If there is one remaining need for the Atlanta Braves, it is a need to add to the bottom of the team's rotation. Atlanta is one injury away from being in a position of counting on pieces that are unproven or Bryce Elder, who provided a long list of reasons why the Braves shouldn't want him in the rotation in the 2026 season. With this in mind, Atlanta is in the perfect position to bring in an aging Justin Verlander for the final spot in the rotation.
Spending 2025 with the San Francisco Giants, Verlander pitched to a 3.85 ERA with 137 strikeouts in 152 innings across 29 starts, proving that he still has something left in the tank. Signing the pitcher would replace Charlie Morton's role in recent seasons as a veteran leader and bottom-of-the-rotation innings eater. If healthy, this gives the Braves a rotation of Spencer Strider, Chris Sale, Spencer Schwellenbach, Hurston Waldrep, and Verlander heading into the 2026 season.
Signing Justin Verlander Is a Risk the Braves Must Take
Not only does this solve your issues in the rotation, but it moves both Reynaldo Lopez and Grant Holmes into Atlanta's pen. After the signing of Robert Suarez, this would give the Braves the chance to have the most complete pen in the National League. It also gives you two emergency rotation options that can be stretched out if injuries strike or any starter doesn't live up to expectations.
Adding Verlander completes the rotation and bullpen and puts the front office in a position where they can sit back and wait for any deals or bargains to come their way. For Verlander, it is a chance to contribute to a World Series hopeful and anchor the bottom of an incredibly talented rotation. It takes the pressure off the right-hander to carry a position group and settle into a role that better fits that of an aging star.
Atlanta should be expected to add at least one viable option to the rotation when you consider the fact that Schwellenbach, Lopez, and Holmes all missed the end of the 2025 season with injuries. Sale and Strider both missed extended time as well, making it clear that the Braves cannot settle for their current depth at the position.
Even if it isn't Verlander, the franchise needs a veteran arm they can rely on to eat innings and allow Atlanta to completely fill out the bullpen and have plenty of fallback options in case 2026 follows a similar injury path. He might not be in the Cy Young mix anymore, but that doesn't mean he can't be a key part of any pitching success that the Braves could see next season.