GDT-- Thurs 3/15, Tigers

[jimsnores]

I honestly can't believe people are seriously debating whether or not Acuna should be brought up before 4-13-18. The rules are what they are, and it would be financial idiocy to bring him up before that. No amount of goodwill is going to offset multiple millions of dollars when it comes time to extend or lose Acuna. I'd love to see a historic extension that allowed the Braves to keep him longer than they are going to, but if he's as good as we all hope and think, he's also as good as gone at 27, unless you want to trade a year for about ten games, and change that to 26.

[thethe]

I know the braves are going to do it and within the confines of the rules in place it doesn't make sense otherwise. That doesn't mean I have to like it for the plyer and the organization.

Everyone cites Kris Bryant but he hasn't signed an extension yet. Maybe he doesn't care about that missed time. That's a possibility and maybe it doesn't impact acuna as well.

[bravesfanMatt]

Has Bryant not signed a contract because he’s mad at the cubs or do you think it might be more likely he knows he can make more money if he goes to free agency and have teams compete for his services. I mean do you think it’s right that players who were treated correctly by the team still refuse extensions and choose to go to free agency because they can make more money . Baseball is a business both players and owners need to treat it that way

[nsacpi]

Has Bryant not signed a contract because he’s mad at the cubs or do you think it might be more likely he knows he can make more money if he goes to free agency and have teams compete for his services. I mean do you think it’s right that players who were treated correctly by the team still refuse extensions and choose to go to free agency because they can make more money . Baseball is a business both players and owners need to treat it that way

I think his choice of agent tells you what his mindset is.

[BeanieAntics]

I know the braves are going to do it and within the confines of the rules in place it doesn't make sense otherwise. That doesn't mean I have to like it for the plyer and the organization.

Everyone cites Kris Bryant but he hasn't signed an extension yet. Maybe he doesn't care about that missed time. That's a possibility and maybe it doesn't impact acuna as well.

I remember reading that Bryant is as good as gone once he is eligible. He will at least test free agency. And I think very little of that has to do with the fact that he was brought up early and more to do with the fact that he realizes he will make a lot more money in FA. I think any reasonable person in that situation would look at it the same way. I get that you don't like the rule, but its nothing but good for the organization. They get to sacrifice two weeks for a full year and its just one of those things that some players have to deal with.

I think sometimes people don't like to look at contract negotiations as adversarial, but they are and they should be. Both sides should be trying to screw the other side as much as possible, until something reasonable for both sides can be agreed upon. So if part of the process gives the organization an opportunity to use one of the rules to its advantage, they should take it. Once the tables are turned and Acuna is able to hit free agency, no favors will be given no matter what. Its gonna be pay me or bye felicia.

[thewupk]

Not Keeping Acuna down is dumb. I don't believe AA to be dumb. He will make the right decision.

[msstate7]

Not Keeping Acuna down is dumb. I don't believe AA to be dumb. He will make the right decision.

I hope AA starts him in Atlanta for the pure joy of reading everyone lose their minds here. By the time acuna is a FA, we will have won 4 WSs anyway. 2 months from now, trout will be the watered down American version of acuna

[Southcack77]

I remember reading that Bryant is as good as gone once he is eligible. He will at least test free agency. And I think very little of that has to do with the fact that he was brought up early and more to do with the fact that he realizes he will make a lot more money in FA. I think any reasonable person in that situation would look at it the same way. I get that you don't like the rule, but its nothing but good for the organization. They get to sacrifice two weeks for a full year and its just one of those things that some players have to deal with.

I think sometimes people don't like to look at contract negotiations as adversarial, but they are and they should be. Both sides should be trying to screw the other side as much as possible, until something reasonable for both sides can be agreed upon. So if part of the process gives the organization an opportunity to use one of the rules to its advantage, they should take it. Once the tables are turned and Acuna is able to hit free agency, no favors will be given no matter what. Its gonna be pay me or bye felicia.

I think that you probably just have to roll the dice that a player isn't going to resent you making a reasonable financial decision enough to cause a problem six years down the road. After all, you have plenty of opportunity along the way to try and make it up to him.

[thewupk]

I hope AA starts him in Atlanta for the pure joy of reading everyone lose their minds here. By the time acuna is a FA, we will have won 4 WSs anyway. 2 months from now, trout will be the watered down American version of acuna

It will just be a worse version of when it happened with Swanson and Albies

[smootness]

The chances of him not signing an extension with the Braves when he otherwise would have solely because of his anger as a result of keeping him down two weeks are certainly lower than the chances of him testing FA and probably quite a bit lower than the chances of him re-signing with the Braves, so it's far more important for us to get the 7th year than to try to earn any additional goodwill and in so doing losing that extra year.

You keep him down. AA knows this. It is what we will do.

[msstate7]

He will start in Gwinnett. It’ll be interesting if tucker is hitting... will AA bring acuna up at the first date we gain the year?

[thewupk]

The Braves have aggressively promoted him to even get him to this point. You could easily spin it that he is in a position to make bank in his prime years because of this team.

