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Four Areas The Atlanta Braves Can Improve Through Free Agency

By Deke Lloyd

KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - SEPTEMBER 25: Billy Hamilton #9, Ozzie Albies #1 and Dansby Swanson #7 of the Atlanta Braves smile after scoring on a double by Josh Donaldson #20 during the 8th inning of the game against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium on September 25, 2019 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - SEPTEMBER 25: Billy Hamilton #9, Ozzie Albies #1 and Dansby Swanson #7 of the Atlanta Braves smile after scoring on a double by Josh Donaldson #20 during the 8th inning of the game against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium on September 25, 2019 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /
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Atlanta Braves
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – JUNE 25: Anthony Swarzak #38 of the Atlanta Braves pitches against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on June 25, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. The Braves defeated the Cubs 3-2. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) /

2. Relief Pitching

The Braves bullpen will be a lot better shape going into next season than they were coming into this past season. The midseason acquisitions Shane Greene and Mark Melancon will remain with the team going into next season. Chris Martin, however, will be hitting free agency after being traded to the Braves during the season.

There will be some good pitchers on the market when free agency kicks off, not as many as the starters, but some very serviceable guys. The guy everyone Braves fan will want this offseason, including me, is Will Smith. Smith, the San Francisco Giants closer this past season, is a name that was heavily floated around during the trade deadline as an option to bolster the Braves bullpen, but the deal never happened. Now, as a free agent, the Braves are welcome to take a run at adding Smith to the bullpen.

Other options include Chris Martin, Drew Pomeranz, Brad Brach, and many others. If the Braves are looking for bullpen help, it’s out there. After the debacle of A.J. Minter and Luke Jackson last season, I expect the Braves to invest into the bullpen this offseason. Remember, it was the bullpen that cost the Braves so dearly in the postseason against the Cardinals.

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