Extension Talks With Swanson Reportedly Underway

[Hudson2]

DOB on the athletic seems to describe Grissom as a "natural SS" everytime he mentions Grissom. I'm not sure I've seen anyone else say that. DOB seems to get all his info from the team, so maybe the team actually believes Grissom can play SS.

If Grissom can be Dansby with the bat (overall, not with the insane highs and lows) and be avg on defense, it wouldn't make a lot of sense to spend 100+ million on Dansby.

It would make more sense to sit back and just look to see how you can score an impact bat at LF, SS or DH.

You have to look at what they expect the drop off to be between Dansby and Grissom at SS. There will definitely be a defensive drop off but Dansby didn’t put it all together until this year really. He could fall off a cliff next year who knows. But if I’m gonna take a chance at SS it’s gonna be on a guy making league minimum. If we did that we could splurge in LF. Or stick Grissom in LF and get a better SS. AA definitely has options with the emergence of Grissom.

 

[thethe]

You have to look at what they expect the drop off to be between Dansby and Grissom at SS. There will definitely be a defensive drop off but Dansby didn’t put it all together until this year really. He could fall off a cliff next year who knows. But if I’m gonna take a chance at SS it’s gonna be on a guy making league minimum. If we did that we could splurge in LF. Or stick Grissom in LF and get a better SS. AA definitely has options with the emergence of Grissom.

Options for LF in free agency are meh next year - You could bring Joc back for a reasonable price with Grissom at SS and then put all the excess into the starting rotation and bullpen. Do we dare sign BOTH Degrom/Diaz?

Degrom
Fried
Strider
Wright
Soroka

Might as well give the Braves the 23 WS crown.

 

[Russ2dollas]

Options for LF in free agency are meh next year - You could bring Joc back for a reasonable price with Grissom at SS and then put all the excess into the starting rotation and bullpen. Do we dare sign BOTH Degrom/Diaz?

Degrom
Fried
Strider
Wright
Soroka

Might as well give the Braves the 23 WS crown.

I agree there is not an obvious LF.

Conforto could sign the 1 year pillow deal that AA loves.
Judge could play LF, but he'll sign a massive deal we won't want to be a part of.
not sure Brantley or mancini are impact bats.
I don't love Gallo on this team as we already have a lot of HR or bust, but he could be into a pillow deal. hangier could be a pillow deal.
I'd want a better hitter than Benintindi

There could be a trade, but nothing is obvious there either. We do not have the capital to win a bidding war. Maybe if there was a guy out there who was very productive but paid a lot of money we could get him, but who is that guy? Eloy Jimenez if the CWS were to blow it up for some reason?

I am hoping that one year of Happ won't cost a ton. I don't think he's this good, maybe a 2.5 win player who will make 10 million or so in the last year of arb. But a good LH hitter who we could play in LF or DH.

 

[Russ2dollas]

I still feel like Trea Turner is the wildcard. He's from the east coast. Went to College at NC State. Wife is from NC state. I could see him wanting to come back east. Would he be willing to not get every dollar to be closer to home and have a good chance to win?

Turner worries me long term b/c he's so thin and his speed is so impactful. Speed is the first thing to go with age and injury. But he has become a really impactful hitter over a very large sample. I think he's a big upgrade over Swanson but will cost a ton, even if he is willing to give up 10% to not be in LA.

Still probably costs 3/120 with a player opt out after year 3. Then 5 plus years at 30-35 million. He turns 30 in June. 8/275? Not sure he'll do that and be less than Lindor and Seager.

 

[GovClintonTyree]

DOB on the athletic seems to describe Grissom as a "natural SS" everytime he mentions Grissom. I'm not sure I've seen anyone else say that. DOB seems to get all his info from the team, so maybe the team actually believes Grissom can play SS.

If Grissom can be Dansby with the bat (overall, not with the insane highs and lows) and be avg on defense, it wouldn't make a lot of sense to spend 100+ million on Dansby.

It would make more sense to sit back and just look to see how you can score an impact bat at LF, SS or DH.

I think Grissom is more than Swanson on offense. I like OBP/low K guys, at least one or two, to balance out the bombers.

But Grissom looks long and lanky, not quick, on defense. I really like how quick and twitchy Dansby is, and Grissom will never be that.

 

[Russ2dollas]

I think Grissom is more than Swanson on offense. I like OBP/low K guys, at least one or two, to balance out the bombers.

But Grissom looks long and lanky, not quick, on defense. I really like how quick and twitchy Dansby is, and Grissom will never be that.

I agree on Grissom.

I've been very high on him in the minors based on his OBP, low K and decent slug. The exit velocities are worrying me a little. I'm not sold he's a better hitter than Dansby...I think he is, but not there just yet.

Dansby also has an arm that just impacts the game so much on relays, etc. Grissom seems like he has a 2B arm and is not great laterally. But I'm not a scout. Plus who knows what could happen with him getting the resources to train with a professional on lateral quickness. We also don't know when Dansby's twitchiness becomes like Grissom's. Is it at 38, 35, 33?

 

[Enscheff]

With the shift supposedly going away next year there will be even more pressure on the range of the middle infielders. Like everyone else, I have no idea if Grissom could be a legit MLB SS, even below average, but if he can I think the choice to give him the position is pretty easy.

I also agree with those who mention there aren't many places to upgrade this roster other than LF and SS, and the LF market is pretty awful. With Rosario and Ozuna probably soaking up whatever LF/DH PAs don't go to Contreras, there simply isn't room for non-star additions, and the only 2 impact players for LF are Judge (not happening) and maybe Conforto (a very likely AA target).

