So what do you do with the extra money?

We're now at 95m or so after the Grilli and Pierzynski signings. My guess is we will sign a starting pitcher with good veteran leadership, maturity grit and clutchness and set aside some of the budget for midseason moves in case the team turns out to be more palatable than expected.
 
We're now at 95m or so after the Grilli and Pierzynski signings. My guess is we will sign a starting pitcher with good veteran leadership, maturity grit and clutchness and set aside some of the budget for midseason moves in case the team turns out to be more palatable than expected.

Vogelsong?
 
nobody does this....but I'd be a place to wash some bad money at the deadline.

Lots of times there are sellers at the deadline looking to move a big money guy, especially a last year of contract guy. Then there are buyers who have the prospects for the deal but don't have the financial means to pay the salary.

why not become the third team in a deal and pay the money for the big contract in return for a prospect?
 
nobody does this....but I'd be a place to wash some bad money at the deadline.

Lots of times there are sellers at the deadline looking to move a big money guy, especially a last year of contract guy. Then there are buyers who have the prospects for the deal but don't have the financial means to pay the salary.

why not become the third team in a deal and pay the money for the big contract in return for a prospect?

And you'd be buying at 25-50 cents of a dollar! Oops that was a Wren philosophical theory...

But just thinking out loud....who comes to mind in this type of instance?
 
Or Harang.

As much as I hate to say it, with the remaining available options...

Chad Billingsley

Bruce Chen

Kevin Correia

Aaron Harang

Paul Maholm

Wandy Rodriguez

Max Scherzer

James Shields

Ryan Vogelsong

if Kimbrel or Minor's not going to be moved (clearing money to make a legitimate offer to Shields) and we can't get Billingsley for the same kind of deal we gave Floyd last season, I'd just as soon let Hale have his shot - if he's good early on he could be part of a package if we moved someone during the season and could help net us a bigger return. It's probably time to see what he's going to be for an extended period of time anyway (not to mention the fact that I just don't see Harang repeating his success or Vogelsong sneaking up on anyone). I'd probably feel differently if there was a Volquez, Floyd, or Peavy still available, but I don't see much value in the guys left.
 
As much as I hate to say it, with the remaining available options...

Chad Billingsley
Bruce Chen
Kevin Correia
Aaron Harang
Paul Maholm
Wandy Rodriguez
Max Scherzer
James Shields
Ryan Vogelsong

if Kimbrel or Minor's not going to be moved (clearing money to make a legitimate offer to Shields) and we can't get Billingsley for the same kind of deal we gave Floyd last season, I'd just as soon let Hale have his shot - if he's good early on he could be part of a package if we moved someone during the season and could help net us a bigger return. It's probably time to see what he's going to be for an extended period of time anyway (not to mention the fact that I just don't see Harang repeating his success or Vogelsong sneaking up on anyone). I'd probably feel differently if there was a Volquez, Floyd, or Peavy still available, but I don't see much value in the guys left.

Bring back Bruce Chen for the leadership void.
 
No starting pitcher more than 14 mil a year, we got burnt EVERY time. We cannot afford it. Pitching is not our issue, scoring runs is. Focus on that.

We had the top 3 pitching staff for 14 years, how many titles we have?

 
We also should remember that we signed Harang right at the very end of spring training off the scrap heap last offseason after he was released by Cleveland. So, with the remaining options, it may be best to see who doesn't make a team's rotation and sign a guy in spring training. If that guy doesn't present itself, you simply go with David Hale / Chien-Ming Wang / James Russell / or Cody Martin. If you still aren't satisfied, then trade for another teams "6th starter" that wouldn't cost you anything to acquire.

I would like to mention three other options that are a little more risky:

1. Sign/Trade for a reclamation project, for example:

Free Agents: Wandy Rodriguez, Eric Stults, Carlos Villanueva, Kevin Slowey, Paul Maholm, Franklin Morales
Trades: Trevor Cahill, Tommy Milone

2. Trade for pitchers who are out of options:

1. Jacob Turner- Cubs (This is my favorite option)
2. Zach McAllister- Indians

3. Sign Brandon Beachy to an incentive laden contract with a option (or two) for the 2016 season. Let David Hale / James Russell / Chein-Ming Wang handle the 5th spot until Beachy is ready. Don't rush him back either.
 
2. Trade for pitchers who are out of options:

Good call on this . . . hadn't considered that. We have a lot of roads we can go down now that we're left at the bottom rung of the SP market.

I'd like to see us go after two SPs if possible. Maybe an injury reclamation type like Wandy for one spot and more of a swingman type for the second one (Ogando, Villanueva).
 
We also should remember that we signed Harang right at the very end of spring training off the scrap heap last offseason after he was released by Cleveland. So, with the remaining options, it may be best to see who doesn't make a team's rotation and sign a guy in spring training. If that guy doesn't present itself, you simply go with David Hale / Chien-Ming Wang / James Russell / or Cody Martin. If you still aren't satisfied, then trade for another teams "6th starter" that wouldn't cost you anything to acquire.

I would like to mention three other options that are a little more risky:

1. Sign/Trade for a reclamation project, for example:

Free Agents: Wandy Rodriguez, Eric Stults, Carlos Villanueva, Kevin Slowey, Paul Maholm, Franklin Morales
Trades: Trevor Cahill, Tommy Milone

2. Trade for pitchers who are out of options:

1. Jacob Turner- Cubs (This is my favorite option)
2. Zach McAllister- Indians


3. Sign Brandon Beachy to an incentive laden contract with a option (or two) for the 2016 season. Let David Hale / James Russell / Chein-Ming Wang handle the 5th spot until Beachy is ready. Don't rush him back either.

I don't personally see how trading for a lottery ticket SP fits the plan at all - Hart's trying to replenish the system, not trade pieces away. Have to figure that if he trades for a Pitcher(s), it'd only be for a young, cheap, and controllable one(s) with much more upside in a Gattis, Kimbrel, or Minor deal. I understand McAllister and Turner are controllable, but I can't see how giving up a prospect (or multiple prospects) to rent them for a year makes any sense - neither has ever impressed me (personally) more than Hale, and Hursh and Jenkins should be ready by next spring if not sooner (not to mention Fried should be ready to log some innings early in 2016 and could move pretty fast behind them).
 
I agree! How about a straight swap with Baltimore.. Upton for Jimenez?

Baltimore won't do that, Braves already asked and were not surprisingly turned down. But when I said I would considered packaging Gattis with Upton in certain trades, one of such packages I had in mind was Gattis and BJ for Jimenez and one of Bundy, Harvey or Sisco and another decent-to-solid prospect. That is what I meant by taking less for Gattis in this case as I'd want a better prospect package otherwise. Gattis having so much power, being so cheap, and so far from free agency is a big factor here. In fact, I have no doubts that Gattis could do what Cruz did in Baltimore in a similar role. Baltimore and the AL East would be a place where Gattis could really show off his power.

That said, I also believe Jimenez would do quite a bit better in the NL East pitching in Atlanta. He is one of those pitchers that just fits better in the NL IMO.
 
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