ATLANTA — The expert consensus is that the Braves have the worst farm system among major league teams. That would be a problem if they also had a bad major-league team. The Braves have been a great major league team over multiple years, with prospects either directly filling needs or doing so as outgoing trade assets.
That’s a great position for the Braves. The only thing better is maintaining a strong farm system while also fielding a major league team that wins consistently. That’s very difficult to pull off. The Dodgers have done it in recent years, but that’s likely to change as they cut back on payroll and tap into their rich farm system for replacements.
The Braves will need to do something similar someday. It’s hard to see that now. They are a young team with nearly all their best players signed to long-term contracts. What to get the big-league team that seemingly has it all for years to come? We’ll find out when the Braves begin making their selections in the MLB draft Sunday.
