The Braves have plenty of areas to upgrade this offseason, but according to The Athletic’s Jim Bowden, Atlanta is looking to upgrade its rotation before addressing the shortstop position.
“I think the Braves are more focused on the top of their rotation, looking to bring back Fried and Charlie Morton or replace them with the like,” Bowden wrote in response to a question asking how realistic it is for the Braves to pursue Willy Adames.
Max Fried is much more unlikely to return on a new deal than Charlie Morton, but even if the wily veteran returns, it seems Alex Anthopoulos is looking to overkill the rotation, something I’ve been adamant about this offseason.
Even during the magical World Series run, the club dealt with injuries to the rotation. Max Fried, Spencer Strider, Charlie Morton, Chris Sale, Spencer Schwellenbach, and others have all been either injured, sick, or not on regular rest coming into the past three postseasons.
It’s better to just abide by Murphy’s Law when it comes to Atlanta’s rotation; what can go wrong will go wrong. I say it all the time: hope is not a strategy. Alex Anthopoulos has to overkill the rotation this offseason. Bowden is confident the Braves are going to do just that but isn’t convinced that Adames isn’t also a possibility.
“I think Anthopoulos is looking to make a major pitching move or two, and if that doesn’t work, he’ll pivot to Adames. But his top priority is starting pitching,” the MLB insider writes.
Like most offseasons, the market will dictate what Anthopoulos does for the Braves. It’s all about value for Atlanta’s President of Baseball Operations.
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Photographer: John Adams/Icon Sportswire
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