Free agent designated hitter/first baseman Edwin Encarnacion will probably agree to a deal during the winter meetings, agent Paul Kinzer told Joel Sherman of the New York Post on Sunday (Twitter link). Negotiations between Encarnacion and interested teams have intensified since Major League Baseball and the players’ union reached a new collective bargaining agreement Wednesday, Kinzer revealed. Given that the Astros are signing Carlos Beltran and the Red Sox are reportedly falling out of contention for Encarnacion, it seems the slugger’s group of suitors has shrunk this weekend.
More on the free agent and trade markets:
- If the Braves acquire an ace, it’s more likely to be the Rays’ Chris Archer than the White Sox’s Chris Sale, tweets Mark Bowman of MLB.com. However, the Rays’ current asking price “far exceeds” what Atlanta is willing to pay, Bowman adds. The Braves have run into a similar problem with the White Sox regarding Sale.
- Although Detroit general manager Al Avila stated in October that the team has been spending “above its means,” the Tigers aren’t necessarily in payroll-slashing mode, one of their executives informed Sherman (Twitter link). Rather, they only intend to trade high-priced veterans if the right deals come along. The Tigers are currently planning on contending in 2017, per the executive. That makes sense considering they’re part of a division which already includes one rebuilding team, the Twins, and could feature two more if the Royals and White Sox decide their windows have closed.
- The new CBA is a negative for the Royals, opines Sherman, who reports (via Twitter) that their executives will meet Sunday night to discuss which path to take this offseason. The club has several integral contributors entering contract years, namely left-hander Danny Duffy, closer Wade Davis, outfielders Lorenzo Cain and Jarrod Dyson, first baseman Eric Hosmer, third baseman Mike Moustakas and shortstop Alcides Escobar. It stands to reason the 2015 World Series champions could part with at least some of those players in the coming months.
- The idea of the Mets trading both Curtis Granderson and Jay Bruce came up Saturday, but the team is “unlikely” to deal multiple outfielders, GM Sandy Alderson said Sunday. The likelihood is that Bruce will end up on the move, relays Anthony DiComo of MLB.com, as Alderson noted Granderson’s importance to the Mets (Twitter links). New York isn’t progressing toward jettisoning an outfielder yet, according to Buster Olney of ESPN (Twitter link). In a perfect world, the Mets would acquire bullpen help in return for Granderson or Bruce. Their best reliever, closer Jeurys Familia, could face a domestic violence suspension in 2017, and top southpaw Jerry Blevins is a free agent.
- Thirteen teams have checked in on free agent reliever Brad Ziegler, reports Olney (Twitter link). One of those clubs is Arizona, Ziegler’s longtime employer. When it comes to available relievers, the lion’s share of attention has understandably gone to Aroldis Chapman, Kenley Jansen and Mark Melancon. Ziegler has more than held his own since debuting in 2008, though, with a 2.44 ERA and 66.3 percent ground-ball rate across 596 2/3 innings. The 37-year-old ended 2016 as a setup man with Boston, but he was previously the D-backs’ closer and combined for 48 saves from 2015 through the midway point of last season.
Chris Archer – now we’re talking. Sale is the supermodel, Archer is The Bachelorette.
Sorry, I just went there. Blame my wife (though I secretly enjoy it) 🙂
Wife. Yeah…right.
Braves do realize they have to pay to play don’t they? Just because they got farm for Miller doesn’t mean other teams will, but to get sale or archer Swanson has to be in deal if I am sox or rays.
You can “pay” without giving up the farm. They’re willing to include anyone in their top-3 farm system including their top prospect (Albies) and would also consider current rotational starters (Folty) and/or possibly even Ender Inciarte.
Only reports are that they would not include Swanson, which anyone talking with the Braves for more than a day could get that.
Who cares about their top 3 prospects . Not equal to a proven ace. Teams and fans value prospects way more that they should
When you look at their top three prospects though all three would be really hard to give up and are ,yes I know, “potentially” going to be superstars. For one great pitcher I think it’s hard to do that
Braves don’t need either as it is. It would just be nice to have an ace. No point in selling the farm for someone we don’t really need. It’s pointless to include Swanson in the deal. The rays can just suck during archers prime years and waste away what he can provide.
