Heading into the offseason, the Braves’ most pressing needs are at shortstop and in the outfield. Orlando Arcia has long overstayed his welcome as the Braves starting shortstop, while both corner outfield positions could need attention. The Jarred Kelenic experiment didn’t pan out as hoped after the Braves acquired him in a trade with the Mariners last offseason, and the health of Ronald Acuña Jr., following his second ACL injury, is an unknown factor that must be taken into account when building the roster for next season.
However, addressing needs is only part of the equation. Acquisitions have to make sense in terms of value, which is why sometimes it’s better to add to a position of strength rather than focusing solely on filling gaps.
This year, the Braves’ pitching staff was the backbone of the team. From starters to relievers, they boasted the best staff in baseball, and almost everyone is set to return next season except for Max Fried and A.J. Minter. Those would be two significant losses if the Braves are unable to retain them, but the return of Spencer Strider should give the team confidence in their pitching depth heading into 2025, regardless of what happens with Fried and Minter.
Still, adding more elite arms is always valuable, and ESPN’s Buster Olney speculates that the Braves could revisit their interest in White Sox ace Garrett Crochet this offseason—a player they pursued ahead of this year’s trade deadline.
“The assumption of many rival executives is that Garrett Crochet will be moved this winter, and relatively early, given that the White Sox and interested teams already did a lot of prep work on this at the trade deadline,” Olney writes.
“For the White Sox, a massive return built around a prime position player prospect is probably the best possible scenario, and you’d assume the usual suspects would be involved in conversations — the Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies and Dodgers were interested in July and will be again this winter, with the Yankees and other contenders looking to add a left-hander who will be under team control for two more seasons.”
If history is any guide, Alex Anthopoulos is far more likely to make a big splash through trade than free agency. Since becoming GM in Atlanta, he has never spent more than $65 million on a single free agent. However, he has executed at least one blockbuster trade in each of the last three offseasons, bringing in key players like Matt Olson, Sean Murphy, and Chris Sale.
Garrett Crochet just completed his first season as a starting pitcher, finishing with a 3.58 ERA, a 2.69 FIP, and an impressive 12.9 K/9 over 147 innings. Yet, those numbers only hint at his talent. Few pitchers can match his repertoire; adding him to a rotation that already includes Chris Sale, Spencer Strider, Reynaldo López, and Spencer Schwellenbach would be almost unfair for the rest of the league.
That said, the cost—in terms of prospects—will be high. Elite talents like Crochet, especially those under contract for multiple years, rarely become available. The Braves, with a relatively thin farm system, would likely need to part with nearly all of their top prospects to win the bidding war for Crochet’s services this winter.
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Photo: Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire
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