Where the Braves are concerned, the hot stove has resembled something a little more lukewarm. Maybe a hot plate? A candle warmer?
The Braves need an outfielder and the Blue Jays and Astros took two of the top options off the table, with Toronto snagging George Springer and was the reported destination for Michael Brantley before he opted to return to Houston. Meanwhile came a report that Marcell Ozuna is “highly unlikely” to resign with Atlanta given their payroll structure.
The sad-face emoji is the choice du jour here, but the Braves remain of interest, both as that need for a bat (preferably right-handed) that may be headed for a lackluster resolution, and what comes out of two pieces of its young core — Mike Soroka and Dansby Swanson — potentially heading to sticky arbitration hearings.