Anthopoulos talks future for Sale, Fried, Ozuna and more
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ATLANTA -- Braves president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos and manager Brian Snitker discussed a variety of topics while holding their end-of-season Zoom media session on Friday morning, two days after Atlanta was eliminated by the Padres in the National League Wild Card Series.
Some of the topics included:
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Sale¡¯s back became problematic during his Sept. 19 start in Cincinnati, and it prevented him from being available down the stretch and into the WC Series. But the top NL Cy Young Award candidate improved enough earlier this week for Anthopoulos to tell Sale he¡¯d be on the NL Division Series roster. The Braves didn¡¯t advance that far, but Sale calmed fears about a lingering issue, throwing a pain-free side session on Friday at Truist Park. He can now go into the offseason with peace of mind.
Max Fried
The expectation over the past couple of years has been that Fried would exit as a free agent once he becomes eligible. Well, the time has arrived. What are the Braves¡¯ thoughts about the veteran left-hander, who is the club¡¯s second-longest-tenured player behind only Ozzie Albies, who debuted seven days earlier in 2017?
¡°We¡¯d love to have him back, but 30 teams would love to have Max Fried, right?" Anthoploulos said. "We¡¯ll see where that goes. These guys that become great players, rightfully so, they¡¯ve earned the chance [to be a free agent]. They become really sought after. But with Max, I¡¯m a big fan.¡±
Ronald Acuña Jr. and Spencer Strider
Acu?a is recovering from the left ACL tear he sustained on May 26, and Strider is recovering from the UCL harness procedure he underwent on his right elbow two weeks into the regular season. The Braves aren¡¯t setting a definitive return timetable for either of these stars.
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¡°I think both of them could be Opening Day, could be middle of April, could be beginning of May, could be middle of May, could be beginning of June,¡± Anthopoulos said. ¡°That would probably be on the long end, and that¡¯s not to raise alarm bells. I don¡¯t want, ¡®They¡¯re not ready Opening Day, maybe they had a setback?¡¯ No, maybe the right thing is if we¡¯re giving them rest, the beginning of May. Maybe the right thing if we¡¯re giving them more time is the beginning of June. We¡¯re just that far off. You ask me this question in February or March, and we¡¯re going to know a ton.¡±
Marcell Ozuna and others with options
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Ozuna¡¯s $16 million option could make him one of the game¡¯s top bargains if he performs like he has the past two seasons. It looks like the Braves could also exercise Aaron Bummer¡¯s $7.25 million option and Travis d¡¯Arnaud¡¯s $8 million option for the 2025 season. Bummer¡¯s 2 2/3 scoreless innings in Game 1 of the WC Series showed his potential to be used in more high-leverage situations next season. d¡¯Arnaud¡¯s value in the clubhouse and to the entire pitching staff makes him worth the cost, even if he¡¯s serving as a backup at 36 years old next year.
¡°Those guys had great years,¡± Anthopoulos said, ¡°so they¡¯ve put themselves in great spots [to return].¡±
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Arcia earned an All-Star selection last season, but he has hit .225 with a .653 OPS since July 1, 2023. He ranked 10th among MLB shortstops with a +3 Fielding Run Value. With the expectation that healthy versions of Acu?a, Austin Riley and Ozzie Albies will make the offense more productive, should the Braves continue to use Arcia as their starting shortstop, assuming his glove remains above average?
¡°Getting some of these guys back can only help, and then we'll see what else is available,¡± Anthopoulos said. ¡°Everyone that we have on this roster right now that's in a role, you're not going to hear me say we're making a change. The first person that would ever hear that would be the player. But right now, barring any changes, the guys that we have are the guys that we have in place, and that's Orlando and all the other players. Once we get to the winter, you never know what happens.¡±
Coaching staff
Before the season started, it was known how hard it would be to replace Ron Washington¡¯s energy and ability to keep players accountable. His experience and aggressiveness as a third-base coach was also missed at times. But it sounds like his replacement, Matt Tuiasosopo, and the rest of Atlanta¡¯s coaching staff will return for the 2025 season.
¡°The expectation is that they¡¯re all back,¡± Anthopoulos said.