In a few weeks, we’ll be running a two-team mock expansion draft here at MLBTR – just for the fun of it! Currently, we’re creating 15-player protected lists for each of the existing 30 teams. You can catch up on the rules for player eligibility here.
The American League results are in! Click here to see who’s protected and who’s available for each AL team.
So far, we’ve covered the Cardinals, Pirates, Brewers, Reds, Cubs, Diamondbacks, Rockies, Dodgers, Padres, Giants, Rangers, Mariners, Athletics, Angels, Astros, Twins, Royals, Tigers, Indians, White Sox, Rays, Yankees, Red Sox, Blue Jays and Orioles. The Braves are up next.
First, we’ll start by removing free agents Marcell Ozuna, Cole Hamels, Nick Markakis, Mark Melancon, Shane Greene, Tyler Flowers, Adeiny Hechavarria, and Darren O’Day from consideration. Freddie Freeman gets a spot on the protected list by virtue of the no-trade rights he’ll earn this year. We’ll also add Cristian Pache and Kyle Wright as Baseball America Top 100 prospects with a 2020 ETA. Here’s the initial list of nine protected players:
Freddie Freeman
Ronald Acuna Jr.
Ozzie Albies
Max Fried
Mike Soroka
Mike Foltynewicz
Dansby Swanson
Kyle Wright
Cristian Pache
That leaves six spots for the remaining 19 players. Be sure to read up on their contract statuses and team control here.
Johan Camargo
Travis d’Arnaud
Grant Dayton
Adam Duvall
Ender Inciarte
Alex Jackson
Luke Jackson
Chris Martin
A.J. Minter
Sean Newcomb
Austin Riley
Will Smith
Chad Sobotka
Touki Toussaint
Jeremy Walker
Jacob Webb
Bryse Wilson
Huascar Ynoa
With that, we turn it over to the MLBTR readership! In the poll below (direct link here), select exactly six players you think the Braves should protect in our upcoming mock expansion draft. Click here to view the results.
Oof. This presents some brutal choices as a Braves fan. Wouldn’t want to lose a lot of these guys.
As a Braves fan, not too hard
1. Riley
2. Wilson
3. Touki
4. Newcomb
5. Camargo
6. Smith
I’m a Braves fan, but I don’t get the widespread support for Camargo on this list. I’d swap him out for d’Arnaud. Camargo’s a great utility guy, maybe, but somebody’s gotta catch.
This theoretical draft will take place after the theoretical 2020 season. Theoretically, we’d actually know if D can maintain his pace from the second half. But he’s also something of a bounce back option that they would have this year. I don’t see him as a long term need and they could always sign or trade for someone from another team with a expansion draft roster crunch. So D is a hard pass from my list…theoretically.
d’Arnaud’s career production, contract, and injury history make him unlikely to be claimed.
Camargo has proven he can be a productive starter. He would be a good bet to get snatched up.
I totally missed the “AFTER” 2020 part. No need for d’Arnaud on the list. I’d still probably take a flyer on Jacob Webb or Sobotka instead of Camargo.
I left Camargo exposed, too. I just don’t share the same level of enthusiasm for his game as a lot of Braves fans. I’d prefer to protect Chris Martin.
Thank you! I thought I was all alone in this.
Would an expansion team want a high-priced closer who isn’t young, knowing they aren’t likely going to win many games? I would question whether or not Smith needs to be protected.
On the field, an expansion team likely wouldn’t need high-priced relievers. I don’t know they wouldn’t draft them looking to deal them for prospects, though. I would certainly go that route if I were a GM of an expansion team.
I went with young guys, though there is one exception.
Riley
Camargo
Ynoa
Wilson
Smith
Toussaint
All are young except for Smith, and despite his contract, he’s still a very good bullpen option for the Braves, and I think he’s worth it. All the rest are young, high potential guys. Brave’s fans, give me input, is this good or should I have included someone else?
i dont get the interest in Ynoa. he hasnt preformed at all good above rookie ball yet.
I don’t know the Braves that well besides their higher level guys, if I’m not choosing any relievers besides Smith (and not Inciarte, Duvall, or D’arnaud either). Going off of those guidelines, who should I choose instead of Ynoa? I’m seriously not sure who, so I’d like input.
Yeah, given your parameters, I’d protect Weigel over Ynoa.
at least i was courteous enough to point out that he isnt eligible to be picked. for some reason no one else seems to care if the players are off.
Sean Newcomb easily … Id also keep Camargo C Martin Riley W Smith B Wilson
stick a fork in Duvall
Tim Patrick Weigel doesnt have any MLB service time
My bad, thanks.
also id consider leaving Folty exposed. 1 year wonder.
Folty has raw stuff and the braves cant afford to lose 200 potential quality innings because he had a bad half season last year. Maybe if they weren’t in a contending window.
Agreed. It’s not easy to replace those innings and you just lost Tehran who was your innings eater. Braves have solid young arms but you still need a guy to soak up innings.
I kinda raised an eyebrow as well when I saw Folty was considered a lock and Riley wasn’t. It wasn’t that long ago that Folty was being considered as a non-tender candidate. I think his strong second half of the season more than likely assures him of a spot on a list like this, however. But I definitely consider Riley and perhaps Newk as way more of a lock than Folty.
I don’t remember Folty ever being considered a non-tender candidate. Maybe I could see a random “just to post content on the website” listing him as a speculative long shot, but I don’t think Folty was ever going to be non-tendered.
