The Braves haven’t had the blockbuster offseason that their NL rivals across the country have had as the Dodgers landed Shohei Ohtani, Tyler Glasnow, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
Alex Anthopoulos has never and will never make moves just because another club has, but he hasn’t sat on his hands. The Braves bolstered the bullpen, rotation, and left field. It just hasn’t been blockbuster moves like the folks in Hollywood.
When the offseason kicked off, Anthopoulos re-signed Joe Jimenez and Pierce Johnson then quickly brought back Charlie Morton after that. The Braves GM would go on to trade for Aaron Bummer and sign Reynaldo Lopez, who is expected to potentially join the rotation or at least be a high-leverage reliever.
AA also filled the left field void by taking on unwanted salaries for the rights to Jarred Kelenic. Most recently, a Braves trade came to fruition that landed a seven-time All-Star in Atlanta.
The Red Sox dealt Chris Sale to Atlanta in exchange for Vaughn Grissom, who didn’t have an obvious role with his former club. The Braves get a proven starter who has postseason experience but has dealt with injuries.
The move solidifies Atlanta’s rotation, which has prompted one MLB pundit to give the Braves the nod as the best team in the National League.
"They're better than the Dodgers with Shohei Ohtani."
After trading for seven-time All-Star Chris Sale, @PerezEd is confident that the National League still runs through Atlanta. @Braves | #Braves | #HotStove pic.twitter.com/rZssTdgRTF
— MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (@MLBNetworkRadio) January 2, 2024
The Braves acquisitions might not be of the sexiest variety, but the moves were made for a reason — winning in October.
Bolstering the bullpen, bringing in an injury-prone but experienced veteran, and buying low on a youngster with sky-high potential might not make a lot of sense right now, but they all have the distinct possibility of helping get the Braves over the hump in the postseason.
As long as Sale is healthy for the playoffs, the acquisition will be worth it. If Kelenic can provide more than Eddie Rosario and Kevin Pillar, the trade will prove fruitful. The loaded relief core won’t show its value in the regular season as much, but a dominant bullpen can win postseason games on its own.
The Braves offseason focus was building a roster that could win in October, not in the Summer. Even before the moves, though, the team was already arguably the best one in baseball.
They owned by far the best record in 2023 and are returning the MVP in Ronald Acuna Jr., who is followed by Matt Olson, Austin Riley, and Ozzie Albies in the order with Max Fried and Spencer Strider at the top of the rotation.
The Dodgers, on the other hand, spent a billion dollars to get a two-way superstar who won’t throw one pitch in 2024, a phenom who hasn’t thrown one pitch in the MLB, and an injury-prone ace. If it all works out, Los Angeles absolutely could win it all, but even after their offseason, the Braves still have a more well-rounded roster.
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David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire
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