What the Atlanta Braves might expect from the Winter Meetings

 

 

 

All 30 teams are represented in Nashville this week for MLB’s Winter Meetings, the annual meeting with team personnel, managers, agents and their free agent clients, and vendors all interact, negotiate, and work on advancing their ball clubs.

It has the potential to be a quiet period for Atlanta, however, with Alex Anthopoulos tempering expectations on Sunday morning as far as signings and/or trades. Anthopoulos said the Braves are still interested in adding a starting pitcher and a left fielder, but only if the right opportunity presented itself.

This is probably posturing to maintain a competitive negotiating position, to an extent, but the possibility remains that Atlanta could choose to fill their few remaining holes (left field, 5th starter) from within and mostly stand pat in free agency going forward.

Braves fans won’t like the idea of standing pat, but (according to Anthopoulos) the team has what it needs to be competitive – ten or eleven potential starters for the rotation, as well as key contributor at every position on the roster.

As is customary at the Winter Meetings, manager Brian Snitker will address the media, this time on Tuesday afternoon. I’m sure there will be plenty of questions about his thoughts around Atlanta’s free agent acquisitions, his players involved in winter ball, his thoughts on Vaughn Grissom potentially starting in left field, and the vacancies on his coaching staff. We’ll let you know what he says.

Tuesday night is the MLB Draft lottery, and it shouldn’t impact the Braves that much. As a team that made the postseason, Atlanta’s draft position isn’t determined by the results of the lottery and we know they’re picking close to 26th. That could vary slightly – the New York Mets, San Diego Padres, and New York Yankees all could have their 1st round pick moved back ten spots if they fall out of the top six picks, so Atlanta may end up one or two spots higher than where they are currently.

The Rule 5 Draft is scheduled for Wednesday night. Normally a quiet night for Atlanta, this year could potentially be different – for once, the Braves have openings on the 40-man roster and so are eligible to make a selection.

There’s nothing that indicates that they will make a selection, mind you – any player selected in the Rule 5 draft is required to be carried on your active 26-man roster or offered back to their original organization, and as a World Series contender, the likelihood of Atlanta finding a player that could contribute for them in the Rule 5 draft is slim. But for the first time in forever, they’re at least able to make a pick if they so choose.

As we said earlier, Anthopoulos made a point to temper expectations for how active the Braves would sign in free agency. But a minor signing of a veteran outfielder feels likely, if for no other reason than to mentor Vaughn Grissom on how to be a professional outfielder. It’s entirely possible to see Atlanta reunite with Adam Duvall or Kevin Pillar, or potentially explore a veteran like Tommy Pham on a one-year deal.