Heyman: Why The Braves Traded Kimbrel

Wisler was a consensus top 50 prospect... better than anyone we got from Heyward, Upton, or Gattis...

That's good value for an expensive - albeit dominant - closer

I don't think he was in Law's top 100......but I know he was top 50 easily in BA. I don't look at any others...
 
Based on Heymans article it seems there were a few teams interested in Kimbrel by himself. I think a reasonable argument could be made that he could have fetched a top 20 prospect if everthing broke Atlantas way.

I thought it was a great trade but if there was a potential to get a top 20 talent then an alternative should have been investigated. I'm not sure that BJ should have just been dumped but that could have been done because the Braves are going to make a run at either Justin/Heyward/Price this offseason. But, at this point we are speculating.
 
Like we have said for years the time to trade Kimbrel is when a team gets desperate and over pays. Only reason I can see the Padres making this trade is if ticket sales didn't match what they hoped after making big moves this offseason.

To get a top prospect like Wisler and the 41st pick for dumping all that salary is highway robbery. We could literally afford to sign Heywood for 20+ million now.

Still hate to lose Kimbrel. The pen looks lights out without him but we will always wonder how good it could have been.
 
Funny how, in the end, it wasn't so much the players traded but the money involved. IF Melvin were making less $$, he could have been released ("fired") for poor job performance. Kimbrel was the prime choice to trade because of his large salary.

But MLB doesn't need a salary cap of any kind....
 
Best trade of the offseason by any team in baseball. We got so much in return for Kimbrel it's absurd. I mean a guy with good potential to be a good #3 starter, a not useless outfield prospect, an early round pick, a boat load of money and Melvin is gone. He's gone.
 
Just watch Craigs numbers so far!

He is only 2 ER shy of his numbers of 2012, 4 of 2103 and has half of the runs from last season and that with only 1 month into the season.
Let's see what he did in his 2nd month.
 
Just watch Craigs numbers so far!

He is only 2 ER shy of his numbers of 2012, 4 of 2103 and has half of the runs from last season and that with only 1 month into the season.

Let's see what he did in his 2nd month.

Kimbrell: 8.2 IP, 9 hits, 5 runs, 1 HR, 10/4 K/BB

Grilli: 9.0, 6, 4, 1, 14/3

Small sample size, I know.
 
Trading Kimbrel was a no-brainer but he is going to have another monster season just like he always does.
 
Trading Kimbrel was a no-brainer but he is going to have another monster season just like he always does.

He is going to be in the upper echelon of closers. But IMO his best days are behind him. That's not to say he won't be great but his legendary 2012 season won't be repeated and his numbers to start this year aren't encouraging in certain areas.
 
Back
Top