The Braves offseason is sure to feature some fireworks. The question is whether it will be a lot or just a few.
Max Fried’s free agency will dominate the offseason. The overwhelming expectation is that he’s thrown his last pitch in an Atlanta uniform, but he’s hardly the only story.
Will the Braves try to upgrade the shortstop position? Orlando Arcia is nothing more than a utility piece, but replacing him could prove rather difficult, given the limited options available in free agency.
How will they replace Max Fried and Charlie Morton? Spencer Schwellenbach, Reynaldo Lopez’s emergence, Chris Sale’s re-emergence, and Spencer Strider’s return make the rotation already one of the best in baseball, but Alex Anthopoulos has seen the rotation shorthanded every single postseason since he’s taken over as GM. There will be moves to bolster the starting rotation.
What will Anthopoulos do in the outfield? He can’t possibly roll with just Jarred Kelenic in left field. Right field is a blank canvas, and I have come up with a wild scenario that isn’t completely implausible — the Braves trade both of their designated hitters, Marcell Ozuna and Jorge Soler.
The simple fact is the Braves have a logjam at the DH position and changes have to be made. Ozuna and Soler cannot coexist; however, there’s one factor that many aren’t considering. What if Ronald Acuna Jr. is unable to play in the outfield at all?
The first ACL injury kept Acuna out of the lineup briefly, but he was in and out of the lineup all season due to soreness and other complications coming back. He’s already said he won’t push it the second time, so who’s to say that he’ll play in the field at all?
Playing in the outfield is certainly a primary factor that contributed to Acuna’s soreness that kept him out occasionally in 2022. If the Braves determine the best course of action is to have Ronald Acuna Jr. be the club’s primary DH, Ozuna and Soler immediately become expendable.
Ozuna is 32 years old and coming off the two best seasons of his career. There’s no guarantee that he’ll follow it up with a third. Selling high might be the right call in this situation. Soler, on the other hand, might not garner as much on the trade market but will undoubtedly have suitors if made available.
Big picture: the Braves have Ronald Acuna Jr. as the designated hitter, trade both Marcell Ozuna and Jorge Soler, and use those funds ($32 million in 2025) to find an everyday right fielder. It’s not likely, but it’s not impossible either. Alex Anthopoulos may see that scenario as the most efficient use of his payroll dollars.
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