Braves remain patient as Meetings end
LAS VEGAS -- As the Braves exited this year's Winter Meetings without adding to the flurry of significant moves being made within the National League East, they remained committed to avoiding overpay risk associated with doing a deal just to do a deal."I think the biggest mistake we could make
LAS VEGAS -- As the Braves exited this year's Winter Meetings without adding to the flurry of significant moves being made within the National League East, they remained committed to avoiding overpay risk associated with doing a deal just to do a deal.
"I think the biggest mistake we could make is to try to force a deal to sign somebody to three, four or five years that we like, but we don't love," Braves general manager Alex Anthopoulos said.
In terms of what the Braves are evaluating on the free-agent market, this comment applies to the current cost it would take to acquire outfielders
"The landscape is going to constantly change and we have to be careful not to lock ourselves into something we're not excited about," Anthopoulos said.
With the Yankees nearing the completion of a deal with J.A. Happ, Gray now officially becomes the odd man out in New York's rotation. So Anthopoulos may find a different tone within future conversations shared with Yankees GM Brian Cashman. As time passes, the asking price for Kluber, Bauer and possibly even J.T. Realmuto could drop.
While the Braves have continued to monitor Realmuto's market, they have not viewed him as a priority target since signing
BIGGEST REMAINING NEEDS
1. Front-line starter: Gray was a bust in the Bronx, but the 2.84 ERA produced in 18 road starts while wearing pinstripes strengthens the argument he might just need a change of scenery. It seems unlikely Kluber will be dealt and it must be remembered Bauer never posted a sub-4.00 ERA before this year.
2. Outfielder: The Braves had interest in
3. Bullpen: Of the three remaining primary targets, adding a reliever is the one that can best qualify as more of a wish than a need.
RULE 5 DRAFT
The Braves chose not to make a selection in the Major League phase of Thursday's Rule 5 Draft. They added to their organizational depth by making these selections in the Triple-A phase: righty Jason Creasy (D-backs), righty Jose Rafael De Paula (Reds) and shortstop Riley Unroe (Angels).
Mark Bowman has covered the Braves for MLB.com since 2001.