Braves Projected to Add $110 Million Starting Pitcher

Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter projected the Atlanta Braves 2025 starting rotation to include a new two-time World Series champion.

Texas Rangers starting pitcher Nathan Eovaldi / Neville E. Guard-Imagn Images

Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter took on the daunting task of projecting every single starting MLB rotation at the beginning of the 2025 season.

For the Atlanta Braves, the bad news is Reuter predicted Max Fried and Charlie Morton not to return. But Reuter projected the Braves to sign veteran right-hander Nathan Eovaldi.

"The Braves will need to make at least one outside addition to account for losing both Max Fried and Charlie Morton in free agency, and Nathan Eovaldi would be a great workhorse veteran to help shoulder the load alongside Chris Sale at the top of the rotation," wrote Reuter.

"They can then hold an open competition for the No. 5 starter job during spring training with the knowledge Spencer Strider will eventually return."

Here is Reuter's full projected starting rotation for the Braves:

1. LHP Chris Sale
2. RHP Nathan Eovaldi
3. RHP Reynaldo López
4. RHP Spencer Schwellenbach
5. RHP Grant Holmes

Reuter also listed AJ Smith Shawver, Bryce Elder, Ian Anderson, Hurston Waldrep, Allan Winans and Dylan Dodd as other internal candidates to be in Atlanta's starting rotation to begin the season.

There's a couple different ways to react to Reuter's list.

Most Braves fans are probably going to be disappointed with the idea of losing both Fried and Morton. Eovaldi, who has made roughly $110.7 million over his 13-year MLB career, would be a nice addition, but he can't fill two spots.

Still, any Braves starting rotation to begin 2025 will get a boost perhaps a month into the campaign with Strider's return. When that happens, Holmes will return to spot starter duties, which was a significant role for the Braves in 2024 as they tried to limit Chris Sale's innings.

Last season, Eovaldi went 12-8 with a 3.80 ERA, 1.107 WHIP and 166 strikeouts in 170.2 innings for the Texas Rangers. He made the All-Star team with the Rangers in 2023, going 12-5 with a 3.63 ERA. Eovaldi was also an All-Star in 2021 with the Boston Red Sox.

Eovaldi's postseason record should be appealing to the Braves as well. He pitched incredibly well for the Red Sox on their way to the 2018 World Series title. Eovaldi was also on the Rangers' pitching staff when Texas won its first championship in 2023.

Only adding Eovaldi while losing Fried and Morton will leave the Braves rotation little margin for error. If any other injuries occur before Strider returns or multiple injuries happen after Strider comes back, then Atlanta will have to turn to unproven in-house commodities at the MLB level.

But if the Braves are comfortable taking that risk, adding Eovaldi and then spending money elsewhere on the roster could be a very shrew move.

Signing Eovaldi is a very realistic possibility for Atlanta. MLB Network's Jon Morosi reported on Nov. 27 that the Braves were expressing interest in the veteran right-hander.