Donaldson in 2019

[nsacpi]

And continue to waste the prime seasons of Freeman and Inciarte. Teams do not trade MLB position players for MLB pitchers.

The Braves will have to fill C, LF and 3B next offseason. I imagine 2 will be filled via FA, and 1 filled via trade.

C will likely be one of Flowers or Grandal, and following how they upgrade LF and 3B should finally make for a fun offseason for Braves fans.

Pitchers do get traded for hitters. Recent examples include Greinke (twice), Smyly, Taijuan Walker, Shields.

I think we have to balance "wasting" Freeman's and Inciarte's prime versus loading down the primes of Acuna, Albies, Soroka, Wright and Gohara with millstone contracts.

But I think we can put a solid 85-90 win team on the field in 2019 without taking a huge risk on someone like Donaldson.

Catcher extent Flowers 2 Wins
1st Freeman 5 wins
2nd Albies 3 wins
SS Swanson 2
3rd Trade Teheran for Todd Frazier 2 wins
RF Acuna 3 wins
CF Inciarte 3 wins
LF Trade Folty or Newcomb (whoever has the better 2018 season) plus Wentz or Wilson for Happ 3 wins

Rotation
Newcomb or Folty 2 wins
Gohara 3 wins
Soroka 3 wins
Wright 2 wins
Veteran pitcher 3 wins (can be signed or we can trade away Allard/Camargo/Fried/Sims).

Total from above 36 wins. Add 48 for replacement plus 4 from pen/bench. Et voila we have an 88 win team without compromising our financial flexibility in the years when Acuna, Albies, Soroka, Wright and Gohara will be in their primes. We hold on to our prime talent. And we have the ability to extent the ones we choose.

[Hudson2]

If we were gonna trade for Frazier we could just sign him this offseason.

[Enscheff]

Pitchers do get traded for hitters. Recent examples include Greinke (twice), Smyly, Taijuan Walker, Shields.

I think we have to balance "wasting" Freeman's and Inciarte's prime versus loading down the primes of Acuna, Albies, Soroka, Wright and Gohara with millstone contracts.

But I think we can put a solid 85-90 win team on the field in 2019 without taking a huge risk on someone like Donaldson.

Catcher extent Flowers 2 Wins
1st Freeman 5 wins
2nd Albies 3 wins
SS Swanson 2
3rd Trade Teheran for Todd Frazier 2 wins
RF Acuna 3 wins
CF Inciarte 3 wins
LF Trade Folty or Newcomb (whoever has the better 2018 season) plus Wentz or Wilson for Happ 3 wins

Rotation
Newcomb or Folty 2 wins
Gohara 3 wins
Soroka 3 wins
Wright 2 wins
Veteran pitcher 3 wins (can be signed or we can trade away Allard/Camargo/Fried/Sims).

Total from above 36 wins. Add 48 for replacement plus 4 from pen/bench. Et voila we have an 88 win team without compromising our financial flexibility in the years when Acuna, Albies, Soroka, Wright and Gohara will be in their primes. We hold on to our prime talent. And we have the ability to extent the ones we choose.

I think I’d like to see the Braves set their sights a little higher for LF and 3B than whatever MLB ready player they could get for Teheran.

And if Folty becomes a 3 win guy they won’t be looking to trade him for at least 1 more season.

[nsacpi]

If we were gonna trade for Frazier we could just sign him this offseason.

It would make sense if we had the budget and the price was reasonable.

[nsacpi]

I think I’d like to see the Braves set their sights a little higher for LF and 3B than whatever MLB ready player they could get for Teheran.

And if Folty becomes a 3 win guy they won’t be looking to trade him for at least 1 more season.

My view is we trade high on 2 of whichever of Folty, Teheran and Newcomb post the best 2018 seasons. I don't view any of them as core players and we have guys like Soroka and Wright who should be ready in 2019 and could well be part of the core.

[Skeeter31]

My view is we trade high on 2 of whichever of Folty, Teheran and Newcomb post the best 2018 seasons. I don't view any of them as core players and we have guys like Soroka and Wright who should be ready in 2019 and could well be part of the core.

But what are we really going to get in return for any of those 3 pitchers? We’re basically trading our rejects and hoping for a major return.

[zitothebrave]

Here's my concern, Donaldson will be 33 when that happens. Not many players go on and post amazing seasons from 33-36/37.

But there is a 3B in the market worth sniffing in Chase Headley, He'll be a year older but likely could be had for like a 2/20 contract or something.

[nsacpi]

Here's my concern, Donaldson will be 33 when that happens. Not many players go on and post amazing seasons from 33-36/37.

But there is a 3B in the market worth sniffing in Chase Headley, He'll be a year older but likely could be had for like a 2/20 contract or something.

I would aim higher. Eugenio Suarez or Javier Baez could be a target. A couple guys on the FA market this year (Moose and Todd Frazier) might be decent trade acquisitions a year from now.

[nsacpi]

But what are we really going to get in return for any of those 3 pitchers? We’re basically trading our rejects and hoping for a major return.

