As a World Series MVP, Soler is expected to boost an offense that has struggled with consistency. Although he fits well at the top of the lineup, the trade deadline was relatively uneventful for a Braves team with championship ambitions and several gaps to fill.
Alex Anthopoulos is clearly relying on a few key factors. First, he hopes the All-Stars, like Sean Murphy and Matt Olson, will step up their contributions. More crucially, Atlanta’s president of baseball operations is banking on improved health.
He expects All-Star caliber players Michael Harris and Ozzie Albies to return, with Max Fried and Reynaldo Lopez anticipated back even sooner.
This morning, Anthopoulos shared on 92.9 The Game with host Steak Shapiro that Max Fried was scheduled to throw a bullpen session. Later, he informed the Braves booth during the Brewers game that Fried’s session went well and hinted at him starting a game against the Marlins this weekend.
For the Braves to have a shot in the postseason, getting healthy is their only hope. The returns of Fried, Lopez, Harris, and Albies would be the equivalent of a blockbuster trade deadline, as Chip Caray might say. Anthopoulos is counting on it.
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