Three Big Questions Facing the Atlanta Braves During the GM Meetings

A few major questions could be answered by the time Alex Anthopoulos is done at the annual GM Meetings

A better picture of the Braves offseason plan will be painted during the winter meetings / Denis Poroy-Imagn Images

The MLB General Managers Meetings will be underway this week in San Antonio, Texas. This will be a major opportunity for trades and will feature the start of free agency. Alex Anthopoulos and the Atlanta Braves will be no exception.

Let’s look at three major questions facing the Braves as the GM Meetings get started. 

Do the Braves Extend a Qualifying Offer to Max Fried? 

This is an important question because it could indicate whether they intend to pursue their longtime starting pitcher long-term. 

A player receiving a qualifying offer typically indicates the team is going to move on and is looking to receive draft pick compensation for him signing elsewhere. 

The qualifying offer is a one-year contract that is an average of the top 125 MLB salaries from last season. According to MLB.com, that offer is worth $21.05 million this year. 

Fried is not taking this deal. He can absolutely get more per year in free agency and is going to want a long-term deal. While the Braves can still try to re-sign Fried after extending a qualifying offer, it should be seen as his time in Atlanta is over if they do. 

Will the Braves Make Their First Free Agent Signing? 

At 5 p.m. on Monday, teams will officially be permitted to reach out to free agents of other clubs. There is no guarantee that anyone is signed out of the gate, but the odds are never zero. They got to work on the trade market almost immediately. Perhaps a couple phone calls are made this evening and a deal follows shortly. 

It likely wouldn’t be a splash signing. Those guys are going to hold out and negotiate the best offers possible - it could take months for them to reach deals. 

However, they could sign pitching depth, such as a starter for the back end of the rotation. 

Is Another Trade Coming? 

The general managers will be coming together in the same room. They’re going to talk business. Jorge Soler has already been traded to the Angels, but the Braves could be ready to pull the trigger on another movc. 

They have a track record of making deals during the GM Meetings. Shortstop Andrelton Simmons was flipped to the Angels in 2015 and they sent pitcher Jake Odorizzi to the Rangers in 2022. Former Braves reliever Craig Kimbrel was traded by the Padres to the Red Sox during the GM Meetings. Notable trades can happen. 

Just the precedent make it worth keeping a close eye on the GM Meetings to see what could play out.