Braves: 3 free agents Atlanta absolutely must stay away from
By Tim Boyle
The Atlanta Braves should stay away from these three free agents at all costs.
Things didn’t go as well for the Atlanta Braves as they had hoped in 2022. Their triumphant comeback in the National League East late in the season felt similar to the year prior when they won it all. Luck did run out for them when the unexpectedly red-hot Philadelphia Phillies met up with them in the ALDS.
The Braves will have an offseason to regroup. This includes rest for the players and a lot of activity from the front office. Even a 101-win team can get better.
In the sea of free agency, there are players there are those players the Braves should target and others they absolutely should stay away from. It’s these three the Braves need to stay away from at all costs.
3. Braves should stay away from J.D. Martinez and any other one-dimensional players
The Braves already have a player like this and hopefully not for long. Marcell Ozuna is much more of a DH than he is anything else. He’s getting paid a lot to see his playing time diminish and his reputation continue to tarnish.
Atlanta should be in the market to add a veteran bat. Someone like J.D. Martinez, however, should be easily passed on. The same goes for anybody else who doesn’t play the field much at all anymore. Sorry, Nelson Cruz.
Martinez did have a good year with the Boston Red Sox in 2022. The problem was his power numbers declined in a big way. Is this the sign of the end of his reign in MLB? He did hit well yet without the power he’s just not as dangerous. A designated hitter needs to supply the lineup with a home run threat. This isn’t Martinez anymore.
The Braves could go in the direction of keeping William Contreras as the primary DH while also catching him occasionally. It’s a bit unorthodox yet seemed to work well enough in 2022. Whatever they decide, there’s no need to spend on players who no longer field a position.