Outfielder Jeff Francoeur and right-hander Jim Johnson were both placed on revocable trade waivers by the Braves this week, reports Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports, though their placements had very different outcomes. Francoeur cleared waivers and is now free to be traded to any team, whereas Johnson was claimed off waivers and ultimately pulled back after a trade could not be worked out.
[Related: How August Trades work]
Johnson, 33, was somewhat surprisingly not traded prior to the Aug. 1 non-waiver deadline, and he’ll now remain in Atlanta for the remainder of the year, it seems. (The Braves could put him back on waivers, but the waivers would no longer be revocable, and an affordable right-hander with Johnson’s results certainly wouldn’t clear.) While the former Orioles closer struggled following a 2015 trade to the Dodgers and got off to a rough start in 2016 after re-signing in Atlanta, he’s been nothing short of excellent since his activation from the disabled list in early June. Since that time, Johnson has a 1.57 ERA with 8.5 K/9, 3.1 BB/9 and a 54.7 percent ground-ball rate in 28 2/3 innings. Considering his $2.5MM salary and those recent results, it’s hardly surprising that he drew interest (or, at least, was claimed by one contender to block others from adding him). Heyman doesn’t specify which club placed the claim on Johnson, but it’s worth noting that the Mets were said to have claimed a reliever earlier this week, and given the lack of news since the reporting of that claim, no deal was reached.
While there’s a school of thought that the Braves should’ve been willing to move Johnson for virtually anything due to his status as an impending free agent, Atlanta clearly didn’t feel it received anything of long-term value before or after the non-waiver trade deadline. And, there’s some benefit to Johnson serving as a steadying force as the team’s interim closer with Arodys Vizcaino on the shelf while providing some leadership for younger arms in the ’pen. (It’s also possible that the Braves could explore an extension for Johnson, as he’s performed well in each of the last two seasons while wearing their uniform.)
That line of thinking — valuing veteran leadership over fringe prospects or mild salary relief — was reportedly a large factor in the Braves’ decision not to trade Francoeur prior to the non-waiver deadline. Atlanta was said to only be willing to move Francoeur for a legitimate return. While that doesn’t indicate that the Braves were demanding a top 10 type of prospect from the systems of rival clubs, it does suggest that they weren’t willing to move him for what would amount to a warm body that would simply fill a minor league roster spot. The same thinking almost certainly applied to Johnson in this instance.
Francoeur could yet draw some interest from other teams, though a trade doesn’t seem overly likely based on Atlanta’s reported asking price. The 32-year-old has a lackluster .247/.287/.387 batting line on the season overall, though his .280/.320/.432 slash against left-handed pitching could be a genuine asset on a contending club’s bench down the stretch.
Why did the Braves keep Johnson? To make a run on the Phillies and fourth in the divison?
I suppose part of the veteran leadership role has it’s value, vs what they were offered in a trade. Personally, I’m not a fan of Johnson so I would have traded him for anything.
I’d like them to keep Frenchy though.
It’s not even certain that the team that claimed him wanted him. The Rockies could’ve just claimed him, for instance, to keep other Wild Card contenders from getting him, even if they didn’t really feel he was a fit for their ‘pen. There’s little sense in dumping the remaining $788K on his deal, especially when even a league-minimum replacement would make $150K through season’s end. You’re talking a savings of $638K at that point, which doesn’t do much for them.
“You’re talking a savings of $638K at that point, which doesn’t do much for them.”
Does more for them than Johnson
Johnson is saving games the last few weeks and helps to build some confidence.
Him saving games hurts the Braves and lol @ “confidence.”
Young arms know they will have their ups and down in the Majors. Best to let them get their feet wet.
“Atlanta clearly didn’t feel it received anything of long-term value before or after the non-waiver trade deadline.”
Johnson has no long-term value either, he’s a free agent at the end of the season.
“It’s also possible that the Braves could explore an extension for Johnson, as he’s performed well in each of the last two seasons while wearing their uniform.”
Trading him doesn’t bar them from re-signing him in the offseason.
They didn’t say it did, but if they didn’t get the value they wanted from Johnson, an extension is a way to go.
I’m saying why not trade him THEN re-sign him in the offseason? Then they get Johnson AND a lottery ticket that might help them out down the road.
There is no guarantee that he’ll come back to them. Maybe he gets traded and then signs an extension there.
