I'd love to have Kimbrel back...AFTER solving the LF and 3B problem going forward.
Getting Renfroe and unloading CJ in the deal would address both those issues. Move Markakis to LF next year and plug Renfroe in RF.
Getting Renfroe and unloading CJ in the deal would address both those issues. Move Markakis to LF next year and plug Renfroe in RF.
Plug Renfroe in RF next year? Have you seen what he's doing in AA? I'm a Mississippi State fan, so I'm a Renfroe fan, but he is a long way from the majors still, and his chances are decreasing with every month that goes by. I'd be fine taking a shot on him, but I wouldn't give up much and certainly wouldn't expect him in Atlanta before mid-2017 at the absolute earliest.
Renfroe far from solves either of these issues. At this rate he won't be a good ML hitter at all.
Offer to take Kemp and Kimbrel back for CJ and a bag of magic beans (may have to actually throw in a real prospect or two).
I'm serious. You take a flyer on Kemp and his bad contract in exchange for the less bad contract of CJ, and the Pads balance the deal out by including Kimbrel.
Renfroe is hitting something like .333/.368/.611 over the past two weeks and is turning it around. His value is probably at the lowest it's going to be.
It's the same thing the Braves did with Arroyo with he exception that Kemp might actually turn things around and be close to the player he once was and if not that then at least better than any OF the Braves currently have or have anywhere in the system.
He's owed $86M through the end of his contract. CJ is owed $17.5M. So that makes Kemp a net $70M guy or equivalent of a $17.5M dollar outfielder. PLUS you get Kimbrel back for next to nothing who you could then turn around and trade again if you so wished.
I'm not saying it's the best option in the world. But, if you think relying on FA the next two years to fill OF holes is going to work, then you haven't looked. And the idea (and I'm not calling out anyone in particular) that the Braves will be able to move 2nd and 3rd tier pitching prospects for top end hitting is just unrealistic, especially considering that bats are scarce right now in comparison to pitching.
Uh, Kemp's contract is awful. Arroyo is gone after we buy him out, we would have to pay Kemp 4 more years. That is the difference.
And even without the money aspect, I'd rather have most old the OFs on the market than Kemp. I'm not sure you realize what Kemp is now. He is not good anymore and has been straight awful, as in below replacement level, this year. I don't know why anyone would be interested in having him on the team. Add the contract, and the Padres would be beyond thrilled if we took him off their hands.
Even with his offense, Kemp posted a WAR of 1 last year, making him unbelievably overpaid. His defense is awful, and that's only going to get worse. Maybin was 27 when we traded for him and we don't plan on keeping him for more than a year or two at most. We would have Kemp for his 31-34 seasons at more than $20 million per when he's already shown significant regression at ages 28-30 and is currently way overpaid with a danger to be even more so soon.
It is extreme risk with little chance for reward. Again, I've seen the FA market, and I'll take just about all of them over Kemp.
It would go against the grain of pretty much every other move we've made and would tie up all that BJ money we just got rid of, except we'd be tied to it for even longer. We're trying to get rid of CJ for payroll flexibility, not so we can find an even worse contract to anchor us.
I'm not sure you realize how bad Kemp has been this year. It goes well beyond 'pitcher's park'. You just don't go get a guy OPS'ing under .700 with bad defense at age 30 owed $80 million over the next 4 years. Period.
They need IF help badly and young pitching is always good to have (and we have a surplus of it).
Would you trade them Peraza and Folty for Kimbrel?
I think I would.
Never.
Me either. Folty might become Kimbrel if he can find his control.