Braves Rumors: What is wrong with Ozzie Albies?
There's been a noticeable dropoff in Ozzie Albies this season, and while he's surely aware of that, how much should the team panic at this juncture?
Sure, it's early in the year, but Albies is an important part of the Braves lineup when healthy. So far this season, his batting average is 30 points lower than his usual mark, and he's playing to a 2.67 WAR pace. In past seasons, Albies has been nearly a full run more valuable.
Albies has seen a rather significant drop in his defensive runs saved since the 2020 season. He had 9 DRS in 2019 and 13 in 2018. Since then, he's been fluctuating between -1 and 1 DRS, and this year has been of a similar variety.
The most telling statistic anomaly has been Albies slash line and OPS. This season Albies is hitting .251/.294/.465, far below his averages, with an OPS+ of 102. That's a four percent decrease in production from last year.
Much of the concern with Albies has to do with his splits against right-handed pitching. Against lefties, Albies is an incredible hitter, with .424/.433/.773 averages. Against righties, though, the script is flipped, as Albies hits just 175/.238/.329. That's a rather huge disparity, and speaks more to someone who is a platoon player rather than an everyday second baseman.
Albies is obviously better than that, and the Braves need him to play like it by the time late summer rolls around.
Braves Rumors: Dansby Swanson second guessing
It's easy to second guess letting Dansby Swanson walk this offseason, especially considering his recent success in Chicago. Swanson has proven Jed Hoyer and Carter Hawkins right so far this season, with the highest fWAR among all National League shortstops. He's among the frontrunners to start at shortstop for the NL in the All-Star Game, and for good reason.
However, as mentioned in my column yesterday, this does not necessarily mean Atlanta made a mistake by letting him walk. With Swanson's money, the Braves were able to trade for and extend Sean Murphy, and sign Spencer Strider to an extension. Orlando Arcia has been just fine at shortstop, as well. As I noted, there's no guarantee Anthopoulos could've made this moves without Swanson's contract off the books.
"Anthopoulos only has so much money to work with from Liberty Media, and had he signed Swanson, there's a very good chance Murphy would be in St. Louis or elsewhere. So, no, the Braves shouldn't regret letting Swanson walk. They are a better team because of it, especially considering those decisions. Anthopoulos is among the best executives in the sport because he always has a backup plan, and a long-term vision. Swanson wasn't in that vision."
It is possible for Swanson to prove his value (and therefore Anthopoulos wrong for not submitting an earlier improved contract offer), but for the Braves to still have made the right call in letting him walk. Right now, that's where things stand.
Braves Rumors: A Corbin Burnes and Willy Adames trade?
The Milwaukee Brewers are not foreign to unpopular decisions among the fanbase, as they dealt Josh Hader at last year's deadline despite having a chance at the NL Central crown. Currently in a similar position, could another trade be on the way?
Corbin Burnes made it perfectly clear how unhappy he was with Milwaukee after the pair couldn't agree to a long-term contract extension. He's likely on the outs with the organization after this season. As for Willy Adames, he's one of the best shortstops in the national league when healthy. As good as Orlando Arcia has been, Adames would immediately make the Braves better.
Acquiring both of these players would cost a whole lot, but that's exactly what Milwaukee is thinking. Why not bundle two trade assets for the largest possible return? ESPN's Jeff Passan commented on this phenomenon earlier this week:
"Officials believe a Burnes deal, if it does happen, is likelier to come in the winter, but if the deadline market shrivels and starting pitching is at a premium, the Brewers have shown they are willing to make value plays even when they're uncomfortable and unpopular. And if there's no [Dylan] Cease-and-[Tim] Anderson or [Shane] Bieber-and-[Amed] Rosario deals to be had, a Burnes-and-Willy Adames package would be plenty tempting," Passan wrote."
The Braves prospect cupboard is relatively barren at the moment, but what they do have is young, MLB-ready talent in abundance. Trading the likes of Vaughn Grissom and more could be enough.
