The Braves announced this morning that they’ve signed manager Brian Snitker to a two-year contract extension that includes a club option for the 2021 season. MLB.com’s Mark Bowman had indicated earlier this morning that Snitker’s widely anticipated new contract was expected to be announced today (Twitter link).
Snitker, 63 on Wednesday, took over as manager on an interim basis back in 2016 after the Braves dismissed Fredi Gonzalez on the heel of a 9-28 start to the season. While he only took over on an interim basis, Snitker impressed the former front office enough that he landed a modest one-year extension with a 2018 option following his initial run at the helm. Even following the resignation of GM John Coppolella and the departure of former president of baseball operations John Hart, though, Snitker has done enough that the new-look front office, headed by general manager Alex Anthopoulos, will retain him for another few seasons.
The 2018 Braves surprised many by winning 90 games and capturing the National League East division title, making an extension for Snitker nearly a foregone conclusion. Snitker and his staff enjoyed a potential Rookie of the Year-winning campaign from Ronald Acuna, while Ozzie Albies, Johan Camargo, Mike Foltynewicz and Sean Newcomb all enjoyed varying degrees of breakouts. Meanwhile, franchise cornerstone Freddie Freeman had yet another excellent season, while veterans Nick Markakis and Anibal Sanchez each enjoyed their best seasons in a half decade. Catchers Kurt Suzuki and Tyler Flowers enjoyed solid seasons as well.
If there’s one area that the Braves need to improve moving forward, though, the pitching staff stands out as the most obvious. Specifically, no team in baseball yielded a higher walk percentage than Atlanta, as the Braves walked a staggering 10.3 percent of the hitters they faced. Braves hurlers did check in 12th overall with a strong 23.1 percent strikeout rate, but the free passes proved to be too substantial an obstacle to overcome — especially in the National League Division Series, when the pitching staff doled out 27 walks while falling to the Dodgers in a four-game loss.
That could potentially lead to some coaching changes, as Bowman suggested this morning that pitching coach Chuck Hernandez could be on the hot seat (Twitter link). There’s no word on that from the organization just yet, but clearly Snitker’s strong work to date and the relationships he’s built with the team’s impressive young core have earned him a longer run as the skipper in what should be an extended period of competitive baseball for the Braves.
The future is bright in Atlanta
Btw Braves lost in 4 games to the Dodgers
I’m not even a Braves fan and can tell you that the Braves are in a MUCH better spot moving forward than the Dodgers.
Dodgers have used a lot of their talent to chase a ring that they haven’t been able to grab
I think he was referring to the error in the article, not slighting the Braves.
Dodgers have just as much young talent and more money to spend than the Braves. Not saying the Braves will be bad but “much” better spot lol.
“MUCH better spot…than the Dodgers” does not mean “much better than the Dodgers”.
Both teams are in a good spot with a good young core that is cost-controlled for a few years. That being said, ATL needs to find compliments on the free agent market now to really compete – something they haven’t done (or been able to do) since Wren handicapped us and jumpstarted the rebuild with a line of awful contracts/extensions that included Derek Lowe, Kawakami, Uggla (extension), Chris Johnson (extension), Melvin BJ Upton, etc. He gets credit for extending Kimbrel and Simmons, but it was all for naught when there was more damaged that prevented us from prevented them from reaping the benefits (Kimbrel packaged with Upton, Simmons traded for young pitching).
Braves cannot do all they need to do via Free Agency. They will have a mixture of FA deals along with trades using the cache of young arms we have as capital.
The Braves aren’t in a much better spot than LAD though. You could say they’re in a comparable spot but LAD has just as much talent on the pipeline and it’s spread out a little more evenly. Braves have a stickpile of young arms but only a few top position players in the system. Acuna, Albies and Freeman is a great
trio to build around but LA has a pretty good core in its own respect. Walker buehler might be the best young pitcher out of all the arms in either system. Though I like Soroka a lot to. Bright future either way.
Too.
