Upcoming Season – Braves Chop Chat

Looking Ahead to the Braves 2024 Season:

During the 2023 offseason, the Atlanta Braves added two bigger-name players: LHP Chris Sale and left-fielder Jarred Kelenic. They also added Reynaldo Lopez and Aaron Bummer who are both relief pitchers. These are the only main acquisitions they have made thus far.

After trading Vaughn Grissom to the Red Sox for Chris Sale, Atlanta signed him to a 2-year $38 million contract which includes a $16 million option for the 2026 season. Sale is a 7-time All-Star, however the past few seasons he has been plagued with injuries and hasn’t been able to pitch like he once did. The Braves are hoping he can give them some stability in the starting rotation in the fourth or fifth spot, but given his past couple of seasons, it is up in the air whether that will happen or not. In 2023, Sale struck out 30% of the batters he faced which makes makes his strikeouts per game right around 11. Considering he didn’t pitch a full season in 2023, that is a good stat.

Chris Sale is also 34 years old. By the time the 2024 season starts he will be 35. That is an older age for a pitcher. In most cases when they reach this age they have passed their prime. It is also more likely for a pitcher to have more season-ending injuries when they get into their 30’s (This has been the case for Sale, and another example of this would be Jacob deGrom who has had a lot of injures in the past few seasons which has led to a decrease in his pitching and the quality of his pitching). Hopefully, despite a few “down seasons” Chris Sale can give the Braves some good quality starts and bolster their rotation.

As for Reynaldo Lopez and Aaron Bummer, they both have similar stats. They’re both 30 years old, and ironically they both played for the Chicago White Sox for their entire career until the 2023 season when they went to different teams. Their stats aren’t knock you off your feet impressive, but when looking at them on a piece of paper, they seem consistent. Over 55+ innings, neither one of them gave up over 10 home runs in the 2023 season. And for the Braves bullpen, who has been known to give up home runs late in a game, that is a promising stat. However, we all know that what things look like on paper aren’t always what you get in a game, but these promising statistics give a glimpse of hope to these two starters as added depth to the bullpen.

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Jarred Kelenic was the acquisition that surprised me the most. The Braves made the decision to decline Eddie Rosario’s 2024 option on his contract, which made the position of left field open. I thought that they might sign Kevin Pillar to a contract since he played well for the Braves in the 2023 season, but nope.

Kelenic hasn’t had a ton of experience in the big leagues, and at only 24 years old he still has a good amount of playing time left. Not to mention he also has time to grow and become a better player. His numbers aren’t fantastic, but he was consistent over the 2023 season, ending with a .253 average over 105 games. There is definitely room for growth with those numbers, and Braves GM Alex Anthopoulos seems confident that he can achieve that growth with the Braves team. Let’s hope he’s correct.

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Regardless of who the Braves signed in the offseason, they still have most of their team intact. In fact, the only two players that won’t be there are Eddie Rosario and Kevin Pillar. This means that the lineup will stay the exact same with the addition of Jarred Kelenic. Atlanta has a very powerful lineup, and a very good defense. The only thing that has been questionable in the past couple of years has been the starting pitching and the bullpen. Hopefully, with these few additions, AND players returning from the injured list, the Atlanta Braves will make it farther in the Postseason after the 2024 season.

GO BRAVES!!

What’s Next For the Braves Coming Into the Offseason?

After a disappointing Postseason run by the Atlanta Braves, in which they were eliminated in the NLDS, it is time to start looking towards the 2024 season. The question coming into this offseason is what should the be the Braves front office staff’s main focus? And the answer to that would be this: PITCHING!

Atlanta’s offense flourished all season long with several players setting franchise and MLB records at the plate. However, the Braves pitching staff had some serious struggles throughout the season, and we saw that firsthand in the NLDS. A team can have a great offense and win ballgames, but what about the games where their offense is slacking? Those are the game where teams need to be able to rely on their starting rotation and on the bullpen. If they cannot maintain a one-run lead, or even a one-run deficit, then they aren’t doing their job.

There are some games where the Braves starting rotation had good starts and the bullpen was able to hold onto a lead. But what we saw most nights for the Braves was a shaky bullpen, and on a really bad night, we saw a shaky bullpen and an unstable starting rotation. It is safe to say that without good pitching – no matter how fantastic an offense is – they will more likely than not find themselves in situations they did NOT want to be in.

