2019 Free Agent Targets

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.

I don't know about the rest of you folks, but I hope we can lock down Gosselin past 2021.
 
I hope the Braves can resign Flowers and Suzuki for reasonable amounts. Looks like they are going to put up similar numbers to last season this year.

I would love to see Machado on the Braves but I don't see how they can justify have a 1/4 to 1/3 of their payroll on one player.
 
If ownership saw how close we are to being a serious contender maybe they could approve a Machado deal by bumping by payroll a little extra. First step is locking up Albies and Acuna right after the season.
 
Which one?

Assuming the reality that Harper/Machado is not happening

I know it's extremely unlikely, but both Harper and Machado just match up extremely well with our needs, our timeline, and available budget over the next several seasons. Both are likely guys who will opt out in 3 years anyways, (especially if we front load such a contract).

Pipedream I know, but why not?
 
Chuckie: Look, you’re my best friend, so don’t take this the wrong way. But in 20 years, if you’re still living here, coming over my house to watch the Patriots games, still working construction… I’ll f*ckin’ kill ya. That’s not a threat. That’s a fact. I’ll f*ckin’ kill ya.

No, no, no. F*ck you. You don’t owe it to yourself. You owe it to me. Cause tomorrow, I’m gonna wake up, and I’ll be 50, and I’ll still be doing this sh*t. That’s alright. That’s fine. I mean, you’re sitting on a winning lottery ticket, and you’re too much of a f*ckin’ pussy to cash it in, and that’s bullsh*t. Cause I’d do f*ckin’ anything to have what you got. So would any of these f*ckin’ guys. Be an insult to us if you’re still here in 20 years. Hanging around here is a f*ckin’ waste of your time.

Let me tell you what I do know. Everyday, I come by your house, and I pick you up. We go out and we have a few drinks and a few laughs, and it’s great. You know what the best part of my day is? About 10 seconds before I pull up to your curb, and when I go to your door. Cause I think maybe I’ll get up there, and I’ll knock on the door, and you won’t be there. No “good-bye.” No “see ya later.” No nothing. You just left. I don’t know much, but I know that.
 
I think we'll use some of our pitching depth for a trade, as for who, that's anyones guess.

But most of them are projected to be ready by 19-20, and not everyone can fit in the rotation or pan out for that matter.

Regarding free agency, i'd say no to Harper, his defense is bad and his bat is very streaky. Machado i'm game for, but he seems destined to be in pinstripes. Other options i like are Grandal (not sold on Zuk or Flowers keeping this up for another year), Pollock or trade for an outfielder like Mazara, and sign an elite bullpen piece like Kimbrel. No way it would happen but if you get Donaldson on a 1 yr +++ deal, i'd do that to keep Riley down for a bit. McCutchen, Puig, Brantley are other possible outfield options.

Morton, Gio, Corbin are probably only intriguing SP options if Braves didnt go in-house. But you could get rid of McCarthy and Julio, and have Soroka, Gohara, Folty, Newk, and maybe Allard if you went all in-house. Stealing Gio from the Nats would be a nice way to round out that rotation.

There's more bullpen options than SP so i could see AA shop there: Britton, Roberston, Kimbrel, Ottavino, Cody Allen, Herrera, Andrew Miller, Madson, Brach, Joe Kelly. I'd hope AA can secure one of those guys.
 
The Posey idea has merit if the Giants decide to blow things up. Bumgarner too, though I’d be surprised if they dump resources into a SP.

Giants just took Joey Bart, have to think Posey could be shopped. He's from Atlanta. His current contract is 22 mil next 3 years from 19-21 and a club option for 2022.
 
I'm curious to see what kind of contract Charlie Morton gets this off season.

A bit of a "perfect storm" brewing in Houston IMO.

Keuchel has struggled and is a free-agent, and Morton has said he's not looking to break IF he continues to pitch. Has said this expiring deal could be his last unless he was in the exact situation he wants.

My guess is they get Morton back on a VERY affordable deal for someone pitching like he is 2-3 years and $30-$45 million and allow Keuchel to walk. They then UPGRADE their rotation by promoting Forrest Whitley (who just went off in his return from a 50 game suspension).

Considering the fact that Keuchel may not even make their playoff roster (and certainly isn't likely to get a start with Verlander, Cole, Morton, and McCullers in front of him), I wouldn't be surprised if they work something out with Morton soon and then trade Keuchel when Whitley gets stretched out a little further.
 