However, Braves were still a year early of their anticipated year of competitive baseball team too…
atlanta will be below 5oo in 2019
How do you figure? Your comment makes zero sense.
It’s called a troll, sir
It’s possible. Look at the twins.
He’s trolling for sure but the comment may not be outlandish depending on what they do this off season. If you remember the Astros made the playoffs earlier than expected a few years ago and than took a step back the next year before moving two steps forward. My point is if the Braves decide to move on to their core of young pitching in the rotation and bullpen they probably will experience some rough patches during the year. It’s unfair to constantly expect rookies to perform at veteran levels.
If they go and make some moves than I think the keep getting better.
And for all the talk about how much money Atlanta has don’t forget the young’s will be getting paid as super twos so they may bank some of that money to keep the core together, just saying…
ATL could be a very volatile team. I don’t expect them to dip like the twins did. They could very easily win as many games as they did this year. If Albies and Acuna continue their progression and the young arms develop you’d have to like them improving but just as easily you could see this team staying where they are or dipping a bit. Their pen isn’t lights out at all. They got good production out of Markakis this year and they’ll need to replace that. Camargo also really busted out, hopefully he does it again. Will flowers and Suzuki be as good of a tandem again if that’s what they go with? Acuna was an MVP candidate in the second half but at the same time Albies was horrific. Only one thing I have no doubt in my mind about is Freddie Freeman will absolutely rake. Other than that nothing would surprise me. (Acuna not being as good as he was this year would too)
Congratulations to Snit! Great year and many more to come.
Sweep???
Apologies. Early morning brain malfunction. Wrong NLDS floating through my head while typing that sentence.
I like this, especially after hearing all the comments from the players holding Snitker in high regards.
The Braves lost in four to the Dodgers not in three as this article suggests.
Would be surprised to see Chuck Hernandez come back as pitching coach. He’s been here long enough and time to get a fresh perspective. They didn’t change pitching coaches going from Fredi to Snitker. I hope Wash comes back though. He was instrumental in the infield defense (i.e. Swanson), and he would be important helping Riley transition to 3B defensively, if they plan to play him there with Camargo.
Chuck is gone
they let mcdowell go.
Odd, different roster same results, lost to dodgers in nlds.
Good for him. He’s worked hard to get this shot and he’s making the most of it.
Washington would be a huge loss. I hope he comes back actually I pray he comes back. Also I don’t know about Hernandez I am torn on that. On 1 hand the walks are a problem on the other hand how much would a better catcher help ? I am definitely not super impressed with Chuck but the pitching staff did hold its own and who would actually be the replacrment ?
Catching I believe is going to be the most important acquisition this offseason. I feel 1 major trade & 2 major free agent signings could take them to the next level. Catcher, Ace, OF & Closer
Coaching, like managing, is more a matter of the “right time, right place” than of any abilities. The Rays changed from Jim Hickey, a very good pitching coach, and moved onto Kyle Snyder, who just meshed with their young staff better.
Chuck’s ben around for a while, and frankly some of the Braves’ pitchers didn’t advance as quickly as one might like. Might need some fresh air there. Doesn’t mean Hernandez is a bad coach at all.
You can’t coach (or manage) on a “one size fits all” philosophy; not sure you ever could. As Bucky always says, some guys need a pat on the back, others need a kick a little lower.
And of course, as I was typing this, they dismissed Chuck…..
That’s an odd comment. Folty, especially, finally put it all together this year after years of failing under other pitching coaches, and Newcomb progressed by leaps and bounds, plus Anibal Sanchez had a nice mini-comeback. Hernandez must have some issues behind-the-scenes with the rest of the staff or a philosophy they don’t agree with, but the Braves pitching was pretty good in 2018.
Die Hard Braves Fan since 1982 (I was 10 years old growing up in Arkansas when I first started following The 1982 Braves on WTBS). I’ve been ‘hooked’ ever since (through THICK and THIN, lol).
