The Atlanta Braves have been named the most appropriate team for a rival free agent.

Yesterday, the Braves made a slew of actions about their pending options. Most notably, they exercised Charlie Morton’s $20 million option. On the other hand, they passed on Eddie Rosario, Kirby Yates, Collin McHugh, and Brad Hand.

The Braves have already completed the most of their job as MLB free agency begins on November 7th. Over the last several weeks, they re-signed two of their own players, Pierce Johnson and Joe Jimenez, bolstering their bullpen. I still expect them to be looking for a reliever or two, but much of their work in that area has already been completed.

Expect the Braves to spend the majority of their leftover funds on the rotation and a new left fielder. Even with Charlie Morton back in the fold, the Braves’ first goal should be starting pitching. It has dogged them in the last two postseasons, and the injury to Kyle Wright, who will miss the whole 2024 season, necessitates the addition of at least one more starter. With Eddie Rosario and Kevin Pillar both entering free agency, left field has also become a primary focus.

I wouldn’t expect something spectacular, but it’s also not out of the question. Nobody should expect the Braves’ payroll to decrease in the coming years. There may be enough money to make a splash, and ESPN’s Jeff Passan sees the Braves as a natural fit for one of their biggest competitors’ free agents, Aaron Nola.

Many individuals disagree about Aaron Nola’s worth. He’s the finest free agent pitcher in this class, in my opinion. He’s coming off one of his worst seasons, with a 4.46 ERA, but he’s been outstanding for the Phillies in their last two playoff trips.

In terms of health, Nola is as dependable as they come. He throws a ton of innings, doesn’t walk batters, and is consistently around the top of the league in terms of fWAR. There aren’t many safer bets than Nola, which Alex Anthopoulos would regard significantly when contemplating awarding the expensive deal Nola will require.

In the same breath, many teams will be interested in the 30-year-old right-hander, including the Phillies, who have much bigger pockets than the Braves and would not want him to join the team that has won the last six NL East titles. I doubt they’ll let that happen, but if they do, the Braves make a lot of sense.