The Braves did have a lot of pitchers start the 2023 season on the injured list and had players go off and on the IL all year. Jackson Stephens, Nick Anderson, Tyler Matzek, and Huascar Ynoa didn’t make a single start this season, and Collin McHugh, Kolby Allard, Dylan Lee, and Michael Soroka were unable to stay off the injured list for the majority of the season. Jesse Chavez spent a couple of months on the injured list, and even Charlie Morton spent some time on the injured list toward the end of the season. It was painfully obvious the Braves pitching staff was not at 100% anytime during the whole season.

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Recently, the Atlanta Braves front staff signed RHP Pierce Johnson to a two-year $14.25 million contract. They acquired him at the 2023 trade deadline from the Colorado Rockies. Johnson did not perform well with the Rockies, but he had drastically different numbers with the Braves producing a 0.73 ERA over three months (excluding the Postseason). Atlanta also signed Joe Jiménez to a three-year $26 million contract. Jiménez had an up and down season with the Braves. Hopefully he will have better numbers in the 2024 season with Atlanta.

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Out of all the Braves pitchers, there is only one who is a free agent this offseason, and that is Jesse Chavez. Chavez missed a couple of months during the middle of the season due to a fractured shin, but he is known as “Mr Consistent” coming out of the bullpen. Jesse is definitely a fan favorite and a club favorite. I will be very surprised if the Atlanta Braves don’t resign him for the 2024 season.

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It will be interesting to see how the Atlanta Braves front office staff goes about strengthening the Braves’ pitching staff…but there is no denying that it IS an issue and it NEEDS to be addressed. And since Atlanta has their whole infield and most of the outfield locked up for a good while, the Braves front staff can spend more money to secure some reliable pitching.

I’m looking forward to the 2024 season already! GO BRAVES!!

My Thoughts on the Braves’ Recent Roster Moves:

With two days until Opening Day and the last Spring Training game complete, the Atlanta Braves organization and coaching staff have made a flurry of moves lately. Some I could see coming, but others I was not expecting at all.

Ian Anderson and Bryce Elder Optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett:

Honestly, sending Ian Anderson down didn’t really surprise me. He did not pitch well at all during his starts in Spring Training and even toward the end of the 2022 season he didn’t have his best stuff. It was a bummer to watch him go down at the end of the 2022 season, but overall I think it was much needed. He will continue to work in Triple-A during the beginning of the season, and I’m sure will be back in the majors before the All-Star Break.

Bryce Elder had a good year for the Braves last season, but this Spring he didn’t seem as sharp as he was. He couldn’t get his pitch location quite where he wanted it and the opposing teams were beating up on him. I think a couple weeks in Triple-A is what he needs because that will allow him to really find himself and get into a good groove before he comes back up.

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Because Anderson and Elder got send down, this has given minor leaguers Dylan Dodd and Jared Shuster the opportunity to make their Major League debuts this season.

They both produced really good numbers this Spring. Dodd had a solid 2.00 ERA over 18 innings with 20 strikeouts, and Shuster had a 1.74 ERA over 20.2 innings and he had 19 strikeouts. Their numbers are very similar to each other and they gave pretty much the same velocity range. I think it’s really great that they are getting to come up and prove just what they are capable of. That’s one of the many things that makes baseball such a great sport- when one player doesn’t do as well as he is known to, a younger player gets to make a name for himself early on in his career.

Mike Soroka Gets Sent to Triple-A:

This move was kinda a no-brainer. Soroka faced a hamstring injury early this Spring and only made one start. In that start he pitched 1.1 inning and had a boat load of pitches.

It has been so long since Soroka has pitched that it it’s obviously going to take him a little while to get fully comfortable again on the pitcher’s mound. Once he gets back to where he was, I’m confident that he will be a force to be reckoned with.

Vaughn Grissom and Braden Shewmake Sent Down to Triple-A Gwinnett:

This move honestly blew my mind. Vaughn Grissom put in so much work this spring (and in the offseason), not to mention the amount of attention he was getting from the coaches and the media, so that made it seem like he was getting the go ahead as the Braves Opening Day shortstop.

However, just because he was sent down to make way for Orlando Arcia, does not mean that he won’t be called up during the 2023 season to play shortstop.