This Braves team has not only A LOT of talent on The MLB Roster (ESPECIALLY young talent) but also A LOT of MILB high upside potential prospects who will be knocking on the door in the next year or two. Our GM, AA, will have A WEALTH of talent to choose from (whether to put into The Starting Rotation, The Bullpen, on The AAA Staff (to be there, on a moment’s notice; to be summoned up to Atlanta to fill a need in our Pitching Staff…….OR, even as ‘trade bait’).
I bring all this up, because I feel that The Braves have MORE than ENOUGH young/cheap/high upside Starting Pitching Talent…to BOTH build a potentially GREAT Starting 5 that can excel in BOTH The 2019 Season…AS WELL as potentially in The 2020 Season AND beyond. In other words, I see LITTLE NEED to bring in any ‘outside’ pitching talent. The Braves have what it takes to build a VERY STRONG BULLPEN in 2019 as well! Buying bullpen parts via Free Agency..is a VERY DICEY proposition! Given how variance plays a HUGE ROLE in how effective bullpen parts are in any given year (there are obviously ‘exceptions to the rule’..however ‘the exception to the rule DOES NOT make it ‘THE RULE”, lol)….I’d rather see The Braves put prospects who are not ready to be a starter..in our bullpen (as other teams have done with high upside prospects who eventually transition to The Starting Rotation in the next year or two).
Where I want to see The Braves SPEND MONEY..is addressing the lack of power in the middle of the lineup! A team CANNOT win playoff games…when 1. Nick “NOODLE BAT” Markakis is hitting cleanup (NO HOMERS in his last 177 regular season at-bats)….2. Tyler ‘batted .227 with ONLY 5 homers’ as your #5 hitter (as happened in Games 1 & 2 of The NLDS against The Dodgers…AS WELL as throughout a big chunk of The Regular Season).
It would be A BIG TIME WASTE…to ‘go cheap’ when it came to addressing the lack of middle of the order power. I’m SICK AND TIRED of hearing ‘uh….we need to save payroll flexibility when it comes to re-signing our CHEAP young prospects in 2019 and 2020….who in 2021 and beyond become MORE EXPENSIVE’. First of all…there is NO GUARANTEE that our best young prospects…will even be receptive to signing on a potential ‘team friendly’ contact extension.
However, what I DO KNOW…is that it would be MUCH EASIER to get our young prospects to possibly ‘buy into’ signing long term contract extensions with The Braves…IF we can GO HELL DEEP in The Playoffs YEAR AFTER YEAR! The Braves NEED some serious power in our lineup…..which can ONLY be address via The Free Agency Offseason (UNLESS AA wants to overpay with prospects via The Trade Market).
Keep our prospects (especially THE PLETHORA of young pitching prospects we have…to build BOTH a Rotation AND Bullpen (not only in 2019…but also in future years…when The Braves will still have prospects working their way up to possibly replace ‘potentially pricey’ arbitration eligible pitchers who arent exactly ‘worth what they will command via arbitration’ come 2021-2020 and beyond)!
Before addressing who I feel The Braves should go after….let’s take a look at what I feel are ‘The Locks’ to be on The Braves in 2019 (and their salaries/position).
1. Freddie Freeman….1st…..($21 mil)
2. Ozzie Albies……………2nd…($600k…pre-arbittation/one more year)
3. Dansby Swanson…SS….($600k….pre-arbitration/last year)
4. Johan Camargo…..utility ($600k…pre-arbitration/one more year)
5. Tyler Flowers………..C………($4 mil.)
6. Charlie Culberson…utility….($1..5 mil….1st year arbitration estimate…possible trade chip IF AA cant get that figure a little lower).
7. Ronald Acuna……RF…..($600k…..pre-arbitration/2 more years)
8. Ender Inciarte….CF……($5 mil.)
9. Michael Reed….OF….($600k….pre-arbitration/3 more years)
10. Mike Folty…..SP…… ($6 mil….2nd year arbitration/2 more years before Free Agency)
11. Sean Newcomb….SP ($600k….pre-arbitration/1 more year)
12. Kevin Gausmann…SP ($9 mil….1 more year before Free Agency….could be traded IF he wants ‘too much’. He could sign some type of 2 year contract that pays him something like $20 mil over 2 years…kind of like how The Braves did with Jason Heyward when he was 2 years away from Free Agency).
