Anthopulos on Braves spending and a blockbuster trade that fell through

With a 2026 payroll already nearing $200 million before a single move has been made, there’s understandable anxiety surrounding what the Braves will actually be able to accomplish this offseason.

Atlanta has several glaring holes that must be addressed. Shortstop has been a black hole for three years, and Ha-Seong Kim just opted out of his contract. The rotation is plagued by injuries and severely lacking depth. The bullpen needs a new closer, and the offense could use another impact bat to replace Marcell Ozuna, who’s set to hit free agency.

None of this will come cheap, and if the Braves try to cut corners again, we’ll likely be having the same conversation next year following another underwhelming finish.

That’s the overarching question of the offseason: Will the Braves spend? According to Alex Anthopoulos, the expectation is yes.

“I’m expecting us to be aggressive this offseason and do some things and go after some players and get some things done,” Anthopoulos told 680 The Fan. “Having missed the playoffs — I got spoiled, it was 10 seasons in a row for me from Toronto, to L.A., to here — and it was not fun come July, trade deadline, certainly August and September. Those were the longest two months. I forgot what it felt like because it had been so long for me to be in that position.

“I think I mentioned this in offseason calls and so on, I couldn’t wait for the offseason to get here, and I can’t wait to get going now that free agency has started… I just know I have full support from Terry (McGuirk) specifically to go do what I need to get done.”

Anthopoulos went on to suggest that payroll will increase compared to previous seasons, even revealing that the Braves targeted All-Star lefty Garrett Crochet last offseason before he was traded to the Red Sox.

“Again, I can say this now because he got traded,” Anthopoulos continued. “We were talking about Garrett Crochet last year. He would have made whatever he made in arbitration. He’s a frontline, Cy Young-caliber starter. His salary is irrelevant. We wanted the best player.”

The trade market is a place where Braves fans likely should be focusing their attention this offseason. With so many holes, Anthopoulos doesn’t have the money to fill all of them with top tier talent in free agency. But salaries for players that get traded are typically not nearly as lucrative. Crochet made just $3.8 million in arbitration last season, and Byron Buxton — another player the Braves were linked to in trade rumors — made just $15 million in 2025.

If Atlanta’s going to make a big splash, it’s likely to come through a trade — as they’ve done several times in the past with Matt Olson, Sean Murphy, and Chris Sale.