We are now three weeks away from when the MLB lockout commenced and an end appears nowhere in sight. Absolutely nothing new has come out regarding a new CBA deal, so as we’ve been saying, strap in; this is going to go on for quite a while. It may even effect the start of the season, but eventually, baseball will be played in 2022 and a champion will be crowned. I have no doubt about that, but before all of that happens, a boatload of offseason moves will take place, and I imagine things will be moving at a furious pace once the lockout comes to an end.
Alex Anthopoulos is one of those general managers that will be on the lines nonstop. The Braves weren’t very active before the lockout, signing just a couple of relievers and a backup catcher. They still have gaping holes at first base and in the outfield, along with several other lesser needs.
So today, I will be coming up with a Christmas list for the Braves, ranking them by importance. This will be my list, featuring players and moves that I want, but I’ll also be attempting to keep it realistic.
7. Collin McHugh
The Braves bullpen is far from their biggest need, but wouldn’t it be nice if they finally put together a truly dominant group? With questions surrounding their starting pitching depth, an elite bullpen could be a much cheaper way to compensate for that. We know what Will Smith, Luke Jackson, Tyler Matzek, and AJ Minter can do. And hopefully, Kirby Yates contributes at some point next season coming off Tommy John surgery. But after those guys, there are a lot of question marks, and even the players mentioned above have proven to be very volatile throughout their careers.
There are a number of high quality relievers left on the market that could help out the Braves, but McHugh is the one that interests me the most. He was lights out for the Rays last season, posting a 1.55 ERA and 2.12 FIP over 64 innings. It wasn’t the first time he recorded a sub-2.00 ERA over a full season either. Back in 2018, he posted a 1.99 ERA over 72.1 innings with the Houston Astros. On top of that, FanGraphs is projecting McHugh to receive just a one-year, $5 million deal, and he’s a Berry College alum. The fit is simply too perfect to ignore.
6. Jorge Soler
To be honest, I’m not sure how this will work. Marcell Ozuna is under contract for three more seasons, and whether Braves fans want to admit it or not, he’s most likely going to play in Atlanta next season. With that in mind, it’s hard to imagine them bringing back Soler because it would mean playing either him or Ozuna in the outfield, but screw it. I want Soler back and this is my Christmas list. The adjustments he made at the plate seem sustainable, and if they are, his next deal is going to be a bargain. I could easily see Soler blasting 100+ bombs over the next three seasons. The game today is all about the long ball; give me three more years of Jorge Soler.
5. Frankie Montas
If you’ve kept up with the site this offseason, you know how hard I’ve been pushing for Sonny Gray, so I decided to switch it up. Montas broke out last season to the tune of a 3.37 ERA over a league-leading 32 starts while averaging 10 strikeouts per nine innings. He’s also under affordable team control for two more years, just like Gray.
Once again, the pitching staff is not the Braves most glaring need. However, I don’t like Atlanta’s chances of repeating unless they bolster their staff in some capacity. Their rotation is an injury away from being in some big trouble, and the odds of their relief core repeating what they did this past postseason are very low.
4. Freddie Freeman
I know what you are thinking, “Freddie Freeman at #4?!? Are you crazy?” Trust me, it will make sense. Freeman is the face of the franchise, and I — like the rest of Braves Country — desperately want him back. However, there are just a few things I want more this Christmas.
3. Carlos Correa
If I hear one more ditsy Braves fan saying something ludicrous like, “I don’t want Correa on my team, he’s a cheater!” I’ll spit up my coffee. You certainly didn’t mind having Charlie Morton on your team, or Brian McCann… So why would you all of the sudden start taking the moral high ground when it comes to adding the best shortstop in baseball. Plus, Correa did just fine without trashcans, or buzzers, or whatever in 2021, finishing fifth in the AL MVP race and winning a Gold Glove at the most important position on the diamond.
I love Freeman, and he’s certainly the more realistic target, but the Braves have checked in on Correa, and if they have the money, it would be a game-changing signing. At 27-years-old, he’s undoubtedly going to be more valuable than Freeman over the course of their next contracts. You might as well pencil the Braves in to the next five National League Championship Series if they sign Correa.
2. A healthy Ronald Acuña and Mike Soroka
Watching Acuña and Soroka go down was incredibly devastating. In my opinion, a healthy Acuña is the best player in baseball, and Soroka looked well on his way to becoming a perennial Cy Young candidate. I just pray both players can get back to the level they were at before their respective injuries. I’m pretty confident Acuña will be just fine, but after two straight Achilles injuries, I’m less optimistic that Soroka will ever be the same. Hopefully, I’m wrong. The kid is supremely talented, intelligent, and a hard worker. If anybody can come back from this, it is Soroka.
1. An end to the lockout
I saw a tweet the other day from a non-baseball fan asking baseball fans if 162 games is not enough, because even in the offseason, all baseball fans tweet about is more baseball. I laughed because the answer is no — 162 games is not enough. One of the most beautiful things about baseball is the offseason. The hot stove is electric, giving hope to all 30 teams, even if it is just for a moment. The lockout has stolen that from us. So if it seems like us baseball fans are having withdrawals on social media, it’s because we absolutely are. I’m not hopeful this thing will end anytime soon, but at this point, I need a random MLB rumor like I need air to breathe.
You must log in to post a comment.