Spring will tell us if he is ready. Gamble.
Printable View
The McCutchen structure provides a pretty good blueprint - $10 million/$17 million/$20 million (plus buyout).
If we're assuming AA's got ~ $18-$20 million to spend and Brantley's AAV is $18 million, structure his at $12 million/$22 million/$20 million. Would leave him $6 million plus his deadline stash.
Sign Allen or Soria for 2/$16 million and structure that at $6 million/$10 million.
Julio's money coming off pays for next year's Closer, and O'Day and Duvall's money pays for the Brantley money you defer until 2020 (at that point Riley and/or Pache will be here to replace Duvall).
Rule 5 prediction . . . Braves will trade up. AA said they were looking at a few guys, so not sure he'll want to wait and see if they make it to the 20th pick
We've seen targets AA should be in on going by his stated desire to add a cOF, SP and BP arm go for prices that are very close to competent predictions.
Cutch 3/50
Morton 2/30
Happ 2/34 with $17M vesting option
Familia 3/30
Instead, he signed Donaldson for 1/23, which is right in line with his projected contract of 1/20.
So why hasn't AA pulled the trigger on a contract in line with projections at areas of need for anyone other than JD?
The trade he has lined up better be a real winner or else all improvements from 2018 to 2019 will have to come organically, which may not be the worst idea.
From MLBTR:
"The Yankees are asking for “high-end Major League talent” in exchange for Sonny Gray"
Who exactly do the Yankees think they are trading?
Braves passed in 1st Round of the Rule V.
Braves lost no one in the MLB Phase.
Encarnacion for Santana makes almost no sense to me.
Does saving that $3 million allow Cleveland to keep all their SPs???
Carlos Santana and Jake Bauers to Cleveland.
And I guess Seattle gets Encarnacion.
Rays get Diaz
Santana to the Indians
Jake Bauers to the Indians
EE to the Ms
Another deal where the Ms try to clear payroll after 2 seasons.
I like this deal for the Indians and Rays.
For the M's not so much.
This is an awful deal for the Mariners unless there is some money going their way.