The NL East division has three bonafide World Series candidates: the Philadelphia Phillies, the New York Mets, and the Atlanta Braves.
The first two are known for spending a lot in free agency: the Phillies, already the National League champs, forked over $300 million for Trea Turner and made other key additions; while the Mets have by far the largest payroll in MLB and brought in Justin Verlander, Kodai Senga, Jose Quintana, and other stars while retaining Brandon Nimmo and Edwin Diaz.
What about the Braves?
The Braves are also legitimate World Series contenders, and possibly the best of the trio.
They are an excellent baseball club without spending fortunes in free agency like their foes.
“The Atlanta Braves have spent a total of $3 million this offseason on free agents (3rd-fewest in MLB). And they are still expected to be a title contender. That’s incredible. (Mets have spent $807M, Phillies have spent $397M),” MLB analyst Danny Vietti tweeted.
The Atlanta Braves have spent a total of $3 million this offseason on free agents (3rd-fewest in MLB).
And they are still expected to be a title contender. That’s incredible.
(Mets have spent $807M, Phillies have spent $397M)
— Danny Vietti (@DannyVietti) January 3, 2023
How do the Braves do it?
They lock up their talent well before reaching free agency.
Of course, there are exceptions to the rule, as we saw what happened with Freddie Freeman before the 2022 campaign.
However, the Braves are really good at convincing their young stars to sign long-term contracts.
Since they are so far from free agency, the total value of those deals is much lower and more team-friendly than they would be if they waited.
These young players prefer to sign early, however, knowing that the average athlete’s career is not that long.
The Braves have Sean Murphy, Matt Olson, Ozzie Albies, Vaughn Grissom, Austin Riley, Ronald Acuna Jr., Spencer Strider, and several other impact players on team-friendly deals.
This approach requires strong scouting, an excellent player development staff, and some savvy people negotiating.
The Braves apply it to perfection and are reaping the benefits.
NEXT: Monday Marked A Unique Anniversary In MLB Free Agency