Personally, I think the reason that they sent Grissom down and gave Arcia the nod at shortstop is because Arcia has more experience in the Majors and has played a full 162. The same goes for Shewmake – I think that he was put back in Triple-A because he has a lack of experience in the Majors.

I do think that Shewmake will be called up at some point and used as a bench player because, with Arcia playing shortstop and Grissom down in Gwinnett, that only leaves Ehire Adrianza as Atlanta’s bench player, and one bench player isn’t enough to cover all 9 positions.

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Regardless of who is playing shortstop or in the starting rotation, the Braves are set to be a really REALLY good team this year, and with Opening Day on Thursday, the fun is about to get started!

GO BRAVES!!

Opening Day Lineup and Starting Pitcher Predictions:

Spring Training games are officially underway! It has already been an eventful Spring Training with the pitch clock, but it’s something- like it or not- that the players, coaches, and fans are going to have to get used to.

With about a month until Opening Day, it’s time to start thinking about what the Opening Day lineup lineup will look like and who the starting pitcher is going to be.

Lineup Prediction:

Ronald Acuña Jr. (RF)
Michael Harris II (CF)
Matt Olson (1B)
Austin Riley (3B)
Ozzie Albies (2B)
Travis d’Arnaud (C)
Eddie Rosario (LF)
Vaughn Grissom (SS)
Marcell Ozuna (DH)

There are a few things to note about the lineup: 1) d’Arnaud and Albies could easily swap places in the lineup. It will ultimately depend on if they’re facing a left-handed or right-handed pitcher. 2) Sean Murphy could possibly be the Opening Day catcher, however I don’t think that will be very likely. 3) Most lineups across the MLB are going to have their DH in the middle of their lineup. However, with Marcell Ozuna being our DH, I have put him last. He has not proven himself at the plate over the past couple seasons and just doesn’t seem to have it together anymore. It will be interesting to see what the Braves do with him over the course of the 2023 season.

Regardless of how it’s set up, the Atlanta Braves lineup is going to be very solid, and if everyone performs to the best of his abilities, it is going to be tough to get them out!

Starting Pitcher Prediction:

Max Fried

Fried seems like the most logical choice to be the Opening Day pitcher. He was given the job of being Opening Day pitcher last year, and I think Snitker will give it to him again this year. He is the Braves ace and has been given the nickname “Mr. Consistent,” so I believe they will go with him.

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It has been very enjoyable to have baseball back, even if it is only Spring Training. I am looking forward to Opening Day, and I can’t wait to see what is in store for the Atlanta Braves in 2023!

GO BRAVES!!

My 2023 Starting Rotation Predictions:

It’s finally here! The Atlanta Braves’ pitchers, catchers, and some other eager players have reported to North Port, FL to begin Spring Training.

Pitchers and catchers are set to arrive first because pitcher-catcher bonding is important. If your pitcher and catcher aren’t comfortable with each other or don’t have a good understanding of what pitch is being thrown and the location of it, that is going to cause some serious trouble in a game. Communication for catchers and pitchers is why Spring Training is so important and why they arrive a week early.

Spring Training will be especially important for catcher Sean Murphy. He is who Atlanta got out of their three-way trade with the Oakland Athletics and Milwaukee Brewers. Just a few days after this trade, the Braves signed Murphy to a 6-year $73 million deal. He will join Travis d’Arnaud behind the plate for the Braves. He could also be used as a Designated Hitter if Marcell Ozuna does not start to perform better than he has the past couple of seasons. It’s safe to say there’s multiple roles Murphy can fill for the Braves.

With d’Arnaud and Murphy behind the plate, it’s time to take a look at the Braves’ starting rotation. Atlanta has a solid starting rotation, that is, if everyone can pitch the way we know they are capable of pitching. Charlie Morton had a down year last season. He still got a good amount of wins, but they were a struggle. The same goes for Ian Anderson. He was sent down to triple A twice last year because he had a hard time commanding any of his pitches. We know that Ian can be a very good pitcher – we saw this first hand in the 2021 Postseason – he just has a tendency to throw WAY too many pitches. Max Fried wasn’t a sharp as we’re accustomed to seeing last season either, but he still came through when the Braves needed it the most.

