The Braves could go in a lot of different directions this offseason. On the one hand, Alex Anthopoulos could look at things from a glass-half-full perspective. This is a club that won 101 games in 2022, 104 games in 2023, and then somehow found a way to make the playoffs this year despite nearly every player hitting the IL at some point during the season. By just getting healthy, the Braves should have a roster capable of winning 100+ games again.
On the other hand, Anthopoulos could feel like the Braves are due for a shakeup, whether it be a major or minor one. This is a club that has not won a playoff series since winning the World Series in 2021. Those days are beginning to feel like a distant memory, and a feeling is brewing that this young core may not have what it takes to get the job done. Injuries were only part of the problem in 2024, as almost every player underperformed, outside of Marcell Ozuna.
A major shakeup is unlikely, primarily because most of the Braves core is locked into long-term deals. Alex Anthopoulos hasn’t traded anybody that has signed a long-term extension with the team, and while that could change, it doesn’t feel like it’s on the table this offseason. Still, the Braves have weaknesses that must be addressed, the biggest of which Tim Kelly recently wrote about for Bleacher Report.
Atlanta Braves: Health
This one is pretty cut-and-dry. By the time the postseason rolled around, the Braves were without Ronald Acuña Jr., Spencer Strider, Austin Riley, Chris Sale and A.J. Minter. It was about as devastating a year as you can have from an injury perspective, considering Michael Harris II and Ozzie Albies also missed considerable time. Only so much of that can be blamed on bad luck. The Braves as an organization need to formulate a plan to stay healthier in 2025.
Undoubtedly, health was the primary reason the Braves didn’t win the NL East for the seventh straight year and were bounced in the Wild Card round of the postseason, but I’m not really sure it’s a weakness of the roster going into next year. All of these guys will be back, and while the Braves are going to do everything possible to ensure injuries don’t plague the team again, most of these injuries are out of their control. Particularly with the pitching staff, the Braves gave their rotation a combined one million rest days, only for Chris Sale to go down with a couple of weeks left in the season. They were more than cautious, sometimes there is just nothing you can do.
When talking about the Braves’ actual weaknesses heading into 2025, the most glaring has to be Orlando Arcia. The Braves must find a long-term answer at shortstop sooner rather than later, but I’m not sure one will be attainable this offseason. Outfield is also a major concern. Left field was a black hole until Ramon Laureano arrived, and right field might also need to be addressed, depending on the status of Ronald Acuña Jr.
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Photo: Mark Goldman/Icon Sportswire
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