Megathread: Braves lose Maitan, Bae and 10+ plus International Sanctions.

[Jaw]

Again, who the **** were we bundling? We blew past our cap in the signing period in which we signed Maitan, and we haven't signed a single guy for $300,000 that was on any radar whatsoever.

This has to be for the current signing period. Remember how surprised we all were that we got 500k when we are restricted on individual payouts? It makes more sense now.

I also wonder if the Dodgers willingness to give up international money for a busted prospect might have been part of a setup.

[striker42]

It took him 10 years and he still only got two years worth of contention.

And in the meantime he made plenty of questionable moves.

Welcome to the world of small market baseball. We can't compete with the money of teams like the Dodgers or Chicago. So we have to take years of rebuilding and then leverage everything to get a small window. After that you crash hard.

[The Chosen One]

Why the Dayton Moore hate? Have we forgotten he got the Royals a World Series? How many other GMs have won a title in one of MLBs smallest markets the last decade?

Look at how depleted their farm is.

At least when Wren got canned we were still the youngest team in MLB. There wasn’t a rush to build up the farm since we still had accomplished MLB talent. KC is basically boned now.

[Enscheff]

Have you ever seen this board happy with any decision?

I have no opinion on Moore.

I've seen this board plenty happy when the Braves make intelligent moves. Drafting Wright. Signing Suzuki to a cheap extension. The Swanson/Inciarte trade. The Inciarte extension.

There haven't been many good moves, but we celebrate the few we get wholeheartedly.

[Jaw]

Remember, MLB has a business to run, and it doesn't help business to give the Braves the "death penalty". I could see them putting restrictions on upcoming drafts for sure though.

No way they drop a death penalty type of sentence on America's team that JUST built a ballpark with taxpayer money. The days of local government funding parks would end immediately.

[striker42]

Look at how depleted their farm is.

At least when Wren got canned we were still the youngest team in MLB. There wasn’t a rush to build up the farm since we still had accomplished MLB talent. KC is basically boned now.

Hate to break it to you but if we want a chance at a title we're gonna have to leverage our farm. Big time. Keeping a top notch farm will just make our team a farm club for the Cubs.

[striker42]

I've seen this board plenty happy when the Braves make intelligent moves. Drafting Wright. Signing Suzuki to a cheap extension. The Swanson/Inciarte trade. The Inciarte extension.

There haven't been many good moves, but we celebrate the few we get wholeheartedly.

If that's the standard of what we're happy with then I understand why we're not often happy.

[Enscheff]

Hate to break it to you but if we want a chance at a title we're gonna have to leverage our farm. Big time. Keeping a top notch farm will just make our team a farm club for the Cubs.

I was told the Braves will have a Top 10 payroll

[Jaw]

Please keep Dayton Moore far away from this team.

[CyYoung31]

Welcome to the world of small market baseball. We can't compete with the money of teams like the Dodgers or Chicago. So we have to take years of rebuilding and then leverage everything to get a small window. After that you crash hard.

Oh, really? I thought Wren was fired because he let the farm go to waste after we had graduated all of our top prospects?

So, now it's acceptable?

[MadduxFanII]

I'm not exactly enthusiastic about Moore, but I do think it's easy to forget just how pathetic and hopeless the Royals were when Moore took over. They once cancelled their Negro League Day because ownership didn't want to shell out a few thousand bucks for special uniforms. The organization basically did nothing well, from top to bottom. In terms of organizational assets, the Braves of 2017 blow away the Royals of 2006. Their second-best player that year, by WAR, was a 36-year-old Mark Grudzielanak.

Again, that's not to say Moore is anything to be too excited about. He's definitely mis-managed the last two years, and there's undeniably an element of him leaping off a runaway train he had been controlling right before it runs off a bridge. But let's not underestimate just how impressive winning a World Series for the freaking Kansas City Royals really was.

[striker42]

Oh, really? I thought Wren was fired because he let the farm go to waste after we had graduated all of our top prospects?

So, now it's acceptable?

If Wren had won a series he'd still be the GM. If he had come close he'd still be the GM. When you make the blunders he did (Lowe, Upton, KK, Uggla) and beggar the farm, you're not keeping your job.

[rico43]

Trying to read between the lines in Passan's story for Yahoo! LINK

1) The improper benefits to a draft pick might well be Josh Anthony, trying to induce him to sign for the pittance available but actually getting paid under the table. Maybe he blew the whistle on the Braves when they didn't come back and draft him in 2017.

2) The bundling thing makes more sense if it is the 2017 group, with the $300 K limitation. Signing more than one player under an agent's control, he actually doles out the bonus in whatever amount he and the Braves would agree to. Count on us losing a few of the 2017 guys that way.

3) Could there be questions about the signing of Bae?

4) If it's true that Bowman shilled for Coppy, then there is an excellent chance that he's out on his ass as well. And deservedly so.

5) Prediction: if it is Dayton Moore, then Snitker gets one more year and Ned Yost rides in on his white horse for 2019 after his Royals deal expires.

[The Chosen One]

If Wren had won a series he'd still be the GM. If he had come close he'd still be the GM. When you make the blunders he did (Lowe, Upton, KK, Uggla) and beggar the farm, you're not keeping your job.

Only Uggla was a trade though. And we made the playoffs 3 times under Wren. That’s a lot better than what Dayton did for almost a decade before he went to playoffs twice.

[Jaw]

Moore has made some pretty serious blunders lately as weel, and farms don't get much leaner than his is now.

[zitothebrave]

If Wren had won a series he'd still be the GM. If he had come close he'd still be the GM. When you make the blunders he did (Lowe, Upton, KK, Uggla) and beggar the farm, you're not keeping your job.

No he lost his job because he tried to fire Fredi, who we all know is massively incompetent (see Kimbrel)

[nsacpi]

The most damning part of the Passan article is the part about the 2,000 word text messages. That is so wrong. And indicative of a lack of something. Lack of self-control, lack of understanding of social norms.. Reminds me of that episode where he blew up during an interview.

[Enscheff]

Wren got fired because the FO needed a fall guy to kick off the rebuild.

Coppy got fired because the FO needed a fall guy after the MLB team sucked in the magical 2017 season and revenue was far below projections.

[striker42]

The most damning part of the Passan article is the part about the 2,000 word text messages. That is so wrong. And indicative of a lack of something. Lack of self-control, lack of understanding of social norms.. Reminds me of that episode where he blew up during an interview.

Good point. That is really bizarre. Doubly so considering we're talking about business texts.

[CyYoung31]

If Wren had won a series he'd still be the GM. If he had come close he'd still be the GM. When you make the blunders he did (Lowe, Upton, KK, Uggla) and beggar the farm, you're not keeping your job.

Wren fielded a contender for six straight years, and one of the winningest teams in baseball during that stretch. I'd say longevity is more important than fluking into a World Series (at least the first appearance).