The Atlanta Braves made yet another move this week, re-signing veteran reliever Tyler Kinley to a one-year deal worth $4 million. The news of the move came via The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal, with the Braves continuing their offseason focus on rebuilding a bullpen that was a consistent liability in the 2025 season. It is exciting to see a team finally willing to spend what it takes to keep up with the top contenders in the National League.
While Kinley is a minor signing, it is a continued theme of rebuilding a bullpen that is looking far more talented than the group Atlanta started the season with in 2025. With this in mind, let's look at how the bullpen would shake out if the season started today.
1. Raisel Iglesias-Closer
After the first half of the 2025 season, it seemed that the two sides were destined to part ways, with Iglesias having a 6.75 ERA in the first 25 games of the season. However, Iglesias was on fire after the All-Star break, finishing the season with a far more respectable 3.21 ERA and leaving the Braves no choice but to re-sign their closer of the past three seasons. There isn't any reason to believe that last year's struggles were anything other than the outlier they appeared to be.
2. Robert Suarez-Setup
While the struggles of Iglesias appear to be an isolated incident, the Braves aren't taking any chances. The franchise signed Suarez to a three-year, $45 million contract that offers the former San Diego Padres closer a chance to go into a setup role and be an instant answer if any struggles were to appear for Atlanta's closer.
3. Joe Jimenez
The loss of Jimenez cannot be understated as to why Atlanta's 2025 bullpen fell so incredibly flat. While the reliever missed the previous season, there isn't any reason to believe he can't return to being an incredibly important piece of the team's relief core, having three saves and a 2.62 ERA in the 2024 season. Jimenez is an incredibly important and flexible piece that is instantly going to make this year's bullpen far deeper.
4. Reynaldo Lopez
It makes sense to move Lopez back into the bullpen, making the unit deeper and taking pressure off an arm that couldn't stay healthy last season. As valuable a starter as Lopez has been, it is incredibly important for a prospective postseason contender to have a deep bullpen, which gives Lopez a chance to take a breath and focus on staying healthy and available for manager Walt Weiss.
5. Aaron Bummer
Bummer is consistently a question mark as to which version of the left-hander is going to step foot on the mound. While you would like to have more consistency, with how deep the current Atlanta bullpen is expected to be, Bummer can be used as a situational option, filling in for a myriad of roles. This is the best case for a reliever that simply lacks consistency.
6. Tyler Kinley
Bringing back Kinley is a great decision that pushes Atlanta's bullpen depth beyond expectations. Kinley had a 0.72 ERA in 24 games with Atlanta after struggling with the Rockies for much of the 2025 season. Bringing back the right-hander makes sense in hopes that his elite numbers after joining the Braves roster last season were a sign of things to come.
7. Dylan Lee
Lee was put in an unfair position last season, being asked to shoulder a load that simply doesn't fit a player who is better utilized on a matchup basis. While Lee is more than capable of being a setup option, the Braves having Lopez, Suarez, and Jimenez all potentially in the back of the bullpen should push Lee back to the middle innings.
8. Hunter Stratton
Stratton should hold the final bullpen spot at this moment, but this could easily change if the Braves make another move in the rotation. There is a very real possibility that not only Lopez is pushed back into the bullpen, but Grant Holmes as well, with the pitcher currently holding the final spot in Atlanta's starting rotation.