Braves sign key OF on 1 year deal, option for 2020.

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Originally Posted by thewupk

Because nobody expects Neck to have the same type of season. So yeah if Neck performs like he did from 15-17 with the Braves or like he is projected to play in 2019 then it will be a downgrade from his 2018 performance. The main difference is this year he should actually be a good value with his contract.

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If those who believe that he was worn down from playing every day are correct, then a more judicious rationing of innings could provide greater consistency. The same could actually be said for Dansby, Freddie, Donaldson and others... hence the emergence of the Super Utility player as a valued resource. The way this roster appears to be shaping up suggests that AA completely understands this. You have to also believe that he has shared his reasoning with Snit. This could end up being one of the best value signings in Baseball if he is used judiciously.

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Originally Posted by mfree80

If those who believe that he was worn down from playing every day are correct, then a more judicious rationing of innings could provide greater consistency. The same could actually be said for Dansby, Freddie, Donaldson and others... hence the emergence of the Super Utility player as a valued resource. The way this roster appears to be shaping up suggests that AA completely understands this. You have to also believe that he has shared his reasoning with Snit. This could end up being one of the best value signings in Baseball if he is used judiciously.

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what about the previous 3 years in a braves uniform?

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Originally Posted by mfree80

If those who believe that he was worn down from playing every day are correct, then a more judicious rationing of innings could provide greater consistency. The same could actually be said for Dansby, Freddie, Donaldson and others... hence the emergence of the Super Utility player as a valued resource. The way this roster appears to be shaping up suggests that AA completely understands this. You have to also believe that he has shared his reasoning with Snit. This could end up being one of the best value signings in Baseball if he is used judiciously.

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He got 4 million this year for a reason. I know other teams offered more but nobody is busting down the door to sign him. He is properly valued as a ~1 WAR guy and the Braves got a slight discount.

Muk's PT against lefties should be cut.

OPS against lefties last year: .765. Against righties: .828.

Career OPS against lefties: .725. Against righties: 808.

Given the presence of Duvall, Camargo and Riley, efficient roster usage would involve limiting Muk's ABs against lefties. Ditto for Inciarte.

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Originally Posted by nsacpi

Muk's PT against lefties should be cut.

OPS against lefties last year: .765. Against righties: .828.

Career OPS against lefties: .725. Against righties: 808.

Given the presence of Duvall, Camargo and Riley, efficient roster usage would involve limiting Muk's ABs against lefties. Ditto for Inciarte.

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Snit will drop him from clean up to 5th vs lhp

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Originally Posted by nsacpi

Muk's PT against lefties should be cut.

OPS against lefties last year: .765. Against righties: .828.

Career OPS against lefties: .725. Against righties: 808.

Given the presence of Duvall, Camargo and Riley, efficient roster usage would involve limiting Muk's ABs against lefties. Ditto for Inciarte.

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Agreed. Camargo really should be starting somewhere whenever there is a lefty starter.

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Originally Posted by Super

do you really still think the braves might sign a guy to start over markakis? i strongly doubt that's being considered anymore. i doubt he signed on to be a bench guy.

i'd rather shoot for a higher upside. nick likely won't touch 2 WAR. i pray i'm wrong. he'll be right around 1-1.5, but yay for "good value."

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I think its fairly likely the Braves have a better starting OF than Markakis by the deadline. I'm not sure that picking someone else up this winter is likely, but wouldn't rule it completely out.

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Originally Posted by thewupk

Agreed. Camargo really should be starting somewhere whenever there is a lefty starter.

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Another reason I'm not alarmed by Markakis re-signing.

It just makes sense to me that Camargo might get a start or two a week in the OF. Contingent on how his defense plays of course. But worth a look anyway.

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Originally Posted by Southcack77

Another reason I'm not alarmed by Markakis re-signing.

It just makes sense to me that Camargo might get a start or two a week in the OF. Contingent on how his defense plays of course. But worth a look anyway.

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well, his defense should be at least better than markakis.

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Originally Posted by Super

well, his defense should be at least better than markakis.

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Sprint Speed
Markakis: 26.4
Camargo: 26.3

Innings in OF
Markakis: 17187.1
Camargo: 1.0

I see no reason to expect Camargo to be above average defensively in the OF.

Comparing to a Gold Glover seems a bit unfair

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Originally Posted by Enscheff

Sprint Speed
Markakis: 26.4
Camargo: 26.3

Innings in OF
Markakis: 17187.1
Camargo: 1.0

I see no reason to expect Camargo to be above average defensively in the OF.

