3 Braves players who could be on the Reds radar during free agency

Well, count the Atlanta Braves as the third 100-plus win team to be sitting at home after an early-exit from the 2023 MLB Postseason. The Braves offseason begins now after missing out on the National League pennant for a second year in a row.

Players like Ronald Acuña Jr., Ozzie Albies, and Matt Olson aren't going anywhere, but the Braves do have a fair amount of players who'll be free agents during the upcoming offseason or have club-options that may not be picked up.

The Cincinnati Reds have money to spend this offseason, and while most fans want to see the team target pitching, there are a few other holes on the roster as well. Which three Braves players, soon to be free agents, might the Reds target during the offseason?

1. Braves pitcher Pierce Johnson could be on the Reds radar this offseason

Atlanta reliver Pierce Johnson checks a lot of boxes, and should be on the Cincinnati Reds shortlist when free agency opens later this winter. Johnson was a potential trade candidate earlier this season while he was with the Colorado Rockies.

The Braves shipped two pitching prospects to the Mile High City back in late-July in order to acquired two-plus months of Johnson's services. Johnson posted an ERA slightly over 4.00 last season and did have his fair share of struggles with walks.

However, there's a lot to like about Johnson's appoach and he'd fit quite nicely alongside Lucas Sims, Ian Gibaut, and Tejay Antone in the back-half of the Reds bullpen in 2024. According to Baseball Savant, Johnson's chase-rate, whiff-rate, and strikeout-rate are all among the Top 90 percentile.

The Cincinnati Reds relief corps played well above expectations last season, but there's a need for some fresh blood to help balance out the workload in 2024. Signing Pierce Johnson to a free agent contract this offseason would be a good place to start.

2. Braves pitcher Charlie Morton could be on the Reds radar this offseason

For those Reds fans who are looking for Cincinnati to sign a veteran starter during the offseason, you could do a lot worse than Charlie Morton. Yes, Morton will be 40 years old next season, but the right-hander is still able to get plenty of swings and misses.

Morton isn't a ground ball pitcher, but he did keep it on the ground about 45-percent of the time in 2023. That's a very valuable trait to have when pitching at Great American Ball Park.

If you're looking for a pitcher who has an incredible mix of pitches, how does five sound? Morton throws a four-seamer, curveball, change up, sinker, and cutter while working his velocity anywhere between 95-82 mph according to Baseball Savant.

With so many young and talented hurlers on the Cincinnati pitching staff and within the organization, having a savvy veteran like Charlie Morton could provide invaluable tutulege and leadership for the Reds in 2024.

His numbers in 2023 weren't too bad either. Morton was 14-12 with a 3.64 ERA and 183 punch outs over 163.1 innings of work. Morton has pitched in over 150 innings the past three seasons. He's a workhorse. There's always the possibility that Morton could hang up his cleats at the end of the season, but if not, the Reds should give him a call.