What do the Braves need to do this offseason to get over the hump?

What in the hell is a club that won 100+ games with a historic offense supposed to do to get over the hump?

Well, I’m not sure anyone could give you a straight answer. There are multiple things that the Braves can do to improve the roster. The starting rotation could use an arm or two, the bullpen needs to be bolstered, and left field needs addressing.

Charlie Morton is considering retirement, which would leave a gaping hole in Atlanta’s rotation. Kyle Wright has already been confirmed to be out for the 2024 season, so that’s another area that needs filling. Max Fried and Spencer Strider are the aces of this staff, so that’s an excellent starting point. The club is high on A.J. Smith-Shawver, but that still leaves a couple of spots that need to be filled.

The bullpen has a few arms to build around; however, another reliable lefty and a couple of power arms would complement the pieces that are already in place.

Left field is somewhere the Braves can upgrade too. Eddie Rosario has a team option for $9 million that Atlanta can exercise, but I wouldn’t count on that happening. Consistency might be something Alex Anthopoulos values in that spot.

The difference between the 2021 team that won the World Series and the two that lost in back-to-back Division Series was attitude. It doesn’t matter who is brought in unless they bring a little bit of swagger and confidence.

The 2023 Braves featured a lot of nice guys that were consummate professionals. Maybe that was the problem. Bryce Harper, Nick Castellanos, and the Phillies, who very well could punch their ticket back to the World Series, bring a level of confidence needed to come through when the lights are brightest in October.

Atlanta’s stars just didn’t have the answers in the biggest moments. Think back to what Joc Pederson brought to the Braves clubhouse in 2021. They need something like that in 2024.

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