Do you think we have our guys now or do you expect some moves?
Will we add a RH OF?
Any chance recker beats out Suzuki?
Viz or JJ closer?
Do you think we have our guys now or do you expect some moves?
Will we add a RH OF?
Any chance recker beats out Suzuki?
Viz or JJ closer?
I think we'll see a pen arm traded for bench bat.
Suzuki will make it and stay until July since Recker has an option left
I'd assume JJ is still the closer, unless they're trying to showcase Viz for trade. I think you can do that as a setup man though.
Here is the latest from MLBTR on Pagan:
"The Braves have made Pagan an offer, per Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle (via Twitter), but it was of the minor-league variety. Understandably, Pagan is looking for a MLB roster spot, according to the report. While that’s not surprising, given his solid work last year and long history as a semi-regular player, it remains to be seen whether such an opportunity will arise."
Considering how terrible their other options for 4th OFer are, I see no reason not to give Pagan a cheap MLB deal. He could very well end up being the second best OFer on the roster.
Braves1976 (03-08-2017), JohnAdcox (03-09-2017)
I don't see why they aren't willing to give him a MLB deal, either. Two roster spots on the 40 man and its a no brainer that he'd make the team.Originally Posted by Enscheff
I suspect Pagan would have a major league offer from the Braves if they weren't set on the eight man bullpen. They think the whole bench has to be able to play multiple positions, aside from carrying a second catcher.
I don't like their bullpen plans all around, I hated re-signing JJ for two more seasons to close at 5 million per as I saw last year as more of a fluke than what is to come. And he needed lots of help on defense (Inciarte bringing back a three-run homer one game, etc). Plus he lost his sinkerball pitching coach and is only getting older too. Further, I am not saying he cannot be okay for a 3.50-4.00 ERA this year and then worse the second. It's just that isn't a solid closer and the 5 million per could've been better spent. We also have too many other flukes likely to go bad, Roe is one and Krol is another (not that he's been good vs lefties anyway). So despite what others say, I see this bullpen as not strong and one that could end up bad for a time. We are going to need strong years from Viz and Cabrera IMO. Luke Jackson could make the team but he's a thrower that is just as likely to stink again than do okay. EOF might actually make it again and if so I doubt it goes well and I hate to say that as EOF use to be one of my favorites. He just hasn't been his old self since all the arm troubles. Paco use to be a solid lefty specialist but who knows if he'll be sharp after the long time off due to TJS. I don't see why folks consider this a strong bullpen, we have some potentially great arms coming like Minter, assuming he stays healthy, but as it is I see it along with our catching situation a weak point.
That said, I would go with a 7 man pen and sign Pagan asap as our bench is also weak too. I am not saying use Pagan as back-up CFer, I'd use him to play all over the OF but mostly corners as he stinks in CF now. He use to be good there but now mainly only decent in LF. Boni can be the last man to back-up CF since he has a career .286 average vs lefties (and .291 average vs lefty starters) but I'd almost never use him vs a rightly as he stinks vs righties and in the past Fredi and co. gave him too many AB's against them. Boni is also in a lot better shape this year and even last year stole 39 bases so gives you speed off the bench and he's not bad defensively in CF. Plus Inciarte is a lefty so makes sense to have a back-up to rest him vs a lefty here and there. Pagan could also play some CF if Inciarte needed a day off against a righty. I don't think much of Micah Johnson, he is not good defensively anywhere as far as I've seen, can't hit much, and not as good at stealing bases as Boni.
Last edited by Braves1976; 03-08-2017 at 07:28 PM.
My preferred bench alignment (assuming an 8 man pen) would be: Suzuki, Jace, Bonifacio and KJ. I would prefer KJ over Pagan and Bonifacio over D'Arnaud.
I also would prefer 7 in the pen and an extra bench player but the team seems to be leaning strongly toward 8 in the pen.
JohnAdcox (03-09-2017)
Any idea who we're competing with for pagan? I'd love to sign him
Gnats have been one of the teams talking to him.
Has there EVER been a statement and question a certain someone should absolutely never have made and asked publicly more than...
Kinda pathetic to see yourself as a message board knight in shining armor. How impotent does someone have to be in real life to resort to playing hero on a message board?
Might be a tough pull then. We'll probably have to outbid by a decent amount
Last I heard, the gNats were offering minor league deal and probably wanted to defer those payments until 2021.
Managuarantano's Volunteers (03-08-2017), Tapate50 (03-08-2017)
Haha!
Pagan will probably go where he can earn the most playing time. If the Braves offer him a MLB deal he should be able to realize there is a lot of playing time to be earned with Markakis and Kemp being the incumbents.
completely agree. He would have plenty of time with the Braves. I also don't think Ender makes it without a brief stint on the DL at least. Micha, Boni and all the other AAAA garbage won't be fun to watch.
Actually, I just read that Werth will be needing 40 games off just because he's old. Maybe Pagan would get more time with the Nats after all. Who knows.
Logically this would make sense on possible performance. But the Braves have money and irrational hopes invested in Neck and Kemp. They are going to play if they are healthy.
Agreed, but if they want to win and they have a lead after Kemps 3rd ab, he needs to be lifted for defense. Neck will play.. and we just have to pray while watching every runner go 1st to 3rd.
I wouldn't mind the Braves picking him up, but its not exactly going to put the over the top in the division race or have any effect at all in their long term plans unless they were able to flip him for something useful. So, a one year deal for a decent OF to fill a hole who you might be able to flip sounds good to me, but not sure what the opportunity costs would be for his payroll dollars.
Ventura's Stolen Bases
The fact people think Bonifacio is better than some of our options (he really may be) shows how desperate we are for a guy like Pagan.
rico43 (03-08-2017)
First roster cuts of the spring:
Biddle optioned to Mississippi
Hursh optioned to Gwinnett
True, we really don't have many options this year for the bench in general including back-up CF/OF. Boni and Lane Adams are the only two I would even consider besides Peterson occasionally. Micah Johnson is a lefty bat and an infielder trying to learn CF on the fly and looks bad out there to me. Peterson is an option but not ideal also being a lefty bat (I want a righty bat or switch hitter to back-up Inciarte since he's a lefty). That said, I'd have no issue having a lefty bat back-up CF if he hit lefties well. But that isn't Johnson or Peterson and while Boni does that well most years that is about all he brings besides speed off the bench.
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote