BRAVES NEWS
Andrelton Simmons gets snubbed for Gold Glove
After Braves defensive maestro Andrelton Simmons won the Fielding Bible's Award for being the best defensive shortstop in baseball, many people figured that Simba was the strong favorite to win the Gold Glove as well. Unfortunately, that wouldn't be the case as this time, the NL Gold Glove award for the SS position went to San Francisco's Brandon Crawford. Naturally, there's been plenty of backlash towards the decision, but I think that both Simba and Braves fans can take solace in the fact that Andrelton will probably win a lot more hardware in the future, and this is probably just going to be a rare snub in his defensive career.
Teams are showing interest in a potential Cameron Maybin trade
Earlier this week, the Braves made it known that they were willing to deal one of their many outfielders -- namely Michael Bourn, Nick Swisher, or Cameron Maybin. I noted that Maybin was probably the most likely candidate to get moved, and according to the New York Post's Joel Sherman, the Braves have received a little bit of interest in Maybin. Stay tuned, folks.
After a few years of struggles in San Diego, Maybin had a nice rebound year in Atlanta with 10 homers and 23 steals.
Maybin could be seen as a cost-effective alternative. He is due $8 million in 2016 and has a $9 million team option for 2017 with a $1 million buyout. The Braves have Michael Bourn to play center and Mallex Smith, a prospect they think is a lot like a young Bourn, potentially ready by midseason.
Braves won't break the bank to improve the bullpen
Although the Braves have made it clear that they want to shore up what was an extremely leaky bullpen back in the 2015 season, they also made it known that they aren't going to spend lavishly in that particular market. Here's a look at who the Braves could be looking at for bullpen help in 2016:
Though history has provided numerous examples of the danger of placing too much value on a free-agent reliever, the likes of O'Day and Tyler Clippard will eventually get their payday from a bullpen-needy club. But the Braves will likely not be shopping in this aisle.
Instead, the Braves will be looking to find this year's version of Ryan Madson. In fact, they will keep tabs on Madson, the veteran right-handed reliever who came out of retirement and resurrected his career for the World Series-champion Royals this year.
Madson, Jonathan Broxton and Joakim Soria are among the veteran relievers the Braves are expected to target to add bullpen depth. Tony Sipp will be among the left-handers who should receive some interest from Atlanta.
"I think we're going to try to add at least one left-hander and as many quality relievers as we can," Coppolella said.
SunTrust Park's construction is right on schedule
The Braves' new home in Cobb County is actually starting to look like a legit ballpark, as construction on the new stadium is coming along quite nicely. Although traffic concerns are still a pretty big worry, the actual construction of the stadium is going smoothly, to the point where the concrete and steel work on the stadium is almost complete, and construction of The Battery is now underway.
Braves stadium update, 11/10/15, 2:04pm pic.twitter.com/fYDlZN4H85
— Scott Coleman (@scottcoleman55) November 10, 2015
MLB NEWS
Harper and Trout are among NL and AL MVP Award Finalists, respectively
As expected, Washington's Bryce Harper and Los Angeles' Mike Trout are both officially finalists for the MVP Award in their respective leagues. Harper will have to contend with Paul Goldschmidt and Joey Votto, while Trout will be in the running with Lorenzo Cain and Josh Donaldson. While I could possibly see Donaldson winning in the AL, you gotta believe that Harper and Trout are shoo-ins to win this award.
Angels nay have to consider trading Trout
Speaking of Trout, the Angels superstar is a once-in-a-generation talent that any team would love to build around for years to come. There's probably little-to-no chance that the Angels would even think about moving Trout, but maybe, just maybe, we could see them do it if things get really desperate on the red side of LA.
And just imagine the haul that trading Mike Trout would bring in for the Angels! They could be set up for a generation by dealing a once-in-a-generation talent. If the Angels were to include Mike Trout in a trade package, not only would they be able to fill out some holes in the major-league roster in the hopes of fielding a competitive team in the short run, but they'd also be able to stack the cupboard in the minors for years of winning baseball to come. I can't even begin to speculate on what kind of players Mike Trout would net the Angels, but off the top of my head, I'd look to either the Colorado Rockiesor the Baltimore Orioles. Start with Nolan Arenado or Manny Machado and work downward through the minors, picking and choosing a set of position players to fill out the 2018 World Series Champion Angels roster. I'd be more inclined to go to the Rockies first. Not only is their farm system ranked really highly, but there would also be far less chance of Trout haunting the Angels over the next decade. Plus, Arenado is younger and isn't as much of a(n) [insult redacted] as Machado.