The success or failure of this offseason for the the Atlanta Braves could very well all come down to timing. With the presence of some really high profile (and very expensive) free agents like Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the market is moving very slowly while the league waits to figure out where those guys are going to sign. It is well-known that Alex Anthopoulos likes to strike early in the offseason, but that has proven easier said than done.
The good news is that the Braves have made some progress. Not only did they bring back some quality bullpen arms, but the signing of Reynoldo Lopez gives Atlanta a high ceiling arm that can help out of the bullpen and potentially their rotation as well although the latter could be tough to pull off in practice. With the Winter Meetings coming up really soon, though, the Braves need to figure out a way to make their move before the market goes wild.
Here are 3 moves that the Braves need to make before the Winter Meetings get started
The reality of this situation is that the Braves could easily not get to choose how the market behaves. Free agents and other teams are well aware of the freezing effect that Ohtani and others are having currently and forcing a move via overpaying isn't likely to work out well. However, the sooner the Braves can get their roster set going into 2024, the less likely it is that Atlanta could find themselves in bidding wars all over the place once those teams that lose out on the top guys start throwing their weight around trying to get consolation prizes.
These are a few of the moves that the Braves need to make before the first week of December when the Winter Meetings get cranked up.