How do the Braves stack up to the Dodgers after recent moves
The Dodgers have been the focal point of the offseason over the last week, beginning with the acquisition of Shohei Ohtani. Unfortunately, for the rest of the league, that was just the beginning.
The Dodgers are also still rumored to be in on Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who could make his decision any day now. If Los Angeles can land their second Japanese superstar of the offseason, they’ll be a force to be reckoned with in 2024. But as of right now, how do they stack up with the Braves, who won 104 games last year, most in MLB, and are returning essentially their entire roster with a few upgrades?
Even after the acquisition of Glasnow and Ohtani, FanGraphs still projects the Braves to have the best record in baseball, and it’s not particularly close.
The top of the Dodgers lineup looks like an All-Star team, much like the Braves, but the bottom still leaves a little to be desired as of now. Don’t be surprised if the Dodgers make some more moves to make their offense even more potent before the season, but the real issue with them right now is their pitching staff.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto would ease a lot of those concerns, but even still, Walker Buehler is coming off Tommy John surgery. Who knows how he is going to look when he gets back, and as fantastic as Glasnow is when he is healthy, he’s made more than 20 starts once in his eight-year MLB career. The rest of the current Los Angeles rotation is littered with inexperience.
I expect the Dodgers to continue bolstering this roster because it needs it, and nobody can go all-in like the Dodgers, especially when the best player in the game is willing to play at a discount in order to help the team. The Braves roster, on the other hand, didn’t need much tweaking coming into the offseason. They had very few holes and have already upgraded most of them.
Perhaps the Braves add another starting pitcher before the start of the season. It’s the one remaining area that could be patched up, but Alex Anthopoulos will not be reactionary because of what’s happening around the league. He knows he already has a roster ready to compete for a World Series as currently constructed.
The NBA trade deadline is a couple of months away, but the rumor mill is flowing, and the Hawks are among those mentioned.
Last week, Shams Charania of The Athletic once again linked Atlanta to Toronto’s Pascal Siakam but also OG Anunoby as well. The Hawks have been monitoring Siakam’s situation since the offseason. It’s clear they covet him, which is why it makes sense they could also be interested in Lauri Markkanen.
According to Jake Fischer of Yahoo! Sports, the 8-16 Jazz have begun to take phone calls on the Finnish big, who presents a similar skill set with size as Siakam. And the Hawks are among those linked to Markkanen.
“Two of those apparent suitors, Sacramento and Atlanta, make sense, considering the Kings’ and Hawks’ respective approaches for Siakam,” Fischer said.
Markkanen would prove to be a great addition. He would add much-needed size, spacing, and scoring. However, he’s likely to cost way too much in terms of draft and personnel capital for the Hawks.
We likely don’t have the assets to acquire a 26-year-old, who is coming off a season that netted the Most Improved Player award and an All-Star bid. It also doesn’t even seem likely that he will be moved.
“The Jazz are by no means expected to trade the 7-foot sharpshooter at this juncture. He’s been a true favorite of Jazz officials, sources said. But Utah has indeed left opposing executives with the sense that Markkanen is no longer untouchable in trade conversations, league sources told Yahoo Sports, a tangible change from previous transaction windows,” Fischer noted.
It’s possible the Hawks could potentially satisfy the Jazz’s asking price, but Lauri Markkanen would also need a new deal, which would certainly put Atlanta in the luxury tax, a place that owner Tony Ressler has vehemently avoided despite saying it doesn’t scare him.
