After Dansby Swanson signed with the Chicago Cubs, the Braves are set to receive a boost to their farm system, which is probably the worst in baseball right now. The Braves are likely to receive a compensation pick in the first round for losing Swanson’s services after tendering him a qualifying offer, and should net a pick unless they sign a free agent that also received a qualifying offer:
The only player who remains unsigned that received a qualifying offer is Nathan Eovaldi. Here’s what MLB.com had to say about it:
Red Sox: RHP Nathan Eovaldi
Entering his 12th MLB season, Eovaldi just finished up a four-year, $68 million contract with the Red Sox. After struggling in 2019, the right-hander posted a 3.79 ERA with a 5.65 K/BB ratio over 61 starts in the past three seasons. He made the All-Star Team for the first time in 2021 and placed fourth in the AL Cy Young Award voting at the end of the year.
Potential 2023 Draft compensation: Pick after the completion of Round 4
I don’t think the Braves and Eovaldi are much of a match, but Atlanta has surprised me before. Thankfully for the Braves, they can probably acquire another pick in the same range if they can get a good performance out of some prospects — namely Braden Shewmake.
We’ll see how it plays out, but with the promise that Atlanta’s 2022 class has and bonus pool money to spend, the Braves have a path towards a respectable farm system. Atlanta is already rumored to be a frontrunner for a top International Prospect, so not all hope is lost going forward. The Braves currently hold the 24th pick in the 2023 MLB Draft.
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