And in three years when we are paying him 35 mil a year (FOR ANOTHER SEVEN YEARS)....we won’t have the money to lock up any of our young stars due contracts. No thanks.
2019 Free Agent Targets
- Thread starter rico43
- Start date
And in three years when we are paying him 35 mil a year (FOR ANOTHER SEVEN YEARS)....we won’t have the money to lock up any of our young stars due contracts. No thanks.
With 2-3 opt outs.
cajunrevenge
Well-known member
Bring back the Kimbrel as a gesture of goodwill to the fans.
There are a couple of things in play here. If the payroll goes up like we want the Braves should be able to afford two 25+ per year guys. Freeman will also be off the books in a few years as well. Hopefully we can extend Acuna and Albies a few years into FA where we aren't playing them primo prices so that would buy the team some time as well.
It's a big gamble but Machado has always been 'the guy' to me for awhile now.
The other route is to sign guys on the backend of their prime to big but short term deals. Pollock would fit that role but you'd almost certainly overpay him due to him likely not playing center here.
Southcack77
Well-known member
Free Agents:
2019
Brandon McCarthy *Club Option $8m
Nick Markakis
Tyler Flowers
Kurt Suzuki
Anibal Sanchez
Peter Bourjous
Ryan Flaherty
Peter Moylan
2020
Julio Teheran *Club Option $12m
Arodys Vizcaino
Rex Brothers
2021
Phil Gosselin
Sam Freeman
Dan Winkler
2022
Freddie Freeman
Ender Inciarte *Club option $9m
Mike Folty
Charlie Culberson
2023
Dansby Swanson
Jose Ramirez
Preston Tucker (maybe)
Matt Wisler
Josh Ravin
Socolovich (maybe)
Luke Jackson (maybe)
2024
Ozzie Albies
Newcomb
Gohara (maybe)
Fried (maybe)
Carle
Minter
2025
Acuna
Soroka (maybe)
Braves got a ways before they have to worry about signing up anybody young.
Worrying about arbitration dollars creeping up is their biggest concern as far as signing a big deal in the relative short term.
If you have them letting Folty, Newcomb and Freddie go it's all way down the road.
The only plausible way the Braves can bring Harper/Machado aboard is to front load a 10-12 year deal so heavily that they are almost guaranteed to opt out after 2-3 years. Something like $35M-$40M per year for 2-3 years, then a couple opt outs, then $25M-$30M per year for the remaining 7-10 years.
It would be a gigantic gamble that could all but cripple the franchise for a decade, but it sure would be exciting to watch.
At the end of the day, too many teams with a lot more money than the Braves will be bidding way beyond what the Braves can afford. These teams bent over backwards to reset their luxury penalties this past off season for a reason, and it wasn't because they couldn't afford a few million bucks in penalties this year. They went through all that trouble so they could throw money at these 2 players and set MLB contract records in the process.
It would be a gigantic gamble that could all but cripple the franchise for a decade, but it sure would be exciting to watch.
At the end of the day, too many teams with a lot more money than the Braves will be bidding way beyond what the Braves can afford. These teams bent over backwards to reset their luxury penalties this past off season for a reason, and it wasn't because they couldn't afford a few million bucks in penalties this year. They went through all that trouble so they could throw money at these 2 players and set MLB contract records in the process.
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Southcack77
Well-known member
Check his stats since 2016. Good but not what he's hyped up to be. If he gets paid what I think he will get paid then it's based on 2015, #1 draft pick status, and gracing ESPN The Mag at 16.
nsacpi
Expects Yuge Games
It seems likely that the Yankees will make a big push for Machado and the Dodgers heavy bidders for Harper. Other teams with deep pockets could be in play for one or both of them: Red Sox, Cubs, Mets, Phillies, Mariners, Angels, gnats. It doesn't hurt to kick the tires, but at the end of the day we will be smart about this and conclude we do not want to get involved in the bidding on those two.
Southcack77
Well-known member
Cause he's super young and has been an MVP candidate and you could put him in LF.
