I have conflicted feelings on these comments. A guy like Chris Bassitt would have made this roster better on paper. That's not really something disputed. I think there is an argument if you think that Bryce Elder and/or Joey Wentz are 1-1.5 fWAR/162 starting pitchers, then adding a 2-2.5 fWAR/162 starter for just under $20 million isn't good return on investment and doesn't substantially improve depth when it results on the likely loss of a guy like Elder from the roster entirely.
As we enter the last week of January, Spring Training is coming into full view and is about three weeks away for most teams. But many teams still have a need or two to address before the prep for the season arrives.
Evaluating the National League East's offseason activity so far begins with what has happened -- and what hasn't happened in New York. Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns set out to make significant changes this winter after a frustrating season ( to put it mildly). Running it back wasn't an option. But it's been a shocking -- and, so far, incomplete -- overhaul in Queens that has fans on edge, an anxiousness exacerbated by Kyle Tucker emerging from the smoke to choose the Los Angeles Dodgers over the Mets late Thursday night.
Allen was perhaps an option at shortstop for Atlanta coming into 2025, but not the option. The highly-regarded defender provided the team insurance up the middle for the struggling Arcia and the returning-from-injury second baseman Ozzie Albies. If Atlanta had upgraded the shortstop position prior to Spring Training, it was possible Allen would have been squeezed off the roster. However, he was expected to fill an end-of-the-bench role while providing exceptional defense when on the field.
The Braves didn't do much at the 2025 Trade Deadline, for good reason: their season had already gone off the rails by late July. One they did do, with an eye for 2026: trade for Rockies reliever Tyler Kinley, whose services came with a $5.5 million option for the following season. Well, it turns out that whether Kinley returns to help the Braves in 2026 is more up in the air now than before:
Well then! It's been a busy couple of days here in Braves Country, huh? There's a new manager in town, he's starting to fill out his coaching staff, we're starting to get an idea of who's coming back and who isn't. There's a lot going on with the Braves right now, as this offseason has gotten off to a pretty hot start. What else would you like to see the Braves do this offseason? Let us know! Here's a (not-so) random clip:
There's a chance that tomorrow's Game 6 in Toronto might be the final game of the season. If the rumors concerning the Braves and Danny Lehmann hold up, this might be the only thing keeping us from figuring out who the next manager in Atlanta will officially be. With that being said, we know how this organization is (usually) tight-lipped so we absolutely won't know for sure until the Braves actually announce it (or one of the national reporters somehow ends up with the scoop).
1945 - Branch Rickey announces the signing of Jackie Robinson and John Wright by the Brooklyn Dodgers organization to a contract with Triple-A Montreal of the International League for 1946. The two will be the first black players to play in Organized Baseball this century (with a couple of brief exceptions) and Robinson will be the first in the National League or American League since 1884, paving the way for integration.
Nippy Jones leads off the bottom of the 10th and takes Tommy Byrne's low pitch for a ball, but he argues that the ball hit him on the foot. He shows home plate umpire Augie Donatelli a smudge of shoe polish on the ball, and Donatelli reverses his call. Two batters later, Johnny Logan ties the game with a double off Bob Grim, then Eddie Mathews blasts a walk-off two-run homer to tie the series, which the Braves will win in seven games.
1914: The Robins stop Grover Cleveland Alexander's win streak at nine games, defeating the Phillies 2-1, behind Jeff Pfeffer. Alexander is done in by three Phillies errors. In front of a handful of fans, the pennant-winning Braves top the Giants, 7-1 in the first of two. Boston then beats Christy Mathewson for six runs in three innings, but the game ends in a 7-7 tie. For the second year in a row Matty (24-13) will finish with more victories than walks (23).
