With each passing wave of free agency, the feeling around the Braves gets a little more grim. They have several holes that need to be filled, but an inflated market has made filling them increasingly difficult for a general manager like Alex Anthopoulos, who is all about value.

In all likelihood, the Braves aren’t going to join the bidding wars for the top arms on the market. It hasn’t happened at all during Alex Anthopoulos’ tenure in Atlanta, and there are absolutely no signs of that changing this offseason. The Braves generally prefer short-term gambles with upside, and there’s a future Hall of Fame starting arm that could be on Anthopoulos’ radar.

Max Scherzer has spent a ton of time in the NL East with two different franchises, and the Braves could decide to make three this offseason. He’s 40-years-old and only made nine starts last season due to injuries. However, the three-time NL Cy Young award winner did prove he had some left in the tank when he was on the mound.

“When he was able to take the mound in 2024, Scherzer showed he could still generate swings outside the zone and miss bats at a high level,” Thomas Harrigan writes for MLB.com. “In fact, Scherzer’s 36.4% chase rate tied for first among starting pitchers (minimum 300 out-of-zone pitches thrown), while his 29.2% whiff rate ranked T-23rd out of the 193 starters with at least 300 swings against.”

2025 very well could be Max Scherzer’s final season, so one would assume he’d prefer to join a contender. It’s highly unlikely he’ll garner anything more than a one year contract, and there’s plenty to suggest he can still be a productive pitcher when healthy. For the Braves, who really just need a guy that can round out their rotation rather than a frontline arm, he could be viewed similarly to Charlie Morton but with a bit more upside, given his track record and competitive drive.

—

Photographer: Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire