One thing that can no longer be said about the Atlanta Braves is that they are cheap. For a while under Liberty Media, that wasn’t always the case, but ever since the introduction of Truist Park and the surrounding Battery area, the Braves payroll has increased significantly year after year. According to Alex Anthopoulos, that will continue in 2025.
Braves payroll will continue increasing, Alex Anthopoulos said. They’ve been a tax team last two years.
— Gabe Burns (@GabeBurnsAJC) October 4, 2024
The Braves 2024 payroll was sixth in major-league baseball, behind only the Mets, Yankees, Dodgers, Phillies and Astros. Unsurprisingly, all six of those teams made the postseason, but the Braves and Astros are the only teams that have been eliminated.
Both Atlanta and Houston have been staples of the postseason for nearly a decade. However, both clubs are in need of a minor shake-up if they want to get back to the top of the mountain. For the Braves, most of their additions will come internally, as Ronald Acuña Jr. Spencer Strider, Austin Riley, and others come back healthy.
However, Alex Anthopoulos has a massive decision to make on Max Fried, who is set to test free agency, and if they don’t bring him back, they’ll have to replace him in some form or fashion. The outfield also has some concerns outside of Michael Harris II, and do the Braves want to roll with Orlando Arcia again at shortstop? His $2 million contract is extremely attractive, but they could undoubtedly use an upgrade.
Those are the key decisions Alex Anthopoulos will be mulling over this offseason. With payroll increasing, he’ll have some cash to make some improvements; however, I wouldn’t expect anything too ridiculous. The Braves locked up the entire core of their roster to long-term deals, and those contracts escalate year after year. So, without making any moves, payroll is already increasing, which is something that must be considered when discussing potential offseason acquisitions.
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Photographer: David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire
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