00:00In-house closing options if the Braves lose pitching star.
00:04The Atlanta Braves may soon face one of their most delicate off-season puzzles.
00:09Life without Rizal Iglesias.
00:12The veteran closer, now a free agent, is expected to draw considerable attention from clubs across Major League Baseball.
00:19And if Atlanta doesn't strike quickly or decisively, they could find themselves without a ninth-inning anchor.
00:25That puts the front office in an all-too-familiar spot, sifting through a mix of internal options and free agent alternatives in search of a bullpen solution that sticks.
00:36The Braves have a winning window open right now, and one of the last things a contending team wants to juggle is an unstable bullpen in tight games.
00:44So, let's start with what's left in-house.
00:47Back in early October, Atlanta's bullpen inventory looked deeper.
00:51But with Pierce Johnson and Tyler Kinley no longer retained, the internal list narrows, though not to the point of desperation.
00:59Four names stand out in this updated mix.
01:02Dylan Lee is arguably the most straightforward candidate.
01:06With a 2.78 ERA and 0.83 whip in save situations last season, Lee has already shown the poise and effectiveness to handle high-pressure moments.
01:16And let's be honest, long, cool woman in a black dress blaring through Truist Park wouldn't hurt the vibes.
01:23Joe Jimenez, if healthy, might be the most electric option of the bunch.
01:28His 2024 numbers, a 2.62 ERA and a strong 68 and one-third innings pitched showcase a reliever who can dominate late innings.
01:37But right now, that's a big if.
01:39Aaron Bummer's 3.06 ERA over 50 innings in 2025 is steady, but his usage trends toward the middle innings.
01:48Shoulder issues late in the year further complicate the picture.
01:51The most intriguing wildcard?
01:53Ronaldo Lopez.
01:55With a 1.50 ERA across two teams in 2023 and a clean inning for the Braves to close out 2025, he has shown flashes of being a high-leverage arm.
02:05His pitch mix plays, and if he's physically managed correctly, Lopez could surprise everyone by emerging as the closer Atlanta didn't know it had.
02:15This offseason, the Braves don't just need a closer, they need the right closer.
02:19But if Iglesias signs elsewhere, the next few months could reveal more than just bullpen answers.
02:26They could reshape the team's identity in the late innings.
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