13. #4 starter……SP………($600k….pre-arbitration/3 years away….the last 2 spots of The Rotation, will come from our PLETHORA of young pitching prospects who stand out/earn one of those 2 spots during Spring Training 2019)
14. #5 starter…….SP……..($600k…..pre-arbitration/3 years away….read #13’s prediction).
15. Darren O’Day…..RP….($9 mil. last year before becoming a Free Agent. While he’s coming back from a hamstring injury…at least it isnt arm related. Prior to his injury, he’s a VERY EFFECTIVE late inning option. If AA didnt have to absorb his 2019 salary in order to get Gausmann WITHOUT having to sacrifice any of our top pitching prospects…I would LOVE to see AA go after Craig Kimbrel. However, I dont see ANY MLB team taking a flyer on O’Day WITHOUT seeing him pitch meaningful games first. So The Braves are pretty much stuck with O’Day for 2019…meaning that he’s our ‘defacto closer’ for 2019).
16. Adrodys Vizcaino…..RP……..($5 mil….last year before Free Agency. Vizcaino will help form a ‘bullpen-by-committee’ likely approach by Braves Management for 2019).
17. AJ Minter……RP……..($600k……pre-arbitration/2 more years. He’ll be the main lefty come closing time…part of what I believe will be a 3-headed-bullpen-by-committee-closer).
18. Dan Winkler….RP…..($1.5 mil…..arbitration/1 more year before Free Agency. Great bullpen arm. Need to not overuse him in 2019).
19. Johnny Venters….RP…..($1.5 mil…..arbitration/1 more year before Free Agency. Another good BP arm. Also need to not overuse him in 2019).
20. Max Fried….RP……($600k….pre-arbitration/2 more years. A lefty who can BOTH pitch multiple innings out of the bullpen/get tough lefties out in high leverage situations).
21. Chad Sobotka…..RP…..($600k…..pre-arbitration/3 more years. Tough on righties who can throw gas. Hopefully he’ll continue to develop).
22. Bullpen piece….RP….($600k….pre-arbitration/3 more years. The Braves have A PLEHTORA of options to fill the long relief role/spot starter-type to pitch on short notice/if one of our starters gets knocked out in the first couple of innings. Also, if any of our above relief pitchers OR starters get hurt….AAA will have A PLETHORA of options to turn to who can come up and fill those roles)!
I understand that BOTH Julio Teheran (at $11 mil for 2019 with a $1 mil 2020 buyout/$12 mil 2020 salary) and Adam Duval (arbitration eligible/$3 mil salary estimate) are on The Books for 2019. However I feel that there is NO WAY that Teheran doesnt get traded in the offseason (The Braves have cheaper/more talented options coming up than Teheran…..however Teheran will have value for other teams, given the contracts routinely signed by BUMS who are worse than Teheran, lol. I dont expect The Braves to get much in return for Teheran….what’s important…is that his $11 mil 2019 salary is REMOVED from the books). Also, Duval is an obvious DFA candidate. He simply LOST IT (reminds me of what happened to Austin Kearns years ago).
Assuming that AA takes my advice on trading Teheran/DFAing Duval…that would leave The 2019 Braves needing 1. a starting catcher (Flowers is the backup)…2. A starting Left Fielder (bye-bye Nick ‘NOODLE/CUCKOLD BAT” Markakis)…3. A 3rd baseman (Camargo should be our ‘super-sub/Ben Zobrist-type’ bench player for 2019).
My contention is that The Braves should have NO PROBLEM with a $150 mil Opening Day Payroll (with the option of increasing it by another $10-$15 mil SHOULD a need arise by The July 2019 Trade Deadline). I’m SICK AND TIRED of hearing how ‘the max’ Opening Day Payroll was $122 mil a year ago (implying that The Braves ‘only’ have around $30-$35 mil available to add to the current payroll)!
