Activity is Quiet on the Braves Front, Why That's OK

In theory, the pending lockout would speed up timetables, but it's more complicated than that for the Atlanta Braves and every other team

The looming lockout isn't speeding up timelines much, but that's OK | USA TODAY Sports

Dec. 2, the beginning of the looming lockout, is quickly approaching. We’re already nearly halfway through November, and the General Managers Meetings are in the rearview mirror. 

At some point, the Atlanta Braves are bound to make a move, right? By that, something that isn’t a waiver claim or a minor-league free-agent signing. A major move to check something off before everything pauses indefinitely. 

Last year, most of their big moves, such as adding Robert Suarez and Mike Yastremski, came after the Winter Meetings in December. That approach won't be an option this year. The Winter Meetings aren’t happening in the event of a lockout. 

So, if they’re going to lock a free agent down or finalize a trade, they have just under three weeks to figure those moves out. 

Naturally, the uncertainty of the landscape after the pause ends is likely influencing decisions. That’s understood. Any deal must consider 2027 and beyond.

A one-year deal may just be void if the season is canceled. Any multi-year contract may have to keep a salary cap in mind. After all, they’re currently over the proposed cap. Payroll would have to be shed significantly if they want to add anybody else, if the owners get their way. 

If the players get their way, it doesn’t matter, but it’s going to be a long time before we know who got their way. That’s what makes getting something done now so difficult. 

To be fair to the Braves, there hasn’t been much activity in general. If precedent before the 2021-22 lockout indicates anything, be ready for a major push for both parties to get deals done at the eleventh hour. 

On Dec. 1, 2021, teams spent a record $1.4 billion on payroll, which was a record. After that, zero. Nothing again until 7 p.m. on March 10, 2022. Don’t be surprised if history repeats itself in some form. 

What’s different is that there was no salary cap at that time. The league suggested at the time to heavily lower the luxury tax in exchange for a hard floor, but unsurprisingly, that didn’t happen. 

Somebody is going to want certainty before there isn’t any. 

We’ve seen how much the baseball landscape has changed since the last lockout: pitch clock, ABS, restricting the shift, draft lottery, minor leagues contracted, the way the league is able to implement rules, just to name a few. 

A player knowing they have a team to play for, or a team - with the Braves being a good example - knowing they have an extra starting pitcher to choose from in a new era, might make what’s coming easier. That being said, nobody wants to race into a deal that could impact them for the next few years. 

If you’re waiting for the Braves to strike, it may not be much longer, by default. They won't check everything off their to-do list, but something will likely be taken care of while they still have the ability to do so.

There are other things to consider, too. For example, some players are tied to qualifying offers. The deadline to accept or reject those is Nov. 17. That can halt the market a bit, since teams don't fully know their options yet.

The same goes for the non-tender deadline on Nov. 20. More options could be out there soon. The Braves still have to decide who they keep and who they don't.

So much still comes into play for why everything will likely come down to the last possible moment.

Just because the starting gun of free agency was last week doesn't mean that the free-for-all truly got underway.

How long we wait is anybody’s guess, at least publicly. Watch, because I post that they sign a contract right after. Now, wouldn’t that be something? I'd find humor in that.

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