The Atlanta Braves have been mostly inactive this offseason, but Bleacher Report’s Kerry Miller argued that could change soon.
The Atlanta Braves’ inactivity this offseason has been a source of contention among the team’s fans. With just a few weeks until Spring Training begins, the Braves have made no substantial roster additions.
Despite this, Bleacher Report’s Kerry Miller identified the Braves as a potential landing site for a couple of the best free agents who have yet to be signed.
On January 23, Miller identified the Braves as one of the “likeliest landing spots” for starting pitcher Jack Flaherty.
“It has been almost three months since Atlanta traded Jorge Soler’s contract and declined Travis d’Arnaud’s club option for 2025, and Atlanta has done a highly unusual amount of nothing since then,” Miller said. “With a salary already approaching $200 million, the Braves don’t have much space to spend, but we expect them to make at least one semi-major move.
“Re-signing Max Fried or signing Willy Adames always seemed like pipe dreams, but getting Jack Flaherty on a relatively short-term deal could be their big move.”
Miller also mentioned the Braves as a potential “surprise landing spot” for shortstop Ha-Seong Kim.
“Between Orlando Arcia’s mediocre overall production over the past three-plus seasons and Ozzie Albies’ injury history in recent years, adding a versatile middle infielder at what might be a significant discount because of his shoulder seems like something Atlanta should aggressively pursue,” says Miller.
“They already expect to be without Spencer Strider and Ronald Acuña Jr. on Opening Day, and they can go ask the 2024 Texas Rangers how unenjoyable it is to spend the first half of the season waiting on guys who were already known to be injured before the offseason began.”
“But if they do sign Kim and ever reach a point of full strength, putting him at shortstop and platooning Arcia and Jarred Kelenic in LF could be an NL East-winning formula.”
On paper, the Braves appear to be in greater need of Flaherty, which is likely why Miller believed the Braves would sign the starting pitcher rather than Kim.
With the losses of Max Fried and Charlie Morton, the Braves must replace 320 innings in their rotation. Ace Spencer Strider will compensate for some of this when he returns from Tommy John surgery. Spencer Schwellenbach is also projected to collect more innings in 2025 since, unlike last year, he will begin the spring in the majors.
But Strider and Schwellenbach cannot fully replace Fried and Morton. The Braves require innings from another starter.
Flaherty, probably the best starter still on the market, has been a popular Braves target touted by commentators in recent weeks. Miller is the second expert this week to declare Atlanta the “best fit” for Flaherty.
In 28 starts with the Detroit Tigers and Los Angeles Dodgers in 2024, he went 13-7 with a 3.17 ERA. He also had a 1.068 WHIP and 194 strikeouts over 162 innings.
Flaherty has medical issues, which is possibly why he is still a free agent. However, if the Braves signed him to a short-term contract, the risk to the team would be minimal.
The return, however, would be significant, given Flaherty’s potential as not only an innings eater but also a top starting pitcher for a 2025 contender.
Pundits, like Flaherty, have repeatedly identified Kim as a potential Braves target this offseason. Kim provides a possible upgrade at shortstop, which the Braves might use after Orlando Arcia’s.625 OPS in 2024.
Kim’s versatility would also provide Atlanta with injury protection at second base if Ozzie Albies misses considerable time again.
Kim hit.233 with a.700 OPS in 121 games for the San Diego Padres last year. In 2023, he won the National League Gold Glove Award with an OPS of.749.
David O’Brien of The Athletic did not specifically mention Flaherty or Kim this week. But on Jan. 22, O’Brien shared Miller’s feeling that the Braves will still make a significant move before the season.
