The Atlanta Braves have yet to make a jaw-dropping trade this winter to improve an already-talented roster. Atlanta fell in the NL Wild Card round to the San Diego Padres in the MLB Playoffs, and took a step back from the 2023 season in which they lost in the NLDS – a year that was also considered…a step back. Are you catching my drift?
Liberty Media and the Braves have money to spend, just like every professional sports franchise. The question, though, is where they plan to spend that capital? Braves ownership could pocket the change and call 2024 a job well done. They could invest more in the surrounding area, known as The Battery, near Truist Park. Or, as the fans would surely want, Alex Anthopoulos could improve the roster, rather than standing pat.
The Braves entered the winter with three core needs – outfield depth, starting pitching and perhaps a shortstop. That’s a lot to ask of Anthopoulos, as the pitching and shortstop markets were demanding to say the least this winter. One could forgive Anthopoulos for forcing Braves fans to deal with another season of Orlando Arcia. Yet, once Max Fried left for the New York Yankees, it became clear Atlanta had to buoy its pitching depth, whether that be though the rotation or bullpen.
Braves have a new free-agent target in Tanner Scott, but can they close the deal?
Thankfully, the Braves have reportedly made some progress in that department, as they’re showing interest in the top relief pitcher on the market in Tanner Scott. As House That Hank Built’s Eric Cole noted, Scott would be a tremendous fit in Atlanta:
“Scott honestly does fit the mold of a Braves target. Raisel Iglesias is only under contract through 2025 and Scott could be Atlanta’s closer of the future and a really good one at that. Anthopoulos also has shown a willingness to spend on the Braves’ bullpen in the past including the contract that ended up getting handed out to Will Smith and the money Atlanta took on when they traded for Iglesias. It doesn’t hurt that Scott could not receive a qualifying offer since he had been traded during the season and wouldn’t cost the Braves any draft picks,” Cole wrote.
That last bit is key. The Braves covet cheap talent, and forfeiting draft picks is not on their laundry list of items for this winter. Signing Scott wouldn’t impact them in that regard, which in itself is a step in the right direction.
Scott, entering his age-30 season, finished the 2024 campaign with a 4.0 WAR, 1.75 ERA and 22 saves.
