If I were Braves GM

Eh. Markakis is a solid player and is still young enough to be considered for a 3 year deal (may even get 4 from a team at a lower AAV) but consider the following for a moment:

Player 1 -- 8.0 fWAR, 2013-2014. 600 PA @ 114 wRC+ followed by 531 PA @ 103 wRC+. +9.2 and +21.6 DEF ratings. Will turn 31 in May of 2015.

Player 2 -- 2.5 fWAR, 2013-2014. 700 PA @ 88 wRC+ followed by 710 PA @ 106 wRC+. -14.1 and -2.5 DEF ratings. Will turn 31 in November of 2014.

Both are projected to earn roughly the same (say around $12-14m per for 3-4 years).

Player 1 is Chase Headley. Player 2 is Nick Markakis (who, mind you, had a 0 WAR just a year before-- albeit due to injury issues).

I'd advocate us going after Headley, dumping CJ (either independently or as part of a package deal), signing someone like Aoki, Hunter, etc. who projects to have similar (or slightly less) production than Markakis for a OF spot and go to war on the offense.
 
Enscheff said:
The O's just declined their half of the option they held on Nick Markakis, so add him to the list of potential OFers the Braves should target. Assuming he isn't offered a QO (and it doesn't look like he will be since the O's declined his $17M option in favor of a $2M buyout), his career .358 OBP (.364 vs RHers, .344 vs LHers) would look pretty good at the top of the Braves lineup.

He will probably end up being too expensive for the Braves budget (~3yr/$40M), but a top 5 of Heyward, Markakis, Justin, Freddie, and Gattis would be a nice start. I would expect Aoki to put up very similar OBP to Markakis over the next 2-3 years and be much cheaper (by over half), so I would rather see the Braves target him instead.

As it currently stands, I would rank my preferences on OFers based on cost/performance as:

1. Aoki

2. Fowler

3. Markakis

4. Hunter

5. Rios (he would have to come cheap to even be an option though)
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Would LOVE to get Fowler and that .375 OBP but I don't see any way Houston lets him go He's still in the arbitration years.
 
NYCBrave said:
Would LOVE to get Fowler and that .375 OBP but I don't see any way Houston lets him go He's still in the arbitration years.
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The idea I read was that Fowler is in the last year of arb and will make $9M+. They could trade him for young controllable BP help (like Shae Simmons) and slide Marisnick (sp?) to CF. This could also help clear salary to make a run at Tomas since they barely missed out on Abreu and Tanaka.

Fowler is probably not likely, but he is someone the Braves should at least inquire about.
 
Fowler is a free agent after the 2015 season. Would love to have him as well but probably would have to overpay a god bit for him.
 
Enscheff said:
The idea I read was that Fowler is in the last year of arb and will make $9M+. They could trade him for young controllable BP help (like Shae Simmons) and slide Marisnick (sp?) to CF. This could also help clear salary to make a run at Tomas since they barely missed out on Abreu and Tanaka.

Fowler is probably not likely, but he is someone the Braves should at least inquire about.
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Definite should inquire about, but I have a hunch he'd cost quite a bit more than a bullpen arm
 
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