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i think he could be about average. maybe not tho.

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Originally Posted by goldfly

https://media.tenor.com/images/7ed92...c573/tenor.gif

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This is quite possibly my favorite meme...don't think anything will top it.

I'm fine with this. Markakis at 1/6 or 2/10 is fine by me. I don't think we have the assets to get better elsewhere. I think we have a rough outline for the 2019 Braves with AA looking at the market for value from here on out.

Rough guess of what the starting lineups should be

C- McCann/Flowers platoon
1B - Freeman
2B - Albies
SS - Swanson
3B - Donaldson
LF - Markakis/Duvall
CF - Ender
RF - Acuna

Camargo super subs. Starting 2-4 games a week giving all kinds of people time off.

I don't hate this lineup. I'd like a better option for C if possible, but being real, I don't want to pay the price for Realmuto. He's a 28 year old catcher. this puts him on par with Brian McCann in 2012, and no one wanted to pay McCann big bucks to stick around Atlanta. And he was a homegrown and local boy. Realmuto will be a FA the same age McCann was, so thinking back, was the Yankees contract a good one for McCann? Cause that will be our situation shortly.

I'd rather hold onto those prospects we'd lose for Realmuto and deal them elsewhere or use them.

For me the only priority left this offseason is to see if we can get someone to take Julio off our hands.

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Originally Posted by Super

what about the previous 3 years in a braves uniform?

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Please tell me how those previous three years relate to the idea that he might benefit from more time off?

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Originally Posted by mfree80

Please tell me how those previous three years relate to the idea that he might benefit from more time off?

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i'm sure he would benefit. i don't think anything will make him a 2.6 WAR player again.

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Originally Posted by Super

i'm sure he would benefit. i don't think anything will make him a 2.6 WAR player again.

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PEDs?

In all seriousness I had severe doubts the Braves would be able to improve their Corner OF production. I think that improvement has to come from a bounceback year for Ender, a more consistent year from Swanson, and hopefully a healthy Freeman and Donaldson.

The Braves have a volitile lineup. But if everything goes as plans you could be looking at a

C - McCann and Flowers around 1.5 each. When last healthy Mac and Suzuki 2018 were basically interchangable seasons.
1B - Freeman 5-6 that's been his range when he's been able to stay healthy.
2B - Albies should be where he was last year, maybe he takes another positive step forward but I'll eb more than happy with a 4WAR 2B
3B - Donaldson's last healthy season was 2016 where he was an MVP candidate. When healthy Donaldson is an MVP candidate. Even if he's not super healthy and can give us about 500 PA of his old goodness, he's a 5 WAR player. Even last year in his tiny 219 PA, he was a 1.3 WAR player. Our cumulative 3B WAR was 2.8. There's virtually no way that Donaldson doesn't improve our 3B production.
SS - Hopefully Swanson can find some more consistency. We saw some power that was much more like his prospect level, hopefully we see some walks come back as well. Even if he doesn't improve, he's a 2WAR short stop and nothing to cry about. But I think he improves slightly and stays a bit more consistent as well and moves closer to 3.
Corner OF - If done correctly should be an improvement over last year. I know people will point to Markakis regressing and that's incredibly likely. But if managed properly that regression could be minimal. Using Markakis in a primary platoon role where when we face a lefty we get the not much better offensively but much better defensively Duvall. But where the improvement is likely to come is Acuna. He only had 487 PA last year. Push that up to 650 and you could be looking at our third 5-6 WAR player, if he, Freeman, and Donaldson are all healthy. So the question is, do you think Acuna being a full time starter all year will negate most of Markakis's falloff? I personally think it will.
CF - Ender had a slightly down year and it was because of how he started. If you plug his batting stats from 2017 into this year you're looking at about a 0.5 WAR improvement. Ender could be setting up for a career year by his standards if he holds his defensive numbers up and his baserunning numbers. I think AA has been a big boost to those numbers for Ender.

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Originally Posted by Jaw

Not impressed. We upgrade at 3B and downgrade at C and cOF. I don't get it.

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We need to upgrade from Josh Donaldson? This does not exactly sound like a post from anyone who follows baseball.

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Originally Posted by rico43

We need to upgrade from Josh Donaldson? This does not exactly sound like a post from anyone who follows baseball.

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I think his tense was messed up. I think he meant to say "upgraded at 3B and downgraded at C and corner OF"

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Originally Posted by rico43

We need to upgrade from Josh Donaldson? This does not exactly sound like a post from anyone who follows baseball.

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Zito had the right of it. I didn't use past tense for some reason.