The Braves weren’t going to lose his potential while they were bad and he was great the first year they won the division. He had a bad half season last year and delivered both amazing and god awful postseason starts, but I don’t think he’s ever been considered a guy they’d cut.
Btw, I do think Riley should be a lock as well.
Easily more than a one yr wonder and his stuff is electric.
yet he hasnt put together two strong years yet. i would probably protect him anyway, but its clear so far that 2018 was an outlier. not to say it cant happen again, but just looking at the numbers they dont match his typical career numbers.
This felt like a protect 4 players survey. Newcomb and Riley should have been locks.
Totally.
I got
Johan
Touki
Riley
Weigel
Will Smith
Nukes
I think Weigel/Bryce/Touki/Ynoa/maybe minter comes down to scouting who’s got the best potential. The others are easy choices to me but it would be rough to lose Duvall and Ender.
Same as my list except I replaced Smith with Bryse. Reeeeally wanted to keep Smith, but figured he was signed at market value, so surplus value potential probably was not as strong with him as one of the young guns. But considering the Braves are looking to compete for a WS, I could easily see them holding onto more of a sure thing with Smith over one of the fringy young pitchers like Bryse, Weigel or perhaps even Touki.
Camargo
Minter
Newcomb
Riley
Smith
Toussaint
Newcomb needs more respect he’s very good and has control I thought he’d be on the no doubter list
How about protecting the entire Mets sqaud. Good on paper but flappable to win the Al east.
Braves fan be like, “WE GOTTA PROTECT THEM ALL”.
Not at all and the comments show as much
Actually just you, apparently.
I went:
Camargo
Riley
Touki
Smith
Wilson
Newcomb
We’d probably be saying goodbye to Martin, Inciarte, and Minter.
I did Camargo, Smith, Riley, Wilson, Newcomb…. then I put Duvall … Duvall is the only one I’m questioning myself on… lot of others that I feel have some untapped potential
Duvall is a good guy to have, but he’s so hot/cold. In the 1.5 years he’s been a Brave, they’ve been reluctant to give him the MLB at-bats needed for him to potentially get into a rhythm.
I’m still a bit surprised the post-Ted Turner Braves kept his salary in Gwinnett all year when they could’ve cut him and escaped most of it after he didn’t perform in Spring Training last year.
Eh, Duvall isn’t bad. He’s really good defensively, and can provide some pop off the bench. But I don’t know if I would protect a 4th outfielder over Touissaint, or Chris Martin. Especially Martin after you gave up Allard for him.
He isn’t bad, but if you’re not going to play him he just becomes expense depth. He’d only have a year left of control anyways, so it doesn’t make a ton of sense to protect him over others.
Agreed on Duvall, mlb1225. They haven’t given him many ABs as is, and those wouldn’t increase once Pache and Waters arrive. He’d also easily be replaced in this exercise, as his skillset usually comes cheaply in the FA market.
Ian Anderson? He’s going to pitch in the bigs this year most likely. I think he’s better than wright he’s a must keep
I’m really confused about the love Touki is getting. Like year, good stuff in the minors but has not shown much success in the majors. I ended up protecting Ender, Riley, Newcomb, Camargo, Chris Martin, and Luke Jackson. All have shown success at the majors and have multiple years of control.
I don’t think Ender would be selected. If he was though, that’d play in the Braves favor. They have Pache and Waters coming, and Pache and Acuna could both play CF. So they’d be covered, and they’d shed the money owed to Ender. His bat just doesn’t play as a PH or corner OF, and I’m not sure a defensive corner replacement is needed when you look at a Waters, Acuna and Pache OF.
I would agree but in this scenario, it’s after 2020. And currently we don’t even know how Pache or Waters will play over the full season at triple A much less the majors.
Pache’s glove is ML ready now, though. His bat is really the only question mark. Even if you’d want to prepare in the event Pache and Waters aren’t ready to cut it at the dish in ’21, I still think Pache’s glove trumps Ender’s glove. You could place Pache in CF, Acuna in RF, and take the cash you save on Ender and re-sign or replace Marcell in LF.
They protected Acuna? Someone’s smoking something
I went Newk, Martin, Riley, Smith, Wilson and Weigel.
People that protected Carmago over Inciarte have me laughing my ass off
Why? Camargo is more likely to be drafted than Inciarte. This isn’t a poll about who is better, it’s about who would be most likely to be drafted by an expansion team.
An expansion team would draft Duvall before Inciarte, but with only 1 year left of control, Duvall is a safe bet to leave unprotected.
I’m pretty sure some people here don’t understand the concept of this endeavor.
It is not a list of who do you think is better, or will contribute more in the next few years, it is about protecting those who would be most likely to be drafted by an expansion team.
There’s no need to protect Will Smith or Ender Inciarte, or even d’Arnaud because an expansion team would not take on salaries through the draft. They would try to get as many cheap, controllable assets and spend their money on free agents.
I wouldn’t completely rule out an expansion team taking on some salary, if they felt it was attached to a tradeable asset.
Different sport, I realize; but Las Vegas took on a few contracts in the NHL. Things broke right for them, and they turned contenders.
It depends on our GMs here at MLBTR philosphies.
Minter, Newk, Riley, Smith, Webb are the first 5 for me. last one is a wild card – Ender maybe?
Why Minter over Martin, out of curiosity?
This one was tough, but I went with..
Austin Riley
Sean Newcomb
Will Smith
Chris Martin
Bryse Wilson
Touki Touissaint