BRAVES NEWS
Heyman: Swanson is “untouchable” in potential trade for Sale
Welcome to the most exciting part of the dreary offseason — the Winter Meetings! The Braves are still in the thick of things when it comes to a potential deal for Chris Sale, so this figures to be a very interesting week for Atlanta. According to multiple reports (most prominently from Jon Heyman), the Braves are not going to be dealing Dansby Swanson in any potential trade and have reportedly deemed him “untouchable.” However, Joel Sherman has tweeted that Ozzie Albies could be involved in a deal if it happens, so there’s that.
Archer may be actual top trade target for Braves
Meanwhile, there are rumors that the Braves may be focusing more on trying to potentially land Chris Archer from the Tampa Bay Rays. This is probably due to the fact that Archer’s price is probably going to be lower than what it would take to bring in Chris Sale, and if the White Sox insist on getting Swanson then that’ll be a non-starter. The Rays are still asking for a haul that Mark Bowman described as ‘uncomfortable’ for the Braves, but hey, if you want a good, young pitcher under a decent amount of team control in this market then you’re going to have to pay a hefty price either way.
BtBS: Braves trade for Garcia was “puzzling”
We’re still experiencing a bit of fallout from the Braves trade that brought Jaime Garcia into the fold. Some outlets praised the deal, others didn’t exactly paint the Braves in glory. Our friends over at Beyond the Box Sccore just seemed a bit perplexed by the move, though.
Answer me this: what is the best possible result on this deal for Atlanta? I can only see two scenarios in which this deal ends up as a win for the Braves.
1) Garcia has a rebound season and the Braves either flip him at the deadline for better prospects than the ones they just gave up, or they tender him a qualifying offer at season’s end and pick up a draft pick.
2) Garcia has a rebound season and the Braves contend this season, with Garcia helping contribute to/through the playoff push.
John Schuerholz will be going to the Hall of Fame
Meanwhile, Braves Country got some excellent news over the weekend. One of the architects of the Braves’ Divisional Dynasty of the 1990s will be taking his rightful place in the Hall of Fame, as John Schuerholz was unanimously voted into the Hall of Fame via the Today’s Game Era committee. With Bobby Cox, John Smoltz, Tom Glavine, Greg Maddux, and now John Schuerholz in the Hall of Fame, we now have to wait on Chipper Jones’ eventual election into the Hall. Either way, it’s great to see these legends receive the recognition they earned.
MLB NEWS
Matt Holliday joins the Yankees
The Yankees needed a new DH with the departure of Brian McCann, and they’ve filled that vacancy with former Cardinals outfielder Matt Holliday. Holliday signed a one-year deal worth $12 million, and it’s a decent deal for a player who can still swing the bat pretty well at this stage of his career.
WFAN’s Sweeny Murti was the first to report that Holliday was close to a deal with the Yankees, and Jon Heyman later confirmed the signing and revealed the terms. Holliday will be joining the Yankees on a one-year, $13 million contract, which is not a bad deal at all for a productive veteran who hit .246/.322/.461 with 20 homers and a 109 wRC+ last year.
Holliday is a seven-time All-Star with 448 doubles, 295 homers, 44.4 WAR, and a 2011 World Series ring with the Cardinals to his name. Injuries slowed him somewhat in the final couple seasons of the seven-year, $120 million deal he signed with St. Louis in the 2009-10 offseason after coming over at the previous year’s trade deadline.
Astros sign Carlos Beltran
Meanwhile, Carlos Beltran is still kicking around and he’s going to making a return to a team that he had a short-but-eventful stint with. Back in 2005, the Astros traded for Beltran and he helped lead them ot the National League Pennant that year. It’s 2016 now, the Astros are in the AL, but Beltran is still playing and he’ll be returning to Houston on a one-year deal worth $16 million.