The Atlanta Braves have serious starting pitching questions to address. With Spencer Schwellenbach and Hurston Waldrep both currently dealing with injuries, it remains to be seen exactly what Atlanta's rotation will look like in 2026. Chris Sale, Spencer Strider, Reynaldo Lopez and Grant Holmes are all expected to be in the rotation, but who will be the fifth starter? Additionally, the harsh reality is that all four of those aforementioned starters have battled injury trouble in recent years, so adding extra depth would not be a bad idea.

According to Gabe Burns of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the Braves are not currently pursuing Lucas Giolito in free agency. Atlanta is seemingly preparing to trust pitchers who are already on the roster. Bryce Elder, Joey Wentz and Martin Perez are among the other starting pitching candidates on the team. 

However, why are the Braves not interested in Giolito?

Trusting pitchers on the roster is understandable, but Atlanta wants to compete in 2026. Given the injuries the ball club is already dealing with and the injury risk of the current rotation, bringing in a veteran starter seems like it would be a respectable move. 

The Braves were linked to Framber Valdez, Zac Gallen and Chris Bassitt in free agency, but all three starters ultimately signed elsewhere. Giolito is still available, yet Atlanta is reportedly not pursuing him.

Sure, the 31-year-old has dealt with injuries of his own in the past. In 2025, however, the right-handed hurler pitched to a 3.41 ERA across 26 starts with the Boston Red Sox. It was a tremendous bounce back season after he missed all of 2024.

With spring training games set to begin soon, one has to imagine Giolito would settle for a one-year contract at this point. If the Braves don't want too big of a commitment, a one-year deal with the veteran would make sense. 

So, should the Braves pursue Giolito? If he is open to a one-year deal, then it's a move they need to consider. Will they realistically pursue him? It seems rather unlikely based on Burns' report.

The Braves had a respectable offseason overall, as they added Robert Suarez to the bullpen and brought in some offensive depth. They did not address the starting rotation, though. And that could be what places them behind the Philadelphia Phillies and New York Mets in the National League East in 2026.