The Braves’ offseason began with a bang, signing both Josh Donaldson and Brian McCann early on, but there’s been little activity out of Atlanta since that time. The club did strike up a surprisingly affordable deal to bring Nick Markakis back for at least a fifth season (and possibly a sixth) earlier this week, filling an obvious hole in right field.
Many fans, however, were hoping to see a bigger splash to fill that vacancy — or at least some type of splash following the aggressive November deal that brought Donaldson into the fold. General manager Alex Anthopoulos’ comments about the financial flexibility that Markakis’ contract affords the club only fueled the fire for the Braves’ fanbase and their hopes for another marquee pickup, with many pining for a Craig Kimbrel reunion. However, Anthopoulos’ comments in a recent appearance on MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM at the very least downplay that possibility — if not almost entirely rule it out (Twitter links, with audio):
“He makes everybody a lot better,” said Anthopoulos of Kimbrel. “He’s one of the best closers of all time. I did come out early in the offseason and, not speaking specifically about him, but [said] our payroll, our model, I don’t know that us spending big, elite dollars on a reliever — length, the term and all that — I don’t know that that model works for us.”
Kimbrel entered the offseason reportedly seeking a massive payday north of $100MM, and while reports since that time have indicated that goal has dropped a bit, the latest update on his asking price suggested the $86MM and $80MM contracts of Aroldis Chapman and Kenley Jansen as targets (although that was a month ago). A closer with Kimbrel’s track record, understandably, is aiming exceptionally high, and even if his price drops a bit further, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see his camp eye a deal that tops Wade Davis’ $17.33MM average annual value record for a reliever.
Wherever Kimbrel’s contract eventually lands, it seems reasonable to think that he’ll command the “big, elite dollars” to which Anthopoulos expressed an aversion. If that proves to be the case, Anthopoulos suggested that he’s happy with the end-game options the Braves already have in house while acknowledging that he’s still considering veteran additions.
“From a bullpen standpoint, A.J. Minter, Arodys Vizcaino did a nice, solid job for us,” said Anthopoulos. “…Hopefully, a young guy like Minter can take one more step. I think having a healthy Darren O’Day is going to be big, and then some of the other young kids that really took a step and had a nice year have a chance to continue to contribute. But, there’s no doubt if we can get more talent, more experience — especially at the end of the game — it’s going to slot everybody down. That’s definitely something we’ve explored, both in trade and free agency.”
The trade market — specifically, Atlanta’s lack of activity on that front — has been another potential source of consternation among fans. The Braves organization has famously built up a wealth of premium prospects and a deep reserve of secondary (but still high-quality) minor leaguers that has made their farm system one of baseball’s best. Clearly, there isn’t room for all of the stockpiled talent to claim regular roles with the big league club, and many would like to see the team cash in some of those farmhands for proven MLB talent. That, said Anthopoulos, is something the team has explored at length, though there’s been no common ground reached with teams shopping intriguing talent.
The GM plainly stated that his club was “definitely engaged” with the Mariners with regard to James Paxton, though the lefty eventually went to the Yankees in a package headlined by MLB-ready top prospect Justus Sheffield and another high-quality, near-MLB arm in Erik Swanson. Atlanta also spoke to the Mariners about closer Edwin Diaz before Seattle sent him and half of Robinson Cano’s remaining contract to the Mets in exchange for a package led by this past draft’s No. 6 overall pick, Jarred Kelenic.
“At the end of the day, we had the ability to say ’yes,'” said Anthopoulos of those talks. “We got a price on players like that. We’re definitely going to be ’in’ on those guys. … I think, at the end of the day, we really feel strongly about the talent that we have. We put some good young players on the table in deals. I think maybe where we hit a bit of a snag in some of these things is just the volume — and that’s where we do pause, and we kind of pump the brakes a little bit.”
Though the inability to reach an agreement is surely frustrating for the Braves’ front office as well, Anthopoulos indicated that it’s often a relief to look back on some deals that ultimately weren’t made. He noted that he was most frequently asked about both Ronald Acuna and Ozzie Albies last offseason and is thankful not to have budged on either player and also “pretty happy” to have passed on some trade-deadline offers with which they were presented. (Of course, there are undoubtedly prospects whose stock has dropped that the Braves may, with the benefit of hindsight, been able to have let go without significant consequence.)
Ultimately, it sounds as though the Braves will continue to explore the trade market — they’re still oft-connected to J.T. Realmuto, for instance, and there are teams with relief pitchers available — but at the very least, it seems Atlanta fans should temper their expectations with regard to a Kimbrel reunion, which is a disheartening reality not only for them but also for Kimbrel’s camp. Kimbrel still seems destined for a sizable payday, but Anthopoulos is the second baseball ops leader in the past two weeks to suggest that paying Kimbrel at a premium rate likely isn’t in the cards; Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski made similar comments recently, all of which only further clouds the market for the offseason’s top free-agent reliever.
