An Overlooked Free Agent Starter Could Bolster the Atlanta Braves' Rotation

If there was one thing that stood out as a weakness on the Atlanta Braves’ roster at the end of the season, it was most certainly their starting rotation depth.

Though their rotation was consistent throughout the year, the lack of depth ended up biting the team when injuries factored in late in the year. When the postseason came around, manager Walt Weiss only relied on ace Chris Sale and Tyler Mahle to start, opting for bullpen games otherwise. 

It became evident late in the year that while Atlanta did acquire a sneaky good pickup in Mahle at the trade deadline, the team could have added more when they were able to. However, with the offseason freshly underway, that time is now to insert themselves in the starting pitching market. 

Suddenly, more options now become available with the start of free agency. There are plenty of options, but Nick Pivetta stands out as one of the most solid starters on the market in a reasonable price range.

Pivetta officially became a free agent last week when the San Diego Padres declined their $14 million club option on him. Pivetta’s injury-riddled campaign in 2026 may have played a strong factor in that decision.

In 2026, Pivetta made just eight starts as he spent the majority of the season on the injured list with a right elbow flexor strain. Since he had spent almost five months on the injured list, his player option for 2027 had been converted into a team option for San Diego.

While it remains a possibility that the Padres and Pivetta could come to a restructured agreement on a contract, the open market provides a chance for any team to strike a deal with the right-hander. The Braves should be making the most of that potential opportunity.

When Pivetta has been healthy, he has quietly proven himself to be one of the more underrated starting pitchers in the league. In 2025, he made 31 starts and posted a 2.87 ERA in a season where he finished sixth in NL Cy Young voting. Even in 2026 after he returned to the team in September, Pivetta was very effective — he recorded a 1.45 ERA in the 18 ⅔ innings he pitched in after his return in the regular season.

Pivetta, who will be 34 in 2027, now has 10 major league seasons under his belt. He spent the first three with the Philadelphia Phillies, the following five with the Boston Red Sox, and spent two seasons in San Diego after signing a four-year, $55 million contract. 

In fact, according to Gabe Burns of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the Braves expressed interest in Pivetta in the past, though they did have injury concerns regarding the right-hander.

If the Braves were to sign Pivetta to boost their rotation mix, it would serve as a huge addition towards the middle of that rotation. Atlanta saw a fair amount of inconsistencies from the middle and backend of their rotation, and adding Pivetta would be a big step forward to preventing that while bolstering their pitching staff.