"While the Nationals and Marlins have made off-season splashes in an attempt to close the gap between themselves and the Phillies, the Braves have had the quietest winter of any team in either league. On the morning of Halloween, Atlanta exercised a $1.5 million option on Eric Hinske. That's it, no other major league moves.

Why would a team so close to making the playoffs in 2011 spend the ensuing off-season watching others around it improve and not act? Are the Braves worse off for it, or is it a case where more is less?

Let's examine both questions…

As David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution pointed out in the comments section of one of his recent articles, the Braves have very little financial flexibility. "