There’s no guarantee that he signs an extension with them (or even re-signs with them in the offseason) if they don’t trade him either. So what’s your point?
No point trading him just for someone who isnt any good that is going to take a roster spot on any level. The braves value his leadership and maybe showing some loyalty will help them resign him in the offseason if they choose to do so.
Its been explained numerous times if you dont agree thats fine but geez
Lol “loyalty.”
If the Braves trade him I don’t think he’s going to begrudge them and refuse to sign with them in the offseason even if they offer the most money. And if someone offers him more money he’ll be on the first bus there no matter what the Braves do.
No, he doesn’t have long-term value. He does, however, have present value to the team, and if they’re not getting something of long-term value in exchange, there’s not a lot of sense in moving him just to move him.
Literally no one has present value to the Braves. If anything keeping Johnson is hurting them because he helps them win games and if they win enough they might fall out of last place and not get to draft 1st overall in 2017.
I guarantee you not one team in baseball actually wants to finish last place. Especially not the Braves.
Honestly I don’t even trust the Braves with the #1 pick. They would screw it up trying to get creative and over-draft some HS pitcher to save a couple million to sign yet another HS pitcher in the 2nd round…
Did you see the Braves draft this season, their first full draft with all of the new scouting department in house??
The Braves managed to absolutely STEAL 4 highly talented starting pitcher’s. Ian Anderson, Joey Wentz, Kyle Muller, and Bryce Wilson all have been nothing short of spectacular since their collective debuts, and all are extremely talented, young, starting pitchers.
Yes, there is a risk involved drafting younger pitchers, but every draft pick carries some risk!!
This isn’t the scouting department of recent years, the Braves new scouting department is one of the best in the game, reputation wise, and I would definitely trust the Braves to get creative and get the best possible player or players with the #1 overall pick and the draft capital that comes with it.
Everyone freaked when they drafted Ian Anderson so early this year, but in turn it helped them pick up not only Anderson, but Muller, Wentz, and Wilson, not to mention some other talented players who were signed to above slot deals…
Also, Anderson has quickly shown that his increase in velocity was no fluke towards the end of his senior season. With his increased velocity, and the job he has done so far this year, albeit a small sample size, he looks every bit of the part of a #3 pick and he definitely looks to have been the smartest pick of the draft at that spot!!
Yeah I was really upset when my team didn’t take Joey Wentz with either of our comp picks…
Well, HOU had plenty of critics when they drafted Carlos Correa #1 overall because he was more signable than others, which allowed them Daz Cameron and I believe McCullers Jr. And look how Correa turned out.
Yeah I’ll admit the draft looks good right now for the Braves. But the risk man, this risk! lol
I just wish they could find a nice balance between high-ceiling and high-floor guys. Next years draft is supposedly loaded with college pitchers so hopefully that’ll mean less risk.
Daz Cameron was 3 years after Correa…
I also scratched my head why they didn’t try to get some prospects in return, but there’s a chance a team claimed him only to block other teams from getting him, with no intention of trading anything for him.
Ok then let them have him! Johnson does nothing for the Braves. Not controllable beyond this season and not worth a qualifying offer.
Does it bother you that much that he’s still with the Braves? Honestly who really cares, not like Johnson would be a huge difference maker to any contender.
We’ve already established that there is no excuse for a non-contender to not trade any and all pending free agents unless they are worth a QO.
He’s been solid for them so far, so unless they want to purposely shake up the bullpen’s current stability, there’s no reason to just throw away a good part of your team for nothing (especially when he’s not getting paid that much). They’re not trying to tank the team just so they can bring up younger guys who may or may not be ready yet (and waste their service clocks). Definition of a stopgap guy right now.
Besides, maybe the team who claimed him didn’t want him anyway, even for “free” (just the contract but no player return).
“He’s been solid for them so far” and? All he’s doing is making the Braves lose maybe 1 or 2 less games. Is one or two less losses in a rebuilding year seriously worth more than a lottery ticket type prospect?
The bullpen’s current stability is going to get shaken up anyway when Johnson leaves after this season. And don’t say “They can re-sign him” because trading him doesn’t bar them from doing that.
No, but the momentum from having a better second half helps ticket sales, both this season and next. Also I’m sure it makes for a much happier clubhouse. Those reasons I’m sure are worth more than a lottery ticket.
