Long-Term Assets by Position

[nsacpi]

Catcher--Bethancourt, Herbert, Abraham Guttierez (assuming reports are true)

First--Freeman, Yepez

Second--Albies, Jace Peterson, Dykstra

SS--Simmons, Castro, Alejandro Salazar, Derian Cruz

Third--Olivera, Riley, Maitan (assuming reports are true), Ruiz

Right--Davidson, Isranel Wilson, Pache

Left--Acuna, Dustin Peterson, Baez

Center--Mallex Smith, Lien, Ventura

Obviously, some of these guys are very young and many years from being in the majors. Some will not pan out. However, the list could also grow given our draft position and reports about how much we will spend on the international market.

I make this list for two reasons. One is because it is fun. And secondly as prologue to a discussion about how we might use these assets to accelerate the rebuild. The FO has repeatedly stated that they are targeting 2017. Yet many of these young prospects won't be ready by then. As the list above indicates, we are building up some depth and options. The Braves have over the years shown a willingness to trade prospects to fill needs at the major league level. I don't anticipate those kinds of trades happening this off-season. Rather the team seems likely to use 2016 to see what it has at the major league level and also to give itself an additional year to evaluate the young talent. But come next off-season we might well see some of these long-term assets moved to help the major league team.

[The Chosen One]

Manager - Fredi Gonzalez

[nsacpi]

Manager - Fredi Gonzalez

A foundational long-term asset if I ever saw one.

[The Chosen One]

A foundational long-term asset if I ever saw one.

A HUGE asset if we want to compete for a championship in 2017.

[nsacpi]

A HUGE asset if we want to compete for a championship in 2017.

The Aaron Harang of managers.

Laird-like.

I run out of superlatives.

[smootness]

I think the following should be off-limits in trade discussions: Freeman, Simmons, Albies, Mallex, and all the guys below A ball. Mallex because we need him next year and need to see what he can do at the MLB level first, the guys below A ball because they haven't built up enough value to be worth it yet. I don't want to trade Davidson, but I could see it if a team really loves him. For pitchers, Touki and again all the guys below A ball should be off-limits, Touki because his talent is still above his current value.

[mqt]

I think we have to consider Acuna the future in CF until he stumbles. He has the tools to be an excellent CF and is the guy all the prospect writers are mentioning.

[nsacpi]

I think we have to consider Acuna the future in CF until he stumbles. He has the tools to be an excellent CF and is the guy all the prospect writers are mentioning.

The position isn't written in stone for a lot of these guys.

[50PoundHead]

The lower levels of the system will be fun to watch in 2016.

[smootness]

I think we have to consider Acuna the future in CF until he stumbles. He has the tools to be an excellent CF and is the guy all the prospect writers are mentioning.

I'm not going to consider anybody the anything of the future until they, at the very least, play A ball. He is an exciting prospect to watch, but he has not yet gotten to 'until he stumbles' territory. I honestly don't view any prospect at any level a sure thing 'until he stumbles.' No one has really proven anything until they're in the majors.

[50PoundHead]

I'm not going to consider anybody the anything of the future until they, at the very least, play A ball. He is an exciting prospect to watch, but he has not yet gotten to 'until he stumbles' territory. I honestly don't view any prospect at any level a sure thing 'until he stumbles.' No one has really proven anything until they're in the majors.

I don't put much stock in rookie league ball. I'm excited about how a number of guys on our GCL and Danville teams performed, but it's a far cry from what they will be facing. That said, I can't remember having this many interesting offensive prospects in the lower levels in quite a long time.

[Dalyn]

Manager - Fredi Gonzalez

[KB21]

It will be interesting to see if Derian Cruz ends up staying at short stop as his frame gets bigger or if he ends up moving off the position. That is the big plus with most short stops. They are athletic enough to move to another position if needed. This guy reportedly has 80 speed. With 80 speed, if he can have even just a 45 hit tool, he could be special. It will be interesting to see how the glove and arm plays.

I cannot wait till they add the international group for next year and the draft load they will bring in.

