Gattis being shopped to AL Teams

[CJC]

Ken Rosenthal @Ken_Rosenthal · 34m 34 minutes ago
Can confirm report by @JoelSherman1 that #Braves’ Gattis is being pushed aggressively.

Who/what are we targeting?

[ATL22]

I would imagine young hitters are the top target followed by a veteran pitcher. As an aside, to me this demonstrates why it's time to just implement the DH in the NL. I love the NL game a lot more and have never wanted the DH, but with offense being down across baseball and our team struggling for offense as much as any, it's crazy that half the teams can easily use one of our best power hitters in their lineups but we can't because we don't get to hide a guy who can't play the field well. We've added replay, we're contemplating a pitch clock, we've tied AllStar wins to WS home field. Purist baseball is about dead so it's time to have all the teams play by the same rules and give the NL the DH. Or make it real interesting and let every home team have the option of deciding if the DH is used or not in their park game by game like they do in spring training.

[yeezus]

Also being reported Jeremy Hellickson is close to being traded to an NL team. Hellickson and a prospect is something I'd consider.

[NinersSBChamps]

Tampa makes sense because I believe they are really lacking power besides Longoria. I would love to see Gattis get dealt to the Twins, but they already have basically a non fielding Joe Mauer on their team. Byron Buxton would be my starting point in a potential deal with the Twins.

[jpx7]

Or make it real interesting and let every home team have the option of deciding if the DH is used or not in their park game by game like they do in spring training.

That's an intriguing approach to DH expansion.

[Enscheff]

If the Braves trade Gattis then they are essentially committed to having offensive black holes at SS and C.

If the Braves go with a SS/C duo of Simmons/CB and their guaranteed ~.300 OBPs, it is imperative the team makes offensive upgrades in CF and 3B (I think TLS can hold down 2B until Peraza is ready for a shot).

If Gattis is traded there is zero chance the offense can afford to lose Heyward or JUp in a trade.

A Gattis trade must, MUST, bring back a long-ish term answer at SP, OF (Heyward can slide to CF), or 3B. Since the organization probably feels CJ is "the guy" at 3B, we are probably looking at SP or OF as the return for Gattis. There are literally a dozen good options for the rotation on the FA market this year, so I would prefer the return for Gattis is a young OFer, preferably CFer.

Problem is, why would any AL team trade a talented young OFer for a young DH? The most likely scenario is Gattis being traded to an AL team in exchange for a young middle of the rotation SP with 3+ years of control left. So all we have to do is figure out which AL teams are looking to add offense and have a young 2-3 SP with a couple years at the MLB level.

[50PoundHead]

That's an intriguing approach to DH expansion.

I've been a proponent of home team option on the DH for years. Let teams carry 26 guys/25 active (which must include any pitcher who has started a game in the last week) to customize roster per home team's decision.

As per Gattis, I wait until we see the dust settle on any J. Upton/Heyward move before considering our options with him. If one of those two is traded, Gattis can log some time in LF and we can pick up another C (I like John Jaso) to platoon with Bethancourt and have Gattis log some time behind the plate as well.

[cajunrevenge]

Can't say I am a big fan of Hellickson. I would hope there are other useful pieces coming back. Add Nick Franklin to Hellickson and I would be happy.

[tomahawkchop10]

I have ZERO confidence in our front office. I get the trade Gattis argument, problem is the keep Gattis argument is far stronger. The offense last year was plain out hard to watch. Replacing gattis with Bethancourt is counter productive. The offense is going to be a joke this year.

[cajunrevenge]

Giving up in November. That's a new record.

[CJ9]

I've been thinking about this Gattis stuff today, and I think Cleveland is a good fit. They're pretty loaded with left-handed hitters like Bourn, Kipnis, Brantley. A RH power bat like Gattis would be good for them. They also have an abundance of OF prospects -- Tyler Naquin and James Ramsey -- with their OF of Brantley, Bourn and Swisher pretty much set.

I think we could find a decent deal built around those two, then deal Justin Upton and plug Naquin or Ramsey into left field.

[Millwood1Hitter]

I have ZERO confidence in our front office. I get the trade Gattis argument, problem is the keep Gattis argument is far stronger. The offense last year was plain out hard to watch. Replacing gattis with Bethancourt is counter productive. The offense is going to be a joke this year.

I understand we need to upgrade in a number of areas, and may have to trade Gattis, Justin, etc., etc. to potentially upgrade at those positions or free up salary for future obligations, but if we do it better be a pretty good haul.

That being said, if we don't gain a significant upgrade or a haul of prospects for even a guy like Gattis, I would like to see a Gattis/Betancourt deal at C. Say Gattis starts 110 games, Betancourt 50 games and Bethancourt used as a late inning defensive replacement. The way we are currently constructed and with signficiant offensive holes at CF, SS, 3B, 2B we can't have another at catcher.

Unless Gattis brings back a cheap starting pitcher or another positional player of need and we sign Russell Martin, I'm not going to be too pleased. Although Martin doesn't have the bat of Gattis, his defensive skills and clubhouse leadership would fit right in with what we need, but I doubt there is room in the budget,

[Millwood1Hitter]

I have ZERO confidence in our front office. I get the trade Gattis argument, problem is the keep Gattis argument is far stronger. The offense last year was plain out hard to watch. Replacing gattis with Bethancourt is counter productive. The offense is going to be a joke this year.

I understand we need to upgrade in a number of areas, and may have to trade Gattis, Justin, etc., etc. to potentially upgrade at those positions or free up salary for future obligations, but if we do it better be a pretty good haul.

That being said, if we don't gain a significant upgrade or a haul of prospects for even a guy like Gattis, I would like to see a Gattis/Betancourt deal at C. Say Gattis starts 110 games, Betancourt 50 games and Bethancourt used as a late inning defensive replacement. The way we are currently constructed and with signficiant offensive holes at CF, SS, 3B, 2B we can't have another at catcher.

Unless Gattis brings back a cheap starting pitcher or another positional player of need and we sign Russell Martin, I'm not going to be too pleased. Although Martin doesn't have the bat of Gattis, his defensive skills and clubhouse leadership would fit right in with what we need, but I doubt there is room in the budget,

[The Chosen One]

If Gattis is packaged in a deal to unload BJ Upton's contract I don't even think twice about it.

[The Chosen One]

And unloading Gattis doesn't mean we're conceding the season. There's still time to trade CJ, maybe get a 2B and a new CF.

[jpx7]

If Gattis is packaged in a deal to unload BJ Upton's contract I don't even think twice about it.

I assume you mean couldn't think twice, because your cognitive capacities would so overwhelmed by the furious rage you'd feel over seeing your favorite player traded (along with Gattis)?

[JohnAdcox]

We'd better be getting somebody's entire minor league system, buildings included, in the deal.

[AerchAngel]

If Gattis is packaged in a deal to unload BJ Upton's contract I don't even think twice about it.

Post of the day.

Send BJ back.

In saying that, Gattis would lead the league in homers if he is just a DH. He is that damn good as a hitter when fully concentrated.

He would put up more than Gorman Thomas numbers as a pure DH and still strike out less than 150 times.

[Knucksie]

If Gattis is packaged in a deal to unload BJ Upton's contract I don't even think twice about it.

Then your alarm clock went off, and you woke up.

[The Chosen One]

Then your alarm clock went off, and you woke up.

Well Gattis is either going to be used to unload a contract or acquire top prospects. That's how much value he has especially to an AL team.