Atlanta Braves: Season Preview and Player Expectations

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00:00Let's take a look at the Atlanta Braves going into the season.

00:03My gosh, what a funny turn of events, George, if you think about it.

00:05Two years ago, fans are saying my buddy Alex Anthopoulos is the genius.

00:11He's the best.

00:12How did he get all these guys to sign?

00:14They all have long-term contracts.

00:16I mean, how did he get these deals of $100 million and $50 million?

00:20I mean, everybody signed forever.

00:22And because they gave out all those contracts, George,

00:24it put them in a predicament this year that they can't really go out

00:27and do a heck of a lot.

00:28Now they're killing Alex Anthopoulos for it.

00:31I mean, this is the reason why they were able to do it.

00:34You can't go out there and just keep signing everybody.

00:37All of their players are now getting paid.

00:39They're all making millions of dollars on these long-term extensions.

00:42So the Braves, in turn, were quiet in the offseason.

00:46The only ad, really, of no was jerks and profar,

00:48and it really wasn't a significant one,

00:50but you'll see he'll probably bat at the top of the lineup there.

00:53They're going to hope that guys that had down years are back.

00:56You don't see Ronald Acuna Jr. in the lineup there,

00:58but he will be.

00:59They're hoping for better for Austin Riley.

01:01They're hoping for healthy for Michael Harris and for Ozzie Albies

01:05and for Sean Murphy.

01:06It was a wreck for injuries, George, for the Braves last season.

01:10I thought they made the best of it.

01:12Ozuna had a great year.

01:13Olsen was okay.

01:15But, you know, they say that there is something called regression.

01:19My guess is out of these five Braves that we're talking about,

01:22and you could maybe we'll talk pitching,

01:24maybe we'll throw Strider in there too,

01:25but out of these five or six Braves that had down years,

01:27George, if three end up having the year this year

01:30that they were supposed to have last year,

01:31no one's going to be complaining.

01:33They're going to be just as good, if not better, than they were a year ago.

01:36Once again, you and I agree way too much on these last couple of shows.

01:39They were the voodoo doll team last year.

01:42I mean, Harris got hurt.

01:43Riley got hurt.

01:44Obviously, Acuna got hurt.

01:46Strider got hurt.

01:46I know Albies got hurt.

01:47They all got hurt.

01:48I mean, it was weird.

01:49And they still made the playoffs, by the way.

01:51So I think it's really hard to complain about this team.

01:54I do think they might be overrated this season.

01:57I do.

01:57Mainly because tough division, right?

01:58Fill these Mets right there with you.

02:01And I don't know about you, pitching staff.

02:03I don't know if Strider's going to be Strider this year.

02:05All right?

02:05I just don't know.

02:06Sale, can he do it again?

02:07He found the Falcon of Youth last year, Greg.

02:10Maybe he can.

02:10Maybe he's back to being that guy with the white socks and the red socks.

02:13Maybe he is, but I don't know about that.

02:15And then, you know, Lopez, also a guy,

02:18I think he had a much better year than I thought.

02:19Schwellenbach, I mean, wow.

02:21All right?

02:22I mean, he's getting criticized.

02:24It was amazing what happened with all the injuries.

02:27The pitching staff survived.

02:28I just don't know if he can do it again.

02:30And what can you get out of Acuna?

02:31What can you get out of Strider?

02:32Their first year is back from these injuries, right?

02:34Acuna, when he went to the ACL last time,

02:36didn't have a great year the year after.

02:38It was the year after that where he had the MVP season here.

02:41Is he going to run this year?

02:42You know, there's a lot of questions about Acuna and Strider in my mind

02:45that I'd be very careful with this.

02:47But the team is loaded.

02:48I mean, it's loaded all over the place, right?

02:51So it should be a very, very good team.

02:53Yeah, and I'm a buy on all of those low guys that you mentioned from a year ago.

02:57Statistically speaking, all have down years, especially Austin Riley.

03:00That is one name that I think will bounce back in a big way this season.

03:04And look at the lineup spot that he has.

03:05He's either going to bat third or fourth, folks.

03:07And that's ahead of two guys who just got on base a ton last season.

03:11All right, as far as projected rotation, you will not see Spencer Strider listed

03:15because he will not open up the season with the team.

03:17But he'll pitch eventually.

03:18And George brings up a good point about Sale.

03:21I mean, he was so good last year.

03:23And by the way, so was Reynaldo Lopez until he got hurt.

03:26He was great also.

03:27And then, yeah, you're right, George.

03:28The back end of the team is at least it seems like that's where a lot of the fire

03:34is coming from the Braves fans.

03:36Like, why don't you go out and get Heaney like the Pirates did?

03:40Or why don't you go get Quintana like no one has done?

03:43Like, where is that fifth starter?

03:45Because are we really back to Ian Anderson?

03:47No disrespect to Ian Anderson again.

03:49We're kind of back there.

03:50Grant Holmes.

03:51Yeah, I mean, this is not really an inspiring starting five, George.

03:55I'm going to guess if I put my thinking cap on here,

03:58maybe this changes before we open up the season.

04:02I mean, we're probably talking a trade then, right?

04:06Somebody is out there that hasn't signed.

04:08There's still some starting pitching.

04:09Hey, would you like Marcus Stroman?

04:11I can find him for you.

04:13I can find him for you.

04:14Same division he had.

04:15Oh, no, no, not the same division.

04:17That's right, not the Yankees.

04:18Gotcha, yeah.

04:19Yeah, I doubt it.

04:21But listen, the Yankees will give them to you for your song, right?

04:23A bag of bulls and a bat if you want them.

04:26It is Anderson and Holmes.

04:27Although I can tell you, I'd rather give Anderson and or Holmes a shot here.

04:31Neither one is expected to pitch long term.

04:33As you said, Strider should come back late April, early May.

04:36All right, so one of them's gone anyway.

04:38So we'll see what they have.

04:38Heaney, Quintana.

04:40Neither one really would excite me that I want to give them, you know,

04:43the extra money that maybe you can hold on to for a trade midseason anyway.

04:47You know, so I said, I don't mind them not signing what's there now.

04:50I think maybe they should have signed somebody earlier.

04:53I mean, Nick Pavetta went for a nice, you know, not too big a deal with the Padres.

04:57I think that would be a nice fit there.

04:58So I might have wanted to go somewhere that direction.

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