The Atltana Braves are building something special up in Georgia. Over the last few years, GM Alex Anthopoulos has earned every bit of trust from the fans with his savvy roster building moves. In fact, his moves at the 2021 deadline helped secure the Braves' World Series win. With the 2023 trade deadline looming (and some rumored moves on the way), first baseman Matt Olson has complete trust in AA that he will make all the necessary moves to win, per Gabriel Burns.

“If this is our team, I think we have great confidence in the team we have,” Olson said. “It’s way past my job title on adding and subtracting guys… I’m positive if Alex were to go do something, it’s for the betterment of the team. We have full confidence in him. Ever since the second I’ve been over here, you can tell he cares a lot. He cares a lot about putting a good team together… It feels like he knows when to make the right moves at the right times. It’s a good feeling.”

Indeed, Anthopoulos has made a name for himself as one of the savviest GMs in the MLB today. His fingerprints were all over the Braves' 2021 run. The trades for Joc Pederson, Adam Duvall, Eddie Rosario, and WS MVP Jorge Soler paid dividends and then some. Even this current roster is the handiwork of AA: he was able to negotiate team-friendly teams for all of their core players to keep them in tow for the long-term, all while grabbing top-tier talent when they're available.

One of the players that was part of AA's quest for talent was Matt Olson. After Freddie Freeman's departure, Anthopoulos made sure to fill the void by signing the ex-Athletics first baseman. Recently, the Braves also traded for star catcher and Olson's former teammate Sean Murphy. It's also worth noting that Olson and Murphy are also locked into long-term deals that feel fair for both sides.

All of these transactions are showing up on the field: the Braves have a commanding lead in the National League, leading by a good 7.5 games (despite a recent cold slump) over the second-place Los Angeles Dodgers. Olson and Murphy are making a massive impact on the roster, and the mainstays (Ronald Acuna Jr, Austin Riley, and Ozzie Albies) are also on fire. Can they translate this regular-season dominance into another pennant win?