Braves Offseason Thread

[jidady]

The other thing to keep in mind is that we've got gambler's insurance even if this doesn't work. Let's say that somebody takes a turn for the Dan Uggla/BJ Upton or has a clubhouse problem with somebody else.

At these prices, literally everyone in baseball could afford to buy. So, we've got the value of the player AND the value of the contract. We're protected.

[ATLBrave]

 

[ATLBrave]

Not a bad LHP pickup. Needed another option with Matzek gone. 

[Unknøwn]

Diaz didn't last long. Luetge is a pretty good pickup. There was a lot of surprise the Yankees DFA'd him. 

[Malachore]

I honestly do not understand many if any of the moves AA has made this offseason.

Not saying they are bad just that I don't really understand them (outside the extension).

[Unknøwn]

4 minutes ago, Malachore said:

I honestly do not understand many if any of the moves AA has made this offseason.

Not saying they are bad just that I don't really understand them (outside the extension).

Luetge is your Matzek replacement 

[Malachore]

Just now, Unknøwn said:

Luetge is your Matzek replacement 

Don't know a lot about him but he seems to have had some luck last year with a .355 babip.

[ATLBrave]

1 minute ago, Malachore said:

Don't know a lot about him but he seems to have had some luck last year with a .355 babip.

That’s a pretty high BABIP for a pitcher. 

[Malachore]

4 minutes ago, ATLBrave said:

That’s a pretty high BABIP for a pitcher. 

*allowed

[jidady]

If you're a LHP, Atlanta's interested.

[ATLBrave]

49 minutes ago, Malachore said:

*allowed

Yeah, I knew what you meant! I’d say that’s fairly unlucky rather than lucky. 

[Malachore]

14 minutes ago, ATLBrave said:

Yeah, I knew what you meant! I’d say that’s fairly unlucky rather than lucky. 

Really? Even with an ERA that low?

[Malachore]

39 minutes ago, jidady said:

If you're a LHP, Atlanta's interested.

[falconsd56]

1 hour ago, Malachore said:

I honestly do not understand many if any of the moves AA has made this offseason.

Not saying they are bad just that I don't really understand them (outside the extension).

I still don't get the Murphy deal.

That doesn't mean that it is bad...it just seems like reinforcing an already strong position.

With having 2 pretty unsettled holes at SS and LF.

 

But everything else makes sense imo.

 

[K26dp]

On 12/26/2022 at 11:21 AM, K26dp said:

Update:

This is my current guess at a 26-man roster if they don't add anyone (starting line-up in bold).

IF: Albies, Arcia, Diaz, Grissom, Olson, Riley
OF: Acuna, Harris, Hilliard, Luplow, Rosario
C : d'Arnaud, Murphy

SP: Fried, Morton, Soroka, Strider, Wright

RP: N. Anderson, Chavez, Iglesias, Jimenez, Lee, McHugh, Minter, Yates

Line-up:

1. Acuna RF
2. Olson 1B
3. Riley 3B
4. Murphy C
5. Harris CF
6. Albies 2B
7. Diaz DH
8. Rosario LF
9. Grissom SS

Platoons:

DH: Diaz 35%, Murphy 30%, d'Arnaud 15%, Olson 5%, others 15%
LF: Rosario 70%, Luplow 25%, Hilliard 5%
C : Murphy 60%, d'Arnaud 35%, others 5%

Update:

This is my current guess at a 26-man roster if they don't add anyone (starting line-up in bold).

IF: Albies, Arcia, Grissom, Olson, Riley
OF: Acuna, Harris, Hilliard, Luplow, Ozuna, Rosario
C : d'Arnaud, Murphy

SP: Fried, Morton, Soroka, Strider, Wright

RP: Chavez, Iglesias, Jimenez, Lee, Luetge, McHugh, Minter, Yates

Line-up:

1. Acuna RF
2. Olson 1B
3. Riley 3B
4. Murphy C
5. Harris CF
6. Albies 2B
7. Ozuna DH
8. Rosario LF
9. Grissom SS

Platoons:

DH: Ozuna 35%, Murphy 30%, d'Arnaud 20%, others 15%
LF: Rosario 70%, Luplow 25%, Hilliard 5%
C : Murphy 60%, d'Arnaud 35%, others 5%

[Malachore]

9 minutes ago, K26dp said:

Update:

This is my current guess at a 26-man roster if they don't add anyone (starting line-up in bold).

