The one who can see beyond next year with a strong farm system, and a bevy of good young players, along with the payroll flexibility to add more good players in the future.Originally Posted by bravesnumberone
The one who can see beyond next year with a strong farm system, and a bevy of good young players, along with the payroll flexibility to add more good players in the future.
There are plenty of teams they can go to fit that bill.
True... and the Braves are one of them. Not the lost cause some of you are making them.
If the money was the same and the other team was in a better position to win and had the resources, why would they choose the Braves? Do any of you really think Greinke will pick the Braves over staying with the Dodgers?
Some won't.... but some will. The Braves are positioned to be players in the game. Don't need them all. Just one or two to go along with the young guys.
So you think a guy like Cueto, Price, Greinke would sign with Atl if money is the same over a big market team?
Im hopeful on the rebuild but thats delusional thinking.
What might happen is that the Braves will acquire no impact power bats. Instead, they will attempt to build an elite rotation, acquire and fill the lineup with contact, line drive hitters, and develop power bats from within for use a bit further down the road.
I can see the Braves trying to be unorthidox and looking in the international market next year for hitting talent...
Are there any major impact guys available?
NYCBrave (08-10-2015)
I think that is the course we are on. But we will have some money after 2016. The Bourn and Swisher salaries come off. We could decline Maybin's option if we haven't already traded him. Some players will be getting raises. But between Bourn, Swisher and Maybin. we could free up almost 30M (I'm netting out here the 10M the Indians are sending us) from 2016 to 2017. Plus payroll will go up maybe 20M as we move to the new stadium. If we want to accelerate the rebuild we can take on an expensive player or two in 2017.
The big name FA of the year is rarely a good signing. There are exceptions of course, but more often than not the guy who gets a big contract because he is the best option out there that year is often not the best value. I am not saying that those guys are not great pitchers, but that is not who I see the Braves going after.
There is better value out there for the money it will take.
Trade. But no idea who.
Don't think we trade miller unless we approach about an extension and he wants to go the heyward route. Hart is trading all of the guys tainted by wrenn and making us Older
I will laugh when we land Braun and lucroy and go from a young tem 3 years ago to an old one.
What I would have looked hard at was seeing if u can get a ransom for Simmons and play peraza there but that is gone. Albies is too far away. Simmons is greAt but of we could have filled lf and 3b for him long term and cheap...
I also think this is likely.
Yeah, this isn't true at all. There are many busts of course, but there are equally as many times the top signings are very good. Top free agent in 2009 was Matt Holliday, who has been great for St Louis. 2010 was Cliff Lee, who worked out great for Philly for most of the contract, Adrian Beltre and Victor Martinez also worked out well that FA class. Prince Fielder and Pujols are bad deals long term from 2011, no doubt there, but have been a mixed bag so far (and everyone knew those were terrible signings at the time they were made). Grienke in 2012 was a fantastic signing for the Dodgers. Cano has been a bust from 2013.
If anything, recent history seems to say to stay away from hitting FA and stick with top end pitching FA signings. Outside of Sabathia (and with his weight issues that was always doomed to be a poor signing long term), most of the top end pitchings signings have worked out very well.
Horsehide Harry (08-08-2015)
Even the Sabathia signing hasn't been terrible. The Yankees got four really good years out of him, and one more where he at least ate some innings. The contract looks really bad now, especially if the option vests for 2017, but the Evil Empire probably got some surplus value out of CC's first four years to offset some of his decline.
Yeah as others have said that isnt true.
I'd maybe stay away from Justin or Cespedes long-term but Cueto, Greinke, Price, Heyward i think will be fine investments for whichever teams is lucky enough to get them.
I'd be nervous about signing Cueto to the kind of deal he's going to command. The guy has only pitched 200 innings or more twice to this point, although I guess that could be spun as a positive of having less mileage on his arm.
Hey,
I agree that FA pitching signings are generally a better investment. And, I am on record as saying the top end FA bats this offseason will be vastly overpaid for what they bring and/or not a good fit for 2017 and beyond.
But, the question still stands....where do the bats come from?
So, far I see one response where a few future FA names have been thrown out, a couple of vague "A trade but I don't know for who or what" and a lot of there won't be any bats (at least not power bats) which is a non starter if Hart is being truthful in his desire to be a competitive team in 2017 and beyond.
So, come on. Let's see some ideas. I see a lot of people ready with the negative...can't do this, won't do that, crazy to do the other....how about some real solutions?
In the last three off-seasons you had Lohse, Santana and Shields finding themselves without contracts very late in the game. This year's FA pitching group is even deeper. If we exercise some patience we will be able to get a high quality pitcher at a good price.
Horsehide Harry (08-08-2015), NYCBrave (08-10-2015)
A logical route is to sign a FA pitcher this off-season, helping to build up a surplus of starters. Deal a young cost-controlled starter (such as Banuelos, Folty, Perez or Wisler or even Teheran or Miller) after 2016 to a team that is rebuilding for a hitter like Braun.
Hey, I appreciate the response and you well might be right.
I don't understand however why Miller and/or Teheran aren't in that young cost controlled stack, especially given the strength of the upcoming FA market.
I do think a trade for a power bat from another team is possible and Braun with his relatively bad contract is certainly a possibility to be moved. And, if he IS a real target, I would prefer not to try and add him until right before 2017 so the Braves can continue to monitor his long term trends. However, I am concerned about his cost, his age, his history (PED), and his park effects.
Is Braun a guy who I see as a core guy from 2017-2020? No. But, he might be the piece to put a young team over the top in a particular season.
But, let's assume he is ideal. That fills LF. Now, what about 3B (if Olivera plays there then 2B), C, RF (Markakis will finally be rotating off after 2018) and maybe CF?
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