Around Baseball Offseason Thread

Julio3000 said:
"But there is still reason to plan for the strong possibility that he could end up in left field before his contract expires after the 2020 season."

It's not even Bowman. A bot writes those articles based on memos from the Johns, and tosses in a couple of "reason to X" sentences to nail down the style.
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Maybe O'Brien will break away from his all important reporting on the history of hipster music and point out the fact that the Braves missed an eval on olivera's ability to play third base? I regret that question. I'm interested in knowing DOT's comments on cheesy hipster music and hipster restaraunt reviews. Where can I get a mediocre taco?
 
Finding out his capabilities as a third baseman is just one of those things that we have to let play out. Similar to giving a few more months to Peterson as the regular second baseman. Every year there are a couple positions like that where you go into the season not sure whether the guy penciled in for a job can actually hold it down.

You just have to be ready with a plan B if things don't turn out.
 
weso1 said:
Maybe O'Brien will break away from his all important reporting on the history of hipster music and point out the fact that the Braves missed an eval on olivera's ability to play third base? I regret that question. I'm interested in knowing DOT's comments on cheesy hipster music and hipster restaraunt reviews. Where can I get a mediocre taco?
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Olivera plays third? I thought LF was where they've always planned to put him.

Now, on to the stuff Braves fans are starved for: indie rock, American singer-songwriters, and mediocre tacos.
 
Julio3000 said:
Olivera plays third? I thought LF was where they've always planned to put him.

Now, on to the stuff Braves fans are starved for: indie rock, American singer-songwriters, and mediocre tacos.
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I thought he only played LF for us this year. Shallow, sure, but I thought that was a result of his incredible range. What's this 3B nonsense?
 
Just a point to ponder for those assuming Teheran will be shopped...or the Cubs would be interested...or that Hart (and everyone else in the front office) should be fired if Olivera's not an All-Star 3B for the Braves prior to the end of his contract, take a little extra time to think through several scenarios - not just the first one that catches your fancy. As in...

Maybe they decide in the next few weeks that Olivera IS better suited for LF. After his initial struggles, less people seemed to be quite so down on his bat. If you then assume he's your 20 HR/80+ RBI bat for LF for the next 5 seasons at $6,500,000/year as opposed to $20+/year to land a J-Up/Cespedes/Heyward/Gordon, you now have those resources to spend elsewhere, right?

So let's just imagine the Cubs ARE interested in Teheran for a bat. Both teams' OFs are "set" for the time being. They appear to be committed to Soler, and seem to be more concerned about the MI surplus than anything else. Given the cost-certainty Soler and Castro provide them (and Castro's adjustments and apparent willingness to slide over for Russell at SS), they'd be much better off eliminating another potential explosive arbitration salary if they're serious about working out an Arrieta extension since Bryant, Russell, and Schwarber could all see significant raises coming each offseason moving forward.

Again, everything any of us say is simply a guess. But given the above, it would seem that a Teheran and Maybin for Baez and Willson Contreras deal would make all kinds of sense for both sides. I'm still not a fan of Baez and the strikeouts (and my guess is that the Braves' brass isn't big on it either), but that kind of trade would seem to make sense for both sides. Teheran gives them an inexpensive, cost-certain rotation option, and Maybin bridges the gap to Almora or McKinney in CF and/or McKinney/Ian Happ in LF if they do think Scwarber can handle things behind the plate in the future.

The Braves could use the money saved on Teheran's deal plus Maybin's money to try to sign Miller to an extension. You'd have then potentially gotten your LF, your 3B, and your C WITHOUT having spent ANY of the available financial resources.

2016 Cubs:

CF- Maybin, LF- Schwarber, 3B- Bryant, 1B- Rizzo, RF- Soler, C- Montero, 2B- Castro, SS- Russell

Rotation: Arrieta, Lester, Teheran, ???, ???

2016 Braves:

CF- Bourn/Smith, LF- Olivera, 1B- Freeman, 3B- Baez, RF- Markakis, C- Bethancourt/Contreras, 2B- Peterson/Castro, SS- Simmons

Rotation: Free-Agent, Miller, Wisler, ???, ???

Again, that's all pie-in-the-sky thinking. However, you would then be in a position to add one of the "Aces" with the available funds you have now and still have money to spend on pen upgrades, and you'd then have Bourn and Swisher coming off the books for another big expenditure next winter (even if it were taking on salary by trading from the pitching depth like in years past). The point everyone keeps making is that there's more than one way to rebuild - remember that 2017 and beyond is the goal, not this winter. When Albies is ready, he slots in in the 2-hole and you move Olivera down.
 
Millwood1Hitter said:
And here I was assured that we had our Scott Rolen or Travis Fryman to pencil in at third over the next few years, now not so much?

