nsacpi
Expects Yuge Games
And continue to waste the prime seasons of Freeman and Inciarte. Teams do not trade MLB position players for MLB pitchers.
The Braves will have to fill C, LF and 3B next offseason. I imagine 2 will be filled via FA, and 1 filled via trade.
C will likely be one of Flowers or Grandal, and following how they upgrade LF and 3B should finally make for a fun offseason for Braves fans.
Pitchers do get traded for hitters. Recent examples include Greinke (twice), Smyly, Taijuan Walker, Shields.
I think we have to balance "wasting" Freeman's and Inciarte's prime versus loading down the primes of Acuna, Albies, Soroka, Wright and Gohara with millstone contracts.
But I think we can put a solid 85-90 win team on the field in 2019 without taking a huge risk on someone like Donaldson.
Catcher extent Flowers 2 Wins
1st Freeman 5 wins
2nd Albies 3 wins
SS Swanson 2
3rd Trade Teheran for Todd Frazier 2 wins
RF Acuna 3 wins
CF Inciarte 3 wins
LF Trade Folty or Newcomb (whoever has the better 2018 season) plus Wentz or Wilson for Happ 3 wins
Rotation
Newcomb or Folty 2 wins
Gohara 3 wins
Soroka 3 wins
Wright 2 wins
Veteran pitcher 3 wins (can be signed or we can trade away Allard/Camargo/Fried/Sims).
Total from above 36 wins. Add 48 for replacement plus 4 from pen/bench. Et voila we have an 88 win team without compromising our financial flexibility in the years when Acuna, Albies, Soroka, Wright and Gohara will be in their primes. We hold on to our prime talent. And we have the ability to extent the ones we choose.