While the Atlanta Braves haven’t played the baseball they've been looking for over the past few seasons, there are a few ways this team could turn things around in the next few years.
With the pitching staff still being relatively young, mainly Spencer Strider and Spencer Schwellenbach, things should be positive for Atlanta over the next decade if things go as planned.
However, it's essential to understand that both of them will require the Braves to give them a massive payday, even Schwellenbach, the 24-year-old right-hander, who has thrown the baseball at an above-average level throughout his young career.
According to ESPN's Jeff Passan, he's been so good throughout the early stages of his career that he could be looking at a $100-plus million deal at some point, despite not hitting free agency until the 2031 offseason.
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"This is a bet on Schwellenbach's array of stuff and mature mound presence. Suggesting a soon-to-be-25-year-old with fewer than 200 big league innings will warrant nine figures is risky. He doesn't reach free agency until after the 2030 season. But if there's anyone to bet on, it's a pitcher with extreme athleticism whose fastball sits 97 mph and is one of six pitches he throws with tremendous command," Passan wrote.
Throughout the season, the Braves' youngster has been decent, posting a 3.92 ERA and striking out 37 hitters in 41.1 innings.
With just 165.0 innings of big league work under his belt, the Braves don't have a reason to pay him Schwellenbach like they've done with others pre-arbitration, but one day, they might have to make a decision on him, and it could be expensive.