Free agents Marwin Gonzalez and Jed Lowrie are among several second basemen the Nationals have reached out to this offseason, Jamal Collier of MLB.com reports. The open market remains rife with familiar second basemen as the New Year approaches, though Gonzalez and Lowrie are likely the two best choices available. Both Gonzalez and Lowrie are accomplished switch-hitters, but the former is easily the more versatile of the two in the field. Gonzalez is capable of lining up everywhere in the infield and in both corner outfield positions. The Nationals, of course, will take a hit in the corner outfield if free agent Bryce Harper signs elsewhere, so Gonzalez would give them some more depth in the grass.
Here’s more from the National League:
- The Padres, who are known to be in the hunt for the Marlins’ J.T. Realmuto, have shown more persistence than any other team in talks for the catcher, according to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. With two years of control left and Miami nowhere near contention, Realmuto could be the most obvious trade candidate in the game. However, the Marlins may have to lower their asking price in order for a deal to come together prior to next season. They’re said to want a return consisting of at least one elite prospect, and the Padres happen to boast baseball’s top-ranked farm system, per both Baseball America and FanGraphs. So, if the Padres are truly motivated to land Realmuto, they may be in better position than anyone else. That said, San Diego would not be a popular bet to contend in 2019 even with Realmuto, making it highly debatable whether the team should rob from its system in a win-now trade.
- Given the needs in the Braves’ corner outfield and pitching staff, David O’Brien of The Athletic tweets that they and the Diamondbacks could be logical trade partners. Outfielder David Peralta, left-hander Robbie Ray and righty Zack Greinke may all be fits for the Braves, O’Brien posits, though he notes the Diamondbacks would have to eat a significant portion of the $95.5MM left on Greinke’s contract to make him a realistic possibility for Atlanta. There are no weighty financial obligations for either Peralta or Ray, who are each under affordable arbitration control through 2020. The Braves have already come up short in an attempt to acquire Peralta this offseason, though, and the D-backs don’t seem willing to part with Ray.
- Sticking with the Braves, they may pursue free-agent closer Craig Kimbrel if he becomes willing to accept a three-year offer, per Mark Bowman of MLB.com. That looks rather unlikely, however, considering Kimbrel’s current asking price reportedly ranges anywhere from $86MM to upward of $100M. Nevertheless, it would be interesting to see the Braves in the race for Kimbrel, whom they drafted in 2008 and helped develop into one of the greatest closers ever. Kimbrel, now 30, was a Brave from 2010-14 before moving on to the Padres and Red Sox.
Craig has rocks in his head. Or at least those repping him do. 3 or 4 years max. No one is giving him more.
The insurance policies make these long-term risky by age/injury pacts possible. But you only get paid if you stay on the 40-man roster in the off-season and sit out ala David Wright. A simple drop off in performance while collecting you big bucks get the team nothing ala Albert Pujols. And pitchers are just too fragile. I agree with B-twice, 3 or 4 years max.
So many people are having trouble with the idea of negotiation you start high and then settle in the middle which is your target all along. if you had started out asking for a three-year deal he would not have got more than two
So many people are having trouble with the idea that starting too high can scare off potential suitors and lead to them signing other options.
Braves are 1 or 2 players away from being a real threat in the NL…be interesting to see what they do the remainder of the offseason
The Braves are already scary – but if they add anything significant they have to be among the favorites to make a playoff push
It’s an extremely competitive division with several playoff contenders.
Like the ALE, it makes sense to do everything you can to become a super team, because it’s otherwise a tall task to create any meaningful separation.
Both of the East Divisions are going to be loads of fun to watch
as a Phan, I think the Bravos are slightly better than the Nationals..That could change in the next few weeks when we see where they big guys fall
Nah. They have two great players in Acuna and Freeman, and a bunch of middle to back end rotation pitchers. Albies was exposed second half of last year. Inciarte is declining. The pen stinks. I’d put them after Nats and Mets and ahead oh Phils, but that last could change if Phils are able to spend their stupid money.
Folty and all their young starters are not all middle-to-back end pieces in the rotation.
Albies definitely has to make some adjustments which he is certainly capable of doing. All that early season HR success went to his head.
He needs a lighter bat and learn to choke up on 2 strike counts.
