The Atlanta Braves, much like the rest of the league, have been incredibly quiet this offseason, but all the signs are pointing to some pretty significant acquisitions in the near future.
General manager Alex Anthopoulos has had one goal since the season ended, trim the fat and create financial flexibility. It all began when Jorge Soler and the remaining $32 million left on his contract was traded to the Los Angeles Angels. It continued when the club restructured the contracts of Reynaldo Lopez and Aaron Bummer, which was soon followed by the shocking decision not to pick up the $8 million option on Travis d’Arnaud. And finally, the Braves non-tendered several arbitration-eligible players, including Ramon Laureano and Griffin Canning, saving the club well over $10 million.
In total, the Braves have cleared around $45 million for next season with all of these moves, and that doesn’t even include the contracts coming off the books, like Max Fried, Charlie Morton, and A.J. Minter. Alex Anthopoulos seems to be positioning himself to make a splash in free agency, and there aren’t too many aisles for him to shop in.
The Braves really only have four areas where they can upgrade the roster. The pitching staff — both the rotation and bullpen — can always be bolstered and must be improved before the start of the season. Positionally, though, shortstop and the outfield are the only obvious areas of need.
With the money the Braves have saved, they could certainly offer Willy Adames — the top free agent shortstop available — a competitive contract. Every outfielder not named Juan Soto should also be on the table, and even though most believe Max Fried will find a new home this offseason, I wouldn’t totally count out the Braves. Atlanta has the money available, and perhaps they have experienced a little bit of regret from letting stars of the past walk out the door without much resistance.
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Photo: Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire
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