Braves expected to decline Eddie Rosario’s $9 million option for 2024
According to Jon Heyman of The New York Post, the Braves are expected to decline the $9 million club option of Eddie Rosario, noting that it is a ‘close call’ and nothing is official just yet with the deadline today.
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The 2021 NLCS hero slashed .255/.305/.450 in 2023 for the Braves, providing league average offensive production. His defense was better than his typical contribution with +3 OAA and DRS, good for 1.4 fWAR across 142 games.
It was a significant improvement from a year ago when he slashed .212/.259/.328 (62 wRC+) in 270 trips to the plate after undergoing laser eye surgery.
It’s a bit surprising that Atlanta isn’t willing to pick up Rosario’s $9 million option. He was trending in the right direction this season, showing signs of the guy that the Braves thought they were getting after signing him to a new deal in 2022. $9 million is a reasonable price for that level of production, but maybe the Braves want more consistency out of the position.
With money to spend and few areas to upgrade an already loaded lineup, I wouldn’t be shocked if the club went big game hunting in left field. Cody Bellinger will be the hottest commodity on the market and would undoubtedly give the Braves the best outfield in baseball.
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Falcons reportedly tried trading for rival’s star pass rusher
The Falcons pursued Montez Sweat at the trade deadline but ultimately lost out to the Bears, who subsequently handed Sweat a lucrative four-year contract extension.
But he wasn’t the only pass rusher Atlanta inquired about. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the Falcons were one of a handful of teams that reached out to the Panthers about the availability of Brian Burns.
Schefter notes that Carolina ‘shut down those teams just as quickly as they inquired’ and had no intention of trading him at all. He also added that at last year’s deadline, the Panthers declined a Rams offer of two first-round draft picks for Burns.
It would be strange if a team traded a star pass rusher or any player of that caliber within the division, so this isn’t all too surprising. Players like Brian Burns don’t grow on trees. I highly doubt the Panthers let him walk out of the building. They’ll franchise tag him if a long-term deal cannot get done.
The Falcons clearly feel this defense is missing a dominant pass rusher. Pursuing Montez Sweat and Brian Burns, who both need new contracts, tells me that Atlanta will be big game hunting this offseason.
The free agent class is absolutely loaded, so the Falcons will have options and the money to land one of several impact edge defenders. Obviously, some of these guys won’t hit the market at all, but here’s who headline the upcoming free agent class — Josh Uche, Danielle Hunter, Brian Burns, Derek Barnett, Josh Allen, Chase Young, Za’Darius Smith, Leonard Williams, and others.
I fully expect the Falcons to target one of the higher end free agents in the pass rush class. Their interest in Brian Burns and Montez Sweat further provides proof of that.
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