Backend? Maybe J-Lo’s backend…there’s enough high-end talent to find a rotation’s worth, especially since ATL is good about resuscitating a few careers along the way (i.e Anibal Sanchez).
“stinks” the bullpen is not that good !! The Mets could be tough, the Phils will add more before opening day.
Agree. Braves looked good because Nats were flat. The ‘19 Nats appear much stronger, on paper, and should be favored to win the NLE. Look for a quick hook on Martinez if Nats start slow.
Yes…keep penciling WSH for that NL East crown. Love how that story ends.
Just like last year huh..? No Harper and a Strasburg injury away (dude can’t pitch in Atlanta heat and is a shoe in for a shoulder injury every year..) good luck tho!
Sounds like like you’ve got everything locked down for a division crown, soothsayer. How do you do it?
@ meandog;
Both writers and readers on sites like MLBTR are fantasy league oriented. They basically analyze teams by researching individual players stats. They don’t factor in managers or coaching staffs…..yet coaching staffs have become extremely sophisticated, technical, and influential in players and team’s success or failure.
Stats only measure binary-type actions. Example – spin rate and framing are easily picked up on video and calculated; but a coaching staff working with players or a manager making moves – both hundreds of times more influential in regards to a players and teams performances – are ignored because they’re too difficult to calculate.
The first few months of last year I watched a lot of Yankees and Nationals games. The games were not only horribly mismanaged……especially the pitchers (Boone under-managing; Martinez over-managing), but the players made next to no adjustments to what opposing teams were doing to them. I slowly got away from those 2 teams and spent more time on the other 4-6 I was following (do that and I see them play most of the rest of MLB).
Agree that on paper the Nationals have the best talent in the NLE. But Snitker is the best technical/strategic manager in division, and he’s way ahead in working with his coaching staff to get players to make adjustments and improve their games. Callahan had great success with Eiland working with the pitchers, a few improvements with some position players. Mattingly was trying guys out, but the overall talent was awful. Kapler and Martinez were totally lost – their clubhouses were a mess (especially with the veterans) – and should have been fired in-season.
On paper the NLE looks tough. But there is only one effective manager in the division. And that matters. A lot.
Same story every year. “Nats will win the WS” and yet they can’t even win a playoff series. Last year, all that talent and couldn’t even make the playoffs. Team and franchise is so overrated!
Good point.. I recall in the Braves broadcast about Snitker telling the coaches he was ready to pull Acuna from the lineup because he was sick of seeing him strikeout. Before he took off he was struggling badly. They made adjustments to his swing and he didn’t look back. Take a look at his hands before and after. They were closer to his body before he started moving them out toward the plate so he could get around to high fastballs.
Braves are already a threat, although not the favorites to win the NL east. It pains me to say the gNats are currently the favorites. Just subtracting Harper from the club house will make the team better, then you factor all the new players they have signed and they are (currently) the best team on the NL east.
I hope no one gives into the Marlins – they have one of the best catchers in the game but they gain nothing by keeping him, caus they are awful . So it would be interesting to see how low they go in their asking price
And I hope the Marlins stick to their guns and don’t deal him without getting a few prized prospects back from any NL East team or the Astros who seem to be able to avoid dealing there best prospects in trades.
I hope they do keep him an don’t get anything. Marlins already got fleeced by Milwaukee in the Yelich trade. Go ahead keep him and get squat. They just trying to get something they couldn’t in their fire sale.
Ahhh being contrary for the sake of being contrary. You always need people pissing into the wind to remind the rest of us what that looks like.
I would love to see Kimbrel return to the Braves, but I really think his asking price has to drop before that’s feasible.
3 years 48 mil with a 4th year option ?
2 years with mutual options for year 3 and 4.
If Kimbrel’s market drops down to 2-3y guaranteed, why would he sign with the Braves over boston when there he is still within the championship window of stars to compete? I think Dombrowski would probably “find” 14-16m short term, whether it’s trading away JBJ, Porcello, or another. It’s the LT deal Boston was avoiding and believe Kimbrel knows there lies his best chance of another ring.
I would certainly think he’d have that mentality.
Call me sentimental, but I would think it would mean more winning a championship with ATL considering we didn’t want to give him up but had to package him for the “worst contract in MLB” (at the time: BJ Upton). Sure, if money is drastically different there is no chance.