[KB21]

I don't know if the tools even remotely compare but:

Ronald Acuna (age 17) -- rookie level -- 201 AB, 54 H, 14 2B, 4 3B, 4 HR, 16 SB, .269/.380/.438/.818
Andruw Jones (age 17) -- rookie level -- 238 AB, 69 H, 14 2B, 3 3B, 3 HR, 21 SB, .280/.368/.412/.780

Andruw exploded during his age 18 season at Low A Macon, hitting 25 HR, 41 2B, and 5 3B in 537 ABs. It will be interesting to see what Acuna does this year. He's being talked up as a 5 tool guy by Kiley McDaniel and other prospect gurus.

[50PoundHead]

I don't know if the tools even remotely compare but:

Ronald Acuna (age 17) -- rookie level -- 201 AB, 54 H, 14 2B, 4 3B, 4 HR, 16 SB, .269/.380/.438/.818
Andruw Jones (age 17) -- rookie level -- 238 AB, 69 H, 14 2B, 3 3B, 3 HR, 21 SB, .280/.368/.412/.780

Andruw exploded during his age 18 season at Low A Macon, hitting 25 HR, 41 2B, and 5 3B in 537 ABs. It will be interesting to see what Acuna does this year. He's being talked up as a 5 tool guy by Kiley McDaniel and other prospect gurus.

The thing Andruw had at that age and was able to maintain for most of his big league career was unbelievable bat speed. He obviously had other tremendous tools, but plus-plus bat speed really gives a player a leg up offensively.

Acuna must have something going for him because he skipped the DSL. Could be the new regime is doing that with more guys, but even Peraza spent his first pro season in the DSL.

[nsacpi]

Acuna was not a big bonus baby either, signing for about 100K, well less than Yepez, Wilson, Baez and a couple others.

[smootness]

I don't know if the tools even remotely compare but:

Ronald Acuna (age 17) -- rookie level -- 201 AB, 54 H, 14 2B, 4 3B, 4 HR, 16 SB, .269/.380/.438/.818
Andruw Jones (age 17) -- rookie level -- 238 AB, 69 H, 14 2B, 3 3B, 3 HR, 21 SB, .280/.368/.412/.780

Andruw exploded during his age 18 season at Low A Macon, hitting 25 HR, 41 2B, and 5 3B in 537 ABs. It will be interesting to see what Acuna does this year. He's being talked up as a 5 tool guy by Kiley McDaniel and other prospect gurus.

That's interesting. Acuna certainly had a great year. If he has even half the talent Andruw had, then he'll be just fine. Next year will be huge for him; if he does anything close to what he did in rookie ball, he will fly up prospect boards.

[KB21]

That's interesting. Acuna certainly had a great year. If he has even half the talent Andruw had, then he'll be just fine. Next year will be huge for him; if he does anything close to what he did in rookie ball, he will fly up prospect boards.

McDaniel and others are anticipating a big increase in power production it seems.

[nsacpi]

Comments from Ben Badler on some of the players mentioned in this thread:

JT (IBC): Ronald Acuna or Isranel Wilson?

Ben Badler: Acuna. Wilson's definitely a prospect, and it's hard to discount the power he showed and the athleticism he has for his size, but Acuna is just a more well-rounded player across the board. I thought it might be closer, but the more scouts I talk to about them, there's a lot of agreement that they have Acuna over Wilson.

Tim (AZ): Austin Riley.....Just a hot start, ala former Braves first rounder Cody Johnson? Or a legit hitter that many thought was a better pitcher?

Ben Badler: Very legitimate prospect. Big time power, and yeah, there's some swing and miss in there, but he's a better hitter than people gave him credit for. It is rookie ball, but he's not just some big raw power stiff. What he has should translate at the upper levels. Credit to the Braves for being on him earlier than the rest of the industry.

Tim (AZ): Braves fans and quite frankly, the front office, seem to have a lot of eggs in the basket of Mallex Smith. Is he a legit 350 OBP, 50 SB guy? Or does he have trouble hanging around as a 4th outfielder.

Ben Badler: No, I don't see that happening. That's a rich OBP for someone who might have trouble slugging .350. He has a chance to become an everyday guy along the lines of a Ben Revere if everything comes together, but there's a good chance he's a fourth outfielder, which is useful to have for the league minimum.