Atlanta Braves

And then there was one.

Shortstop was a central focus of Major League Baseball's offseason with Carlos Correa, Trea Turner, Xander Bogaerts and Dansby Swanson all hitting free agency, but only the latter remains unsigned after Correa agreed to a massive 13-year, $350 million deal with the San Francisco Giants, per ESPN's Jeff Passan.

Swanson will have no shortage of suitors and potential top landing spots, as ESPN's Buster Olney pointed out the Chicago Cubs, Minnesota Twins, Boston Red Sox and Atlanta Braves are all looking to fill the shortstop position.

Swanson is in an ideal bargaining position given the need for shortstops across the league and some of the contracts that have been handed out.

Turner agreed to an 11-year, $300 million deal with the Philadelphia Phillies, while Bogaerts joined the San Diego Padres on an 11-year, $280 million contract. Swanson may not land those types of contracts given he doesn't quite have the same track record as his colleagues, but he is surely in line for a massive deal at this point.

He is coming off the first All-Star campaign of his career that saw him slash .277/.329/.447 with 25 home runs, 96 RBI and 18 stolen bases.

Throw in his first career Gold Glove, and it is clear how Swanson can impact the game in a number of ways. He was responsible for nine defensive runs saved above average in 2022, per FanGraphs.

Minnesota, Boston and Atlanta all make sense as possible landing spots for the Vanderbilt product given what has unfolded this offseason. The Twins lost Correa, the Red Sox lost Bogaerts and the Braves are somewhat in limbo with Swanson as the incumbent player at the position.

Then there is Chicago, which has been connected to seemingly every shortstop in the market at some point as it looks to bounce back from two straight losing seasons and perhaps move Nico Hoerner to second base to form a dominant defense up the middle.

It would be difficult to classify the Cubs' offseason as anything but a failure if they are unable to land any of the four top shortstops after some early secondary moves that saw them add Cody Bellinger and Jameson Taillon.

Swanson has all the leverage in this situation with a big-market team that could be desperate to close the gap on the St. Louis Cardinals and Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Central, so don't be surprised if he ends up in Chicago blue before the end of the offseason.

Despite signing seemingly every one of their young stars to a long-term extension, the Atlanta Braves' rising payroll could cause them to trade Max Fried.

On MLB Network's Hot Stove (h/t MLB.com), Jim Callis of MLB.com noted there are "rumors" Fried could be moved this offseason, as it's unclear if the club will be able to sign him to an extension.

However, ESPN's Buster Olney reported Atlanta isn't entertaining a potential Fried trade, as the team is in win-now mode.

Those reports come after the Braves acquired All-Star catcher Sean Murphy from the Oakland Athletics in a three-team trade with the Milwaukee Brewers on Monday.

The Braves have the fifth-highest payroll in MLB at $162.2 million. It's unclear if Murphy even wants to sign an extension, but he's under team control through 2025 regardless.

ESPN's David Schoenfield did point out that the Braves immediately signed Matt Olson to an eight-year, $168 million extension after acquiring him from the A's in March.

Olson was entering his second year of arbitration prior to signing the extension. Murphy is entering his first year of arbitration and is projected to earn $3.3 million in 2023, per Spotrac.

Fried has two years of team control remaining and is projected to make $12.1 million next season. His value in a trade will likely never be higher because of his performance and being unable to hit free agency until after 2024.

The Braves have nothing to lose by at least putting out feelers to see what the market looks like for Fried. The very top tier of free-agent starters are off the board, with Justin Verlander and Jacob deGrom having signed.

Carlos Rodón has pitched like an ace, with a 2.67 ERA and 422 strikeouts in 310.2 innings over the past two seasons, but he had a 4.28 ERA in five seasons from 2016 to 2020. The 2022 campaign marked the first time in his career he made at least 30 starts in a single year.

Fried is 13 months younger than Rodón with a much stronger track record of durability. The southpaw has made at least 28 starts in each of the last three 162-game seasons dating back to 2019.

He has finished in the top five in National League Cy Young voting twice in the previous three seasons, including a second-place showing in 2022 after posting a 2.48 ERA in 30 starts.

The Atlanta Braves have acquired catcher Sean Murphy in a three-team trade with the Oakland Athletics that also involves the Milwaukee Brewers.

Here are the full details of the trade, which was first reported by Jeff Passan of ESPN:

• Braves get: Sean Murphy (C)
• Athletics get: Kyle Muller (LHP), Manny Piña (C), Royber Salinas (RHP), Freddy Tarnok (RHP), Esteury Ruiz (OF)
• Brewers get: William Contreras (C), Joel Payamps (RHP), Justin Yeager (RHP)

Of note, left-handed pitcher Kyle Muller was the Braves' No. 1 prospect on MLB.com.

Murphy finished last season with a .250 batting average, .759 OPS and 18 home runs with 66 RBI. He earned one 10th-place vote for MVP in the American League.

The 28-year-old won a Gold Glove award in 2021.

Murphy has 11 defensive runs saved over the last two years combined, per FanGraphs, and he set a career high with 5.1 wins above replacement last season.

The catcher could post even better numbers after the trade considering his struggles at RingCentral Coliseum in Oakland. Murphy had a .684 OPS in 162 career home games and an .820 mark in 168 games on the road. His batting average was 45 points higher away from home, and he had 12 more home runs and 10 more doubles.

Playing half his games at Atlanta's Truist Park could lead to a bigger breakout in 2023.

Catchers Travis d'Arnaud and Contreras both earned All-Star selections for Atlanta last season and combined to start 156 of 162 regular-season games behind the plate. Acquiring Murphy gives the Braves a defensive upgrade over Contreras and could allow d'Arnaud to spend more time as a designated hitter.

