6 moves that are proof the Braves have been busy this offseason
Don't sound the alarm bells just yet. The Braves have made significant progress to improve their team for the 2024 season.
The Atlanta Braves haven't made the "big splash" during the current offseason and it's left some under the impression that the team has done "nothing" to improve the team. It's certainly an interesting take because Atlanta has been anything but inactive.
Almost immediately after the last out was made in the 2023 World Series, Alex Anthopoulos jumped to securing talent for the 2024 Atlanta Braves. Yes, I understand the frustration of not landing top free agents like Aaron Nola and Sonny Gray but that certainly doesn't mean the team has done "nothing".
Don't believe me? Let's look into a few reasons why that is antithetical to the truth.
Braves bring back key relievers
Pierce Johnson
I mentioned above that the Braves moved immediately after the World Series ended. However, there is one exception. Pierce Johnson was one of the first moves made by the Atlanta front office about a week before the World Series ended.
Atlanta announced they'd inked Pierce Johnson to a 2-year contract worth $14.25 million. The deal also included a team option for 2026 and a $250,000 buyout.
Johnson became one of the brightest stars in the Atlanta bullpen after being acquired from the Rockies at the 2023 trade deadline. Pierce featured an ERA of 6.00 at the time but leaving Denver paid massive dividends for the Colorado native.
He brought over a strikeout rate of 30% which showed how much upside the righty possessed. He went on to pitch 23.2 innings for Atlanta, earning a 0.76 ERA and 2.83 FIP. Johnson's strikeout rate increased to 36% and his whiff rate landed at 17.8% which is fantastic. This also earned him a place on the NLDS roster.
That kind of performance earned him an extension and gives the Braves an elite performer for 2024.
Joe Jimenez
About a week later, nearly 12 hours after the Rangers took home the World Series crown, Atlanta announced they had agreed to terms with Joe Jimenez on a 3-year contract worth $26 million.
Jimenez ended up having a strong campaign for the Braves in 2023 as over 59 appearances he had amassed an ERA of 3.04. He struck out 30.7% of batters faced while issuing walks at a rate of 5.9%. Joe did struggle a tad but over the final couple of months, he, along with Johnson, was one of the best high-leverage options for Atlanta.
As I said, he struggled early and posted a 4.42 ERA over 20 appearances through the end of May. He would finish strong with a 2.27 ERA over his final 41 appearances. That is exactly what solidified AA's confidence in bringing him back for multiple seasons.
Uncle Charlie returns
Despite making comments in the locker room after clinching the division that sounded like he had decided on retirement, Charlie Morton and the Braves decided his story wasn't over just yet.
Had Charlie been healthy at season's end and he was able to pitch for the Braves in the playoffs, maybe the decision would have been different. It seems that Charlie Morton has a bit left in the tank and Atlanta exercised their team option worth $20 million.
Morton posted a 14-12 record and a 3.64 ERA over 163.1 innings in 2023. He suffered a right index finger strain and was unavailable during the NLDS but he has shown how durable he still is despite that.
He's started at least 30 games in every season he's been with the Braves so far and that will likely continue. He will be an important piece of the Atlanta starting rotation yet again as he features alongside Spencer Strider, Max Fried, Bryce Elder, and whoever ends up anchoring the rotation in 2024.
$20 million is a hefty price tag for a 40-year-old starting pitcher normally. However, with the performance we've seen from Charlie over the last couple of years, he's proven he's worth every penny on and off the field.
Not a Bummer
At this point in the offseason, the Atlanta Braves front office had mainly focused on bringing back familiar faces. That all changed on November 16 as Alex Anthopoulos swung a trade for one of the league's best relievers.
LHP Aaron Bummer joined the Braves bullpen in a deal that featured Atlanta sending 5 players in return to the White Sox. Michael Soroka, Nicky Lopez, Jared Shuster, Braden Shewmake, and Riley Gowens were the price for attaining Bummer's services.
Looking at Bummer's ERA from 2023 doesn't immediately jump out as this being a good move. However, a deeper look into his analytics and you begin to understand exactly why he was brought on.
Atlanta used a collection of players that they did not intend on bringing back to bolster their bullpen, which had seen a good bit of departures. His 2023 doesn't look as glamorous as his 6.79 ERA over 58.1 innings indicates. However, he also pitched on a team with one of the worst defenses in all of MLB. His 3.58 FIP indicates that is true and his FIP should be the metric used to set expectations for his performance.
