3 remaining free agents the Atlanta Braves have to sign, 2 they should avoid

An argument can be made that the Atlanta Braves have had the most disappointing offseason in the league. Sure, it's fair for them to expect injury luck to be better, and for some of their players to rebound following down years in 2024. It also was never likely that the Braves were going to entertain re-signing Max Fried. However, that doesn't excuse them for Bryan De La Cruz being their biggest addition in mid-January.

Chances are, Alex Anthopoulos will make moves to fortify needs on this roster, but, the longer he waits, the more likely it is that those moves will underwhelm.

Most of the big names are off the board, but several of the free agents still available would fit the Braves quite well. With that being said, not all of the remaining free agents are ones Anthopoulos should pursue. Here are some they should consider and others to avoid.

For more news and rumors, check out MLB Insider Robert Murray’s work on The Baseball Insiders podcast, subscribe to The Moonshot, our weekly MLB newsletter, and join the discord to get the inside scoop during the MLB offseason.

5) Tanner Scott can help the Braves build the best rotation in all of baseball

Most fans point to Atlanta's lineup (when healthy) and rotation as the biggest strengths of the team, and understandably so, but their bullpen is as good as it gets. The Braves' bullpen ranked third in the majors last season with a 3.32 ERA. Imagine adding a reliever as good as Tanner Scott to that.

Scott has been one of the best relievers in all of baseball the last two seasons, following up his impressive 2.31 ERA campaign in 2023 by posting a 1.75 ERA in 72 regular season appearances and looking nothing short of dominant against these Braves and the Los Angeles Dodgers in October.

The Braves have one of the best closers in the league in Raisel Iglesias, so imagine how fun it'd be to pair him with someone as good, if not better, who throws from the left side in Scott. Plus, with Iglesias set to hit free agency after the 2025 season, Scott can potentially be his successor in the closer role.

It has always felt unlikely that the Braves would consider an expensive long-term deal with a reliever, but the longer Scott remains on the open market, the more likely it is that he'd consider something shorter-term. The Braves have been linked to him, and could steal him from potential NL rivals. It makes too much sense if they can limit the length of the deal.

4) Max Scherzer's best days are well behind him

It's easy to see the upside with a Max Scherzer signing. He's a three-time Cy Young Award winner, an eight-time All-Star, and one of the best pitchers of this generation. Plus, he's had all kinds of success in the NL East dating back to his days with the Washington Nationals.

As fun as it'd be to add someone with Scherzer's pedigree to this stacked rotation, it feels like a disaster waiting to happen. First and foremost, durability is a major concern, which already makes him an iffy fit for a Braves rotation with some injury woes to consider. Scherzer has not made 30 starts in a season or thrown enough innings to qualify for an ERA title (162) since 2021. He has not eclipsed 30 starts since 2018.

He's coming off a season that saw him make just nine starts with the Texas Rangers, posting a 3.95 ERA in 43.1 innings of work. The season before that saw him post a 4.01 ERA in 19 starts.

Will Scherzer really find a way to stay healthier as a 40-year-old? He might make more than nine starts, but it's tough to rely on him to even make 20 at this point. That clear cause for concern combined with his massive dip in strikeouts this past season (22.6 percent K rate, lowest since 2011) is enough for Atlanta to stay away, even on a one-year deal.

3) Anthony Santander might be pricing himself to Atlanta

Entering the offseason, Anthony Santander never felt like a realistic Braves option. Not only did he have the qualifying offer attached, but he was looking at a long-term deal worth a lot of money, and deservingly so. While Santander still has the qualifying offer attached, he is reportedly open to taking a short-term pact with a higher AAV. That should make him an option for Atlanta.

The Braves need an outfielder. Not only has Jarred Kelenic failed to establish himself as a regular, but Ronald Acuña Jr. isn't expected to be ready for at least the first month of the regular season. Rather than starting Bryan De La Cruz or Eli White regularly in the outfield, the Braves should start Santander there alongside Kelenic, and then shift Kelenic to a bench role when Acuña comes back.

Santander might not get on base as much as teams would want and might not be the best defender, but he hit 44 home runs this past season. He has averaged 35 home runs and 95 RBI over the last three seasons, and that's with him having to deal with the monstrosity that was the left field wall in Camden Yards when he hit right-handed at home games.

Atlanta's offense took a massive dip last season. Adding Santander to a lineup that should be healthier and have some players revert back to career norms would make it terrifying to face. Having to forfeit a draft pick would be annoying, but if the Braves want to win the World Series, this is a player who'd make them considerably better. Assuming a short-term deal is on the table, this Braves team that has already cleared a ton of money this offseason should be all over Santander.

2) The Braves should not consider a Kenley Jansen reunion

Kenley Jansen spent the 2022 season with the Braves and was a nice fit as the team's closer. He even led the National League with 41 saves and 54 games finished that year. While he's still a solid reliever, the Braves should avoid bringing him back.

First and foremost, Jansen's strikeout rate continues to plummet. His 28.4 percent K rate was higher than his mark in 2023, but it was still the second-lowest of his career. Jansen also, alarmingly, ranked in the 11th percentile in average exit velocity and the fourth percentile in barrel rate. He's allowing the opposition to hit the ball harder than they ever have against him, and is not getting the same amount of whiffs he once did.

The right-hander is going to ask for a fairly substantial amount of money since he is still a solid reliever, but he's also now 37 years old and in a slight but very real decline. Should the Braves want to be the team to pay him that money, especially when other relievers like Scott, David Robertson, Kirby Yates, and Carlos Estevez (to name a few) are available? Probably not.

Adding to the rotation is arguably priority No. 1 for the Braves right now. Chris Sale, Reynaldo Lopez, and Spencer Schwellenbach are locked in, but with Spencer Strider expected to begin the year on the sidelines, two of Grant Holmes, Ian Anderson, AJ Smith-Shawver, Hurston Waldrep, and Bryce Elder would round out the rotation if the season started today. That, for a team trying to win a World Series, is not good enough.

1) Jack Flaherty is a no-brainer signing for the Braves to make

Much like Santander, Jack Flaherty felt like an afterthought for the Braves. I mean, if Atlanta wasn't going to give Fried a lucrative long-term deal, what made anyone think they'd do that for Flaherty? While the Braves almost certainly won't consider inking Flaherty on a long-term deal, they might not have to in order to get him.

Flaherty, like Santander, reportedly might be open to a short-term deal with a high AAV and some opt-outs. If that's the case it's a no-brainer for the Braves to get this done, especially with Flaherty not having the qualifying offer attached.

Can you imagine a rotation consisting of, when healthy, Strider, Sale, Lopez, Flaherty, and Schwellenbach? Especially with Atlanta's offense and bullpen taking into account. This would not only make them the clear favorites to win the NL East, but they'd have a very legitimate shot against the Dodgers in a playoff series. The Braves should have money to spend, and a short-term deal mitigates the risk for an All-Star talent. Get it done, Alex.

feed

Home/Atlanta Braves