Braves sniffing around on Yelich, Realmuto

Trading Ender to get Yelich makes no sense. Having an Acuna, Ender, Yelich outfield would be the plan. I could see Ender shopped in a few years but not in this deal.

Disagree. I think Yelich is the better CF option. I think he's a better overall player. Then you could Fill LF with any number of people. Your overall value will be high.
 
Disagree. I think Yelich is the better CF option. I think he's a better overall player. Then you could Fill LF with any number of people. Your overall value will be high.

If you have Acuna, Yelich AND Ender, the defense in that outfield is outstanding. You essentially have three centerfielders who can cover a ton of ground. I doubt Ender is actually in the deal, Marlins would want prospects in return for Yelich without taking salary back.
 
That's still at least 1 FV 50 guy short. Someone like Newk or Fried would have to be included.

I consider those 3 guys to be the cream of the non-Acuna crop. I would not part with that package for Yelich.

I like almost all of our guys for one reason or another.

I would feel some pain to move Dansby, Gohara, Wright, Soroka, Pache and Wilson. I don't want to lose Allard or Riley, etc but they are not on the same level for me. Albies and Acuna would be off limits IMO.

But you have to give up something. If we can keep 2/3 of the Gohara, Wright and Soroka group and get Yellich I have to think we are in a good place.

As much as I hate it, I think any deal for Yellich that does not include Ender has to have Pache in it for value and for the Yellich replacement for the Marlins.
 
If you have Acuna, Yelich AND Ender, the defense in that outfield is outstanding. You essentially have three centerfielders who can cover a ton of ground. I doubt Ender is actually in the deal, Marlins would want prospects in return for Yelich without taking salary back.

Marlins could flip him. They could need some positive press of having a player to watch on their team. He's not owed much.

You could have Yellich and Acuna and Riley if LF if you sign Frazier. You could go out and get a free agent slugger to add much needed RH hitting with thump. You can do a lot.

I'm not saying I'd do it. I don't think it's likely. But I could see it happening from the Marlins side.

I do think it's more likely that if we get Yellich that the Braves look to move Ender. 3 CF for defense makes a lot of WAR arguments and fits AA's defense quotes. That said we need more thump in the line up.
 
Marlins could flip him. They could need some positive press of having a player to watch on their team. He's not owed much.

You could have Yellich and Acuna and Riley if LF if you sign Frazier. You could go out and get a free agent slugger to add much needed RH hitting with thump. You can do a lot.

I'm not saying I'd do it. I don't think it's likely. But I could see it happening from the Marlins side.

I do think it's more likely that if we get Yellich that the Braves look to move Ender. 3 CF for defense makes a lot of WAR arguments and fits AA's defense quotes. That said we need more thump in the line up.

Thats where next winter comes into play. Braves could have around 50-60 mil to spend next winter. Get Donaldson and have a core of catcher, FF, Albies, Swanson, Donaldson, Yelich, Ender and Acuna, thats a lineup with versatility and defense which AA likes.
 
In terms of prospects/young players, only Albies and Acuna should be off limits...everyone else should be available for Yelich and Realmuto (although I prefer just Yelich).
 
Thats where next winter comes into play. Braves could have around 50-60 mil to spend next winter. Get Donaldson and have a core of catcher, FF, Albies, Swanson, Donaldson, Yelich, Ender and Acuna, thats a lineup with versatility and defense which AA likes.

There is some speed in that lineup.
 
While there is some chance that Camargo/Riley develop in a way that obviates a need for a third baseman, I think next off-season we will target 3 areas:

1) left field (the guys I think we could trade for include Happ, Kepler, Cespedes).

2) third (I think there is a good chance we trade for someone from this years free agent class...Moose or Todd Frazier).

3) A starting pitcher (guys like Greinke, Cueto, Samardzija come to mind).

The currency will be starting pitching, including some guys not quite ready for the majors.

Say Folty for Kepler. Fried for Todd Frazier. Wentz and Touki for Samardzija.

2019 Rotation would be: Teheran, Samardzija, Gohara, Newcomb, Soroka (with Allard and Wright in AAA)

Lineup would be:

1. Inciarte CF
2. Albies 2B
3. Freeman 1B
4. Acuna RF
5. Kepler LF
6. Frazier 3B
7. Flowers C (extented)
8. Swanson/Camargo SS

Doing things this way avoids risky mega contracts to guys like Donaldson and Machado. It allows us to keep our most promising prospects. It gives us the flexibility to hold on to them as they get more expensive. Waiting a year to fill third gives us time to evaluate Camargo and Riley.
 
Disagree. I think Yelich is the better CF option. I think he's a better overall player. Then you could Fill LF with any number of people. Your overall value will be high.

This notion that Yelich is a good defender is baffling.

According to UZR, he has been a negative in CF his entire career. Inciarte has been above average or elite every year in CF by this metric.

According to Statcast's Outs Above Average and Catch Percentage Added he has been below average for all OFers. Again, Inciarte is elite in both metrics.

