Official Offseason Thread

If our payroll doesn't rise, and our offseason ends up being Nicky Singles, Flowers, MadBum, and the Fresh Prince, we should fire everybody. There has to be a better plan that that, surely.
 
Enscheff said:
Now that AA has popped the QO cherry, he may as well continue signing QO FAs.

Please tell me he isn't going to give 3+ years to a BP arm a #3 SP like MadBum...
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If he's signing a SP with QO, should go for Wheeler. Bad feeling Astros get him to replace Cole.
 
Heyward said:
If he's signing a SP with QO, should go for Wheeler. Bad feeling Astros get him to replace Cole.
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I honestly have zero idea what to expect anymore. Just when I thought I had AA's "value and flexibility" strategy all figured out, he splurges on a long term deal for an aging BP arm...the exact opposite of "value and flexibility".

The only benefit from the moves with Markakis/Flowers are tax cap considerations. The Braves just gave $13M per year to a BP arm despite needing a C, 3B, SP and possibly cOF.

I wouldn't blame anyone from taking those facts to mean the Braves are about to raise payroll up near the luxury tax limit. I know it's not reality, but these recent developments only make sense if that were the case.

Or...maybe some significant trades for cheap MLB players are about to happen, and that freed up cash to splurge on a BP anchor.
 
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Enscheff said:
I honestly have zero idea what to expect anymore.

The only benefit from the moves with Markakis/Flowers are tax cap considerations. The Braves just gave $13M per year to a BP arm despite needing a C, 3B, SP and possibly cOF.

I wouldn't blame anyone from taking those facts to mean the Braves are about to raise payroll up near the luxury tax limit. I know it's not reality, but these recent developments only make sense if that were the case.

Or...maybe some significant trades for cheap MLB players are about to happen, and that freed up cash to splurge on a BP anchor.
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I'm in total agreement here. Either this is a massive mistake from AA or there is something happening that we aren't privy to in regards to payroll and/or trade opportunities. Slurging on a reliever given our other needs just makes absolutely no sense in any other context.
 
Enscheff said:
I honestly have zero idea what to expect anymore.

The only benefit from the moves with Markakis/Flowers are tax cap considerations. The Braves just gave $13M per year to a BP arm despite needing a C, 3B, S and possibly cOF.

I wouldn't blame anyone from taking those facts to mean the Braves are about to raise payroll up near the luxury tax limit. I know it's not reality, but these recent developments only make sense if that were the case.
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I have to think payroll is going up, otherwise this is quite confusing. Payroll now is about 100 or so mil with arb projections. 30 million isnt near enough for all that. But yes, i dont have any idea whats going on.

Could always trade for an under the radar player whose cheap for one of those, but it's anyones guess what AA has going on.
 
With the debt this team has, I see no way we make it close to luxury tax level. My only hope is a 15-20 million splurge and a trade for a controlled impact player.

What we will get is excuses that we had deals in place that fell through and that they had to strike on will before they knew those deals were going to not materialize.
 
Heyward said:
I have to think payroll is going up, otherwise this is quite confusing. Payroll now is about 100 or so mil with arb projections. 30 million isnt near enough for all that. But yes, i dont have any idea whats going on.

Could always trade for an under the radar player whose cheap for one of those, but it's anyones guess what AA has going on.
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I still find it hard to believe that we're about to expand the payroll to something crazy like 170 million or some crap. But maybe this move indicates that we're pushing to get it into the ~150 million opening day range with an ultimate cap of around 155 to maybe 160. I'm pretty suspicious of that as well, but at least its somewhat within the realm of possibility.
 
bravesfanMatt said:
With the debt this team has, I see no way we make it close to luxury tax level. My only hope is a 15-20 million splurge and a trade for a controlled impact player.

What we will get is excuses that we had deals in place that fell through and that they had to strike on will before they knew those deals were going to not materialize.
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We aren't coming within spitting distance of the luxury tax of 208 million any time soon. Like I just said, the highest I could see our OD payroll going is 150-155 million and I'm skeptical of it being even that high. But if it is, then we'll still have enough room to pick up the improvements that we need.
 
I read that Smiths agent told every team that he was taking the QO unless a reasonable deal came along today. My guess is that AA targeted Smith early in the offseason and just decided to work this deal at the GM meetings.

I hope it is a sign of increasing the payroll because $13m for a bullpen piece when we have so many glaring needs makes no sense
 
bravesfanMatt said:
With the debt this team has, I see no way we make it close to luxury tax level. My only hope is a 15-20 million splurge and a trade for a controlled impact player.

What we will get is excuses that we had deals in place that fell through and that they had to strike on will before they knew those deals were going to not materialize.
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Calm down chief, we're nowhere near the lux tax. The luxury tax is 200+ mil, i can see 140-150, but even i'm skeptical of that happening.
 
Heyward said:
Calm down chief, we're nowhere near the lux tax. The luxury tax is 200+ mil, i can see 140-150, but even i'm skeptical of that happening.
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It won’t get close to luxury tax. Which is what I said. I will he surprised it it tops 130 opening. I am thinking 120 which is why I said a 15-20 million splurge then a trade to close the off season out. Would put us around 120.
 
bravesfanMatt said:
It won’t get close to luxury tax. Which is what I said. I will he surprised it it tops 130 opening. I am thinking 120 which is why I said a 15-20 million splurge then a trade to close the off season out. Would put us around 120.
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We were at 143 the end of the year, i could see close to that to start the year. 20 more mil aint near enough with the amount of needs we have. Maybe we have more.
 
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Heyward said:
We had close to 140 at the end of the year, i could see close to that to start the year.
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I want to be positive like this but the article by the AJC scares me a bit. It says our revenue went up but as you read the article it also said the debt went up even more. I just don’t see them spending the way we all would like them to spend
 
bravesfanMatt said:
Why give it any thought. Just go over to Reddit and circle jerk with all those fools who give no Objective thought to anything the Braves do. It’s so hard to read that sub sometimes
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You aren’t kidding. Every forum or site I’ve looked at is people wildly positive about this, and I can’t figure out why. Crazy.
 
One thing I do recall from looking at the relievers at deadline is that Smith has been genuinely excellent for a bit - even in expected stats. If i'm not mistaken there is no huge split.
 
CJ9 said:
You aren’t kidding. Every forum or site I’ve looked at is people wildly positive about this, and I can’t figure out why. Crazy.
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Not many people have the awareness of resources that we take for granted here. They just assume there will be more money.
 
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