A bit of a "perfect storm" brewing in Houston IMO.

Keuchel has struggled and is a free-agent, and Morton has said he's not looking to break IF he continues to pitch. Has said this expiring deal could be his last unless he was in the exact situation he wants.

My guess is they get Morton back on a VERY affordable deal for someone pitching like he is 2-3 years and $30-$45 million and allow Keuchel to walk. They then UPGRADE their rotation by promoting Forrest Whitley (who just went off in his return from a 50 game suspension).

Considering the fact that Keuchel may not even make their playoff roster (and certainly isn't likely to get a start with Verlander, Cole, Morton, and McCullers in front of him), I wouldn't be surprised if they work something out with Morton soon and then trade Keuchel when Whitley gets stretched out a little further.

They arent trading Keuchel but he may not be in their playoff rotation, pretty wild to think about.

Next year, Verlander-Cole-Morton-McCullers-Whitley is nasty.
 
I’d be over-the-moon about acquiring Posey.

One of the things that makes Posey so attractive and good in SF is they move him to 1B to rest his legs, and move Belt to LF. We can't do that. So you wind up sitting him 30 games or wearing him down.

Or hey, we could move Freddie to third those games...
 
A bit of a "perfect storm" brewing in Houston IMO.

Keuchel has struggled and is a free-agent, and Morton has said he's not looking to break IF he continues to pitch. Has said this expiring deal could be his last unless he was in the exact situation he wants.

My guess is they get Morton back on a VERY affordable deal for someone pitching like he is 2-3 years and $30-$45 million and allow Keuchel to walk. They then UPGRADE their rotation by promoting Forrest Whitley (who just went off in his return from a 50 game suspension).

Considering the fact that Keuchel may not even make their playoff roster (and certainly isn't likely to get a start with Verlander, Cole, Morton, and McCullers in front of him), I wouldn't be surprised if they work something out with Morton soon and then trade Keuchel when Whitley gets stretched out a little further.

I don't think so. I'd go high on Morton for three years. He's post-hype, post-injury, post-everything and pitching better than he ever has and it doesn't look fluky at all. I'll bet somebody offers him 3-$60M. I'd do it.
 
I don't think so. I'd go high on Morton for three years. He's post-hype, post-injury, post-everything and pitching better than he ever has and it doesn't look fluky at all. I'll bet somebody offers him 3-$60M. I'd do it.

Going to have to be the "perfect situation", and I can't imagine one much better than the one he's in. An "Ace" that doesn't have to deal with the pressure of being the "Ace" on a World Series contender for the entirety of his contract??? Where else is he going to find that? The Astros can certainly afford to pay that if that's what it takes.

Charlie's been quoted many times saying that he's honestly not sure he's going to pitch beyond this season.
 
I don't think so. I'd go high on Morton for three years. He's post-hype, post-injury, post-everything and pitching better than he ever has and it doesn't look fluky at all. I'll bet somebody offers him 3-$60M. I'd do it.

Why would you make up a fake quote for your sig?

I wasn’t even on this board in Jan of 2013, and xwOBA wasn’t invented until years later.

Have any more power projections for Albies you’d like to share?
 
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Why would you make up a fake quote for your sig?

I wasn’t even on this board in Jan of 2013, and xwOBA wasn’t invented until years later.

Have any more power projections for Albies you’d like to share?

In fact, no one was on this board in January of 2013.
 
In fact, no one was on this board in January of 2013.

It’s beyond pathetic that he would make up a quote in an attempt to make me look wrong.

It’s beyond moronic that he dated it before the board existed, and using stats that weren’t invented at the time.

No wonder he is just a paper pusher haha.
 
Since we’re talking about Morton I feel like I just have to throw it out there. How bad was that Nate McLouth deal smh
 
Since we’re talking about Morton I feel like I just have to throw it out there. How bad was that Nate McLouth deal smh

It was a now-for-later deal with the now part of the deal that came to us not really working out. Logical trade that didn't work out. I didn't particularly like the deal because I thought McLouth was overrated, but the Braves felt they needed an upgrade in CF.

And lest we forget, Gorkys Hernandez has just finished the best two-plus month stretch of his entire career in San Francisco.

Morton is another exhibit as to why it's important to be patient with pitchers. I don't think anyone could have predicted how well he has pitched since going to Houston, but always had the look of a pitcher who could contribute if he put it all together. I read that early in his career, one of his problems is that he had five workable pitches, but none of them was really top drawer. He has honed it down and has really blossomed.
 
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