Morosi: Braves interested in Machado

The Tariff King

Trade War Deadline Winner
Staff member
Didn't see this posted yesterday.

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Seems like generic obvious tweet to me. Surprised we're openly interested in Machado though. Seems the more the Nats struggle, the more likely AA pursues relievers to fend off the Phillies.

Oh well, can't deny it's great to be almost at the all-star break and we're fantasizing of trades that will actually help us get to the playoffs this season rather than trades of us flipping vets for talent to help us make the playoffs in a few years. :eusa_dance:
 
Obviously Machado would be exciting, but we're gonna need some pitching to make it through the year. Get us Liriano/Happ and a good reliever without giving up a top 10 prospect and call it a day.
 
I’m all for it but not for some of the packages I’ve seen some sites throw out there. Wright or anybody of that caliber can’t be used for a few month rental. The thought of Machado and a really good reliever does make your mouth water though.
 
New Morosi article: https://www.mlb.com/news/manny-machado-could-factor-into-nl-east-race/c-284331142

"Meanwhile, the Braves have ample pitching prospects to trade, even if Sean Newcomb (8-3, 3.10 ERA) and Mike Soroka (now injured) are unavailable. Of Atlanta's top seven prospects according to MLBPipeline.com, all but third baseman Austin Riley (No. 6) are pitchers. So, general manager Alex Anthopoulos could part with two top arms and still have plenty of depth.

That doesn't mean he will.

In fact, one source highly doubts the Braves would offer right-hander Ian Anderson (No. 4) and left-hander Max Fried (No. 7) for Machado, because the team (a) believes both pitchers have high ceilings and (b) views the bullpen as a more pressing need."
 
New Morosi article: https://www.mlb.com/news/manny-machado-could-factor-into-nl-east-race/c-284331142

"Meanwhile, the Braves have ample pitching prospects to trade, even if Sean Newcomb (8-3, 3.10 ERA) and Mike Soroka (now injured) are unavailable. Of Atlanta's top seven prospects according to MLBPipeline.com, all but third baseman Austin Riley (No. 6) are pitchers. So, general manager Alex Anthopoulos could part with two top arms and still have plenty of depth.

That doesn't mean he will.

In fact, one source highly doubts the Braves would offer right-hander Ian Anderson (No. 4) and left-hander Max Fried (No. 7) for Machado, because the team (a) believes both pitchers have high ceilings and (b) views the bullpen as a more pressing need."


Yeah with the emergence of Camargo and Swanson providing elite defense I don't think someone like Machado is likely at all. Especially when you consider what it would take, the Braves more pressing needs, and the payroll availability.
 
Yeah with the emergence of Camargo and Swanson providing elite defense I don't think someone like Machado is likely at all. Especially when you consider what it would take, the Braves more pressing needs, and the payroll availability.

Don't see it either, but...

hearing us mentioned lately as being on the periphery makes you wonder if AA thinks he can re-sign him after he's had a couple months here during a pennant race. Would be a HUGE gamble (obviously), but wouldn't a Dansby/Anderson package be more appealing for Baltimore than Duplantier/Chisholm?

If you made that deal, you leave Johan at 3B and free-up SS for Machado - showing him that you wanted him badly enough to move what most considered as a cornerstone piece to clear the position he wants for him. If he walks, you could always consider moving Ozzie back to SS, Camargo to 2B, and sliding Riley in at 3B.

Not saying I'd do it either, but it's not like renting him for a run this year - when the NL looks like it's going to be there for the taking - would absolutely destroy you for the future, and you never know whether potentially making a deep run into October could be a difference-maker when he's weighing his options for his future.
 
Geez I hope we dispense with the Machado rumors as soon as possible. Its bad for my stomach. The Braves don't need a starting 3rd baseman or SS right now. They need someone to extend the bench and possibly platoon occasionally with Camargo. Me and nsacpi have suggested Solarte. Trading for Machado is a terrible idea given that he is not good defensively at SS and Camargo looks very good at 3rd
 
Geez I hope we dispense with the Machado rumors as soon as possible. Its bad for my stomach. The Braves don't need a starting 3rd baseman or SS right now. They need someone to extend the bench and possibly platoon occasionally with Camargo. Me and nsacpi have suggested Solarte. Trading for Machado is a terrible idea given that he is not good defensively at SS and Camargo looks very good at 3rd

It will also be nice when he signs elsewhere so we can stop hearing the "makes you wonder if AA thinks he can re-sign him after he's had a couple months here during a pennant race" blabber as well.

Of course the Braves are interested in Machado. Of course they are doing due diligence to see what it would cost to acquire him. Of course folks around here will daydream on the impossible scenarios where the Braves trade for him and then resign him cheap because he loved it in Atlanta sooooo much.
 
Geez I hope we dispense with the Machado rumors as soon as possible. Its bad for my stomach. The Braves don't need a starting 3rd baseman or SS right now. They need someone to extend the bench and possibly platoon occasionally with Camargo. Me and nsacpi have suggested Solarte. Trading for Machado is a terrible idea given that he is not good defensively at SS and Camargo looks very good at 3rd

You do realize that Machado greatly improves our bench right? He's a good defender at third and makes Camargo a very strong and versitle bench/utility option. And we get another MVP caliber player in the lineup. Depending on the cost, how exactly could this be anything close to a huge mistake?
 
