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2 savvy Braves roster moves the Mets should try to replicate for 2025, 1 they should avoid
The Mets can learn some lessons from what the Braves did last offseason.
The New York Mets and Atlanta Braves finished with identical regular season records. Our foes south of the Mason-Dixon Line earned the higher seed in the playoffs because they owned the tie-breaker just to be disposed of quickly by the San Diego Padres.
These two NL East foes approached their roster building tactics differently for the 2024 season but both took some chances. Already carrying a heavy payroll, the Mets decided to take go with a lot of low-risk, high-reward types of players. The Braves made some riskier moves that managed to pay off in some big ways.
Two of those Braves risks are ones for the Mets to consider repeating in their own way this winter. Another is one they should stay away from entirely.
Making a trade for a player in a Chris Sale situation can be a huge under the radar Mets move
Chris Sale is probably going to win the National League Cy Young. Who could’ve predicted this? Long gone are the days when he was a perennial contender for the award in the American League. From 2012-2018, Sale was always within the top six. He never could earn the top honor even with some important league leading totals and a large stack of wins.
This year is different, though. Sale won the NL Triple Crown for pitchers by leading the league with 18 wins, a 2.38 ERA, and 225 strikeouts. The ERA title was the first of his career.
The Braves were only able to acquire him from the Boston Red Sox because of all of the missed time. Swapped for Vaughn Grissom, the Braves had faith he could be healthy (and good) again. Sale made 29 starts and it wasn’t until the very end of the season when the injury bug bit him.
A perfect replica on the trade market might not exist for the Mets. Let’s not limit it to only pitchers either. The Mets could use some bats. Rather than someone who battled injuries in recent years, someone coming off of a bad year might be a better fit. Just make sure the contract doesn’t extend beyond 2025.
The Mets should consider a reliever to transition to a start like the Braves did with Reynaldo Lopez
There’s going to be a longtime reliever who is looking to transition back into a starter’s role. Several have done so in recent years. Our very own Seth Lugo left the Mets and has been pretty good since. He was among the best pitchers in the majors this season.
The Braves rolled the dice on Reynaldo Lopez who posted a 1.99 ERA in 25 starts and a relief appearance. It was one of the more remarkable switches back to the rotation after a couple of years appearing mostly out of the bullpen for the Chicago White Sox.
Atlanta went real bold with Lopez, paying him $4 million in 2024 and $11 million each in 2025 and 2026. There’s even an $8 million team option with a $4 million buyout in 2027. They believed in the experiment. The Mets can probably draw the line there.
We saw the Mets show belief in Sean Manaea and Luis Severino last offseason when their 2023 performances suggested they’d be mediocre at best. Will there be a failed starter who deserves another shot in the rotation again on the market? If so, it’s a way to “buy low” on someone who could turn out to be one of the more important members of the rotation.
The Mets should avoid making a trade like the one the Braves did for Jarred Kelenic
As if the Braves weren’t busy enough adding to an already seemingly loaded roster, they also happened to land former Mets first round pick Jarred Kelenic in a trade with the Seattle Mariners. Still very early on in his career, Kelenic has shown very little consistency since debuting in 2021. He is essentially a platoon player unusable against left-handed pitchers. There isn’t much he does very well. Even with a chance to get hidden against the pitchers he struggles against, Kelenic turned in only a .231/.286/.393 slash line during year one with the Braves.
Maybe it was a worthwhile risk to take for a Braves team in need of some less expensive outfield help. Were the troubles Kelenic faced in Seattle the result of the ballpark or maybe coaching? Adding him into the frightening Braves lineup was sure to get him started.
Unfortunately for the Braves, struggles at the plate were contagious. Kelenic started off red hot then cooled off in the second half. He batted only .183/.252/.343 after the All-Star Break.
The Mets should avoid the addition of any young player who hasn’t found a permanent spot in the majors just yet. Why? They already have a whole army in the minors coming up. It doesn’t matter if the players the Braves gave up achieve nothing in the majors. There were much better solutions to their left field vacancy. Unbelievably, Kelenic’s platoon partner, Adam Duvall, had an even worse season. It made their platoon plan an even bigger mistake.
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