According to my math….The 5 Starting pitchers of Folty/Newcomb/Gausmann/4th/5th starters coming from our PLETHORA of high upside pitching prospects…will total $16.9 mil in 2019.
The 8 man bullpen of O’Day/Vizcaino/Minter/Winkler/Venters/Sobotka/Fried/Long-Relief-Type from our PLETHORA of high upside young pitching talent….will total $19.4 mil in 2019.
The 4 man Bench of Camargo/Flowers/Culberson/Reed…..will total $6.7 mil in 2019.
The current 5 man Starting Lineup of Freeman/Albies/Swanson/Inciarte/Acuna……will total $27.8 mil.
Those 22 postions….will total $70.8 mil….leaving $79.2 mil to fill the holes that Left Field/3rd base/Catcher presents.
If AA feels that Austin Riley is THE FUTURE…then The Braves should pencil him in as our Opening Day 3rd baseman/#5 or #6 hitter. His power from the right side would be HELLA WELCOME in our lineup.
However, if AA has ‘question marks’ concerning Riley…then AA should package Riley (along with one or two of our ‘2nd tier’ starting pitching prospects…Realmuto is only 2 years away from Free Agency….The Marlins ARE NOT going to get ‘a king’s ransom’ for Realmuto, lol. Riley has a lot of power…and is HELLA CHEAP for the next 3 years).
So either The Braves trade for Realmuto by sacrificing Riley/a couple of others (he’s in line to get a raise to around $6 mil in 2019)…..which would leave The Braves with around $73.1 mil to fill Left Field/3rd base…..OR…..The Braves keep Riley as our 2019 Opening Day 3rd Baseman (he’ll only be paid $600k)…which would leave The Braves with $78.6 mil to fill Left Field/Catcher.
If we trade for Realmuto….I would LOVE to see The Braves use that $73.1 mil…to make DUAL OFFERS to BOTH Manny Machado AND Bryce Harper (offering $35-$40 mil type deals to EACH of them)! If each were to agree to a $35 mil a year type deals with The Braves…that would only put The 2019 Opening Day Payroll at $146.9 mil (look,
Sun Trust Field/the surrounding Battery Properties are A PRINTING PRESS OF DOLLARS for The Braves Organization (with even more development in 2019 and beyond). Also, REGULARLY HOSTING Playoff Games at Sun Trust…for MULTIPLE ROUNDS….will also SIGNIFICANTLY add to team revenue. Also, with the added STAR ATTRACTION of Machado and Harper to The Braves….The Braves can charge more for THE RICH PEOPLE”s seats/suites at Sun Trust. If it were to take $40 mil a year to sign BOTH Machado and Harper…then The Braves should DO IT IN A HEARTBEAT. That would give The Braves a 2019 Opening Day Payroll of $156.9 mil (with $ left over to add at The July Trade Deadline should a need arise).
Depending on how much it would take to sign Machado and Harper (2019 Opening Day Payroll of between $146.9 mil-$156.9 mil)….just look at what this 2019 Starting Lineup would look like:
1. Acuna……RF
2. Albies……2nd
3. Freeman….1st
4. Machado….3rd
5. Harper…..LF
6. Realmuto…C
7. Inciarte…..CF
8. Swanson….SS
Johan Camargo would be The Super Sub to give a number of our players a day off each week (he would be fresher as well). Also, if Albies were to struggle in 2019….Snitker could put Realmuto in the #2 hole and Albies in the #6 hole. Regardless…that would be A POWERFUL Lineup….with NO ONE over 28 years old!
Not only is that a powerful offense…but also very good defensive lineup! This lineup could stay together for a number of years!