If we traded for him, and we put him at ss, would his defensive shortcomings be something to worry about? Would going from great defense and meh bat in Swanson to awful defense and a great bat in Machado actually improve us?

https://www.theringer.com/mlb/2018/...rioles-worst-defense-manny-machado-adam-jones

excerpt:

The other chief offender is the Orioles’ best player, Manny Machado, who while enjoying his best-ever season at the plate is also en route to the worst defensive season on record. Not just his own worst defensive season—the worst for any player, at any position (positional adjustments aside). Machado has already reached negative-20 DRS this year—that’s the second-worst total at any position in 2018, on a list that also includes Jones and Mancini in the bottom five—and is thus on pace to hit nearly negative-40 for the season. Since 2002, the worst single-season DRS total is negative-33, for Matt Kemp in 2010; only six players have gone even 30 runs under.
 
If we traded for him, and we put him at ss, would his defensive shortcomings be something to worry about? Would going from great defense and meh bat in Swanson to awful defense and a great bat in Machado actually improve us?

https://www.theringer.com/mlb/2018/...rioles-worst-defense-manny-machado-adam-jones

excerpt:

The other chief offender is the Orioles’ best player, Manny Machado, who while enjoying his best-ever season at the plate is also en route to the worst defensive season on record. Not just his own worst defensive season—the worst for any player, at any position (positional adjustments aside). Machado has already reached negative-20 DRS this year—that’s the second-worst total at any position in 2018, on a list that also includes Jones and Mancini in the bottom five—and is thus on pace to hit nearly negative-40 for the season. Since 2002, the worst single-season DRS total is negative-33, for Matt Kemp in 2010; only six players have gone even 30 runs under.

The Braves are not going to put Machado at SS if they acquired him. That's only been suggested by fanboy blog/forum posts.
 
If we traded for him, and we put him at ss, would his defensive shortcomings be something to worry about? Would going from great defense and meh bat in Swanson to awful defense and a great bat in Machado actually improve us?

https://www.theringer.com/mlb/2018/...rioles-worst-defense-manny-machado-adam-jones

excerpt:

The other chief offender is the Orioles’ best player, Manny Machado, who while enjoying his best-ever season at the plate is also en route to the worst defensive season on record. Not just his own worst defensive season—the worst for any player, at any position (positional adjustments aside). Machado has already reached negative-20 DRS this year—that’s the second-worst total at any position in 2018, on a list that also includes Jones and Mancini in the bottom five—and is thus on pace to hit nearly negative-40 for the season. Since 2002, the worst single-season DRS total is negative-33, for Matt Kemp in 2010; only six players have gone even 30 runs under.

If the Braves trade for Machado he will not be playing SS.

I'll go out on a limb and predict he isn't playing SS anywhere in 2019.
 
You do realize that Machado greatly improves our bench right? He's a good defender at third and makes Camargo a very strong and versitle bench/utility option. And we get another MVP caliber player in the lineup. Depending on the cost, how exactly could this be anything close to a huge mistake?

the problem essentially is the contender's premium that gets paid for this kind of player
 
If Camargo hadn't shown to be so dangerous batting RHed I would be in favor of paying market price for a Machado rental.

However, given that Machado is going to cost $100, and a Camargo/someone platoon is going to cost $5, I have to lean towards going with the Camargo platoon.

We must remember AA is dealing with the Os though, so all bets are off on what the cost for Machado might be. If he can fleece them into taking Fried and Wisler, then that's obviously a different story altogether.
 
If Camargo hadn't shown to be so dangerous batting RHed I would be in favor of paying market price for a Machado rental.

However, given that Machado is going to cost $100, and a Camargo/someone platoon is going to cost $5, I have to lean towards going with the Camargo platoon.

We must remember AA is dealing with the Os though, so all bets are off on what the cost for Machado might be. If he can fleece them into taking Fried and Wisler, then that's obviously a different story altogether.

The more I think about it, the more I kinda hope we don't get someone to be a strict platoon with Camargo and get someone versatile enough to give him spot starts almost everywhere. Just someone who can come in and give us an upper echelon bench bat. Then maybe as an occasional platoon with Camargo. I like what I've seen from Camargo and I want to give him every opportunity to prove he can hit righties and be an everyday 3rd baseman. With that said, there is no doubt that we need some help on the bench. I just hope it comes from someone that isn't going to cut in to Camargo's at bats too much. I'd still like to see him get 200 more plate appearances this year. I was highly skeptical of him last season, but this new revelation that he might actually have some power and plate discipline could vault him from super utility to bonafide starter territory.
 
That's why I said depending on the price.

Well you did ask how exactly this could be a huge mistake and the price is the 'how' in that equation. Paying the contender's premium for Machado would almost certainly hit us harder than we would like on the prospect front. Sure, if we can get him for some low level, low upside guys in A ball, who wouldn't go for that? But that isn't what the cost is going to be.
 
Camargos splits are pretty even... Better obp hitting lefty but better power hitting righty

In 2018 teams aren't looking at OPS over a sample of a couple hundred total PAs to determine these things. They are looking at exit velocities, launch angles, spray angles, swing rates, and contact rates. That data is the most predictive available.

Camargo hits the ball well RHed, not so much LHed.

If they upgrade 3B it will either be someone who hits RHPs hard, or a legit stud like Machado.

I would estimate something like:

50% chance they get a soft platoon partner for Camargo.
40% chance they let Camargo play everyday.
10% chance they get Machado.
 
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