Offseason Hot Stove 2024-25 Thread

I think it’s pretty clear this is the roster we’re taking into Spring Training and AA will evaluate from there. If we’ve been focused on trades rather than FA for a while there’s less of a sense of urgency to get those deals done prior to camps opening since the players are still getting their normal work in.

AA has said for years how he learned his lesson from the Melancon trade deadline year where he had to acquire 3 relievers and rebuild his bullpen on the fly. Couple that with the facts we tried sign Hoffman and Scott and have been linked to Cease and I can’t imagine that AA doesn’t acquire a proven pitcher before Opening Day. Frustrating but I think that’s where we are and ultimately it’s the Opening Day not Reporting Day roster that matters.
 
From this morning's DOB article on Braves pitchers, this is the first time I've seen a timeline this optimistic for Joe Jiménez . . .

Then Jiménez had October surgery for a nagging issue that cropped up during the season, and the damage was much worse than anticipated. The Braves say he could be out until August or longer, but privately are hopeful a smooth recovery will allow him to return sooner.
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https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/61...pitchers-from-anderson-to-strider-to-waldrep/
 
bravesfanMatt said:
So AA is now hoping injured pitchers can heal faster to cover for his timid offseason.
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You already know the old used car salesman song and dance is coming about how they are encouraged by this person and this person coming into spring. AA has $hit the bed this offseason.
 
This is easily the worst offseason in the AA era. Fortunately all his other offseasons were so excellent this is still the #2 team in the sport.
 
Enscheff said:
This is easily the worst offseason in the AA era. Fortunately all his other offseasons were so excellent this is still the #2 team in the sport.
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Hopefully we have better luck with injuries than we did last year. They are placing a lot of faith in Strider coming back and being the old Strider.
 
Much like there was no way the offense was going to be as good in 2024 as it was in 2023, it is highly likely that every one of our most important pitchers has a statistically worse season in 2025 than they did last season. Sale, Lopez, Schwelly, and Iglesias should all be expected to not repeat their 2024 performances even if they are good this season. Odds are at least one of those has a significant regression.

Then you look at the next level of returning pitching and guys like Holmes and Johnson are also guys who we shouldn’t be surprised if they’re not as good in 2025. So it really is unthinkable that we subtracted the reliability that Fried, Morton, and Jimenez provided and all we have to replace it is the hope that our regression candidates don’t regress too much and that we hit on some of our wild cards in Strider, Hernandez, Anderson, Perdomo, etc. I still don’t see how AA doesn’t add a proven arm before Opening Day, but it is disappointing we are setting up for another 2023 where the offense may carry us but the pitching lacks the firepower to overcome the other elite teams.
 
ATL22 said:
Much like there was no way the offense was going to be as good in 2024 as it was in 2023, it is highly likely that every one of our most important pitchers has a statistically worse season in 2025 than they did last season. Sale, Lopez, Schwelly, and Iglesias should all be expected to not repeat their 2024 performances even if they are good this season. Odds are at least one of those has a significant regression.

Then you look at the next level of returning pitching and guys like Holmes and Johnson are also guys who we shouldn’t be surprised if they’re not as good in 2025. So it really is unthinkable that we subtracted the reliability that Fried, Morton, and Jimenez provided and all we have to replace it is the hope that our regression candidates don’t regress too much and that we hit on some of our wild cards in Strider, Hernandez, Anderson, Perdomo, etc. I still don’t see how AA doesn’t add a proven arm before Opening Day, but it is disappointing we are setting up for another 2023 where the offense may carry us but the pitching lacks the firepower to overcome the other elite teams.
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But that didn’t happen in 2023. The Braves vaunted lineup got shut the **** down.
 
Having said that, I agree with your overall point. We need a legit MLB caliber starting pitcher on this roster and probably another reliever.

Sorry, you can’t edit on mobile.
 
ATL22 said:
Much like there was no way the offense was going to be as good in 2024 as it was in 2023, it is highly likely that every one of our most important pitchers has a statistically worse season in 2025 than they did last season. Sale, Lopez, Schwelly, and Iglesias should all be expected to not repeat their 2024 performances even if they are good this season. Odds are at least one of those has a significant regression.

Then you look at the next level of returning pitching and guys like Holmes and Johnson are also guys who we shouldn’t be surprised if they’re not as good in 2025. So it really is unthinkable that we subtracted the reliability that Fried, Morton, and Jimenez provided and all we have to replace it is the hope that our regression candidates don’t regress too much and that we hit on some of our wild cards in Strider, Hernandez, Anderson, Perdomo, etc. I still don’t see how AA doesn’t add a proven arm before Opening Day, but it is disappointing we are setting up for another 2023 where the offense may carry us but the pitching lacks the firepower to overcome the other elite teams.
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I agree that the same way our offense will average out our pitching will average out. I think we need another SP. That will make the 5 spot a battle between Anderson/Holmes with the loser being the swing man in the last bullpen spot (assuming a healthy Perdomo and Pilar take 2 spots)

However I’d expect better seasons from the AJSS/Waldrep/Elder trio.

I also think 2 of the dozen AAA RP who have a chance at being an effective major league reliever will work out.

Acquiring another SP is still the best play.
 
We know AA was after Hoffman and Scott so he knows they need another high leverage reliever and we know he's been after Cease. So we know that AA knows what needs there are. He just thinks he shouldn't have to overpay for people and it's worked out a lot but I think more teams are catching on and aren't gonna fall for it much going forward. AA may have to change his strategy.
 
What’s crazy to me is that in 2022 and 2023, while they didn’t hit enough in the postseason, our offense was good enough to win if they performed to their capabilities but our rotation limped into the postseason and wasn’t good enough to give us a real chance. So AA addressed that last season by bringing in Sale to be a postseason starter along with Fried, Strider, and Morton and added Lopez for even more depth. And the pitching largely carried us into the playoffs.

So now we’re getting our offense back healthy and productive hopefully but on paper we are potentially worse off in the pitching staff than we were in ‘22 and ‘23 and we know how that ends. All this while our division has gotten tougher and the NL has the new Evil Empire. Makes no sense.
 
I think the offense bounces back just fine this year and the rotation is still one of the top 3-5 in baseball IF healthy. That's a big if. One more reliable starter and I think we are just fine. AA has signed a lot of bullpen guys and I think we get 1 or 2 surprises out of that group.
 
Passan says Alonso's deal is two years, opt-out after the first season, he'll get $30 million this year. That's...not the contract he was looking for.
 
6 days until pitchers and catchers report. Today would be a good day for AA to improve the big league pitching staff rather than rely on Ian Anderson, Grant Holmes, the AAAA relief brigade, and health among the rest of the staff, which is certainly guaranteed.
 
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