If Joe Kelly can get 3 years, then Kimbrel is gonna get 4
I find it hard to believe it would be for Kimbrel whose only teammate from his old Braves team would be Freddie Freeman to win one there. Maybe I’m wrong but I can’t imagine he has the same sentimental viewpoint with this current young Braves squad. Being from Alabama he may prefer signing w a team in the South if all things were equal though. This iteration of the Braves is nothing like the ones he was with though.
Agreed bigz, I said as much too. Kimbrel signing there would be likely contingent on him still living close to Georgia, in Alabama. Dpn’t know IF he still does, but he’s been on TWO franchises since the old Boston Braves in Atlanta, so doubt he’s too sentimental at this point as you mentioned.
Carozon is asinine thinking that just b/c Joe Kelly killed the los’e angeles DUDgers lining him up for a solid contract and is FROM southern CA, that means Kimbrel is getting 4+ years. Got love for Kelly, he’s a loco ‘Rican with plenty of wild character, but there are REASONS the BoSox passed on re-signing him and MONEY CLEARLY WASN’T one of them.
Seems fair, but he’s looking for Chapman money.
Come on Braves, took on all those bloated contracts in trades to free up money for this offseason…time to spend something
Just because you have it doesn’t mean you spend it. That’s how Eric Hosmer gets $144MM.
yeah, didn’t take too long to see that contract start to hurt.
He did all that was asked of him and then some. The bat will come around when the team develops and starts to put pieces around him
He got market rate. Why hate on the guy? If the money part hurts…maybe ask the owners why they pocket so much and spend so little? There is no salary cap in this league, nobody tells the teams not to spend
A guy like Hosmer should get paid. I’m still glad the Padres got him, he’s a great fit for this team
Phillies have a lot of interest in Robbie Ray as well. They could potentially acquire him and Greinke in the same deal assuming Greinke doesn’t or can’t block the trade to philly. Arizona would be more willing to part ways with ray if it meant getting getting rid of zack as well.
Agree with all but that last sentence
Not sure why people think Greinke is an albatross? The guy is still a top starter and that Phillies staff would be scary with these two joining in. The Phillies seem to have enough young talent to make something like this happen. Greinke isn’t going to lower the acquisition cost like Cano did though.
I can easily see Greinke turning into a Maddux/Glavin type and pitch as long as he wants to
Come on Atl. we need Ace and Haniger.
sorry, haniger ain’t happening. Braves have a better chance of getting Tucker from Houston.
Look they aren’t giving up Ray to rid themselves of Grienke. Not going to happen. Now they made trade both but not discounted Ray to rid themselves of Grienke.
Trading for JTR still makes no sense for the Padres. But I get the feeling Preller is throwing their name into the mix for every big trade chip just for clicks.
Anyway, I doubt whether Hill is interested in dealing with Preller again.
If Preller moves one of gore, Tatis, or Urias for Realmuto…. his “plan” can officially be flushed down the toilet. He has shown a complete inability to assemble a major league roster. Oh he can build a farm system, no doubt about it. But between free agent signings, extensions to current padres, trades, etc….. he is absolutely LOST when it comes to putting a major league roster together
Nailed it
If they obtained JTR, and extended him, without moving those three, would your analysis be the same?
And JTR should agree to that because…?
JTR would agree to that if the money is right and I’m sure he realizes they’re soon going to have a competitive team in the next couple of years.
If the money was right he would be open to extending with the Marlins, but he’s not. I don’t think it’s just the money.
He blatantly said he’s not signing an extension with the Marlins. The Padres are a little further along in their rebuild but are still very much rebuilding. It wouldn’t be any different there.
You also say “He’d sign an extension if the money is right.” Your comment implies that trading for him is a prerequisite for overpaying to sign him. It isn’t. If that is the route you wanna take the Padres are better off waiting two years and signing him for nothing but money.
But on top of all that, the Padres already have two quality catchers on the roster in Austin Hedges and Frankie Mejia plus depth in the farm system. They don’t need JTR.
Double nail! Preller trading ability and free agent signings are deplorable
Preller made horrible trades in 2014. Since then, walk me through his horrible trades. Show your work.
