The Atlanta Braves are coming off a surprising 90-win season and NL East title. As one of the most-talented young squads in MLB, the expectation is that Atlanta will look to add a star player in free agency. It has the cash to do just that.
By bringing in a player like Manny Machado or Bryce Harper, general manager Alex Anthopoulos would be creating a nice balance of young talent and proven MVP-caliber players.
Unfortunately for fans in Atlanta, this doesn’t look like it will be in the cards.
Will the #Braves target Bryce Harper or Manny Machado this winter?
GM Alex Anthopoulos tells @JimBowdenGM & @Jim_Duquette why it's not likely: pic.twitter.com/lgeHB9jypX
— MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (@MLBNetworkRadio) November 4, 2018
We can be in on any player, we certainly have the dollars to do that. I don’t know that it makes a lot of sense….to do deals that are ten years in length and longer at significant dollars with the payroll that we have,” Anthopoulos said on MLB Network Radio on Siriux XM.
In a way, this makes perfect sense. Atlanta still boasts one of the top farm systems in baseball. Can it realistically project 10 years into the future? No. The idea of signing Harper to a 10-year deal that would likely top $300 million doesn’t fit into the team’s MO.
The same can be said for an infielder in Machado who has fallen out of favor following his postseason exploits with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
This doesn’t mean Atlanta won’t be players during the winter. It has needs in both the starting rotation and the back end of the bullpen. We’re just not expecting the team to go big-name hunting. And in a vacuum, that’s not a bad thing.