The Braves can blame their struggles in 2024 on injuries, run it back with essentially the same group, and nobody would bat an eye. However, there are still some critical decisions to be made, and one has to wonder if three straight first round exits in the postseason might cause Alex Anthopoulos to be a little more aggressive than he has in recent offseasons.
What’s the plan for Ronald Acuña Jr.?
Unfortunately, the biggest concern for the Braves heading into 2025 is completely out of their control. Ronald Acuña Jr. — when healthy — might be the best player in baseball, not named Shohei Ohtani. However, health has been a problem his entire career, and he’s now suffered a torn ACL two times over the span of four seasons.
The first time Ronald Acuña Jr. returned to the field a little over 10 months after the injury. On that timeline, he could potentially be ready for Opening Day with little restrictions. However, Acuña learned a lot from the first go-round, and he’s already said he felt like he rushed back in 2022, when he went on to have by far the worst season of his career. That’s not something he’s going to do again, as he said a little over a month ago.
“I think going into next season, I’m just gonna try to be a little more patient than the last go around,” Acuña said. “After having undergone both of these surgeries that have obviously taken a big toll, I’m just gonna be patient.”
The 2023 NL MVP also suggested the days of him stealing 40-50 bags a season might be a thing of the past.
“I’m really gonna try and focus on my hitting, my fielding, anything that I can to help the team win,” Acuña said. “In regards to running and stealing those bases, I don’t know if I’ll be able to steal the 40 or 50 bags as easily. I don’t know how that’s gonna play out in the future.”
There’s a very real possibility Ronald Acuña Jr. isn’t ready for Opening Day. Even further, the Braves should be attempting to mitigate as many risks as possible, which could mean using him as a DH, either part-time or permanently.
That creates an even greater conundrum regarding Jorge Soler and Marcell Ozuna, which I’ve already talked about at length since the season ended. Neither of them can be trusted to play the outfield. It’s essentially a foregone conclusion that one of them will be traded, and if the Braves believe what’s best for Acuña’s long-term health is for him to DH next season, it’s likely both Ozuna and Soler will not be on the roster next year.
The difficult part for the Braves is the unknown. They really don’t know how Acuña’s knee is going to feel and whether he’ll be able to play the outfield for several months. That really hamstrings Alex Anthopoulos and company, making these rough waters even more difficult to navigate this winter.
Should the Braves trade Jorge Soler?
There will almost assuredly be some wheeling and dealing this offseason, and a couple of names to keep an eye on that could be on their way out are Marcell Ozuna and Jorge Soler.
I don’t know if there’s a scenario that exists where both can be on the Braves roster next season. Alex Anthopoulos has already said the Braves plan to pick up Marcell Ozuna’s $16 million option for 2025, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he will be playing in Atlanta. He could still be traded if the right deal comes across the table.
However, it surely doesn’t seem like that would be in the Braves’ best interest. Not only has Marcel Ozuna been one of the league’s best offensive players over the last two seasons, totaling 79 homers and over 200 RBIs, but he’s also beloved by his teammates, something Alex Anthopoulos places a high emphasis on when building a team.
That could force the Braves to think long and hard about Jorge Soler’s future with the club. He has two years and $32 million remaining on his deal, which isn’t a terrible figure. But the Braves traded for him ahead of the trade deadline and gambled by playing him in right field. While he helped provide some pop to a lineup that desperately needed it, his defense couldn’t have been worse.
In just 49 games with the Braves, Soler managed to accumulate -7 outs above average. That’s nearly impossible to do in such a short sample size. He’s not a right fielder, he’s not a left fielder, he’s not an outfielder. Soler is a designated hitter, and that role is occupied by Marcell Ozuna. There’s no reason to keep them both on the roster, especially if the Braves can save $16 million by moving one.
That doesn’t even include the Ronald Acuña Jr. dilemma in all of this. The 2023 NL MVP is coming off his second ACL injury in his last four seasons. There’s no telling what he will and will not be able to do when he returns initially, but there’s a chance he’s going to need to DH more often than in the past, if not full-time. I would say there’s a greater chance that both Ozuna and Soler are traded this offseason than there is of them both remaining with the club through the winter.
How will the Braves round out their rotation?
Max Fried is set to test free agency, and most expect him to find a new home. The Braves don’t pay sticker price for anything, and the All-Star southpaw will have no shortage of suitors. A bidding war will soon ensue, and Alex Anthopoulos isn’t one to get involved in those often.
But even without Max Fried, the Braves rotation is in really good shape. Chris Sale will be fresh off a Cy Young season, Reynaldo Lopez proved he’s more than capable of being a full-time starter, Spencer Schwellenbach is a budding star, and Spencer Strider is expected to be back around Opening Day.
Max Fried would be a wonderful guy to round out the rotation, but he’s more of a luxury rather than a need. If he departs, the Braves could look to bring back Charlie Morton for another season if he doesn’t opt to retire. Younger guys like AJ Smith-Shawver, Hurston Waldrep, and Ian Anderson could battle it out during Spring Training, or the Braves could look to free agency for a cheaper Fried replacement.
Will the Braves retain A.J. Minter?
Max Fried headlines the Braves free agent class, but A.J. Minter has been an integral piece to Atlanta’s success for just as long out of the bullpen. Dating back to 2020, he’s appeared in 267 games, recording a 2.85 ERA, 2.84 FIP, 10.8 K/9, and a 151 ERA+ (51% above league average). There have been some hiccups along the way, but for the most part, Minter has been among the best left-handed relievers in the game, one that has also thrived on the biggest stages.
