Atlanta Braves: 3 free agents to sign and 1 to avoid

Anthopoulos knows the type of ball players his club could lose in free agency. Atlanta doesn’t get within one game of the 2020 World Series with the likes of Greene, Ozuna and Melancon. Though Ozuna may prove to expensive and the bullpen could look totally different, we should expect the Braves to go with another savvy veteran to round out the rotation. Don’t let it be Corey Kluber.

A few years ago, Braves Country would have died to have the Cy Young winner from the Cleveland Indians join their favorite team’s rotation. Flash forward to 2021 and this feels like the Braves signing a past-his-prime former ace pitcher like Hamels and Hernandez and it’s not going to work. Kluber pitched a grand total of one inning for the lowly Texas Rangers this season. That’s it.

Even if Kluber is available for pennies on the dollar, he is not a panacea for what ailed the Braves last season. By bringing him with anything more than an opportunity to make the team like Hernandez, Anthopoulos is setting himself up to fail. It would prove he didn’t learn a single thing from the terrible Hamels signing that was essentially lighting Liberty Media’s money on fire.

The big key with the Braves bringing in a veteran starting pitcher to round out the back-half of the rotation is getting a guy with ample postseason experience, as well as player who can get them innings. Morton and Jon Lester of the Chicago Cubs are infinitely better options over Kluber because they helped their respective teams get to the postseason, while Kluber pitched an inning.

Which players should the Braves try to sign this offseason to get to the World Series?