Scariest Type of Offseason for the Atlanta Braves
On this Halloween, we look at what type of offseason for the Atlanta Braves would scare fans the most going into 2024.
The Atlanta Braves have the foundation of a team that could do nothing substantial in free agency and go into next year capable of contending for a playoff spot. I mean, look at the Arizona Diamondbacks, they won 84 games and are currently hosting a World Series game.
But many fans would consider that the scariest of outcomes this offseason. What could be even scarier than that?
Well, what if the Braves decided they couldn't extend Max Fried and decided to trade him for some prospects and a middle-of-the-rotation starter?
Could you imagine going into the season -- or potentially the postseason -- in 2024 without Max Fried in the rotation? That's a nightmare to think about.
Along those lines, what if the Braves decided to roll back spending?
In 2023 we saw the Braves spend at a rate we aren't accustomed to, finishing top 10 in baseball with a payroll of $204 million. Not only that, but they actually exceeded the luxury tax threshold for the first time ever as well with a luxury tax payroll of over $245 million (according to FanGraphs).
While we've been told in the past the team has the ability to be a top-five payroll, they could suddenly decide they don't like paying that tax and ask Alex Anthopoulos to get back under the luxury tax.
That would immediately take the Braves out of making any big moves this offseason and might require them to make a move like the one described above.
And this last nightmare might become a reality if Ron Washington or any of the Braves coaches gets plucked away from a manager job elsewhere. The Angels, Astros, Guardians, Mets, and Padres are all looking for a new manager.
You want to talk about nightmare scenarios -- could you imagine Wash going to the Mets!?
Whether it's the Mets or not, there is a real possibility somebody on the Braves coaching staff will get poached -- messing up what is one of the best coaching staffs in all of baseball.
Here's to hoping everyone has a fun Halloween, and that the creepy girl sitting on the front porch of my neighbor's house is just as fake as these scary scenarios.
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