The Olivera move is just baffling. It was baffling at that time, and unbelievably gets more baffling as time goes on.

One of those deals that makes me wonder what the hell is going on in there (in the office and brain sense).

I wonder what's next? Simmons doesn't have the offense to be an everyday shortstop but he's got the arm to be a pitcher? Bethancourt can't catch but he can run so maybe we can move him to center?

If Olivera can't handle an infield position with his expected offensive productivity, then this move was a massive dud for the Braves.
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Bethancourt is Dale Murphy?
 
The fact that we're already talking about moving Olivera off third is hilariously pathetic. The Johns went on and on about the point of the move was to get the big bopper locked down at 3B bc it's tougher to fill.

Looks like our scouting department failed us. A simple subscription to BA could have told us that he was not a good defender
 
Apropos of nothing, Sims apparently kicked some ass in the AFL today. 4Ks, 1BB in 3 IP, sitting 94-98. 26 strikes in 36 pitches, per DOB (who managed to get out to Arizona and do some reporting).
 
sturg33 said:
The fact that we're already talking about moving Olivera off third is hilariously pathetic. The Johns went on and on about the point of the move was to get the big bopper locked down at 3B bc it's tougher to fill.

Looks like our scouting department failed us. A simple subscription to BA could have told us that he was not a good defender
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I agree that they were blinded by their lust that was generated before they were outbid by the Dodgers. However, not all is lost. He could end up as a decent 1B or OF, assuming that he CAN'T play 2B.

I am on record that the Braves need to continue to churn the team to gather talent to be really good in 2017 and beyond. So, I will say plan to play Olivera at 1B and trade Maybin and Freeman to Cleveland for OF Frazier & Naquin, 1B Bradley and C Mejia. Olivera mans 1B until Bradley is ready and you have Swisher to play there as needed for 2016.

By moving Freeman and Maybin you free an additional $20M short term dollars (and significantly more long term dollars) to go sign a TOR pitcher like Greinke or Price AND still be able to add a veteran catcher like Weiters.
 
MadduxFanII said:
Apropos of nothing, Sims apparently kicked some ass in the AFL today. 4Ks, 1BB in 3 IP, sitting 94-98. 26 strikes in 36 pitches, per DOB (who managed to get out to Arizona and do some reporting).
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Must be some big concert spectacle with no one we've ever heard of going on out in the desert within the week.

:facepalm:
 
Horsehide Harry said:
I agree that they were blinded by their lust that was generated before they were outbid by the Dodgers. However, not all is lost. He could end up as a decent 1B or OF, assuming that he CAN'T play 2B.

I am on record that the Braves need to continue to churn the team to gather talent to be really good in 2017 and beyond. So, I will say plan to play Olivera at 1B and trade Maybin and Freeman to Cleveland for OF Frazier & Naquin, 1B Bradley and C Mejia. Olivera mans 1B until Bradley is ready and you have Swisher to play there as needed for 2016.

By moving Freeman and Maybin you free an additional $20M short term dollars (and significantly more long term dollars) to go sign a TOR pitcher like Greinke or Price AND still be able to add a veteran catcher like Weiters.
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Problem is there's no evidence that Olivera's bat is good enough to play in LF and certainly not 1B. I was hoping he could play 2B bc I'm not sure his bat will stick at third either.
 
sturg33 said:
Problem is there's no evidence that Olivera's bat is good enough to play in LF and certainly not 1B. I was hoping he could play 2B bc I'm not sure his bat will stick at third either.
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There isn't exactly evidence that it's not, either. I hope he's a baller, but I guess we will find out! I'm more worried about his defense than offense.
 
sturg33 said:
Problem is there's no evidence that Olivera's bat is good enough to play in LF and certainly not 1B. I was hoping he could play 2B bc I'm not sure his bat will stick at third either.
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The biggest problem with him is that his best aspect of him is that he's cheap.
 
sturg33 said:
Problem is there's no evidence that Olivera's bat is good enough to play in LF and certainly not 1B. I was hoping he could play 2B bc I'm not sure his bat will stick at third either.
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I agree that best case is that he can play 2B. However, it appears that few believe that he can man 3B.

Most believe that he has a .280, 20+ HR bat with decent OBP. If he is that, and only that, and plays reasonably good defensive 1B, then the Braves can get by with him there in 2016 and 2017. OR, he plays LF and the Braves pick up a relatively cheap 1B like Morneau to play 1B. The key for me is using Olivera to fill a hole and moving Freeman to bring back multiple pieces with the expectation that within two years you are filling 2-3 holes PLUS utilizing the money you WOULD have paid Freeman to fill another hole. Sure, short term, the trade of Freeman CREATES a hole, but long term, which is what the Braves are building for, it works.
 
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