CNBC projects the value of The Atlanta Braves franchise

A lot has been made about the Braves lack of spending this offseason. On the surface, it looks as if the club intentionally dodged the luxury tax, giving them very little wiggle room to make moves this offseason.

The only notable acquisition the Braves made was for outfielder Jurickson Profar, who was suspended for PED use after just four games with the club. However, the outfield was far from the Braves only need. The bullpen is disastrous, their starting pitching depth is razor thin, and who knows what the hell is going on at shortstop with Nick Allen and Orlando Arcia.

We don’t know for sure what kind of budget Alex Anthopoulos was given for the season. It’s possible he didn’t view the Braves other needs as dire, and wasn’t fond of any of the options available, at least at their price points. Or perhaps ownership really did place a strict budget on the club, tying the hands of Anthopoulos and making it impossible for him to make any sweeping changes.

What we do know, however, is the Braves are making money hand over fist, and the valuation for the franchise continues to skyrocket. According to CNBC, the club is worth $3.1 billion today, ranking 8th in all of baseball, just behind a couple of division rivals in the Mets and Phillies.

If the Braves were actually to sell today, they’d likely go for even more than that. This is one of the most prestigious brands in the sport, and they lay claim to the entire southeast of the United States. On top of that, The Battery has been a smash hit. Nearly every night is sellout at Truist Park, with another 30,000 people enjoying themselves in the surrounding area outside the park.

So, fans are understandably upset about the team’s spending this offseason. However, I’m not sure the finger should be pointed entirely at ownership.

About a week ago, top MLB insider Ken Rosenthal refuted the notion that the Braves don’t have any money to spend. 

“… the team is now almost $14 million under the luxury-tax threshold, according to Fangraphs. The actual amount of cash available is even higher, according to a source briefed on the club’s situation,” Ken Rosnethal wrote. “And the only cost for exceeding the threshold would be financial; the Braves, by going over a third straight year, would pay a 50 percent tax on every dollar they spent above $241 million. Hardly an oppressive penalty, if the Braves even get there.”

It’s very possible Alex Anthopoulos felt comfortable with his internal candidates filling new roles in the rotation and the bullpen, no matter how foolish that sounds now.

Also, it should be noted that while the payroll is down from a year ago, the Braves still rank seventh in baseball with a $215 million payroll. Atlanta has never been a club that has spent that much until recently. If Alex Anthopoulos can’t build a World Series contender with a payroll that high, especially considering all of the team friendly deals he has locked up long term, we’ve lost the plot.

Given the Braves success financially, ownership should undoubtedly be more willing to spend, but Anthopoulos also has to be better at properly allocating those funds. He was one of the best in the business from 2018-2021. The last several years, however, have left a lot to be desired.