By now, It’s rather apparent the Braves aren’t going to spend a ton of money this offseason. They’ve barely spent more than $1 million on free agents, and most of the marquee names have already signed lucrative deals. As currently constructed for 2023, the Braves already have the highest Opening Day payroll in franchise history, coming in just below the luxury tax — a place they’ve never been before.
However, I don’t think it is a place they are afraid to enter. There remains plenty of time for Alex Anthopoulos to upgrade the roster, and several names are still on the market that could help the Braves. They will make moves. It may not be anything flashy, but something is on the horizon. With Christmas upcoming in four days, here is how I wish they would round out the rest of their 2023 team:
A Braves Offseason Christmas Wish List
Greed kills, so I’m going to keep this short and sweet. Despite the Mets spending nearly half a billion on their 2023 roster, the Braves don’t need to do as much to continue being the class of the division. However, if they go into 2023 as currently constructed, they are setting themselves up for failure.
I’ve given up on upgrading shortstop. There aren’t any realistic trade targets, and adding someone like Elvis Andrus isn’t exactly an upgrade. He’s more of a safety net, and I would rather save that money, roll with Arcia and Grissom, and add a potent offensive threat that can play the outfield or serve as the DH.
Right now, left field is a black hole. The addition of Jordan Luplow is a positive, but it’s not nearly enough. There are plenty of options for the Braves to choose from, but they just have to be willing to spend a little bit of cash. I’m not asking them to add an All-Star but do something, for god’s sake. For all of this talk about being a top-five payroll, they seem genuinely hesitant about becoming a luxury tax team. That’s embarrassing for a club that is raking in cash from attendance at Truist Park and the surrounding Battery area.
Here’s a list of outfield/DH options that I would be happy come Christmas morning if they landed in the Braves’ stocking:
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- Adam Duvall
- David Peralta
- Jurickson Profar
- Brian Anderson
- Wil Myers
- Michael Conforto
- Trey Mancini
- Nelson Cruz
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Get it done, AA.
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