Why Now IS The Time To Wipe The Slate Clean

[clvclv]

We can argue back and forth forever, and I understand the reasons everyone who hated the Heyward and Markakis deals hated them (and respect their reasons), but after stepping away and taking a breath, I'm now entirely convinced that Hart & Company shouldn't stop where they are. If we can get the rumored potential returns we've all heard for dealing BOTH Justin and Gattis, now is absolutely the time to pounce.

The key to making the extremely quick turnaround hinges on being completely up front with Justin and his representatives and openly explain the method to the madness. Sit down with him and explain in no uncertain terms that we think renting him to Seattle for a season will substantially further the efforts to make us a legitimate contender for several years beginning in 2016 if he'd be open to returning when we've cleared the salary space to give him a market deal when he becomes a free-agent.

The strategy would involve tanking it in 2015, but the payoff could be huge in the long run. We could "fix" our pitching for the next 6-8 years if we could pull it off.


1.) Trade Justin for Taijuan Walker.
2.) Trade Gattis for Andrew Heaney.

3.) Trade Minor for Brandon Drury.
4.) Trade Johnson for Steven Okert.


Our Organizational SP Depth Chart would then have EVERYONE under control for years and would look like...

1.) Teheran
2.) Wood
3.) Walker
4.) Heaney
5.) Miller

6.) Hale
7.) Jenkins
8.) Martin
9.) Hursh
10.) Sims



If Minor and Johnson lands you Drury and Okert, you get your cheap answer at 3B (with a LOT more power than Johnson) and a nasty lefty for the pen, and the pen could become...

Medlen, Carpenter, Simmons, Vizcaino, Russell, Johnson, Shreve

Okert and Hursh replace Russell and Johnson in the 2016 pen for the rookie minimum.



Uggla's salary comes off the books next winter, and you've given yourself - Justin's current money ($14,500,000), Uggla's money ($13,000,000), Johnson's 2016 money ($7,500,000), Minor's 2016 projected money (~$7,500,000), Russell's money ($2,400,000), and Johnson's money ($2,500,000) - $47,400,000 to spend in 2016 to get ready to go into the new park.

Assuming Justin could expect a minimum 8 year/$200 million offer, we could actually then be able to afford to pay him market value, maybe sign Dexter Fowler for 4 years/$48 million as B. J.'s replacement, and have money left to cover arbitration raises plus B. J's money to devote to rising salaries when it comes off the books. The 2016-2017 lineup would then look like...

2B- Peraza
RF- Markakis
LF- J-Up
1B- Freeman
3B- Drury
CF- Fowler
SS- Simmons
C- Bethancourt

[50PoundHead]

I thought this is what they might do, but if they were going to go in this direction, they wouldn't have signed Markakis.

[cajunrevenge]

You had me until trade Minor for Drury.

[bravesnumberone]

Don't think it'd be wise to just expect Justin to want to come back after being traded. And with that in mind, we need to be focused on getting young offensive talent back in all of these trades.

Let me put it this way. It should be much easier to talk extent with J-Up than competing with numerous clubs with far better resources next winter.

If you want him to be a part of this franchise long-term, grow a pair and quit playing games.

We need a veteran pitcher to help with these young guys. You could just as easily dangle Kimbrel out there next offseason if he has another great year and bring in more young pitching.

[Heyward]

I thought this is what they might do, but if they were going to go in this direction, they wouldn't have signed Markakis.

This.

[Heyward]

If we trade Gattis, Minor, JUP and CJ, i'd hope we get a good hitting prospect back at least but i dont feel they want to blow it up.

[bravesnumberone]

Taking CJ out, Gattis, JUp and Minor are worth at least one good, young, controllable MLB hitter. Not a minor league prospect. An established young hitter.

[clvclv]

Don't think it'd be wise to just expect Justin to want to come back after being traded. And with that in mind, we need to be focused on getting young offensive talent back in all of these trades.

Let me put it this way. It should be much easier to talk extent with J-Up than competing with numerous clubs with far better resources next winter.

If you want him to be a part of this franchise long-term, grow a pair and quit playing games.

We need a veteran pitcher to help with these young guys. You could just as easily dangle Kimbrel out there next offseason if he has another great year and bring in more young pitching.

This is the reason I said you have to keep Justin involved every step of the way if you hope he'll come back next winter.

