Braves Put on Blast, Receive Near Failing Grade for Inactive Offseason

Bleacher Report's Zachary D. Rymer doesn't sound covinced outfielder Jurickson Profar will be able to repeat the numbers he posted in his 2024 breakout campaign. Yet still, Profar was the only reason Rymer didn't grade the Atlanta Braves with a failing grade for their offseason moves.

"The Braves would have been in line for an F prior to their three-year, $42 million pact with Profar on Thursday," wrote Rymer.

"Even if he doesn't sustain his All-Star breakout from 2024, in which he had a .839 OPS and 24 home runs, he's still a better option in left field than any the Braves previously had. Indeed, why they even bothered to sign [Bryan] De La Cruz in December is a mystery.

"Alas, the losses of Fried, Morton and Minter loom large. And that much more so given that they have yet to be replaced, not to mention how active Atlanta's top competitors in the National League have been busy loading up."

Rymer's final offseason grade for the Braves was a D. Meanwhile, the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies received an A and B grade, respectively.

Rymer is hardly the only pundit who has been critical of Atlanta's mostly inactive offseason. The Athletic's Jim Bowden didn't award a grade, but on Jan. 17, he listed the Braves among his top six losers from the offseason.

It's not surprising that the national media has been unimpressed with the Braves' offseason. Until Jan. 23, their biggest acquisition was previously non-tendered outfielder Bryan De La Cruz. I'm much higher on the De La Cruz addition than Rymer, but a team should hardly want De La Cruz to be their top free agent signing.

If there's any good news for Braves Country, Rymer's grade is somewhat incomplete. There's still a couple weeks until Spring Training and roughly two months until Opening Day. The Braves have time to add a free agent pitcher, which general manager Alex Anthopoulos expressed a desire to do after inking Profar to his 3-year deal.

There's also a potential logical reason for why the Braves haven't been very aggressive in the free agent pitcher market. The team appears confident in Grant Holmes developing into a reliable starter. Despite his criticism for the Braves, Bowden called Holmes a breakout candidate for the 2025 campaign.

That confidence, though, didn't, and shouldn't, be a factor in Rymer's grade. Based on what the Braves have added to their roster, especially when compared to the rest of the NL East, it's been a disappointing few months in Braves Country.