 

[Hudson2]

They’ve probably postponed talks till the offseason bc it would of happened by now if they were close. I’ll say they resign Dansby to something reasonable and let Grissom and Contreras play some OF next year.

 

[thethe]

They’ve probably postponed talks till the offseason bc it would of happened by now if they were close. I’ll say they resign Dansby to something reasonable and let Grissom and Contreras play some OF next year.

It would be great if they could give Dansby/Riley/Albies 1 day off every two weeks and then put Grissom in LF 2-3 times a week.

 

[Heyward]

The LF market stinks, and if you let Dansby go, the only real replacement to replace his production is one of the top SS. It's not as easy to replace him as everyone thinks. Conforto on a 1 year AA deal is about the only real player who you could get for LF. Boras is his agent so i'm not sure he'd be easy to get on a 1 year deal.

 

[cajunrevenge]

Hold up, they are getting rid of shifts? Wtf are these people smoking and where can I get some.

 

[Mad Dog Murph]

Hold up, they are getting rid of shifts? Wtf are these people smoking and where can I get some.

If this is the first you’re hearing of this, I think you know exactly what they’re smoking and you know where to get it.

 

[Carp]

Mitch Haniger would be my top target in FA. Should come relatively cheap on a short term deal with pretty high upside.

 

[JohnAdcox]

I agree on Grissom.

I've been very high on him in the minors based on his OBP, low K and decent slug. The exit velocities are worrying me a little. I'm not sold he's a better hitter than Dansby...I think he is, but not there just yet.

Dansby also has an arm that just impacts the game so much on relays, etc. Grissom seems like he has a 2B arm and is not great laterally. But I'm not a scout. Plus who knows what could happen with him getting the resources to train with a professional on lateral quickness. We also don't know when Dansby's twitchiness becomes like Grissom's. Is it at 38, 35, 33?

Could Ozzie shift back to short, leaving Grissom at second? Or is the arm too much of a concern? This is a question; not a suggestion. I literally don't know the answer.

Of course, I am firmly on the resign Dansby train.

 

[JohnAdcox]

I agree on Grissom.

I've been very high on him in the minors based on his OBP, low K and decent slug. The exit velocities are worrying me a little. I'm not sold he's a better hitter than Dansby...I think he is, but not there just yet.

Dansby also has an arm that just impacts the game so much on relays, etc. Grissom seems like he has a 2B arm and is not great laterally. But I'm not a scout. Plus who knows what could happen with him getting the resources to train with a professional on lateral quickness. We also don't know when Dansby's twitchiness becomes like Grissom's. Is it at 38, 35, 33?

Could Ozzie shift back to short, leaving Grissom at second? Or is the arm too much of a concern? This is a question; not a suggestion. I literally don't know the answer.

Of course, I am firmly on the resign Dansby train.

 

[Russ2dollas]

Could Ozzie shift back to short, leaving Grissom at second? Or is the arm too much of a concern? This is a question; not a suggestion. I literally don't know the answer.

Of course, I am firmly on the resign Dansby train.

My understanding is Ozzie had more arm issues than Grissom did in the minors.

The other elephant in the room is Riley. If Riley is at 3B and you put another guy with range issues on the left side of the infield, what happens?

Maybe it's ok bc we can shift. Maybe it's ok b/c positioning still mitigates the risk. Maybe it's ok b/c the person brings so much offensive value that the defense issues are ok.

 

[clvclv]

Could Ozzie shift back to short, leaving Grissom at second? Or is the arm too much of a concern? This is a question; not a suggestion. I literally don't know the answer.

Of course, I am firmly on the resign Dansby train.

I don't personally think Ozzie can go back to SS - the loop in his throwing motion seems like it would be too much to overcome.

That said, I don't understand why re-signing Dansby is such an issue - he's good (without question), and one of those "glue guys" that us old school fans (and our booth geniuses) have typically always overvalued. They have all sorts of ways to replace him WITHOUT spending $100 million plus. If Alex chooses to bring him back I'm more than fine with that, but if he decides to spend that money elsewhere he's already proven that he's the person that needs to be making that call - he proved he could let a much better player than Dansby walk last winter and knew EXACTLY what to do so the clubhouse and chemistry didn't crumble.

1.) Sign Iglesias or Diaz and make Grissom the RH part (at the very least) of the LF answer and your super-sub.
2.) If Alex is told he can't eat Ozuna's money, he may still be able to eat Rosario's - go get Benintendi (can handle both corners), make Grissom your super-sub, and sign Iglesias/Diaz as your defensive SS.
3.) If he can't eat Ozuna's money, offer Nimmo or Naquin (both can handle either corner as well as back Harris up in CF) a nice deal and have one of them in LF with Grissom as your super-sub and sign Iglesias/Diaz as your defensive SS.
4.) Re-sign Grossman since he can handle both corners so he can split time with Grissom in LF and sign Iglesias/Diaz as your defensive SS.
5.) Sign Conforto (can handle both corners) and one of Iglesias/Diaz as your defensive SS, make Grissom your super-sub if you're going to spend big.

I just think the money can be spent in a variety of more productive ways - even if Alex doesn't spend the whole amount. Go see if you can sign one of Fried/Wright/Strider/Soroka to a reasonable extension with some of that money, spend some of it with one of the moves listed above, and keep some in reserve to replace Jansen or in case you need to make a move or two at the deadline. All of those moves listed above would allow you to use Acuna as a DH to get him off his feet ANYTIME he needs that. I personally want no part of Haniger despite his upside - he hits from the wrong side, and you've already got a ton of money tied up in a RH power hitter that strikes out a ton and kills rallies when he's not "on" (Ozuna).