Braves already favored to make one of next offseason's biggest mistakes

When the Atlanta Braves lost Dansby Swanson to the Chicago Cubs two winters ago, it was deemed an unfortunate, but necessary departure given his $177 million price tag. Swanson is from Georgia, and was a fan favorite. Unfortunately, that doesn't guarantee his status as a Brave for life. If anything, it inflates the price tag past Alex Anthopoulos's comfort zone.

Swanson's had his ups and downs in Chicago. The Cubs didn't make the postseason last year, and it doesn't look good for them in 2024, either. Swanson is a great clubhouse presence, deemed 'The Sheriff' for good reason. He kept the 2021 World Series champion Braves in line, and that was a roster which included Freddie Freeman, Ronald Acuña Jr. and more. Swanson has references.

Atlanta acquired Orlando Arcia to replace Swanson. Arcia made the NL All-Star team in 2023, but took a pretty big step back this season. In 105 games, Arcia is slashing just .227/.271/.370 with a well-below league average OPS of .641.

So, the question remains for Anthopoulos -- will he and the Braves seek an upgrade at the position this winter?

For more news and rumors, check out MLB Insider Robert Murray’s work on The Baseball Insiders, and join the discord to get the inside scoop between now and the MLB offseason.

Braves linked to a surprising offseason addition

Zachary Rymer of Bleacher Report believes Willy Adames is due a large contract this offseason. Rymer believes Adames could earn a contract similar to that of Javier Baez (not a great comparison) and Trevor Story. Baez and Story are considered "two-way shortstops" per Rymer, though the former has struggled mightily at the plate since signing with Detroit, while the latter can't seem to stay healthy. Rymer linked Adames to Atlanta, specifically.

Adames is a far superior option to Arcia so far this season, slashing .248/.331/.431 with a .762 OPS. While Adames surely deserves to get paid this winter, it'd be a surprise if Anthopoulos dished out that kind of money, especially with a Max Fried extension (hopefully) on the horizon. A more likely home for Adames would be the Los Angeles Dodgers, which he's been linked to at the trade deadline for the previous two seasons.

Yes, Anthopoulos and the Braves were in the market for a short-term upgrade over Arcia at the deadline, per reports. But there's a big difference between a rental infielder and a $140 million investment.