The two most surprising Braves pitchers in the 2022 season were Kyle Wright and rookie Spencer Strider. Wright had 21 wins last season. That’s crazy! He was Mr. Consistent for Atlanta, and when he was pitching we knew he was going to give a quality start. He seemed so comfortable on the mound, had such a dominating presence, and maintained control of his pitches. These things helped make him such a good pitcher.

Spencer Strider started out in the bullpen last season. But then, after the Braves coaching staff saw the velocity he had on his pitches and the command he had while throwing so fast, not to mention his strike-out-rate, they moved him into the starting rotation and there was no looking back. In just 131.2 innings he struck out 202 batters! He definitely belongs in the starting rotation and has proven how good he can be.

Last but not least, Mike Soroka. Soroka hasn’t pitched since the 2020 season when he tore his ACL during a game in August. It was heartbreaking to see a young pitcher like him, who had such good potential, go down with an injury like that. Then, he tore his ACL again in 2021 walking into the dugout. So, he hasn’t pitched in a major league game in 2 1/2 years. It will be exciting to see if he has the same command on the mound as he did before he was injured.

With all this to consider about these pitchers, it’s time to talk about how the rotation will be stacked. I think the Braves should start with a 6-man rotation at the beginning of the season so they have more guys available and can work their way into the season, eventually moving to a 5-man rotation.

Here’s how I think it would look:

Max Fried LHP
Kyle Wright RHP
Charlie Morton RHP
Spencer Strider RHP
Ian Anderson RHP
Mike Soroka RHP

Ian Anderson and Mike Soroka can easily be switched in their rotation spots. If the Braves start with a 5-man rotation these two will “compete” for that fifth spot. It will all depend on how comfortable Soroka feels on the mound and how Anderson’s command is.

One thing to note about Anderson is the pitch clock. He can take a LOT of time in between pitches. He will shake off a lot of signs and go through his windup multiple times just to throw one pitch. I’m sure the Braves coaching staff will be working with him during Spring Training to get adjusted to the pitch clock and it will be interesting to see how he does.

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It’s so exciting to have baseball back, and I can’t wait to see what goes on in Spring Training for the Atlanta Braves and into the 2023 season!

GO BRAVES!!

Will Swanson Remain an Atlanta Brave???

With each passing day, this becomes a more pressing question. No one wants to see Swanson go, and I don’t think Swanson wants to leave either. Honestly, it just comes down to money and the length of the contract. I don’t see Dansby Swanson as a greedy person, but after what happened with Freddie, and everyone saying that he wasn’t a greedy person, makes me a little more apprehensive regarding Dansby. Not to mention he and Freddie have, or had, the same agent. (Freeman fired his agent in the middle of the 2022 season.)

There hasn’t been a lot of talk regarding Dansby Swanson, but one thing that the Braves organization does well is keeping their movements out of the public eye until something is finalized. They don’t ride (or start) the rumor train.

Coming into the 2022-2023 offseason, there were four big-name FA shortstops on the market: Dansby Swanson, Trea Turner, Carlos Correa, and Xander Bogaerts. Turner and Bogaerts have both signed long term deals with the Phillies and the Padres, respectively. That leaves Swanson and Correa as the only big-name shortstops on the market, and there are multiple teams in need of one. That just makes the situation with Dansby more nerve-wracking because some teams (like the Dodgers) could pay big money for him. He will have the ultimate decision of remaining a Brave or seeking out a fat paycheck.

The Winter Meetings are now over, and while there were some big deals made… none of them were made by Braves GM, Alex Anthopoulos. This came as a little bit of a surprise. While Anthopoulos is never big into the rumors or openly discussed deals, he has been known to make some jaw-dropping deals at the Trade Deadline and the Winter Meetings. However, that did not happen this year.

One of my hypotheses as to why they haven’t made Dansby an offer is because he is getting married this Saturday, and Anthopoulos, being one of Dansby’s good friends, is invited to the wedding. They might not want any tensions regarding him hypothetically not being signed during that time. Yes, I know, this idea may seem far-fetched…however, I’m not really sure what else it could be. Unless they really just haven’t made him an offer, OR they did make Swanson an offer that he refused and they’re keeping it under wraps.

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This is a tough situation to navigate. All I know is I wouldn’t want to be in Alex Anthopoulos’ shoes. No one wants to see Georgia-grown, Dansby Swanson leave Braves Country. But at the end of the day, it typically comes down to money. How much are the Atlanta Braves are willing to spend, and how much is Swanson potentially willing to give up when push comes to shove? I guess we will just have to wait and see how things play out- hopefully in the Braves’ favor.

