Alex Anthopoulos names 'point of emphasis' for the Braves offseason

The Braves were way too quiet last offseason, and it came back to bite them. The only significant addition they made was Jurickson Profar, who was immediately suspended 80 games for PEDs once the season began. Perhaps the most surprising aspect of last winter was their decision not to address the pitching staff in any fashion. The rotation could have used another arm or two, and the bullpen needed several additions.

It didn’t take long for those areas to let the Braves down. Injuries ravaged Atlanta’s rotation immediately, and the bullpen blew a plethora of games throughout the first couple of months. The Braves tried to scramble to find answers mid-season, but there were none to be found.

Coming off one of the most disappointing seasons in franchise history, Alex Anthopoulos cannot go quietly this winter. There must be some significant improvements, especially when it comes to the pitching staff, which the Braves GM said will be a “point of emphasis” in the offseason. 

Atlanta’s staff has a ton of players returning from injury at this very moment. Reynaldo Lopez, Grant Holmes, and Spencer Schwellenbach have begun their respective throwing programs. They should be ready for Spring Training, but betting on arms coming back from serious injuries is a risky business, as the Braves learned the hard way this year.

One would think Anthopoulos will be heavily involved in the market for starting pitchers. The Braves need at least one more proven commodity, and another innings eater in case of emergency would not hurt.

The bullpen could use a pretty significant makeover as well, beginning with the most important role. With Raisel Iglesias testing the waters of free agency, the Braves will be in the market for a closer. They might even have interest in retaining Iglesias after his strong finish to the season, but there will be a lot of really intriguing arms available — like Ryan Helsley, Aroldis Chapman, and Robert Suarez, to name a few.

The Braves lineup doesn’t have much room for improvement. Unless Anthopoulos is willing to shake things up, they are essentially betting on their talent to bounce-back from some really peculiar struggles this season. Most, if not all, of their resources should be spent on bolstering their pitching staff with top end talent and depth.