The Braves surprised many yesterday by choosing not to pick up their $8 million option on Travis d’Arnaud for next season. The move leaves a void at the backup catcher position, which could potentially be filled by the top prospect. Drake Baldwin. However, relying solely on a prospect with no MLB experience at such a crucial position is a risky move. While the Braves still have Sean Murphy as a primary receiver, things could get complicated if he were to miss an extended period of time at any point next season.

At a minimum, the Braves will need to get an additional backup option alongside Baldwin. Mark Bowman of MLB.com reported that the club is still interested in Arnaud’s potential return, but wants to free up that $8 million to address other needs. This list was extended yesterday with the news that Joe Jimenez recently underwent knee surgery and could miss the entire 2025 season; at best, he’ll be out until after the All-Star break.

Jimenez’s absence is a big blow to the Braves’ bullpen, which is already looking thin. Jesse Chavez, Luke JacksonAnd AJ Minter are all set to test free agency. It’s likely the Braves will try to bring Minter back, but that decision will depend on his price and his recovery from the hip surgery that ended his season. There’s no guarantee he’ll be the same reliable left-handed reliever he’s been in the past.

Whether Minter returns or not, the Braves will need to target at least two high-leverage relievers in free agency, as well as a few low-leverage arms to replace Chavez and Jackson. This won’t come cheap, and with additional offseason needs in the outfield and at shortstop, this could prove to be an expensive winter in Atlanta. It’s no surprise that the team’s first week of the offseason featured nothing but cost-cutting measures, including the decision to let Travis d’Arnaud enter free agency.

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