This is a pivotal offseason for the Falcons, and depending on what Terry Fontenot does, it could set the organization back for years or set them up for sustained success.
Not only do the Falcons have a lot of significant decisions to make this offseason, but their general manager could very well be making them with his back against the wall. More than anything, self-preservation is our natural instinct, and Fontenot’s job should be on the line in 2025.
If the Falcons don’t make the postseason for an eighth consecutive season, I don’t know how Fontenot keeps his job. If Fontenot’s seat is warm, he would naturally empty the chamber of his gun, which could theoretically set the Falcons back for years to come.
Just think back to how Thomas Dimitroff left the Falcons. Atlanta’s former GM kept kicking the proverbial can down the road and handing out bad contracts in attempt to maximize Matt Ryan‘s twilight years. When the two sides parted ways in 2020, Dimitroff left the Falcons in a terrible position. Terry Fontenot took over and had to reset the organization’s salary cap.
Now, Fontenot could leave the Falcons in a similar position. It’s either improving the roster enough to capture a postseason berth or potentially losing his job. He’s not going to leave a single stone unturned, doing so with minimal thought about how it could impact the Falcons years down the road because he’s worried about the present.
The Braves lost Max Fried, Charlie Morton, and A.J. Minter to free agency while adding Jurickson Profar on a three-year deal. If the season started tomorrow, Atlanta would be relying on internal candidates to pick up the slack.
Grant Holmes and Ian Anderson will get the first crack at replacing Fried and Morton, but Drew Hackenberg, A.J. Smith-Shawver, Hurston Waldrep, and Bryce Elder will certainly be in the fold. We know how aggressive the Braves can be in pushing their prospects through the farm if they’re ready.
Daysbel Hernandez has the opportunity to cement himself as a staple in the bullpen, while Holmes and Reynaldo Lopez can be used in various roles. The Braves seemingly have a breakout star appear each season, with last year being Spencer Schwellenbach.
He went from Double-A to showcasing frontline starter potential in just a calendar year, but there are different levels of breaking out, and the Braves believe Michael Harris II is on the cusp of something special.
The Athletic’s Jim Bowden reached out to all 30 MLB teams to see which players they believed were the top candidates to take their games to the next level, and out of the 12 Bowden chose to highlight, Harris came in at #1.
“Harris is coming off a disappointing, injury-shortened season in which he slashed .264/.304/.418 with 16 home runs and 10 stolen bases in 16 attempts. His OPS has dropped from .853 in 2022, when he won National League Rookie of the Year, to .808 in 2023 to .722 in 2024, but I think this season his production will rebound. I expect him to hit more than .300, belt more than 20 homers and steal more than 25 bases for the first time in his career. His above-average range and arm in center field should make him a strong candidate to win his first Gold Glove Award as well. Harris will turn 24 during spring training; his prime years start now.”
Mike Harris was someone I paraded around last winter as a dark-horse MVP candidate; that obviously didn’t work out for me, but I’m not backing off. He’s a true five-tool athlete that does everything well.
While it might seem like a 20/20 prediction from Bowden is gaudy, the Stockbridge native has the power and speed combination that makes him a legitimate 30/30 threat every season. Oh yeah, he’s also a .300 hitter to go along with Gold Glove-caliber defense.
If Michael Harris can remain healthy, the rest will work itself out, and if he develops more plate discipline… watch out.
