Atlanta Braves roster challenges remain as payroll rises

The Atlanta Braves’ starting shortstop is …

As much as the Braves would like to have Swanson back, I don’t know how they accomplish that without moving Ozuna.

I understand that fans who don’t see Swanson’s value want the team to let him walk and make a splash on Trea Turner or Carlos Correa.

The same fans haven’t said how a team who can’t afford Swanson would find the money to pay Turner $28-$30M for six years or give Correa $25-$28M for eight years when he’ll play less than 140 games a year.

I can suggest theoretical trade candidates, but a quality player like Willy Adames may cost more than the Braves have in their system.

That’s a wrap

The Atlanta Braves moved swiftly to lock up their everyday core players, but the team could lose one of baseball’s top five shortstops with no in-house replacement.

The bench needs help, the DH didn’t hit, left field was a black hole on both sides of the ball, and one of the league’s strongest rotations fielded only one healthy starter when it mattered most.

GM Alex Anthopoulos has limited minor league capital and dwindling payroll room to fix these issues. Think of it as playing Monopoly when someone else owns Park Lane, Boardwalk, and the bank.