It’s been an interesting offseason for the Braves, albeit a somewhat disappointing one. They’ve upgraded in a few areas, but it still feels like we’re a piece or two away from greatness. Honestly, it seems like we’re banking on returns to health from key players like Ronald Acuna, Jr. & Ozzie Albies, as well as positive regression from guys like Matt Olson, in order to succeed. I’m not sure how I feel about that plan but barring any last-minute additions this seems like the team that fans will observe as we slowly approach Spring Training for the 2023 MLB season. Now, that’s not to say that the Braves haven’t done anything of value this offseason (they have) nor that there’s not enough time to make more moves (there is), but time is slowly running out. Let’s dive in & take a look at the key moves the Braves made (and didn’t make) this offseason.
Team re-signs Chavez, Adrianza, Stephens
These guys, and especially Chavez, played important roles for the team this past season. Jesse has had four (!) different stints with the ballclub in just over the past two calendar years. There are reasons why the team keeps re-signing him, and why he keeps wanting to come back. He’s the veteran leader of the bullpen, a great guy in the clubhouse, and a solid pitcher to boot. Similar things can be said for Adrianza, as he’s had three stints with the Braves in two seasons. Ehire can play anywhere along the diamond while providing clutch pinch-hitting off the bench. Stephens was our “mop-up” guy last year, as he’s able to pitch multiple innings out of the ’pen. Depth is key for the Braves over a 162-game season, so these signings shouldn’t be overlooked.
Bullpen upgraded with two solid trades
One of MLB’s best bullpens over the past couple of years got even better this offseason. RHP Joe Jiménez was acquired earlier in December for top prospect 3B Justyn-Henry Malloy. The bullpen lacked strikeout options from the right-side last season, so they traded for Jiménez. Tigers GM Scott Harris issued the following statement on the trade, “Joe [was] a very difficult person to trade… He [was] very popular in our clubhouse. He had an exceptional year for us…” He ranked amongst the top twenty percent in MLB relievers in several key categories, including strikeout rate, whiff rate, chase rate, walk rate, & much more during his breakout 2022 season. Braves fans will enjoy listening to this interview clip from their new reliever, LHP Lucas Luetge. He’s a veteran reliever who’s bounced around a lot, but he’s really come into his own as of late. His ability to provide strikeout stuff (60 SO in 57 1/3 innings last year) from the left side is nice. These two additions will ensure that one of baseball’s best bullpen remains a stellar unit in 2023.
Lineup bolstered by trade for Sean Murphy
Just in case you’ve been living under a rock, the Braves made a huge trade earlier this offseason by dealing six players in a three-team trade to acquire All Star catcher Sean Murphy. The team then rewarded him with a six-year contract extension before he stepped on the field. This extension also made the team go over the first threshold of MLB’s luxury tax, which is an important distinction given that this could allow them to make more moves over the offseason. Murphy is a player that the Braves acquired mainly for his great defensive value behind the plate; however, he should benefit as an offensive player by playing in a hitter friendly ballpark. He had 18 HR & 66 RBI playing in a pitcher-friendly ballpark for the Oakland As last season. Sean was the third best catcher in MLB last season with 5.1 WAR & a .250/.332/.426 stat line. Still just 28 years old, the Braves believe they have their catcher of the present and future here. Time will tell whether that’s true or not, but his presence upgrades the Braves lineup by giving them more power at the plate while also allowing Travis d’Arnaud to rotate in at the DH spot. Add all of that up & it’s clear that the Braves, while they gave up a lot, got better this offseason.
Swanson, Jackson, others find new homes
Alex Anthopoulos is a genius, regularly signing his young Braves players to well below market deals in order to build and sustain a championship caliber franchise over the long haul. That said, everyone makes mistakes, & I think that him letting Dansby Swanson walk was one. Swanson got paid way more money than most of us thought that he would get from the Cubs; however, he was also willing to take “a lot less” money in order to re-sign with our Braves team. Now, the team is forced to turn to some combination of Vaughn Grissom & Orlando Arcia at SS. This is assuming that the Braves aren’t in on Carlos Correa, and that we don’t make other moves. Meanwhile, the “Night Shift” bullpen from our 2021 World Series championship team continues to lose it’s key members, with only A.J. Minter & Tyler Matzek still on the team from that unit. That’s because Luke Jackson is set to sign with the Giants, and that we traded away Will Smith. Kenley Jansen (a newer Night Shift guy) also recently left the Braves to sign with the Red Sox. Add all of these moves together & it’s clear that the culture of our team has changed as of late.
The Sports Beacon 