The Atlanta Braves’ 2024 season has officially over, and now the organization’s attention is turned to what might be a crucial summer for the team.
A.J. Minter and Max Fried are two important Braves players who are scheduled to become free agents this offseason; it is still uncertain whether or not either of them will return to Atlanta. Atlanta will also probably try to bolster the squad in other ways through trades and free agency; there are a lot of fascinating names to consider coming into the summer.
The Braves should pursue the following three free agents in the summer, along with three that the team should pass on:
The Atlanta Braves should seek three free agents and steer clear of three others.
Willy Adames, shortstop, should
This offseason, the Braves could make a run at acquiring a shortstop. With a good season underway with the Milwaukee Brewers, Willy Adames is without a question the top free agent at the position. Adames, who has two seasons with 30 or more home runs dating back to 2022, hit a combined.251/.331/.462 with 32 home runs, 112 RBI, and 21 stolen bases in 161 regular season games. He would be an upgrade at an offensive position that needed improvement.
Right-handed pitcher Justin Verlander shouldn’t
At some time during the summer, the Braves should be able to sign a seasoned starting pitcher, but Verlander probably won’t be on that list of options. Three-time Cy Young Award winner Verlander had a disappointing season with the Houston Astros last year, going 5-6 with a 5.48 ERA, 74:27 K/BB ratio in 90.1 IP, and he will be turning 42 in 2025.
Tanner Scott, a left-handed pitcher, should
Tanner Scott is a top-tier left-handed reliever who the Braves should be keeping an eye on this winter. He is a free-agent target that we have previously mentioned. The first-time All-Star, who had a combined 9-6 record with a 1.75 ERA, an 84:36 K/BB ratio, and 22 saves between the Miami Marlins and San Diego Padres, had one of his greatest regular seasons of his MLB career thus far in 2024.
The Atlanta Braves’ 2024 season has officially over, and now the organization’s attention is turned to what might be a crucial summer for the team.
A.J. Minter and Max Fried are two important Braves players who are scheduled to become free agents this offseason; it is still uncertain whether or not either of them will return to Atlanta. Atlanta will also probably try to bolster the squad in other ways through trades and free agency; there are a lot of fascinating names to consider coming into the summer.
The Braves should pursue the following three free agents in the summer, along with three that the team should pass on:
The Atlanta Braves should seek three free agents and steer clear of three others.
Willy Adames, shortstop, should
This offseason, the Braves could make a run at acquiring a shortstop. With a good season underway with the Milwaukee Brewers, Willy Adames is without a question the top free agent at the position. Adames, who had two seasons with 30 or more home runs dating back to 2022, hit a combined.251/.331/.462 with 32 home runs, 112 RBI, and 21 stolen bases in 161 regular season games. In 2024, he would be a good addition to Atlanta at an offensive position that was in need of improvement.
Right-handed pitcher Justin Verlander shouldn’t
At some time during the summer, the Braves should be able to sign a seasoned starting pitcher, but Verlander probably won’t be on that list of options. Three-time Cy Young Award winner Verlander had a disappointing season with the Houston Astros last year, going 5-6 with a 5.48 ERA, 74:27 K/BB ratio in 90.1 IP, and he will be turning 42 in 2025.
Tanner Scott, a left-handed pitcher, should
Tanner Scott is a top-tier left-handed reliever who the Braves should be keeping an eye on this winter. He is a free-agent target that we have previously mentioned. The first-time All-Star, who had a combined 9-6 record with a 1.75 ERA, an 84:36 K/BB ratio, and 22 saves between the Miami Marlins and San Diego Padres, had one of his greatest regular seasons of his MLB career thus far in 2024.
Outfielder Cody Bellinger Should Not
Bellinger may not even reach free agency this year since he has player options for 2025 and 2026, but if he does, the Braves should probably seek elsewhere for an offensive improvement. Bellinger, who won the NL MVP award in 2019, has only had one season with an OPS of.800 or more since. He just finished his 2024 season with the Chicago Cubs, where he slashed.266/.325/.426 with 18 HR, 78 RBI, and nine stolen bases in 130 games.
Anthony Santander, an outfielder, should
After a stellar season with the Baltimore Orioles, Anthony Santander would be a great addition to the Braves in left field and should be the team’s final target. Santander was one of baseball’s best home run hitters in the regular season, slashing.235/.308/.506 with 44 HR and 102 RBI, all of which were career highs. He was an All-Star for the first time in 2024.
2024 will see Atlanta.
