Another year, another NLDS exit. The Atlanta Braves won an MLB-best 104 games during the regular season but failed to turn up in the postseason for the second year in a row against the Philadelphia Phillies, losing 3-1 in their best-of-5 series. For a team that had serious World Series aspirations, it was a very disappointing outcome, and just a day after being eliminated, president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos gave his honest thoughts on the Braves falling short of their goals.
Per MLB.com:
“Nobody has an exact formula, otherwise somebody would be winning every year,” Anthopoulos said. “That’s what makes baseball great, you’re constantly looking for answers.”
And when asked about the Braves scoring just eight runs in four games after averaging 5.8 per contest during the regular season, Anthopoulos didn't make excuses:
“We didn’t have issues with runners in scoring position during the year,” Anthopoulos said. “Over four games, we didn’t come through. To try to extrapolate from that more than what it is, I don't think would be a responsible thing to do.”
What's next for Atlanta?
The Braves hit just 3 for 18 with runners in scoring position. Simply not good enough for a team with so many impact bats. The 2024 offseason presents a lot of question marks for this ball club considering how things played out. Injuries to the staff were a problem all year long. While Spencer Strider dominated at times, there was really no clear No. 1. Anthopoulos hinted at potentially pursuing a top arm this winter:
“I'm going to be very guarded with our potential offseason plans,” Anthopoulos said. “One, we’re clearly not even there yet. We’re less than 24 hours into the offseason. But that’s fair. Those are real things that happened two years in a row. It’s something we’re definitely going to have to talk about.”
Aside from pitching, Kevin Pillar is a free agent and Eddie Rosario has a club option worth $9 million. Kyle Wright will also miss the entire 24′ campaign after having shoulder surgery. Plus, Charlie Morton has a $20 million option after failing to pitch in the NLDS due to a finger injury. However, the 40-year-old is one of their more reliable arms, so the Braves could potentially sign him to a new deal.
Although the Braves lineup will more or less look the same, it will be interesting to see how the front office bolsters the pitching staff to avoid something like this happening again. But, we also have to give credit to the Phillies because honestly, they absolutely raked.
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