A good offense/defense….would give our Pitching Staff time to develop! I would rather AA stay away from acquiring an ‘Ace’ like deGroom…because their salaries would rise significantly (also because he’s only 2 years away from Free Agency). The Braves have LOADS of high upside starting pitching talent….why not give the likes of Mike Soroka, Touki Tousiant, Kyle Wright, Bryce Wilson, Joey Wentz and Ian Anderson (among others) a chance to be Long Term Aces for The Braves (especially at cheap prices while The Braves are paying the likes of Machado, Harper and Freeman lots of money)?
I’m sure that Machado and Harper would only sign with opt outs after years #3-#4 (which would be IDEAL for The Braves…ESPECIALLY if both were to really HIT during those years)…..giving both players another chance for a big payday before they are 30 years old (which again, would be ideal for The Braves…because hopefully by then we’ll have players like Christian Pache and other hitters that we drafted in 2018 and hopefully in 2019…who will be ready to play/fill in for those players….AS players like Albies and Acuna get ready for ‘big payday extension offers’ by The Braves.
OR…..if The Braves were to keep Riley at 3rd…..then we’d have $78.6 mil to address left field/catcher….which 1. offering $35-$40 mil a year offer to Bryce Harper….and 2. Sign Yasmani Grandal to a $18-$20 mil a year type deal. That would leave The Braves with a 2019 Opening Day Payroll of between $124.4 mil and $131.4 mil.
Our 2019 Opening Day Lineup would be the following:
1. Acuna….RF
2. Albies….2nd
3. Freeman….1st
4. Riley……3rd
5. Harper….LF
6. Grandal…C
7. Inciarte….CF
8. Swanson….SS
I would bat Riley 4th (even though he’s a rookie)….because he has power AND because it would split up Freddie and Harper (both left handed hitters). In other words, having Riley hitting in between Freddie and Harper….would eliminate opposing managers from bringing in a tough lefty to face BOTH Freddie AND Harper…WITHOUT having to face a power righty bat like Riley.
Personally…..I like the first option (trading for Realmuto….going ALL-IN by signing BOTH Harper AND Machado). The Braves would be SERIOUS CONTENDERS for years to come with that lineup! If a team is making The Playoffs EVERY YEAR…..the payroll CANNOT stay the same. It HAS to go up! The young talent that The Braves have……would keep our pitching costs low (prime example….there’s a chance that Gausmann, no matter how good he pitches in 2019…..will be a trade candidate next offseason…because The Braves have A PLETHORA of young, high upside Starting Pitching talent coming up The System! Heck, Gausmann may end up being traded by The July 2019 Trade Deadline….IF some of our AAA pitching studs ‘force the issue’. Why give Gausmann a raise on his already $9 mil 2019 Salary…IF a young prospect has the potential to pitch BETTER? That move there…is how money can be trimmed from The 2020 Payroll!
Other moves (whether after 2019 or 2020) would be to eventually trade Folty and Newcomb. By Opening Day 2021…I feel that the following will be our Opening Day Starting 5:
1. Mike Soroka…….($600k…could be a Super 2 IF he makes The 2019 Opening Day Roster. Regardless, he could very well be our ACE by then)
2. Touki Tousiant….($600k…..he’ll be in his last pre-arbitration year)
3. Kyle Wright……….($600k……same as Touki)
4. Ian Anderson……($600k…..he may not come up until sometime in late in 2019 or 2020..meaning that he’ll still be several years away from arbitration. Regardless, he has Ace-like potential)
5. Joey Wentz……($600k……same as Anderson. While not quite the upside as Anderson/Soroka…he’ll be a TOUGH lefty for opponents to face).
I know that it sounds CRAZY…however it is not impossible to imagine that THE ABOVE/Potential 2021 Starting Rotation…..leading The Braves to The 2021 Playoffs (in addition to being HELLA CHEAP)! That’s why AA SHOULD NOT trade any of our talented pitching prospects! That’s not even including the likes of Bryce Wilson, Patrick Weigel, Kyle Muller and Luis Gohara (2019 will be important for him….he has A TERRIBLE 2018…due to family deaths/issues..as well as injury issues. If he can live up to his potential….The Braves will have SICK depth).
