Braves holes to fill

Today’s piece, Braves holes to fill, is part 5 in a 5 part series that has covered all things regarding the Braves roster. Today is my least favorite part as we have to discuss players that aren’t currently Braves that we would like to be Braves. If you are late to the series, here are the first 4 pieces.

• Braves Guaranteed Contracts for 2022
• Braves Arb-Eligible Players
• Braves Pre-Arb Players Likely to Return
• Braves 40-Man Roster Additions

Holes to Fill

1. Gulp…First base. I’m sure the Braves work out a deal with Freddie Freeman. That’s all I’m saying about that.
2. Starting Pitcher. With Max Fried, Charlie Morton, and Ian Anderson as the for sure 3, the Braves will likely try to sign a rebounding veteran in hopes of eating some innings, or finally go for that big trade to grab another front-line starter. I’ll continue to assume that our number 5 starter will be a revolving door of Kyle Wright, Kyle Muller, Tucker Davidson, and Huascar Ynoa until someone demands their attention via 4-5 straight great performances.
3. RH Relief Pitcher: I think the Braves will definitely be in the market for a lockdown RH relief arm.
4. Outfield/DH. I’m just going to continue to assume that Marcell Ozuna is out, the Braves aren’t ready for Cristian Pache to be the everyday centerfielder, and there’ll be at least 1 opening in the OF. If I were Anthopoulos, I’d talk with both Eddie Rosario and Jorge Soler before they leave town and get offers from other orgs.
5. Bench. I really liked Ehire Adrianza last year and his versatility. Having one guy like him is a must, and I’m guessing there’s mutual interest. Regardless if it’s Ehire or not, the Braves will be in the market for a few bench spots.

Food for Thought

The Braves went hard after Bryan Reynolds at the trade deadline, and it was confirmed from an inside source of mine, but in the end, the Pirates did not want to sell him. Since neither Cristian Pache or Drew Waters emerged as starting CF candidates this year, I fully expect the Braves to not shy away from including either in a trade and going hard after a controllable  centerfielder that could provide immediate production.