rico43
<B>Director of Minor League Reports</B>
This, from the Miami Herald:
Determined to upgrade over Garrett Jones at first base, the Marlins have begun exploring trades. Colleague Clark Spencer and I (Scott Gelman) confirmed that the Marlins are interested in Atlanta’s Evan Gattis and Clark was told they also have inquired about Baltimore’s Chris Davis. Both Gattis and Davis are 28.
Gattis, who has seemingly performed well against the Marlins in his career, is known to be an outfielder and catcher but can also play first base. In 2014, Gattis posted a .263/.317/.493 batting line to 22 home runs and 52 RBIs. He appeared in 104 games for Atlanta, and has been durable throughout his career. Since he has established himself as a power hitter, Gattis does not walk frequently (5.5% of at-bats in 2014), however his 2.3 WAR likely made up for that.
While he would give the Marlins depth, Gattis would make sense because he made just $0.5 million last season. Miami offered a two-year, $20 million contract to Adam LaRoche which he subsequently declined, and pursuing a free agent such as Morse may also be costly. Gattis isn't eligible for free agency until after 2018, and Atlanta may attempt to capitalize on that. The Braves are looking to get younger, and although they are fond of Gattis, might not hesitate to trade him if the deal was right. A pair of minor league prospects might do it, though Miami might not be the only team interested.
Determined to upgrade over Garrett Jones at first base, the Marlins have begun exploring trades. Colleague Clark Spencer and I (Scott Gelman) confirmed that the Marlins are interested in Atlanta’s Evan Gattis and Clark was told they also have inquired about Baltimore’s Chris Davis. Both Gattis and Davis are 28.
Gattis, who has seemingly performed well against the Marlins in his career, is known to be an outfielder and catcher but can also play first base. In 2014, Gattis posted a .263/.317/.493 batting line to 22 home runs and 52 RBIs. He appeared in 104 games for Atlanta, and has been durable throughout his career. Since he has established himself as a power hitter, Gattis does not walk frequently (5.5% of at-bats in 2014), however his 2.3 WAR likely made up for that.
While he would give the Marlins depth, Gattis would make sense because he made just $0.5 million last season. Miami offered a two-year, $20 million contract to Adam LaRoche which he subsequently declined, and pursuing a free agent such as Morse may also be costly. Gattis isn't eligible for free agency until after 2018, and Atlanta may attempt to capitalize on that. The Braves are looking to get younger, and although they are fond of Gattis, might not hesitate to trade him if the deal was right. A pair of minor league prospects might do it, though Miami might not be the only team interested.
