MLB free agency has begun, and MLB Trade Rumours has just revealed their list of the top 50 free agents in this class, along with predictions of where they will end up this winter. The Braves aren’t discussed much, but they were expected to sign a handful of top-tier starters.
The first is Sonny Grey, who I’ve already discussed extensively. The former Minnesota Twin is an AL Cy Young finalist and would help to stabilise the Braves rotation in 2024 and beyond, which is critical given that both Max Fried and Charlie Morton may not be around after this season.
Grey is the sixth best free agent in this class, according to MLB Trade Rumours.
Four years for $90 million for a 34-year-old pitcher is highly rare. Grey is expected to sign a three-year, $63 million contract, comparable to what Chris Bassitt received from the Blue Jays a year ago. However, I tend to agree with the people at MLB Trade Rumours. Grey, I believe, will sign a four-year contract since he will still be paid much less than the younger great arms on the market and has delivered at a comparable pace over the last several years.
Grey just had a season in which he had a 2.79 ERA. He’s a three-time All-Star who has twice finished third in the Cy Young race and once finished seventh. Grey was hit for a brief moment.
Wacha struggled with the Mets and Rays after a long tenure with the Cardinals to start his career, but he’s come back strongly with the Red Sox and Padres over the last two years. He’s never been a strikeout machine, but he has a 25-6 record with a 3.27 ERA since 2022. That makes him a likely candidate for a multi-year contract.
It wouldn’t be the most exciting signing for the Braves, but considering the way Alex Anthopoulos approaches free agency, it’s arguably a more realistic alternative. He’s not one to get involved in bidding wars, and because there aren’t many high-profile starting pitchers available, the top targets will almost certainly cost far more than they’re worth. Wacha would provide an experienced presence in Atlanta’s rotation while some of the younger players, such as AJ Smith-Shawver, Bryce Elder, and Hurston Waldrep, develop.
