Recent Braves Offseason Letter Grade Allows Chance for Perspective

If put on the spot, some would be quick to say the Atlanta Braves didn't succeed in their offseason goals. The frustration over key injuries early on sent a lot of goodwill out the window.

However, when an outside perspective steps in and forces everyone to take a step back, it's a reminder that they did a lot to address depth overall. ESPN's Buster Olney gave his final letter grades to each MLB team. The Braves received a B+.

"After years of neglecting their bench, the Braves finally went all-in this offseason..." Olney wrote.

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He praised the additions of an "excellent" outfielder, Mike Yastrzemski, and a "top" utility man, Mauricio Dubón. He also gave the team credit for their $50 million increase in payroll, assisted by the additions of Robert Suarez in the bullpen and re-signing Ha-Seong Kim at shortstop.

Along with adding Yastrzemski and Dubón, they also added solid catching depth with Jonah Heim. He'll cover for Sean Murphy as he recovers from a hip injury.

Olney didn't mention anything about the starting rotation, apart from Spencer Schwellenbach going down with an injury. It was part of simply pointing out that the injury bug is a problem again. There was no mention of why they didn't get an A despite "a worthy, quality offseason."

If the lack of adding a starting pitcher kept them from a higher grade, we'll never know.

What he did add at the end was that "while the improved bench will help, the Braves need some of the returning starters to up their performances."

There is nothing to disgree on there. If they aren't getting more out of Austin Riley, Ozzie Albies and Michael Harris II, just to same a few examples, it's going to be another long year. The additions, in this scenario, will only go so far.

As much as some don't want to see the Braves get a solid grade, a lot of it is fueled by hindsight. One of those injuries was sustained by one of their bigger contracts this offseason, Kim. The Braves, to their credit, pivoted quickly and got Jorge Mateo. Their infield depth is pretty deep at this point, especially once Kim is back in the lineup. Mateo likely wouldn't stick around, but they still have options if he departs.

If Heim sticks around after Murphy, the catching depth is in a good spot. I've beaten this point to smithereens, but wouldn't hurt to have a third catcher. He would give the Braves flexibility to pinch hit ro pinch run for Murphy or Drake Baldwin if they're both in the lineup that day.

The Braves have a headache on their hands. Should we expect them to use 19 pitchers as starters again this season? Of course not. But they're already behind the eight ball. That frustration is warranted.

At the same time, there should still be more confidence in this year's team compared to the last. The depth still helps. They're expected to have full seasons from Ronald Acuña Jr. and Jurickson Profar. Chris Sale just needs to let someone else make that big play in the infield, and he should be fine.

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