NASHVILLE — The Braves have not shown any serious interest in free agent Shohei Ohtani and feel White Sox right-hander Dylan Cease should not be considered a trade candidate.
But as the first day of winter meetings passed on Monday, there was still a sense that Atlanta could make at least one more big move.
The Braves announced on Sunday night that they have ended their search for a left fielder by acquiring Jared Kelenic from the Mariners. It will be interesting to see if they can add an experienced and controllable starter to the rotation.
Cease was certainly on the Braves’ radar, but it doesn’t feel like a good fit at this point. In fact, Atlanta’s interest and involvement appears to be overstated.
This doesn’t mean the Braves won’t potentially add a front-line starter to the rotation. Corbin Burnes and Tyler Glasnow are the top two starters available via trade. Or Braves president of baseball operations and general manager Alex Anthopoulos could extend his tradition of making surprise acquisitions.
“I think the one thing that has been consistent is that most of the time, if not all the time, a big part of what we do is not to leak,” Anthopoulos said. “Most of the people we’re interested in don’t divulge information.”
Indeed, there was no indication that Anthopoulos was preparing to acquire Kelenic to take over the bad contracts held by left-handed pitcher Marco Gonzalez and underperforming infielder Evan White. But if Kelenic begins to show why he was the No. 4 prospect in MLB Pipeline in 2021, the Braves will have no problem with the financial cost they assumed to acquire him.
Atlanta received $4.5 million from the Mariners. That would help pay off Gonzalez, who is owed $12.25 million next year, and White, who is owed $7 million in 2024 and $15 million over the next two seasons.
Gonzalez could be moved to another team, and White, who hasn’t played in the majors since 2021, doesn’t necessarily seem like a good fit. So the question is whether the Braves can reduce this cost at all through other trades.
If the Braves were to make a significant trade, they could take advantage of some of the pitching depth that has been strengthened over the past year with the promotion of AJ Smith-Shover and the addition of Hurston Waldrep. Both of these young arms should be able to start. Atlanta next year.
Alternatively, the Braves could try to move designated hitter Marcell Ozuna, who is owed $18 million before his contract expires at the end of the 2024 season, or closer Raisel Iglesias, who is owed $16 million over the next two seasons. Maybe.
Ozuna bounced back this year with his 40th home run of the season. The Braves could roll the dice to repeat his success. Or they could sell it at a high price and strengthen their pitching staff. Iglesias is also a potential sell-off. He’s a reliable, proven closer. However, Reynaldo Lopez, Pierce Johnson, Joe Jimenez, and AJ Minter all look like they could fill that role.
The Braves added to their roster with the additions of Gonzalez and White. Some of the costs may be written off in future transactions. But another way to reduce the penalty for exceeding the luxury tax threshold two years in a row would be to move Ozuna or Iglesias.
