So far, the Atlanta Braves have been pretty quiet this offseason in terms of impact additions to their roster. They started the offseason looking like they were ready to wheel and deal after they went to great pains to cull their payroll, but have since been unable to make many of the splashy moves that other clubs have successfully pulled off.
Now, a lot of the deals that have been handed out this offseason have been pretty significant overpays. Braves fans are right to be sad that Max Fried left in free agency, but it hard to look at the deal Fried signed with the Yankees and think that Atlanta should have been the one to throw that kind of money at him. Atlanta very clearly knows how much they want to pay for a given player and that discipline has served them well in recent years.
There is still a lot offseason left and history suggests that Alex Anthopoulos will end up putting together another stellar Braves roster heading into 2025. However, it is still fun to think about some of the moves from this offseason and wondering what this Braves team would look like if Atlanta had been the ones to make them.
Here are the moves this offseason we wish the Braves would have made
This is purely pie-in-the-sky thinking here with the benefit of hindsight. There are very good reasons why the Braves didn't do these moves at the time and even now. That said, here are some of the moves that it would have at least been fun to see the Braves make this offseason that are now no longer on the table.
Signing Shane Bieber (one year, $10 million with $16 million player option)
While Bieber has dealt with injuries in recent years, there is no denying the upside he possesses in the rotation. From 2019-2022, Bieber was among the best starters in baseball with a 2.91 ERA across 93 appearances and at $10 million for 2025 plus a pretty reasonable player option, Bieber's deal with the Guardians would have been a worthy gamble for Atlanta on the 29 year-old over say bringing back Charlie Morton and hoping he can fend off Father Time one more time for a similar amount of money.
Unfortunately, this option was probably never on the table for Atlanta. Bieber was a hot commodity and actually left more money on the table from the Red Sox and others in order to return to Cleveland.
Convincing the Cubs to trade Seiya Suzuki to the Braves
Trading for Suzuki is technically still possible as he hasn't been moved this offseason and he was floated as a trade candidate earlier. However, the chances that the Cubs move him now have gone out the window after Chicago sent Cody Bellinger to the Yankees.
Suzuki wouldn't have been a perfect fit for the Braves as they seem like they would prefer a lefty-hitting outfield bat, but the rest of his profile would have been pretty great. He is a consistent .280ish hitter with some pop who draws a bunch of walks. The strikeout rate isn't great and his defense leaves something to be desired, but having his bat in left field at a reasonable salary for two years would have made Atlanta better in 2025 and beyond.
Second home run in as many days for Seiya! 👏@suzuki_seiya_sb pic.twitter.com/9uHHlRSwmg
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) April 4, 2024
Braves trading for Garrett Crochet would have been a game-changer
This one stings as Crochet was the top starter available on the trade market and it was abundantly clear that the Braves coveted him greatly. Adding Crochet would have given Atlanta another front of the rotation starter with two years of team control and probably would have given the Braves the best rotation in baseball once Spencer Strider returns from injury.
Unfortunately, the Braves ended up being outbid by the Red Sox at the Winter Meetings after Boston fell short in the Juan Soto sweepstakes and needed to make a splash. That Atlanta was in the running late in the bidding for Crochet shows their willingness to make a big move this offseason, but they unfortunately fell short here.
Signing Juan Soto was never in the cards, but could have made the Braves even more of a dynasty
Okay look, the Braves were never serious suitors for Soto and they probably shouldn't have been. There is basically no way that Soto's $765 million deal with the Mets is going to age well as good as Soto is because, well, the number of massive nine figure deals that didn't end up turning into disasters is a very short list.
However, assuming a world where we don't care about money at all and only care about fielding the best possible team, it is fun to dream about Soto in a Braves uniform. He is arguably the best pure hitter in baseball and would slot right in the Braves' outfield alongside Michael Harris II and Ronald Acuna Jr. giving Atlanta one of the best outfields the league has seen period. Sitting out the bidding for Soto made all the sense in the world, but sometimes it is just nice to dream.