The calendar says it is early December. Spring training is a little more than two months away.

If the Atlanta Braves run it back with a team mostly consisting of players that led the Braves to a sixth straight National League East Division championship and top record in baseball last year, that would be fine with me.

If they could add the veteran starting pitcher presence that is sorely needed at this point in the off-season, that would be even better.

But currently constructed, the team is in great shape heading into the 2024 season. It’s all due to astute general managing from Alex Anthopolous (AA), who delivered two sensational trades with the A’s that netted the team its first baseman in Matt Olson and catcher in Sean Murphy, and who also locked up the core of the team with long-term, team-friendly contracts.

The Braves would have been a favorite to reach the World Series next year if they had stood pat and relied on the players that boosted them to 104 wins and a 14-game advantage in the East standings. But they didn’t. They nabbed Jarred Kelenic in a trade with the Mariners to fill the left field spot. He provides another power bat to go with the best lineup in baseball.

The team bolstered its bullpen with key acquisitions of Reynaldo Lopez and Aaron Bummer. It also re-signed Pierce Johnson and Joe Jimenez.

Barring injuries, which are destined to happen at some point in the season, there is not a hole in the lineup nor coming out of the bullpen. The team is still just a favorite to win its second championship in four seasons. There are always the Dodgers and Phillies to contend with in the National League, and the reigning World Series champs are the Texas Rangers in the American League.

For Braves fans to feel even better about next season, the team needs a starting pitcher. Spencer Strider and Max Fried provide the Braves a strong 1-2 punch atop the rotation, but Strider needs to develop another pitch and Fried was sidelined most of the ’23 season with multiple injuries, most notably a forearm strain and hamstring strain.

Bryce Elder’s first year as a starter could not have gone much better with his 12-4 record and 3.81 ERA. But, not surprisingly, he wore down toward the end of the season and is only 24. Charlie Morton is still on the roster, but he is 40. Can we still depend on him to be durable and effective over a 162-game season?

Another roster move by AA in the starting rotation would stamp this team as the favorite to win next year’s championship. As of now, it will have to be one of the title favorites. That’s still all right, too.