Trade deadline thread

[striker42]

This is all baseless conjecture

What's conjecture? That a GM might lie to fans to keep them happy? That's not conjecture, it's business.

Determining when the GM is lying is largely baseless conjecture but I don't think any GM that tells fans the truth all the time would last long in the job.

 

[striker42]

Because at times the staff has been tops in baseball and we have won 67 ****ing games and almost every series against a fellow division leader.

This team is loaded.

This team is loaded. It also could use rotation depth. Most teams need rotation depth, even the great ones.

 

[Enscheff]

Are there folks on this board suggesting guys weren’t available that are better than Elder/Morton will likely be going forward?

Or are they suggesting the risk for a guy with an elbow injury is not significant?

It’s verging in blind homerism in here. The Braves needed a SP, and several were available. It’s ok to disagree with moves AA did or didn’t make.

 

[ixiXSolidXixi]

You do realize we've been running with 3 MLB quality starters for months now? Right?

Our starting pitching isnt deep and we have some fragile starters.

How anyone can say we don't need rotation depth is beyond me.

During the offseason I came here and say we need a extra pitcher to keep everyone fresh. Many people say we are going to be ok because we have Soroka and many fillers for that fifth spot during the season.

 

[Southcack77]

Looks like AA had the same mindset that I did. Nobody there that was a clear upgrade over who they have.

That's me too.

Wouldn't have wanted to overpay in prospects or money for Verlander, don't really think any of the other available starters were any lock to be better options than Morton.

I didn't actually think they needed an OF which was good because there weren't any there.

The only thing I might have asked for would have been a great reliever because one of those is always nice.

 

[Southcack77]

I'm as happy as the next guy to laugh at striker's hyperbole, but I do think there's a significant risk to not acquiring a starter, even if that guy isn't an "impact arm." No, Flaherty, Montgomery, Rodriguez, Lorenzen and the like aren't really impact arms, but they do add depth to the rotation and give you Fried insurance. They reduce the chances you have to do a bullpen game or something similarly desperate in the playoffs. And while the division is in hand, one more competent arm in the rotation means one fewer start for the Shuster-Dodd-Soroka-AJSS quartet for the rest of the regular season, which could be helpful in maintaining the best record in the league.

I'm not going to lose too many nights of sleep over this, and considering the state of the farm system it's probably necessary to take a break from raiding it for a season or two. But inaction has its risks as well.

... But they don't give you "Fried insurance"

There is always risk of injury and I don't buy that the Braves could have insulated themselves from that by trading for 4/5 level starters.

They could only do that by trading for a 1/2 stater.

 

[Russ2dollas]

Are there folks on this board suggesting guys weren’t available that are better than Elder/Morton will likely be going forward?

Or are they suggesting the risk for a guy with an elbow injury is not significant?

It’s verging in blind homerism in here. The Braves needed a SP, and several were available. It’s ok to disagree with moves AA did or didn’t make.

I didn’t see a guy moved that would definitely be on the post season roster for a price I’d want to pay.

Now I admit I’m a Braves fan and I do not watch other teams. So maybe I’d feel differently if I knew their stats. Just looking at names and costs and contracts.

 

[Southcack77]

Some of you wanting to be mad at Alex for not making a trade for a big name, have you forgot takes two to tango in these potential trades? We’re you in the office with him in the calls and negotiations? This isn’t fantasy baseball or trading baseball cards when you were ten years old. The fact of the matter is the Braves did not need to do much, and still a couple things were done in improving bullpen and bench depth. I have a feeling some of you would complain if the Braves acquired Ohtani for Rosario and the fourth starter in Mississippi.

Would I have like to get a Dylan Cease or someone like that? Sure. But if the deal isn’t right, don’t do it. I’d much rather be in this position instead of like the Reds or Diamondbacks who didn’t get a needed starter, the Yankees who needed a bat and didn’t get one, or the Mets who traded two hall of famers all while paying both almost $100M while not playing for them.

I like Alex's approach personally. No reason for the Braves to part with anything that they view as contributing pieces to pretend like signing a mediocre starter is protection for an ace going down.

 

[Deester11]

Are there folks on this board suggesting guys weren’t available that are better than Elder/Morton will likely be going forward?

Or are they suggesting the risk for a guy with an elbow injury is not significant?

It’s verging in blind homerism in here. The Braves needed a SP, and several were available. It’s ok to disagree with moves AA did or didn’t make.

Oh. You mean we don’t have to love every move or non-move? What a great idea. I agree that depending on injury prone pitchers is an interesting proposition. Perhaps I’m just crazy like that but some of the prices didn’t seem prohibitive to me.

 

[MadduxFanII]

... But they don't give you "Fried insurance"

There is always risk of injury and I don't buy that the Braves could have insulated themselves from that by trading for 4/5 level starters.

They could only do that by trading for a 1/2 stater.

To pick just one guy to focus on, Jordan Montgomery has two WAR this year with a 3.74 FIP. He has a 112 career ERA+ and a career FIP of 3.80. That's a damn fine Major League starting pitcher. I trust him more than Bryce Elder, and I probably trust him more than Morton considering Charlie's age and recent injury history. He's a guy you have no problem starting in game three of a postseason series.

He's not "Fried insurance" in the sense that he's as good as Fried, because obviously he's not. But he's Fried insurance in the sense that having him means you have a solid, capable, proven option to step up in case something goes wrong.

