It has been a slow, uneventful offseason for the Atlanta Braves and fans have quickly become impatient as franchise staples have departed without any moves to fill the void. However, it's not just Braves fans who have become dissatisfied with the direction the team has taken.
Most recently, ESPN's Jeff Passan, one of the biggest names among MLB Insiders published an article (for subscribers only) outlining the winners of the offseason. While certain Braves rivals received glowing praise, Atlanta got called out.
Jeff Passan calls on the Braves to do more this offseason
It would be disengenuous to say that Atlanta has done absolutely nothing this offseason – after all, the Braves aren't even in the bottom 20 in offseason spending – their only spending has been minor free agent signings and extensions rearranging contracts.
So far, the biggest offseason signing has been Bryan De La Cruz on a split contract. Their biggest acquisition has been a player they released. As Passan puts it, the team's offseason to-date has been "a recipe for fan exasperation".
To make matters worse for Braves fans starving for a move, both the Dodgers and Mets got shoutouts from ESPN's most respected insider as winners of the offseason for the Dodgers shrewd spending and for the Mets acquisition of Juan Soto. Both teams have spent hundreds of millions and set records in the process to improve their clubs while the Braves have only made minor transactions sporadically through the winter months.
Of course, there might be a reason for the slow offseason. As Ken Rosenthal pointed out today on the Foul Territory podcast, the Braves know they have Spencer Strider and Ronald Acuña Jr. coming back early in the season. The team would like to add another starter and outfielder, but they aren't going to force a move just to make one.
Because of these stars coming back, players aren't necessarily jumping at offers knowing they may be relegated into lesser roles once Acuña and Strider return. In theory, players who fit the team's needs will be more reluctant to sign once Spring Training is closer to starting.
With a little over a month before Spring Training, it is understandable that the Braves are just waiting for the right opportunity. However, when national insiders start calling you out for lack of action, it might be time to make at least one move of note.