Atlanta Braves Remain Quiet After Blockbuster Trade
By Kit Anderson
The Atlanta Braves off-season has been very quiet aside from one blockbuster trade as the Braves ridded themselves of Matt Kemp’s massive contract and less than useful left field numbers. Now the Braves are in a position where they may pursue another blockbuster or stay content with their current roster.
Rumors surrounding the Atlanta Braves and another blockbuster trade have been swirling surrounding the Marlins and Christian Yelich. Aside from those rumors there has been little done this off-season by the new Braves regime.
After moving on from Matt Kemp the Braves have opted to take a quiet approach to the off-season neither adding nor subtracting big pieces aside from Kemp. The fact that they are yet to improve their pitching or offense by much points to another losing season.
Taking Yelich or a top pitcher and adding them to the team would make the Braves wild-card contenders dependent on the player. If the Braves don’t make any more moves they will be in for another season of struggles as they continue to put the rebuild behind them.
Freddie Freeman will again lack the protection of a power hitter behind him with no clear threat in the lineup besides Freeman. Coming off of a career year Tyler Flowers could look like a tempting fourth place hitter but it is hard to see Flowers batting clean up for an extended period of time.
If the Braves were to fine one of their young hittters that is capable of slotting into the fourth spot it would likely be Ronald Acuna or Dansby Swanson both players that should start and take steps forward on offense in the 2018 season.
The Braves are a team that has more questions than they do answers on a roster that is filled with promising youth. But even with all their up-and-coming talent if the Braves hope to improve in 2018 they first are going to have to start making more noise in the 2018 off-season.