For the second straight season, the Atlanta Braves won 100-plus games during the regular season and earned a bye during the Wild Card Round of the MLB Playoffs.
But also for the second straight season, the Braves were knocked out of the postseason by the Philadelphia Phillies in the NLDS in four games.
Now, if Atlanta chose not to be a significant player during MLB free agency, the franchise would be just fine, as the roster would still be stocked with talent. But the Braves can still be better, and one has to think general manager Alex Anthopoulos will make a few moves to better his team's chances of returning to the World Series in 2024.
And there will undoubtedly be plenty of players available as this year's crop of free agents is loaded. Some are obviously more high-profile than others, but regardless of status, here's a quick look at five the Braves should avoid.
And just to get this out of the way, we won't waste an entry on Shohei Ohtani. Yes, we're aware it's almost required that he be included on any list involving free agency this year, but Atlanta hasn't been in the running, still isn't in the running, and won't be in the running for his services.
So, with that out of the way, let's get to it, beginning with a guy who's already on the Braves roster but shouldn't be in 2024.
Charlie Morton, RHP
For the past three seasons, Charlie Morton has been a strong veteran presence in Atlanta's starting rotation.
The Braves have gotten everything they could have hoped for when they brought him back to town ahead of the 2021 season, but they'd be wise to decline the $20 million club option that's up in the air for 2024.
For one, Morton will be 40 in less than a month. And while he recorded 14 wins in 2023, he wasn't nearly as dominant as he was during his 14-win season two years ago.
Sure, the 3.64 ERA doesn't look too bad but his 1.427 WHIP was his highest since 2012. His velocity is down. The strikeouts were down but the walks were up. The Braves could always decline the option and hope he's willing to return at a reduced rate but it might just be time to let him go, especially if they can use that cash to sign someone else.
Joc Pederson, DH/OF
Given what Joc Pederson did during his short run with the Braves en route to winning the 2021 World Series, it's likely that many would welcome the two-time All-Star back to Atlanta with open arms.
But that would be a mistake, given the other options that'll be available this offseason.
In 121 games with the San Francisco Giants this past season, Pederson hit just .235 with 15 home runs and 51 RBI. While his on-base percentage was decent at .348, his slugging was down more than 100 points from 2022 at .416.
And you're almost forced to sit him down when facing a left-handed pitcher, as the former Dodger hit just .186 against southpaws in 2023.
Do you think the Giants believe that was worth the $19.65 million they paid him this year? Probably not. Pederson certainly won't (or at least shouldn't) receive anywhere near that amount in free agency this time around. But no matter the cost, the Braves would be wise not to get nostalgic for a necklace.
Jorge Soler, DH/OF
Speaking of sentimentality, we come to Jorge Soler, who will likely decline the $9 million player option he has on the final season of his contract with the Miami Marlins.
Soler, like Joc Pederson, was a rental during the Braves' title run in 2021 and became just the second Cuban-born player to win World Series MVP as he slashed .300/.391/.800 with three home runs and six RBI in Atlanta's six-game victory over the Houston Astros.
If forced to make the choice between the two, he's the better option over Pederson. And Soler was an All-Star in 2023, slashing .250/.341/.512 with 36 home runs and 75 RBI in 137 games. It could also be an upside for the Braves that he's quite familiar with the National League East.
Overall, however, the juice just won't be worth the squeeze. Soler is extremely one-dimensional and rarely takes the field anymore, as evidenced by the fact that he logged a career-low 32 games in the outfield this past year, all in right -- you know, the same place a guy named Ronald Acuna Jr. hangs out.
Sure, the Braves could just put Soler at DH, but they likely won't want to pay what he could command for that.
Adam Duvall, OF/1B
At the risk of redundancy, here's yet another guy who helped Atlanta win the 2021 World Series, that being Adam Duvall, who also won a Gold Glove as an outfielder that same season.
The Braves obviously like the guy, as they've traded for him twice. And he's obviously had some great moments in an Atlanta uniform. Come on. Even if the Braves lost that Game 5 in which he hit a grand slam, it was still pretty cool.
The most significant issues with Duvall are his inconsistency and his durability. Between the 2022 campaign with Atlanta and this 2023 season with the Boston Red Sox, the 35-year-old has appeared in just 178 games due to various injuries.
He had a decent enough season in Beantown when he was healthy, slashing .247/.303/.531 with 21 home runs and 58 RBI, but he also struck out 110 times in 353 plate appearances while taking just 22 walks.
Boston paid Duvall a $7 million base salary this past season, and he's not likely to command more than that this winter. But given his declining skill set and his injury-prone history, Atlanta doesn't even need to entertain bringing him back for a third run.
Michael Brantley, OF
As we've targeted four players who've already worn a Braves uniform, we'll close things out with someone who hasn't: Michael Brantley.
Now, it's hard to know exactly what the future holds for the five-time All-Star, who turns 37 next May. If the Astros can manage to win the World Series, he may just go ahead and call it a career, which some thought he might do last year before signing a one-year/$12 million to return to Houston for a fifth season.
The Astros certainly didn't get their money's worth as injuries limited Brantley to just 15 regular-season games, during which he slashed .278/.298/.426 with a pair of home runs and seven runs batted in. He did, however, help Houston clinch the ALDS with a Game 4 dinger against the Twins.
But that alone likely won't be enough for the Astros to give him another deal, even if it's only for a year. And the Braves shouldn't bite either, even if he seems like the type of player Anthopoulos would target.
Once upon a time, Brantley was viewed as one of the best all-around hitters in baseball. But those days are long gone. And with better options already on the roster as far as outfielders and left-handed bats are concerned, there's no need for the Braves to try and get the very last amount of good baseball he might have left. And, again, that's if he even opts to continue playing.
