Hawk (07-25-2017)
DirkPiggler (07-25-2017)
It's certainly plausible. Although they could just as easily use that money to acquire a reliever (/nancy kerrigan why/) or cover the costs of sending Jim Johnson off via express mail. ~5MM in immediate financial flexibility allows the team to be fairly nimble at the deadline.
Hopefully it goes toward a useful piece.
nsacpi (07-25-2017)
I really hope we are not in on Verlander. a declining pitcher of his age at that price is a killer for a mid market team. We already have Kemp.. are we wanting the pitching version of that.
Coppy
Verlander move doesn't make total sense, in isolation, but could if the team followed a certain script afterwards.
It would definitely give the team a kind of window.
Verlander is the type we should look to go after as a bridge for other guys. Especially if they would give up a prospect.
"Yes, I did think Aldrich was good UNTIL I SAW HIM PLAY. "- thethe
I'm not advocating taking on his entire salary. But he was worth 2.9 fWAR in 2014 and 2015 and likely gets close to 3 WAR again this year. I would expect him to produce 5 WAR over his remaining 2 seasons. And if his contract vests for 2020 he would be worth almost anything were are paying him.
As with anything it depends on the money and prospects involved.
I'm actually in favor of deals where the Braves can acquire high priced talent even if they are overpaid. I'd rather pay in $$$ than prospects. The Braves had this idea with Kemp but couldn't see past his horrible defense. Verlander won't have that problem.
At least with Markakis they are saving 17 million in 2018, and the full 28 million in 2019.
That is getting closer to accomplishing something that Detroit might value, I think. Need better than Sims though. I would still want a front end pitching prospect and one or more other pieces if I was Detroit.
Then look at it from our side. We need to move Markakis sometime before midseason next year, assuming Kemp is entirely unmovable. If we're going to get rid of him, I want to either get something back or at least not give up anything else. Why move him plus something else to take on even more salary? Verlander could be good for us...or he could not be good for us. I don't want to find the answer out for almost $30 million/year.
I don't know.. I could start to like a Verlander deal.. two year deal is not a back breaker.. We would have to be able to at least rid ourselves of the Markickass contract to help off set the money.
Coppy
The Braves side seems relatively obvious to me. They are making a short term bet that Verlander would give them two 3-6 WAR seasons.
The reason they would be willing to make that bet is that the Tigers would either send back a bunch of money or accept a relatively low value prospect package.
Verlander would only tie them up through 2019, at which time they'd have 46 million in salary coming off the books between him and Kemp. If Verlander did happen to vest his option, the braves would 1) have won their gamble 2) I think could still buy him out 3) could flip him or 4) take him on at 22 million in his final season.
There is definitely risk that Verlander is injured or declines into an average or below pitcher, but it seems like a relatively low risk proposition for a team that doesn't seem to have a lot of real buying opportunities in the FA market this year and honestly figures to be treading water in the wild card race until 2019 anyway.
DirkPiggler (07-25-2017)