See, its Padres fans like you that have ownership wanting to short circuit a proper rebuild. Calm down.
Galvis for De Los Santos. Bryan Mitchell for 12 million dollars essentially. Signing Hosmer after having a 1B on an inflated AAV deal. There’s been a lot of good deals for prospects sprinkled in but as far acquiring major league talent goes he’s showed a lot to be desired
Mark must be a carpenter cause he finally “nailed” it
Exactly. JTR makes NO sense for the Padres at all. If they deal an elite prospect for a third catcher, I’ll be baffled.
What they ought to do is partner with the Yankees (after Cashman signs Machado) and make a deal with Cleveland whereby some prospects and maybe a little major-league talent go to the Indians, Andujar goes to the Padres (that way they get the third baseman they’ve lacked since prime Chase Headley), and the Yankees get that final pitcher–Bauer or Kluber.
I love Andujar’s bat but I’d trade him for a guy like Kluber every day. Good pitching beats good hitting probably 9 times out of 10
The Padres don’t get their third baseman with that trade.
Cleveland would need more than a little major league talent to trade Kluber or Bauer. That is the reason to trade him. This has been stated over and over again on this site. The Indians are looking to get talent to help in 2019 and beyond. The only way Cleveland trades a pitcher is to be overwhelmed in a trade.
Yes….exactly…nobody cares about what I post here, but I have defended the rebuild and encouraged patience time and time again on this site. If a top 5 or 6 prospect in the system is used for a catcher with 2 years of control, given that we are strong at the position already, I will no longer give support to this group. Let’s see what these kids can do by 2021…if the in-house group can’t get them to .500 ball by 2020, then we need to go a different direction.
Padres fan who can’t totally disagree, but you’re using plurals where only singulars are accurate.
Given the way teams look for positional flexibility with as many as players on their roster nowadays due to 8 and 9 man bullpens I’m surprised Marwin Gonzalez wasn’t one of the first to sign.
Gonzalez on the brewers seems like a good fit not sure they want to spend that much money though.
What if the braves went all out and grabbed all 4 guys in this article? They would be pretty scary. Cost would be insane, but still, pretty scary.
As a braves fan, I’m just ready to see all our question marks answered so we can start getting more excited for the baseball season.
Actually, I’m pretty excited to see this year’s Braves team without any more major moves. With Donaldson at third, Camargo as a super utility guy, a re-signed Markakis in right, and continued improvement from young starters/bullpen pieces, we should be competitive in the NLE.
Competetive isn’t good enough though.. Competitive is like playing the dodgers in the first round and being the inferior team relying on luck.
We need 2 aces and a reliant 3rd starter that can all go 7+ innings and control the game while saving the bullpen. Folty and Newcomb can both be lights out at times, but at times you never know if either are going to make it out of the 3rd.. Folty needs to be a number 2 so he can relax a bit and newcomb needs to prove he can be consistent throwing strikes and not putting oodles of ppl on (Esp against lineups sucg as the Dodgers, brewers, Cubs, etc.)
How do you think pitchers develop? By just imagining themselves being successful on the mound?
And where do you think those two aces are going to come from? You growing then on a tree? Kluber/Bauer aren’t so available anymore, so who after that?
Folty can be a Co-ace (#2) behind greinke for example.
Can’t go into the postseason without an established 2 head monster man..
Yea I’m actually with the other guy. I see no reason why our young guys can’t develop into an ace or two. To me, Folty is an ace. Newcomb is one click away from being pretty close to ace material, sorka will develop, not to mention a few others. Teheran is the one I believe is holding us back. Ultimately I think the desire for starting pitching is a little overrated. Maybe we need just one good guy. But our bullpen is what is a train wreck. Maybe they were over used because of youth last year, but they couldn’t throw strikes and blew way to many games for pitchers who pitched just fine
I mean San Diego does need to get butts in the seats. I say trade for Realmuto and then have a special pregame ceremony where Hedges, Realmuto and Mejia (as long as they are willing to sign a waiver) have a battle to the death where only one can come out on top and be the catcher of the Padres future (or in Realmuto’s case, for the next two years).
Preller and company seem to be in it for the thrill of the thing rather than building a culture of winning. They are like the characters in Wolf of Wall Street.
Lines at Petco will be lined up with JTR
Lol.
