ATLANTA -- Braves general manager Alex Anthopoulos knows we're going to do the math, or what he refers to as reverse engineering, to get an idea of how much money the Braves have to spend this offseason. He's just not going to confirm any calculations or weaken his negotiating power by providing a ballpark estimate.
But earlier this week, when Anthopoulos said the payroll will increase for the 2019 season, he indirectly confirmed the Braves will have more financial flexibility than they've had since they exited the 2008 season.
Anthopoulos' task is to use this flexibility to make impact gains.