GDT 6-6: The Krewe of Magical Elderberries Rides Again

Braves acquired RHP Ben Heller from the Rays for international bonus pool money.
Heller will report to Triple-A Gwinnett as extra organizational relief depth for Atlanta after being designated for assignment last week by the Rays. The 31-year-old right-hander, who has made 31 relief appearances in the majors -- all of them with the Yankees -- since 2016, has registered a solid 3.95 ERA, 1.39 WHIP and 34/8 K/BB ratio across 27 1/3 innings (18 appearances) this season at the Triple-A level.
 
Elder has been huge for the team this year with the injuries the rotation has had. Him developing into an average starter is quite unexpected.
 
striker42 said:
I took very few victory laps because there were few to take. Guy came out of the gate on fire and people were very quick to point out that my predictions that Arcia would be terrible were wrong. No body thought Arcia was 6 win SS but a lot of people were seriously entertaining the idea he had fixed his swing and was a 4 win SS and even more convinced he was a 3 WAR guy.

We'll see how the year goes. I doubt he'll be replaced unless his defense collapses which is unlikely. Especially considering our needs in LF, the rotation, and the pen. Our resources will go elsewhere as they should.

I will say this, my original post was as much to highlight Harris' bad luck as Arcia's good luck. Harris has had multiple 100+ MPH outs here lately. Dude's snakebit.
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Arcia’s been good defensively.

He’s been good offensively and his batted ball profile suggest he’s average.

He hasn’t been lucky. Stop taking a weird victory lap on someone making $2m a year.
 
Went and checked out where and when exactly Elder was taken (5th round 2020) and it got me looking back at Braves drafts under AA. He started off with a bang in 2018 with Carter Stewart, who didn’t sign and is still pitching in Japan. Wonder if he’ll ever sign in the US
 
Super said:
Went and checked out where and when exactly Elder was taken (5th round 2020) and it got me looking back at Braves drafts under AA. He started off with a bang in 2018 with Carter Stewart, who didn’t sign and is still pitching in Japan. Wonder if he’ll ever sign in the US
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Gotta wonder if Boras didn't botch the hell outta the Carter Steward situation. Not much info out there, but it appears he's pitching just not well.
 
Tapate50 said:
Gotta wonder if Boras didn't botch the hell outta the Carter Steward situation. Not much info out there, but it appears he's pitching just not well.
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His numbers look OK this year but previously just walks a lot of guys. Hard not to conclude that Boras overplayed whatever hand he thought he had. As it turns out, he had no hand.
 
But didn't Stewart sign for more than he could have gotten from the Braves. I mean, if he busts with more money in Japan versus busting in the minors with less money in the US.. Seems like a win to me.
 
Super said:
His numbers look OK this year but previously just walks a lot of guys. Hard not to conclude that Boras overplayed whatever hand he thought he had. As it turns out, he had no hand.
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Impressive he can pitch with no hand. No wonder when the medicals came back that we rescinded our offer.

For real good for him- its handicapable!
 
bravesfanMatt said:
But didn't Stewart sign for more than he could have gotten from the Braves. I mean, if he busts with more money in Japan versus busting in the minors with less money in the US.. Seems like a win to me.
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Pretty sure that's the case. Wasn't the whole point to develop in Japan while making way more money than he would in the minors in te US? I suspect if he was able to get drafted high to get that fat check he would have done so. But whatever injury concerns the Braves had dashed those dreams.
 
thewupk said:
Pretty sure that's the case. Wasn't the whole point to develop in Japan while making way more money than he would in the minors in te US? I suspect if he was able to get drafted high to get that fat check he would have done so. But whatever injury concerns the Braves had dashed those dreams.
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Maybe he got more initially in Japan but long-term I’d figure he’d be better off being developed by a major league team and getting even one contract here
 
Super said:
Maybe he got more initially in Japan but long-term I’d figure he’d be better off being developed by a major league team and getting even one contract here
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I always took him as a pawn for Boras. Send Stewart to Japan to try to show a legitimate alternative to signing with an MLB team. Gives Boras something to use as leverage in future negotiations.
 
thewupk said:
Elder has been huge for the team this year with the injuries the rotation has had. Him developing into an average starter is quite unexpected.
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Three-fifths of the pitchers in Braves' current starting rotation were drafted in the abbreviated 2020 MLB Draft. That's a pretty insane success rate.

If Jesse Franklin V can reach the majors in any capacity, that's going to be a Grand Slam of a Draft.
 
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