I liked the baby Braves a lot last season and their young guys growing and improving will make them more dangerous in the NL. Gonzalez can help them out a lot
As stated above both eastern divisions will have at least 3 good teams in them. They also have a bottom dwelling punching bag (Baltimore/Miami). Should be interesting !
Marwin should be their number 1 goal right now. Then they should focus on trading for a starting pitcher.
Padres are so clueless
Do you think the rebuild will be successful ?
Their rebuild won’t in my opinion because they can’t make a decision if they are truly rebuilding or going for it all every year. They flip flop way to often
The past couple seasons the Padres have been pretty steady at keeping to rebuilding… the owner may say we should be competitive but mostly the Padres have continued to build the farm.
It’s hard to bet against it at this point…
So much talent here to not at least be fun to watch. People bemoaning Hosmer and Myers are reacting without knowing. Hosmer is a great fit for this team and town. A good guy to choose to be leader. Myers is pure stud (offensively). He his hurt a lot and his stats have suffered because of it. However if you have seen him in person its hard not to see that he is one of those guys that is playing on another level. The guy can rake
This is Preller’s first gm gig. So far so good. He gave us all a big splash and something to cheer for in year 1. And now his farm system is ranked number 1. I’d say he is doing a great job. Everyone makes mistakes here and there, what he does this offseason and next will determine if actually succeeds here. I think he deserves the benefit of the doubt
Either way he gave us something to talk about again. I’m grateful for that
Add Hirano to that list of DBacks the Braves match up well
If the Braves don’t go after Kimbrel (which I think is more important than Greinke and is my choice to spend remaining funds)…
The next best alternative would be to grab Greinke, Peralta, and Hirano in one massive trade. Take on as much of Greinkes contract as possible to minimize the return going back to Arizona. Who would go back to Zona? I’m not gonna speculate too much but multiple pitchers and Pache are my first choice. I’d much prefer to keep Riley at all costs since Donaldson is a one and done no matter how he performs. He either won’t be good enough to resign or too good to extend him the money he’ll want. So Riley is the most untouchable to me.
Honestly, if Arizona would eat a lot of money while trading Grienke, Hirano and Peralta, I’d trade them Pache and a decent pitching prospect or 2. I’d really prefer to keep Riley and Waters as I think those 2 will be good to really good players.
I’d send Pache, Allard, Wentz and Demerritte to Arizona in a heartbeat if the Diamondbacks sent Grienke,Peralta, Hirano and $30 million to the Braves.
Lol yeah I would do that in a heartbeat too. They might want one more arm and I’d even be willing to include the one more arm depending on who it was
The Braves should give up the haul whether or not any money is paid down on Greinke’s contract
This instantly pushes the needle for the Braves
Greinke is still valuable i would love the braves to find a way to get him. He’s more valuable that any free agent sps this year.
Another dback I’d love to see the braves look into is bradley.
The Braves should:
1) offer Kimbrel a front-loaded five year deal with an opt-out after three:. 17/17/17/10/10
2) Send Julio and a pitching prospect to Arizona for Greinke.. Arizona pays deferrals and the assignment and signing bonuses. That would reduce his cost to the Braves to about $20M per for three years.
3) Offer Pollock a three year deal with $10M/yr guarantees but a lot of incentives, plus two vesting options based on PA’s.
Incentives favor the team. Players with something to prove are the only ones that accept them. Pollock is not taking a 3/$30M guaranteed offer, incentives or not. Players want security, and Pollock is good enough to get it.
bhambrave. I like #2 and #3. But combine those two thoughts. Picking up Pollock is the right move, but that makes Inciarte expendable and the Dbacks need a CF.
So, sending Teheran’s and Inciarte’s contracts to AZ, takes $17M off the books in 2019, and $19.5M (if Teheran’s option is picked up) in 2020, and $8.5M, plus the option buyout for Inciarte in 2021.
Greinke’s contract wouldn’t add much more than those totals back to the Braves’ salary totals. The Dbacks will pay at least $11M ($9M in signing bonus money and the $2M assignment/trading bonus), on top of taking on Teheran’s and Inciarte’s salaries. Greinke’s salaries in 2019-2021 are $21M per year, total of $63M. The rest is deferred until 2022-2026.
