2020 Free Agents

rico43

rico43

<B>Director of Minor League Reports</B>
Reading this week that DOB is skeptical that Atlanta would sign Kimbrel after June 3rd, wondering what moves might be made between now and the trade deadline that helps the future as well as the present.

One part of it is the pending free agency market. Here are the current Braves who are 2020 free agents (and their 2019 $$$):

Josh Donaldson ($23 M)
Darren O'Day (remember him?) ($9 M)
Anthony Swarzak ($8.5 M)
Brian McCann ($2 M)
Jerry Blevins ($1.5 M)
Matt Joyce ($1 M)
Josh Tomlin ($1 M)
Andres Blanco (Gwinnett) ($850 K)

Julio Teheran ($12 M club option in 2020)
Tyler Flowers ($6 M club option for 2020)
Nick Markakis ($6 M club option for 2020)

It would seem to be an easy call to re-up Flowers at that number, and the math would certainly not kill the budget to keep Teheran and Markakis if they hold up over the whole season.
But what we keep hearing is the Braves will have money to spend for 2020. Of the above FAs, McCann might well be the best bet, as Jackson has not yet shown himself to be ready. One more year, maybe a McCann victory tour?

My favorite UFAs for 2020 (2019 $$$):

Rick Porcello ($21 M)
Marcell Ozuna ($12.2 M)
Madison Bumgarner ($12 M)
Corey Dickerson (on IL with shoulder strain) ($8.5 M)
Zack Wheeler ($5.9 M)
Jonathan Lucroy ($3.35 M)
Carlos Gonzalez ($2 M)

I happily appreciate disagreement and debate, so long as it doesn't get personal. If your response is to attack my character/heritage/sanity, I'll just close the thread and move on. I merely want to start thinking ahead.
 
I think the class is trash.

I think we have most spots locked down with good players who can be expected to trend up over large samples.

I think we need to figure out comargo. Is he the guy from last year? Is he the guy from last year but only if he plays every day? Is he the guy most ppl expected as last year was a fluke.

To me the only needs are
Left handed stud bat
Pitching

I don’t think you can tie up an of spot on a long term deal. Nor do I see a player worth offering a long term deal to.

I’d want peralta from the dbs. If jd accepts the qualifying offer you move inciarte and neck is your 4th of with Riley in lf. If he doesn’t then Riley plays third and you consider keeping inciarte.

For pitching id look to see if there is a good player on a short deal who is slightly overpaid or the team is tanking. Get that guy for very little prospect outlay and use sone of liberty’s money.
 
The Markakis option comes with a $2M buyout, so giving him an extra $4M to be on the roster in some capacity is a no-brainer as long as he’s a functioning human being.

Extending a QO to Donaldson is also a no-brainer if he posts a .850 OPS over 140+ games and ends the year healthy.

Flowers as part of the catching solution is also an easy choice.

If JD accepts the QO, Riley fakes it in LF for 2020, JD plays 3b, Markakis plays RF, Ender is the 4th OFer. In that scenario, there should be plenty of cash to bring Grandal in.

If JD turns down the QO, the Braves should still get Grandal, and then shop for another OFer. I think Ozuna could be a good fit, but there are many trade options as well.
 
A lot depends on what happens the rest of the 2019 season.

If Pache and/or Waters appears ready then you might see a Riley, Pache, Acuna of with Donaldson at 3B and Duvall 4th OF and Waters in the wings.

I think they will add SP in the offseason especially if Folty struggles.
 
Enscheff hates this idea but I’m still thinking on it. He puts way more thought into it. This is a half a sandwich thought at lunch.

Get peralta and grienke. I know grienke is owed 35 million for two more years. Zona isn’t winning and they should dump that deal. Grienke is still a good pitcher. He’s probably a 3-4 war pitcher those last two years. Overpaid but good.

Rationale. I don’t think liberty will spend on a free agent. Send Tehran and comargo the other way. Neck is fourth of. Neck starts 3x per week. Once when Riley spells Donaldson and once each for Riley and peralta. Zona seems bereft of lh pitchers. With grienke contract maybe you can send allard, Tehran and comargo? Didn’t do surplus value calc so I’m sure I’ll get killed there.

Acuna, Donaldson, ff, Riley, peralta, Swanson, Ozzie catcher is nasty. Grienke upgrades Tehran.

Peralta turns down the qualifying offer the year you can count on waters and/or pache.

But real life comes in at the end of the sandwich....can’t tie up 1/4 payroll with grienke.
 
I don't think there's any universe in which Teheran is a Brave next season (and I've always given him the benefit of the doubt). We are going to have about a half-dozen younger, cheaper guys to fill the back-end of the rotation. I don't know if Markakis can be the 4th OF because he can't play CF if needed. I could see him in a Matt Joyce+ role where he played against most RHP and sat the rest of the time. He has the makings of a good pinch-hitter as well. My guess is they will try to find a true 4th OF who is cheaper than Inciarte.
 
So to be clear...

The Braves are somehow going to unload Inciarte's contract, and then sign another 4th OFer?
 
Enscheff said:
So to be clear...

The Braves are somehow going to unload Inciarte's contract, and then sign another 4th OFer?
Click to expand...

Are you saying peralta is a 4th OF?

I'm looking at him as LH corner OF starter. He was basically 800 OPS two years ago. Over 850 last year. I think he is an 850 OPS guy this year and next. I think we really need another LH bat.

I think he's ok in the OF, not great.
 
Enscheff said:
So to be clear...

The Braves are somehow going to unload Inciarte's contract, and then sign another 4th OFer?
Click to expand...

