The Atlanta Braves' lineup needs an exorcism. Okay, that may be extreme, but it is hard to argue with the fact that the Braves offense's performance on the field fell well short of expectations, at least on paper. From top to bottom, the lineup was consistently inconsistent, and a big reason was the lack of production from their right-handed hitters.
Ronald Acuña Jr. was banged up and incredibly streaky, Austin Riley was bad all season long, and the parade of righty left fielders Atlanta ran out there did nothing, essentially. As a result, adding a competent right-handed hitter somewhere in the field is almost mandatory for the Braves this offseason, and Randy Arozarena has been one of the most popular free-agent targets for Atlanta.
In theory, Arozarena would be great. He hits for power from the right side, is coming off a career year, and his willingness to draw walks limits any potential downside. However, if MLB insider Jim Bowden from The Athletic is right (and that is a big IF) about what Arozarena's next contract will be on the open market, the Braves may bow out of the bidding before it even starts.
Randy Arozarena may look like a perfect fit for the Braves, but his next contract probably won't be
Hitters who produce like Arozarena and who also have consistent 25+ home run power don't hit the market often, so the Braves would be foolish to completely ignore his free agency. Even in the event Arozarena receives the qualifying offer (which is very likely), Atlanta picking near the bottom of each round without any extra picks in 2027 makes the QO less of a deterrent than usual.
However, Alex Anthopoulos loathes long-term, high AAV contracts, and some of the few long-term deals he has given out (Austin Riley, Sean Murphy) have not turned out well. According to Bowden, he believes Arozarena could end up getting five years and $124 million as a free agent. If that is what Arozarena gets, it probably won't be from the Braves.
Now, that doesn’t mean Arozarena SHOULDN'T get paid that much. The fact is this free-agent market is brutally shallow, with hitters being in particularly low supply. Arozarena is coming off the best season of his career, and he did so while playing in a notoriously pitcher-friendly home ballpark. Arozarena's agent, Scott Boras, was always going to ask for the moon, and rightly so.
That said, it is hard to envision a world where the Braves would be involved. Giving up a draft pick to sign a guy with a qualifying offer is already a significant obstacle. At 32 years old on Opening Day 2027, Atlanta could probably be convinced to pursue Arozarena if he would take a shorter deal (maybe three years with a club option for a fourth) at a similar AAV. However, guaranteeing almost $25 million a year PLUS giving up a draft pick is likely to be a bridge too far.
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