The Atlanta Braves are currently in the early stages of the MLB offseason, looking to regroup after their NLDS loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers. While the Braves finally won their first playoff series since their World Series championship this year, the loss to the Dodgers made it clear that there is still a lot of work that needs to be done on this roster.
Recently, MLB insider Mark Bowman of MLB.com revealed what he views as the team's biggest need this offseason: another right-handed hitter.
“…the most impactful offseason move could be to compensate for what the declines of Austin Riley and Sean Murphy, combined with the extended absences of Jurickson Profar, have done to the offense over the past two years,” noted Bowman on MLB.com.
Bowman highlighted some brutal stats for the Braves, noting that “Atlanta ranked 26th out of 30 teams with a right-handed OPS of .679 this past season. The team ranked sixth with a .751 OPS from the left side.”
Indeed, Austin Riley suffered through one of the worst seasons of his career this season, making the mammoth contract he signed earlier this decade look even worse in retrospect. Meanwhile, Profar has not been able to stay on the field due to violating the MLB's substance policy.
Article Continues BelowIn the playoffs, things went from bad to worse, as Ronald Acuna Jr. mustered just one hit in the entire Dodgers series, and other key bats like Drake Baldwin and Matt Olson also went dormant at the worst time.
Adding some more firepower to the lineup could go a long way in helping the Braves take another step toward being legitimate contenders in the NL once again.