Nick Markakis, Greek God of Exit Velocity

[Julio3000]

I was pretty hard on Neck last season, so I figured I should give credit where credit is due.

He's currently on the MLB leaderboard for exit velocity, alongside studs like Bautista, Arenado, and Stanton. Last year he was keeping company with slap-hitting middle infielders and pitchers.

He seems to feel confident trying to drive the ball rather than just plinking to the opposite field. So far, so good on the offseason strength-building hypothesis.

We aren't going to have to wait until after Bastille Day for his first HR this year, I'll bet.

[smootness]

He's killing it. Part of me says to trade him at the deadline if he keeps this up, but part of me would also like him in the lineup in 2017 and 2018. It's pretty hilarious in hindsight that so many Braves fans were so upset at that deal.

[GovClintonTyree]

I like Neck as a player, I just wondered - and still do - why they wanted him on this club. He did a great job of doing what he could last year and he looks like he has some of his juice back Exit velocity confirms that.

He could help somebody win right now. At some point in the not-too-distant future, that will no longer be true, so we should flip him. I mean, we've flipped everything but the sofa Coppy sleeps on as he dreams up the latest Olivera-like deal, so why hang on to Nick?

[GovClintonTyree]

I was pretty hard on Neck last season, so I figured I should give credit where credit is due.

He's currently on the MLB leaderboard for exit velocity, alongside studs like Bautista, Arenado, and Stanton. Last year he was keeping company with slap-hitting middle fielders and pictures.

He seems to feel confident trying to drive the ball rather than just plinking to the opposite field. So far, so good on the offseason strength-building hypothesis.

We aren't going to have to wait until after Bastille Day for his first HR this year, I'll bet.

Bastille Day is what, June 14?

The funniest thing about the Youkilis nickname was when it came out shortly after the book that he wasn't Greek and he was Jewish.

In my personal mental updating of Bastille Day, John Coppalella assumes the role of Marie Antoinette.

[Julio3000]

Bastille Day is what, June 14?

The funniest thing about the Youkilis nickname was when it came out shortly after the book that he wasn't Greek and he was Jewish.

In my personal mental updating of Bastille Day, John Coppalella assumes the role of Marie Antoinette.

July 14. Though I wish we could do more to purge the Ancien Regime, I imagine Coppy will be more Robespierre than Marie Antoinette.

[Julio3000]

It's pretty hilarious in hindsight that so many Braves fans were so upset at that deal.

Is it?

We replaced a potential franchise player with a 31-year old on a 4-year deal. He came to ATL recovering from neck surgery, swinging a league-average bat, and looking like a tree stump in RF. It could end up turning out just fine, but it's not like it was a self-evident slam-dunk win.

[smootness]

Is it?

We replaced a potential franchise player with a 31-year old on a 4-year deal. He came to ATL recovering from neck surgery, swinging a league-average bat, and looking like a tree stump in RF. It could end up turning out just fine, but it's not like it was a self-evident slam-dunk win.

It was $11 million. People acted like it was a huge free-agent deal. It wasn't.

[Runnin]

I got your Neck.

[UNCBlue012]

Recovering from surgery or not, he was established.

[striker42]

Is it?

We replaced a potential franchise player with a 31-year old on a 4-year deal. He came to ATL recovering from neck surgery, swinging a league-average bat, and looking like a tree stump in RF. It could end up turning out just fine, but it's not like it was a self-evident slam-dunk win.

We had money to spend, it wasn't a huge contract, we needed to field something that resembled a major league team, and we needed to have at least some veteran presence. Signing Markakis wasn't as baffling and upsetting as it was made out to be. It'll end up looking like a pretty slick move if we can flip him.

[Julio3000]

It was $11 million. People acted like it was a huge free-agent deal. It wasn't.

It was a market value deal, not a massive overpay, sure. We certainly could have had equivalent performance for less, though.

I'm not saying it was an all-time stinker of a deal. I'm saying it was reasonable—not hilarious, as you suggested—to question at the time.

[Julio3000]

We had money to spend, it wasn't a huge contract, we needed to field something that resembled a major league team, and we needed to have at least some veteran presence. Signing Markakis wasn't as baffling and upsetting as it was made out to be. It'll end up looking like a pretty slick move if we can flip him.

Sure, maybe so.

[Runnin]

I got your Exit Velocity too.

[Julio3000]

I got your Neck.

There's reason to believe you have one, but it certainly isn't visible.

[smootness]

It was a market value deal, not a massive overpay, sure. We certainly could have had equivalent performance for less, though.

I'm not saying it was an all-time stinker of a deal. I'm saying it was reasonable—not hilarious, as you suggested—to question at the time.

On the free agent market, we got our money's worth from that deal. It was always dumb to criticize it to the extent a lot of fans did. I'm not saying people couldn't question it, but to act like it was some kind of massive mistake that was using up crucial funds (which is exactly how many portrayed it) was indeed hilarious. Even then.

[Julio3000]

On the free agent market, we got our money's worth from that deal. It was always dumb to criticize it to the extent a lot of fans did. I'm not saying people couldn't question it, but to act like it was some kind of massive mistake that was using up crucial funds (which is exactly how many portrayed it) was indeed hilarious. Even then.

It was not a crippling amount of money, but was a significant chunk of our payroll for a signing that wasn't strictly necessary.

I don't disagree that some people might have been hyperbolic in their assessment of it, but I disagree with your characterization of it.

[Russ2dollas]

nobody worried about year 1 and 2. It just confused ppl b/c we were trying to play young guys and lose.

Year 3 and 4 still worry me.

I'd trade him in a heart beat if I thought I was getting a pre-arb piece that would fill one of our holes.

[The Chosen One]

Looks like lifting weights is working for him?

We should all send thethe an apology to his email to convince the homer to return.

[yeezus]

I thought the deal was a little odd at the time, but came to understand it on a count of it not being a ton of money and the belief that good, veteran clubhouse guys are at least a little bit important. great to see him raking so far.

[JxnMissFan]

nobody worried about year 1 and 2. It just confused ppl b/c we were trying to play young guys and lose.

Year 3 and 4 still worry me.

I'd trade him in a heart beat if I thought I was getting a pre-arb piece that would fill one of our holes.

I think Uggla's nose dive has made Braves fans scared to every player over 30.

With the exception of home runs I believe Markakis put up numbers in line with his career averages last year. I don't see anything that would make me think he will be much different in year 3 or 4 than he has been in years 1 and 2. I see him as a guy that will be able to hit well enough at the end of his current contract to get another two or three year deal. I am worried about his defense in two years. But hopefully the team will have added enough talent that Nick will be pushed to the 4th outfielder / pinch hitter role in year four of his contract. If you have a team loaded with pre-arb guys one 11 million dollar player on the bench is not a budget buster.

With that being said I would trade him if a team was willing to overpay for him.