5 questions the Braves must answer this offseason

This story was excerpted from Mark Bowman's Braves Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

When the Braves’ 2023 season concluded, the thought was that we’d never see another season like that. One of the greatest offenses the game has ever seen spent six months setting records in the regular season, then it fell asleep for a few days in October.

We can also assume we’ll never see anything like the Braves’ 2024 season. Seeing five of your nine Opening Day position players and your Opening Day starting pitcher all miss at least two months because of injuries is just absurd.

Yet, the Braves still managed to win 89 games and earn a postseason spot for the seventh straight season. Once this team welcomes Ronald Acuña Jr., Spencer Strider and Austin Riley back into the mix next year, it can once again take a “World Series or bust” approach and hope the law of averages applies to injuries.

Here are five questions facing the Braves as they aim toward 2025:

1. Will they benefit from the coaching changes?

An agent sent a text late on Thursday afternoon saying, “You surprised by the moves?” He, of course, was talking about hitting coach Kevin Seitzer, assistant hitting coach Bobby Magallanes and catching coach Sal Fasano not being retained by the Braves for the 2025 season. Really the big surprise came last week, when president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos said coaching changes would only be made if somebody retired or resigned.

You can’t go through a season like this past one and not expect change. Seitzer couldn’t prevent the injuries that wrecked the same lineup that produced historic numbers in 2023, but there comes time for changes in the coaching world. And after employing Seitzer as their hitting coach for 10 seasons, the Braves probably could benefit from a new voice.

Still, if the Braves' offense is suddenly lethal again next year, it won’t be because Seitzer is gone. It will be because Acuña, Riley and an unrestricted Ozzie Albies are back.

2. What if Max Fried and Charlie Morton both exit?

The assumption is Fried will sign elsewhere as a free agent and Morton will retire. If both of these ideas prove to be true, the Braves will once again be thankful for Spencer Schwellenbach’s immediate success and Chris Sale’s health. When I reported last week that Sale threw a bullpen session and would have been on the NL Division Series roster, I was trying to quiet the concerns of the skeptics -- myself included -- who were starting to think his lingering back issue might have been more than just spasms.

Sale, Reynaldo López and Schwellenbach can front the rotation until Strider is ready to return at any point within the season’s first couple months. Ian Anderson, Bryce Elder and AJ Smith-Shawver provide some internal options. But don’t be surprised if Anthopoulos attempts to add another veteran starter via a short-term deal that could come in a trade or in free agency.

3. Will Sean Murphy rebound?

Murphy exited the 2023 season still regarded as one of the game’s top catchers. Among all qualified catchers from 2020-23, he ranked second in fWAR (15.0) and fifth with 118 Weighted Runs Created Plus. So it might be a little too early to give up on him after he ranked 30th in fWAR (0.8) and 33rd with a 78 wRC+ among all catchers who compiled at least 250 plate appearances this year.

Murphy missed two months after straining his left oblique while taking a swing on Opening Day. Why wasn’t he ever able to get going again after missing two months? Michael Harris II wasn’t exactly bucking the norm when he missed two months and finished the year strong.

Murphy’s swing is more violent than the average swing. Getting a chance to clear his head and erase any lingering concerns about aggravating the oblique might be just what he needs to bounce back next year. The plan was for him to be behind the plate for about 75 percent of the games this year. The same plan could be put in place next year.

4. What should be expected from Harris?

Less than 20 minutes after this season ended, Braves manager Brian Snitker said he was looking forward to seeing what Harris does when given a chance to play nearly 160 games in a season. The 2022 NL Rookie of the Year has spent lengthy time on the injured list over the past two seasons. Then he returned from a hamstring strain in mid-August and produced a .923 OPS while making numerous highlight catches in September. This is a 23-year-old outfielder with endless potential, and the baseball world would also benefit from the chance to see him in the lineup on a regular basis for many years to come.

5. What is Snitker’s plan?

Snitker will be 69 years old next year, the same age Bobby Cox was during his final season as the Braves’ manager. Time will tell how much longer Snitker wants to manage, but he came away from one of the most challenging seasons any manager could face looking forward to next year.

“I'm exhausted,” Snitker said after his team was eliminated. “But, honestly, I wish we could fast-forward and be there tomorrow. I'm serious, too. I can't wait to get there with our guys and do this again.”