Archer has 5 years control of a cheap contract, and he’s already proven himself, even after a down year. Just like we wanted a lot for Teheran, they should want more for Archer. TB has other great arms, though not nearly as exciting or as great of a contract, but I can understand why they would want a huge return.
ATL would be in a great position over the next half-decade plus with Teheran/Archer at the front, having any of their young studs filling in around them (hopefully becoming better than Archer/Teheran — fingers crossed).
Archer/Teheran is a well below average front of rotation for a contender
News flash, Braves aren’t contenders
Not true….
Can’t tell if you’re serious? It’s day one of winter meetings and at no point did the Braves come out and categorically state “we’re getting an ace at winter meetings at whatever price they throw at us”. They’re doing what any team does in the same situation, they haggle. If not they move on. Didn’t like Sale’s price, moved on. Don’t like Archer’s price? They move on…. It’s not rocket science. They’re not just going to throw prospects at another teams first demand. If that were the case Jaime Garcia would have been more expensive and the “Shelby Miller trade” wouldn’t have been the “Shelby Miller Trade”
Thank God you are not the Sox or Rays.
If the Rays are willing to take Ender, Folty and two top prospects the Braves need to do it or stop trying altogether. Either the Braves feel like their prospects won’t do well next year and are trying to unload them or they should just wait a year. Braves don’t need an ace to sell out the first season in a new stadium. They will need one next year when they try to actually compete.
Really hope they don’t give up Ender. However, we do have Mallex Smith and some nice minor-league depth at the position including Ronald Acuna, Rey Patrick-Didder and Christian Pache.
I just don’t see a deal with a team that doesn’t include Ender, Folty, and Albies. (And of course more). I’d rather not get rid of those guys, so I’m hoping a trade doesn’t happen, but that’s the only way I could see it happen.
Anything else is either not enough or will hamstring the team.
Thankfully, Coppy has better vision than NL_East, who just can’t see.
I said I wouldn’t want that trade to get done, don’t understand the insult sir. I apologize if I somehow hurt your feelings.
I’m not sure why the rays would want Inciarte. A lot of his value is that he can play cf, but the rays have the best defensive cf in baseball
If the Braves are willing to deal Inciarte a 3-team trade would probably make the most sense.
Rays won’t need Ender they have a better defensive CF and Ender doesn’t have the power to justify moving him to a corner spot. I think for Archer no doubt Albies would be the centerpiece of that deal.
Maybe Albies, Minter, Peterson, Touki or Allard & Wentz or Soroka would get it done. I would be ok with moving Albies for Archer he is signed longer and to a team friendly contract than Sale.
Think I would prefer a Sonny Gray deal centered around Newcomb & Mallex even better though.
Not too familiar with the Braves system other than the top 5-10 guys. Do they have any intriguing catching prospects? I could see a deal getting done with the Rays centered around Albies and maybe including Folty, Newcomb, and a catching prospect (?). They definitely have the talent to get a deal done without Swanson, IMO. Just the Sox and Rays playing hardball.
Only catchers they have are in A ball. They also need them, but if they get an ace I would think they might splurge for Lucroy next year.
Why would they when better offers are on the table , where would they play endy?not in center that’s for sure
Newcomb, Blair, Mallex and either Folty or Albies. That should get it done.
Sorry, that’s not enough. Blair, Mallex, Folty aren’t worth much right now.
I didn’t realize that Archer came with 5 years of control, I thought it was only 3. I think it’ll need Albies, Folty, Newcomb, Blair, Mallex, and a young high ceiling low level pitcher like Touki or Sanchez. I’m sure the Braves would get a fringe prospect or reliever from the Rays along with Archer.
Coppy said himself you don’t deal for top of the rotation pitchers. It is an expensive proposition.
In all seriousness why should the Braves deal young talent for a top of the rotation type arm right now? It isn’t like it is the missing piece to a world series caliber team. If you look at some the pieces that would be traded supposedly for a TORP and the control and expect WAR they’d give, then look at the look at the expected WAR you’d be giving away (in the scenarios where you’d give up guys like Foltynewicz, Inciarte, Albies) then you are looking at net minuses instead of net pluses. It makes no sense. If the Braves were a top of the rotation pitcher away from the world series, yeah, but as it is now, no. Subtracting substantial pieces from the major league roster (Folty, Inciarte) or a player that should contribute majorly in 2017 (as Albies is supposed to) take away the effectiveness of the addition.
