Despite already having a splashy offseason, it seems the Atlanta Braves are far from content. The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal reported the Braves are among the teams chasing Milwaukee Brewers starter Freddy Peralta. It isn't the bottom of the rotation arm the Braves were expected to add, but an addition that would give Atlanta easily the most dominating rotation in the National League. The Braves aren't alone in their chase of Peralta; however, with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Boston Red Sox, New York Mets, and New York Yankees, all reportedly chasing the veteran starter as well.
This is understandable when you look at Peralta's career and understand that anytime the right-hander steps on the mound, he is going to give you a chance to win. For the Braves, it is a clear signal that last season's failures were more than just a slight wake-up call for a front office that has already been incredibly aggressive in improving its infield, bench, and bullpen concerns. Now, Peralta could prove to be the final piece that puts the Braves over the top and establishes them as clear World Series contenders.
Chasing Peralta shows an awareness from Atlanta's front office of the uphill battle ahead of them chasing the back-to-back World Series champion Dodgers. Being able to win the National League and contend with the dynastic Dodgers requires incredible spending and having an avenue to best the league's best lineup.
Braves Have One Obvious Goal Chasing Brewers Starter Freddy Peralta
Adding Peralta would all of a sudden give the Braves a potential rotation of Chris Sale, Spencer Strider, Spencer Schwellenbach, Peralta, and Hurston Waldrep. The trickle down of this is pushing both Grant Holmes and Reynaldo Lopez into the Atlanta pen. All of a sudden, Atlanta has a rotation at its best that no team in the league can match up against.
Added on top of this is a bullpen that is built for the postseason and can pick up the slack throughout the season, helping keep the rotation healthy. This move isn't about putting the Braves back in contention, but building a roster that can compete for a World Series and have a clear advantage over the Dodgers.
While Los Angeles might argue a better top three in their rotation, there is no debating that they can't touch Atlanta's depth or bullpen if Peralta is brought to Atlanta. This points to why there should be a sense of urgency to get the deal done and prevent the Dodgers from adding a player that would push the chase of the league's defending champs in the wrong direction. No question, the Braves chasing Peralta is a breathe or fresh air and speaks to a front office that is no longer content settling for simply contending but chasing another World Series run.