3 players the Braves will lose in free agency
By Mike Luciano
The Atlanta Braves have a pivotal offseason ahead of them.
The Atlanta Braves were just one win away from getting back to the World Series, but they choked away a lead against the Los Angeles Dodgers due to Brian Snitker’s roster once again melting down in the clutch.
Unlike most contenders this year, the Braves might undergo a major facelift in the offseason, as contributors from the pitching staff and the heart of the lineup are slated for free agency.
Who’s coming back next year? Team option on O’Day. Do the Braves re-sign Melancon? Greene? Kakes? Ozuna? pic.twitter.com/Q78faX38qq
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These three Braves all had a defined role on the NLCS squad, but they might be in a new uniform in 2021 due to Atlanta’s desire to remain financially flexible.
These three Braves might sign with new teams in free agency
player. 17. Scouting Report. Atlanta Braves. 3. Pick Analysis. C. Tyler Flowers
If you were to design a quality veteran backup catcher in a lab, it would look a lot like Flowers. A 260-pounder with plenty of power, Flowers‘ 17 home runs per 162 games in his career paired with solid defense and game-calling ability will get him plenty of looks on the free-agent market. The emergence of Travis d’Arnaud and the stockpile of catching prospects in Atlanta’s farm system headlined by Shea Langeliers means that Flowers has become expendable, and that could be quite the windfall for contenders.
There is no such thing as having too many catchers or home run hitters off of the bench, and that truism could help Flowers sign with a contending team that will guarantee him a consistent role. Meanwhile, the Braves can roll with d’Arnaud in the short term while prepping their future star catcher in Langeliers to take over whenever he shows that he’s ready.