Much like with Pierce Johnson, Atlanta believes a change in scenery and a massive upgrade in the defense market will certainly help. Bummer produced a 3.14 ERA over 83 innings for the White Sox from 2021-22. His strikeout rate sat at 29.3 percent during that time frame and featured a 2.96 and 3.19 FIP respectively.
His sinker is his bread and butter and why the Chicago defense ultimately failed him. He produced a ground ball rate of 60% and if you don't have a good defense behind you, that can come back to bite you quickly. His combination of being able to miss bats and get outs on the ground makes him a perfect addition to the Braves bullpen.
Say hello to Reynaldo
A few days after adding Aaron Bummer via trade, the Braves added another former Chicago White Sox pitcher. Atlanta announced the signing of free agent RHP Reynaldo Lopez on a 3-year deal worth $30 million.
It appeared the Braves had once again continued to improve their bullpen. However, it was announced soon after that Lopez would be stretched out during Spring Training with the potential to fill a starting role for Atlanta.
After joining the team, Lopez expressed how so many people had told him what a great organization Atlanta was to be a part of.
People I spoke to -- my inner circle of friends, everybody -- spoke highly of the organization. When my agent said that there was an opportunity I said, ‘Let's do it.’
Lopez didn't go into the offseason hoping to be a starting pitcher, though he did start in 2020. However, the Braves are providing the opportunity. They have long shown the ability to help pitchers reach the next level.
López posted a 3.27 ERA and 29.9% strikeout rate while pitching for the White Sox, Angels, and Guardians in 2023. Opponents batted .188 with a .545 OPS against his fastball last season and that fastball averages around 98.2 mph.
He's had a rough go of it as a professional at times but the way he performed over the last two seasons, including a 3.02 ERA, is what convinced Atlanta to make the move.
Jarred Kelenic, you are an Atlanta Brave
One of the biggest moves made by AA included a five-player deal that sent Jackson Kowar and Cole Phillips to the Seattle Mariners. In return, the Braves received Jarred Kelenic, Marco Gonzales, and Evan White.
Atlanta essentially took on two bad contracts to land five years of Jarred Kelenic. Kelenic hasn't reached his full potential in the majors just yet but the Braves like what they see and really believe they can help fix his swing.
The plan is to have him compete for the starting job in left field alongside Vaughn Grissom. Marco Gonzales looked to be an answer for the Braves rotation but the team never planned on keeping him and ended up flipping him to the Pirates for a player to be named later.
Evan White was later traded to the Los Angeles Angels for Max Stassi and David Fletcher. Fletcher is now in the Atlanta minor league system and Stassi was sent to the White Sox for a player to be named later.
Back to Kelenic, he struggled to hit at all during the 2021 and 2022 seasons but improved in the first half of 2023, batting .253/.327/.419 with an OPS of .746 during that time. He injured himself after kicking a water cooler after a loss and missed a month of the season.
He returned and didn't do much worth noting. The Braves believe they can help turn Kelenic into the player many expected in Seattle. He was a top prospect for a reason. Kelenic is also coming to the Braves with a fresh perspective after that mid-season injury.
Atlanta took on around $17 in bad contracts because they highly believe in Jarred's potential to be a difference-maker on this team and he's embraced that opportunity.
Honorable Mention
The Braves' most recent move was a trade with the Padres featuring a hard-throwing lefty Ray Kerr and veteran slugger Matt Carpenter. San Diego did include $1.5 million in cash as well. Atlanta sent over outfield prospect Drew Campbell in return.
Carpenter has since been released by the Braves meaning they eat the remaining $4 million owed to him for the season.
Kerr was the highlight of this deal. He posted a 4.33 ERA over 22 appearances last season. Right-handers hit pretty well against him but he was effective against left-handers, who combined for a .161 batting average and a .547 OPS.
His fastball sits in the upper 90s and helped him achieve a 28% strikeout rate in the majors. His main issue is command as walks were a bit of an issue but the Braves believe they can fix him and make Kerr a key piece of this bullpen.
In conclusion, this should show you that Alex Anthopoulos has done much more than nothing. They may not be the biggest splashes but as usual, these moves are intentional and ones that help the team compete in 2024 and beyond.
There are also 2 months left before Spring Training which means anything is possible. Some free-agent pitching options remain and the Braves have been rumored to still be in on a trade for Dylan Cease. I'd exercise a bit of patience before judging the offseason as a failure or calling AA a fraud.
It's okay to want a big splash during the offseason but don't lose sight of the Braves' vision for building a championship team for many years to come. AA has always found a way to give the team exactly what they need and that won't stop now.
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