The 2019 MLB winter meetings are underway in San Diego. The Braves did much of their heavy lifting beforehand, signing a plethora of relievers, a catcher and veteran starter Cole Hamels.
Third base and/or a power hitter remain the team’s most discussed need. A reunion with Josh Donaldson is still possible, though the Braves will have to pay. He has a robust market that’s expected to land him a three-or-four-year deal.
Here’s what Anthopoulos said during the first day of the winter meetings Monday:
- “We are exploring our options at third base. That’s a nice quote for you guys,” Anthopoulos said, laughing. The Braves are obviously still involved with Donaldson and would prefer to add a power bat at third, but they’ll face competition for his services.
“Ideally, (the power comes from) third base,” he said. “But middle-of-the-order bat could come in the form of an outfielder as well. … We didn’t target third base a year ago at this time, so that was the best deal that made sense for us.
“It’s fair to say we’d like to do something for the middle of the order. I can’t guarantee we’ll be able to accomplish that, but we’d like to add a middle-of-the-order bat if we can.”
- Anthopoulos added the Braves weren’t close to adding another player, though he stresses that can change quickly. He feels conversations are moving slightly faster this winter than last, but the market, at least from their perspective, hasn’t shifted over the past week.
The Braves attacked the market early, signing relievers Will Smith, Darren O’Day and Chris Martin. They addressed their catching need with Travis D’Arnaud. They added Hamels to stabilize their rotation. Those moves came after the team reached new deals to retain veteran outfielder Nick Markakis and Tyler Flowers.
And while the team could use more upgrades, the clean-up spot is its only glaring flaw. From a roster-building standpoint, it’s now easier on Anthopoulos to have checked so many boxes.
“It allows you to focus a little bit more (on specific spots),” he said. “If we didn’t believe in the deals we wouldn’t have done them, but there was definitely value in being aggressive and getting things done. If you’re leaving everything to December or January, that’d be challenging with all the things we needed to do. It helps, straight-lines things a bit more, but we still have work to do.”
- Starting this season, MLB teams can carry 26 players rather than 25. The Braves have discussed how they’d like to use that extra spot, and Anthopoulos emphasized defense will be the No. 1 priority for that player. They hope to add a defensive back-up shortstop.
“We haven’t come to a conclusion on what we want to do,” Anthopoulos said. “Do you have a guy you can option? We’ve been pretty clear we’d like to get a defender at shortstop in the utility role, defense being the No. 1 characteristic. That’s definitely on our list. And the 26th man, we’re not sure yet.”
- The Braves have been a rumored landing spot for either Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor or Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant, both of whom could be dealt due to their clubs’ financial circumstances. But there’s no indication the teams have had substantial talks with the Braves to this point.
It’s easy to see how either fits, especially if Donaldson leaves. The Braves’ farm system remains popular with other clubs and the team has clearly sent out a we-want-to-win-now memo to other clubs with its series of recent moves.
A move can’t be ruled out: Lindor has two years remaining on his contract, though many are questioning Cleveland’s motivation to actually move him. Bryant’s situation is more complicated due to a grievance over service time manipulation. He’s currently controllable over the next two seasons, but that could be reduced to one.
“We’re always engaged in the trade market, but as a general rule of thumb, less control is going to impact what you’re willing to give back,” Anthopoulos said.
- The Nationals re-signed starter Stephen Strasburg earlier in the day, which means third baseman Anthony Rendon likely lands elsewhere. Donaldson is viewed as the second-best third baseman on the market, a back-up option for some who miss Rendon.
But Anthopoulos didn’t think the Strasburg signing had a trickle-down effect to the third base market. He viewed positional markets independently, so while media and fans connect the dots, Anthopoulos says the Braves see it differently.
“I don’t view the markets necessarily as linked,” he said. “Everyone has their own list on what they want to do. I would expect there are signings this week, trades, as the whole offseason. We’re strictly focused on ourselves. We don’t have any doubts the Nationals, the Mets, the Marlins have been active, the Phillies; all these teams are going to get better. Everyone in our division will be more talented than they were a year ago at this time.”