Forever and always – GO BRAVES!

What I Think the Braves Should do This Offseason:

Now that the offseason has officially begun, it’s time to start looking ahead to the 2023 season. The Atlanta Braves locked in three players this season: Austin Riley, Michael Harris II, and Spencer Strider. They Braves have almost all of their everyday players locked up. In fact, only shortstop and whoever is going to play left field are not locked up for the Braves. Obviously, The Atlanta Braves’ front office, the Braves team, and ALL of Braves country want to see Dansby Swanson at shortstop for the Braves for many years to come. He is a Georgia native and all things Atlanta sports. He has made such an impact for the Braves and over the last two seasons. We have really gotten to see the power he has and the top-quality defense he gives every single day. No one wants to see him go, but it’s all a matter of if he really wants to stay in Atlanta like he says he does, or if he wants to go where the money is. Hopefully Dansby won’t be another Freddie, but they had the same agent (Freeman fired his earlier this year). Dansby is obviously the biggest goal this offseason, and it’s my hope that the Braves would go after him first.

Along with Dansby Swanson, Adam Duvall, Robbie Grossman, Kenley Jansen, Luke Jackson, Darren O’Day, Jesse Chavez, and Ehire Adrianza are Free Agents. I would be surprised if the Braves re-signed Grossman, O’Day, or Adrianza. O’Day did not have a great year on the mound, Adrianza didn’t play much other than a couple games when both Ozzie Albies and Orlando Arcia were hurt before they called Grissom up, and although Robbie Grossman came through in quite a few situations in the 2022 season, I don’t see him coming back over Adam Duvall.

The Braves need a closer, but they need a reliable one. Jansen had his ups and downs this year, but he came though when the Braves needed him the most. I think the Braves will make him an offer, but I don’t know if he’ll take it or not. Luke Jackson did not play this season due to Tommy John surgery. However, in 2020-2021 he showed skill off the pitching mound. With his slider and his fastball, he was able to get batters out and get out of troublesome innings. I can possibly see the Braves using him as a closer, but I think Atlanta will try and find someone who has more closer credentials. The Braves could sign him to add more depth to the bullpen, but there’s no guarantee what he’s going to be like after surgery. Jesse Chavez has become a fan-favorite. He has been traded ten times in his career, and has been a Brave off and on for 2 1/2 seasons. Chavez has come through for the Braves, and like Jackson, I could see the Braves signing him to a 1-2 year deal to add depth to the bullpen.

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In the end, we will have to wait and see what moves the Braves make. I think I speak on behalf of all Braves country when I say that we don’t want to see Dansby Swanson in another uniform. He has become the face of the Braves this year and has proven just how good of a player he is, and everyone wants him to be a Brave for a long long time.

GO BRAVES!

My Atlanta Braves Lineup Predictions

With Opening day just a couple of weeks away, it’s time to start thinking about lineups, rotations, and rosters. The Atlanta Braves are going to have a very fun lineup this year. It will start without Ronald Acuña Jr. given that he is still healing from a torn ACL, but once he is completely healthy and ready to play it is going to be a SOLID lineup. But hey…we won a World Series without Acuña, so I think we can manage without him until he is healthy enough to play. 😉

LINEUP WITHOUT ACUÑA:

Eddie Rosario (Left Field)
Ozzie Albies (Second Base)
Matt Olson (First Base)
Austin Riley (Third Base)
Marcell Ozuna (Designated Hitter)
Dansby Swanson (Shortstop)
Adam Duvall (Right Field)
Travis d’Arnaud (Catcher)
Guillermo Heredia (Center Field)

Having the lineup like this makes sense to me. Eddie Rosario has proven to us that he can get on base. In the 2021 postseason, he was hitting singles, doubles, triples, home runs, and drawing walks… everything that you would want a lead-off hitter to do. To be a lead-off hitter, you don’t have to have crazy power and hit a homer with every swing. You just need to be able to get on base so the players behind you can drive you in and score runs for your team.