Considering d'Arnaud has never played more than 112 games in a season and a thumb injury limited him to 60 games in 2021, this move should help keep him fresh for the long season.

After going 101-61 last year, the Braves have the firepower to again contend for a World Series title.

Milwaukee gets a major upgrade over Victor Caratini and Omar Narváez at catcher with the addition of Contreras, who hit 20 home runs with a .278 average last year. It should help provide a jolt to the lineup after the Brewers fell short of the playoffs in 2022.

Oakland continues its rebuild after a 60-102 season, dealing Murphy ahead of his first year of arbitration while adding major league-ready prospects in Muller and Tarnok.

The Boston Red Sox have a huge hole to fill after losing star shortstop Xander Bogaerts to the San Diego Padres. Fortunately, the team can pivot by pursuing one of the best free agents remaining on the market.

Carlos Correa, who spent the 2022 season with the Minnesota Twins after playing the first seven years of his major-league career with the Houston Astros, would be a more-than-suitable replacement for Bogaerts in Boston's infield. He also has a strong relationship with Red Sox manager Alex Cora, who was Houston's bench coach during its World Series championship run in 2017.

As one of the more popular names in this year's free-agent class, Correa won't have a shortage of suitors. The Red Sox will face a ton of competition for the 28-year-old, and the team's recent spending habits indicate it's not looking to break the bank.

Bogaerts left for San Diego for a reported $280 million deal over 11 years. The four-time All-Star was considered the face of the franchise, but Boston deemed him too expensive and let him walk. Correa, who is younger and a better defender than Bogaerts, will likely command a similar price or higher.

If the Red Sox are looking for a cheaper option, they could turn to Atlanta Braves free-agent shortstop Dansby Swanson. The 28-year-old is coming off a career year in which he earned his first trip to the All-Star Game and first Gold Glove Award. Boston could look to offer him a short-term deal with a high average annual value in order to address other holes on its roster.

After shoring up their bullpen by signing closer Kenley Jansen on Wednesday, the Red Sox still need to add a reliable starting pitcher to its rotation. The team could look to bring back veteran Nathan Eovaldi, who is a free agent after spending the last four-plus years in Boston, but there are more attractive options on the open market.

Carlos Rodón is the best pitcher available and can be the ace of Boston's staff, but the question remains as to how much the team is willing to spend. Sean Manaea and Chris Bassitt are both dependable starters and would be strong additions to any rotation. Veterans like Corey Kluber and Noah Syndergaard would be cheaper, but riskier, players to target.

The Red Sox have finished last in the AL East twice in the last three years, so this offseason will be crucial to bucking that trend. Boston's front office would be wise to loosen the reins on spending in order to land a big-name player this year. If it doesn't, it runs the risk of further disappointing an already restless fan base.

The Atlanta Braves signed Ronald Acuña Jr. to an eight-year, $100 million contract extension in April 2019, and the right fielder reportedly will not be traded.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported Monday that the National League East team is "not considering" dealing the 24-year-old.

"While the club, as a matter of policy, does not award no-trade clauses, a player who signs an extension does it with the implicit understanding he will not be traded," Rosenthal wrote. "Obviously, things can change—a player, for example, eventually might want out. But if the Braves break the trust they've created internally, players will become more resistant to the extensions that have positioned the team for long-term success."

While Acuña's résumé includes the 2018 National League Rookie of the Year Award, three All-Star selections and two Silver Slugger Awards, durability is something of a concern after he tore his right ACL last season.

He played just 82 games in 2021 and missed Atlanta's run to the World Series title, and then he appeared in 119 games in 2022. He posted solid numbers with a .266/.351/.413 slash line, 15 home runs, 50 RBI and 29 stolen bases, but he was unable to replicate his head-turning numbers from his first and only full season in 2019.

Acuña finished that year with a .280/.365/.518 slash line, 41 home runs, 101 RBI, 37 stolen bases and 127 runs. The final two figures marked NL bests and hinted at a bright future.

His absence has dampened some of that enthusiasm, but there is still reason to think Acuña will be a major part of the Braves' core for the foreseeable future.

A trade would change that calculus, but it doesn't seem like one will happen.

If Jacob deGrom doesn't return to the New York Mets next season, don't expect him to join the team's National League East rival in Atlanta.

According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, it is "highly unlikely" the Braves will sign the right-hander or add a shortstop other than potentially re-signing their own Dansby Swanson.

"The Braves are reluctant to enter into a deal with any player who takes up too high a percentage of their payroll, knowing in future seasons the salaries of their young players will rise," Rosenthal wrote.

Atlanta has a solid rotation with Max Fried, Kyle Wright and Spencer Strider leading the way, but deGrom would be quite the addition.

When healthy, it is hard to find a better pitcher in the league than the nine-year veteran. His resume includes a National League Rookie of the Year, two NL Cy Young awards, an ERA title and four All-Star selections.

Yet there is an element of risk that comes with signing him, especially since he will surely command a major salary as one of the top prizes on the free agency market.

After all, deGrom is 34 years old and coming off two injury-marred campaigns. DeGrom started just 11 games in 2022 and 15 in 2021, which is a far cry from the durability he showed earlier in his career.

Not counting the shortened 2020 season, deGrom started at least 22 games every year of his career since he entered the league in 2014. That included a stretch of four seasons with 30 or more starts, including when he posted a league-best 1.70 ERA in 2018.

There was also something of a dropoff, even in a limited sample size in 2022, as he posted a 3.08 ERA compared to the 1.08 mark he had the prior season.

From the Braves' perspective, it seems they are focused on keeping their young core together after winning the 2021 World Series and reaching the playoffs for the fifth straight time this past year.

Giving deGrom a significant deal could limit some of the financial flexibility to keep that core in place, so Atlanta fans may need to look elsewhere if they are looking for an offseason addition.