Braves should be interested in these underrated free agents
The Braves aren’t likely to be in the market for marquee free agents, including their own in Max Fried. That’s just not how Alex Anthopoulos operates. Atlanta’s president of baseball operations prefers to go the road less traveled, whether it be through free agency or trades. If Anthopoulos does dip into the free agent market, … Braves should be interested in these underrated free agents Read More » The post Braves should be interested in these underrated free agents appeared first on SportsTalkATL.com.
The Braves aren’t likely to be in the market for marquee free agents, including their own in Max Fried. That’s just not how Alex Anthopoulos operates.
Atlanta’s president of baseball operations prefers to go the road less traveled, whether it be through free agency or trades. If Anthopoulos does dip into the free agent market, it’s not usually in the upper-echelon tier. Rather, it’s for someone like Reynaldo Lopez in an experiment to stretch him out as a starter.
If he does swing for the fences, it’s through the trade market. Whether it’s Chris Sale last offseason or Matt Olson and Sean Murphy in the two prior offseasons, Alex Anthopoulos has a track record.
That doesn’t mean he won’t venture into the free agent market; it just won’t be for guys who will garner sticker-price contracts. Among MLB.com’s staff poll, the top three most underrated free agents should all interest the Braves.
1. Walker Buehler, RHP (15%)
2. Joc Pederson, DH (10%)
3. Nick Pivetta, RHP (8%)
Buehler presents an opportunity that the Braves are all too familiar with — a reclamation project. From 2018 to 2022, he was among the best in the business, earning All-Star honors twice and finishing inside the top 10 of the National League Cy Young voting twice as well.
Unfortunately, Tommy John surgery ended his 2022 season and cost him all of the 2023 campaign. When he returned in 2024, he was a shell of himself, posting a 5.38 ERA over 75.1 innings.
Shorthanded, the Dodgers needed Buehler in October, and he delivered. He put up 10.0 scoreless innings and 13 strikeouts over his final three appearances in the playoffs, including the final three outs of the World Series.
His track record in the playoffs — 3.04 ERA over 94.2 career postseason frames — is very attractive. He won’t cost an arm and a leg either, and the Braves should be interested in a short-term deal for Buehler. The Dodgers will likely also be interested in him, though.
Joc Pederson is a folk legend in Braves Country. He does one thing, and he’s elite at it — mash right-handed pitching. The 2021 postseason hero has a career .844 OPS against righties after posting a .923 mark this past season. Although, the Braves do have a potential roadblock to signing Joc Pederson.
Jarred Kelenic brings the exact same skillset. Is Atlanta ready to give up on that experiment? If they aren’t, Pederson makes no sense. If they’re convinced that he’s nothing more than a benchpiece, a reunion with Joc could be in the cards.
Nick Pivetta should be a name that Braves fans recognize from his time with the Phillies, where he struggled. Over four seasons in Philly, he posted a 5.50 ERA, which is not exactly inspiring stuff. Hell, over eight seasons in the majors, he’s never posted an ERA below 4.00, so why would the Braves be interested?
The reason for that is his stuff. The veteran averaged 11.5 strikeouts per nine innings in 2023 and 10.6 in 2024 while setting a career-low mark in walks per nine (2.2). He’s the perfect kind of candidate for the Braves to pounce on him before he finally puts it all together in a breakout campaign.
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Photographer: Jeff Robinson/Icon Sportswire
The post Braves should be interested in these underrated free agents appeared first on SportsTalkATL.com.
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