Biggest Winners and Losers from Atlanta Braves' Offseason

This offseason has been one of the more interesting ones in recent memory for the Atlanta Braves.

It started with the firing of general manager Frank Wren, as John Hart stepped in with a clear goal of changing the direction of the organization.

Hart has went to work on building depth in the farm system and has especially focused on stockpiling young arms.

To do so, he traded away two of the Braves' biggest names in Jason Heyward and Justin Upton, as they were set to become free agents at the end of this season.

While the offseason is not yet over, the majority of the major moves seem to be complete.

With that said, let's take a look at some winners and losers for the Braves this offseason.

Winner: Christian Bethancourt

Laurence Kesterson/Associated Press

The trade of Justin Upton opened the door for 23-year-old Christian Bethancourt.

This move will shift Evan Gattis from catcher to left field and allow for Bethancourt to take over the reins behind the plate.

It seemed likely that Bethancourt would be given this opportunity this offseason. He was in Atlanta for the final month of the 2014 season and finished the year with a .248 average.

Now is the time for the Braves to see what they have in Bethancourt and allow him to develop at the MLB level. He has the tools to be an elite defensive catcher, and his bat should continue to develop with playing time.

Bethancourt wins this offseason as he steps in as the starting catcher in 2015.

Loser: Starting Rotation

John Bazemore/Associated Press

The starting rotation in 2014 kept the Braves in most games, but the offense failed the starters time and again.

The records of Julio Teheran (14-13), Aaron Harang (12-12) and Alex Wood (11-11) do not reflect how they pitched, as their respective earned run averages indicate (2.89, 3.57, 2.78). In fact, both Teheran and Wood ranked in the bottom five in run support per start in the entire league.

It's hard to imagine this offense being better in 2015, as it replaces Jason Heyward and Justin Upton in the lineup with Nick Markakis and Christian Bethancourt.

The Braves have the makings of a talented rotation with Shelby Miller and Mike Minor to go along with Teheran and Wood.

However, notching a high win total looks to be a difficult proposition again in 2015 for the starting pitchers.

Winner: David Hale

Jim Cowsert/Associated Press

Speaking of the starting rotation, it is still unclear who will own the No. 5 spot in the rotation come Opening Day. The Braves could still add a veteran starter in free agency but have yet to do so.

As the roster currently stands, David Hale and newly acquired Manny Banuelos look to be the front-runners for the spot.

Hale could have the edge at the moment, as he has the benefit of being in the organization for a few seasons. He spent the entire 2014 season in Atlanta and put up some decent numbers pitching out of the bullpen (4-5, 3.30 ERA).

If you are Hale, all you can hope for is the opportunity to win the job in spring training.

At this moment, he looks to have that opportunity.

Loser: Freddie Freeman

Todd Kirkland/Associated Press

It has been a tough offseason for Freddie Freeman, the face of the franchise.

The Braves were able to lock up Freeman last offseason through the 2021 season, but they didn't feel they could do the same with either Heyward or Upton. The departure of those two players suggests Freeman's numbers could take a hit this season.

Heyward served as the leadoff hitter for most of the 2014 season and got on base at a high level in front of Freeman, not to mention he was one of Freeman's best friends. Meanwhile, Upton protected Freeman in the lineup from the cleanup spot.

Freeman will get pitched around a lot in 2015, as teams will make Evan Gattis or Chris Johnson beat them.

The offense is not as deep around Freeman in 2015, and I envision Freeman getting less pitches to hit this year.

Winner: B.J. Upton

Todd Kirkland/Associated Press

Yes, the loss of his younger brother in the outfield will sting. However, the truth of the matter is that B.J. Upton comes out of this offseason with a starting job in center field.

Hart would have unloaded him to another team if he could, but there was little chance anyone would take on the three years and over $45 million left on his contract. Therefore, Upton will hold the starting job in center field once again to begin the 2015 season. That is hard to believe for a hitter who has hit .198 and struck out 324 times in two seasons with the Braves.

The Braves also hired new hitting coach Kevin Seitzer, which couldn't hurt Upton as he tries to rejuvenate his career.

Upton stayed in Atlanta and kept a starting spot, so he's a winner this offseason.

Loser: Fredi Gonzalez

Kathy Kmonicek/Associated Press

On paper, the 2015 Braves look to have much less talent than the 2013 and 2014 rosters. This will only make competing in the National League East that much tougher for manager Fredi Gonzalez.

The 2014 Braves were second-to-last in runs scored and ranked near the bottom in both average and on-base percentage in the MLB.

And this team lost arguably its most productive offensive player in Justin Upton and a valuable offensive player in Jason Heyward.

Scoring runs will be a struggle all season for this team. Gonzalez has less talent this year and will struggle to compete for the division.