Official 2024 Off-Season Thread!

[Enscheff]

Pretty much in line with my feelings on Gray.

Anthony
1:08 What are the chances of the Atlanta Braves landing Sonny Gray?
Steve Adams
1:10 Reasonable enough, though I'm more skeptical of it than most. Signing a relatively marquee free agent to a four-year deal just hasn't been in Alex Anthopoulos' playbook as the Braves' baseball ops leader. Marcell Ozuna is the only free agent he's signed for four years. He hasn't gone past three years on a free agent arm, and those deals have been exclusively for relievers (Will Smith, Joe Jimenez). I guess you can kind of count Reynaldo Lopez as a starter, since it seems they'll at least take a look at him in that role, but again, that's less than half the guarantee Gray will command and probably one year less than he'll get
1:11 Not saying it CAN'T happen, and the Braves certainly have the resources. But they're also in luxury tax territory already -- for a second straight year -- so you can add a 30% tax to whatever Sonny will get. We predicted 4/90, so add another $6.75MM onto that $22.5MM AAV this year. Do the Braves really want to spend around $29MM this season to add Gray to the rotation? Again, not saying it's impossible or anything, but I'm skeptical.

 

[Heyward]

We have a decent amount of money coming off next year. We're printing money thanks to the Battery. The luxury tax is what it is. Biggest concern for Gray is giving up the draft picks, not the contract he'll cost. Whatever SP we'll add will cost a decent amount, plus we still need to add to the bench, and figure out what to do with LF.

 

[GovClintonTyree]

If the plan is Strider/Fried/BP then it doesnÂ’t make any sense to add a #3 right now. If thatÂ’s the plan all available resources should be going towards LF now.

Strider/Fried/Morton, then bullpen as needed. And because dinosaurs like me are getting used to starters going 5-6 innings - or even less - it makes sense to plow additional resources into bullpen innings and less into starters. Which seems to be the AA way, except that he falls in love with an elder statesman starter every year and overpays him. Must say, I like Morton in that role more than Hamels or Keuchel.

But I'm OK with Sonny Gray. He's different and less risky because he's already made the transition into a 30-something who can get guys out without just blowing smoke. Kind of like Huddy his last few years here.

Max effort is what kills pitchers.

 

[zbhargrove]

This thread is eerily reminiscent of last year… “After everything else AA has done, he’s surely not going to leave SS/LF unaddressed.”

Obviously I am not suggesting that we don’t need another starter, or that AA doesn’t think we do… just pointing out the similarities between what we were saying last year, and what we are talking about now.

Last year we didn't clear out 10 roster spaces though and trade away one of our only two SS's

 

[zbhargrove]

I don't think we will get Gray simply because that's where the rumors are.

 

[Carp]

Assuming Yamamato isn't an option, I still like Stroman or E-Rod on 3 year deals. Maybe Seth Lugo too. I am not really interested in Montgomery at the rates being thrown around. I would stomach a Giolito 1 year signing in the hopes that he could regain his TOR form. Honestly, Kenta Maeda is looking better and better each passing day.

 

[Enscheff]

Assuming Yamamato isn't an option, I still like Stroman or E-Rod on 3 year deals. Maybe Seth Lugo too. I am not really interested in Montgomery at the rates being thrown around. I would stomach a Giolito 1 year signing in the hopes that he could regain his TOR form. Honestly, Kenta Maeda is looking better and better each passing day.

I have to think the value play is to wait until one of those guys is willing to take a 2 year deal. They are all effectively the same pitcher. If that value doesn’t present itself roll with the current guys.

Hard pass on Giolito and Flaherty for me tho.

 

[Enscheff]

And for the love of all that is good in the world, don’t give up draft assets for Gray to be the #3…or #4 if Morton is in top form.

 

[bravesnumberone]

Looking back at AA's larger offseason acquisitions since he became GM, a majority have happened before Christmas, and most of those happened in November. The exceptions were re-signing Markakis before 2019 (January), signing Ozuna the first time (January 2021), re-signing Ozuna (February, right before Spring Training), and Olson trade (March) because of the lockout. So I would expect something else significant to happen by the end of next week with the possible caveat being that we're actually serious about Yamamoto or Ohtani and waiting to see how those situations are resolved.