Typically, an arm with that kind of track record would require a pretty penny, but unfortunately for Minter, he enters free agency coming off hip surgery, an injury that affected him the entire season and limited him to just 39 appearances.
Because of that, it’s hard seeing him getting the lengthy and lucrative contract he probably deserves. He’s much more likely to sign a short-term deal, possibly even a one-year contract, one that allows him to prove he’s healthy again and hit free agency next offseason as well.
That’s right up the alley of Alex Anthopoulos. A.J. Minter has said on several occasions that he wants to stay with the organization. Unless a club is willing to overlook the injury and take a gamble by offering him a multi-year contract, this looks like a situation where it’s best for both sides to stay together for at least a little while longer.
Time for the Braves to make a splash in the outfield?
Because essentially the Braves’ entire core is locked into long-term contracts, it’s not easy to find areas where the club can clearly improve by adding to the roster. In terms of needs, like every club, the Braves could always stand to bring in more pitching, both starters and relievers. Shortstop is also an area of concern, with Orlando Arcia being an obvious weak link.
However, the Braves pitching staff was the best in baseball this year. They’ll have to figure out how to replace Charlie Morton and Max Fried in the rotation, but Spencer Strider will go a long way in doing that. Alex Anthopoulos probably isn’t going to swing big for a starting pitcher unless he desires to keep Max Fried in Atlanta.
The bullpen also doesn’t need a giant makeover. The Braves must make a decision on A.J. Minter and could probably use another reliable arm, but it certainly doesn’t need to be something they invest heavily in this offseason.
If the Braves are going to make a substantial splash this winter, it will probably be for more offense, and as I talked about recently in my early free agent preview for shortstops, there aren’t many options available that are clear upgrades over Orlando Arcia. It might be a tough pill to swallow, but the odds are the Braves stick with Arcia and his extremely palatable $2 million contract in hopes that he experiences some positive regression offensively in 2025.
The easiest place for the Braves to boost their lineup, whether it be through free agency or trade, is in the outfield. Their experiment in left field with Jarred Kelenic and Adam Duvall was a failure. Thankfully, Ramon Laureano stepped in and saved the day during the second half of the season, but the Braves can’t possibly rely on Laureano to produce at that level in 2025 again.
At the very least, there needs to be competition brought in, but this feels like an opportunity for Alex Anthopoulos to make a splash. There’s a clear need and a plethora of talented options on the market to choose from. He might get creative and go the trade route, as we’ve seen so many times before, but I would wager the Braves are aggressive in adding to their outfield this winter.
Can the Braves replace Orlando Arcia?
There might not be a Braves fan walking this planet that wants to see Orlando Arcia starting at shortstop in 2025, and Alex Anthopoulos is probably in that same boat. Unfortunately, replacing him is much easier said than done.
Arcia was named an All-Star in 2023, setting career-highs across the board offensively while playing Gold Glove caliber defense. But it was a bit of fool’s gold, and regression smashed him right in the face this year. Arcia barely hit over the Mendoza Line. He did mash 17 homers, tying his career-high from 2023, but he was dismal with runners in scoring position, and his .625 OPS is not good enough to start in any lineup, let alone one with World Series aspirations.
There’s no question Arcia is much better served as a super utility piece, a guy who can offer the Braves above average defense all over the diamond, and that’s what he’s being paid like. He’s scheduled to make $2 million in 2025 and has a $2 million club option for 2026.
But that contract is also what makes Orlando Arcia so appealing as a starter. This is a club that already has a lot of money tied into its roster without adding anything, and shortstop isn’t the only hole to fill. The Braves need to shape up their outfield and, like every team, could stand to bolster their pitching staff. It might be best for Alex Anthopoulos to utilize whatever resources he has at his disposal to address those areas because there surely aren’t a lot of enticing options available in free agency.
The headliner of this winter’s shortstop free agent class is Willy Adames. He’d be a massive upgrade over Orlando Arcia, but he’s also going to cost a pretty penny. It’s not like the Braves to win a bidding war for a top free agent, especially one that could cost close to $200 million.
A more realistic upgrade could be Ha-Seong Kim. He’s been a do-it-all player for the Padres and could opt out of his contract this winter. However, he is coming off a season-ending injury and may not be ready for Opening Day, so he might believe it’s best to opt in and re-enter free agency next year when he’s healthy.
Outside of those two, there aren’t better options available in free agency. If the Braves are going to replace Orlando Arcia, it’s most likely going to happen one of two ways — through trade or internally. The internal option being Nacho Alvarez if he can prove he’s ready for the show at some point next season
Like free agency, though, there likely won’t be many trade options available, and the ones that are might cost a good bit of prospect capital. Bo Bichette is a name to keep an eye on if the Blue Jays finally decide to pull the plug and rebuild, which they probably should have done two years ago. But because of Bichette’s concerns defensively, a more realistic option could be Nico Hoerner of the Chicago Cubs. He’s spent most of the last two years at second base next to Dansby Swanson but is plenty capable of playing shortstop. He also has a couple of years of team control remaining at a very palatable rate, owed $11.5 million in 2025 and $12 million in 2026.
There are avenues Alex Anthopoulos will have to consider this offseason, but when considering the prices, there’s a great chance he finds Orlando Arcia and his $2 million contract the most appealing option.
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