By: Mike Anthony

GeorgiaSportsEdition.com news services

In recent years, the Major League Baseball offseason has routinely fit into a pattern of ebbs and flows.

With ‘Moneyball’ and sabermetric zealots convincing many teams to focus on building a farm system and putting the MLB club fortunes on hold for years at a time, the offseason has become a slow dance between teams that figure to contend in the coming summer and fall.

And while the biggest names – Bryce Harper and Manny Machado – that figure to move before opening day are still question marks, it’s very possible that the Atlanta Braves have done enough to solidify their spot atop the National League East without breaking the bank or grasping for headlines.

The Braves were the surprise winners of their division last season. After the dust settled, the Braves’ title looked much more like the payoff of shrewd front office moves and the requisite luck to win a hard-fought division than the anomaly that they were treated as while the 2018 season was in motion.

Simply put, the Braves weren’t overly flashy (Rookie of the Year Ronald Acuna notwithstanding) in advancing to the postseason for the first time since 2013. The key to Atlanta’s success was that it had a seemingly never-ending supply of guys who could get the job done on any given day.

So, while big headlines are sure to be made as the offseason’s marquee free agents sign blockbuster deals in the coming weeks, the Braves can sleep easy knowing that they’re as prepared to make a deep playoff run as any team that signs a potential MVP through free agency.

Atlanta enters 2019 with a perennial MVP contender in Freddie Freeman and having added a former American League MVP in Josh Donaldson to play third base.

Acuna will play a full year in left field, Nick Markakis has just been resigned to play right field after a huge 2018 campaign, and the trio of Ender Inciarte, Ozzie Albies and Dansby Swanson forms a middle of the defensive lineup that is as dominating as it is young.

The starting rotation may lack nationwide name recognition without a recognized frontline guy, but the Braves’ top five was as effective as any in the National League last season.

The bullpen was a question, but everything points towards the Braves digging in and mounting a strong defense of last year’s division championship.

So, there is the optimism for Braves fans. And for fans of any MLB squad, optimism is what this time of year is all about.