I like AA’s approach here with Kimbrel. While a reunion would be nice, money could be better spent elsewhere. I just hope they spend some of it elsewhere.
Yeah well AA’s approach is good for the game. It’s a wonderful market correction we’re going through. Long overdue—players have been getting away with getting way too much money for years. Time to re-evaluate what they’re worth and what should be paid.
You’re only looking at it from one side. The players deserve this money because of how much more these days the owners are making. As a fan, I’d rather see the players we watch increase their millions than the owners increase their billions. They are making these billions because of the players, and because they’re making so more more than years ago, it’s the players who should be paid more.
They both need each other for the product to work. Let’s not say only the owners are making money because of the players, because it works the other way around too.
Players deserve to get paid if the owners are raking in the dollars, however it’s the fans who pay in the end. Big TV contacts are one source of revenue stream for owners, but those contacts are then locked for years while the flexibility for additional revenue comes from ticket prices, merchandising, concessions and parking. Ultimately, what’s really gotten out of control and is in need for a correction is what the fan pays to attend a game.
Yes, I agree the players need to make their money, as revenue rises so should the salaries, but not at 10 year contracts where the productivity is nowhere near worth the amount of money they’re getting in the last 4 years of said contract. The collective bargaining agreement needs to have these players paid earlier instead of the six or seven years of control the Clubs currently have. I believe that’s the correction that is being done now.
I rather see the owners decrease their billions, players decrease their millions and fans save hundreds of $’s by paying reasonable prices for a night at the ballpark.
The logic here is flawed—or rather socialistic. Just because owners make more money does not mean they have to or even should share more of that with the players. (No player is starving. Some of them, I’d say, are doing quite well.) If I’m the owner of a business I get to decide how much to pay someone. And I certainly get to re-evaluate whether what I’ve been paying someone has been worth it, and whether I can achieve more with less; or whether I can redirect/reinvest money previously wasted on underperforming employees elsewhere to better my product.
Some of these ideas are just basic to human productivity.
Atlanta Falcons have proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that teams don’t need to raised concession prices, they just use player salaries as an excuse
I think it needs to he brought up the one way because the other is more understood. Everyone harps on the players but not the owners. The ire of the fans needs to be balanced.
You’re acting like the players are getting paid $100,000 a year. The players are well compensated. They’re making billions on the brand, not just the players, the brand they bought and helped build with their investment(s).
You’re more likely to find a replacement player than you are a replacement owner.
That’s exactly the woe is me line that players and owners want people to buy so they can continue to drain every dollar possible from our pockets.
The correction in runaway salaries will NEVER cost an owner profits. It doesn’t matter how often they might complain about the skyrocketing salary situation. Every time a Bryce Harper gets $400 million,the prices the fans pay is bumped up to cover that expense.
Somehow this comment seems to insinuate that TV contracts don’t cost the fans. When a network pays billions for years of televised games they pay for that by selling advertisements. The companies that pay for those ads so the networks make money are obviously selling products. When the cost of advertising goes up because the TV contracts went up…you already see where this is going.
The price for products is raised to pay for the higher priced ads to pay for the higher cost TV contracts that is used to raise salary and leads to increased costs for fans. The fans aren’t spared the higher cost of TV contracts and since advertisers target specific audiences, it is the baseball fan who pays for that higher TV contract in the prices for things advertised to baseball fans.
It doesn’t matter where the increase is located there is always one, individual source for that increase. Fans.
Bob Horner gets it.
Thank you. Everyone seems to overlook this aspect. MLB was scratching their collective heads as to why attendance was down last year. Instead of fancy new stadiums, improved WiFi, and better MLB app experiences, why don’t you try making the game more affordable? The Atlanta Falcons made their concessions prices reasonable and saw record profits as a result.
Why should they be paid less while baseballs generating more revenue than ever? The only thing this is good for is the owners pockets.
Two questions:
— If a player’s pay were doubled, would he then double what he pays his accountant?
— If all player’s pay were halved, would owners then cut ticket prices in half?
1. Theoretically, yes
2. Salaries don’t really impact ticket prices. Ticket prices are based off the supply and demand. (In simple terms)
JD, incorrect. It’s good for a lot more than the owners pockets. Who were Prince Fielder and Ryan Howard and their contracts good for? That list is endless. What if I could take that money and spend it elsewhere and (as is becoming increasingly apparent) put a better product on the field—both short and long term?
