The most likely scenario is Albies gets a new extension that somewhat rectified how underpaid he is, and gets the team 2-3 more years of control. Then if guys on extensions start to decline too much (specifically Olson and Riley), and Fried is gone, dealing Acuna/Albies in the 2026ish timeframe to kickstart a rebuild becomes a possibility.
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VirginiaBrave
Well-known member
Am I? What the Braves are doing is rebuilding on the fly one player at a time. Fried will be next probably delt at the 2024 deadline. I doubt we will see a complete 2014 style tear down with the new rules as long as the Braves can stay competitive in the East and in fringe contention.
I've never heard Acuna say he likes white people. He must be a racist.
zbhargrove
Well-known member
Was more your Mr. Flash comment... we know you have a weird unfounded hatred for Ronnie
Braves and Freeman negotiations were at least a little bit affected by the lockout. And Freeman signed an objectively worse deal with the Dodgers. Freeman overplayed his hand.
Also, I would hardly call Swanson a cornerstone.
How exactly would you propose a team full of guys in their early 20s who just won a WS followed by a 101 win season go about rebuilding other than replacing the players they lose one by one? You want an overhaul of the championship caliber roster projected to be the best team in MLB so you have an exciting list of transactions to follow in the offseason?
And I'll take you up on that "Fried will be next probably delt at the 2024 deadline" moronic statement as a bet. Name the stakes and I'm in...though we may have to rewrite the comment into something resembling English.
VirginiaBrave
Well-known member
You just alluded in 4121 that Fried's days as a Brave were likely dwindling. How is my statement any different? Under the current regime, it is clear the Braves are not paying top dollar for anyone if free agency is reached. Mr. Overrated Ronnie will be in pinstripes as soon as he has the opportunity to make it happen.
You dont extend most of your core if you are rebuilding. You trade them for prospects like they did in 2014
There is a difference between letting Fried go in free agency vs trading him at the 2024 trade deadline. Why would the Braves trade their likely best starter in what likely is a contention season?
VirginiaBrave
Well-known member
Point is, you won't see them extended again. Albies, Acuna, Harris, and Murphy will all be mid-career by the time their current deals end. If current patterns hold they will let each walk rather than extend them. Doubles will be ready for retirement by age 35 or 36. I don't look for any of the starting nine except for Grissom to sign an extension with the Braves. Ozzie could be the possible exception.
Well let's just see what happens years down the road without making assumptions,
VirginiaBrave
Well-known member
If you know you can't re-sign him there is no way you just let him play out his deal and walk without getting something back. Starting pitching is the most valuable position in the game and he could bring back a nice future piece.
His value to the team in the playoffs is greater than any return for half a season.
CyYoung31
Shift Leader
Like they did for Freeman? Or Dansby?
VirginiaBrave
Well-known member
I will concede that. I don't know if the Braves will, but I will. The neat part about this possibility is it makes the complete tear-down routine a thing of the past.
VirginiaBrave
Well-known member
Those two proved the Braves aren't paying top dollar for anybody once they hit free agency no matter who they are. Starting pitching is a different animal altogether. Fried has probably already turned down extension overtures we will see.
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CyYoung31
Shift Leader
You just said the Braves weren’t going to hold onto him and get nothing for him, even during a contention year. If they aren’t going to pay top dollar for anyone, then why wouldn’t they have traded Freeman or Dansby during their final years?
VirginiaBrave
Well-known member
On Dansby--Honestly, I don't think there was ever any intention to bring him back. They made an in-season offer at their price knowing full well he would turn it down. Once that happened he was all but gone. You can't trade a player like Swanson as the defending champs coming off the Freeman debacle. It would have looked every bit as bad as the Butler/Barker saga of 1983
On Freddie--If we could wind the clock back he would be a Brave right now but not to be. The agent played a role, and the lockout played a role, but I feel like AA kind of got caught I don't feel he expected Freeman's agent to play such hardball and I don't believe Freeman expected to ever get to free agency. So the idea of a divorce between the two wasn't even thought about until it happened.