The holidays are fast approaching and the Atlanta Braves' offseason can probably best be described as keeping themselves busy, but nothing more than that. They have made a couple of trades, trimmed their roster and payroll, and made several minor depth moves, but the list of needs that they started the offseason with remains even after trading for RHP Davis Daniel on Friday.
As is customary with this front office led by Alex Anthopoulos, very little has come out as to what the Braves' plans are the rest of the way. However, we are getting more clues as to what the future holds based on how the market is developing and the options that remain available.
Had the Braves already addressed some needs, yesterday’s De La Cruz signing might not have been received as favorably as Kirk Cousins highlights. But there is still time to fill some big holes https://t.co/uQSZzvYLpP
— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) December 17, 2024
Potential Braves target Jurickson Profar reportedly wants at least a three year deal
The Braves have primarily been specifically connected to starting pitching this offseason, but the lineup could use some love, too. Upgrading at shortstop is a popular idea amongst fans and Atlanta did get involved in talks with Willy Adames, but Ronald Acuna Jr.'s recovery timeline has made adding more outfield depth a priority and one option that has been floated is free agent Jurickson Profar.
Profar put together the best season of his career with the Padres in 2024 with a 139 wRC+ and as a switch-hitter, he would give the Braves the lefty bat to play against opposing righties that they have desired. However, Profar's track record of performance beyond last season especially when it comes to getting on-base is iffy and now the word is that Profar is looking for at least a three year deal which could give Atlanta pause.
Former Brave Gio Urshela signs one year deal with the A's
When Austin Riley went down with a broken hand in August, the Braves were threatening to enter a downward spiral especially with all of the other injuries they were dealing with. In an effort to stop the bleeding, Atlanta went out and signing Gio Urshela who had just been released by the Tigers after posting a .619 OPS in 92 games with Detroit.
Few expected signing Urshela to work out as well as it did. In his short 32 game tenure with the Braves, Urshela gave them 1.0 rWAR thanks to some excellent defense and a solid .711 OPS. It isn't hyperbole to suggest that without Urshela, Atlanta wouldn't have made the playoffs last year. Urshela hit free agency with Riley set to return in 2025 and just landed a one year deal with the Athletics.
Max Kepler signs with the Phillies after previously being loosely connected to the Braves
On paper, Max Kepler fit what the Braves were looking for this offseason: a lefty hitting outfielder with power. The fit wasn't perfect as Kepler has struggled to stay on the field and his actual production has been inconsistent, but he could have served as, at minimum, a decent stopgap option in left field while Acuna Jr. got healthy again.
The bad news is that Kepler is no longer an option as he signed with the Phillies on a one year deal. However, the much better news is that the Phillies revealed after the signing that barring the unforeseen, the Phillies are done making big moves this offseason which is a massive win for the Braves as they seemingly have one less of their biggest rivals to keep pace with on the free agent and trade markets.