The New York Mets just got way more competitive in the division, and the Atlanta Braves stand less of a chance this season without some big moves.
The New York Mets aren’t messing around this off-season. They’ve been extremely proactive in improving their weaknesses and bouncing back from big losses, and they most recently managed to snatch star shortstop Carlos Correa from the San Francisco Giants after he failed his physical.
With the Philadelphia Phillies also splashing big in the market, the Atlanta Braves are looking to be more and more in trouble heading into the 2023 season and must make some big moves if they want to have a shot at clinching the division for a sixth-consecutive season.
The NL East is only getting more competitive, and the Braves don’t seem to be keeping up with the rapid development of their competitors. They need to splash big.
3. Braves should add more depth to the outfield
While the Braves have some good outfielders, such as Ronald Acuña Jr. and Michael Harris II, their depth isn’t great and they should aim to add a few more.
They waited a bit too long to snatch any stars off the market, but they could still trade for some outfielders in the meantime. Bryan Reynolds, for example, could be a good trade target. While Reynolds is expected to be a difficult trade to the caliber of Juan Soto, the Pittsburgh Pirates have shared that they’re willing to entertain offers.
The Braves have some pretty talented young stars, which could be enticing to the Pirates as they were recently a championship-caliber team. They may or may not land Reynolds, but they should aim to sign a talented outfielder regardless.
2. Braves should look to add more pitchers to the rotation
Atlanta has some great pitchers, and they should definitely keep Max Fried and Spencer Strider around. However, they can stand to improve their rotation as there aren’t many aces beyond the two.
In addition to Fried and Strider, they have Charlie Morton, Kyle Wright and Bryce Elder. While none are bad pitchers, they aren’t quite to the caliber of Fried and Strider, and the Braves could benefit from adding a few more reliable pitchers to help strengthen their rotation.
Most of the stars are off the market now, but they could still aim to trade or wait for Shohei Ohtani to hit the market next offseason. Waiting for Ohtani would certainly be a risky move as he’s bound to go for a lot of money, will have a lot of competition and will set them back in their hope for immediate success, but if they could land him, he’d be a serious threat on their roster.
No matter what they decide to do, they could benefit from some more talent on the mound.
1. Braves should be willing to spend money as needed
The Braves have been known for having a relatively cheap championship-caliber team the past few seasons, which is one thing that sets them apart from most of the league. They’ve had a great farm system that they’ve pulled up to well in the majors, and they earned the 2021 World Series with a mostly-young team.
While it’s understandable they’d be hesitant to spend money after finding success in such a way, they may not always be so lucky and they should be willing to spend money as needed.
With two of the four star shortstops coming into teams within the division, the Braves could’ve done a great thing by keeping Dansby Swanson around. However, the Phillies and the Mets splashed big and made major improvements while the Braves put themselves at a loss by not matching such massive signings.
Their options are limited now, but if they get an opportunity to sign big, they should certainly take it to keep up with the rapidly developing teams in the division.