MLB Rumors: Grading the top-3 items on the Atlanta Braves offseason wish list

Adding veteran players to locker room

One thing that rival executives believe that the Braves are missing is key veteran players in the clubhouse.

Those same executives point to the impact that Evan Longoria and Tommy Pham have had on a young Diamondbacks team. Of course, those two situations are different. The Braves are a perennial contending team while the Diamondbacks were a fringe playoff team entering the regular season.

But the Braves, like the Diamondbacks, have a young roster. Having multiple veteran players could have helped the team navigate the Orlando Arcia situation, where he taunted Bryce Harper in the locker room, a lot better than they did. Because what should have been a non-story turned into a big story because of how the Braves handled that in the locker room.

It wasn’t why the team lost. The Phillies outplayed the Braves in every facet. But adding some veteran players to the locker room should be something the team actively pursues this winter. An underrated need.