Braves Praised For Bringing Back Fan Favorite In Free Agency

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00:00Braves praised for bringing back fan favorite in free agency.

00:05It wasn't supposed to end like this for the Atlanta Braves, not after seven consecutive playoff berths,

00:10not after a 2021 World Series title that felt like the spark of a new dynasty.

00:16A 76-86 record and a lifeless finish.

00:20A pitching staff that couldn't hold leads, let alone expectations.

00:23And now, a fan base is waiting for something big, anything, to signal that next season won't be more of the same.

00:32So far, that signal hasn't arrived in the form of a splashy trade or marquee-free agent signing.

00:37But there has been one move, subtle yet significant,

00:41the return of closer Rysell Iglesias on a one-year, $16 million deal.

00:47Iglesias, now 35, was one of the few bright spots on a team that,

00:51for much of the season, looked adrift.

00:54His year wasn't perfect.

00:55A rocky start had his ERA sitting at 6.75 as late as June.

01:00But what followed was a resurgence that reminded the league just how dangerous he can be in the ninth.

01:05Over his final 45 appearances, Iglesias posted a 2.25 ERA,

01:11slamming the door shut with the kind of cold-blooded efficiency you want in a closer.

01:16That's why analysts like Bleacher Report's Zachary Reimer aren't just applauding the move,

01:20they're grading it as one of the smarter decisions of the offseason so far.

01:25Iglesias still touches the mid-90s with his fastball, but he's evolved,

01:29relying less on raw heat and more on deception, command, and pitch sequencing.

01:34It's the kind of transformation that makes a closer age-proof, or at least close to it.

01:39For the Braves, this isn't a franchise-altering move.

01:42It won't erase the bitter taste of missing October, but it is a start.

01:46It's a commitment to stability at the back end of the bullpen,

01:51something the Braves couldn't count on last year.

01:53More importantly, it's a low-risk, high-upside contract

01:56that preserves financial flexibility for bigger moves to come.

02:00The road back to contention starts with correcting mistakes and building reliable foundations.

02:05Re-signing Iglesias checks both boxes.

02:08Now, Atlanta must decide whether it will coast quietly through the offseason,

02:12or wake up and make the bold decisions necessary to rejoin the NL elite.