I wouldn’t go over 18 per for Pollock.
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I wouldn’t go over 18 per for Pollock.
Michael Brantley is a name I keep circling back to for LF.
He is very similar to what Markakis was back when the Braves originally signed him (31 LHH, no QO, middling power, "professional hitter", below average defense, coming off major injury but otherwise durable, etc), and he would be a decent fit on a 3-4 year deal.
I could see Brantley being signed for the 2019 equivalent of the 4/44 deal given to Markakis (around 3/40 or 4/50). Only this time, it makes sense for the Braves to sign a steady average MLB player like that to fill a hole on a contending roster.
Well, at some point they have to win the bidding on someone to play LF, and that guy can't be some 1+ WAR filler at good value that just so happened to fall into their lap after every other contender signed all the good players.
The Braves need something at least resembling an impact hitter in LF next year if they hope to repeat as NL East champs. The resources are there to make it happen, and it needs to happen.
It all depends on the price, but I suspect our best option will be to trade for someone still in their arb years or who has already signed an extension. Various people have put forth some ideas: Marte and Polanco with the Pirates, Rosario and Kepler with the Twins, Happ, Joc Pederson, Reddick, Dahl, Peralta. I would add Piscotty to the list but I believe he was traded to the A's to be close to a sick parent. I would be ok with a one-year rental such as Marcell Ozuna. We can probably pick up a draft pick from letting someone like that go to free agency at the end of the season.
I would trade a pitcher or two for one of the above.
Is Riley so slow as to be an impossibility in LF? I think Camargo has earned his starting position at 3B, and there's nowhere to put Riley if he's ready. If he can play left, and AA isn't successful in signing a FA (and they don't either QO or sign Neck), that might be a viable option. If he can hit for power at the ML level, it's better than a AAAA outfielder.
Markakis wasn’t below average defensely i would not think.
He was coming off surgery but hadn’t been anywhere near as generally injury prone as MB, as I recall.
Before Brantley, I’d maybe check in to see what the Mccutcheon market looked like. He’s been ok in SF, but honestly a 1 and 1 on Markakis probably makes more sense in the end than any aging option.
Pollock another big health concern and second half has been a struggle.
I don’t understand why the Pirates would be selling.
If it happened would likely be deadline at best.
Acuna > Scherzer