So Atlanta can get a much needed Ace for only $4M more than the current 2019 salary total.
Atlanta will have to give up much more than Teheran and Inciarte to get such a cheap TOR Ace however. Probably add 3 of the Braves Top 7 pitching prospects.
That was funny.
Inciarte isn’t expendable. The Braves currently only have two starting OF’s. They need a third. Greinke won’t bring anywhere near a GG CF and three pitching prospects.
Let’s take Greinke out of the discussion. What is the return for an affordable, TOR Ace who has a 3 year contract?
At least a Top 25 prospect, plus at least 2 of the team’s Top 30 prospects?
But penciling in and framing Greinke as a cheap TOR rotation piece is seriously flawed. Age not velocity is on his side any longer and you’re assuming Teheran and Inciarte to have 0 value in your proposal. Inciarte has considerable value. Teheran yeah not a whole lot but his deal isn’t underwater either. No shot on Earth the Braves would include 3 top prospects in this. You’d get a guy like Allard in addition to that package but I honestly don’t see that because they’d need to replace 2 outfielders if they deal Inciarte. That just doesn’t make any sense.
Haven’t the Braves been shopping Inciarte this offseason? And is it just me or does this feel familiar?? Like they have been shopping Inciarte since the day they got him???
Kind of sounds like his bosses think he is expendable
The Braves haven’t been shopping him. Other teams have been asking.
And he’s not expendable, i.e. superfluous. He is tradeable. There’s a difference.
The Braves don’t have the money to do all of this
Sending out Julio’s contract would bring the cost down to about $36M. It would be tight in 2019, but they could manage. Attendance would go up, and the increased revenues might cover Pollock’s incentives.
Greinke is the only true TOR Ace available via either trade or free agency. None of Keuchel, Kluber, Bumgarten, or anyone else qualifies as a true Ace. So acquiring anyone else is settling for mediocrity. The teams looking for TOR help need Greinke. Braves, for example, might be competitive in the NLE, but to be a true World Series threat, they need an Ace, they need Greinke. Plus, the Braves have the offense, their weakness is TOR pitching.
I don’t think it’s quite as one-dimensional as you suggest, but I agree that Greinke is both the most available and the best pitcher the Braves could target.
I’m looking forward to seeing what our new pitching coach can do for the staff. Our staff, especially the BP, was giving up way too many BB’s last year.
Kluber is not a true ace? He is two time Cy Young winner. He won 20 games last year. You show how little baseball knowledge you half.
Kluber is a true Ace, but I don’t think he’s a practical option. He’d cost too much.
I would rather have Kluber than Greinke starting any meaningful game.
Greinke is going to be paid $104.5M for the rest of his contract. If the D’backs are picking up $44.5M, for the acquiring team to get him for $20M per, as someone suggested, then the D’backs are going to want something good in return. I can’t see them eating almost $45M just to move his contract.
Plus, I’m not sure I agree that Greinke would be preferred over the guys you mentioned, especially since the remainder of his contract is for his age 35, 36, and 37 seasons I would much rather have a 1 year commitment to a 29 year-old Bumgarner (whose career ERA+ is only 1 point less than Greinke’s BTW), whose 3 year commitment could be ugly at the end.
Keuchel doesn’t belong in the TOR discussion. But looking at the others career ERA+:
Greinke – 124
Bumgarner – 123
Kluber – 137
To say Kluber is not a true ace is absurd. And if Greinke is, then so is Bumgarner.
scottaz you lost all credibility when you said Kluber is not a true ace. I’m assuming from your name you are an Arizona homer that is the only reason why you would say the silly things you said.
At this stage in his career Grienke is not an ACE. He is still a very very good pitcher, but as a playoff type you probably like to a slot him in 3rd. He doesn’t have the stuff to challenge in the zone anymore. As players lock in, and postseason gets deeper, his strength are a bit nullified. Dodgers laid the game plan out, which as the zone tightens, force him into the zone because he no longer has that extra in the tank to respect. Velocity and stuff plays up in Oct. You have to be able to challenge in the zone or else you’re not going to get WS contending teams to chase. In terms of stuff and contract, Kluber is heads and shoulders above everyone else, especially since you have zero idea what Bum is. If a team can lighten that workload a bit and health permits, it’s not even a question right now.
