Nationals Snatch Herrara Away from Royals (and Braves?)

[rico43]

Washington beat the Braves (and everyone else) to the punch Monday when they grabbed Kelvin Herrera away from the Royals for three minor leaguers.

It has been pretty much a consensus that Herrera was the best bullpen arm available, as he has merely has walked only two in 22 innings while amassing 14 saves and a 1.05 ERA. He had 26 saves last year and appeared in over 70 games in each year from 2014-2016. He was a two-tine AL all-star.

The Nationals traded Kelvin Gutierrez, who was a Class AA infielder at age 23; Blake Perkins., a switch-hitting outfielder who was hitting .234 in the Carolina League; and RHP Yohanse Morel, who is only 17 and pitching in the DSL. None was considered to be a top 30 prospect.

This is the first incident where I feel AA fiddled while Rome made a deal on a player who would have locked down the Braves bullpen. This is an ouchie.

[IslandBrave]

Washington beat the Braves (and everyone else) to the punch Monday when they grabbed Kelvin Herrera away from the Royals for three minor leaguers.

It has been pretty much a consensus that Herrera was the best bullpen arm available, as he has merely has walked only two in 22 innings while amassing 14 saves and a 1.05 ERA. He had 26 saves last year and appeared in over 70 games in each year from 2014-2016. He was a two-tine AL all-star.

The Nationals traded Kelvin Gutierrez, who was a Class AA infielder at age 23; Blake Perkins., a switch-hitting outfielder who was hitting .234 in the Carolina League; and RHP Yohanse Morel, who is only 17 and pitching in the DSL. None was considered to be a top 30 prospect.

This is the first incident where I feel AA fiddled while Rome made a deal on a player who would have locked down the Braves bullpen. This is an ouchie.

The Nationals gave up two prospects ranked between 10 and 15 plus a highly thought of Dominican guy. Not a whole lot, but certainly gave up something.

Our system is deeper, but it’s be like losing a Wilson / Wentz / Muller and Contreras.

[BeanieAntics]

The Nationals gave up two prospects ranked between 10 and 15 plus a highly thought of Dominican guy. Not a whole lot, but certainly gave up something.

Our system is deeper, but it’s be like losing a Wilson / Wentz / Muller and Contreras.

The Nationals gave up three guys that didn't even make their pipeline top 30. Pipeline is a crap website, but still if you are a prospect of note, you will usually appear in a team's top 30 unless it is an incredibly deep system. The Nats are not incredibly deep. Wilson/Wentz/Muller/Contreras would have all likely made the Nats top 15. Its not even close.

[BeanieAntics]

With that being said, what would a good comp for this return be? Something like Leudys Baez, Dilmer Mejia, and Derian Cruz? I don't really know. I know nothing about these Nats prospects outside of the fact that they aren't really that great.

[CJ9]

With that being said, what would a good comp for this return be? Something like Leudys Baez, Dilmer Mejia, and Derian Cruz? I don't really know. I know nothing about these Nats prospects outside of the fact that they aren't really that great.

Leudys Baez was released in March.

[UNCBlue012]

We definitely screwed the pooch on this one. We could have easily given more value and it not hurt us whatsoever.

[bravesfanMatt]

The Nationals gave up two prospects ranked between 10 and 15 plus a highly thought of Dominican guy. Not a whole lot, but certainly gave up something.

Our system is deeper, but it’s be like losing a Wilson / Wentz / Muller and Contreras.

I wouldn’t trade one of those guys for all three of those gNats prospects. Our 10 - 20 is not like the gNats.

[Enscheff]

The Nationals gave up two prospects ranked between 10 and 15 plus a highly thought of Dominican guy. Not a whole lot, but certainly gave up something.

Our system is deeper, but it’s be like losing a Wilson / Wentz / Muller and Contreras.

That’s not even close to the equivalent package from the Braves.

More like TD, DPete and a random J2 arm from last year’s class.

[Russ2dollas]

That’s not even close to the equivalent package from the Braves.

More like TD, DPete and a random J2 arm from last year’s class.

who knows with GMs these days.

Jeter wanted your number 1 guy in any trade. Didn't matter if the number 1 guy for one team would be number 5 for another.

Moore isn't going off of FV.

[thewupk]

who knows with GMs these days.

Jeter wanted your number 1 guy in any trade. Didn't matter if the number 1 guy for one team would be number 5 for another.

