The Atlanta Braves are supposedly going to lose franchise first baseman Freddie Freeman to free agency. Even if the World Series champions lose the star infielder, they still have a playoff-caliber team.
Such a notion derives from Marcell Ozuna and eventually Ronald Acuna Jr.’s presumptive returns at some point next season. That said, the Braves still have to make moves on the free-agent market to enhance their chances of defending the crown and fending off their National League East rivals.
Here are two players the Braves should sign after the MLB lockout finally ends.
Atlanta Braves should make Anthony Rizzo their new first baseman
As previously alluded to, the Braves may be on the hunt for a new first baseman. If and when that pursuit begins, Rizzo should be the first player they reach out to.
While Rizzo is coming off a pair of monotonous seasons at the plate, he’s still a reliable corner infielder. He’s a vacuum and one of the best defensive first basemen in the sport. Offensively, he has considerable pop from the left side and is difficult to strike out, but he’s capable of better performance.
All the while, Rizzo is accustomed to high-leverage at-bats, as his teams have appeared in six of the last seven postseasons. That’s perfect for a Braves team that has appeared in each of the last four postseasons and is a safe bet to return next season.
- Anthony Rizzo stats (2021): .248/.344/.440, 22 home runs and 61 RBIs across 496 at-bats
The Braves are as good as any team in MLB at developing talent. They crank out sturdy, everyday position players, starting pitchers, and relievers. As it concerns the positional depth chart, the Braves are going to get progression and continual improvements from young players. They’re best suited to having a proven commodity holding down the fort at a vital position like first.
A hot rumor surrounding the Braves is about them trading for Oakland Athletics’ first baseman Matt Olson if Freeman bolts. While he’s a great, all-around player, acquiring Olson would be imprudent for Atlanta. They’d have to surrender at least two highly touted prospects and give Olson a top-level contract when he hits the open market in two years. Aren’t they losing Freeman because of money, to begin with?
All it costs for the Braves to attain Rizzo is a short-term contract. He’s a no-brainer for them.
Jakob Junis would give the Atlanta Braves pitching flexibility
The Braves have a reliable and ever-improving pitching staff from top to bottom. Of course, no unit is perfect and there’s merit behind them adding another arm or two. Junis is an ideal pickup for Atlanta.
Once upon a time ago, the 29-year-old Junis was a promising young arm for the Kansas City Royals. He was a respectable member of the rotation who was able to keep his team in games while relying on his slider and four-seamer. Then he had a rough 2019 and has been a primary reliever since 2020.
- Jakob Junis stats (2021): 5.26 ERA, 1.40 WHIP and 41 strikeouts across 39.1 innings
The right-hander would likely begin the season out of manager Brian Snitker’s bullpen. Max Fried, Ian Anderson, Charlie Morton, Huascar Ynoa, Touki Toussaint, and Mike Soroka likely compete for the five starting jobs. That said, Morton is coming off a leg injury and Soroka hasn’t made an MLB start since August 2020. Junis provides backup and a starter in a pinch.
In the meantime, Junis joins a deep bullpen. Will Smith, Luke Jackson, Tyler Matzek, and A.J. Minter are reliable backend relievers while Sean Newcomb — like Junis — can handle multiple roles (Newcomb was previously a starting pitcher).
Atlanta doesn’t have to make a substantial signing on the pitching front. They can bank on the progression and track record of their young arms. That said, they should seek ways to add variety to their pitching staff and/or embrace reclamation projects. Junis is a versatile pitcher who fits the bill.
He’ll be an in-between arm for a contending team.