No value? He has closing experience and for a team with one of the worst bullpens, he could sign a short-term extension with ATL that could provide depth in a set-up or closer role (if Vizcaino is traded or Cabrera doesn’t progress). Johnson obviously likes pitching in ATL – like Kelly Johnson, he re-signed with the team the season after he was traded from them, so it’s not implausible to see Johnson secure a decent short-term extension, as ATL will have the funds and need available.
But the team who claimed him apparently didn’t want to give anything up for him, so why just throw him away? I’d think if the Braves got some kind of prospect offer they would’ve taken a flier on the deal, especially because of the reasons you mentioned (don’t necessarily need him this year but he can always re sign with them). Because they didn’t work out a deal, I bet the other team simply wanted to block him from going elsewhere and offered nothing in return.
Once again, TRADING JOHNSON DOESN’T BAR THE BRAVES FROM RE-SIGNING HIM! HOW DO YOU NOT GET THIS?
Okay then take the salary relief and bring up one of the younger guys to get their feet wet in the Majors
Nope. One reliever getting traded isn’t going to negatively affect ticket sales or clubhouse happiness (lol).
When that one reliever is actually converting save opportunities which could easily (and probably) have been loses otherwise… you bet your ass it affect things. A 4 game win-streak could’ve easily turned into a 4 game losing streak. And losing by 1 or 2 runs is a tough loss.
Trade away veterans and clubhouse leaders and the rest of the team feels unmotivated to win. We saw it happen with the Braves last season. And this isn’t about just one reliever, it’s why the Braves haven’t traded Francoeur either.
If a team makes a claim to block a player, they have to then put that player on their active roster if you let them go, right?
I mean, as bad as they are they still need somebody who can get 3 outs in a reasonable amount of time.
I mean sure, they can sign me up to get 3 outs and I can probably get 3 guys out, eventually, but 55 batters and 6 hours later when the inning is finally over you’re going to wish you still had Jim Johnson.
A 4-game losing streak turning into a 4-game winning streak puts the Braves at risk of losing their #1 overall pick.
The aforementioned veterans and clubhouse leaders (Johnson and Francoeur) are leaving after this season anyway. Would you rather get something for them or not?
If it means watching another dreadful September of Braves baseball where they lose 25 out of 30 games and limp across the finish line then no, absolutely not. That’s not worth some #20 prospect on a team with a mediocre to bad farm system.
You put an awful lot of emphasis put on that #1 pick. I assure you it’s not a coveted prize. Maybe you could argue it if there’s a consensus #1 like Harper or Strasburg available, but there wasn’t this year and so far it doesn’t look like there will be one next year either. There’s not even any evidence that indicates the Braves would’ve drafted anyone other than Anderson this year even with the #1 pick.
Correct @chesteraarthur
Not having another dreadful September where they lose 25 out of 30 games isn’t going to get the Braves into the playoffs this year. If there’s anything you can do to help the team win 1 more game in 2018 at the expense of losing 10 more games this year you should do it.
The Braves would have taken Moniak or Senzel if they were still on the board.
Wow you’re still on this? You do know we’re talking about Jim Johnson, not Aroldis Chapman right?
You’re treating this as if the Braves passed up some great top prospect. For all we know a team claimed him just to offer nothing more than a PTBNL, which isn’t going to help them win games at any point in the future.
“The Braves would have taken Moniak or Senzel if they were still on the board.”
Please provide your evidence that they would’ve done this. Like get me Brian Bridges or John Coppollela on the phone and have him tell me that’s what they would’ve done. While you’re at it you can tell them how to do their jobs since you seem to know it all.
Answer this question who is more likely to help the Braves in 2017 and beyond: Jim Johnson or the aforementioned PTBNL?
Johnson.
Wrong. Johnson will be gone after this year. And don’t say “They can re-sign him” because trading him doesn’t bar them from doing that.
Keep in mind that the claim on Johnson quite possibly was just a block. Happens all the time. The claiming team may have had no intention of trading anything for him period. Or they could have made the made the claim to block another team and offered something not worth taking for Johnson. You never make a trade just for the sake of it.
“Or they could have made the made the claim to block another team and offered something not worth taking for Johnson.”
Literally anything that’s controllable beyond 2016 and isn’t owed a bunch of money would be worth taking for Johnson.
“You never make a trade just for the sake of it.”
When it comes to pending free agents who aren’t good enough for a QO and you aren’t in the race, yes you do.
