GOOD NEWS — The Braves wasted no time securing their closer, and the value they got might reshape their entire bullpen strategy.
The Atlanta Braves entered the offseason facing one of their most important questions: what to do at closer? The answer came quickly — and surprisingly affordably. By securing Raisel Iglesias for $16 million, the same figure they’d become accustomed to paying him, the Braves managed to check the most critical bullpen box before winter even began.
And despite what the early months of 2025 might have suggested, Iglesias remains one of the most effective late-game arms in the National League.
The numbers tell the story bluntly. Iglesias opened the season in disastrous fashion. His slider — the pitch that has defined his dominance — simply refused to move. A 6.30 ERA in April. A 6.10 ERA in May. A temporary demotion from the closer role during the infamous stretch of 14 losses in 17 games. A moment where everything felt like it was falling apart.
But the deeper truth? It wasn’t just him. Atlanta’s defense sagged. The bullpen collapsed around him. And even through the ugliest parts of the season, Iglesias kept working, kept searching, kept adjusting.
Then the resurrection began.
By June, his ERA had dropped to 3.84. In July, it shrank to 3.46. Through the trade deadline, he had 13 saves and, more importantly, his confidence — and his slider — had returned.
What followed was one of the most dominant stretches by any closer in baseball.
From August through the end of the season, Iglesias allowed one earned run. Total.
A 0.69 ERA in August. Ten saves.
A 0.00 ERA in September. Six more saves.
He closed the year with a 3.21 ERA, a 1.00 WHIP, a .206 opponents’ batting average, and 29 saves in 34 chances over 67.1 innings. In any season, on any team, that’s elite production. But on a Braves club desperate for stability in the ninth inning, it was priceless.
Braves president Alex Anthopoulos has faced pressure to reshape the bullpen after its uneven and sometimes catastrophic performance in 2025. Iglesias returning at a predictable, affordable salary gives the front office a foundation — a piece they can trust, build around, and lean on when the late innings tighten next summer.
It also gives Atlanta time.
Time to structure their seventh and eighth innings.
Time to identify which young arms are ready for bigger roles.
Time to pursue veteran relievers without scrambling for a closer on top of everything else.
For Iglesias, the deal represents faith. The Braves didn’t flinch when he struggled. They didn’t overreact when he lost his role for a week. They trusted that his track record and his preparation would guide him back — and they were rewarded.
Now he returns not as a question mark, but as an anchor.
The Braves are far from finished this offseason. They know they need more recognizable names, more reliable weapons, more depth. But with Iglesias locked back into the ninth inning, the blueprint is clearer.
He’s your closer again. And now Atlanta can get to work building the bullpen they should have had all along.
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