Most likely, there won’t be wholesale changes coming for the Braves this winter. When Alex Anthopoulos signed the respective members of Atlanta’s core to long-term deals, it effectively limited his ability to make significant alterations to the roster.
In that same breath, Anthopoulos is a master at stretching the dollar in more ways than one. Just last year, the Braves had a need to upgrade left field and bolster the rotation. Atlanta’s GM swung a slew of trades, taking on bad contracts to acquire Jarred Kelenic, and even though it didn’t quite workout in Year 1, it showed the kind of creativity Anthopoulos is capable of.
The out-of-the-box acquisitions that AA is being praised for are the trade for Chris Sale and the signing of Reynaldo Lopez. The Braves took a chance on a healthy Sale, and it paid dividends as the veteran is soon to earn his first-ever Cy Young award. Lopez was stretched back out to be a starter, and all he did was turn in an All-Star campaign.
This offseason, the Braves won’t have to address the starting rotation as much as they did last year, but they’ll certainly need to bring in another arm, whether it be Charlie Morton or another pitcher for the backend of the rotation. The club might also take another stab at the outfield. Kelenic had an incredibly disappointing first year in Atlanta. Jorge Soler can’t play defense, and Ronald Acuña Jr. is rehabbing from his second torn ACL in four seasons.
Outfield is currently the Braves biggest hole going into 2025, alongside shortstop. However, the latter will be much more difficult to fill. Orlando Arcia is abysmal offensively, and it’s not like he’s elite defensively either. He’s one of the worst starting shortstops in baseball, but that doesn’t mean the Braves will be able to replace him with a better option.
Arcia’s $2 million price tag and the lack of options make him likely to return next season as the Braves starting shortstop. Some competition could be brought it, but the only obvious upgrade available set to hit free agency is Willy Adames, who could cost around $200 million. If Anthopoulos balked at the idea of paying Dansby Swanson, Trea Turner, Xander Bogaerts, and Carlos Correa a couple of offseasons ago, I sincerely doubt he’s going to get into a bidding war for the only worthwhile free agent at the position this winter.
Of course, Anthopoulos could get creative, as he did last winter with Sale and Lopez. Perhaps there’s a trade out there that nobody is considering, or Nacho Alvarez takes the proverbial leap that Vaughn Grissom never did in Atlanta. But realistically, Orlando Arcia will be the starting shortstop for the Braves on Opening Day.
