2025-2026 offseason thread

Am I just missing something that makes Tucker worth 45M or even 40M per year even with the inflated market?

You’re probably missing the part where he posted WAR values of 4.9, 4.9, 4.9, 4.2, and 4.5 over the last 5 seasons and is going into his age 29 season where he’s projected to do exactly the same thing. He’s basically Austin Riley minus the massive injury driven downturn, and would easily be worth $45M over the next few years of his prime.

Meanwhile, AA “fixed” the Braves OF with a 1-2 win platoon player for the next 2 years after “fixing” it with a PED user for an overlapping 3 years.
 
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You’re probably missing the part where he posted WAR values of 4.9, 4.9, 4.9, 4.2, and 4.5 over the last 5 seasons and is going into his age 29 season where he’s projected to do exactly the same thing. He’s basically Austin Riley minus the massive injury driven downturn, and would easily be worth $45M over the next few years of his prime.

Meanwhile, AA “fixed” the Braves OF with a 1-2 win platoon player for the next 2 years after “fixing” it with a PED user for an overlapping 3 years.
I guess but Tucker also has injury concerns. I wouldn't be pissed at all by it, though. And agree - I don't fully understand the widespread praise AA is getting for the offseason to this point.
 
You’re probably missing the part where he posted WAR values of 4.9, 4.9, 4.9, 4.2, and 4.5 over the last 5 seasons and is going into his age 29 season where he’s projected to do exactly the same thing. He’s basically Austin Riley minus the massive injury driven downturn, and would easily be worth $45M over the next few years of his prime.

Meanwhile, AA “fixed” the Braves OF with a 1-2 win platoon player for the next 2 years after “fixing” it with a PED user for an overlapping 3 years.
I’m genuinely curious how 4-4.5 WAR is “easily” worth $45m while 1.5-2 for $11m is a clear overpay. I know singular players who provide WARs that high get an extra value kick but that much extra, and it’s clear? Idk
 
People understandably want to build a perfect roster, but that’s not how the offseason works. And unfortunately, no one outside of the Dodgers have gotten remotely close. You can’t just sit around waiting for the perfect deal or the perfect player to appear. You have to make decisions with what’s available, even if it’s not ideal or there's uncertainty with timing
Still, it sure would be nice.
 
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Kim is a good SS option. You seem to be complaining just to complain

The Braves currently project as the #25 team at SS. In no world is that “good”, or whatever superlative folks want to argue about.

Kim was the absolute bare minimum acceptable option at SS. Yaz was the absolute bare minimum acceptable option in LF. Iggy plus Suarez was the absolute bare minimum acceptable upgrades for the BP. Bassitt will be the absolute bare minimum acceptable option at SP. Hiring WW as manager was an unacceptable move. Dubon for the bench is the only above average move made so far.

AA has filled all the holes with the absolute bare minimum acceptable options, and he paid roughly market rate for all of them. It has been, at best, an average offseason for a professional sports GM so far.
 
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Bare minimum or not, the expectations are excessive. People wanted him to fill multiple roster holes, upgrade the team, find those upgrades at value, and still hold onto the picks, while ignoring that there is a finite budget unless they go past the third luxury tax threshold and give up additional draft capital in future years. And if that happened, people would still bitch. The same goes if they sign a frontline starter and sacrifie the QO pick.

There is always a trade-off between chasing higher-end talent and building legitimate depth around the edges, and this offseason clearly leaned toward the latter. It has not been perfect, but the overall floor of the roster is better. That matters for a team that regularly deals with injuries and unexpected underperformance. In that context, an average offseason that improves depth, manages cost, and preserves future flexibility still has real value. Expecting every weakness to be solved at once without meaningful trade-offs is not realistic.
 
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