2020 Roster Status

[brdu4 5]

Signed and Club Control total of $51 million

Freeman

Melancon

Acuna

Albies

Inciarte

Alex Jackson

Ortega

Riley

Soroka

Touki

Jeremy Walker

Webb

Weigel

Ynoa

Fried

Newcomb

Minter

Sobotka

Bryse Wilson

Kyle Wright

 

Club Option

Julio

Flowers

Markakis

 

Mutual Option

Hamilton

 

ARB

Folty

Greene

Culberson

Luke Jackson

Dansby

Camargo

Grant Dayton

Adam Duvall

 

Free Agents

Donaldson

Keuchel

Cervelli

O’Day

Swarzak

Martin

Blevins

Hechavarria

Tomlin

Joyce

 

 

info was obtained from Cot’s Baseball 

https://legacy.baseballprospectus.com/compensation/cots/national-league/atlanta-braves-2/

Edited Thursday at 04:16 AM by brdu4

[falconsd56 17,947]

It's going to be really interesting to see how the roster shakes out next year.

[jidady 6,435]

I'm pretty confident Donaldson comes back. I hope that we find a way to bring Keuchel back. We're going to pay Julio a million and hand him a gold watch. I'll remember him fondly as a loyal soldier for many years. And I will personally polish the boot that kicks Folty's butt out the door.

Then, we need one more starter, two more legit relievers, and one of Wright/Wilson/Weigel to make the leap.

I wouldn't be surprised if some team sniffs around Newcomb as a starter. I'm curious whether we really believe in him as a reliever or would listen.

 

[brdu4 5]

I think Donaldson comes back. Julio’s club option is picked up. Keuchel I feel is gone and Wilson takes his spot in the rotation. I don’t think the club trades Newcomb and they see him as the closer once Melancon’s contract is up after next year. I’d like to see them resign Tomlin, O’Day, Martin, Hechavarria and Joyce. Think it’s time to let Markakis go and bring up Waters and/or Pache. 

[jidady 6,435]

Julio costs $12 million and couldn't make the playoff roster. Keuchel probably costs $15 million and gives the team a lot more on and off the field. Newcomb can't throw strikes enough to be a closer. He's probably being used in the right role for him, which is first reliever out of the bullpen, not someone for high-pressure situations.

Judging from 2019, Pache seems closer to ready than Waters, but they're both just 20. We also have Riley in that mix. I expect Ender to get dealt, as his contract has value. He's either a starting CFer on a lesser team or an exceptional fourth OFer on a good team.

We also desperately need a catcher. That market is so thin that MLB.com lists Flowers as #3 available behind Grandal and Chirinos.

This team's weird. It's got the kind of anchor pieces that organizations dream of having. But its holes are chasms.

[Rise 606]

8 hours ago, jidady said:

I'm pretty confident Donaldson comes back. I hope that we find a way to bring Keuchel back. We're going to pay Julio a million and hand him a gold watch. I'll remember him fondly as a loyal soldier for many years. And I will personally polish the boot that kicks Folty's butt out the door.

Then, we need one more starter, two more legit relievers, and one of Wright/Wilson/Weigel to make the leap.

I wouldn't be surprised if some team sniffs around Newcomb as a starter. I'm curious whether we really believe in him as a reliever or would listen.

 

It is Riley's time.

Plus, The Braves have to privately concede the division to The Nationals and The Phillies for a few seasons.

After the bats could not hit the Cardinal's pitching, The Braves have to sell the public on something... It would take re-signing who they have and landing a major #1 ace and a real batter that can be counted-o. In the post-season.

I do not foresee Liberty Media doing all of this for a championship..

If these free agents do not do well in the post-season again, they would be stuck with un-trade-able contracts.

 

 

Edited Thursday at 12:49 PM by Rise

[Malachore 7,087]

7 hours ago, jidady said:

Julio costs $12 million and couldn't make the playoff roster. Keuchel probably costs $15 million and gives the team a lot more on and off the field. Newcomb can't throw strikes enough to be a closer. He's probably being used in the right role for him, which is first reliever out of the bullpen, not someone for high-pressure situations.

Judging from 2019, Pache seems closer to ready than Waters, but they're both just 20. We also have Riley in that mix. I expect Ender to get dealt, as his contract has value. He's either a starting CFer on a lesser team or an exceptional fourth OFer on a good team.

We also desperately need a catcher. That market is so thin that MLB.com lists Flowers as #3 available behind Grandal and Chirinos.

This team's weird. It's got the kind of anchor pieces that organizations dream of having. But its holes are chasms.

That's what happens when you rebuild, sink all your assets into arms and only 1 of those arms develop (so far).

[The Kingfish 307]

I've seen enough of Julio and that $12 million could be better spent on another pitcher. 

I guess we hope for the best with Inciarte, but keeping Hamilton might be a good idea for a possible platoon.

I was hoping Touki would make more progress and compete for a spot in the rotation, but I think he's just not going to cut it. 

Newcomb has too much talent to be pitching out of the pen, but I don't think Snit will give him another chance in the rotation so he looks like trade bait.  

It seems like many people want to see them make a run at getting Madison Bumgarner,  Granted he's still only 30, but he just seems to injury prone. 