Coppy said you dont buy Ace’s. Never said anything about trading for one. Otherwise, unless you draft and grow them you will never have one. He said paying 200 million doesnt make sense. But, trading from the farm for Sale at 38 million makes total sense.
Yes, Coppy has said in the past that one reason farm depth is so important is using some of it as currency to trade for what we lack, whether it be for bats or arms. Archer is exactly the type of guy I see ATL being enamored with (younger, proven track record, cheap, controllable, community-minded, great teammate, local boy, possibly more of a deal than he’d ordinarily be coming off a down year, etc.).
That being said, if you have a chance to deal for someone like Chris Sale, you have every conversation to try and swing a trade if in the end you’d be better and worry about him being hot in your jerseys later on.
The Braves are rounding out quite well. Trading for 5 years of Archer would stabilize the rotation and put them in position to spend their free cash on Machado or Harper or Trout in the coming years if they wanted to do so. If they can make a trade without Swanson or Inciarte, it’s worth strongly considering.
Tigers could contend in 2017. They were close, and had a lot of injuries to key players. But if you are going to contend, you can’t trade away your best players, and that includes JD Martinez. Even if you get some good prospects in return, 2017 will be a rebuild year if you start dealing. You better find a solution to the CF problem now that you traded Maybin. And you’d better find a way to improve the bench and the bullpen. The lack of position player depth and weak bench play certainly hurt our chances last year. Injuries happen and someone has to be there to step up.
I don’t know that I buy that. Yes, losing JDs production would suck, but assuming Upton is able to bounce back, that can be offset.
The main issue is if they let JD walk next season for nothing, and not many prospects near ready, we’ll be in for a long period of being bad.
If they’re able to get a new CF or maybe a new RF who is controllable for while at a low pay, they’d be farther ahead.
If Upton bounces back? He set a career high in slugging and HRs. Their stars have one year left in them. Vmart, JD, Kinsler, Krod, etc…compete this year and should the wheels fall off sell at the deadline. Especially in a division as terrible as their’s minus the Indians the Tigers can definitely win their division or a wild card.
Power is a scarce commodity. The Tigers have a surplus of that. JDM might fetch a CF and RF that add speed, defense and on base ability that they can control for a few years. That would improve the team and may even trim a little cost.
ONE year of JDM is not going to fill both positions in 2017. Figure that Tyler Collins will be covering one of those positions next year (probably with a platoon partner). If the Tigers can get a high prospect that can play CF, that would be best as their best OF prospects seem to be Corner OF’s. Trading JDM needs to get solid value back as the Tigers cannot afford to miss on this deal. Its likely the player coming back won’t be the top prospect from the other team. Its best to get a better player at a lower level than get the 2nd or 3rd player at a higher level just so they can fill a hole NOW.
I don’t think they are ready to give up on a season they have over $200MM committed just to strengthen the farm.
Anyone have an idea why the new CBA is bad for the Royals? I checked the twitter link, and all there is is a conclusionary statement.
I’m assuming because they changed the compensation a team gets for losing qo players
Could be a reference to the new QO compensation and guidelines. They have 2, potentially 3 QO candidates(Duffy, Davis, Cain). The new guidelines could make it less appealing to let them play out their deals and more appealing to sell them as rentals.
As a KC native know one here wants to go through another rebuild but, it looks inevitable
I have a hard time gauging KC as a team. With that many pending FA, I think you almost have to try and go for it in 2017. Worst case scenario, you tried but come up short and have several great deadline pieces to help retool for 2018 and beyond.
It’s not good for the Royals because without the QO they can’t give all of their free agents QO and receive a first round draft pick for everyone that doesn’t accept it . Since there is no QO next offseason, and they go for it and don’t get anything for their free agents they can’t anything back. If the Royals do want something for those players that have to trade all of them and will go into another rebuild
with all the free agents the royals will have next year, no way they keep all of them espically hosmer
Whatever it is; I really hope the Jays stay out of both; Graderson and Bruce…..for their $$$$ and type of Defense/Production much rather te-sign Bautista and Edwin while perhaps bringing back Revere to pair up with Upton in LF !!!