MLB Winter Meetings are set to kick off tomorrow and run through the early part of next week. It’s at this time most expect the Juan Soto sweepstakes to reach a conclusion, which should be followed by a ton of action. The Braves are expected to be in the middle of it with a plethora of holes to fill, but Alex Anthopoulos will have to find a way to be creative with the dollars he has at his disposal.
If the first six weeks of the offseason are any indication, MLB teams are gearing up for a spending spree. Even the Oakland Athletics—a franchise not typically known for big spending—shocked the league by signing Luis Severino to a $67 million deal.
This trend spells trouble for the Braves, as starting pitching is shaping up to be one of the offseason’s priciest commodities. Unfortunately, it’s also one of their most pressing needs.
Considering the Braves are only about $25 million away from entering the luxury tax for a third season in a row, the funds are limited. There’s a reason why they made a boatload of cost-cutting moves to begin the offseason. That has to be taken into consideration when looking at realistic avenues Anthopoulos can take to upgrade the roster. The good news: the Braves GM has a knack for finding value where nobody else is looking this time of year.
One Braves Blockbuster Trade
It’s not like the Braves to get into bidding wars and overpay for free agents. The highest contract Alex Anthopoulos has ever handed out as Atlanta’s GM was a four-year, $65 million contract to Marcell Ozuna. That’s not to say he won’t go much higher than that, but the value has to be right, and in this market, it might not be there.
However, what Anthopoulos has never been shy about doing is swinging a blockbuster trade. He’s done it in each of the last three offseasons, acquiring Matt Olson, Sean Murphy, and Chris Sale. This feels like the avenue Anthopoulos is most likely to take if he’s to acquire an impact player, particularly a starting pitcher. The prices for even mediocre arms are astronomical, and those aren’t the kind of gambles he usually takes.
There will be a plethora of rumors in the coming days, but by the end of next week, I predict the Braves will swing a blockbuster trade and fill their most pressing need this offseason.
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Photo: Melissa Tamez/Icon Sportswire
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