Eddie Rosario’s $9 million option for 2024 is set to be declined by the Braves.

According to Jon Heyman of The New York Post, the Braves are set to decline Eddie Rosario’s $9 million club option, saying that it is a ‘tight call’ with the deadline today.

In 2023, the 2021 NLCS MVP slashed.255/.305/.450 for the Braves, generating league-average offensive production. His defense was stronger than usual, with +3 OAA and DRS, good for 1.4 fWAR across 142 games.

It was a significant improvement from a year ago when he slashed .212/.259/.328 (62 wRC+) in 270 trips to the plate after undergoing laser eye surgery.

It’s a bit surprising that Atlanta isn’t willing to pick up Rosario’s $9 million option. He was trending in the right direction this season, showing signs of the guy that the Braves thought they were getting after signing him to a new deal in 2022. $9 million is a reasonable price for that level of production, but maybe the Braves want more consistency out of the position.

With money to spend and few areas to upgrade an already loaded lineup, I wouldn’t be shocked if the club went big game hunting in left field. Cody Bellinger will be the hottest commodity on the market and would undoubtedly give the Braves the best outfield in baseball.

Falcons reportedly tried trading for rival’s star pass rusher

The Falcons pursued Montez Sweat at the trade deadline but ultimately lost out to the Bears, who subsequently handed Sweat a lucrative four-year contract extension.

But he wasn’t the only pass rusher Atlanta inquired about. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the Falcons were one of a handful of teams that reached out to the Panthers about the availability of Brian Burns.

Schefter notes that Carolina ‘shut down those teams just as quickly as they inquired’ and had no intention of trading him at all. He also added that at last year’s deadline, the Panthers declined a Rams offer of two first-round draft picks for Burns.

It would be strange if a team traded a star pass rusher or any player of that caliber within the division, so this isn’t all too surprising. Players like Brian Burns don’t grow on trees. I highly doubt the Panthers let him walk out of the building. They’ll franchise tag him if a long-term deal cannot get done.

The Falcons clearly feel this defense is missing a dominant pass rusher. Pursuing Montez Sweat and Brian Burns, who both need new contracts, tells me that Atlanta will be big game hunting this offseason.

The free agent class is quite deep, so the Falcons will have alternatives and the financial means to sign one of several impact edge defenders. Obviously, some of these players will not be available, but here are the names to look out for in the 2017 free agent class: Josh Uche, Danielle Hunter, Brian Burns, Derek Barnett, Josh Allen, Chase Young, Za’Darius Smith, Leonard Williams, and more.

I definitely anticipate the Falcons pursuing one of the top free agents in the pass rush class. Their interest in Brian Burns and Montez Sweat demonstrates this.