Trevor Bauer and the Dodgers pulled the switcheroo of the MLB offseason on Friday. It appeared that the reigning NL Cy Young Award winner was about to sign with the division rival Mets, but in the eleventh hour the Dodgers swooped in to steal him away. With this move the LA Dodgers have actually found a way to get better after winning the World Series last season. In fact, they are beginning to leave the rest of the National League in their dust.
So can the Braves keep pace, or at least make up some ground?
With a few more moves, they certainly can, but let’s start with what the team has done already.
The Atlanta Braves were frustratingly close to securing a trip to the World Series a season ago. General Manager Alex Anthopoulos was quick to address the most glaring need from the shortened 2020 season, the pitching rotation. The Braves signed veteran starters Charlie Morton (career 4.08 ERA in 258 starts) and Drew Smyly (4.13 ERA in 111 career starts). The infusion of veterans is fantastic for this staff. They pair with Max Fried, who has proved to be a true ace for this staff already, Ian Anderson, who appears to be an ace-in-the-making, and the imminent return of Mike Soroka. These moves are enough to turn what was an area that held the team back in 2020 into a bona fide strength.
I would certainly like to see them add more bullpen arms following the departure of Shane Greene and Mark Melancon because I doubt fans would be excited to see Luke Jackson thrust back into the closer role. Signing one, or both, of those guys back would certainly do the trick. If not one of them, there are plenty of proven relievers available on the open market that could be affordable. Last season was evidence enough of what a dominant bullpen can mean for a team.
These acquisitions could be enough to make a run for a fourth consecutive division title, but it doesn’t move the needle in the chase for a World Series. That is the point, right?
The rotation is solid. The bullpen should be fine. The lineup, which was among the best in baseball last season, needs attention – and no, Pablo Sandoval isn’t going to cut it. As it currently stands, the Braves will only have four outfielders on the roster after Ozuna and Duvall entered free agency. That means this offense is losing 122 hits, 34 home runs, and 89 RBIs. More importantly, the reigning MVP lost his back-end protection.
This team desperately needs to start adding bats back to this lineup. The other options on the market – George Springer, Michael Brantley, Joc Pederson, and D.J. Lemaheiu – are now off the table. Do you know who isn’t? The mixologist himself, Marcell Ozuna, is still there for the Braves. Many speculated that their interest hinged on the presence of the designated hitter in the National League, but I disagree. The Braves signed him to a one-year deal last season before the introduction of the DH and were prepared to make him the full-time left fielder. I don’t think this decision should be any different. He has proven to such a weapon on offense that his defense shouldn’t be enough of a liability to prohibit his signing.
Alex Anthopoulos should already know that Ozuna needs to be in a Braves’ uniform in 2021, but I would even take that a step further following Bauer’s move to the City of Angels. This team needs bats in any form they can get them. Having depth on offense beyond your starting lineup is critical.
Justin Turner is still on the market and was a critical piece in the Dodger’s run to the World Series. He could be a fantastic option to provide veteran leadership and a consistent bat. Jackie Bradley was the 2018 ALCS MVP for the Red Sox and he is still out there for someone to scoop up. The Braves could also make a trade to bolster the lineup. Rumors floated a few weeks ago about the prospect of bringing Trey Mancini’s big bat over from Baltimore and could be a logical option for the middle of the lineup.
There are plenty of options still on the table for Anthopoulos and the Braves. Liberty Media just needs to be prepared to step up to the plate and make the necessary moves to put this team in position to win. I think they’ve made some solid moves, but more should be on the way. For whatever reason, there seems to be trepidation in making the leap. This team has all the makings of a World Series-winning squad. Liberty Media needs to act like it.
Pitchers and catchers report on February 17th, so unless Liberty Media wants the Braves to be sitting on the couch watching another team win the final game of the season, they need to act and they need to act now.