 

[The Tariff King]

To pick just one guy to focus on, Jordan Montgomery has two WAR this year with a 3.74 FIP. He has a 112 career ERA+ and a career FIP of 3.80. That's a damn fine Major League starting pitcher. I trust him more than Bryce Elder, and I probably trust him more than Morton considering Charlie's age and recent injury history. He's a guy you have no problem starting in game three of a postseason series.

He's not "Fried insurance" in the sense that he's as good as Fried, because obviously he's not. But he's Fried insurance in the sense that having him means you have a solid, capable, proven option to step up in case something goes wrong.

Mort currently sporting an ERA+ of 126.

Outside of the broken leg off the foulball, has Chuck really had that much of an injury history with us?

 

[Garmel]

Damn it!

[tw]1686423192578019334[/tw]

 

[chop2chip]

To pick just one guy to focus on, Jordan Montgomery has two WAR this year with a 3.74 FIP. He has a 112 career ERA+ and a career FIP of 3.80. That's a damn fine Major League starting pitcher. I trust him more than Bryce Elder, and I probably trust him more than Morton considering Charlie's age and recent injury history. He's a guy you have no problem starting in game three of a postseason series.

He's not "Fried insurance" in the sense that he's as good as Fried, because obviously he's not. But he's Fried insurance in the sense that having him means you have a solid, capable, proven option to step up in case something goes wrong.

Montgomery got traded for the 63rd overall prospect plus another 45 FV. He’s a two month rental. I don’t think the Braves could beat that offer. Even if we had equivalent value, the Cardinals might have just preferred the Rangers kid.

I trust AA when he said he looked for starting pitching. But there’s only so much you can do when you only have a handful of 45 FV prospects.

 

[Russ2dollas]

Montgomery got traded for the 63rd overall prospect plus another 45 FV. He’s a two month rental. I don’t think the Braves could beat that offer. Even if we had equivalent value, the Cardinals might have just preferred the Rangers kid.

I trust AA when he said he looked for starting pitching. But there’s only so much you can do when you only have a handful of 45 FV prospects.

I agree with this.

We do not have any top 100 guys.

We do ajss. Not sure if they will move him for a rental. He is an option for a playoff pen arm.

We have Grissom. He might be hard to deal as our only option who can maybe hit if there is an injury to anyone.

We have our first round picks from the last two years.

 

[bravesfanforlife88]

As frustrating as it is we didn’t add a SP or impact bullpen arm, it could always be worse….we could be a Mets fan…

 

[jpx7]

I agree with this.

We do not have any top 100 guys.

We do ajss. Not sure if they will move him for a rental. He is an option for a playoff pen arm.

We have Grissom. He might be hard to deal as our only option who can maybe hit if there is an injury to anyone.

We have our first round picks from the last two years.

We have two top-100 guys—Grissom (if he hadn't have lost rookie status last year) and Smith-Shawver—and both are (or would be) in the back-half. I like both players—along with some of the lower-level talent the Braves have brought in—but it's a lot to burn on two months of Jordan Montgomery. And that's assuming the Cardinals would've liked the Braves package better.

 

[Tapate50]

We have two top-100 guys—Grissom (if he hadn't have lost rookie status last year) and Smith-Shawver—and both are (or would be) in the back-half. I like both players—along with some of the lower-level talent the Braves have brought in—but it's a lot to burn on two months of Jordan Montgomery. And that's assuming the Cardinals would've liked the Braves package better.

Could add Waldrep, but that’s not a given.

People act like he’s doing his job with less than 100% effort.

It’s laughable and frankly for a guy that brought a 2021 flag flying forever (copyright), insulting to his job performance so far.

 

[Deester11]

Could add Waldrep, but that’s not a given.

People act like he’s doing his job with less than 100% effort.

It’s laughable and frankly for a guy that brought a 2021 flag flying forever (copyright), insulting to his job performance so far.

Not one person is boohooing about AA being a bad GM, but it’s also fair to say he’s not without a few questionable moves. Every GM will have some. It’s laughable that people can’t disagree with moves without someone getting their Ballz wound tight. In this case I think an SP given the prices were within reach. AA didn’t think so. Cool.

 

[Southcack77]

Not one person is boohooing about AA being a bad GM, but it’s also fair to say he’s not without a few questionable moves. Every GM will have some. It’s laughable that people can’t disagree with moves without someone getting their Ballz wound tight. In this case I think an SP given the prices were within reach. AA didn’t think so. Cool.

Basically every offseason and trade deadline there are complaints that AA isn’t Preller. Splash moves come with a price and guarantee nothing.

I’m comfortable with what they did. The cost of a small upgrade can be too much when you’re talking about depth essentially.

 

[Deester11]

Basically every offseason and trade deadline there are complaints that AA isn’t Preller. Splash moves come with a price and guarantee nothing.

I’m comfortable with what they did. The cost of a small upgrade can be too much when you’re talking about depth essentially.

True to a point. I don’t think splash moves are the end all, be all. AA has done great in many more areas than I could ever complain about, but I’m not a blind follower. He is the pinnacle of what the Braves have accomplished next to that Schuerholz dude. He deserves the benefit of the doubt definitely. Howevah…I just didn’t want to lean on returning injury type guys in the rotation. I thought that’s going all in, a trade for a suitable arm would be a definite for the playoffs. Maybe not. Time will tell.