The market is awakening, like it or not.
It’s good for the players. If the owners are making more money than ever, why should players make less. That doesn’t make any sense. The owners 10.3 billion dollar revenue can take a couple million dollar hit, they’ll survive.
The players should make less because of how poorly they’ve performed in so many cases. Evan Longoria complaining (as he so unconvincingly did) only proves the point. Very happy for the owners for being fiscally prudent—we could use more of that in or world.
Definition of capitalism
: an economic system characterized by private or corporate ownership of capital goods, by investments that are determined by private decision, and by prices, production, and the distribution of goods that are determined mainly by competition in a free market
Definition of gullible:
easily persuaded to believe something; credulous.
I would rather see the MLBPA bargain for a higher minimum salary for all the players, it should be at least 1 million per year, than to bargain for higher contracts for the top free agents.
I’d rather MLB come out and say they created ______ new jobs from the previous year thanks to net profit. Instead of the players raking in the money it can go to people that are employed to work on the ground floor to expand and grow the game to a new audience.
SoCalBrave, I agree. Bring the minimum up to $1m for all players. In fairness of negotiating, then MLBPA can give room on incentive based contracts.
Hit 50 HRs this year? That’s worth an extra $3m (example).
Double the rookie minimum would have a serious financial impact on small market teams. By the time a quality player is in his arb 3 he’d be making close to arenado money. Saying that seems like an easy fix but there are other ramifications with that.
I like the idea of incentive based contracts. A fair guaranteed long term base, but with the potential for the player to earn much more based on performance. I think it minimizes the risk for the team, but rewards the players for performance – which it what the teams are actually looking to pay for. I think long term high AAV contracts (i.e. Carl Crawford, Albert Puljols) are what GMs are trying to avoid. If structured creatively, it could be a win for both sides… IMO
Kimbrel’s contract is going to be considerably lower than 100 mil. He’ll be lucky to get more than a 2 year deal.
Well I think he certainly gets more than two years. Four?
I’m thinking 4/$72m
Dude is concerned with money first, save total second, helping his team win third. He flat out said he wouldn’t even consider pitching in the 7th inning. I remember seeing a few years ago that an average relief pitcher should convert 97% of saves – why is he worth so much money when he’s wildly inconsistent and won’t pitch any other inning than the 9th?
Why should an average relief pitcher be successful with 97 percent of his save attempts?
Especially, an average reliever, who can blow a save in the seventh or eighth, without having many chances in the ninth?
You do realize that literally no closers with more than 200 saves have a save percentage that high, right?
Don’t believe everything you see.
Be prepared for mid level talent at best. The Braves just aren’t going to spend on impact players no matter how good the deal is. Only way big names come is if they’ll take a 1 year deal at a discount. It even invokes fear that if Acuña becomes the elite player he’s capable of being, he’ll also probably be gone when the time comes.
I’m sure they would spend for the right player. They won’t spend foolishly just to spend.
Since all of us “armchair GM’s” know more than the real GM,here’s my version. Save $ on rp’s/ closer by using tandem sp’s (4-5 ip then bring in 2nd pitcher), then bring in a rp to “close” the game if they choose to do so. That way we get the most out of the pitching prospect depth that’s available. Then use $ to improve/ extend every day line up.
Whatever, you’re just a homer who wants the Braves to overspend on players they don’t NEED just to satisfy your desire for big spending.
The Braves, and AA, are smart with their money. When they need to strike, they will – but they won’t (and shouldn’t) overpay for a player just to pay top dollar.
According to one report, Braves have roughly $15m left before they reach their budgets top threshold. Braves fans are clamoring for Kimbrel, for w/e reason, and he would cost that $15m and more.
Why tie up that much money for him, when there’s Minter & Viz, and then room for spending at the deadline.
What if the Braves get to July 31st, and need to make a move that costs them $5m for the rest of the year. You’re out of luck if you don’t have a reserve to use. AA is smart, and will have that reserve.
Braves won the East w/ their team that wasn’t supposed to be noticed until 2019. They’ll be just fine and they have a more than solid lineup to put on the field every day.
Nats are better, Mets are better, Phillies May be better too. Wins will be tougher to come by. Vix/Minter in the 9th might not get it done.
The problem I have is that the Braves claimed they would have the ability to shop in any aisle and claimed they had much more to spend then they now say is available. When they said it wouldn’t matter if a draft pick would be lost in compensation, it also seems like a lie now. Pollock signed for considerably less than the speculative musings from those who based their reporting on what the Braves FO had claimed months ago.
Somewhere a ton of BS was spread and it’s looking more and more like it was the public suggestions that payroll would increase to support a better chance to win. The AJC ran an article about the lack of spending by Liberty. A corporate owner that has admitted the Braves are a real estate investment and nothing more.
