The Atlanta Braves were hoping to put the sour taste of the 2023 season behind them in 2024.
Atlanta clearly was the best team in the regular season last year. The Braves weren't able to carry that success over to the playoffs, though. Atlanta was upset and didn't make a run to the World Series.
It seemed like this could be their year, but injuries completely dismantled their roster. Atlanta now will have tough decisions this offseason, with there being a real possibility that ace Max Fried will leave.
If that ends up being the case, Texas Rangers star Nathan Eovaldi may be the best option for Atlanta. He has shined over the last two years in Texas and helped lead the team to the World Series last season. Eovaldi is an interesting player to watch as he will choose whether or not to enter free agency, but MLB Trade Rumors' Anthony Franco said it's "likely" he will enter free agency.
"That’s a high-variance group. (Jacob deGrom), (Tyler Mahle) and (Kumar Rocker) recently returned from Tommy John recoveries," Franco said. "Leiter, Rocker, and Bradford (to a lesser extent) are light on big-league experience. Max Scherzer, Andrew Heaney, and José Ureña are headed to free agency. Eovaldi still seems likely to join them. Texas could try to bring Eovaldi back on another multi-year deal and should look for at least one outside acquisition even if they retain him."
Eovaldi has a 3.96 ERA in 27 starts this season and would go a long way in helping the Braves in 2025.
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