After bowing out of the postseason for the third consecutive year, the Atlanta Braves are now focused on the offseason. During their season-ending press conference, general manager Alex Anthopoulos and manager Brian Snitker shared some intriguing insights, particularly regarding prospect Drake Baldwin, as highlighted by Demetrius Bell of Battery Power.
While Braves fans often rave about the team’s minor league pitchers, my focus is elsewhere. Aside from Spencer Schwellenbach, I’ve seen most of these pitchers struggle at the major league level. The only prospect I’m genuinely interested in is Baldwin, mainly due to his potential trade value, but he’s currently stuck deep on the Braves’ depth chart.
Alex Anthopoulos mentioned that Baldwin’s status as a Double-A player indicates he is close to being ready for promotion. “Given his performance, he’s definitely just a phone call away. We’ve promoted players from Mississippi before,” he said.
He also expressed the organization’s appreciation for current catchers Travis d’Arnaud and Sean Murphy. Anthopoulos emphasized the complexities of developing young catchers, saying, “The catching position involves more than just offense. There’s a lot to handle, like game planning and calling, so giving them extra time to develop is beneficial.”
While Alex Anthopoulosvalues Baldwin’s left-handed hitting, he acknowledged that Chadwick Tromp is also in Triple-A. “I believe Baldwin is one of the top prospects in our organization and in baseball. He had nearly a .900 OPS in Gwinnett as a lefty, and his character is outstanding. If we faced an injury crisis, he would have been considered, but Tromp performed well for us and is currently on the roster.”
Looking ahead, Alex Anthopoulos suggested that Baldwin could start next season in Gwinnett, depending on the circumstances. He noted, “You can’t afford to be short-handed at that position. If someone gets hurt, you need to have someone ready to step in immediately. Between Tromp and Baldwin, we feel confident. We learned from our catcher situation in 2021, and I’d rather not experience that again. Having depth is crucial.”
Whether the Braves will trade Baldwin this offseason remains uncertain, but his time to make an impact in the majors is approaching.
In light of last season’s disappointing end, Anthopoulos and Snitker surely realize that simply bringing back the same team won’t suffice. Braves fans understand injuries are part of the game, but three consecutive early playoff exits since their World Series win raises questions about the team’s trajectory.
I anticipate that Anthopoulos will leverage the resources provided by Liberty Media to either sign a starting pitcher in free agency or retain Max Fried. Additionally, he may allocate some funds to bolster the bullpen and address the shortstop position or alleviate the outfield logjam. Expect Atlanta to make around three significant moves.
Since it’s unlikely that exposed pitchers like AJ Smith-Shawver or Hurston Waldrep will fetch a star in trade, Anthopoulos may need to explore a market for Baldwin. While Murphy might bounce back, d’Arnaud’s performance could decline with age, and Tromp could be a solid backup but might also be traded.
For various reasons, it seems likely that Baldwin will make his major league debut with another team.
read more: https://fansided.com/alex-anthopoulos-hints-looming-braves-trade-asset-drake-baldwin