FanPost

5 Moves that would meet all the Braves' needs.


First, I want to emphasize, this is a fanpost from a fan's perspective. A fan that fully realizes there are no "force trade" buttons. I also know that we have very little time, and probably very little inclination to make these moves. So, please take this for what it is. Just a fan, thinking out loud, for entertainment purposes only.

I will do my best to provide the logic behind each move. I will also try to explain how each move would affect the Braves in 2019, and at least a few years into the future.

Going in to the 2018-19 offseason, it was widely accepted that we had the following needs/wants for our roster: TOR, BP, COF, C, Bench

Move #1-Trade for JTR, Steckenrider, Pick #34

Players involved - Flowers, Teheran, Touki, Pache, One of Wilson/Allard/Ynoa/Prospects10-30

Logic- Upgrade at Catcher, however slight of an upgrade it might be(when you consider framing), JTR is considered the best available C in MLB. He is not very expensive for 2 more years, he adds wins to the current roster. Steck is a good young reliever and an Atlanta native. While I don't really think geography plays much into these decisions, Our 3 recent FA signings have all noted this as a factor in their decisions. The pick #34 is roughly worth 10-15mil in surplus value(depending on which article/chart you choose to believe). It will provide value later on in these deals as well. I have read just about any tidbit that is out there on what the Fish are looking for. They seem to want 2 top 50 spects and possibly a veteran C to work with their young staff. Is this an overpay, yes. I think it has to be in order to get the pick and be able to include Teheran.

Net Payroll change- ~9mil in savings

Move #2- Trade for Kluber, Cimber

Players Involved - Inciarte, Gausman

Logic- Once again, We are trying to fill a need here. Yes, we are creating another need in CF but that will be addressed. Cleveland might not even need/want to trade Kluber anymore. What they clearly do need is a good CF. Inciarte provides this and is cheap for years to come. Gausman gives them someone that is adequate in their already stacked rotation. Cimber will provide fodder for our next trade. Also, Kluber is a native of the ATL footprint(born in AL, College in FL). Again, not that this matters. Even though we trade 2 good players, this move still adds WAR. It's not much but when we combine everything at the end, it will be substantial.

Net Payroll change- ~(-4mil)

Move #3- Trade for Mallex Smith, W. LeBlanc

Players involved - Viz, Duvall, Fried, Cimber

Logic- Here is where we replace Ender. I know that everyone will say we lose defensive value here, yes , we do. However, Mallex projects better offensively and he is adequate defensively. He is younger, cheaper(for now), and faster. You guessed it, he and leblanc also have ties to this area.

Steamer projections for 2019:

Ender .306 babip, 93 wrc+, 2.5 bsr, 5.1 def

Mallex .326 babip, 98 wrc+, 3.7 bsr, -0.8 def

Mallex is projected for just .1 more WAR than Ender so I believe you have at least adequately replaced ender's production. Plus, LeBlanc is projected for ~150 IP and .8 WAR. I think that is a perfectly acceptable #4-5.

Net Payroll change- ~6mil in savings

At this point, we have cut ~11mil in payroll, bringing our current total to 100-105. What I haven't mentioned yet is that in order to stay within a ~140mil budget after the last 2 moves, we need to get rid of Oday, S. Freeman, and winkler somehow. This can be done by packaging another prospect with oday for a bag of balls and cutting Winkler & Freeman during ST. So the next two moves assume we have done this. Bringing our total payroll to ~90 mil.

Moves 4&5- Sign Kimbrel and Harper

Just for the sake of nice round #s, lets say the contracts are as follows:

Kimbrel 3yr/50mil

Harper 10yr/330mil

These two add roughly 50mil in payroll(I know, I know, the braves don't spend like this), bringing our total to ~140mil for 2019. You would also lose 2 draft picks, the one you got from Miami and the 2nd rounder you would've lost for signing 1 FA/QO anyway. So essentially, you have the same draft picks anyway.

2019 Lineup/Bench/Rotation/Pen

1. Acuna

2. JD

3. FF

4. Harper

5. JTR

6. Albies

7. Swanson

8. Smith

1. Camargo

2. Kakes

3. McCann

4. Culberson

1. Kluber

2. Folty

3. Newk

4. Leblanc

5. Soroka/Gohara/Wright/Wilson(whoever isn't traded above)

1. Venters

2. Steck

3. Minter

4. Sobotka

5. Biddle

6. Carle

7. Jackson/Parsons/Webb/Clouse/Weigel/etc

8. Kimbrel

Exactly how much these moves add in terms of WAR is tough to pinpoint. However, just based on the FA we add and the differences in the players we would swap in trades, I have us around 46-47 overall team WAR. 140mil 2019 Payroll, Upgraded or at least not regressed at all 5 needs that I stated above.

Beyond 2019:

I know the biggest thing everyone will point to is Harper's contract. It could for sure be an albatross. I fully admit that. I don't pretend to know what we can do with payroll once the Acuna's of the world start their last years of arb into FA.

2020- JD, McCann, Leblanc, Culberson, Markakis, would all fall off(after payouts)which would open up ~30mil for extensions/arb/etc. Folty, JTR, and Culerson would be more expensive but not terribly more. Could always try to trade Kluber if you feel he's expendable(Anderson, someone else moves up)

2021-This will be the first year for a lot of arb elig players. Payroll will most certainly get tighter. But, if we haven't spent a ton of the money leftover from the previous season, we should be able to pay everyone(excluding the ever-fluid bullpen/bench players)

2022- Freeman, Kimbrel, Folty would all be free agents. I'm sure we would want to resign Freddie, Possibly by now our drafts and other prospects have been groomed and can provide cheap depth. Contreras, Anderson, Muller, Wentz, Waters, Jenista, Riley by this time should've all graduated to the majors, which of course just opens up more possibilities.

My point is, no one can say for sure what 4-10 years from now will look like for the Braves. We can only speculate and dream. Which for me, these moves would be a dream scenario.

This FanPost does not express the views or opinions of Battery Power.