The Atlanta Braves benefited from some outside help in 2021 that won’t be back. But which ones should they pursue in free agency?
It’s natural after a team wins a championship to want to run it back with the same group, but rarely does that ever happen. And it’s even rarer for that to be a smart move.
Re-signing or extending a player that really isn’t going to be part of your future just because they helped you win a World Series can do more damage than good.
Alex Anthopoulos doesn’t seem like someone who is going to do that — I mean, the guy is even struggling to re-sign Freddie Freeman.
But there are some impending free agents for the Atlanta Braves who I would like to see them bring back if they can afford them.
List of Braves’ Impending Free Agents
Freddie Freeman
Drew Smyly
Jorge Soler
Eddie Rosario
Chris Martin
Joc Pederson
Stephen Vogt
Jeff Mathis
Ehire Adrianza
Josh Tomlin
Grant Dayton
Sean Kazmar
Edgar Santana
Jesse Chavez
Ryan Goins
Let’s start with the obvious, I almost even forgot he’s a free agent because I just refuse to believe the Braves won’t bring him back, but Freddie Freeman has to be resigned — whatever the cost.
I know I just said signing a veteran to a long-term deal just because they helped you win a World Series can be bad business, but this is different.
Freddie Freeman is the face of this franchise and you would turn off an entire fanbase by not bringing him back.
Thanks for those big innings in the NLCS, but Smyly isn’t coming back.
I can say the same for Jeff Mathis, Josh Tomlin, Grant Dayton, Sean Kazmar, Edgar Santana, and Ryan Goins.
Bringing back Jesse Chavez or Ehire Adrianza on small deals as depth could make sense, but isn’t necessary if better options are out there — or are there internally.
Chris Martin has done some good things in a Braves uniform, but I’m done with him at this point.
We saw how important depth is at catcher, so bringing back Vogt on a small one-year deal — possibly even a minors deal — would work.
Then comes the three outfielders in Soler, Rosario, and Pederson.
I honestly wouldn’t mind bringing all of them back, so I’ll rank them in terms of who I want back the most.
Third — Joc Pederson: While he certainly brought the flair and spark to this team that it desperately needed, he honestly wasn’t great on the field in the final month or so.
I do love having him for the postseason where he had some big moments early on, but I’m not sure that will be worth what he might get/want in free agency.
Second — Jorge Soler: The World Series MVP was a completely different player in Atlanta, which makes me wonder just want type of player would we get going forward?
And with the DH coming, I really think he’s priced himself out of a range I’m comfortable going.
Again, I love Soler — I love all three of these guys — but I do wonder exactly what type of player he is.
First, Rosario: I really wanted Rosario last offseason to replace Ozuna and wish we would have gotten him then. Some may not realize he just turned 30 and had four straight seasons with a wRC+ over 100 from 2017-2020, including a 3.4 WAR season in 2018.
I love the left-handed pop, which the lineup desperately needed/needs more of and his 14.7 K% over the last three years.
Like Soler, he may have outpriced himself with a big postseason, but I wouldn’t mind having him back on a two or three-year deal for around $12 million a year.
If I had to pick three, it would be Freddie, Soler, and Rosario. It will likely be Freddie, Vogt, and Chavez. But let me know who you’d like to see them bring back in the comments below.