The Atlanta Braves have not gotten off to the start most had expected them to and as they near the quarter-mark of the season they remain below .500.
There's been no shortage of problems, some you expect to solve themselves, and other it will be up to Alex Anthopolous to fix.
As we've seen in seasons past, Anthopoulos isn't shy about pulling the trigger ahead of the trade deadline or in the offseason to shore up some of the teams' issues. But he's always been doing so with one hand tied behind his back.
USA Today MLB columnist Gabe Lacques discusses Alex Anthopoulos' freedom to make the moves that he wants and how much Liberty Media is holding back his ability to put the Braves over the top.
"Back in the day they were an upper-middle class team, they were never going to spend like the Yankees," explains Gabe Lacques. "But you get the sense every December or January that Anthopoulos goes to ownership with hat-in-hand, 'may I please have one more serving,' and gathers up an Ozuna from the seat cushion."
"Why not be the aggressor," questions Lacques. "It does make you wonder what could've been if they had gone a little more expensive, a little more brashly. You knew this team was ready to win and they're getting what they paid for right now."
To hear all of Gabe Lacques' comments on the Braves, click here.