At this point we don’t know who exactly claimed Johnson, nor whom they offered for him (and may never know exactly). It could had been, as some suggested, the team whom selected him just wanted to block Johnson’s availability to other teams. You’d seriously think that if someone did claim him with the intention of actually using him the two teams would had worked diligently to come up with a satisfactory deal.
Jim Johnson was traded from Baltimore to Oakland, not LAD. The deal was Johnson for Jermile Weeks
Here we go again, another believer that the 1st overall pick matters. So they should trade anyone of ANY value (i.e. Francoeur, Johnson) without any long-term value in an effort to throw games to secure the top overall pick that most likely wouldn’t have value to them until 4-6 years down the road at the risk of further distancing themselves from winning and their fans?
Coppy will not trade them for nothing, and if nothing else, I’m glad he’s not bluffing which could help down the road in future trades.
About 3 wins cost us the chance of drafting Nick Senzel who could be in the majors as soon as mid to late 2017 the top College bats have been progressing fast and they are going at the top of the draft. I’d much rather have 3 less wins in 2015 and Nick Senzel in the Braves system. The teams bad 3 more wins wont bring more people out.
My point exactly.
Also, Niekro, while I do want that #1 pick next year, just having it doesn’t guarantee a star major league player. We won’t know how Senzel or even Moniak will compare to Anderson yet for years to come. Just because Nick is closer to the majors doesn’t mean he’s going to end up being the better player or more valuable to the Braves, had they drafted him. Plenty of examples of guys moving fast through the minors but not hacking it in the majors, at least not to the hyped extent in the minors.
They threw 2016 away before the season started I just dont understand the mindset of trying to win a few more meaningless games. Yeah it isn’t guaranteed but why risk losing out on the next Kris Bryant or Bryce Harper because you want to pretend like you are competing, in an obvious year that was from the get go a lost one.
Saving Jim Johnson is going to make up for trading Simmons, is that really what they think?
I was disappointed they couldn’t strike a deal at the deadline for JJ too, and again agree getting the top pick is more important than the 2 or 3 extra wins we may get having him around. But I guess the claimed team didn’t want to give up anything, so being stuck with a serviceable veteran arm in the young bullpen isn’t the worst scenario.
Kris Bryant actually went 1-2. The astros passed on him.
Exactly Niekro. The Braves are CLEARLY tanking this year. Keeping Johnson just to maybe win a few extra games is pointless.
But that’s just it, no one knew who PHI would draft and Senzel has looked good, but he’s no lock. Plus, as a UGA grad, I’m certainly fine with them staying away from a Tennessee Volunteer in Senzel 🙂
Senzel’s birth certificate has something that over rides that though and I think he actually intended to go to UGA but something happened with the coaches.
Agreed RunDMC. So far very little has given me concern about Coppy’s rebuild plan. If they couldn’t strike a deal with the team who claimed JJ, then the return wasn’t worth it (even if there was one at all- could’ve been a block claim). He provides a veteran presence in an unstable, young bullpen at little cost. I would’ve liked to have gotten something decent in return, but I have no problem having him around as a stopgap, at the very least.
“He provides a veteran presence in an unstable, young bullpen at little cost.”
No he doesn’t, he’s gone after this season and this season is irrelevant for the Braves.
“this season is irrelevant” — as far as competing it is, but the younger players’ development is still important. Two extra months with a veteran arm can at least help lessen the pressure and innings on those guys.
This season is irrelevant?
Tell that to the players so they can start mailing it in. And let the season ticket holders know so they can plan accordingly for next season because if that’s the attitude the FO takes, they are going to take a huge hit to the wallet when they open that new ballpark in 2017.
The fans already know it is, what is going to happen they will fall from 26th in attendance to 30th in attendance? No one is buying tickets to see Jim Johnson give it the ole college try.
They already know
Well seeing how ticket sales feed the revenue of the team which can directly impact the payroll and spending in the offseason I think it makes a pretty damn big deal to the FO that they don’t act like they’ve given up in the final two months of a losing season.
Funny thing, I’ve seen more grit and determination out of this team right now in a year where they will have to play hard not to lose 100 games than I’ve seen in the last 3-4 years of watching Braves baseball in the months of August and September.
The delusion is strong with this one
The number 1 pick is way better than the #2 pick, if for no other reason than the extra pool money that comes along with it.
Very true, though I don’t think JJ is going to make THAT much of a difference in terms of W-L, at least not as much as someone like Kemp or the improved play from Inciarte and Aybar have helped ATL the last month or so. I still think we’re the frontrunners for the #1 pick (at worst #2), but yeah getting the first one is important.