Moore isn't going off of FV.

Yeah that's pretty obvious. Royals were identified as a team to be taken advantage of and I believe they were. Just sucks it wasn't the Braves but the Nats that did it. I believe money was a big factor in any interest the Braves had. Could be the Braves only have room for one significant addition and are waiting on that.

[cajunrevenge]

wow I can't believe we didn't top that. Herrera is exactly what our pen needed. Never even heard of those Nats prospects. I am also still mad we didn't beat the Nats for Madsen and Doolittle.

[Super]

i strongly prefer a lefty for the pen, anyway. i would've taken KH. but ideally give me a lefty.

[Southcack77]

Figuring in all the deal money:

Baseball reference has the Braves payroll at 117-118m.
Sportrac at 122m
COT at 118


If we call it 118, then they are maybe 5 million under what they started at in 2017. They ultimately got about 4 million extra, I think to get Matt Adams. Given the way they sluffed money off at the end of last season and then started with a lower payroll this season, I'm guessing that was not viewed as sustainable under their budgeting.

The bump in attendance this year might let them extent back to that range. So maybe the Braves have about 10 million at the top end to play with.

Herrera's contract was 8 million. We're about a little more than a third through the season. EDIT - Rosenthal reports he is owed 4.4 million and the Nats will take on all that cost.

That one trade may well have been the whole Braves remaining budget and it might have been a case where the Royals were simply looking to slash payroll.

[Nerfherders]

Well, on to Brad Hand then?

[Enscheff]

Yeah that's pretty obvious. Royals were identified as a team to be taken advantage of and I believe they were. Just sucks it wasn't the Braves but the Nats that did it. I believe money was a big factor in any interest the Braves had. Could be the Braves only have room for one significant addition and are waiting on that.

KC still has Mous, and the Os still have Machado and a couple BP arms.

There's still time for AA to fleece one of the dumb FOs.

[CJ9]

Not surprising, but interesting to see it being written now: https://www.mlb.com/news/braves-pati...ne/c-281919888

The Braves have been one of the game's biggest surprises this season, their young team holding firm to first place in the National League East with the halfway point rapidly approaching.

Although Atlanta general manager Alex Anthopoulos has several areas of his roster that he could address in the coming weeks, a source with knowledge of the Braves' thinking doesn't anticipate a series of major moves coming between now and July 31.

"They can address a lot of areas, but they're not going to be able to address a lot of areas," the source said. "In a perfect world, they could use a bullpen guy, a front-of-the-rotation starter and a big bat, but they're not going to have the dollars to fill all those spots. They also don't want to use that much prospect capital to fill that many holes."

With their rebuild moving faster than expected, the Braves also plan to wait until mid-to-late July before making any move.

"They'll likely wait as long as they can because between now and July, there could be more players get injured, there could be dips in performance, things like that," the source said. "The needs today could be different than they are three or four weeks from now. The longer they wait, the more clearly defined the needs will be."

With the payroll nearing $120 million, Atlanta won't be in position to acquire a bench player making $4 million-$5 million or a middle reliever earning $6 million. It's also highly improbable that the Braves will be able to bring in a big-salary star, the source said, making Manny Machado an unlikely target.

"It's ridiculous," the source said of the constant Machado-to-Atlanta chatter.

With limited financial flexibility, the Braves will likely have one or two moves to make in the best-case scenario. With that in mind, Anthopoulos will want to make that move or two really count.

"They only have so many resources, whether it's money they can take on in salary or total players they'll be willing to move," the source said. "What if they make the move in June and then in July, it turns out that wasn't the primary need? Look at the Twins last year; they made a deal for Jaime Garcia and then turned around a week later and traded him away. [The Braves are] playing the slow game."

[IslandBrave]

That’s not even close to the equivalent package from the Braves.

Ok.

[Enscheff]

Ok.

You’re not even in the realm of being correct. The Nats gave up a couple FV 40s in their early 20s. All the guys you listed for the Braves hold more value.

[IslandBrave]

You’re not even in the realm of being correct. The Nats gave up a couple FV 40s in their early 20s. All the guys you listed for the Braves hold more value.

I said ok. You’re the all knowing. We bow down to your excellence.

[Heyward]

I said ok. You’re the all knowing. We bow down to your excellence.

Scheff is right here, he can be a butthole but the Nats didnt give up much.