This is a very valid point. The Braves could have easily slowed the promotion train down and have him just reach AAA this year. There was little chance of him ever becoming a free agent after the 2023 season.

[bravesfanMatt]

This is a very valid point. The Braves could have easily slowed the promotion train down and have him just reach AAA this year. There was little chance of him ever becoming a free agent after the 2023 season.

He a 20. He could be starting AA this year. He is in position that he is in because he is good and his team rewarded him aggressively for being so good. Even though it was small samples.

[thethe]

Acuna earned every promotion. The team just made the clear evaluation that he was too good for that league. The accelerated promotion track was partly due to him being hurt the year prior. Acuna should have started 2017 at AA and would have had he not been hurt in 2016.

[Southcack77]

He a 20. He could be starting AA this year. He is in position that he is in because he is good and his team rewarded him aggressively for being so good. Even though it was small samples.

He has an agent. The agent isn't going to let him believe the Braves did him a favor by promoting him for their own self interest in wanting to rush him up.

Dude mashed and got promoted. It's his talent, not the Braves good hearts that has him where he is.

In the end, each side is going to make a business decision and neither side is prevented from doing something later that would give some of it back.

These decisions aren't generally made based on sentiment. The call of the market and huge dollars is going to be the main factor weighing against Atlanta. It may well be that the Braves are best served by losing him once the control is ended.

[bravesfanMatt]

He has an agent. The agent isn't going to let him believe the Braves did him a favor by promoting him for their own self interest in wanting to rush him up.

Dude mashed and got promoted. It's his talent, not the Braves good hearts that has him where he is.

In the end, each side is going to make a business decision and neither side is prevented from doing something later that would give some of it back.

These decisions aren't generally made based on sentiment. The call of the market and huge dollars is going to be the main factor weighing against Atlanta. It may well be that the Braves are best served by losing him once the control is ended.

That wasn’t my point. My point was that it is just as likely that he thinks he is in position to hit free agency sooner because his team did him solid by aggressively promoting him than him not signing with the Braves because he is mad. Neither is going to happen. But I can too also spin a myth into a positive outcome just as quickly as someone can spin the myth that he is going to be pissed so the Braves have no shot at signing him.

I want to try and buy out FA years as fast as possible. But want to protect that 7th year just in case you can’t.

[smootness]

That wasn’t my point. My point was that it is just as likely that he thinks he is in position to hit free agency sooner because his team did him solid by aggressively promoting him than him not signing with the Braves because he is mad. Neither is going to happen. But I can too also spin a myth into a positive outcome just as quickly as someone can spin the myth that he is going to be pissed so the Braves have no shot at signing him.

I want to try and buy out FA years as fast as possible. But want to protect that 7th year just in case you can’t.

Protecting that 7th year also helps in the negotiation of an extension, not just as a fall back in case you don't. Controlling him for that 7th year gives us additional leverage in any extension talks.

[Russ2dollas]

I know the braves are going to do it and within the confines of the rules in place it doesn't make sense otherwise. That doesn't mean I have to like it for the plyer and the organization.

Everyone cites Kris Bryant but he hasn't signed an extension yet. Maybe he doesn't care about that missed time. That's a possibility and maybe it doesn't impact acuna as well.

Bryant hasn't signed an extension b/c his agent is Boras. Those guys do not do that.

Bryant was also a high pick.

Acuna was a 100 K signing. The Braves have money. They need to do the Longoria deal with more money. 8/100 million. Pay the man.

This is where I expect the money to go next year. I think we extend Acuna, Swanson and Albies. Likely trade for someone and extend them. I don't think we'll sign a premium FA. Probably land 1 of the second tier guys and a Catcher.

[nsacpi]

Bryant hasn't signed an extension b/c his agent is Boras.

The choice of agent is a tip-off in many of these situations as to how open a player might be to a extension.

I do think sentiment plays a role in some cases. I'm not talking about sentiment as in anger a player might feel about being sent down for 10 games. I'm talking about how he feels about the team, city, fans. I put team first because success with the guys you came up with in the minors seems to be something a lot of players attach some importance to. Acuna already seems to have formed a strong friendship with Albies. Hopefully, those two have great careers and ride off into the sunset as Braves. On team-friendly deals of course.

[Enscheff]

I think that you probably just have to roll the dice that a player isn't going to resent you making a reasonable financial decision enough to cause a problem six years down the road. After all, you have plenty of opportunity along the way to try and make it up to him.

The Cubs did pay him $650k in his second season, and a record (I think) $1M+ his 3rd season. They could have simply renewed his contract for the minimum those years. They have also awarded him with a record setting arbitration salary without going to a hearing.

The Cubs are treating Bryant just fine. He is going to test FA because that’s the smart thing for players in his position to do...just like it was smart for the team to hold him down a couple weeks.

Acuna will be plenty rich either way. There won’t be any reason other than pure business responsible for him being a Yankee in 2025.