Stubborn Alex Anthopoulos could hold the Braves back this offseason

We have seen it before, so we may see it again. While the rest of baseball seems to be in hot pursuit of any number of marquee free agents, the Atlanta Braves are sitting there patiently, hoping that general manager Alex Anthopoulos can do enough to make this team better. Although Atlanta did make the postseason last year, the Braves did not win the division and were out after two games.

All signs point to Atlanta's All-Star lefthander Max Fried walking in free agency. He would be the third homegrown product to walk after his contract year since winning the 2021 World Series. Unfortunately for the Braves, Fried has shown less interest in returning to Atlanta than Freddie Freeman and Dansby Swanson showed previously. Atlanta has holes to fill, especially in the rotation.

While I trust that he will figure it out, as illustrated by how great the Chris Sale trade was and so was the Reynaldo Lopez move, there is one thing I saw in Mark Bowman's Winter Meetings preview post for MLB.com. Bowman wrote that he believes right-handed pitching prospect Hurston Waldrep to be untouchable. I am in the minority here, but prospects do virtually nothing for me in my Braves fandom.

Atlanta does not have the deepest farm system, but they need to use it to help them getting better.

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Atlanta Braves may see Hurston Waldrep as an untouchable prospect

I understand that the Braves will probably be better offensively next season than this past year. Their collective approach at the plate was largely unsatisfactory, culminating in hitting coach Kevin Seitzer being let go in favor of poaching Tim Hyers away from Texas. However, the bullpen needs some recalibration, as well as the starting rotation being rounded out with Fried and Charlie Morton in flux.

The idea is Atlanta's rotation next year will be built around Sale, Lopez and Spencer Schwellenbach with Spencer Strider coming back at some point after suffering a season-ending elbow injury back in April. Morton may return, but he is way past his prime in his early 40s. Atlanta can afford to pay Fried, but may need a shrinking market to dry up his opportunities to be had outside of Braves Country.

In short, being beholden to any top prospect in a weak farm system is the surest way to sell your contending franchise short. Maybe, just maybe, guys like Waldrep and AJ Smith-Shawver live up to the hype. I understand that Ian Anderson is just about back from Tommy John surgery as well. I just cannot get behind Anthopoulos trying to nickel and dime free agents when you work for a contender.

The Battery is a cash cow and it would be a shame if Atlanta became decadent like it had been before.