Official off-season trade rumor and suggestion thread

[Braves1976]

Bowman reports that we're competing with an AL team to sign Gomes. Gomes might see the potential for more ABs on a team that has a DH spot.

"Once Atlanta traded projected left fielder Evan Gattis to Houston last week, Gomes stood as the one unsigned free-agent outfielder who piqued its interest. The two parties have continued to talk, but at least one unidentified American League club is also showing interest in Gomes."

http://m.braves.mlb.com/news/article...player-in-left

I hope the AL team gets him as it gives Joey T, Hunter, etc. a shot. If we sign Gomes and another platoon partner that likely means they won't be getting a real shot again. Plus I don't care to watch Gomes try to play defense in left field.

[Millwood1Hitter]

I hope the AL team gets him as it gives Joey T, Hunter, etc. a shot. If we sign Gomes and another platoon partner that likely means they won't be getting a real shot again. Plus I don't care to watch Gomes try to play defense in left field.

Yep, we're gonna stink anyway, I'm really intrigued to see what Terdo can do on a everyday, or at least a part time basis to know what we got going forward.

[Braves1976]

Yep, we're gonna stink anyway, I'm really intrigued to see what Terdo can do on a everyday, or at least a part time basis to know what we got going forward.

Agreed. Plus who's to say he can't at least turn out to be part of a decent platoon with another player. He looked good in most starts his first season before Fredi started playing him a lot less, though he never looked real comfortable in a pinch hitting role. Plus last season he looked good in his Sept. call-up (small sample size I know). I really want to see both he and Hunter finally get their shot as I believe both have ML talent.

[gilesfan]

It just hit me. Maybe with all these pitchers, we are going with the rare platoon at pitcher.

[clvclv]

Ludwick is a right handed hitter.

And I'm not 100% sure I've seen it in print anywhere, but was relatively sure Ludwick was hanging it up.

[Julio3000]

DOB says the Braves are out on Moncada . . .

@DOBrienAJC
No, #Braves are not. RT @cjwrotethis: @DOBrienAJC Know Yanks and Giants worked out Moncada. Are Braves still in?

I am shocked—SHOCKED!—at this totally unexpected news.

[Julio3000]

Turns out that those guys who sold the Johns a machine that turns discarded scraps of elbow ligament into money weren't on the level, after all.

[clvclv]

Would YOU sign a minor league deal with a ST invite?

Already got my ST invite - my brother is the Tools Manager for the Service Management department for Disney in Orlando. That means two things...

1.) He knows a helluva lot more about IT and computers than I'll ever care to know since I don't have a clue what that is, and...

2.) Sure does make a March trip to Dark Star a whole lot cheaper!!!

[gilesfan]

Already got my ST invite - my brother is the Tools Manager for the Service Management department for Disney in Orlando. That means two things...

1.) He knows a helluva lot more about IT and computers than I'll ever care to know since I don't have a clue what that is, and...

2.) Sure does make a March trip to Dark Star a whole lot cheaper!!!

Tell Shanks I said hello.

[clvclv]

It's KJ.

[Braves1976]

It's KJ.

Yep, I expected him to get a small Major league deal (similar to Almonte with us). But I also thought Shanks said it was an outfielder and KJ is mainly an infielder. Plus KJ's splits doesn't seem to fit the platoon idea with Gomes (better vs lefties). However, I'm guessing we got him to platoon mostly in left field and possibly third some too. Obviously, he's an option for games at second as well.

[Hawk]

I was totally going to guess Johnson, because there is a Shanks connection there.

THE OLD GANG IS BACK!

[bravesnumberone]

Not surprising but still disappointing.

We're not all that interested in potential real impact bats. Just potential stud pitcher with arm injury history.

[thethe]

We're not all that interested in potential real impact bats. Just potential stud pitcher with arm injury history.

How can you say we aren't interested when you have no clue what Liberty is letting the team spend?

Its this type of stuff that irks me now. Yes, I know everyone is mad that Heyward was traded but geez its getting out of hand.

[dak]

You are treading on thin ice with that critique of J. Upton.

For the record, I think range is vastly more important in LF than arm. But it's quibbling. I was less than impressed with J. Upton in LF, but from what I've seen of Gomes, I think one would really have to splice and dice numbers and methodologies to really contend that Gomes is better. The other defensive metrics really clobber Gomes.

All fair points. I didn't intend to imply that Gomes would be a better defender that Upton in 2015, so it was an admittedly sloppy post on my part. I'm hoping that a Zoilo / Gomes platoon (if it comes to that) can at least be a wash defensively when compared to JUp. Gomes is on the wrong side of 30 though, so it's only gonna get worse from here.

[Braves1976]

All fair points. I didn't intend to imply that Gomes would be a better defender that Upton in 2015, so it was an admittedly sloppy post on my part. I'm hoping that a Zoilo / Gomes platoon (if it comes to that) can at least be a wash defensively when compared to JUp. Gomes is on the wrong side of 30 though, so it's only gonna get worse from here.

I doubt it will be a wash defensively because Zoilo isn't known for his defense. I am not saying he's bad like Gomes I am just saying I agree Gomes will only get worse and he's already terrible. Plus I am saying that Zoilo isn't the plus defender type to be able to make up for it. Unless Justin Upton just really has a terrible season defensively. If he has a pretty even one similar to last year then it's no contest.

That said, I am still hoping that Gomes signs in the AL because if he signs here. Then that signing along with the KJ signing pretty much blocks Joey T, Hunter and others from getting a real shot this spring. At least one of them should have a shot if we don't sign Gomes.

[zbhargrove]

Cmon man, but the Braves sent scouts to see him!

No one ever said that meant we would sign him or even be likely to sign him... Just that it was a possibility however remote it was but nice skew job like always...

[Braves1976]

No one ever said that meant we would sign him or even be likely to sign him... Just that it was a possibility however remote it was but nice skew job like always...

There were certainly some that implied if not outright said we had a real shot at signing him. Shoot, multiple posters had line-ups drawn up with him listed.

[Braves1976]

The way Cuban stats translate, this guy probably projects as more of a 700 OPS hitter in MLB. His bat wouldn't play real well in LF, but I'd probably rather take a chance on him than sign Gomes. It might take more than Toscano money to get him, but not much more.

@JonHeymanCBS
Cuban CF Dayron Varona worked out before about 75 MLB scouts/execs in florida. .312/.376/..470/.847 lifetime. Good defender

Speaking of Cuban players, here's another interesting Cuban CF and RHH that may be better than Dayron Varona. MLBTR reports:

"Center fielder Guillermo Heredia has defected from Cuba in order to pursue a contract with a Major League club, reports Baseball America’s Ben Badler. The 23-year-old Heredia is old enough and has enough professional experience in Cuba’s Serie Nacional to be exempt from international spending limitations.

Badler ranked Heredia, who will 24 at the end of the month, as the 11th-best player in Cuba back in August, and while Badler notes that he’d drop Heredia on a newer list, that’s due more to the emergence of young players than anything Heredia has done to drop his stock. Heredia runs well and is a plus defender in center field with good range and reads as well as a strong throwing arm, Badler writes."

This kid sounds even better than Varona, if so I'd like to sign him but he probably won't become available till after opening day according to MLBTR.

[zbhargrove]

There were certainly some that implied if not outright said we had a real shot at signing him. Shoot, multiple posters had line-ups drawn up with him listed.

People post dream lineup possibilities all the time... there's nothing new here.