Galling payroll stat shows just how embarrassing this offseason has been for Alex Anthopoulos

It has been a remarkably quiet offseason for the Atlanta Braves.

Not long ago, Alex Anthopoulos was vowing to operate with increased aggression to get Atlanta back on track. The 2024 campaign was a major disappointment. Most of the issues were beyond the Braves' control — not much can be done about endless injuries and fluky slumps — but even so, Anthopoulos has never been under more pressure to improve his roster.

Rather than delivering results, however, Anthopoulos has let prime opportunities slip through his fingers while the Braves' roster deteriorates. There is no denying the abundance of talent on Atlanta's payroll, and it's hard to earnestly criticize such an accomplished GM. That said, results are results, and Anthopoulos is not performing up to par.

Atlanta sat idly while Max Fried and Charlie Morton found new homes in the northeast. The impending returns of Spencer Strider and Ronald Acuña will do more good than any free agent the Braves can sign, but neither is cleared to play yet. The Braves' current projected Opening Day rotation — Chris Sale, Reynaldo Lopez, Spencer Schwellenbach, Grant Holmes, Ian Anderson — is rather dire.

Depth is going to be an issue for this team, unless Anthopoulos can pull a rabbit out of his hat. Worst of all, there's a pretty clear theme to Atlanta's offseason. The Braves are saving money, and lots of it.

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Braves' plummeting payroll is biggest indictment yet of rotten Alex Anthopoulos offseason

Atlanta has thus far enjoyed the second-largest decrease in payroll of any MLB team this winter. The Braves' books are currently $71.1 million lighter than they were a year ago. That is utterly confounding. Obviously, losing Fried and Morton takes a lot of money off the books, but for Atlanta to so blatantly cut costs while its NL rivals stockpile weapons... that's galling. Fans are justifiably upset.

The Braves are recent World Series champs with a roster full of stars in their prime. This is a team built to win now. Rather than coasting on his laurels, Anthopoulos needs to operate with more urgency in the aftermath of such a disastrous 2024 campaign. Better luck should improve Atlanta's 2025 record, but letting depth leak away is a bad strategy when your team knows the looming threat of injuries all too well.

So far, the only team to shed more salary compared to last season is the New York Mets, who signed Juan Soto to the largest contract in MLB history and are still negotiating with the likes of Pete Alonso. They get a pass. The Braves, not so much.

Atlanta still has the firepower to contend in the cutthroat NL East, but this team looks worse on paper than it was last season. Health should be more favorable to Atlanta this time around, but the Dodgers, Phillies, Diamondbacks, and Mets have all made high-profile additions. The Braves' inability, or perhaps unwillingness, to upgrade the roster is troubling. Heck, forget upgrading. Atlanta just needs to fill the new holes that cropped up this winter. So far, Anthopoulos has not cleared the lowest of bars for a supposedly contending front office.

Here's to hoping there is more on the horizon. Anthopoulos needs to get busy.