Dansby Swanson, Atlanta Braves. Mandatory credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
The Atlanta Braves have expressed interest in bringing Kenley Jansen back, but now that he’s headed to Boston, what moves do the Braves now need to make?
Although the Atlanta Braves were hoping to round up veteran Kenley Jansen again in free agency this offseason after he led the team with 41 saves in the 2022 campaign, they fell short. On Wednesday, the reliever signed a two-year contract with the Red Sox, leaving the Atlanta bullpen without one of its members (though not without some ups and downs) from last season.
If there’s a silver lining for the Braves, it’s that they need look no closer. In fact, there were times at the end of last season when fans called out for Raisel Iglesias to take over the role from Jansen after he was acquired at the trade deadline from the Angels. With that said, Atlanta certainly can’t sit idly by after missing out on an opportunity to re-sign Jansen.
There are some moves Alex Anthopoulos needs for this team to compete for the World Championship again in reaction to losing Kenley Jansen.
3. As always, the Braves’ top priority should be keeping Dansby Swanson
Despite Jansen’s importance to the club’s success last season, the Braves’ top priority in the 2022-23 season has always been to bring Dansby Swanson back into the fold. He’s among the short group of stars to reach free agency this off-season, though he may be just below the top tier of Trea Turner (now in the Phillies), Carlos Correa and Xander Bogaerts.
Even still, it’s arguable that he’s one piece of Atlanta’s core who wasn’t locked out early for this team. Anthopoulos has been charming in the deals he has gotten young franchise talent to sign early and, in turn, put them in friendly deals with the team. In Swanson’s case, though, he didn’t sign any of those deals, and it’s arguably his best season in free agency.
It’s certainly unnatural under this current system to pay top dollar to a player, but they tried to get Freddie Freeman before he eventually ended up with the Dodgers and were competitive in doing so. This may be the same thing with Swanson, but the result should be different.
If the Bulls are going to get a slight hit with a Jansen loss, the Braves must keep their start at midfield and one of the leaders on the team. He is crucial to both the plate and the gauntlet and is essential to this competitor’s future staying as bright as it can and should be.
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