What Atlanta Braves could have done differently this offseason

What could they have done in the OF

We’ll stick with the signings and trades that did happen and try to see how AA could have better spent that $66 million this offseason to fill the four needs listed above.

Let’s first start by saying even though the bullpen moves weren’t necessary, they are great signings. But in hindsight, I’d probably do just the Smith and O’Day signings.

I love Chris Martin, but that $7 million for 2020 could have been better spent somewhere else.

Now I’m going to say I have $73 million to spend.

Let’s start in the outfield where there really weren’t a lot of great free agent options. For those that were out there, Atlanta probably got the best deal with Ozuna.

But had Atlanta gone the trade route, I think they could have done much better.

Maybe the best move of the offseason no one is talking about is the trade for Tommy Pham.

The Padres got Tommy Pham and a solid prospect in Jake Cronenworth for Hunter Renfroe, Xavier Edwards, and a player to be named later.

Pham is a 3-4 WAR player who is under team control for two more seasons and will make just shy of $8 million in 2020.

He doesn’t quite have the power of Ozuna, but he’s an on-base machine and will cost $10 million less in 2020.

I think Atlanta could have gotten Pham for a package of Kyle Wright, Adam Duvall, and a low-level guy with upside.

They could have also traded for Starling Marte who is also a regular 3-4 WAR player and will cost just $11.5 million in 2020. It would have taken a package consisting of Kyle Muller and Jasseel De La Cruz.

But let’s say the move was for Pham. Now we’ve filled the left field vacancy for $8 million and adding that up with the signings for Smith and O’Day we’ve spent $23.25 million towards the 2020 payroll.

That leaves us around $50 million to play with.