Watching the World Series should’ve been motivation enough for Liberty Media to open its wallet for the Atlanta Braves. All Atlanta sports jokes aside, the Braves did indeed blow a 3-1 lead, and that fate for the Braves could’ve been well avoided if they would’ve had one more starting pitcher that could have started in Game 5 of the National League Championship Series.
Now, yes you can make the argument that Liberty Media did give general manager Alex Anthopolous the resources to fix the starting rotation, and the Braves were just riddled with injuries. Braves’ ace and all-star Mike Soroka tore his Achilles and was out for the year. Yes, Cole Hamels was only able to make one start due to injuries. But was a now 36-year-old pitcher in Cole Hamels, who turned out to be a waste of $18 million really an answer?
Nick Kayal doesn’t think so. And with the assumption that Cole Hamels will not be back next year he believes the Braves should fill that rotation spot with free agent pitcher Marcus Stroman.
Stroman put up a 3.77 ERA with 60 strikeouts and 23 walks in 59 2/3 innings pitched this past season with the Mets in 11 games. Nick spoke with RADIO.COM and MLB Network insider Jon Heyman during his show today. Heyman says he likes Stroman and he is a “middle of the road starting pitcher.” However Nick doesn’t think the Braves offseason spending stops with signing a big name free-agent pitcher. He also thinks the ideal Braves’ offseason includes re-signing Marcell Ozuna.
Ozuna put up monster numbers for the Braves this season, was in serious contention for the triple crown, and brought a fun-loving energy and intensity to the Braves’ clubhouse this season. In a shortened sixty game season Ozuna finished the regular season with a .338 batting average, and led major league baseball with eighteen home-runs and fifty six RBI’s. However, Marcell’s monster season did not stop there, in the postseason Ozuna had three home-runs and eleven RBI’s for the Braves. Nick says he would give Liberty Media and Alex Anthopolous both “two thumbs up” if they re-sign Marcell Ozuna, and sign a big name free-agent pitcher this offseason. Also, if you’re wondering yes, with Nick Markakis, Cole Hamels, and Ozuna coming off the books this offseason the Braves and Liberty media have enough money to do both.
Nick boiled it down perfectly in his show today, the now World Series Champion Dodgers are in the number two market in the country in Los Angeles, and they have the number two payroll in the league. That makes sense, but what doesn’t make sense is how Atlanta is the number ten market in the country, but the Braves payroll is only the thirteenth highest in the league. “Scared money don’t make money” as Nick Kayal says, and if Liberty Media wants to continue to make money off the Atlanta Braves they need to spend money to get this team over the hump.