It has been a relatively quiet few weeks for the Atlanta Braves following the reunion with closer Raisel Iglesias and acquisition of super utility man (and, perhaps, starting shortstop) Mauricio Dubon,
but that does not mean Alex Anthopoulos isn’t working on other additions.
In a recent video segment with ESPN insider Buster Olney and Paul Hembekides, Olney said, “My sense of Alex Anthopoulos, and I’ve heard this from a lot of agents, is pitching, pitching, and pitching.”
Olney also suggested free agent starter Framber Valdez could be a fit for what Atlanta is looking for. Valdez has been remarkably durable since joining Houston’s rotation in 2020 with a stellar 3.23 ERA / 3.36 FIP / 3.24 xFIP across 973 innings. It was reported on Tuesday that Valdez’s market has not materialized in the early weeks of the offseason and a signing could be weeks or even months away.
Here is the full video segment on X should you want to watch for yourself. Hembekides also opined the Braves should go all-out for shortstop Corey Seager — which I would be in complete favor of should Seager actually be available — although that seems unlikely given the current state of the payroll and Seager’s lengthy injury history.
Anthopoulos said at the start of the Winter Meetings that the team feels good about the health progression of Grant Holmes, Reynaldo Lopez and Spencer Schwellenbach, but everyone in Braves Country would sleep a lot better at night knowing the Braves have a few extra arms — whether in the rotation or bullpen — to navigate 162 games and, hopefully, a deep run into the postseason.
