The Braves Bleak Middle Infield Outloo

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Not long ago, everything seemed to be working for the Braves. They were a player development factory not only churning out quality big leaguer after quality big leaguer -- but frequently signing those players to long-term extensions. As recently as 2022, Atlanta had nearly an entirely homegrown roster full of stars who'd penned long-term deals. and burst onto the scene in '22, and Atlanta had , , , all signed long-term. Harris and Strider joined the group midway through their rookie seasons. There were some exceptions. had walked in free agency. By the end of the 2022 season, it increasingly seemed as though Swanson and would follow suit. They Aristides Aquino Jersey eventually did, but with young infielders like and impre sing in the minors, there was some hope on the horizon. Much of that core remains in place, but there are far more questions on the roster now. There's no area where that's more true than in the middle infield. With the Braves seemingly facing a budget crunch this past offseason, they made a low-cost addition of defensive standout to hold things down at shortstop while hoping for a rebound from Albies after a pedestrian 2024 showing. It hasn't worked out all that well, particularly at second base, where Albies' struggles have mounted to the point that many fans would prefer to move on entirely -- despite what once appeared a pair of extraordinarily affordable $7MM club options on Albies' 2026 and 2027 seasons. How will the Braves handle their middle infield situation moving forward? Let's look ahead to the offseason. Unlock Subscriber-Exclusive Articles Like This One With a Trade Rumors Front Office Subscription BENEFITS Acce s weekly subscriber-only articles by Tim Dierkes, Steve Adams, and Anthony Franco. Join exclusive weekly live chats with Anthony. Remove ads and support our writers. Acce s GM-caliber tools like our MLB Contract Tracker Chico Ruiz Jersey