There is still time in MLB free agency for the Atlanta Braves to sign an impact arm before the 2026 season gets underway. The Braves are comfortable with their internal options. Still, with Spencer Schwellenbach and Hurston Waldrep starting the season on the 60-day injured list, Atlanta doesn’t have much room for any other arms to go down with injury.
Taking a look at the free agent market, there are still a handful of starters (Zack Littell, Lucas Giolito, Max Scherzer, Patrick Corbin, etc) that the Braves could sign that would put them in a better, more comfortable spot. The Braves are being urged by many outlets to make a run for Lucas Giolito, although reports from Atlanta show the Braves have not been engaged in talks with Giolito.
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Bleacher Report Names Braves as Lucas Giolito’s Best Fit
In a recent post by Bleacher Report’s Zachary D. Rymer, which notes the best fit for some of MLB’s top remaining free agents, the MLB writer lists the Atlanta Braves as the best fit for Lucas Giolito:
“This has to be the single most obvious fit out there right now, and that has everything to do with recent developments in Atlanta’s rotation.”
GettyLucas Giolito pitches during a game with the Boston Red Sox.
“Injuries have quickly piled up on the Braves, with Spencer Schwellenbach and Hurston Waldrep both slated to miss ample time after having elbow surgery. It’s not an ideal development for a rotation otherwise headed by an aging Chris Sale and a diminished Spencer Strider.”
Lucas Giolito’s 2025 stats: 26 starts, 145 innings, 3.41 ERA, 121 K’s, 4.17 FIP.
Giolito’s FIP suggests his 3.41 ERA may be subject to inflation in 2026, but his 26 starts are a good sign for Giolito, who has spent a lot of time sidelined in recent years.
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What is Lucas Giolito’s Market Value?
According to Spotrac, Giolito is projected to earn a three-year contract worth up to $61 million.
At this point in free agency, it seems unlikely he will receive a contract for anything more than two years, just given how long his market has drawn out, but one would assume Giolito might be close to his decision, as MLB’s Opening Day is just around a month away.
Will the Braves actually open up the checkbook to acquire Lucas Giolito? That part remains unknown, but Bleacher Report’s Rymer is certainly correct in his assessment that the Braves are the best fit at the moment.
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