The Atlanta Braves have generally focused more on trades and building from within the organization over recent years.
However, with the Braves trading Jason Heyward and actively shopping Justin Upton—as reported by the New York Post’s Joel Sherman—they could open up some payroll to get players in the free-agent market.
Currently, the Braves’ top two targets in free agency are pitcher Jon Lester and Cuban outfielder Yasmany Tomas according to MLB.com’s Mark Bowman and Jesse Sanchez.
Lester looks to be a long shot for Atlanta. For the Braves to be serious players, Lester would need to take a serious hometown discount.
The Braves seemed to be pushing for Tomas, but he signed a six-year deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday.
If the Braves miss out on one or both, they will turn their attention to backup options.
Here’s a look at some of those backup options in free agency.