It would be A SHAME…if The Braves decided to ‘nickel and dime’ the next few years……we have TOO MUCH CHEAP high upside talent….to NOT GO FOR IT during The 2018 Free Agent Offseason!
Bro. I’m sure you put a lot of effort into that post but it was just too damn long. Break it up into a couple posts because I saw about 3 different lineups proposed on there. I did read about Gausman. No shot Gausman would sign a 2 year 20MM extension. He’s going to eclipse that easily in an Arb raise in 2020. Very little incentive for him to do something like that at this point when pitchers like him rehabbing a TJ get 2/10 nowadays. You’re also not getting realmuto for Riley and a “2nd tier pitching prospect “ it’s gojng to hurt a bit more than that.
1. I said ‘if’ Gausman was willing to sign a 2 year/$20 mil contract (he’s probably going to get around $8-$9 mil for 2019, meaning that depending on how he does in 2019, he could be eligible for around $11-$12 mil in his last year of arbitration). Regardless, I dont see Gausman staying with The Braves past 2019…because we have A PLETHORA of high upside pitching prospects who will have 3 years of pre-arbitration (making around $600k a year) who have more ‘swing and miss’ stuff than Gausman does. Just like Teheran and his $11 mil 2019 salary will be traded this offseason…..Gausman and his increasing 2020 salary will be traded next offseason.
2. I did not say that Realmuto would only cost Riley and ‘a 2nd tier pitching prospect’. I said “Riley AND a couple of 2nd tier pitching prospects’. With only 2 years of arbitration left before he becomes a Free Agent….The Marlins ARE NOT going to be able to get ‘a king’s ransom’ for Realmuto. That’s why Riley and a couple of 2nd tier pitching prospects (in other words, Soroka and Touki WILL NOT be heading to The Marlins in any Realmuto trade). Teams ARE NOT giving up any of their best prospects ANYMORE. Look at this past July Trade Deadline. No Top 20 prospects (or even Top 50 prospects, that I was aware of) were traded this past July!
Look at what The Astros gave up to get Gerrit Cole this past offseason (who had a couple of years left before he becomes a Free Agent after The 2019 Season). The Astros gave up 4 prospects to get Cole…however NONE were even close to being their best prospects. What did The Marlins get for Christian Yelich and Ozuna? Brinson was really the only ‘named’ prospect they got back in return…and he’d already lost some of his ‘luster’ before The Brewers even traded him.
Trades DO NOT get the prospect return now days….that they used to. The haul that The Yankees got back in 2016 for trading Chapman and Andrew Miller….cemented what was already a growing trend in MLB (giving up your best prospects for a rental OR someone with limited years of control…IS NOT a wise move to make).
The Marlins can either wise up and get what they can for Realmuto..OR..risk getting nothing in return for him IF he gets hurt. Austin Riley has power potential…..can provide some power for the middle of their lineup while making only around $600k a year in each of the next 3 years (along with a couple of 2nd tier pitching prospects who can possibly develop into decent MLB pitchers down the line). However they are DREAMING if they think they can get Riley AND Anderson, Soroka and Tousiant…for Realmuto, lol!
3, I made a long detailed post…because I needed to explain the math involved in 2 types of moves The Braves could make. I posted ‘several’ lineups….because both detailed hypothetical lineups that reflected the moves I pondered in my post. One lineup was with The Braves keeping Austin Riley…along with signing Bryce Harper and Yasmani Grandal. The other lineup was trading Riley (and a couple of 2nd tier pitching prospects) for Realmuto….and with The Braves signing BOTH Harper and Manny Machado. I explained how The Braves could make both payrolls work…which required some ‘explaining’, lol.
Is there a Cliff Notes version of your post. Lol
Just post the summary version. You spent way too much time on a post no one is going to read, and even if someone did which essay portion is someone to comment on? Or would a commentor have to write a novel as well?