If the Padres move Kimbrel

[Horsehide Harry]

I might've done this a while back, but the thought becomes more ludicrous by the day IMO. IF you could get someone that's a slam dunk to become one of the Top 5 prospects in our system the day you make the deal AND will eat every dime of Johnson's contract, maybe I'd pull the trigger. I can see someone parting with that type of prospect to get Cam, but probably not if they have to take CJ back too - for as good as he's been, Maybin's still not going to fetch you the same thing Kimbrel did. However, he might get you that level of prospect alone right now.

We're no longer in a position to "have to" move CJ - Hart and Coppy have between $50 and $60 million to go shopping with even with his contract on the books.

IF you could trade Maybin and get that kind of prospect back with the shape the system is right now, then I would agree. The Braves routinely (as most clubs do) throw away $4-5M away every year on marginal veteran "flyers" to hope for a veteran presence helps (Callaspo, Gomes, etc.) so not being able to sign those guys because CJ stay would be OK. I just wouldn't want to see CJ stay AND they blow the annual $4-5M on the Callaspo of next year and NOT be able to effectively pursue a long term fix for a hole.

 

[smootness]

This hasn't been true so far. The Cubs payroll was about $97M last year and in the $120M range this year (due in large part to the fact that they are paying Lesters' $30M bonus in two years, $15M this year.

In comparison, the Braves payroll last year was about $112M and this year about $97M.

AND, you have to take into consideration the new park and expanded (at least somewhat whatever it is) payroll.

Look, the thing is Atlanta is a LARGE market. Not only do they dominate the largest city in the South, they are the dominant MLB team for the Southeast. The Cubs share the Chicago market with the WSox. The big deal for the Braves has been horrendous TV rights which have now been renegotiated.

Sure, Liberty MAY choose to continue to hold the purse strings, and probably would if they stayed in Turner Field. But, I don't think that's going to happen.

Will they be the Yankees? Red Sox? Dodgers? No.

But, they will have a top ten payroll IMO.

Yes, but the Cubs can spend more going forward if they want. They will be able to extend all these young guys when the time comes; being tied down to big contracts doesn't hinder them in the same way it does us.

We don't have the luxury of missing on big FA contracts, especially not multiple. The Braves are never going to go nuts in FA, partially because the flexibility isn't there and partially because it is rarely smart regardless.

The Cubs payroll is down right now because they're smart; they have a plan, and even though they can pay more, they know that splurging on a bunch of big FA contracts to aging players is bad business and goes against what they're trying to build. They would never, in a million years, trade for the right to overpay Matt Kemp as he passes his peak, even if their OF situation was bad.