Saying that’s JTR makes no sense for the Padres is like saying Goldschmit makes no sense for the Cardinals (who gave up two solid young players for him). They’re proven players that would take a good team to a great team… With the influx of talent soon to be arriving in the majors for the Pads, he’s exactly the veteran they need behind the plate. Hedges is good but Realmuto will likely be a perennial all star for years. Also, their prospect pool is so deep, that dealing two or three of them within the top 25 wont completely deplete the system.
Except that the Padres aren’t a good team, and won’t be until after JTR leaves as a FA. The Cardinals are contenders right now.
You’re forgetting the part where the Cardinals were in the hunt for the Wild Card until the very end in 2018 and should be just as good as not better in 2019 while the best case scenario for the Padres in 2019 even with Realmuto would be finishing around .500 and the fact that the Padres have not one but TWO quality catchers on their roster already and trading for Realmuto would just block them, hurting their development and likely building bad blood.
And by JTR being an All Star for years, you recall that likely only 2 of those would be for the Padres.
“Likely” is assuming the Pads suck. Realmuto wants to play for a winner and the Pads will be good within 2-3 years. And they’re not afraid to spend money (see: Eric Hosmer).
Your comment assumes that they have to trade for him to be able to overpay to sign him. They don’t. If they are just going to overpay to sign him it makes more sense to wait two years and sign him for nothing but $.
Zach Grienke & David Peralta to the Braves for Julio Teheran + prospects
That’s 2 needs of the Braves solved.
TOR starting pitcher and mentor
LH outfielder that hits for avg and power with good defense
The only positive reason I can think of that Preller should be talking with Miami is to run up the price but lose out to LA to get him.
Otherwise, fire AJP if he makes that move.
The Braves are in on everyone and no one, spent to much on Donaldson most likely to go big on any outfielder let alone a Robbie Ray who would be a terrific get…. young lefty, great fastball.
An expensive 1 yr contract doesn’t really rule them out on anything. They could splurge this year and cut back on the spending next yr to even things out. What’s holding them back is a slow market and everyone asking for the world in trades. Making a move just to make it doesn’t help the team in the short or long term.
Idiot!!!
LAST!!! (So far )
Yankees need to get JTR. Then give Sanchez some reps at DH or better yet trade him & Gray.
JOdo best play his a$$ off in atl and play through aches and pains otherwise a platoon of camargo and Riley would have sufficed to spend tens of millions elsewhere..
Prove me right JOdo and become a fan fav like markakis and make us want to sign you past this “tryout” year here in the land of chop! AA’s early rep is counting on you thus far..
Marwin Gonzalez or Jed Lowrie would be a solid addition for the Nats. I’d slightly favor Lowrie, because he’s more capable of backing up both Turner and Rendon. Jed is also older, and more likely to sign a shorter deal.
Degrom,thor, wheeler
Scherzer,strasburg,Corbin
Folty,Newcomb,??? Atlanta needs 1 true ace.
Got love for the Boston Braves, presently in Atlanta. Want to see them do well. That said, the ONLY REASON Kimbrel would be signing with them on a “meager” three year deal is to be closer to Alabama, IF he in fact still lives there out of season etc. If winning and success is his priority along with a solid money contract albeit not an overpay in years, he’ll be going back to Championship City Boston as long as they’ll have him. Obviously the Red Sox have a lot MORE options at this point than him, based on the current market being stuck in the mud and his rocky past season that clearly wasn’t close to his best.
Doubt it will ever happen with Holt on the active roster and Pedroia supposedly coming back healthy to contribute in Boston one of these years, but a reunion with Jed Lowrie would be cool to see for the BoSox. Lowrie has always been a solid player and coming back to where it all began would be a good story and most importantly, great depth as plugging a guy who HAS BECOME an everyday player in the lineup would be beneficial as Holt can’t play every day durability/consistency wise. Lowrie can play all over the field in a pinch like Holt, Nunez and Pearce. The way I see it, the more versatile players you have in baseball, the better. Seems to be THAT WAY with most sports though, lol. Lowrie can obviously play a solid 2nd base, which definitely would help Boston moving forward. If he’s up for a 2 year deal or something along those lines, Boston should jump at it IMO.