The Winter Meetings might not have been the fireworks show everyone hoped for, but don’t pack it in just yet—there’s still a lot of baseball business to handle this offseason. Sure, it’s hard not to feel the sting of a mostly quiet week, especially when the biggest headline from the Braves camp was watching Max Fried slip away and land with the Yankees.
But this isn’t the time to start clutching pearls or throwing in the towel. Trust me, Atlanta isn’t planning to coast into 2025 with a “meh” roster. Not with Alex Anthopoulos calling the shots.
The Garrett Crochet Close Call
The Braves didn’t just sit on their hands during the Winter Meetings. They were deep in the mix for Garrett Crochet. Bob Nightengale spilled the beans that Atlanta was one of the final five teams vying for the lefty before the Red Sox swooped in with a truckload of prospects to close the deal. And that tells us plenty. It means the Braves aren’t just casually window shopping—they’re ready to make a move if the right piece falls into place.
Anthopoulos Plays It Close to the Chest
Look, the Braves need another starter. With Charlie Morton’s status hanging in limbo and Fried officially out the door, the rotation is looking a little thin. That’s not news. What is news, though, is that Anthopoulos isn’t afraid to swing big, even if it doesn’t always land. It’s just how this front office operates—quiet, calculating, and out of the public eye. While other big-market teams leak every negotiation to keep fans hyped and media busy, the Braves prefer to keep things locked down until the deal is done.
And yeah, some top targets are off the table now. Crochet? Gone. Nathan Eovaldi? Off the board. Fried? Don’t remind us. But remember, this is only the beginning of the offseason. Now that Juan Soto’s future is settled, things will likely heat up. The market’s about to shift gears, and Atlanta’s not going to be left twiddling its thumbs.
What’s Next for the Braves?
So what’s next? Maybe the Braves look to snag someone like Jurickson Profar to patch up the outfield. Or maybe, just maybe, Anthopoulos has an ace up his sleeve—a trade that no one sees coming, kind of like last year’s Chris Sale deal. If there’s one thing we’ve learned about this front office, it’s that they’re not shy about getting creative or taking calculated risks.
It feels like the options are thinning, but don’t mistake silence for inactivity. Anthopoulos doesn’t make moves to generate headlines; he makes them to win championships. And while the rest of the league might be making noise, the Braves are quietly setting the stage. It wouldn’t be the first time they pulled off a jaw-dropping move when everyone least expected it.