If Folty or Newcomb is coming off a 3 WAR season, they will not be considered one of our "rejects." There will be a good market for them.

[Southcack77]

I don’t see the necessity of taking on a contract that will definitely be bad in three years and might well be bad sooner just to fill out a 85-90 win team. Particularly not when your core is very young and there will certainly be other cheaper options available.

If you were signing a 28 year old to that deal then it would be worth it.

[Enscheff]

If Folty or Newcomb is coming off a 3 WAR season, they will not be considered one of our "rejects." There will be a good market for them.

If the Braves have 3 years of arb control over a pitcher that just posted 3+ wins they would be insane to trade him. That simply doesn’t happen with contenders.

If Newk posts 3 wins and they trade him and his 5 years of control...well...that would defeat the whole point of trying to grow SPs.

[Enscheff]

I don’t see the necessity of taking on a contract that will definitely be bad in three years and might well be bad sooner just to fill out a 85-90 win team. Particularly not when your core is very young and there will certainly be other cheaper options available.

If you were signing a 28 year old to that deal then it would be worth it.

Folks don’t seem to understand that a 28 year old Donaldson is Machado, who the Braves will have no chance to sign.

The Braves have a chance to sign a 5+ win player for one reason...because he is old. It either makes sense as a win now move, or it doesn’t, but saying “if he was 28 it would be different” is pure silliness.

If he were 28 he wouldn’t be an option.

[Southcack77]

Folks don’t seem to understand that a 28 year old Donaldson is Machado, who the Braves will have no chance to sign.

The Braves have a chance to sign a 5+ win player for one reason...because he is old. It either makes sense as a win now move, or it doesn’t, but saying “if he was 28 it would be different” is pure silliness.

If he were 28 he wouldn’t be an option.

Then don't do it. Throwing away 28 million dollars of payroll. For three years while your young core hits its prime isn't worth being a fringe playoff team while they are improving.

[thethe]

If Folty or Newcomb is coming off a 3 WAR season, they will not be considered one of our "rejects." There will be a good market for them.

Especially Newk considering he would have 4 years of control left. He would not only not be considered a 'reject'. He would be one of the the top assets on the market.

[thethe]

Then don't do it. Throwing away 28 million dollars of payroll. For three years while your young core hits its prime isn't worth being a fringe playoff team while they are improving.

I'd rather spend 40M on Harper than 28 on Donaldson.

[thethe]

Pitchers do get traded for hitters. Recent examples include Greinke (twice), Smyly, Taijuan Walker, Shields.

I think we have to balance "wasting" Freeman's and Inciarte's prime versus loading down the primes of Acuna, Albies, Soroka, Wright and Gohara with millstone contracts.

But I think we can put a solid 85-90 win team on the field in 2019 without taking a huge risk on someone like Donaldson.

Catcher extent Flowers 2 Wins
1st Freeman 5 wins
2nd Albies 3 wins
SS Swanson 2
3rd Trade Teheran for Todd Frazier 2 wins
RF Acuna 3 wins
CF Inciarte 3 wins
LF Trade Folty or Newcomb (whoever has the better 2018 season) plus Wentz or Wilson for Happ 3 wins

Rotation
Newcomb or Folty 2 wins
Gohara 3 wins
Soroka 3 wins
Wright 2 wins
Veteran pitcher 3 wins (can be signed or we can trade away Allard/Camargo/Fried/Sims).

Total from above 36 wins. Add 48 for replacement plus 4 from pen/bench. Et voila we have an 88 win team without compromising our financial flexibility in the years when Acuna, Albies, Soroka, Wright and Gohara will be in their primes. We hold on to our prime talent. And we have the ability to extent the ones we choose.

Personally i think you are being too bearish on Albies/Acuna/Gohara/Newk. Concerned how much defensive value Inciarte will have in 2019. I would be open to a trade whereby you acquire assets for Inciarte and include them in a package for Yelich. Acquire a 1 year bridge in 2019 for either CF/LF until Pache is ready to take over in CF.

[Carp]

Especially Newk considering he would have 4 years of control left. He would not only not be considered a 'reject'. He would be one of the the top assets on the market.

4 years? You mean 6?

[thethe]

4 years? You mean 6?

This would be after 2018. Thought he reached the threshold for a pitcher this year for 1 year but that clearly didn't happen.

He would have 5 years left after 2018 and would be one of the highest valued assets on the market if he came off of a 3 Win season.

[Carp]

Yes sorry, 5 years is what I meant. Typo

[nsacpi]

Personally i think you are being too bearish on Albies/Acuna/Gohara/Newk. Concerned how much defensive value Inciarte will have in 2019. I would be open to a trade whereby you acquire assets for Inciarte and include them in a package for Yelich. Acquire a 1 year bridge in 2019 for either CF/LF until Pache is ready to take over in CF.

when you do this sort of exercise it becomes clear this is going to be a contending team in 2019 whether you go the Donaldsonian route or the one I suggested...the big issue to me is constructing the 2019 team in a way that preserves financial flexibility and enhances your chances for a long window of contention