I'd rather have Machado. Put that right handed bat near Freddie, plug in elite defense at 3B and roll on with his prime years and pray he opts out.
Trade Riley or let him try LF to see if he's a Freddie replacement.
nsacpi
Expects Yuge Games
not gonna happen
I’m guessing the opt outs come after years 2 and 3, then a 3rd somewhere later. They will want a chance at another record setting payday before they turn 30.
It’s much more likely a team like the Dodgers signs one of them and then trades Puig or Turner to the Braves.
Southcack77
Well-known member
Mike McDermott: I took a risk, I took a risk, you see all the angles, and you never have the ****ing stones to play one
Joey Knish: Stones? you little punk, I'm not playing for the thrill of ****ing victory here, I owe rent, alimony, child support, I play for money, my kids eat, I got stones enough not to chase card actions of ****ing pipe dreams of winning the world series on ESPN, but about the money I've got to turn my back, I've got to say no"
cajunrevenge
Well-known member
Machado says he wont sign with a team unless they let him play SS. So would you go after him if it means trading Swanson. Sounds absurd at first but the idea is growing on me if we somehow could convince Machado to sign with us.
Southcack77
Well-known member
Roy 'Tin Cup' McAvoy: You know why I still hit that shot?
Romeo Posar: Yeah, because it's the only way you could beat Dave Simms.
Roy 'Tin Cup' McAvoy: No.
Romeo Posar: 'Cause it was that look in your face...
Roy 'Tin Cup' McAvoy: I hit it again because that shot was a defining moment, and when a defining moment comes along, you define the moment... or the moment defines you.
Roy 'Tin Cup' McAvoy: Keep shooting pars, asshole!
Dave Simms: I'll take 18 of them, all day long!
Roy 'Tin Cup' McAvoy: Do it and I'll own you.
Nice Par, David.
Southcack77
Well-known member
Southcack77
Well-known member
I will be pissed if the Braves don't go in guns blazing on Machado and stay in until it gets ludicrous.
I don't expect to get him.
I can live with not being in the Harper race, I think. Though I could live with being in it also.
I don't expect to get him either.
this is the one time in the cycle where a franchise like the Braves can have it make sense to do something like this. Machado (my preference) and Harper are pretty perfect fits offensively and defensively. The payroll fits. The lineup of their prime fits.
and honestly, the lineup sort of dictates it. The Braves don't really have a whole lot of positions they need to fill. They don't have room for a lot of reasonably priced veterans. Premium guys is really the place they have to go.
I am not concerned if it means that the Braves won't get to keep Folty, or Newcomb or Acuna or Albies or Soroka forever.
Yes, injuries or decline is a big risk. Roll those dice baby. I'll take on the risk of a 25 year old superstar remaining good and sleep ok. If you do have Machado fail, you still have all the upside that anyone could hope for from the internal options. They'll all still be there. And you can run your Riley and Camargo's out there and maybe it won't even matter a whole lot.
But yeah, probably not going to happen.
I don't expect to get him.
I can live with not being in the Harper race, I think. Though I could live with being in it also.
I don't expect to get him either.
this is the one time in the cycle where a franchise like the Braves can have it make sense to do something like this. Machado (my preference) and Harper are pretty perfect fits offensively and defensively. The payroll fits. The lineup of their prime fits.
and honestly, the lineup sort of dictates it. The Braves don't really have a whole lot of positions they need to fill. They don't have room for a lot of reasonably priced veterans. Premium guys is really the place they have to go.
I am not concerned if it means that the Braves won't get to keep Folty, or Newcomb or Acuna or Albies or Soroka forever.
Yes, injuries or decline is a big risk. Roll those dice baby. I'll take on the risk of a 25 year old superstar remaining good and sleep ok. If you do have Machado fail, you still have all the upside that anyone could hope for from the internal options. They'll all still be there. And you can run your Riley and Camargo's out there and maybe it won't even matter a whole lot.
But yeah, probably not going to happen.
CyYoung31
Shift Leader
Love that movie.