Horner…this is the same song and dance AA delivered in Toronto around 2010-12. The “we can spend but we choose not to because…..” rhetoric. The difference is Atlanta is a division contender while the Blue Jays were not quite ready. However the Blue Jays did have an ownership with deep pockets.
I figured this off season, the Braves would be very aggressive in free agent, and trade talks. They didn’t have any large commitments on the payroll, and had tons of prospects they could trade from.
I still think you see a trade made for a #1 or #2 arm. But, I don’t see much in the way of big FA splash for a position player, because they don’t have that need.
Harper would be nice, I dislike him, but I’d cheer for him – but at $30m a year is he really worth it for Atlanta?
Not many other holes on the roster that can be filled w/ a big FA splash.
There’s very few big FA’s left. It’s just machado and Harper for positional players. Markakis’ 2nd half slash line was unappealing as his first 3 years mostly were. Unless Camargo takes that over I think you see the Braves need to address one or potential multiple holes they have. RF, C closer/pen, and a #1 starter are clearly their needs to complete the team. They won’t get all of them obviously but it’s going to be tough if they don’t do something.
Braves could and should add Machado and Realmuto. Anything less is not our best. Buy Machado (it is now within the budget and years do not matter) and trade for the two years of Realmuto. Marlins want Albies, Swanson or Camargo, fine, either is expendable with Machado at SS. Send Flowers or Lopez back in the deal and Contreras and Jackson will be ready by 2021. Anything short of this or something like it is GM negligence. Dance with the pitchers we now have. This is what the years of sacrifice was for and what the fans were promised.
I want Machado type production but not Machado himself. He seems to be a ME ME ME guy and would hurt the clubhouse, but what do I know. I do like the idea of having Realmuto and Machado production on this roster though, it would be formidable…
Machado would be an awful move, based on what he’s asking.
I am holding judgement for now …. but agree we should be in on top tier guys and not settling for lower level or bargain bin talent. This offseason has been absurd.
I rather have Albies at his current salary than Machado.
I’m continually amazed that fans think spending 15-20% of the Braves entire salary on ONE GUY, and locking in that expense over TEN YEARS is somehow “our best.” Gosh, no! Grab a resource in July that is 90% as capable with less than 50% of the annual cost and maybe 25% of the duration of commitment. AA knows what he’s doing. No GM is perfect, but the current Braves’ plan is working just fine so far!
No, just no. No MM. NO.
What was the Braves last big FA signing? Melvin Upton?
He goes by BJ now/again
Donaldson was the last one. And Melvin has gone back to BJ again apparently 🙂
Yes…and how did that turn out? Look up lists for worst free agent contracts and he is in the top-3 on most. Not to far behind is Derek Lowe (4/60MM). Add in Kawakami, Sean Rodriguez, Uggla extension and Chris Johnson extensions and you can see why they are a bit hesitant.
When will blogs and media stop hyping Kinbrel? Of his 3 seasons in Boston, one was comparable to his best years pre-Boston, the others were not—especially last year. His control was poor; he gave up too many home runs. He was unreliable in tie games and non-save situations, and generally can’t pitch multiple innings. He blew 5 saves, and would have blown more were it not for the Sox offense. and outfield defense,
What everyone saw in the Series and post season was the real Kinbrel, at least last year. How much should a team bet that he won’t regress further?
They will stop hyping Kimbrel when his agent stops paying them to hype him probably lol. Based on the fact he hasn’t signed yet.. either they are working a sucker team or all the teams know what we know.
Yeah, and Rivera was done after his choke in the 2001 postseason, as well as his three years form 2000-2002 where he was sub=par for his own lofty standards, and especially after the old man couldn’t hack it in 2007. Only three relievers in the top 12 in saves had a better save percentage last year. Right now, Kimbrel remains arguably the most consistently good closer in baseball, and the only one in the top twenty still available. One year of production closer to the league average than his historical numbers does not change that.
The Braves are being smart not to go crazy on a contract for a closer, but he would vastly improve their bullpen by moving everyone down a slot. It’s not that he is that much better/more consistent than Aroldys in the ninth (which he is), but that Aroldys and Minter would make a powerful L/R setup tandem, and Day would then be a 6th or 7th inning guy, and so on down the line. It affects everyone down to the starters knowing they only have to get through six, or maybe five on tough nights. Kimbrel’s value is that he basically adds about a million dollars in upgrades to every single slot all the way down the line. In that regard, his asking price is very reasonable.
O’Day & Venters should be Loogy & Roogy only.
