TUESDAY FINAL THREAD 5/9 .... Acuna debuts big in AA

[Hawk]

Colon, Dickey, Garcia, Phillips were veterans on one year deals who cost no significant assets to acquire. That's the story there.

Is liquidity not an asset? Colon/Dickey/Garcia make up ~30% of the team's payroll. That's neither here nor there, though.

Kemp is still a bit of a mystery to me. I think perhaps he might have been a buy low play (the Braves were paid to take him), though it has always been a peculiar one to me. I guess it was an attempt to open an early window if things went just right. Not sure what the opportunity cost actually has been, but its not insignificant.

Ironically, Kemp is the guy who made the most sense to me. He's a huge name on a team that was lacking brand and he smacks home runs (like it or not, the thing that casual fans relate to the most). Also wanted to play for Atlanta.

[smootness]

Ok, but what you've just stated is kind of the entire point of a rebuild. Acquire young, high ceiling talent in exchange for moving your proven/reliably projectable talent (or, as you put it, 'guys we know more about'). I don't see the Braves as having been any more or (necessarily, although last year's draft might serve as a counter-point) any less aggressive than other rebuilding teams in acquiring high-risk, high-reward talent. Do you?

I do, yes. We have gone about as young as we possibly could have at the top of both of the last two drafts, we invested heavily in the international market (not itself a unique strategy, but that is the youngest talent available), and we have consistently acquired high-upside talent in trades, even with risks present.

Mallex for Gohara
Povse for Jackson
Fried as the centerpiece of the Upton deal coming off TJ
Gattis for Folty

I'm not saying we've done it in every single deal. Getting Wisler, for example, wasn't a targeting of the highest upside possible. But even in those deals, we tend to add additional pieces for the purpose of grabbing more upside lottery tickets, like Riley, or getting the pick that was used on Wentz in the Olivera deal.

I'm not saying it's a groundbreaking new strategy. But I do think we've focused more on pure upside than most other rebuilds. Taking Allard is another example. We could have gone with a safer pick, but we liked Allard's talent enough to ignore the risk of the back injury.

[Southcack77]

Is liquidity not an asset? Colon/Dickey/Garcia make up ~30% of the team's payroll. That's neither here nor there, though.



Ironically, Kemp is the guy who made the most sense to me. He's a huge name on a team that was lacking brand and he smacks home runs (like it or not, the thing that casual fans relate to the most). Also wanted to play for Atlanta.

Kemp isn't exactly liquid as his last two teams have paid to get rid of him.

Acquiring one year deals is a lot more liquid than that.

Not real clear what else braves would have done with the cash -- committed themselves long term at a premium for a backup catcher that can't hit?

Maybe something will come up though...

[TheBravos]

I'm fine with splitting his pay with someone, if it brings back great prospects. Still some relief and you get something back from the HO mess.