Hector Olivera signs with the Dodgers

[dak]

Also, Ben Badler reporting that the Braves held TWO private workouts with Olivera versus the one that had been previously reported. I'd say it's safe to assume we're in this thing.

http://www.baseballamerica.com/inter...ector-olivera/

[thethe]

Sounds just like more front office smoke.

[Braves1976]

Murray also notes that the Dodgers are still expected to win the bidding. I am expecting us to finish third in the bidding behind the Dodgers and Padres with one of them signing Olivera.

[Braves1976]

DOB is shooting down the report:

@DOBrienAJC
My understanding is that the #Braves are not the team with a $50M offer on table to Olivera, contrary to one report making the rounds.

Note: DOB also shot down previous reports related to our interest in Olivera but was shown later to be wrong. So who knows if he's correct this time.

[rico43]

[Braves1976]

Whatever the case, it seems that earlier vague UCL injury report about Olivera may have been a move by someone trying drive down the price.

[clvclv]

Genuine question: was there any indication that the Braves were willing to sign him for that last offseason?

I haven't seen anything confirmed personally - complete speculation on my part. That said, I would certainly think the organization would've felt comfortable going that far and having them be co-faces-of-the-franchise moving forward, and paying them both the same salary would always keep either from having any animosity toward the other since they were both "treated with the same respect".

As several others have mentioned time and again, when the Braves were given reason to believe Heyward wasn't interested in the same level of commitment Freeman was, there was no need to pursue anything further - Freddie's deal is the biggest in team history (and it's not even close), and Jason simply hasn't done anything (yet) to deserve a bigger deal.

[mfree80]

DOB is shooting down the report:

@DOBrienAJC
My understanding is that the #Braves are not the team with a $50M offer on table to Olivera, contrary to one report making the rounds.

Note: DOB also shot down previous reports related to our interest in Olivera but was shown later to be wrong. So who knows if he's correct this time.

My uneducated crystal ball says the following: The Braves will not win the bidding for Olivera.... By season's end, Jace will have had a much better year than Olivera (allowing the Braves to trade CJ) and established himself as a consistent regular in the Braves lineup. This will be an example of the best signing being the one you didn't make.

[skillet]

Ben Badler of BA saying Padres, Braves and Dodgers best chance of signing Olivera.

http://www.baseballamerica.com/inter...ector-olivera/

[yeezus]

I'm glad I feel we're at least in it. Signing him would change a lot.

[sturg33]

I'm not sure I love the idea of signing a 31 year old if we don't expect to to compete for 2 years. I'd take him on the cheap though

[zbhargrove]

I'm not sure I love the idea of signing a 31 year old if we don't expect to to compete for 2 years. I'd take him on the cheap though

Well he's not 31 for one reason... Nor will he be this year.

[clvclv]

I've pretty much been against spending on Olivera, but if he's actually healthy and we can get him for 4/$50 million, I'm not as against it as I was.

Peterson has all but won the 2B job IF Hart & Company are going to start him out with the big club. We've now actually got two potential suitors for Johnson between now and next winter following Pence's injury - they're only committed to McGehee for this season, and one of the two of them could slide over to play 1B with Brandon Belt moving to the OF for the time being IF the Giants saw some benefit in platooning one of them with Belt at 1B when Pence returns, and they'd still have Johnson next season when McGehee's gone.

Given what we've seen from Peterson, EY Jr., Perez, and Smith thus far you could cut bait with KJ, Almonte, and one or two others (Pitchers that were brought in on split deals that they don't think will be needed possibly), and free up a good part of that money.

[zbhargrove]

Still not holding my breath on Olivera... but adding him at 3rd, Peterson playing to his full potential at 2nd... and dumping CJ to someone... this year could go better than I initially anticipated. Still quite a few "ifs" though.

[Braves1976]

Still not holding my breath on Olivera... but adding him at 3rd, Peterson playing to his full potential at 2nd... and dumping CJ to someone... this year could go better than I initially anticipated. Still quite a few "ifs" though.

Plus both Peterson and Olivera are good enough athletes that one or both of them playing some OF at some point would give us more options. That is if the best case happens in that Peterson proves a worthy starter and that we sign Olivera too. This way if we say needed to move Peterson to 3rd for Peraza at second in 2016. Then Olivera could move to LF at that point. Of course we might also choose to move Peterson to LF and keep Olivera at third. But either way it would give us depth and mutliple options for positions that we have been weak.

If Peterson hits he's also someone that could be used to ease Peraza into starting with Peterson playing second, third and LF kinda like Infante/Prado did in the past.

[thethe]

If the Braves can get this done all of a sudden the lineup looks better. I'm excited. Let's spend the money!

[dak]

I suspect that if the Braves get Olivera, it will be for more like $30m or so guaranteed over 3-4 years. I wouldn't want to see them pay much more than that. That's probably more than the Padres can pay, and that's who we should be competing with. Can't get in a bidding war with the Dodgers.

[Braves1976]

I suspect that if the Braves get Olivera, it will be for more like $30m or so guaranteed over 3-4 years. I wouldn't want to see them pay much more than that. That's probably more than the Padres can pay, and that's who we should be competing with. Can't get in a bidding war with the Dodgers.

I don't see closer to 30 million getting it done outside of maybe three years guaranteed with a vesting option or two along with team options. I could see something like that or a deal at least 40 million or so and 4 years guaranteed. Further, if the Braves offered around 50 million as reported yesterday, then I am guessing that offer is over at least four years. And such an offer likely only reaches 50 million with some sort of 5th year option built into it (such as vesting, team and/or mutual).

That said, I don't see us being close to matching any 70 million plus offers nor do I expect anyone to make such an offer despite the report about such.

PS: If there are any health concerns that prove legit, then I could see the cost dropping. But it seems the last report about such was false.

[clvclv]

I don't see closer to 30 million getting it done outside of maybe three years guaranteed with a vesting option or two along with team options. I could see something like that or a deal at least 40 million or so and 4 years guaranteed. Further, if the Braves offered around 50 million as reported yesterday, then I am guessing that offer is over at least four years. And such an offer likely only reaches 50 million with some sort of 5th year option built into it (such as vesting, team and/or mutual).

That said, I don't see us being close to matching any 70 million plus offers nor do I expect anyone to make such an offer despite the report about such.

PS: If there are any health concerns that prove legit, then I could see the cost dropping. But it seems the last report about such was false.

That $70 million figure was dropped by his agents anyway. I'd imagine that if we're in the $10-$12 million AAV range we're square in the middle of things.

[Braves1976]

That $70 million figure was dropped by his agents anyway. I'd imagine that if we're in the $10-$12 million AAV range we're square in the middle of things.

That's the range I expect it to end up, just a matter of how many guaranteed years IMO.