For the 22nd straight season, Major League Baseball has no repeat champions. The 2021 World Series champions Atlanta Braves took on NL East rivals the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 4 of the 2022 NLDS on Saturday. From 1998 to his 2000 Yankees remain baseball’s last repeat champions. Sports are in an era of unprecedented equality.
After the Game 4 loss, Braves manager Brian Snicker said, “We came across a really hot team. They were hitting on all cylinders. They were playing great baseball. They were big.” They scored a hit. They shut us down aggressively. I think all the credit goes to the Phillies. They got here. I played.”
The Braves won 101 games during the regular season, winning their fifth straight title despite winning 10.5 on June 1. Only the 1951 Dodgers (13 games) and his 1995 Angels (11 games) have blown out the larger divisions. They’re ahead of the Mets* in 2022, but given their roster, a season ending with a team with someone else standing last would be a disappointment.
* The Yankees famously pulled off a 14-game deficit to win the AL East in 1978, but the Yankees were in fourth place at the time. The Red Sox never led a division by more than 10 games that year.
That said, a quick exit in the postseason doesn’t detract from what looks to be one of the best cores in baseball. of number one. The Braves aggressively locked their core players into long-term overtime. See these deals:
- OF Ronald Acuna Jr.: Contract until 2026 with club options for 2027 and 2028.
- 2B Ozzie Albies: Contract until 2025 with club options for 2026 and 2027.
- Michael Harris II: Contract until 2030 with club options for 2031 and 2032.
- 1B Matt Olson: Contract until 2029 with club option for 2030.
- 3B Austin Riley: Contract until 2032 with club option for 2033.
- RHP Spencer Strider: Contract until 2028 with club option for 2029.
These six players will be together until at least 2025 and possibly 2027. The average annual value of these six contracts he has is $81.2 million. It’s an absolute steal. Acuña and Riley, respectively, could have had that much on their own had they gone free agency as scheduled after the 2024 and He’25 seasons, respectively.
Atlanta’s core is young, good, and affordable for most of the next decade. I don’t think any team is more prepared for long-term success than these Braves. So while the NLDS loss was a disappointment, there’s no reason to think this team will be out of the competition any time soon. They’re set to stay in the game’s elite teams for the long haul.
With that in mind, here are the three pressing issues the Braves face this offseason to return to the top and clinch another World Series title in 2023.
1. Will they re-sign Swanson?
At the moment, it’s easy to name the key Braves players who haven’t extended long extensions: Max Freed and Dansby Swanson. With Freed under the team’s control until 2024, Atlanta still has plenty of time to solidify his ace. there is. However, Swanson has been a free agent this offseason and the Braves have no apparent successor (Vaughan Grissom is, in short, considered a subpar defender).
“The bottom line is that he really matters,” GM Alex Anthopoulos said of Swanson in an interview with Dukes and Bell earlier this month. He’s been important, especially this past year, he’s always been important, but he’s stepped up – I’m not even talking on the field, I’m talking even in the clubhouse – he’s going to be on everyone’s radar this year. Stepped up more than I expected. He took on a lot… You put yourself in the GM chair, you don’t want to lose the glue guy. Easy to say. Even so, we want him. We need him.
Swanson grew up outside Atlanta and has spent all but six months of his career with the Braves after the Diamondbacks selected him with the No. traded Shelby Miller). December 2015). He had his breakout year in 2022, but it happened more defensively than at bat, and the 28-year-old Swanson is right in the prime of his career.Atlanta’s Championship His window is now in the Swanson is a perfect fit in many ways.
Xander Bogaerts and Carlos Correa are expected to opt out of their deals and join Swanson and Trea Turner in free agency. Correa and Turner are the best all-around players in the group and the ones to command the biggest contracts. Bogaerts may not last long as a shortstop, but his track record as an elite offensive player is much longer than Swanson’s. The free agent class last year was also great. These deals are:
Correa’s deal is an outlier. It was essentially his one-year contract with a two-year insurance policy in case of catastrophic injury or poor performance. The deal will allow him to enter his agency free again this offseason at age 28. It’s hard to believe that Swanson would make a similar deal. This is his best chance at a big free-agent payday.
With all due respect, Swanson was a much more accomplished hitter than Seager, who hit free agency a year younger than the current Swanson. Swanson thinks that from his Baez/Story he falls firmly into the Semien range. It’s risky to pay big bucks for a defensive-first player, but when the core is contracted as affordable as Atlanta’s, you can afford to splurge to keep prime age shortstops.
The Cubs, Dodgers, and Yankees stand out as teams capable of playing the shortstop game this offseason. Perhaps the Cardinals, and the up-and-coming Orioles. The Braves should lock Swanson out soon, not just for Swanson, but to avoid a replacement bidding war if he signs elsewhere.Free agency is unpredictable. Just a desperate owner or GM making a huge offer to change the landscape.
2. How do you classify pitch depth?
To be clear, pitching depth is never an issue. Not luxurious either. it’s a must. Freed, Strider and breakout right-hander Kyle He’s right and the Braves have an enviable 1-2-3 punch atop their rotation. Also, their cores are signed at a very affordable price, $20 million deal brings Charlie Morton back next seasonSpending money on a one-year contract is smart business.
Beyond those top four starters and swingman Jake Odrizzi (Odrizzi holds a $12.5 million player option for 2023), the Braves are laying these weapons out for the offseason. (listed alphabetically).
Right-hander Freddie Turnnock (#6 projected by MLB.com) and left-handed Dylan Dodd (#16 projected by MLB.com) are also knocking on the big league door. There are many quality options behind the top 4, but they are all questionable. Will Aba-chan get well? Can Anderson rebound? Can Muller or Schuster be a capable big leaguer? That’s why having the numbers is important. Atlanta can cycle through options until it finds the right combination.
It is legitimate and frankly wise to maintain this pitching depth and bring it into 2023. I can’t help but wonder if they see the season as an opportunity to do something really big and impactful. On that note…
3. Will they make a big splash?
Anthopoulos has never hesitated to make blockbusters. Locking the core at an affordable price puts the Braves into an opportunistic position to attack anything that makes sense. Let’s consider some big names that could enter the trading market this offseason (listed alphabetically):
- RHP Corbyn Barnes, Brewers: Barnes is two years out of free agency, and Milwaukee recently said they weren’t approaching him about an extension.
- C Sean Murphy, Athletics: The Braves trade top prospect Shea Langeliers for Olson in the final offseason, and Travis Darneau could become a free agent after 2023.
- DH/RHP Shohei Ohtani, Angels: Hoboy, this is going to be fun. A six-man rotation can be a headache, but for a talent like Ohtani, you get it. is.
- OF Brian Reynolds, Pirates: Over the past two years, Atlanta has had 11 different players start the game in left field. Wouldn’t it be great to put an end to that revolving door and fill that spot with an All-Star hitting a controllable switch through 2025?
The Braves, like any team in baseball, are primed for long-term success. That’s mainly because they’re locked up on such affordable contracts. It also provides the resources (payroll It is also because of its flexibility and tradable prospects). Losing NLDS was a bummer. Moving forward, the Braves have positioned themselves well to remain among the most dominant teams in the sport.
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