We’ve seen it before, so maybe we’ll see it again. While the rest of baseball appears to be looking to add a large number of free agents, the Atlanta Braves are sitting patiently and hoping that general manager Alex Anthopoulos can do enough to make this team better. Although Atlanta made the postseason last year, the Braves did not win the division and were eliminated after two games.

All signs point to Atlanta’s All-Star left-hander Max Fried heading into free agency. He would be the third homegrown product out of his contract year since winning the 2021 World Series. Unfortunately for the Braves, Fried showed less interest in returning to Atlanta than Freddie Freeman and Dansby Swanson before him. Atlanta needs to fill holes, especially in the rotation.

While I trust he’ll figure it out, as evidenced by the great exchange of Chris Sale and Reynaldo Lopez, there’s one thing I saw in Mark Bowman’s Winter Meetings preview post for MLB.com. Bowman wrote that he considered right-handed pitching prospect Hurston Waldrep to be untouchable. I’m in the minority here, but prospects do next to nothing for me in my Braves fandom.

Atlanta doesn’t have the most comprehensive farm system, but they need to take advantage of it to get better.

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I understand that the Braves will probably be better offensively next season than they were last year. Their collective approach at the plate was largely unsatisfactory, culminating in firing coach Kevin Seitzer to poach Tim Hyers from Texas. However, the bullpen needs some recalibration and the starting rotation needs to be rounded out with Fried and Charlie Morton in transition.

The idea is that Atlanta’s rotation next year will focus on Sale, Lopez and Spencer Wechselbach, with Spencer Strider returning at some point after suffering a season-ending elbow injury in April. Morton may be returning, but he is well past his prime in his early 40s. Atlanta can afford to pay Fried, but may need a shrinking market to dry up its opportunities outside of Braves Country.

In short, committing to a top candidate in a weak agricultural system is the surest way to sell your competing franchise short. Maybe, just maybe, guys like Waldrep and AJ Smith-Shawver will live up to the hype. I understand Ian Anderson is also just back from Tommy John surgery. I just can’t condone Anthopoulos trying to cash in on free agency while working for a competitor.

The Battery is a cash cow and it would be a shame if Atlanta became as decadent as before.