2025-2026 offseason thread

Super said:
So he was offered at least $48m. Good to know.

Leads me back to question, what’s his contract upside? Obviously 3/$28m is low AAV but is he going to get much more than $28m on his next contract, even if he has a good year? A good year will get him a QO attached which likely lessens the amount a team is willing to pay.
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in that case he could just take the QO and he'd have already nearly matched the $48M in two years instead of four
 
Wilson actually rated pretty poorly in DRS and was below average on OOA. I doubt they are gonna move him away from SS right away, but Kim would have given them some flexibility if Wilson didn't improve those numbers.
 
The Dodgers have given us a post-Driveline pitching model. In order to throw 98, all pitchers will get injured. So you sign 13 starters and just expect half of them to be in the shop. We don't need to get rid of Elder, he's gonna get 20-25 starts. Add Bassitt and maybe another free agent for a short contract so when their arm falls off we are limited in how much dead money we have to eat.
 
GovClintonTyree said:
The Dodgers have given us a post-Driveline pitching model. In order to throw 98, all pitchers will get injured. So you sign 13 starters and just expect half of them to be in the shop. We don't need to get rid of Elder, he's gonna get 20-25 starts. Add Bassitt and maybe another free agent for a short contract so when their arm falls off we are limited in how much dead money we have to eat.
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If Elder gets 20-25 starts, we are in big trouble.

He is currently, at best, 6th among SP options going into 2026 behind, Sale, Schwelly, Strider, Lopez, and Waldrep . And that is being pretty optimistic, because I would be more willing to give Holmes or one of the top prospects an extended look in the rotation before I give Elder more than 5 starts this year.

If we sign another SP, that moves Elder down to the 7th spot (again, at best). As I've said before, unless we are trying Elder in the pen during ST, it's pretty likely he will be traded before the start of the season, because he isn't making the rotation and he's out of options.
 
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Carp said:
If Elder gets 20-25 starts, we are in big trouble.

He is currently, at best, 6th among SP options going into 2026 behind, Sale, Schwelly, Strider, Lopez, and Waldrep . And that is being pretty optimistic, because I would be more willing to give Holmes or one of the top prospects an extended look in the rotation before I give Elder more than 5 starts this year.

If we sign another SP, that moves Elder down to the 7th spot (again, at best). As I've said before, unless we are trying Elder in the pen during ST, it's pretty likely he will be traded before the start of the season, because he isn't making the rotation and he's out of options.
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...and what I'm saying is we get all giddy thinking Sale, Strider, Schwellenbach are going to have 96 starts. I have no problem projecting 100 wins if they d. But they won't, and we won't. Because every pitcher is required to overthrow what their body infrastructure is really capable of just to have a job. So you need five more in order to replace the ones in the shop. Ours have names like Wentz and Elder.
 
Elder does help in the fact that he can eat innings when you need him to but it will suck in ST bc he will get the nod over Waldrep or even Ritchie bc he's out of options. AA will no doubt get another really good SP will will negate all of that anyways.
 
I don't think everyone is grasping that you can't just keep Elder back in the wood shed and polish him off when needed. If the Braves start the year with Sale/SS/SS/Lopez/Waldrep/Holmes all healthy.. then I don't see a place for Elder to sit on the bench and take a valuable 26 man spot on the team.. you would have to DFA him to get him to trip A and he would probably be claimed... So it is better to just trade him in spring and get something you can stash in AAA for those emergencies.
 
Yeah I don’t really see Elder’s place on this team. Would be great if you could stash him in AAA for starts when needed but you can’t. I don’t see him as a BP piece.
 
bravesfanMatt said:
I don't think everyone is grasping that you can't just keep Elder back in the wood shed and polish him off when needed. If the Braves start the year with Sale/SS/SS/Lopez/Waldrep/Holmes all healthy.. then I don't see a place for Elder to sit on the bench and take a valuable 26 man spot on the team.. you would have to DFA him to get him to trip A and he would probably be claimed... So it is better to just trade him in spring and get something you can stash in AAA for those emergencies.
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Sale/SS/SS/Lopez/Waldrep/Elder in the rotation. Holmes in the Bullpen.
 
Elder isnt that bad as a #5.
Carp said:
If Elder gets 20-25 starts, we are in big trouble.

He is currently, at best, 6th among SP options going into 2026 behind, Sale, Schwelly, Strider, Lopez, and Waldrep . And that is being pretty optimistic, because I would be more willing to give Holmes or one of the top prospects an extended look in the rotation before I give Elder more than 5 starts this year.

If we sign another SP, that moves Elder down to the 7th spot (again, at best). As I've said before, unless we are trying Elder in the pen during ST, it's pretty likely he will be traded before the start of the season, because he isn't making the rotation and he's out of options.
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We were 14-14 in Elders starts. He averaged 5.5 IP per start. 14 Quality starts. Went 7 innings or more 6 times. He wasnt the reason we lost in 2025. A .500 record from your 5th starter who can also go deep into games for near league minimum is an asset.
 
cajunrevenge said:
Elder isnt that bad as a #5.


We were 14-14 in Elders starts. He averaged 5.5 IP per start. 14 Quality starts. Went 7 innings or more 6 times. He wasnt the reason we lost in 2025. A .500 record from your 5th starter who can also go deep into games for near league minimum is an asset.
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Only downside for Elder is no options so either he breaks camp as the 5th or pitches out of the bullpen.
 
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