LINEUP WITH ACUÑA:

Ronald Acuña Jr. (Right Field)
Ozzie Albies (Second Base)
Matt Olson (First Base)
Austin Riley (Third Base)
Marcell Ozuna (Designated Hitter)
Eddie Rosario (Left Field)
Travis d’Arnaud (Catcher)
Dansby Swanson (Shortstop)
Adam Duvall (Center Field)

We pretty much already know that once Acuña is back, he will probably be hitting lead-off. My opinion, however, is this: with Acuña’s homer-heavy power, wouldn’t it make sense for him to hit clean-up? I think Ronald Acuña Jr. would make such a good clean-up hitter. If he had Eddie Rosario, Ozzie Albies, and Matt Olson in front of him in the lineup, and then he was hitting fourth, he would have the opportunity to drive in so many runners. Not only would that give him a ton of RBI’s, it would also give the Braves more runs on the board and potentially lead to more wins. Although this seems like such a solid idea, I don’t think Acuña would give up hitting first. He likes hitting first and getting those first-pitch, attention-grabbing home runs. Sometimes I feel he needs a reminder that the game and the lineup isn’t about him…ahem. Maybe his time on the injured-list will remind him that baseball is about getting wins for your team, getting to the postseason, and having another shot at winning the World Series.

NOTE:

I have stacked up the bottom of each lineup differently. All of those players (Rosario, d’Arnaud, Swanson, and Duvall – plus Heredia) are very good. They can hit anywhere in the lineup, which is why I have placed them differently in each one. Looking at both lineups next to each other, they are both very deep and none of those players are considered an easy out.

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This is going to be a very exciting season for the Atlanta Braves and I cannot wait to see how it all plays out!

GO BRAVES!

My Thoughts On The Braves Post-Lockout Acquisitions

This offseason was anything but normal. With the lockout, any and all deals with players and clubs got put on pause. This made things challenging. But now with the lockout over, and Spring Training in full swing, the Atlanta Braves have made some deals, trades, and significant changes.

The most significant of these deals came on March 14th, when the Braves traded four of their top prospects for first baseman, Matt Olson. This deal with the Oakland Athletics brought a close to the Freddie Freeman era with Atlanta. It came with a pretty cost, too. The four minor league prospects that the Braves organization traded were: Christian Pache, outfielder and the Braves number one prospect; Shea Langeliers, catcher and Braves number two prospect; Joey Estes, pitcher and Braves number thirteen prospect; and Ryan Cusick, pitcher and 24th pick out of the 2021 draft. All in all, it was a costly deal for the Braves, but they got their first baseman.

And, the very next day, March 15th, the Braves signed Matt Olson to an eight-year $168 million contract through the 2029 season, with a $20 million option for 2030. Like it or not Braves country, Matt Olson is going to be our first baseman for the foreseeable future. He has very good career stats and had an impressive 2021 season. Last year, his average was .271, he hit 39 home runs, and had 111 RBI’s with Oakland. He also made just six errors. Let’s hope he will have the same kind of season with the Braves.

The Braves also signed right-handed pitcher Collin McHugh to a two-year $10 million deal on March 15th. This signing will help bolster the already impressive Atlanta bullpen.

On March 16th, the Braves signed Eddie Rosario to a two-year $18 million deal with a 2024 option. Rosario played a huge role for Atlanta last postseason. He was NLCS MVP and had some huge hits. Not to mention, he made some crazy impressive plays…wether he meant to or not! Eddie will most likely play left-field for Atlanta, and with more practice, I think he could be a really good outfielder. It will just take time for him to get more comfortable out there. It will also be nice to have Rosario’s bat back in the lineup. It is safe to say that last season the baseball was FLYING off his bat. The teams that the Braves were facing couldn’t seem to get him out! This deal brings added depth and energy to the Atlanta Braves’ lineup, and makes them even stronger.

Also on March 16th, the Braves signed relief pitcher Tyler Thornburg to a one-year, $900,000 deal. Thornburg did not play in 2021 due to Tommy John surgery. With this deal from the Braves, it is safe to say he will try and prove that he can still be a good pitcher like he once was before surgery. His best season came six years ago in 2016 with the Milwaukee Brewers. He is 33 years old, and has a lot to prove this season with Atlanta.

And finally, On March 18th, the Braves signed relief pitcher Kenley Jansen to a one-year $16 million deal. In all honesty, this deal surprised me. Don’t get me wrong – Kenley Jansen is a very good closer. He came through time and time again for the L.A. Dodgers. But, before the Braves came to this deal with him, they were in talks with World Series MVP, Jorge Soler. That is what made the Jansen deal more surprising. Instead of signing Kenley Jansen, they could’ve signed Soler and made him their DH. But now Soler is now a Miami Marlin. All this to say, the signing of Kenley Jansen makes the Atlanta bullpen even deeper and more powerful than before.

