And Now...Your 2016 Atlanta Braves

[Heyward]

Just ran the numbers for 2016, and we have considerable financial flexibility. $40m to $50m to spend depending on budget . . . and that's assuming Minor, CJ, and Grilli are back. If we want to, we could sign or trade for a front line SP AND a middle-of-the-order RHH bat for LF or 3B. I think the $ will ultimately be spent more creatively than that (extensions, international FAs, etc.), but any way you slice it - we will have the resources to be competitive in 2016.

Position Name Proj. Salary
SP1 Julio Teheran $3,466,667
SP2 Alex Wood $550,000
SP3 Shelby Miller $4,000,000
SP4 Mike Minor $7,500,000
SP5 Wisler / Folty / Banuelos $525,000
RP1 Winkler / Folty $525,000
RP2 McKirahan / Gil / Banuelos $525,000
RP3 Cunniff / Vizcaino / Martin $525,000
RP4 Luis Avilan $1,000,000
RP5 Shae Simmons $525,000
RP6 Free Agent $0
RP7 Jason Grilli $3,500,000
C1 Christian Bethancourt $550,000
C2 Free Agent $0
3B Chris Johnson $7,500,000
SS Andrelton Simmons $6,142,850
2B Jose Peraza $525,000
1B Freddie Freeman $12,359,375
UIF1 Jace Peterson $525,000
UIF2 Free Agent $0
LF Free Agent $0
CF Cameron Maybin $8,000,000
RF Nick Markakis $11,000,000
UOF1 Dian Toscano $1,300,000
UOF2 Free Agent $0
$70,543,892

Minor is as good as gone, as soon as he ever gets healthy unless he needs TJ.

CJ is as good as gone as well.

There's 10-13 mil or so free'd up.

Not sure with Grilli, guess it depends what offers there are.

[chop2chip]

Minor is as good as gone, as soon as he ever gets healthy unless he needs TJ.

CJ is as good as gone as well.

There's 10-13 mil or so free'd up.

Not sure with Grilli, guess it depends what offers there are.

Sadly it does look like Minor is a prime non tender candidate. Especially if he ends up needing shoulder surgery.

CJ isn't "good as gone". The Braves are going to need a miracle to move that contract. A BJ Upton sized miracle. Hopefully Grilli doesn't give up a run this year.

[Knucksie]

I'd argue that Grilli isn't likely to be traded unless someone really blows Hart away with an offer because his contract is picture-perfect for us right now since it only gets smaller moving forward as he grooms his own replacement, but it's tough to argue that very much. If Wisler continues to impress like he did yesterday and Folty can be groomed as a Closer, I'd add the two of them and probably Peraza to that list.

I'm pretty sure the news on Minor seals his fate with the organization and that he won't be offered a deal next winter, so if Banuelos has designs on becoming a starter in Atlanta he better get it together fast - the money is there to go after Price IF he doesn't sign an extension with the Tigers, and I can't imagine we'll run Manny out there as a 5th starter over Wisler. Adding Price and Cespedes in free-agency or trading from some of the depth they've now accrued makes this team a contender again pretty quickly.

They probably would be projecting Grilli to stick around to mentor his replacement in the same way that Wagner did with Kimbrel. Other bullpen spots will open up as the relief corps continues to get younger (and cheaper!).

Some members here have mocked Schuerholz for making comments about getting back to the "Braves way" and they're completely missing the point. Sorry to repeat this refrain again. With the 2 GM's, previous to Wren, having influential positions within the organization (abeit Cox in a consulting role), they are simply following the same template, which was established from '86 onward. That was to stockpile young pitching. It was the organizational philosophy. So, back then, as the other old timers here know, it started with Glavine, Smoltz, Avery, Pete Smith, Zane Smith, Lilliquist, Mercker, Greene, and continued with Terrell Wade, David Nied, Jason Schmidt and others. With the World Series championships, it clearly wasn't possible to continue cycling in higher end prospects, as when the franchise was considered a laughingstock. That's the reason that they kind of got away from being a pitching factory, despite still maintaining the reputation through the late 90's and beyond.

The whole purpose is fill important rotation spots internally, while bringing in some decent arms via trades, as we've seen. It's simply history repeating itself. While there's an eventual possibility of signing a staff ace (as they did with Maddux in '93, again history potentially repeating itself) as free agent, it's difficult to imagine them flirting with the $20MM/yr that it would take for Price or Greinke. While that would make a big splash for the new park, they're not going to want to commit that large a percentage of payroll on one player.

[clvclv]

They probably would be projecting Grilli to stick around to mentor his replacement in the same way that Wagner did with Kimbrel. Other bullpen spots will open up as the relief corps continues to get younger (and cheaper!).

Some members here have mocked Schuerholz for making comments about getting back to the "Braves way" and they're completely missing the point. Sorry to repeat this refrain again. With the 2 GM's, previous to Wren, having influential positions within the organization (abeit Cox in a consulting role), they are simply following the same template, which was established from '86 onward. That was to stockpile young pitching. It was the organizational philosophy. So, back then, as the other old timers here know, it started with Glavine, Smoltz, Avery, Pete Smith, Zane Smith, Lilliquist, Mercker, Greene, and continued with Terrell Wade, David Nied, Jason Schmidt and others. With the World Series championships, it clearly wasn't possible to continue cycling in higher end prospects, as when the franchise was considered a laughingstock. That's the reason that they kind of got away from being a pitching factory, despite still maintaining the reputation through the late 90's and beyond.

The whole purpose is fill important rotation spots internally, while bringing in some decent arms via trades, as we've seen. It's simply history repeating itself. While there's an eventual possibility of signing a staff ace (as they did with Maddux in '93, again history potentially repeating itself) as free agent, it's difficult to imagine them flirting with the $20MM/yr that it would take for Price or Greinke. While that would make a big splash for the new park, they're not going to want to commit that large a percentage of payroll on one player.

That's the only place I'd disagree, and only as a maybe. Hart did say they intend to be "aggressive" with the new payroll flexibility, and given Wood's off-kilter mechanics I'm not so sure they're comfortable giving him a Teheran-like extension. That really only leaves you Miller as an extension candidate.

I don't think their initial inclination is to spend that kind of money on an "Ace", but the timing and other potential free-agent targets kind of leave you with that as an option. I do think they'll target one of the corner OFs, but also think they'd look at another Maddux-type signing as they move into the new park. Unlike before, I don't think Fowler is a target unless they can find a taker for at least one of Johnson or Maybin since they're hoping they have leadoff options in Peterson/Peraza/Mallex Smith/Albies. Why spend $12+ million per on him when you could spend it on a bopper to protect Freeman and an "Ace"?

If they do go entirely back to the "Braves' Way" and continue to load up on Pitching, they'll have options to replace the final two spots in the rotation moving forward as the #4 and #5 guys begin to earn bigger money - Price/Cueto/Greinke/whomever-Teheran-Miller/Wood become the staples.