ATLANTA — As Braves president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos met with media members on the Normal Managers’ Conferences in Las Vegas on Tuesday, he was requested about how some latest occasion developments would possibly affect how the group addresses its offseason wants.
1. Even with the choice to not train choices for Pierce Johnson and Tyler Kinley, do you anticipate prioritizing your different wants (beginning pitcher and shortstop) forward of rebuilding the pen?
This one drew a really quick response from Anthopoulos, who merely stated, “I might say beginning pitcher and shortstop are what we’re spending essentially the most time on proper now.”
This was the anticipated reply. It’s additionally one which appears to point the Braves may very well be within the combine for some prime free brokers this winter. Yeah, the bullpen wants a complete reconstruction. Nearer Raisel Iglesias is a free agent and there’s nonetheless some uncertainty about Joe Jiménez, who hasn’t pitched since present process knee surgical procedure in Oct. 2024.
Requested Tuesday if there are any lingering issues about Jiménez, Anthopoulos stated, “We’ll see as we get nearer to Spring [Training]. We’ll know extra in January.”
If the season began right now, Dylan Lee may be the Braves’ nearer. However that doesn’t imply the Braves ought to have exercised Johnson’s $7 million choice or Kinley’s $5.5 million choice. In the event that they imagine they will discover related manufacturing at a less expensive price and use the financial savings to land a top-notch beginning pitcher and high-value shortstop, then this will likely be a call that may very well be praised all through the 2026 season.
Is it a threat? Positive, particularly with the bullpen at the moment being barren. But it surely’s additionally a threat to disregard the volatility of relievers. Anthopoulos was the one who was prepared to take an opportunity on each Johnson and Kinley once they have been fighting the Rockies.
So, perhaps he’ll achieve success in his seek for their replacements. However with beginning pitchers and shortstops being the present precedence, then Braves followers can hold their deal with how the gained monetary flexibility will likely be utilized.
The next weeks will present a greater concept of whether or not a prime beginning pitcher like Dylan Stop or a prime infielder like Ha-Seong Kim or Bo Bichette are lifelike prospects for Atlanta.
There are a whole lot of uncertainties for now. But it surely actually appears like this previous season has solely motivated Anthopoulos’ try to hold the Braves amongst baseball’s elite groups.
2. Do you anticipate being a top-five payroll in 2026?
This was in response to Braves Chairman Terry McGuirk not too long ago telling Braves Holdings LLC shareholders his objective is for the group to have certainly one of MLB’s prime 5 payrolls in 2026. Not realizing precisely how different groups will spend, this may be an unknown goal.
And, it’s not whether or not you find yourself having a $250 million payroll. It’s all about the way you spend that approximate $250 million.
It appears secure to say the Braves have no less than $50 million to spend this season. However for now Anthopoulos has zero curiosity in even making an attempt to reply payroll questions.
“Proper now, we’re simply so targeted on addressing wants,” Anthopoulos stated. “We’ll simply see the place that finally ends up.”
3. Do you envision many alternative gamers filling the designated hitter spot subsequent yr?
Whereas Marcell Ozuna served strictly because the designated hitter over the previous few years, the Braves didn’t even have the choice to often “relaxation” a few of their key gamers by placing them on this function.
With Ozuna now a free agent, does it make sense to have a special strategy with this function? Sean Murphy and Drake Baldwin may fill the spot when not catching. Or, Matt Olson, Ronald Acuña Jr. and each different projected place participant may very well be used because the DH.
Or, is Anthopoulos going to shock everybody by pursuing Kyle Schwarber or Pete Alonso to be the DH? He’s been recognized to shock every now and then. However this may be an actual shock.
“We haven’t closed the door on guys like Ozuna, however we simply don’t know,” Anthopoulos stated. “We’ll see what alternatives current themselves within the winter. If somebody who’s a pure DH is the fitting transfer, we’ll make it. However proper now, we’re not dedicated to something.”
