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It’s time for the Atlanta Braves to go big and get greedy

By Alan Carpenter

ATLANTA, GEORGIA - SEPTEMBER 17: Josh Donaldson #20 of the Atlanta Braves fails to come up with this single hit by Bryce Harper #3 of the Philadelphia Phillies in the fourth inning at SunTrust Park on September 17, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - SEPTEMBER 17: Josh Donaldson #20 of the Atlanta Braves fails to come up with this single hit by Bryce Harper #3 of the Philadelphia Phillies in the fourth inning at SunTrust Park on September 17, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /
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Atlanta Braves
ATLANTA, GA – OCTOBER 07: Freddie Freeman #5 of the Atlanta Braves reacts after hitting a solo home run on October 7, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Scott Cunningham/Getty Images) /

How bold do you want to go? Is it better to have a sustained contention period or to crush the opposition for the next 2-3 years with a real shot at a World Series title?

Major League Baseball consists of a collection of 30 teams that are aimed in 2 distinct directions. The Atlanta Braves are heading in the ‘contention’ direction while in maybe the only division having 4 such clubs.

So in truth, the sport isn’t about trying to beat the other 29 teams… it’s more about beating the 10-12 that are really trying to win.

In the East, the Marlins are clearly not ready to compete. The Mets probably are, but their tactics make that debatable.

In the Central, the Cubs, Cards, and Brewers are a lot closer to having ‘regrouping’ years while the Reds are the only ones actually making noises there.  It will be messy.

Out West… it’s still just the Dodgers, really. Arizona and San Diego are trying… but not there yet.

That’s maybe 5 or 6 truly competitive teams in the NL out of 15. So why wouldn’t you ‘go for it’?

The competitive window is wide open. The kids are growing up. Freddie Freeman deserves a ring. It’s time to add. So let’s figure out how Atlanta can do that… and still be able to pay it.

With that in mind, here are 3 specific moves in mind to put the Braves into a position to crush the NL over the next 3 years.

Two Trades, One Signing

The signing is not going to shock anyone: Josh Donaldson.

Right now, it’s a waiting game, but Alex Anthopoulos has made it his mission to be the proactive force this Fall by signing an expensive – though premium – bullpen.

Why are we then stalling on the best offensive producer remaining on the market?

The best guess right now is that the Braves do not currently have the best offer on the table… perhaps he’d already be signed back to Atlanta.

It could be that all parties involved are waiting for ‘best and final’ offers and that the Braves will have the right of last refusal on that best offer.

But seriously: what are we doing here? It’s about 4 years at ____ million dollars apiece, right?

Atlanta gave Donaldson $23 million last year. He was worth that, even with a ‘slow’ start. Frankly, even if you only get 3 great years out of him, you’d get you need on a 4-year pact.

So let’s be that proactive team again: add the extra million or so to be the separator for 4 years and let’s get this done.  It’s important to insure that this club is the offensive juggernaut that they will need to be come playoff time.

This isn’t about 162 games… it’s about the next 11 wins after that.  So let’s do more…

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