Braves' latest offseason blunder has nothing to do with roster construction

Not going to lie, it has been a painfully frustrating 12 months to be a fan of the Atlanta Braves. This team went from having a record-setting regular season two years ago, to barely qualifying for the MLB postseason last season. Yes, the team was snakebitten by injuries, but the combination of that and general manager Alex Anthopoulos twiddling his thumbs is not sitting well with Braves Country.

To truly add insult to injury, the Braves had the audacity to tweet out that their annual Braves Fest would be canceled ahead of the 2025 MLB season. This is because the Braves could not find a suitable location to have it while The Battery gets ready to host the All-Star Game next July. I understand that could limit some options in The Battery, but this is so crushing for their fanbase.

Just down the hill on 41 is the Cobb Galleria, which is literally meant to host conventions. There is also the Georgia World Congress Center downtown by Mercedes-Benz Stadium and State Farm Arena. Of course, that would require the Braves to go back to the city they left behind nearly a decade ago. Again, any bit of foresight and planning could have made all of this a possibility, but here we are...

Very rarely do you see the Braves account on X get ratio-ed by its fanbase, but today was the day!

Liberty Media has given Anthopoulos the green light to be a big spender, but nothing has happened.

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Atlanta Braves won't be holding Braves Fest this year for various reasons

Look. I don't want to write this article, but I feel compelled to explain what is going on because the rest of the baseball world does not care about this team. It has always been us vs. them. I will ride and die with this team no matter what. That being said, I have invested enough of my time and livelihood into this franchise to push back on things they are or are not doing when I feel somewhat inclined to.

This is not Atlanta's team, Georgia's team or even the Southeast's team. This is America's Team. People tend to forget just how massive this fanbase is dating back to decades of owning the TBS Superstation. You could be anywhere in the country and could watch the Braves every evening. It is why cities like Birmingham, Charlotte, Jacksonville and Nashville still have strong ties to the franchise.

Again, fan fests are not for me. I am not about to freeze my ass off sober in front of a bunch of out-of-towners mere minutes from my childhood home. However, this is not about me, and I feel for the little boys and girls who wanted nothing more than to get a photo op with Austin Riley. I remember getting a photo with the late Phil Niekro during the last All-Star Game in Atlanta. 2000 was a long time ago.

The minute this team turns its back on its rabid nationwide fanbase is the moment the rebuild starts...