IF: Albies, Arcia, Grissom, Olson, Riley
OF: Acuna, Harris, Hilliard, Luplow, Ozuna, Rosario
C : d'Arnaud, Murphy

SP: Fried, Morton, Soroka, Strider, Wright

RP: Chavez, Iglesias, Jimenez, Lee, Luetge, McHugh, Minter, Yates

Line-up:

1. Acuna RF
2. Olson 1B
3. Riley 3B
4. Murphy C
5. Harris CF
6. Albies 2B
7. Ozuna DH
8. Rosario LF
9. Grissom SS

Platoons:

DH: Ozuna 35%, Murphy 30%, d'Arnaud 20%, others 15%
LF: Rosario 70%, Luplow 25%, Hilliard 5%
C : Murphy 60%, d'Arnaud 35%, others 5%

Why do you like Ozuna so much? 😂

[ATLBrave]

35 minutes ago, Malachore said:

Really? Even with an ERA that low?

His expected numbers were in line with the low ERA. The BABIP really only inflated his WHIP. 

[Jimsmusic™]

 

[tl;dr]

10 hours ago, Jimsmusic™ said:

 

Oh thank God, this turns around the meh off-season!!!

[youngbloodz]

Are we not interested in bringing back Duvall? I would much rather have him in the LF and have Eddie DH than Ozuna

[VNlanta]

2 hours ago, youngbloodz said:

Are we not interested in bringing back Duvall? I would much rather have him in the LF and have Eddie DH than Ozuna

Probably stuck with Ozuna for another year unless he's terrible out of the gate

[K26dp]

11 hours ago, youngbloodz said:

Are we not interested in bringing back Duvall? I would much rather have him in the LF and have Eddie DH than Ozuna

I wonder if Duvall's medicals aren't that great. Figure he'd be picked up by someone by now.

[Akod2017]

On 12/29/2022 at 8:27 AM, tl;dr said:

Oh thank God, this turns around the meh off-season!!!

We win division titles not off-seasons. 

[Unknøwn]

Braves have signed Josh Fuentes to a minors deal. Utility IF with a fair amount of MLB experience. Good depth for Gwinnett. 

[NashvilleFalcon01]

 

MLB.com picks Ronald Acuna Jr. to win NL MVP in 2023

 

The Atlanta Braves haven’t quite made the free agent splash some were hoping for, presumably at shortstop. The club is seemingly ready to roll with Vaughn Grissom and Orlando Arcia at the position. And though many people look at the team’s additions and losses this offseason and come away disappointed, I’m here to tell you that the team will be better in 2023 than last season, which was a better team than the one that won the World Series, partly because of Ronald Acuna Jr.

The superstar Venezuelan getting back to his pre-injury self will provide a more substantial boost in production than any single free agent could have. When he’s right, Acuna is arguably the best player in baseball. MLB.com even believes he’ll fully regain his form in 2023 with an MVP-caliber campaign next season. 

An ACL injury and an unusual offseason due to the lockout hindered Acuna’s 2022 season. He slashed .266/.351/.413 with 15 bombs and 24 doubles, which would be a career year for some players but was a down year by Acuna’s standards. His .764 OPS was the lowest of his career… by a large margin. Before the injury, his average OPS was .925 per season, with the next lowest coming in 2019 at .883 — a more than 100 point difference. He was also caught stealing more times than any other season, leading the league in that metric.

Lost in the shuffle of a somewhat disappointing season for Acuna and the Braves, he was one of a few productive players in the NLDS against the Phillies, even after taking a pitch off the inside of his elbow. In Game 1, he went 3-for-4 with a walk. For the series, he hit .333 with an .812 OPS. It wasn’t enough to lift the Braves up but seeing him end the season that way was encouraging.

Moreover, he was still in the 92nd percentile in hard-hit percentage and expected slugging percentage, so the underlying metrics favor him. Members of the organizations are already expressing big expectations, and there’s optimism he’ll return closer to the pre-injury 2021 version of himself as we inch further away from his surgery and rehab.

In about half a season in 2021, Acuna had a .990 OPS, 52 RBIs, and 24 home runs… those are MVP numbers. Over his first four seasons, Acuna has slashed .281/.376/.550. In 2019, he flirted with the infamous 40/40 — 40 home runs and 40 stolen bags. The young man is oozing talent. FanGraphs projects a .270/.367/.487 slash line with 31 homers and 34 steals, good for 5.4 WAR, which would be more than double what Acuna contributed in 2022.

I’m not expecting an MVP-Esque season from Ronald Acuna, but nobody should be surprised if he turned in a campaign that put him in the conversation.

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