Horsehide Harry
<B>Mr. Free Trade</B>
The Braves are effectively in International FA signing jail for the next 3-4 years. As has been discussed in many other threads, that's bad.
But, they do save the cash they would have spent obtaining those players.
Where do the Braves spend it? Or do they?
I think they routinely spend 3-5M every year on signing these players.
How could they use that to better the team both short and long term?
They could just buy a low level FA every year (another flyer type guy each year on a one year deal) and hope to strike gold.
They could just fold it into payroll and use as necessary, possibly allowing Liberty to say that they actually increased payroll (all while allowing them to be flat overall).
Or they could use it to take on a bad contract from another team as long as young talent comes with that contract - I'm thinking a deal with the Yankees for Ellsbury, Headley, Clint Frazier and Florial for Inciarte and Matt Adams. The Yanks want to get well under the luxury tax threshold and Ellsbury is the worst contract they have that they would like to move - he's making about $21.2M through 2020. Headley is making $13M through 2018. The Yanks could then use Inciarte in CF or trade him (they probably move Hicks) and they have MAdams for 1B/DH (and Insurance for Bird).
Braves play Ellsbury in CF until Florial is ready, likely after 2019. Frazier pairs with Acuna on the corners. Headley holds down 3B for 2018. The Braves net out about $25M in added payroll for 2018 but fill the 3B hole (which they likely would do anyway at a rate similar to Headley's $13M), then have a net add of $16.5M in 2019 (diff between Ellsbury and Inciarte contracts), then $14.5M in 2020, then a net benefit of $3M in 2021 (net between Inciarte's contract and Ellsbury's buy out).
Obviously the $3-5M the Braves would have spent on the International market isn't enough to cover the entirety of a move like this, but would help ease the cost burden taken on allowing you to bring in young talent.
Before anyone says the Yanks would never do it, consider that they are very conscious about staying below the Tax threshold this year, but are in the opening stages of a window of contention. The young talent I have included coming back from them isn't critically integral to their near term or long term success, they could move both.
They also could make a play for Stanton which I think they would like to be able to do but are limited by payroll, something along the lines of: Gardner, Hicks, Torres and Sheffield for Stanton.
But, they do save the cash they would have spent obtaining those players.
Where do the Braves spend it? Or do they?
I think they routinely spend 3-5M every year on signing these players.
How could they use that to better the team both short and long term?
They could just buy a low level FA every year (another flyer type guy each year on a one year deal) and hope to strike gold.
They could just fold it into payroll and use as necessary, possibly allowing Liberty to say that they actually increased payroll (all while allowing them to be flat overall).
Or they could use it to take on a bad contract from another team as long as young talent comes with that contract - I'm thinking a deal with the Yankees for Ellsbury, Headley, Clint Frazier and Florial for Inciarte and Matt Adams. The Yanks want to get well under the luxury tax threshold and Ellsbury is the worst contract they have that they would like to move - he's making about $21.2M through 2020. Headley is making $13M through 2018. The Yanks could then use Inciarte in CF or trade him (they probably move Hicks) and they have MAdams for 1B/DH (and Insurance for Bird).
Braves play Ellsbury in CF until Florial is ready, likely after 2019. Frazier pairs with Acuna on the corners. Headley holds down 3B for 2018. The Braves net out about $25M in added payroll for 2018 but fill the 3B hole (which they likely would do anyway at a rate similar to Headley's $13M), then have a net add of $16.5M in 2019 (diff between Ellsbury and Inciarte contracts), then $14.5M in 2020, then a net benefit of $3M in 2021 (net between Inciarte's contract and Ellsbury's buy out).
Obviously the $3-5M the Braves would have spent on the International market isn't enough to cover the entirety of a move like this, but would help ease the cost burden taken on allowing you to bring in young talent.
Before anyone says the Yanks would never do it, consider that they are very conscious about staying below the Tax threshold this year, but are in the opening stages of a window of contention. The young talent I have included coming back from them isn't critically integral to their near term or long term success, they could move both.
They also could make a play for Stanton which I think they would like to be able to do but are limited by payroll, something along the lines of: Gardner, Hicks, Torres and Sheffield for Stanton.
