Spring Training is fast approaching, and the Atlanta Braves have yet to sign a single player to a guaranteed major-league contract. Meanwhile, Alex Anthopoulos has a number of critical pieces walk right out the door without much resistance.
Max Fried signed a record-breaking deal with the Yankees. Charlie Morton followed him to the AL East, inking a one-year contract with the Baltimore Orioles, and A.J. Minter joined the Mets yesterday. The rest of the league, including some of the Braves’ biggest competition, has gotten exponentially more dangerous this offseason, while Atlanta has allowed themselves to get significantly worse.
Of course, the season is still a few months away, and there are quite a bit of marquee free agents left on the market. There is time for Alex Anthopoulos to make this look a lot better than it does today, but right now, it’s impossible not to declare the Braves one of the biggest losers of the offseason, which Jim Bowden recently did for The Athletic.
The Braves lost Fried and Charlie Morton in free agency, depleting their starting rotation of talent, experience and depth. They announced that Spencer Strider, who is recovering from internal-brace elbow surgery, won’t be ready for Opening Day. They haven’t been able to upgrade at shortstop or in left field.
While the Phillies and Mets were getting better, the Braves were treading water — at best. The offseason isn’t over, but so far it’s been the most disappointing winter in the Atlanta tenure of Alex Anthopoulos, one of the best — and most aggressive — executives in the game.
In an inflated market, Alex Anthopoulos can’t seem to find anything that makes sense in terms of value. His process has been incredibly efficient over the years, but sometimes, adjustments have to be made for the times.
Right now, the Braves are entering the 2024 season without a proven option in left or right field. There are still two open spots in the rotation until Spencer Strider returns from internal brace surgery, and the bullpen is no longer playoff caliber without A.J. Minter, Joe Jimenez, and Jesse Chavez. For a team with championship aspirations, that’s a lot of holes to fill in just a couple of months.
That’s not to say it can’t be done, which is why I will reserve judgment until it all plays itself out. However, if significant additions are not made, Alex Anthopoulos should be judged for miscalculating the market and not addressing the Braves needs earlier in the offseason.
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Photo: David John Griffin/Icon Sportswire
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