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ATLANTA -- Before spending the next few weeks and months debating what the Braves need, let’s take another look at exactly what they have on a roster that continues to be negatively impacted by the 2024 injury bug.

Here is the breakdown of how we can confidently project each aspect of the roster to look on Opening Day.

Starting rotation (three locks, two open spots)
Chris Sale did actually throw a meaningful pitch in October. The side session he completed two days after the Braves were eliminated from the postseason quieted concerns about his back being a lingering issue during the offseason and possibly into the 2025 season.

Sale, Reynaldo López and Spencer Schwellenbach will front the rotation until Spencer Strider returns about a month into next season. Who will fill the fourth and fifth spots during that span? The interest the Braves have shown in Nathan Eovaldi confirms they are willing to spend $20 million plus on a starting pitcher. They could also opt to add a proven starter via trade.

They’ll be depending on that acquired starter even after Strider returns from right elbow surgery. Ian Anderson, AJ Smith-Shawver, Bryce Elder and Hurston Waldrep provide organizational depth. But if the Braves weren’t willing to start Anderson instead of Smith-Shawver in Game 1 of the NL Wild Card Series, then why would they enter the 2025 season anticipating him being a rotation mainstay? And Smith-Shawver will also need to fortify his stock after his performance in that first career postseason start.

Bullpen (six locks, two open spots)
The recent realization that top setup man Joe Jiménez will miss most, if not all, of next season significantly changed the Braves’ offseason from a needs and financial perspective. They need a high-leverage reliever, an asset that doesn’t necessarily come cheap. They could target a high-priced reliever or try to buy low on a reliever or two who has had previous success. The Rangers gave Kirby Yates a one-year, $4.5 million deal last winter. Yates will likely gain a two-year deal worth more than $26 million this year.

The Braves will be looking to add to a relief corps that could begin the season composing of closer Raisel Iglesias, Pierce Johnson, Aaron Bummer, Dylan Lee, Daysbel Hernández and Grant Holmes.

Re-signing A.J. Minter would help. But there’s still some uncertainty about when he could return to form coming back from the left hip surgery he underwent in August.

Fortifying the bullpen will be one of most influential tasks of the offseason.

Catchers (one lock, one open spot)
Needing to account for the additional cost Jiménez’s absence will create, the Braves opted not to bring Travis d’Arnaud back to be an $8 million backup catcher next year. Sean Murphy will attempt to bounce back and prove he can still be one of the game’s best catchers. His backup will be Chadwick Tromp or No. 5 prospect Drake Baldwin. Tromp is out of options and Baldwin could benefit from continuing to play on an everyday basis at the Triple-A level.

Infielders (four locks, one or two open spots)
Some of you might not like this opinion, but with all of this offseason’s other needs and costs, I think Orlando Arcia will be the starting shortstop again next year. As much as you might rather have Willy Adames or Ha-Seong Kim, Arcia’s $2 million contract might be the better fit, given the Braves’ greater needs.

Matt Olson, Ozzie Albies and Austin Riley should all be in the Opening Day lineup. Whit Merrifield was a good fit this past year and could be a backup infielder candidate. Money will be an issue like it was last year, when Nicky López was deemed too expensive at $4 million. But after seeing too much of Zack Short this year, this is not a role you can discount.

Outfielders (three locks, one or two open spots)
The Braves have to be prepared to spend most or all of the season’s first two months without Ronald Acuña Jr., who will be attempting to return with a surgically repaired ACL in both knees. Michael Harris II, Ramón Laureano, Jarred Kelenic and Eli White currently stand as the top four internal candidates to begin the season as Atlanta’s outfielders. Laureano played well down the stretch this past year, but is he worth the approximate $6 million he could gain via arbitration?

So, adding at least one outfielder might be the team’s greatest need. Or is it a reliever? A starter? All of these needs will create an interesting winter.