The Braves may have won the World Series just a few years back, but nearly the entire core of that roster is no longer in Atlanta.
The mass exodus began with Freddie Freeman, who went onto sign with the Dodgers just months after the team’s first championship since 1995. Dansby Swanson would follow suit, while others like Joc Pederson, Jorge Soler, Adam Duvall, Eddie Rosario, and others each parted ways at different times. The latest of the bunch being Max Fried, and weeks before him, it was Travis d’Arnaud, when the Braves opted not to pick up his $8 million option for 2025.
The news came as a shock to most of the baseball world, including Brian Snitker. d’Arnaud was widely regarded as the best backup catcher in the game and was beloved in the clubhouse. $8 million was a more than palatable price tag for his services, but with so many other needs, Alex Anthopoulos had to make a tough decision.
What d’Arnaud brought on the field can be replaced rather easily, whether it’s by Sean Murphy picking up a greater workload or another addition. However, what cannot be replicated is the leadership d’Arnaud brought to the team. He caught every game of the Braves 2021 World Series run, but the clubhouse dynamic is the last thing Brian Snitker is worried about.
“They asked me that when we lost Freddie, Dansby, and all that,” Brian Snitker said, via David O’Brien of The Athletic. “I don’t worry about that. That (locker) room’s full of leader-type guys, the (strong) makeup guys that play. And I think those leaders — they lead by example, those guys, how they come to work every day, how they prepare, the energy with which they play. That’s probably the last thing that I worry about is the credibility and the so-called leadership in the room.”
There’s no question the Braves clubhouse has been a clear edge for the team dating back to 2018, but their NL East foes have begun to catch up, and perhaps even surpass Atlanta in that area. The Phillies are a tight-knit group that’s as battle-tested as just about any other club in the National League, and the Mets are only going to be more confident following a historic offseason, which began by signing Juan Soto.
The Braves’ undoubtedly took a hit in the leadership department with the losses of Travis d’Arnaud and Max Fried, but Brian Snitker is absolutely correct that there are much greater concerns surrounding this team, and they must be addressed before the start of the season.
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A Braves Thank You To Max Fried