Venters facing only lefties
O’Day facing only Righties
Both should be 1-2 batter pitchers moving forward.
Terrible comparison. In his worst moments, Rivera never had Kimbrel’s sketchy control like in 2018 and 2016. There’s no way you can say that he is NOW one of the most consistent closers when he was so inconsistent from appearance to appearance. He seldom had clean innings. Kimbrel’s WS was not an anomaly. It was typical of his saves all year. He was consistently scary. His asking price for an aging closer who appears to be in decline is certainly NOT “reasonable.”. It’s just insurance for cowardly GMs. If you pay for Kimbrel and he stinks, you can say, “Well, who could have seen that coming?” If you go with an unproven closer, like Ryan Brasier, and he doesn’t cut it, everyone says you were cheap and foolish.
Agree with this completely… 1 year $10mm back to the Red Sox. They’re the only team that doesn’t have to give up a draft pick to get him (although Milwaukee would only have to give up a 4th… but I don’t see him choosing them over Boston if it comes down to a 1 year deal)
At this pace, Kimbrel and his mound antics might have to consider Japan soon.
It certainly seems like AA wants another year to develop the prospects they have, which is a good idea. Winning the division last year was unexpected and (justifiably) raised fan expectations. But the Braves are not a WS caliber team yet and adding a few expensive FAs this offseason isn’t going to make them one. They still need solid pitching to match up against the 3 other NL East teams with better rotations. They also have to deal with the international sanctions for 2 more years, so trading away too many prospects can be just as crippling as signing bad FA contracts.
Then he should quit raising expectations by talking about the financial flexibility that these bargain-basement signs bring to the team.
Financial flexibility doesn’t/shouldn’t mean foolish spending. So often we want it now, RIGHT NOW. it’s a long season and you never know who may come available as the season progresses.
Talking constantly about financial freedom also doesn’t mean doing pretty much nothing except wait for more bargains to fall into your lap. Never said he had to spend foolishly. Donaldson is a gamble based on his health and it was pretty clear that Markakis was about the 4th choice for the outfield. Bottom line, the team is not better and that is magnified by what other teams in the division have done.
Today is January 25th. Currently, how many games out of 1st place are the Braves? So far teams may APPEAR to have got better or worse ON PAPER, but the games ARE NOT played on paper. Even the young guns that got their 1st taste of the majors are better suited for this coming season.
EXACTLY!!!!
Yawn….waiting on spring training and the waiver wire ……. bring up more kids then.
Comparing this team to last year’s, I’m still not convinced we’re better. Adding oft-injured Donaldson is washed out a bit by the fact that Camargo no longer has a starting role. Also, McCann/Flowers isn’t going to be as productive as Suzuki/Flowers. It’s reasonable to expect a bit of a sophomore slump from Acuña. We don’t have the veteran presence in the rotation that Sanchez brought and the bullpen needs help. Add all this to what Washington, Philadelphia, and New York are doing and it’s clear that there is a lot of work to do.
A.A. said that the McCann contract gave the team financial flexibility. Now, he’s saying the same thing about Markakis. When are we going to see it? Almost every decent bullpen arm has been signed by other teams and we (theoretically) have no needs in the lineup. Even the bench of McCann, Culberson, Camargo, and Duvall doesn’t look THAT bad. Is he going to spend on a free agent starting pitcher (Keuchel) or make a trade and take on some salary (Grienke, Kluber)?
I’m worried we’re heading down the same road with the same problems that the 2013 team had–Few glaring holes but collectively just not good enough.
Adding Donaldson coupled with a platoon partner for Markakis in Duvall has made the team better. Win a playoff series better? Not so sure. Then compare what the other teams in the division have done and our modest improvement actually isn’t enough to keep pace, let alone repeat, without some pitching breakouts – which AA clearly believes is in the offing.
Oft-injured Donaldson? Last year was his first year of injury. He looked fine at the end of the season w/ Cleveland. He’ll be fine and slug 35+ hrs.
Concerning Kimbrell, if the Phillies signed him would their bullpen be considered a super bullpen at that point? It’s already a deep unit but with Kimbrell it would be pretty ridiculous.
Braves need kimbrel. Their bullpen was overworked and their achilles heel last season. Extending the starters beyond 5-6 innings should be a goal, and that would lessen the load on the bullpen. Mitner was good but inconsistant. Visciano was injured a couple of times. Who knowns what o’day brings coming back from injury.
Kimbrel and Kluber make the Braves nearly unstoppable.
Inciarte
Markakis
Freeman
Acuna
Donaldson
Camargo
Albies
Flo/BMac
That’s 4+ runs per game and 95+ wins.
I hope that wouldn’t be the batting order !
