What should our lineup look like next year?

[Chico]

This is why many of us feel the same way IMO. The prudent thing to do is continue with the rebuild, but it's tough to sell even the "more-advanced" fan on holding off and that you honestly believe in these kids if the resources are available to plug a hole or two and the kids perform like you expect them to. It won't take very long for the attendance to dwindle in that shiny new park if 2018 is a repeat of this season. No, somebody like Moustakas may not be absolutely ideal, but he's a FAR sight better than anything on the horizon for the next 3-4 years if you're not a Riley believer. The Braves CAN afford him, but whether they will or should is obviously a fair debate. I'm not nearly as big on Frazier personally, but certainly understand the appeal he has for others. I think your point that "it ain't easy" gets lost in most discussions here. IF some of these kids are as good as hoped, adding a piece or two to at least put the team in contention as early as next season - as long as it only costs money - arguably makes you "relevant" in 2018 and a legitimate contender in 2019. Add Moustakas and Cobb with the savings from Colon/Garcia/Dickey and count on these kids - with Kemp and Markakis coming off the books over the next two years you can work on extending the best of the bunch.

If there's two successful MLB SPs out of the Folty/Newcomb/Fried/Soroka/Wentz group and a legitimate #1/#2 guy (not necessarily a true "Ace") out of the Gohara/Wright/Allard trio, you've at least got a shot - if not, the rebuild is going to need rebooting anyway. Heaven knows the Royals had more question marks and less to work with when they started their little run.

As another old guy I'm not interested in waiting 5 more years, but am also a believer in Acuna/Albies/Swanson/and believe several of the arms are going to adapt much faster than Folty has and am willing to roll the dice with a couple strong adds this winter to plug holes, but I completely understand why others want to keep preaching patience - the thing about exercising that patience is that you need to go all-in if you're going to do that and you need to go ahead and trade Freeman and Ender THIS winter if you're willing to wait. If you don't believe in what's already the best farm system in the game, you aren't likely ever going to be happy with the organization (and that's OK). Just understand that doing so will cost everyone in management their jobs because when that shiny new ballpark sits there filled to 25%-30% capacity for the next several years, you're going to get canned - no matter what the metrics and Statcast say.

I agree with this part, but the problem is Moose will cost a 2nd round pick. I cannot see this regime losing a pick and I don't want them to. The rebuild should never be over IMO. We should be restocking always. Moose will also probably get 5 years, and that could eat in the years we're doling out extensions. Also, we do not deal with Boras very often.

[clvclv]

I agree with this part, but the problem is Moose will cost a 2nd round pick. I cannot see this regime losing a pick and I don't want them to. The rebuild should never be over IMO. We should be restocking always. Moose will also probably get 5 years, and that could eat in the years we're doling out extensions. Also, we do not deal with Boras very often.

Just a minimal issue for most of us that are part of the older crowd - if I can fix the black hole that has been 3B since Chipper retired and turn Acuna and Riley into the replacements for Markakis and Kemp within the next 12-18 months I'm more than happy to give up a second round pick to do so.

[clvclv]

Would still call the Cards and see if there's any interest in a Camargo-Piscotty deal - they really need an inexpensive SS and have OF depth, and make a ton of sense as a potential Hosmer or J. D. Martinez suitor this winter. They really don't have any SSs that are close, and don't seem to believe in DeJong's defense. If they landed Hosmer they could move Carpenter back to 3B and DeJong to the OF, or if they got Martinez they could move DeJong to 3B and leave Carpenter at 1B.

[Oklahomabrave]

Would still call the Cards and see if there's any interest in a Camargo-Piscotty deal - they really need an inexpensive SS and have OF depth, and make a ton of sense as a potential Hosmer or J. D. Martinez suitor this winter. They really don't have any SSs that are close, and don't seem to believe in DeJong's defense. If they landed Hosmer they could move Carpenter back to 3B and DeJong to the OF, or if they got Martinez they could move DeJong to 3B and leave Carpenter at 1B.

I'd love Piscotty and would be thrilled with this even if we had to add something to make it happen.

[Southcack77]

Just a minimal issue for most of us that are part of the older crowd - if I can fix the black hole that has been 3B since Chipper retired and turn Acuna and Riley into the replacements for Markakis and Kemp within the next 12-18 months I'm more than happy to give up a second round pick to do so.

but you can't fix it.

[msstate7]

Just a minimal issue for most of us that are part of the older crowd - if I can fix the black hole that has been 3B since Chipper retired and turn Acuna and Riley into the replacements for Markakis and Kemp within the next 12-18 months I'm more than happy to give up a second round pick to do so.

Isn't Riley a good defender at 3b? Why move him to OF?

[DirkPiggler]

Would still call the Cards and see if there's any interest in a Camargo-Piscotty deal - they really need an inexpensive SS and have OF depth, and make a ton of sense as a potential Hosmer or J. D. Martinez suitor this winter. They really don't have any SSs that are close, and don't seem to believe in DeJong's defense. If they landed Hosmer they could move Carpenter back to 3B and DeJong to the OF, or if they got Martinez they could move DeJong to 3B and leave Carpenter at 1B.