Braves are second in the league in bullpen loses this year and JJ has converted 8-9 saves the past two weeks. Johnson could make a difference in the standings the last two months.
I’m sure Johnson is aware of how well he pitches and how comfortable he plays in a Braves uniform.
I will not be the least bit suprised to see the Braves re-sign him to a one year deal, with a team option for a 2nd year at some point either before the season concludes or early on in the off-season…
If he continues his success, and sustains the solid value he has built up since coming back from injury, then the Braves will definitely be able to get a VERY GOOD return for him at some point next season…
In the meantime, Johnson can continue to close out games and share the duties when Vizzy comes back, and he can mentor the younger relief pitchers that are in the pen now, and the ones that will get called up once rosters expand, like Jason Hursh!!
Johnson can also use his leadership and experience to help out the younger starters like Teheran, Wisler, Blair, Foltynewicz, Whalen, Gant, Weber, Sims, Newcomb, and Povse during spring training next season.
His value to this team, right now as a veteran, is extremely high, and truly if he continues to pitch well it will only increase his value to the Braves, and in turn to other franchises…
I truly hope the Braves re-sign him this year, and if not then a definite thanks goes out to Jim Johnson for coming back this season pitching extremely well, and providing his leadership, advice, and experience to their younger pitchers which will help the Braves even long after Jim Johnson’s career is over!!
Or they could trade him THEN re-sign him! Ever think about that?
Obviously no one wanted to give up anything for him, so what was there to trade? Throw him away just to get the $2.5 million (or whatever prorated portion) he’s owed off the books that will be gone at the end of the year anyway? The claimed team didn’t want to give up prospects for him, so there was no trade to be had.
Then take the salary relief and move on
Jesus Christ can you shut up and not say this in reply to every post on the thread? We get it.
And show that you’re willing to get pushed over in every future trade negotiation involving an impending free agent?? Yeah, I’m going to go with no.
-C
It’s not about getting pushed over. It’s about maximizing long term value. Like for example, if Johnson was on another team right now and his team offered him to the Braves for a reliever in A-ball do you think the Braves would take that trade? Of course not! They are in no position to be trading for any pending free agents no matter how little they give up.
With pending free agent players, GM’s know in the back of their mind that unless the player in question is worth a QO, they have to take the best offer they can get. But if the player in question is halfway decent then there will be competition from other teams making better offers to drive up the price. It’s called the market. Go learn about it.
And then of course, some players are worth QO’s, which means the best offer has to be better than the extra first rounder the team would otherwise get.
Hey kid, why do you always assume you are 100% correct? Do you know what the Braves were offered for Johnson? I assume you think it would be a good idea for the Braves to simply let him go to save less than a million dollars. Why? Do you think it is a good idea to put a rookie in some of the highest pressure pitching situations? Yeah, I am sure the Braves FO would love to take a young kid that is fresh to MLB and already has some shaky confidence and throw him to the wolves. I mean, seriously, why did the Braves even bother hiring seasoned baseball minds to run their front office when they could just hire a 14 year old kid like you? Then, whenever, any other GM or member of the scouting department disagreed, you could berate them over and over because you have the only opinion that matters and of course, you are always right. Maybe you should learn a little bit more about the game from some of the other posters on here, that have been students of the game for longer than you have been alive. Most of us think you are a ridiculous kid and we don’t take you seriously. You need to grow up, learn that you are not always right and stop acting like a two year old when people don’t agree with you. Sometimes, I get stuck thinking I am right too, but if 10+ people start telling me I am wrong or give me plausible reasons to dispute my opinion, I don’t throw a fit and berate them. We get some solid discussions going on these boards and there are some very good baseball minds here. It’s unfortunate that someone like you can destroy an entire thread. To sum this up, sit back, relax and try to learn about the game. Jim Johnson is not the type of player to get so worked up over. The Braves need him for the 9th right now way more than they need to save $750k.
Hahahahahaha. The Braves don’t need jack for the 9th inning. Having Johnson in the 9th isn’t going to change the fact that this is a lost season for them. $750k and a guy with even a 1% chance of helping them at some point down the road is easily worth more than maybe 1 or 2 useless wins for the Braves.
Not anymore.
