NASHVILLE — The Braves haven’t shown serious interest in free agent Shohei Ohtani, and it doesn’t feel like they should be considered favorites to sign White Sox right-hander Dylan Cease via a trade.
But as the first day of the winter meetings ended Monday, there was still a feeling that Atlanta could take at least one more big step.
The Braves said they ended their search for a left fielder when they acquired Jarred Kelenic from the Mariners on Sunday night. It will now be interesting to see if they manage to add an experienced and controllable starter to their team.
Cease was certainly on the Braves’ radar, but it doesn’t feel like there’s a fit right now. In fact, it seems as if Atlanta’s interest and commitment has been exaggerated.
This doesn’t mean the Braves might not add a front-line starter to their rotation. Corbin Burnes and Tyler Glasnow are two of the best starters available that could be acquired via a trade. Or Alex Anthopoulos, the Braves’ president of baseball operations and GM, could continue his tradition of surprise acquisitions.
“I think the one thing I’ve stuck with — not always, but mostly — is that most of the things we do don’t leak,” Anthopoulos said. “The majority of people we’re interested in don’t lick.”
There was certainly no sign that Anthopoulos was preparing to accept the poor contracts of left-hander Marco Gonzales and underperforming infielder Evan White to sign Kelenic. But if Kelenic doesn’t show why he was MLB Pipeline’s No. 4 prospect until 2021, the Braves won’t have a problem with the financial cost they took to sign him.
Atlanta received $4.5 million from the Mariners. This will help pay Gonzales, who is due $12.25 million next year, and White, who is due $7 million in 2024 and $15 million over the next two seasons.
Gonzales could move on to another team and White, who hasn’t played in the majors since 2021, doesn’t necessarily seem like a fit. So the question is: Will the Braves save this cost through other trades?
If the Braves want to make a significant trade, they could utilize some of the pitching depth that was improved last year with the emergence of AJ Smith-Shawver and the arrival of Hurston Waldrep, two young arms who are both starting the season could Atlanta next year.
Or the Braves could try to move closer to designated hitter Marcell Ozuna — who is owed $18 million before his contract expires at the end of the 2024 season — or Raisel Iglesias, who is owed $16 million in each of the next two seasons. dollars are owed.
Ozuna bounced back this year with a 40-homer season. The Braves could hope for him to repeat his success. Or they could achieve high sales numbers and strengthen their pitching team. Iglesias is also a candidate for sale. He is a reliable and proven closer. But Reynaldo Lopez, Pierce Johnson, Joe Jiménez and AJ Minter all seem capable of filling that role.
The Braves bolstered their payroll with the additions of Gonzales and White. Some of their costs could be saved through future business. Another way to reduce the penalties that would arise if the luxury tax threshold was exceeded for the second consecutive year would be to move Ozuna or Iglesias.