It’s hard to fathom, but the Braves have done very little of note so far this offseason. The team currently has the exact same needs (OF, SS, SP, RP) as they did to begin their offseason, which began back in early October after an NLDS loss to the Padres.
Alex Anthopoulos has made some recent depth signings in the form of OFs Bryan De La Cruz and Carlos Rodriguez, as well as signing several relievers (RHP Davis Daniel, LHP Brian Moran, RHP Enyel De Los Santos) to minor league contracts; however, for a team that has already lost Max Fried, A.J. Minter, Charlie Morton, and Travis d’Arnaud to free agency this offseason, these signings feel insignificant.
It’s no secret that the Braves are operating with a tight budget after going up against the luxury tax over the past three seasons; however, there are reasons to believe that the team still has some money available to spend based on the findings in this piece. That said, let’s make a wishlist of players who are still on the market that the Braves may have realistic interest in signing or trading for as the 2025 season approaches.
OF Jurickson Profar (free agent)
2024 stats: .280 avg / .380 OBP / .459 SLG
Profar makes some sense for the Braves in that they need a LF who can hit, but he won’t necessarily come cheap after turning in a career year for the Padres in 2024. The 31-year- old former top prospect of the Texas Rangers made the All-Star Game for the first time in his career after signing a one-year “prove it” deal last offseason. His .839 OPS led the Padres and ranked 11th among hitters in the National League.
Defense isn’t really Profar’s calling card, but much like last season with Jorge Soler the team could live with the defensive shortcomings in exchange for the impact bat. What type of contract that Profar wants after languishing on the open market for a while will determine the level of interest that the Braves will have in signing him.
SS Ha-Seong Kim (free agent)
2024 stats: .233 avg / .330 OBP / .370 SLG
Kim is the type of contact hitter that the Braves really need to add to their lineup this offseason as his career rates in chase % (98), whiff % (92), and walk % (96) are all excellent marks amongst the elite hitters according to his Baseball Savant page. The 29-year-old is also a plus defender who has 78 stolen bases in four MLB seasons. He doesn’t hit for much power, but the Braves wouldn’t need him to in their lineup.
Just how serious are the Braves about upgrading over Orlando Arcia this offseason? The answer to this question will determine whether or not they sign a guy like Kim. Arcia was one of the worst hitters in MLB last season, but his defense remains solid. Could the team sign Kim, which would then relegate Arcia to their bench? Perhaps.
SS Bo Bichette (Blue Jays)
2024 stats: .225 avg / .277 OBP / .322 SLG
Bichette represents an opportunity for the Braves to buy low on a 26-year-old player who has a career slash line of .290/.332/.466 across 6 MLB seasons with the Blue Jays. His Baseball Savant page reveals that he’s an above-average defender in terms of his range (Outs Above Average) but a below-average defender in terms of arm strength.
What would the cost be to acquire a player of Bichette’s caliber from the Blue Jays? He has one year remaining on his current contract, so any team that would trade for him would also likely be inclined to offer him a contract extension in the short term. Alex Anthopoulos likes to sign the team’s young players to long-term deals though, so this trade makes some sense for a team desperate to find an answer at shortstop.
SP Jordan Montgomery (DBacks)
2024 stats: 21 starts, 117 innings, 6.23 ERA
This trade makes plenty of sense for the Braves given a need in the starting rotation. Chris Sale, Reynaldo López, and Spencer Schwellenbach form an ideal trio at the top of the rotation, but with Spencer Strider’s availability in doubt for Opening Day due to his recovery from UCL surgery, the makeup of the rest of the unit is less certain.
The Diamondbacks are reportedly willing to take on part of Montgomery’s contract to facilitate a trade as well after the recent signing of starting pitcher Corbin Burnes. He’s coming off a down year too, which creates an opportunity to buy low on a good player making $22.5M in 2025, which is a bargain in today’s starting pitcher market. It’s hard to find left-handed starters in today’s game who offer both consistency and reliability, and Montgomery offers these qualities at a fraction of the market price.
RP Tanner Scott (free agent)
2024 stats: 28 games, 84 strikeouts, 1.75 ERA
Where there’s smoke there’s usually fire, & according to a recent report, the Braves have interest in signing Scott now that his asking price has (probably) come down. The bullpen is in need of reinforcements with A.J. Minter and Jesse Chavez being free agents and Joe Jiménez set to miss most of the 2025 season due to knee surgery. Adding a player like Scott would surely help to bolster the unit & provide insurance.
Signing Scott would effectively end A.J. Minter’s tenure with the Braves though, as it seems very unlikely that the team has enough money available to sign both players. These guys are two of the best lefty relievers in the game, and will be valued as such. That said, this conversation does segue into the next available player on my wishlist.
RP A.J. Minter (free agent)
2024 stats: 39 games, 35 strikeouts, 2.62 ERA
Minter is a player that the Braves are very comfortable with after he has spent his entire eight-year career in Atlanta developing into one of the best relievers in MLB. He wouldn’t be a new addition nor a sexy signing for the team, but bringing him back into the fold would strengthen the roster’s bullpen as it’s currently constructed. A.J. also wants to stay here, and perhaps he is willing to take a hometown discount in order to do so, especially considering that he’s still recovering from hip surgery.
If Alex Anthopoulos has confidence in A.J.’s ability to recover from his injury in short-order, why wouldn’t he look into re-signing the former Night Shift member? Re-signing Minter also seems unlikely to prevent AA from investing in any of the other guys (besides Scott) on this list to continue with bolstering the team’s roster.
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