This offseason, the Braves have made a slew of moves, mostly bringing back their own and parting ways with others via trades and free agency. They have, however, made two significant external additions in the form of Jarred Kelenic (trade) and Reynaldo Lopez (free agency). ESPN’s Bradford Doolittle and David Schonfield have graded every significant offseason move from all 30 teams, and they are much more optimistic about one of the Braves’ acquisitions than the other.
The Braves are primarily interested in Jared Kelenic, who is expected to compete for the club’s starting left field job following the departure of Eddie Rosario. Alex Anthopoulos has already dealt Marco Gonzales and Evan White, so here’s what Doolittle has to say about the 2018 sixth-round pick.
Kelenic was selected sixth overall by the Mets in the 2018 draft and was traded to Seattle in exchange for Edwin Diaz. Kelenic debuted with the Mariners as a highly touted prospect, then spent the next two seasons establishing himself as a flop, hitting.168 in 558 plate appearances with off-the-bat power that was almost irrelevant given how infrequently he made contact. Last season, however, he improved significantly: he leveled out his swing, producing more line drives and fewer long outs. Kelenic’s average rose to.253 and his OPS+ to 109, but his season was hampered by a broken foot sustained when he kicked a water cooler in frustration, which kept him out of the game for several weeks.
Kelenic’s game still has major flaws, such as his inability to hit breaking pitches. However, he is only 24 years old and has recently demonstrated a desire to improve. He fits right in as the heavy side of a left-field platoon for the Braves, where his production will be viewed as a bonus rather than a necessity, as it was in Seattle.
The final sentence of Doolittle’s second paragraph is crucial. Kelenic was the centerpiece of a trade that sent Edwin Diaz to the New York Mets in Seattle. That comes with a lot of pressure, especially in a mediocre offense that relied heavily on his production.
That kind of pressure will not exist in Atlanta. Everything he contributes to the Braves offense will be icing on the cake, as he’ll be asked to boost the bottom half of the order. With this trade, Alex Anthopoulos is betting on the tools. If it works, it will serve as a reminder that no one does general management better than AA.
David Schonfield, on the other hand, is less enthusiastic about the Braves’ acquisition of Reynaldo Lopez.
The agreement: three years, $30 million
C is the grade.
The Braves appeared to have a big plan in place when they traded seven players and non-tendered seven others to clear $14 million in expected payroll. They reportedly made a move for Aaron Nola, but that didn’t happen, so Reynaldo Lopez appears to be the backup plan, as the Braves will reportedly give him a chance to start after spending the previous two seasons as a solid reliever (3.02 ERA).
Lopez last started regularly for the White Sox from 2018 to 2020, but he struggled with home runs and hasn’t shown the control needed to make it as a starter even as a reliever. Lopez is probably more of a sixth or seventh option in a good rotation, but it’s a worthwhile experiment to add potential rotation depth. Still, the Braves have strengthened their bullpen, where Lopez has been a reliable workhorse. The bigger question is whether this precludes the Braves from pursuing one of the top starting pitchers, such as Sonny Gray or Marcus Stroman.
That’s not exactly a glowing recommendation for Reynaldo Lopez, but as the offseason progresses, I can’t say I disagree. The Braves have stated that they will try him out as a starter, which is an intriguing experiment, but expectations should be kept in check. Lopez has proven to be far more reliable as a reliever than as a starter, and expecting that to change significantly simply because he is changing teams is wishful thinking.
The addition provides the Braves with incredible bullpen depth as well as much-needed velocity. Those were two things I hoped they would add this offseason, but it appears that the signing of Lopez may preclude them from adding a quality starting pitcher. It’s not the worst option, but it could backfire if one of Max Fried, Spencer Strider, or Charlie Morton misses significant time in 2024.
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