BRAVES NEWS
Kemp’s triple propels Braves to win in Arizona
The Braves went into Tuesday night’s game against the Diamondbacks trailing 4-3 in the eighth inning. However, a rally that was started by Dansby Swanson ended with Matt Kemp hitting a bases-loaded, three-run triple that made it 6-4. The Braves eventually won the game 7-4.
Yankees and Braves are still talking about possible McCann trade
The waiver trade deadline is coming up, and a rumor that had legs back before the non-waiver trade deadline is alive again. According to Joe Giglio of NJ Advance Media, the Yankees are shopping Brian McCann again, and the Braves are apparently the main team that the Yankees are talking to. Maybe they aren’t asking for Folty and Inciarte this time around?
This offseason is the most important one for Coppolella
Next season is going to be a big one for the Braves, since the franchise has publicly stated that they plan on actually putting a competent major league product on their brand new field at SunTrust Park next season. Whether they’ll actually be competitive next season depends on what they do this offseason, and Eric says that this offseason is going to be the most important one yet for GM John Coppolella.
Sure, there will be some free agent signings (assuming Liberty Media and the Braves keep their word about payroll), but if Coppy is serious about being competitive in 2017, that could mean this offseason could be among the more exciting in recent memory. It also could mean that several of the prospects we have grown to love over the last year or two could be with different organizations next season which makes me sad, but it may be for the greater good.
What has been the most optimistic development of this Braves season?
Meanwhile, one thing that might benefit the Braves this offseason is the fact that they held on to Julio Teheran at the trade deadline. Grant Brisbee has made the argument that this was actually a smart thing for the Braves to do because if they choose to trade him during the offseason, they could get a significant haul in return due to the barren free agent market for pitching.
...If a team wants a low-cost alternative to soon-to-be multimillionaires like Andrew Cashner or Jorge De La Rosa, they’ll have to go through the Braves first. They’ve surfed the risk-reward waters with grace (there are sharks in there!), and they’ll have the most to gain from the desolate hellscape that is the offseason pitching market.
MLB NEWS
2016 MLB Postseason schedule gets released
Go ahead and circle the date of October 4th on your calendar, since that will be the day when the 2016 MLB Postseason officially kicks off. The AL Wild Card game will be played on the 4th, and the NL game will be played on the 5th. The next day will see the start of the ALDS, and the NLDS will kick off the day after that. This will all lead up to the World Series, which could bleed into November this year.
Dodgers now lead NL West by two games
Two teams who figure to be involved in October action this year are the Giants and Dodgers. The two fierce rivals have started an important series this week, and the surging Dodgers have drawn first blood in that series by picking up a 9-5 victory over the slumping Giants.