Need? Not at his price, no.
He’d be a solid addition if he took a home team discount. Doubt that happens though. Freeman better get on the phone and ask!
Kimbrel is showing signs that his elite closer days could be over and teams know it.
I agree that ATL doesn’t need to overpay for a reliever.
However I disagree with going with an aging 4th OF as the everyday RF. Needs to be working out a deal for Joc or Gallo, IMO
Gallo is not the answer! He is too much like Uggla was for Atlanta.
Kake was resigned to hold the fort down until either Pache or Waters is ready. Both are moving up the ladder quickly. I think Waters, might end up being the better of the 2, but Pache’s defense is undeniably great! If they both continue to excel, then Inciarte becomes expendable as well. Waters in LF, Pache in CF, and Acuna in RF in 2-3 years should be a dynamic trio.
So the signing of Markakis was just to hold the fort down until 1 of those 3 are ready to take over and not have to rush any of them.
I’m fascinated by the hostility some folks direct towards Kimbrel. If I could throw in the high nineties, I’d want a comfortable situation, and I’d want to be paid for the skill that so few others have. Market prices are driven by intrinsic value of talent, scarcity, and demand. If the demand isn’t there, he’s not going to get paid as much, regardless of what other relievers got under different circumstances. If the demand is there, he’s going to be paid for each outing more than most of us will make in a year. I don’t have a problem with it, because I can’t throw in the high nineties. I also can’t “root” for either the owners or the players. It’s an immensely profitable business, and let them argue with each other about who gets what. But, when we complain about player salaries and the cost of going to a game. let’s remind ourselves that minor league games are a lot cheaper—but for a reason, and it’s not just low salaries. The games aren’t as good, and the players aren’t as good.
As to Kimbrel’s value–could be a crap shoot. If he’s in the decline phase, anything near Chapman money is an overpay.
It’s not worth it for him to go 2 years.. if that were the case better to take a high one-year deal reestablish some value reenter into the market next year and look for a 2 or 3 year deal then. I think he will sign for 3 with a 4th year option.
And the only way he even gets near a $17M AAV is if the buyout of his option is $1.5M..and the previous 3 years were about $16.5 AAV.
I am thinking 3 years with an option as well will be his midpoint, with the fourth year locked in based on # of games finished. I am pretty sure he could get $55-60 million on 3 years guaranteed from someone, perhaps not Braves though. His camp might not be ready to come down to that low a term yet, but I see them meeting in that middle with someone in the next month.
Not arguing the perceived needs but which is smarter: Using up the financial flexibility now when the risk of overpay is greatest …or at the trade deadline, or nearer to it, at least, when your actual needs are better defined?
I think AA is trusting the current line-up to remain competitive, and, if it improves on last year, you all will get your inspirational acquisition then.
AA has made it clear he’s fine punting 2019 for another year of growth for the prospects. And while that’s disappointing from a fans perspective I get it.
But if you go this direction there’s some things you need to do. First off Teheran has no business in the rotation. If you’re gonna use this year to try to gain a better perspective who to build around in the rotation then you need to actually give those prospects starts or we’ll just be in the same place next year we’re in this year, surrounded by an uncertain group of young talented arms.
Not only eliminate Teheran from rotation consideration altogether, they should seriously consider a 6 man rotation moving forward.
That would open up 3 spots. Touki, Soroka, and Fried can fill them and all get consistent starts. Wright can be the depth of someone goes down or just isn’t cutting it.
None of this let one guy pitch then swap him for another though next time out. The goal should be finding out what we have if we aren’t going to push hard to a win yet (which is evident by the approach this offseason, not saying Braves can’t be a good team, but they aren’t exactly WS contenders either and their approach needs to reflect the decisions they’ve made for 2019 to be a good season)
Flipping guys in and out defeats the purpose of learning what we have. That strategy may have made sense if they were pushing all in to win now to keep guys more fresh, but they aren’t so it’s less important than letting them take their lumps and figure out who really will stick in 2020 the best.
I’d go as far as to say Gausman doesn’t even make too much sense to pitch but I know expecting him to be pulled is unrealistic so I won’t mention it.
But they should seriously consider dealing him at the deadline along with Donaldson if they play well for players who can be controlled longer, or for prospect depth. Even if they’re mildly in contention still. These two need to be dealt if they’re performing and can bring back something significant beyond this year.
As for the bullpen I think Minter should just take over closer now. Vizcaino likely won’t be brought back so this is his last year. Like Donaldson and Gausman he should headline who needs to be traded in July. Assuming the Red Sox don’t end up caving to add Kimbrel, they could be a real good target in need of some bullpen help around mid season to ship Vizcaino.
