The Atlanta Braves no longer have a primary closer after manager Brian Snitker made it clear Raisel Iglesias has lost the role. This is a long-overdue move that might be too little, too late. This is after weeks of watching Iglesias fumble away close games. So often, the Braves have been on the edge of taking control of a contest, and the former closer stepped in to help push the game out of reach.
In many ways, the team would be wise to attempt to part ways with the veteran, seeing if any team is willing to take on the veteran as a reclamation project.
While the team has promoted former closer Craig Kimbrel, Atlanta isn't naming the veteran Atlanta's new closer. Instead, the team is going to move forward with Brian Snitker, simply going off who the veteran manager believes is the best option any given night. A decision Braves fans aren't going to be thrilled with, considering how poorly Snitker has managed the team's limited options.
Former Braves' Closer Raisel Iglesias Has Forced Atlanta to Make Major Changes
Still, not all of the blame is on Snitker and Iglesias, with the Atlanta front office becoming increasingly cheap. Letting Max Fried walk away and failing to add to the bullpen set the 2025 season up for failure. Now, the team is going to have to get creative if they are ever lucky enough to get a lead into the late innings. Daysbel Hernández was moved to the injured list, leaving a truly thin list of potential options for the team to attempt to close games.
Pierce Johnson and Kimbrel seem the most likely options to earn opportunities. Johnson has been one of the team's more consistent pieces and already has a save this season. For Kimbrel, the reasoning is clear with the reliever having an accomplished history at the position.
While it took far too long to make the decision, the Braves are doing the right thing by demoting Iglesias and searching for other potential answers. If Atlanta has any chance of turning its season around, it is going to require finding a surprise answer and keeping Iglesias out of high-leverage games. Where this hope grows faint is considering the fact that it is going to require Atlanta's manager to have a great feel of his roster and make the right calls.
Snitker has consistently fumbled the obvious, leaving little reason to trust the manager is going to handle this situation well. Still, it is a needed change and provides at least a bit of an interesting storyline to watch in a miserable 2025 season.