Why on earth would the Cardinals need a SS?

DeJong's defense has been fine, and he's a hell of a lot better offensively than Camargo, even with Johan on an unsustainable run this year.

[smootness]

DeJong's issue is his offense. What he's done this year is no more sustainable than Camargo.

[nsacpi]

DeJong's issue is his offense. What he's done this year is no more sustainable than Camargo.

So why would they want Camargo?

[smootness]

So why would they want Camargo?

They wouldn't haha. Sorry, that wasn't intended as support of clv's idea.

[Chico]

The Cardinals are a team I'm sure we'll be talking to with 5 RH Corner OF's in Pham, Piscotty, Oneil, Bader, and Grichuk

I think Grichuk would be the cheapest to acquire, Piscotty the most expensive, and Pham the sell high buyer's remorse candidate.

I assume they'll be looking to upgrade that pen.

[DirkPiggler]

DeJong's issue is his offense. What he's done this year is no more sustainable than Camargo.

Even if (when) he regresses he still should be better than the best version of Camargo.

[nsacpi]

The Cardinals are a team I'm sure we'll be talking to with 5 RH Corner OF's in Pham, Piscotty, Oneil, Bader, and Grichuk

I think Grichuk would be the cheapest to acquire, Piscotty the most expensive, and Pham the sell high buyer's remorse candidate.

I assume they'll be looking to upgrade that pen.

I thought we were trying to trade away corner outfielders.

[clvclv]

DeJong's issue is his offense. What he's done this year is no more sustainable than Camargo.

The consistent chatter on the XM shows is that DeJong's much better suited to move off SS because of his defense - as someone who's seen him play maybe twice, I tend to rely on others who've actually seen him more often than most of us here probably have.

That's also where the mention of St. Louis' potential interest in Camargo comes from as well, and they continually mention that they need to significantly improve defensively at the position and continually state that the feeling is that they don't have a solid to plus defensive option anywhere close to major league ready. The discussion on those shows has been that Camargo would be a significant upgrade over what they have.

As for the comparison between DeJong and Camargo sustaining anything close to what they've done, I don't think anyone would argue that either will - I simply stated that I'd love to sell high on him (as others have mentioned) if we could use him as part of a package to get someone like Piscotty.

I can definitely see them spending big on at least one bat this winter - Hosmer and J. D. Martinez would seem to make the most sense - and adding either will compound their glut of corner options (both IF and OF), so they'd be an obvious target for Coppy to talk to early on IMO.

[clvclv]

Isn't Riley a good defender at 3b? Why move him to OF?

The questions about whether he'd be able to stick have been there since he was drafted, but this was in Bowman's most recent mailbag...

"It was encouraging to see Riley produce a .900 OPS after his promotion to Double-A Mississippi and steadily mature as an offensive threat as this season progressed. The 20-year-old is a physically gifted prospect with upside from the power perspective. But I think we need to see him grow into his body a little more before making an accurate projection about his ability to have the footwork necessary to handle third base as early as next season."

http://m.braves.mlb.com/news/article...una-prospects/


I'm assuming he's being fed that from somewhere since I can't imagine he's seen much of him.

[Chico]

I thought we were trying to trade away corner outfielders.

If we trade away 2 and put Acuna in one, then we'll need another one.

Grichuk, Bader, and Pham have all played CF as well.

[nsacpi]

If we trade away 2 and put Acuna in one, then we'll need another one.

Grichuk, Bader, and Pham have all played CF as well.

So the scenario we are talking about involves moving both Kemp and Markakis and acquiring another outfielder. A lot of planets have to be aligned for that one. I think its going to be a challenge moving one of Kemp/Markakis let alone both.

[Enscheff]

So the scenario we are talking about involves moving both Kemp and Markakis and acquiring another outfielder. A lot of planets have to be aligned for that one. I think its going to be a challenge moving one of Kemp/Markakis let alone both.

Let the wild rosterbation begin!!

[clvclv]

So the scenario we are talking about involves moving both Kemp and Markakis and acquiring another outfielder. A lot of planets have to be aligned for that one. I think its going to be a challenge moving one of Kemp/Markakis let alone both.

Yeah, but it's fun to dream...how great would an offseason filled with Kemp and Markakis subtractions combined with Acuna, Suarez, Piscotty, and Cobb additions be?!?!?

[Chico]

So the scenario we are talking about involves moving both Kemp and Markakis and acquiring another outfielder. A lot of planets have to be aligned for that one. I think its going to be a challenge moving one of Kemp/Markakis let alone both.

I don't think moving Markakis should be too hard. There are enough teams that are looking for a one yar deal quick fix to a problem. Moving Kemp is going to be harder. I've accepted we're going to have to eat half the salary to do so, which should make it easier to an AL team. If he's not going to be serious about his weight he cannot play in the NL.