Ozuna remains a legitimate force. When he connects with the baseball, the power is real and can change a game instantly. In multiple stretches throughout the past few seasons, Ozuna was Atlanta’s most dangerous bat.
However, his defensive limitations are no longer debatable. At this stage of his career, Ozuna is—without question—a designated hitter only. He does not provide defensive value in the outfield, and teams must account for that when constructing a roster. In today’s MLB climate, front offices want versatility: players who can handle multiple positions, bench contributors who can pinch-run or serve tactical roles, or hitters who offer defensive reliability.
Ozuna’s bat still gives him a market, but his lack of flexibility narrows the pool of ideal landing spots. Additionally, his age and the natural decline curve suggest that the version of Ozuna that once delivered consistent middle-of-the-order power may not be sustainable. If a team signs him, it will be because they believe his offensive ceiling remains worth the trade-off.
CHARLIE MORTON
Then there is Charlie Morton, the longtime veteran who has spent years defying doubts about how long a starting pitcher can continue producing at the highest level.
Morton has aged gracefully compared to many pitchers, largely due to his pitching intelligence, competitiveness, and ability to attack hitters with experience rather than sheer velocity. He reinvented himself late in his career and became known for thriving in postseason pressure environments.
However, at this point, signs point strongly toward the end. Morton’s durability and effectiveness have dipped. While he may feel he can pitch indefinitely, baseball has a way of signaling when the time has come to stop. Some veterans hold on because their competitive drive never fades—and Morton fits that mold. Any team considering him would be taking a gamble on the idea that he can defy age yet again.
WHAT THIS MEANS FOR THE BRAVES
Despite these free-agent departures, Atlanta does not enter the offseason in panic mode. The heart of their roster—the young, controllable core that includes many of their stars—remains under contract. Few teams are built around such a stable foundation. From an organizational perspective, the Braves are set up with a strong enough core that they don’t need to overhaul their roster.
Still, after what could be described as a deeply underwhelming and frustrating 2025 season, the Braves have reached a crossroads. Their offense lacked consistent firepower. Injuries exposed their depth issues. Key pieces underperformed at the worst possible times.
Simply bringing back Ozuna, Iglesias, Morton, or Seabold would not meaningfully change the trajectory of the roster. In fact, keeping Ozuna—while plausible—would not address the larger issue: the lineup needs new energy. Atlanta has reached a stage where the priority must be shaking things up, not repeating the same formula and hoping for different results.
The decisions the Braves make from this point forward will reveal exactly how the front office perceives their chances in 2026. Will they pursue impact free agents? Will they explore aggressive trades? Or will they bet on the internal core and supplement sparingly?
How Atlanta responds in the coming weeks will speak volumes. The offseason has just begun. The roster is about to evolve. The franchise’s next chapter starts now.
Be the first to comment