In summary, goals for 2019:
-Start Touki, Soroka, and Fried all regularly in a 6 man rotation to learn what we have
-Trade Donaldson, Gausman, and Vizcaino at the deadline to net some value beyond this year
-Call Riley up after Donaldson is dealt to get him his first taste and be ready to go for 2020
I know most fans didn’t want to wait another year but based on the decisions made this offseason this is the most logical approach rather than trying to pretend this team can win the WS.
So even if they’re hanging around in the division or wild card they need to stick to these goals and not get caught up trying to sneak in to the playoffs because they’re not ready to do damage there even if they do sneak in with some good luck.
It will be better for 2020 and beyond to stick with the plan outlined above. Trying to play both sides of the coin is only going to hurt them in the long run and leave them in the same place next offseason
If the team stays in the post-season mix at or near the deadline, and any of Donaldson, Gausman, and Vizcaino help them do that, none will be traded.
Prospect talent for proven MLBers, that’s a different story.
That’s my point, they need to be. Trying to play both sides of the coin is foolish.
Teheran was actually a really good pitcher last year, outside of solo HR.s Look deeper into his stats.
Wonder if Kimbrel would accept a 3 year 60 million deal? I like Kimbrel but would not go past 3 years unless it was a team option
If we don’t get an elite bullpen arm or even a few strong arms for the bullpen, I will consider the offseason a failure. There was way too much talent out there for us not to address the biggest need we had coming to the offseason
Total Fraud on the taxpayers of Cobb County who spent over $ 500 million for the new ballpark and were told they needed the new park to compete for top talent. Braves are not trying to win. Basically this is tanking 2.0. AA keeps talking about the money he has to spend but his bonus is tied to profit, not wins. Atlanta deserves better, should be adding Harper, Kimbrel and should have added Robertson as well. Looking forward to a 4th place finish and an empty new ballpark. #FireAA.
They are paying down debt, which as a tax payer in Cobb, I am happy to hear that. Now, the product they put on the field last year was 1st in the NL East, but the Phillies, Nats, and Mets have all made mediocre improvements. I like the Donaldson signing because it is a one year deal and isn’t blocking anything. Markakis signing was more of a lateral move at best and McCann is nostalgic but could help with some pop at the plate. The next move does need to be either SP or RP, BUT, who knows what we get from O’Day? Do some of our younger guys show improvement from the experience last year? Do we go get JT Realmuto?
dear lord, you want to add $45m+ in Harper & Kimbrel? You’d bankrupt a franchise in a hurry.
Time to see what we can get back for Acuna, we are wasting his best years.
Smh
Yeah, you’re definitely from Griffin.
The season is fluid and ever-changing; it’s not what your roster looks like on April 1, it’s what it looks like on August 1.
The NL East will be competitive. Ya, the Nats SHOULD run away and hide; state that premise, repeat for five years now. The Phils can’t see the forest for the sabermetric trees. The Mets are a mishmash collection of talent which may or may not blend.
AA’s perspective, I think, is to belt it out for a few months, taking advantage of a lower payroll and prospect driven team. Then splurge at the deadline if you’re in it. If not, the core is still there to be competitive for a few years.
His lack of control some outings is scary. How many times has he walked the bases loaded I would be hesitant too given what he wants. Although, he is the model of consistency out of the bullpen
Cheap skates
So basically we’re done making any Free agent moves is the way I read it?!?!.We might make some trades….Just a thought but it wouldn’t be better to improve our deficiencies thru Free Agency while the payroll allows it thus allowing us to hang on to our highly coveted prospects. Kinda seems like a win a win but I could be way off
Braves are one Josh Donaldson injury away from not making any upgrades this off-season.
Good to see you Idosteroids. Chatta, Sidd, Fins, Burr, Whoa, and others of us from the old MLB site are communicating daily in a chat group on Twitter. Sure would like you to join us there. Log in on Twitter and search for Andy Simms/Chattanoogarage. He’s Chatta. He’ll tell you how to join up w/our group via Direct message . Hope to see you there soon.
These moves dont matter as much if Harper/Machado end up in Philly. I still think the Nats and Phils have a more rounded team than the Braves. Nationals rotation is sick
If AA was truly involved in talks for Paxton then he clearly doesn’t know what he’s doing. If he wanted Paxton then he could have had him. With what the Braves have, the Yankees package would have been extremely eat to beat.
Prospects are not only prospective players but they’re used to get you be bigger and better proven players. You need to trade 4 quarters for a dollar now….. Even if you COULD have a dollar-fifty in 3 years. A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. Why he didn’t get Paxton or Haniger (or any comparable SP or OF) is beyond me? The division was winnable. He should have cashed in gotten two all-stars and gone after it. But instead the Braves have a ton of young potential that won’t really even be contributing to the big club this year. If all goes extremely right and lightning strikes, maybe in 3-5 years one of them will be as good as Paxton and one as good as Haniger.