I think they can trade Inciarte for something of value and get a different 4th OF for a net gain in financial flexibility. I don't have a problem with Markakis, but there's really a logjam if Riley sticks as the everyday LF (backing up at 3B).
 
I find it extremely unlikely JT is traded. Ok pretty sure a decision on his option must be made in the first few days after the WS. There is no reason why we would pick up the option unless we legitimately wanted him in the rotation in 2020. If he wasn't in our plans, there is no way we'd risk being stuck with the contract while we attempted to trade him.
 
Russ2dollas said:
Are you saying peralta is a 4th OF?

I'm looking at him as LH corner OF starter. He was basically 800 OPS two years ago. Over 850 last year. I think he is an 850 OPS guy this year and next. I think we really need another LH bat.

I think he's ok in the OF, not great.
Click to expand...

I should have quoted the post I was commenting on.

This notion that Inciarte is so bad now that he can't even be a starter for the Braves, yet the Braves will be able to trade him away and sign a replacement 4th OFer to save cash, is laughable.

Folks just can't quite understand that other teams aren't lining up to pay a bad contract.
 
Enscheff said:
I should have quoted the post I was commenting on.

This notion that Inciarte is so bad now that he can't even be a starter for the Braves, yet the Braves will be able to trade him away and sign a replacement 4th OFer to save cash, is laughable.

Folks just can't quite understand that other teams aren't lining up to pay a bad contract.
Click to expand...

I just think Inciarte is more valuable in a trade for help in other areas with Acuna in CF right now. Riley arrived ahead of time and that has created a playing time scramble. Inciarte is still a starter for someone. I guess I'm wondering what his ROI is as someone who is probably going to be a 400 PA guy instead of a 700 PA guy. Key question is whether Riley continues playing at the level he is playing. If he nosedives the second time through the league, Inciarte probably goes back into CF as the everyday guy and Riley is back in Gwinnett. Lots of scenarios here. Obviously the key is how well Riley continues to play. I wouldn't dump Inciarte for next-to-nothing and I wouldn't do it prematurely. Things need to play out. Off-season will probably hinge on who is valued more between Markakis and Inciarte and whether Riley is an adequate OF. Of course, the Donaldson situation also plays into things because if he were to leave, Riley moves in to play 3B. Lots of moving parts.
 
Tough to say what AA will do.

Good at 1/2 C with Flowers assuming option is picked up, good at 1B, 2B, SS, Riley somewhere, Acuna somewhere, Nick at 6M is a no brainer. Does JD accept the QO. Does AA sign an outfielder, does he pursue Grandal. Lot of options.

Teheran at 12 mil isnt a horrible deal but the Braves could use that money to better the team.

There's some good SP set to be FA's, but im not sure AA signs them to huge deals. Bullpen could use some arms but as we saw this winter, alot of those deals dont look good right now.

Some trade targets but hard to predict what AA will do given there's not a ton of gaping holes.
 
Inciarte's injury is very convenient for planning things. Awfully convenient. Keep thinking that Duvall's absence in Gwinnett (hasn't played since the 24th) is that he's on his way. Guess not. But he still not on the Gwinnett IL. Does he have a clause that allows him to become a FA on June 1?
 
rico43 said:
Inciarte's injury is very convenient for planning things. Awfully convenient. Keep thinking that Duvall's absence in Gwinnett (hasn't played since the 24th) is that he's on his way. Guess not. But he still not on the Gwinnett IL. Does he have a clause that allows him to become a FA on June 1?
Click to expand...

Duval has been side lined with sore back.
 
Opening day lineup is

C- Lucroy
1B- Freeman
2B- Albies
SS- Swanson
3B- Riley
LF - Acuna
CF- Inciarte
RF- Markakis

Donaldson is not offered QO.
Camargo is back in utility role to provide insurance for Riley at 3B.
AA pursued Grandal but didn't meet his price, settled for Lucroy.
AA pursued Bumgarner but didn't meet his price, settled for Wheeler.
Inciarte is back and DOB says the team is super excited to see what he can do now that he's finally healthy after battling nagging injuries throughout 2019.
Bowman has reason to believe the team is ready to call up Pache and Waters if Inciarte or Markakis struggle.
 
Jaw said:
Opening day lineup is

C- Lucroy
1B- Freeman
2B- Albies
SS- Swanson
3B- Riley
LF - Acuna
CF- Inciarte
RF- Markakis

Donaldson is not offered QO.
Camargo is back in utility role to provide insurance for Riley at 3B.
AA pursued Grandal but didn't meet his price, settled for Lucroy.
AA pursued Bumgarner but didn't meet his price, settled for Wheeler.
Inciarte is back and DOB says the team is super excited to see what he can do now that he's finally healthy after battling nagging injuries throughout 2019.
Bowman has reason to believe the team is ready to call up Pache and Waters if Inciarte or Markakis struggle.
Click to expand...


Did McCann retire or want too much money? Why are we screwing around with Lucroy?
 
Jaw said:
Opening day lineup is

C- Lucroy
1B- Freeman
2B- Albies
SS- Swanson
3B- Riley
LF - Acuna
CF- Inciarte
RF- Markakis

Donaldson is not offered QO.
Camargo is back in utility role to provide insurance for Riley at 3B.
AA pursued Grandal but didn't meet his price, settled for Lucroy.
AA pursued Bumgarner but didn't meet his price, settled for Wheeler.
Inciarte is back and DOB says the team is super excited to see what he can do now that he's finally healthy after battling nagging injuries throughout 2019.
Bowman has reason to believe the team is ready to call up Pache and Waters if Inciarte or Markakis struggle.
Click to expand...

Geez that'd be the worst offseason ever. If we don't offer Donaldson a QO in the scenario, this payroll would barely be 100 million.
 
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