Braves rumors: Does Dylan Carlson make sense for Alex Anthopoulos?

The St. Louis Cardinals need to hit the restart button. John Mozeliak wants to acquire pitching, and lots of it. Outfield happens to be a position of depth, so why not make a deal?

This starts with Dylan Carlson, a former top prospect turned scapegoat in St. Louis. Carlson's trade value is at an all-time low thanks to the worst season of his MLB career thus far. It's not completely his fault, of course, as Carlson dealt with a series of injuries which kept him out for nearly 100 games. This offseason, Carlson will undergo ankle surgery, though he should be back by the start of spring training.

As MLB Trade Rumors notes, there's still plenty to like about Carlson, despite his issues:

"As a young switch-hitter who was once a consensus top-20 prospect in the sport and is under team control through the 2026 campaign, Carlson could once again be a sought-after change of scenery candidate," Nick Deeds wrote.

The Cards received inquiries on Carlson around the trade deadline -- both the Yankees and Orioles were rumored to be interested -- and they did not pull the trigger. Mozeliak should and likely will opt to trade the 25-year-old this offseason, perhaps even at the winter meetings. While his stat line last year was far from impressive, he's solid defensively and can play center or either of the corner outfield spots.

Eddie Rosario is on a club option, and Kevin Pillar's future is up in the air. The Braves have plenty of young pitchers in their system blocked by better players. If the Cardinals were interested in, say, Dylan Dodd, Darius Vines or even Michael Soroka, Anthopoulos might listen. A.J. Smith-Shawver is expected to be off the table.

Braves Rumors: A Sonny Gray signing is far from a certainty

The Atlanta Braves need starting pitching, this is no secret. Kyle Wright is out for the season. Max Fried is a free agent after 2024. Charlie Morton may not come back.

Atlanta general manager Alex Anthopoulos is tasked with adding to the starting rotation with an uncertain future. There's no guarantee Fried is on this team next year. Sonny Gray, meanwhile, could be a solution. Gray has made it clear that winning is his top priority, rather than money. While he likes Minnesota, it's easy to see why comments like these would spur some interest from the fanbase.

"We want to go to a place where you feel wanted," said Gray, per The Athletic's Dan Hayes. "I don't know if this is the right thing to say before going to become a free agent, but I'll say it because it's honest. Money is not the ultimate factor for me. Never has been. Having said that, you want to be valued appropriately. … There are a lot of factors that go into those decisions. It's not only me making it. As anyone who's known me throughout the course of this year and last year, there are a lot of other things that go into it, my wife and my kids a big part of it. But I do love it here."

The one issue here may be Gray's qualifying offer, which this year would sit at $20.5 million. If Gray declines it and signs with another team, that organization would then forfeit a draft pick, something Anthopoulos surely would prefer to avoid.

Braves Rumors: Ron Washington has interest in Houston Astros job

The Houston Astros and Dusty Baker parted ways after the 2023 postseason run, as Baker retired from baseball. It was a natural end point for two parties that, while respected, had simply run its course. However, the Astros remain one of the more attractive managerial openings in MLB. Going from one veteran manager in Baker to another in Ron Washington makes a lot of sense, if Jim Crane is as interested as Wash is.

There's been at least one report which suggested Washington is interested, courtesy of KHOU Houston.

Earlier this month, FanSided's Robert Murray listed Washington as an ideal replacement for Baker as well.

"Washington is ready to manage again. In 2021, he told FanSided when asked about the possibility of becoming the Padres' manager: "I think I'm qualified. I think I can get that team over the hump. That's my thinking. … I'm definitely able to get them where they want to go."...Surely his thinking would be similar with the Astros and considering his previous time working with now-Astros general manager Dana Brown in Atlanta, Washington could be a name to watch here."

There's plenty to like about a Washington-Houston pairing, though the Braves would prefer he stay on their third base line.