Despite my lack of a horse in this race, it should be noted that spending that much money on a reliever is insane. A reliever is a failed starter, lacking one or more of the things needed to be a starter (durability, repertoire, stuff, etc.). Any amount of exposure to the rigors of the full MLB and even the best relievers start to crumble, and quickly, and that was evidenced quite well by Kimbrel just a few months ago with his 5.4 postseason ERA. When a team sees a guy 4 times in a series, they start to pick him up. Relievers are effective only when exposure is limited, and paying a guy that much to be a part time pitcher with very stringent rules governing his effectiveness is a bad business move. One, two years with incentives and options? Fine. But what Kimbrel wants? Not a chance.
Failed starter? that makes no sense. Not everyone can be a starter. He was conditioned to go a shorter period since that is his strength. Rearing back for an inning and letting it fly. Thats like saying a slap hitter is a “failed” hitter, just because they cant hit homeruns.
Even though he has some command issues at times, and seems lost on the mound, he is still pretty shut down when he is out there. Not many closers on the market that can consistently dominate the 9th inning year after year. I do agree with you on the fact that he should not get a mega deal.
Outside of the one year deals, the only free agents I would worry with would be the superstars, Harper and Machado. They have usable players at every position, including pitchers/relievers. If they can manage to sign one or the other, or both, fantastic. Otherwise I would be done with free agency. For every mediocre starter or bullpen guy they sign, they are blocking a potential breakout youngster. Next year, Cole/Bumgarner/Sale and a couple other “Ace” pitchers hit the market. Worry about that. In the mean time, trade some of the young guys minus Riley for a superstar at some other position; hopefully a cost affective one.
I hope Kimbrel has the best season of his life in 2019. He is on a path to the Hall of Fame (not necessarily a Hall of Famer). He’s being treated like he’s finished.
AA isn’t going to rock the boat. He has to prolong this amazing situation he fell into with Atlanta. They have young players at all levels that will contribute. Braves might fall back to 3rd in 2019. They’ll be poised to take the NL East by storm 2020 onward. He’s not going to spend much more this offseason. Plus, if they do play themselves into contention in 2019 he will be ready to make a deadline move.
Maybe you did not see his second half. I saw every game and he was bad.
Bad does not equal finished. Also watched him the second half plus the postseason. He wasn’t his usual self. However, if you want the shaky Brasier to be the closer enjoy watching the Yankees win the AL East.
Signing 3 has been’s doesn’t start with a “ Bang”. Markakis is an aging average player a best. A reserve on a lot of contending teams. McCaan is a DH at best. Donaldson hasn’t produced in 3 years and was an overpay. Once again the Braves shopped at the bottom of free agency. Good enough to get to the post season and get swept out.
I would have to agree with that. Look who the Phils and Nats got compared to the Braves. Braves overpaid for Donaldson who cant seem to stay healthy. Signed Markakis who is getting up there, and grandpa McCann. I fully expect the Phils to get Harper or Machado. Looking more like Harper. Braves made some decent moves but nothing earth shattering that separates them from being clear favorites.
On the flip side, Machado isn’t worth $25M-$30M in 2019, and whatever he becomes definitely won’t be worth that same amount in 2028. FA is a store with limited options, most of which are overpriced. AA found a couple of bargains, so good for him. Let’s see what he does on the trade market between now and July before we grouse.
Wouldn’t you agree that Donaldson was completely unnecessary? Moose would have fit in nicely there.
Camargo would have also been fine. The Donaldson signing says the team is not sold on Camargo playing 3B. His D at SS in the minors did not do him any favors either.
Otherwise, why sign Donaldson if you are confident in Camargo?
I wouldn’t want to be in AA’s shoes. I see fan posts blasting him for not doing enough, and other posts saying Camargo should be a daily starter. Donaldson—if healthy—is a pretty clear upgrade over Camargo, so I give AA credit for the one-year gamble. Markakis is a true pro with value beyond his statistics. The Braves won the division in 2018 with him in right field, so there’s no reason—including Mets/Phillies offseason deals—they can’t do it again in 2019. Machado or Harper, on the other hand, feels like taking on a mortgage you can’t afford. I’ll say it again: FA is not the best place for the Braves to go shopping.
Kimbrel and his agent have done a poor job. They should have told ever team that they wanted to sign a contract before Thanksgiving and all offers need to be in Friday the week before. IMO he is not going to get even close to what he was hoping for now.