Yelich is pretty clearly the worst defender out of the potential Inciarte/Acuna/Yelich trio, and will almost certainly be playing LF if this trade miraculously goes down.
 
While there is some chance that Camargo/Riley develop in a way that obviates a need for a third baseman, I think next off-season we will target 3 areas:

1) left field (the guys I think we could trade for include Happ, Kepler, Cespedes).

2) third (I think there is a good chance we trade for someone from this years free agent class...Moose or Todd Frazier).

3) A starting pitcher (guys like Greinke, Cueto, Samardzija come to mind).

The currency will be starting pitching, including some guys not quite ready for the majors.

Say Folty for Kepler. Fried for Todd Frazier. Wentz and Touki for Samardzija.

2019 Rotation would be: Teheran, Samardzija, Gohara, Newcomb, Soroka (with Allard and Wright in AAA)

Lineup would be:

1. Inciarte CF
2. Albies 2B
3. Freeman 1B
4. Acuna RF
5. Kepler LF
6. Frazier 3B
7. Flowers C (extented)
8. Swanson/Camargo SS

Doing things this way avoids risky mega contracts to guys like Donaldson and Machado. It allows us to keep our most promising prospects. It gives us the flexibility to hold on to them as they get more expensive. Waiting a year to fill third gives us time to evaluate Camargo and Riley.

I think of all the stupid mega contracts proposed by folks on these boards over the years, Donaldson is the one that has a legit chance of happening.

AA had to hound Beane for a while to get Donaldson, so we know he really likes him.

AA punted 2018 to clear payroll space for the offseason Donaldson will be available.

The Braves have repeatedly said they only want a 1 year stop gap at 3B.

The Braves have had complete garbage at 3B since Chipper retired.

If the Braves are going to give any FA $150M+, it will be Donaldson. The plan should be to have him play 3B until Freeman's contract expires, and then shift Donaldson across the diamond to play out the last years of his contract.
 
Donaldson is going to get a 5-6 year deal covering his age 33-37 or 38 seasons. That's a pretty high risk stretch in any player's career.

I would rather make trades like the one AA made for a younger Donaldson under better contractual terms.
 
Donaldson is going to get a 5-6 year deal covering his age 33-37 or 38 seasons. That's a pretty high risk stretch in any player's career.

Agreed. However, he is projected at 6+ fWAR next year. Even applying a fairly aggressive aging curve would still project him to produce ~15 fWAR over the length of his next contract. While his defense is certainly declining, it should remain nearly average until Freeman's contract expires.

I'm on the fence with whether or not giving Donaldson $150M is a good idea for the Braves, but it is the most plausible mega contract the Braves could dole out. If Riley proves to be fools gold I think the chances of the Braves signing Donaldson increase even further.
 
Agreed. However, he is projected at 6+ fWAR next year. Even applying a fairly aggressive aging curve would still project him to produce ~15 fWAR over the length of his next contract. While his defense is certainly declining, it should remain nearly average until Freeman's contract expires.

I'm on the fence with whether or not giving Donaldson $150M is a good idea for the Braves, but it is the most plausible mega contract the Braves could dole out. If Riley proves to be fools gold I think the chances of the Braves signing Donaldson increase even further.

I think it may be the most plausible as well with the history from AA. The one drawback is his defense has seemingto trend down over the last 4 years and last year was his 1st year to go on the Dl since 2012. It's what you'd expect from someone 32 years old, but it's a worry if you're talking about anything over a 3 year deal.
 
This notion that Yelich is a good defender is baffling.

According to UZR, he has been a negative in CF his entire career. Inciarte has been above average or elite every year in CF by this metric.

According to Statcast's Outs Above Average and Catch Percentage Added he has been below average for all OFers. Again, Inciarte is elite in both metrics.

Yelich is pretty clearly the worst defender out of the potential Inciarte/Acuna/Yelich trio, and will almost certainly be playing LF if this trade miraculously goes down.

did not know that. Than maybe Acuna in CF.

If Yelich is going to be an 800 OPS LF with only avg LF defense then I'm paying less.
 
Again, to me we are just one year too soon from making a mega trade. Julio will be traded this year. Newcomb and fried ...we still don’t really know what we have and this will be a make of break year for Folty. Gohara is the only pitcher most of us feel confident about. We have a ton of pitching behind those guys and if we play our cards right at the deadline, we can add the right MLB or high prospect outfielder. Will he be the same as Yelich...no. We will keep our farm in tact going forward though with a ton of room in the budget next year. 2019 is THE year. The pitchers should (or not) pan out. Prospect like Pache and Waters should be giving us a good idea by then as to if we even need “that” outfielder. We will not contend this year and I’m ok with that. Waiting that one extra year could payoff huge in say 2022 and on.
 
The thought of having the number 2 or 3 offensive catcher in all of baseball who can also steal bases (and under 30 and who's become a very good framer), plus Yelich's speed to add to Acuna/Inciarte/Albies speed plus Freeman/Acuna/Yelich/Realmuto power is definitely intriguing. If you can add a veteran starter or two plus plug Donaldson in at 3rd in the next two years.... all the sudden we can be a very good team.
 
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