 

[bravesnumberone]

I do wonder if perhaps Lopez is being looked at a starter not as a backup option to one of the bigger free agents but to replace Elder as the 5 when Elder is traded in a deal for a LF or more established starter.

 

[Enscheff]

Joe
1:52 Seriously? How would past players view the modern game today?
Steve Adams
1:53 Most probably hate it. John Smoltz inexplicably gets paid to tell us how much he hates the current game at great length every time he's in the booth, ha.
(Minor soapbox moment, but hey MLB, if you wonder why you struggle to attract new fans, maybe stop paying a bunch of cranky old players to whine about analytics and lament the current state of baseball the whole time they're calling a game)

Ding ding ding!! Someone else gets it!!

 

[Super]

I have to think the value play is to wait until one of those guys is willing to take a 2 year deal. They are all effectively the same pitcher. If that value doesn’t present itself roll with the current guys.

Hard pass on Giolito and Flaherty for me tho.

This assumes one of them ends up needing to accept a two year deal. That’s not a guarantee.

 

[Carp]

Joe
1:52 Seriously? How would past players view the modern game today?
Steve Adams
1:53 Most probably hate it. John Smoltz inexplicably gets paid to tell us how much he hates the current game at great length every time he's in the booth, ha.
(Minor soapbox moment, but hey MLB, if you wonder why you struggle to attract new fans, maybe stop paying a bunch of cranky old players to whine about analytics and lament the current state of baseball the whole time they're calling a game)

Ding ding ding!! Someone else gets it!!

They need a mix of both. But there should certainly be a focus to bring in younger on-screen talent. Just like ESPN did with Pat McAfee.

That being said, Smoltz and other old schoolers have a lot of great input. And they are fun to listen to when they aren't harping on the way things used to be. The game with Boog and Chipper in the booth a couple years ago was classic. The games this year with Frenchy, Glavine, and Smoltz were fun too and the Braves fans seemed to thoroughly enjoy it.

 

[bravesnumberone]

Meh. I think whatever Smoltz says about analytics is pretty far down the list of why baseball struggles to attract new fans. Blackout rules and fairly terrible marketing of the stars in general are bigger issues. People won't start flooding sports bars to hear analysts talk about a player's "peripherals" any more than they're turning off Smoltz talking about how things were in '92.

 

[Carp]

Meh. I think whatever Smoltz says about analytics is pretty far down the list of why baseball struggles to attract new fans. Blackout rules and fairly terrible marketing of the stars in general are bigger issues. People won't start flooding sports bars to hear analysts talk about a player's "peripherals" any more than they're turning off Smoltz talking about how things were in '92.

This.

Blackouts are numero uno on why they have such issues attracting new fans.

 

[Enscheff]

This assumes one of them ends up needing to accept a two year deal. That’s not a guarantee.

That’s literally what I wrote in the second sentence you quoted.

 

[cajunrevenge]

I think AA is well aware that we cannot go into the season with Vaughn Grissom and Forrest Wall as the top options in LF. Loading up on power arms in the pen is not related to what he does about LF and the bench.

Why can't we go into the season with Grissom in LF? We will score plenty of runs even if Enscheff is the starting LF. It's also the position that's easiest to pick up at the trade deadline.

 

[Hudson2]

We talk about AA and not wanting to give up the draft picks and bonus money but he was willing to for Nola.

 

[Tapate50]

I must be in the minority that I just don’t hear them much and the only crews that actively bother me are the Sunday night baseball espn crew, mostly bc of Arod and that dude that has marbles in his mouth

 

[Carp]

Why can't we go into the season with Grissom in LF? We will score plenty of runs even if Enscheff is the starting LF. It's also the position that's easiest to pick up at the trade deadline.

For one, he hasn't played LF before.

I'm ok seeing what he's can do offensively for half a season as long as he can play good defense. Not passable defense. Not below average defense. But actually be a positive contributor defensively. So far, he's been a terrible defensive SS and an averageish 2b. That doesn't inspire a lot of confidence that he can be a good defender in LF.