Although the Atlanta Braves signed Jurickson Profar to a three-year contract yesterday, they still have a lot of work to do in the offseason. The Braves need to make some changes to their pitching staff, whether it is in the rotation or bullpen, even though Alex Anthopoulos indicated that nothing is coming soon.
Anthopoulos will probably be keeping a careful eye on the reliever market given their evident budgetary constraints, but there may be a starting pitcher opportunity that is too good to ignore. Future Hall of Famer Max Scherzer is one someone to watch. The Braves were among the few organizations who attended the 40-year-old’s recent open session when he threw for teams.
According to Pat Ragazzo’s report on Twitter/X, “Sources: free agent RHP Max Scherzer threw in front of teams at Cressey Sports Performance’s pro day earlier in the week. Scouts are said to have liked what they saw: Mets, Yankees, Dodgers, Blue Jays, Phillies, Braves, Cubs, and Red Sox were among those present.”
It’s still unclear if Max Scherzer has anything left in him after a 2024 season marred by injuries in which he made just nine starts. Nevertheless, he managed to have a 3.95 ERA despite all of the problems from the previous season, and he earned 3.2 WAR in 2023 with a 3.77 ERA.
On a one-year contract like Charlie Morton’s, which is around $15 million, it could be worth the risk. The material is still evident, and Scherzer’s resume speaks for itself. Beyond that, though, the man is a straight-up player; you risk losing if you wager against him.
