What would a dream Braves starting lineup look like next season?

Dansby Swanson has become pricey, but he is worth bringing back in free agency

After a career year, Dansby Swanson just made himself a whole lot more money on the opening market. While the Marietta native may love nothing more than to play his entire career with the Braves, he has never had more leverage at this point of his life. The former Vanderbilt star may get the bump in pay he deserves from Liberty Media, but Trea Turner and Carlos Correa are out there.

However, Swanson has replaced Freddie Freeman as the leader of this team. He flourished in that role a season ago. For the Braves to get back to and win another World Series with this core, they are going to need one of Braves Country to lead them. With a Gold Glove in tote and 20-plus home run power from the right side of the plate, Swanson is an ideal candidate to hit second for Atlanta.

Baseball is a business, but it is hard to envision the Braves not learning from last winter’s drama.

Despite a ton of pressure, Matt Olson had an excellent first year with the Braves

Although Freddie Freeman is the better overall player, Matt Olson played very well in his first season with the Braves. He demonstrated great power from the left side of the plate. When he was not hitting all the doubles in the world, he was cranking one moonshot into and above the Chop House after another. Olson also played at a borderline All-Star level throughout last season.

While his glove needs to get back to its Oakland Athletics standard, Olson can play encumbered baseball in front of his hometown fans. The Lilburn native has the potential to be the Braves’ next Fred McGriff, only that he will be playing for more than five years in Atlanta uniform. Though he could hit cleanup too, having his left-handed bat come after two right-handers makes sense here.

Having Acuña and Swanson on base frequently will help offset any average concerns with Olson.