  

[Malachore 7,087]

3 minutes ago, The Kingfish said:

I've seen enough of Julio and that $12 million could be better spent on another pitcher. 

I guess we hope for the best with Inciarte, but keeping Hamilton might be a good idea for a possible platoon.

I was hoping Touki would make more progress and compete for a spot in the rotation, but I think he's just not going to cut it. 

Newcomb has too much talent to be pitching out of the pen, but I don't think Snit will give him another chance in the rotation so he looks like trade bait.  

It seems like many people want to see them make a run at getting Madison Bumgarner,  Granted he's still only 30, but he just seems to injury prone. 

  

Hamilton is not worth 7.5 million.

[VoiceofReason95 341]

I don't know what happens, but I'd fully expect Folty to still be on the team. Complain, gash your eyes out as much as you want about poor mind games and mentality, but this rotation is not stable enough to try to send him away (unless it's a GREAT trade offer), especially when you consider that the chances Keuchel comes back are low and it's looking a lot less likely with Julio than it was about three weeks ago. So, like I said when he returned from Gwinnett, expect him to suit up for the Braves at least one more season. Any future season will depend on development of other SP. So far, it's not gone as well as you'd hope. Outside Soroka you still have "kind ofs" if you still want to include Folty.

That leads me to my other part. What others that love Tyler Flowers will say is irrationality, but like last year, I was over the catching platoon. I'd like to see if you can grab Grandal on a short term high AAV deal. I wouldn't platoon with him but I'd see if I can sell less playing time to stay fresh (110ish starts).

[Psychic Gibbon 40,772]

Acuna, Pache, and Waters will be the starting OF. That will provide much improved defense and will make the lineup more reliable, rookie ups and downs not withstanding. Inciarte will most likely be a pricey 4th OF since I doubt he has any trade value at the moment.

Starting IF shouldn't be much different. Only question mark is whether or not they re-sign Donaldson. If not then 3B goes to Riley. Camargo and Culberson will undoubtedly be back as bench pieces. That would leave one non-backup catcher bench spot open.

Flowers is probably the only player with an option that they'll keep since it's not like anyone else is available at catcher besides Alex Jackson, who won't be reliable, until Contreras and, eventually, Langeliers are ready.

Rotation you have Soroka, Fried, Anderson, and Folty. In a perfect world they get Gerrit Cole in FA to finish that off and turn the rotation from a fairly shaky unit into arguably one of the best ones in the league. Even if they don't then the Soroka/Fried/Anderson trio should be very good.

Only bullpen arms that will be guaranteed to be there will be Melancon due to what he's going to be paid and Newcomb, in all likelihood. The rest will be a mish mash of throwing prospect arms against the wall and seeing who sticks and, hopefully, going out and getting someone to be the closer who won't give me heartburn.

[VoiceofReason95 341]

I really really doubt you see Waters any sooner than August next year. It'd be the unsexy thing to not see the hot prospect for most of the year, but there are some issues here, even if on the surface he looks like a better put the bat on the ball guy than Pache. He'll have to absolutely stomp on AAA for anything to change.

We will see Pache much sooner than Waters unless Pache just poops the bed in AAA early next year. Pache is Victor Robles 2018 or the Dansby Swanson (hopefully without as bad of a rookie year) to the Ozzie Albies in Drew Waters.

I wouldn't be surprised if you actually see a couple moves made for the bullpen but they won't be big ones. Like if Romo decides to play again, maybe you can snag him cheap, and a prove it deal for Jeffress for example. Maybe even Chris Martin comes back. Otherwise, you're going to wait and see what happens again, then upgrade at the deadline.

EDIT: I think you can trade Ender. It might have to be in a deal with more than 1 player but there are teams that could use him.

Edited Thursday at 04:12 PM by VoiceofReason95

[jidady 6,435]

I agree that folks need to pump the brakes on Waters. He just struck out 43 times in 107 at bats in AAA.

[jidady 6,435]

Here are MLBTR's arb estimates for the Braves:

• Shane Greene – $6.5MM
• Mike Foltynewicz – $7.5MM
• Charlie Culberson – $1.8MM
• Adam Duvall – $3.8MM
• John Ryan Murphy – $1.2MM
• Dansby Swanson – $3.3MM
• Luke Jackson – $1.9MM
• Grant Dayton – $800K
• Johan Camargo – $1.6MM

[youngbloodz 12,455]

I want Mookie Betts and Gerritt Cole. Go for broke. And yes I know this wont happen 

[The Kingfish 307]

10 minutes ago, youngbloodz said:

I want Mookie Betts and Gerritt Cole. Go for broke. And yes I know this wont happen 

Betts could happen if Donaldson doesn't happen.

[The Kingfish 307]

Safe to say they exercise Flowers option since the FA market for catchers is very thin and they don't want to have to replace him and McCann. I don't know about Alex Jackson. He put up some good power numbers in AAA, but i don't know if I trust him to call games with all these young pitchers. If the Red Sox decline arbitration on Sandy Leon I would kick the tires on him due to his great game calling and great reputation guiding young pitchers.

[jidady 6,435]

1 hour ago, The Kingfish said:

Safe to say they exercise Flowers option since the FA market for catchers is very thin and they don't want to have to replace him and McCann.

 

Completely agreed. It's not going to make people happy, but unless we can trade for somebody, it's the most reasonable move.