Report: Braves showing interest in two veteran starting pitchers

With so many starting pitchers returning from serious injuries, the Braves really need to add to the rotation before the season begins. A true frontline arm would be ideal, but with most of those options — both in free agency and on the trade market — already off the table, an experienced veteran now feels like the most realistic path.

Two names to monitor, according to MLB insider Jon Heyman, are Lucas Giolito and Chris Bassitt.

“The Braves I heard are in on Giolito as well,” Heyman said. “I would look at the Tigers, Orioles, or Braves. The Braves are also in on (Chris) Bassitt. They are looking in that area for a starter. Both excellent starters.”

This is familiar territory for Braves GM Alex Anthopoulos when it comes to evaluating starting pitching on the free-agent market. While he’s occasionally flirted with bigger names, he’s never been willing to go all-in. Instead, he’s typically targeted veteran starters with proven track records who are open to shorter-term deals — a category both Giolito and Bassitt fit squarely into.

At times, that strategy has paid off. Charlie Morton was a workhorse for Atlanta and played a key role in the Braves’ 2021 World Series title. Other times, it’s backfired, as it did with the Cole Hamels signing in 2020.

Of the two options, Giolito offers considerably more upside. He’s just 31 years old and finished the 2025 season on a high note, posting a 2.51 ERA over his final 19 starts after missing all of 2024 with a UCL injury. Had his elbow not flared up late in the year, his market likely would have been much more robust.

Bassitt, meanwhile, will turn 37 in a few weeks, but his durability throughout his 30s is hard to ignore. He’s thrown at least 170 innings in each of the last four seasons and owns a combined 3.77 ERA over that span.

Neither pitcher is a true frontline option at this stage of their careers, but either would significantly ease the burden on the current rotation and be fully capable of starting a postseason game if needed.

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Photo: Mathew Tsang/Icon Sportswire

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