A lot of questions will be answered about the Atlanta Braves’ spending habits this offseason.
After a couple of years flying past the luxury tax threshold and ranking among baseball’s top five spenders, the Braves were oddly quiet last offseason — a peculiar development considering Alex Anthopoulos had previously stated payroll would continue to rise. Was there a mandate from ownership? Did Anthopoulos simply dislike the high-priced free agents available? Or was resetting the luxury tax the real motivation?
Of course, the Braves will never show their hand publicly, but their actions this winter will reveal plenty about what’s really going on behind the scenes. Atlanta has a long list of needs, and fortunately, there’s no shortage of available talent to address them.
In fact, on Jim Bowden’s list of the top 50 free agents this offseason, he named the Braves as a “best fit” for an astounding 14 of them:
Braves Best Free Agent Fits
Ranger Suarez
Dylan Cease
Zac Gallen
Michael King
Edwin Diaz
Robert Suarez
Tyler Rogers
Raisel Iglesias
Ha-Seong Kim
Brad Keller
Devin Williams
Luke Weaver
Marcell Ozuna
Anthopoulos has already stated that pitching will be at the forefront of Atlanta’s offseason priorities, with both the rotation and bullpen in need of more juice. The question is whether the Braves will finally be willing to spend what it takes in free agency to acquire a game-changing arm.
The cost of pitching has skyrocketed in recent years. It’s nearly impossible to land even a mid-rotation starter for under nine figures. Throughout Anthopoulos’ tenure as general manager, the largest free agent contract he’s handed out remains Marcell Ozuna’s four-year, $65 million deal — a number that won’t come close to landing any of the top arms on Bowden’s list.
That’s not to say Atlanta hasn’t tried to go bigger. A few offseasons ago, the Braves reportedly made a strong push for Phillies All-Star Aaron Nola, offering a six-year deal worth more than $150 million. Philadelphia ultimately countered with a seventh year to retain him — a decision that, in hindsight, worked out for Atlanta given Nola’s decline. Still, the pursuit showed that the Braves are willing to stretch beyond their comfort zone for the right pitcher.
On the bullpen side, Atlanta could also pursue some of the top closers available, with Raisel Iglesias entering free agency. A high-upside reclamation project like Devin Williams would also fit the Braves’ mold. Atlanta could realistically add multiple relievers and at least one starting pitcher, and that’s before even addressing shortstop, where Ha-Seong Kim is expected to opt out of his contract.
All signs point to a busy offseason in Atlanta. If it isn’t, however, the concerns fans have expressed regarding ownership’s commitment to winning will only become more validated.