While other fan bases are busy buying new jerseys and celebrating big offseason moves, Braves Country sits impatiently, waiting for Alex Anthopoulos to make his first significant splash. The reason behind the quiet offseason has been clear to some, but for those who needed a little more credibility to back it up, Chipper Jones recently shed light on the situation during an appearance on Foul Territory.
“Whenever you have certain limitations to your purse strings, you have to weigh each and every deal,” Jones said.
“I think you saw last year with the myriad of injuries that the Braves had — throughout their everyday lineup, throughout their starting staff — you really saw how thin they were with depth at the higher levels. I think you saw the De La Cruz move, and that’s one of those depth moves. Not saying he couldn’t crack the starting lineup coming out of Spring Training, but he signs a non-guaranteed deal. That’s for depth, in case we do have another rash of injuries.”
“He’s (Anthopoulos) been given guidelines, and he has to abide by those,” Jones continued on why the Braves have yet to see a significant splash this offseason.Â
There’s no question that Alex Anthopoulos doesn’t have the luxury of limitless funds like some of the other top clubs around the league, but the Braves still have spending flexibility. Anthopoulos has already stated that the luxury tax won’t deter the club from making key additions, and as it stands, they remain over $20 million below the first luxury tax threshold. Liberty Media has consistently increased payroll in recent years, pushing the Braves into the top five in baseball, and they appear primed to increase it once again.
That said, many of the mega-contracts handed out this offseason are bound to backfire. Teams like the Mets, with Steve Cohen at the helm, can afford to shrug off a bad deal because money is no object. However, franchises like the Padres are already feeling the weight of their decision to give Xander Bogaerts a massive contract just a couple of offseasons ago.
The quickest way to slam a championship window shut is by going all-in on one colossal deal that can make or break a franchise. Alex Anthopoulos understands this. His focus isn’t solely on maximizing the Braves’ chances to win the World Series in 2025—he’s also committed to keeping their window open for as long as possible.
October baseball is a crapshoot. The smarter approach is to give yourself as many chances as possible to reach the postseason rather than risking it all on a single, short-term gamble.
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Photographer: David Griffin/Icon Sportswire
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