Hursh isn’t on the 40 man roster, so no guarantee that he will be called up. It is however very possible that if a couple of starting pitchers return from injury guys like De La Cruz and Roberto Hernandez (you’d have to think that pehaps even Eric O’Flaherty is a pitcher who could be released) are removed from the 40 man.
One relief pitcher you might very well see called up from the minors in September that is on the 40 man roster already is Akeel Morris..
here is a thought outside the box teams do have to worry about tanking deliberately for trying to get the number one pick in the draft. it has happened too I believe the Nationals were checked for it
WOW!
Honestly, I would have taken a class A prospect– like a lotto- even if the Rockies or whoever claimed him didn’t need a bullpen upgrade, at this point in the season, they can send down a reliever to save some innings and call them back up in 2 weeks. Johnson has been dominant and he’s going to leave in free agency– so just take a class A kid for him.
This sets a really bad precedent, unless the Class A prospect was legit. You don’t give away guys for organizational filler or worse just to be rid of them before the contract expires.
Even if it’s an expiring contract, you have to set some baseline value that you won’t go lower than, or else you’re going to be bent over the negotiating table time and time again in the future…or continually have GMs attempting to swindle you on those types of trades, which is just as bad.
-C
No you won’t be bent over the negotiating table if you do this. Why not? Supply and demand. You have a reliever. Contenders need relievers. If the reliever you have is interesting in any way then teams in the thick of the playoff race will offer legitimate returns for him.
Oh, so when Jim Johnson was traded to a contender last year he established clear value as being a reliever a contender can rely on? I am absolutely amazed, that you would think any contender would offer something decent to the Braves, for Johnson. I am even more amazed, that you think the Braves would turn down a legitimate trade offer. Stick to your video games and little league, kid. You are clearly in over your head here.
Of course Johnson wouldn’t bring back any blue-chip prospects, but if any contender thought he could improve their bullpen he should have been able to bring back something with SOME kind of upside. That guy automatically has more value to the Braves than Johnson for the sole reason that he can’t simply leave once the season is over.
-C
This is the second attempt I’ve seen you try to explain this. You’re the only one to do so and I wanted to make sure you were recognized for it.
Prospects are now currency in baseball and if you’re going to exchange them and treat them as a renewable resource then I would think a Market paradigm shift could happen. The Shelby Miller trade looks like one example. The 2nd Kimbrel trade seems to be another given what the Yankees did.
Lately, any trade seems to either reinforce market values or set the price of the commodity. Making any exchange based on principle in spite of what damage it might do to your most prominent asset(s) is more than kinda foolheardy.
If one team thinks they can get your best, controllable players for a meh return just because some other team got your just okay pending free agent for a meh return then they are just stupid.
Trading Johnson for, let’s say, a reliever in A-ball has no effect on any trade of a controllable impact player.
Tell that do Dave Stewart. When Shelby was said to be able to be had, it looked like from all reports available it was like sharks to blood in the water.
Even Coppy was said to make a call. On this site no less. For a guy who looks like he’s 5′ nothing and a buck 20 soaking wet, he might have the biggest male rooster in the room. Professional due diligence aside, that took a massive pair.
You already know I agree with C that to make that trade sets a poor precedent. If the team can get a Demeritte class prospect for what they moved, I’d hang on to Johnson to ensure those trades are possible in the future. Anyone that has any real interest better make a real offer.
Hahahahaha I’ll say it again. Trading a pending free agent only sets a precedent for trading pending free agents. If a team tries to make lowball offers for players with more control or who might be QO worthy they won’t get what they want. If a team has real, genuine interest in a player they will make a legitimate offer. Trading away a pending free agent when you aren’t contending for a meh return isn’t going to change that. And even if the player in question is on an expiring contract they still have to outbid 28 other teams. This is where the “supply and demand” thing comes into play.
I don’t know why everyone keeps talking about tanking. Baseball drafts are such a crap shoot. Unless you have a Harper coming out its ridiculous to tank and harm your bottom line with loss of attendance etc.
To me it isn’t even tanking what the braves are doing. They didn’t have the money in the current budget to sign the better players (or they felt that doing so would had crippled them for years in other ways). There base talent level stunk, they weren’t going to do anything this season so they are utilizing their resources for the future. It is called a business decision. Every business in real life basically has to juggle short term goals/success with long term goals/success all to satisfy budget restrictions. Sometimes you have invest in the future instead of the present.
You guys are really funny!! I’m sure glad you’re not the GM.
WestCoastRyan is a crazy person