You don't need a veteran SP once you've (more or less) waved the white flag on 2015 - if there's anyone that can help them with their struggles at the MLB level it's McDowell (pretty much his specialty).

[clvclv]

You had me until trade Minor for Drury.

If I can get Drury as CJ's replacement while clearing Minor's salary, I'd do it in a heartbeat assuming we got Walker and Heaney. JMO.

[bravesnumberone]

And Justin may go to Seattle and win a pennant and want to stay there.

I understand your method, but I think it's much simpler to be talking extension with him, especially if we're just going to keep BJ around.

Guess I'm not in favor of waiving the flag in 2015.

That said, it's more than likely he'll get traded this week, and I don't think we should settle for one player in that deal, given how many teams are seeking him. We need to set our sights on getting multiple players back.

[clvclv]

BTW, you also have Cespedes available as a middle of the order bat/corner OF next winter as well.

The main point of the exercise was to show that if we were able to stockpile that much high-upside, controllable pitching that we could easily afford to pay market value for a hitter as the new park opens.

[clvclv]

I understand your method, but I think it's much simpler to be talking extension with him, especially if we're just going to keep BJ around.

Guess I'm not in favor of waiving the flag in 2015.

That said, it's more than likely he'll get traded this week, and I don't think we should settle for one player in that deal, given how many teams are seeking him. We need to set our sights on getting multiple players back.

The point I'm making is that by not trading him now we're making it tougher to pay him if you try to extend him AND keep Minor's escalating salary in the rotation.

[bravesnumberone]

You can just as easily trade Minor for cheaper offense next week and work on extending him now. There's no way it'd be cheaper to try to sign Upton next offseason. Especially if he goes off this year in a free agent season, and Seattle makes a run. He's under our control right now, and a smart front office would be coming up with ways to extend him now.

[Millwood1Hitter]

I thought this is what they might do, but if they were going to go in this direction, they wouldn't have signed Markakis.

I've felt all along that this was the plan, and still believe that even after the lukewarm interest in Lester along with the signing of Markakis.

Besides being a long-term acquaintance and friend, it's pretty apparent why JS wanted Hart to be the one spearheading this project instead of just handing it over to JC. I believe JC has a large influence in the decesions being made, but JS understood that there would need to be some tough decisions made and some fan backlash, and I can't imagine throwing a young inexperienced guy like JC in this instance to the wolves. So Hart was brought in to handle and be at yhge forefront of this all, all the while providing the leadership and people skills to bring back and assemble the best possible scouting and development program and rebuild the entire organization from top to bottom and get back to the "Braves Way."

But it's pretty apparent that the current FO is going to build this thing for '17 around the young core of Freeman, Simmons, Kimbrell, Tehran, and Wood...and use other assets of value that don't fit that timeframe and acquire young talent that fits and compliments that core. So that's what we seen with Heyward, and what I believe we'll see with Upton, Gattis, maybe even Minor.

All the while acquiring other assets that have experience that show a desire and willingness to be here and fill a potential need to be somewhat competitive in the short term. That's where a guy like Markakis fits the bill, he wanted to be here, he should give us decent production in an area of need in the short term and be a complimentary piece in the future, all the while providing a leadership quality that has been missing and add a clubhouse influence that is apparently lacking.

[cajunrevenge]

Minor is worth a lot more than Brandon Drury.

[Heyward]

You bring up Minor's salary as if he makes 20 million.

He makes around 5-6 mil i think, hardly anything to trade him over especially when he's coming off a down year.

[Heyward]

Taking CJ out, Gattis, JUp and Minor are worth at least one good, young, controllable MLB hitter. Not a minor league prospect. An established young hitter.

FOr once i agree with you, if they trade Gattis/Minor/JUp, they should get at least one good hitter back under control for awhile.

We have more than enough pitching.

[bravesnumberone]

FOr once i agree with you, if they trade Gattis/Minor/JUp, they should get at least one good hitter back under control for awhile.

We have more than enough pitching.

Although I get the desire to have as much good, young pitching as possible. We of all franchises should understand that. I just don't think there's much point, if you're shipping off most of your offense.

[Millwood1Hitter]

I think Minor will be dealt in season near the deadline after he has rebuilt his value by reestablishing himself as a quality 2nd-3rd starter, and some contending team will need and want and in turn be dealt for more young controllable players.

[bravesnumberone]

That, too. If we are waiving the flag, and he pitches well, we could get a nice return in July.