It doesn't matter how long it's been: It is still a little strange to see Freddie Freeman play in Atlanta as a visitor. After becoming the face of the Atlanta Braves franchise, the superstar first baseman ultimately landed on the other side of the country and returned home to join the Los Angeles Dodgers in free agency three years ago.
This past weekend, the Braves lost two of three to Freeman and the Dodgers, and fans at Truist Park were reminded of how good they used to have it. While the Braves remain a good baseball team — they've gone 15-11 after an 0-7 start — considering their expectations, good is not good enough. Atlanta remains stuck in the mud, a clear cut below the NL's upper crust right now. That has fans feeling antsy, and they've directed much of that ire towards GM Alex Anthopoulos.
It's been a slow but steady slide since Atlanta captured the 2021 World Series, with Freeman's departure just the tip of the iceberg.
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1. Letting Max Fried walk
After winning it all back in 2021, the Braves quickly saw two of their franchise players sign elsewhere for more money. Freeman signed with the Dodgers, and shortstop Dansby Swanson landed with the Chicago Cubs a year later. Losing these two left tough holes to fill in the Atlanta clubhouse; surely, if the Braves were faced with this situation again, they would pay whatever it took to retain a valuable leader, right?
Despite heading into 2025 knowing that Spencer Strider would be out to start the year and veteran Charlie Morton was gone in free agecy, the Braves still let Max Fried walk. Fried's market got rich in a hurry, and he earned the massive pay day he got from the New YorK Yankees, but starting pitching was a need for Atlanta — and Anthopoulos refused to work on retaining Fried because he was more concerned about ducking the luxury tax.
Fried is having a great year (no surprise there) and the Braves still feel as if they are in scramble mode every fifth day trying to decide what their best options are to address the needs of the starting rotation. With what Fried had meant to the Braves franchise over the last several seasons, Anthopoulos should have handed the lefty a blank check and let him fill in the numbers to make sure he stayed in Atlanta.
2.Outfield experiments are getting old in Atlanta
It did not take the Braves long to realize that outfielder Jarred Kelenic just simply did not have what it takes to be an everyday player. During Kelenic's first spring training with Atlanta, Anthopoulos felt the need to add extra outfield depth in the form of Adam Duvall because he already knew that Kelenic would not give the team the production they needed.
Since then, the Braves have cycle through numerous options, each of whom have had the chance to earn a starting spot — but none of whom have proven to be good enough to become permanent presences on Brian Snitker's lineup card. The front office tried to finally address the corner outfield spot next to Michael Harris II and Ronald Acuña Jr. this offseason by signing Jurickson Profar, but that ended as poorly as possible once Profar tested positive for PEDs and was suspended for 80 games.
Currently Alex Verdugo and Eli White are playing well enough to get by, and one of them will soon be replace by Acuña Jr. shortly. But for Atlanta to be at their best, Anthopoulos has to quit hoping that reunions with old friends like Eddie Rosario will provide the same results as they did in 2021. Major trades or major signings are worth the risk right now.
3. Making no moves is a bad move
This past offseason was one of the worst in recent Braves history. Multiple beloved players walked in free agency, and literally the only major move Anthopoulos pulled off was adding Profar. Now that Profar is suspended (and cannot play in the postseason even if the Braves are lucky enough to make it), Braves fans can't help but wonder why Anthopoulos spent the majority this past offseason twiddling his thumbs.
If there is one thing Braves fans do not like, it is being lied to by their front office. Anthopoulos went into the winter saying that the luxury tax would not prevent Atlanta from making major moves. A few short months later, the GM was trying to downplay the severity of the club's needs, saying that they could be addressed internally to make sure money was being spent efficiently.
Here we are 33 games into the season, and the Braves could use an upgrade at shortstop. Another outfield bat would be a big boost to their lineup. The starting rotation is still depleted on the back-end and the bullpen is mediocre. But hey, Braves fans, it's okay! Anthopoulos saved money this winter!
If you ask Braves fans across the country, they would tell you it is time to see the benefits of all this saving. Anthopoulos has done a fantastic job overall since taking over in Atlanta, and fans have certainly praised him when he has been at his best. However, ever since Freddie Freeman left town, Anthopoulos has not been the same leader — and it is finally starting to cause frustration among the fan base.