The Atlanta Braves have a great deal of work to do this offseason and have made their first big move, re-signing closer Raisel Iglesias to a one-year, $16 million deal. They brought back a key piece to their bullpen, as they look to bounce back from an awful 2025 season and return to the playoffs. This is a good start, but Atlanta needs to keep their foot on the gas pedal.
Braves Bring Back Their Closer
Iglesias will return to the Atlanta Braves for his age-36 season. Iglesias had a solid season last year, putting up a 3.21 ERA and a 1.00 WHIP. His velocity was down last year, and he may rely more on his slider and changeup in 2026. This will most likely be his final season pitching in the major leagues, unless he finds an ample amount of success this upcoming season.
Bringing Iglesias back is huge for the Braves because their bullpen was their biggest weakness last season. He was great in the second half for Atlanta and looked like the player he was in 2024. He has averaged 32 saves per season since taking over as Atlanta’s closer in 2023.
If they can get this version of Iglesias, the back end of their bullpen will be stellar. In the second half last year, he had a 0.34 ERA over his last 27 appearances and was perfect in his last 18 save opportunities. This deal will shift the market a ton, even though it is only a one-year deal. Players like Edwin Diaz, Devin Williams, and Pete Fairbanks are just going to get even pricier.
Iglesias Had a Strong Market
Per Francys Romero, Iglesias received an offer from the Dodgers worth around $16 million, but ultimately chose to return to the Braves. The Toronto Blue Jays were also interested but never made an offer. Iglesias appears to believe in the Braves’ roster and strategy this offseason, choosing them over a higher offer from the Dodgers, who are widely considered stronger contenders than Atlanta or Toronto for a championship.
The Dodgers are pursuing a top reliever but missed on Iglesias. Several options remain, including Diaz, expected to secure the largest reliever contract this offseason. Iglesias’ age led to a short-term, high-value contract.
The Atlanta Braves will also remain aggressive in the reliever market. Bringing back Iglesias is a good start. However, they definitely need to add more talent in the middle of their bullpen.
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