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It is safe to say that there are quite a few new faces for the Atlanta Braves this year. But the crazy thing is that Matt Olson, Collin McHugh, and Tyler Thornburg all grew up in Georgia. They were also all Braves fans growing up, so this is most likely a treat for them to be able to play for their hometown team. Eddie Rosario quickly became a fan-favorite last season, so I’m sure he is happy to be back. And for Kenley Jansen, he is joining an amazing team with an amazing fan-base. Let’s just hope all these men will be as good as their careers say they can be, and that we know they are!

GO BRAVES!!

BASEBALL IS BACK, BABY!!!!!

Woohoo! This is the news us baseball fans have been waiting a LONG time for. Baseball. Is. Back. It still seems unreal. Just a couple days ago, they were talking about the season being delayed until June and that they were quite far from a CBA deal. And now, all of our fears of no baseball are out the window. Opening Day 2022 is Thursday, April 7th, AND there is going to be a full 162 game season!!!

This new, five-year CBA was ratified with a 30-0 vote on Thursday, March 10th. With that vote, the 99 day lockout was officially brought to a close. Spring Training will begin Sunday, March 13, and exhibition games will start sometime around March 18th.

The new CBA includes quite a few changes. For starters, it includes a new pre-arbitration bonus pool. This will “reward” the younger players in the sport with a higher paycheck. It also includes increased minimum salaries, the largest draft lottery in all of professional sports history, and a raise in the competitive tax balance. These decisions contribute to more money for players and more young players being drafted into the sport. Among these things, they also introduced the universal DH and a 12 team postseason, which is two more teams than the 2021 postseason.

With all this being introduced, it might seem like the game is going to be different. But in fact, the only things that are going to be noticeably different are: a designated hitter in the National League and two more teams in the postseason race. Everything else they have added simply means more money for the players, and more money for the owners.

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Now that the lockout is over, you could say it’s crunch time! Opening day is in twenty-seven days, and there are a lot of high-quality players still in the free agent market. One of the biggest names on that list, especially for the Atlanta Braves, is first baseman, Fredde Freeman. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again — I cannot imagine a Braves team without Freddie. He has been with the club since he made his Major League debut and has become the face of the franchise. It would truly be sad to see Freddie Freeman in another uniform, on another team, having to play against the Atlanta Braves. I would say that signing Freddie Freeman should be the Atlanta Braves’ top priority now that the lockout is over.

Along with Freddie Freeman, two other players who made a significant impression with the club and the fanbase are Eddie Rosario and Jorge Soler. Since there is going to be a DH in the National League for this season, it makes total sense to me for the Braves to use Soler for this role. When he was with the Kansas City Royals, he was their DH, and while he was with the Braves, his biggest strength was his bat. He came through time and time again with his major power from the plate. While he did a decent job in right field for the Braves, you could tell he was a little uncomfortable. It just makes sense for the Braves to pursue him to be their Designated Hitter, and he would add that depth back to their everyday lineup.

Eddie Rosario – NLCS MVP Eddie Rosario. This is a guy who the Atlanta Braves’ front office signed while he was injured… injured!!! It definitely was an interesting move, but boy did it pay off. He came into the season at the perfect time in mid August, and he was on fire from his first game with the Braves. From his enthusiasm in the dugout and running the bases, to his huge hits and insane catches in left field, Rosario definitely played a significant role in the Braves 2021 World Series win. Now, I know, it seems as though most of those spectacular catches he made during the postseason were total luck, but I could potentially see the Braves using him as their every day left fielder. Luck only gets a player so far, and he proved that he has more than luck on his side! The Braves could potentially swap him out with Adam Duvall or Guillermo Heredia so he doesn’t play every single day, but I could easily see Eddie filling the role of left fielder and becoming better in that position.

That would allow the Braves outfield to line up like this:

Eddie Rosario in left field, Adam Duvall in center field, and Ronald Acuña Jr. in right field.

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There are still a lot of questions to be answered and roles to be filled before Opening Day, but in the end, it is nice to have baseball back.

GO BRAVES!