Click here to read a transcript of Monday’s live chat with Connor Byrne of MLBTR.
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- Daniel Murphy Signs With Long Island Ducks
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- Guardians Nearing Extension With Trevor Stephan
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Wonder if Conner is a big Talking Heads fan
Yes.
You were right Connor. By the time the draft was over there was a new article saying that the A’s and Simien are both interested in an extension. Am I the only one who noticed that question?
haha that Tigers one
Yay, Jorge!!! You got one too this time!
Cool, thanks! I haven’t looked yet! Had to work my part time job. I dislike when real life gets in the way of baseball…..
It was about how many questions they get asked in each chat. He didn’t really give you a knowledgeable answer but I have heard before it can be around 1,500. It makes me feel bad about the times I complained so I try not to do that anymore. It’s not that I truly mind when my questions don’t get answered though. I used to just get irritated when I would ask at least ten legitimate questions that never get answered because of 30 questions that are something like: “Will Kris Bryant be traded for Mookie Betts?” Or something like that. It only bothers me a little sometimes because there are so many of them answered and everyone knows that none of those proposals even have close to a 1% chance of happening. I would prefer to know MLBTR’s opinions on things that might actually happen. My questions don’t usually involve trades of big names but focus on things that could actually happen or just happened. I wanted to know their take on the Darren O’Day signing because I was shocked it happened considering his 37+ year age and recent terrible injury history. Or what anyone thinks might happen with former blockbuster trade participant and former star Shelby Miller. I also ask a lot about the computerized strike zone because now even former star pitchers like CC Sabathia have come out in favor of it and it made me wonder if it had gained more traction and might actually happen soon as a result. I find that kind of stuff (along with CBA, rule changes and a potential NL DH) way more interesting then hypothesizing about very specific trades that will never happen several dozen times in a row. I have to cut them a break though. They get a ton of questions and can’t possibly even read all of them, much less answer all of them. I am also still kinda pumped about that Braves payroll article I pointed out to Jeff and he took the time to listen and research it and Dylan actually wrote a really good article about it. My elderly Dad was so excited when I showed him because he is the one that informed me of the interview so he knew he was kind of a big part of it. He is an awesome guy. He took me to so many Braves World Series games when I was a kid I can’t even keep count, so it was so awesome just to see a smile on his face.
P.S.
I don’t know if you read the Atlanta Journal Constitution or not but a couple of days after the Braves payroll interview post got put on MLBTR they printed a very similar article about the exact same thing in the AJC newspaper. I already knew that the AJC writers write a lot of articles based on Braves posts they read on MLBTR (since MLBTR is usually the first to break news) so I looked up the source of the article. It even had a similar name as the MLBTR article with the quote “spend some money” in the title. AJC used MLBTR as a reference along with CNBC. CNBC had reported it like 5 days earlier and AJC printed the article less than 48 hours after MLBTR posted it. My Dad gets the AJC at his house and I tried to explain to him that the source meant that the article likely wouldn’t be in the newspaper he was holding in his hand if he hadn’t told me about the interview in the first place. He smiled but I don’t think he believed me at all. I was able to prove to him that I was the one that got the article pointed out for MLBTR so he knew that was true. I think he just thinks MLBTR is some random website and doesn’t realize how big it is because that seemed cool but very possible to him. The idea that it was in the AJC because of him was to big of a deal to be possible. It was funny though. I wish I could prove that to him somehow. He still thinks printed newspapers are the best source of breaking news and the internet is just something kids play around with or something. Either way, the whole ordeal made his day, which means it made my week.
Question for you guys in case it doesn’t get answered, which it likely won’t..lol
If you were AA of the Braves, and had to prioritize one need over the other, which of the following needs would you consider the most vital for a successful Braves playoff run…(1. A replacement for JD’s power bat, to protect Freeman in the lineup…OR (2. A top of the rotation SP to pair alongside Soroka…
A couple of things to consider:
**Freeman’s most successful seasons have always come when he’s had a true cleanup hitter behind him in the order..
**Currently, the Braves would be running out the following starters: D’Arnaud/Flowers, Freeman, Albies, Swanson, Riley/Camargo, Acuña Jr., Inciarte, Markakis/Duvall
**The Braves are going into next season with only Soroka, Fried, and Folty as proven and capable SPs.
**The candidates for the 4th and 5th starter’s jobs are currently Sean Newcomb, Kyle Wright, Touki Toussaint, Bryse Wilson, and two less likely candidates Ian Anderson and Tucker Davidson. Also, Anderson and Davidson won’t likely be deemed ML ready until midway through the season, because both have only seen limited action in AAA with mixed results due to fatigue and some inexperience..
If I got to choose I’d try to obtain the best pitcher available. Run suppression in this age of offense seems very rare. With that said, I’d also try my best to pry someone like Brian Anderson away from the Marlins if at all possible.
Anderson would be a nice pickup, but I don’t really think that would solve their loss of power…However, I do think they could get “enough power” from the likes of Freeman, Acuña Jr., Albies, Riley, D’Arnaud, and some shots here and there from Duvall, Camargo, and Swanson..
Follow up question, would yo iij rather give up the haul it would take to get Anderson, or gove up a little less to get Andujar??
Keep in mind, the Braves do have the defensive guru Ron Washington on their side. He can work some serious magic, and I think he could have Andujar playing an average 3B after he got his hands on him..
Anderson is already a very good defensive player, so I’d prefer him over Andujar (unless the Yankees gave him away ridiculously cheap). While it is true that Brian Anderson would probably never approach the power numbers of Donaldson, the truth is he was on pace to hit roughly 25 homers last year despite playing in Miami. I wouldn’t think that it would be out of the realm of possibilities for him to eventually hit 25 to 30 bombs if he played his home games in Atlanta.
It would probably cost a ton to get him. Possibly more than Austin Riley, Touki Toussaint and a lower level pitcher with promise.
I honestly dont think the Braves wpuld mind giving that up, I just dont think the Marlins would make him available. In my opinion, he is everhthjng you want in an organizational player.
With them being a younger team, Id have to think they would want Anderson around as the example for their younger rookies..
Then again, it is the Marlins, sooo…lol
Even if JD leaves for another team, I still feel like they have enough offense to get to the playoffs but in the playoffs they get exploited without a top of the rotation starter to pair with Soroka so I would pick SP. Just my two cents.
Yeah… I think a TOR starting pitcher would be my choice because that is what they were obviously missing in the playoffs last season. My guess is though that the Braves are going to try their best to re-sign Donaldson and if they do that then maybe swing a trade for someone like Kluber. That might be the best hope because I think it is very unlikely that they go after Cole or Strasburg and I don’t trust any of the other guys on the market enough to say for sure that they would be a clear ace. They could also just sign someone like Hamels. Other than that they could just wait for the pitching prospects we have to come up and just hope for the best. Out of all the SP’s we have it wouldn’t shock me if one of them went balls to the wall next season. I mean, did anyone actually count on Soroka having the year he did last season? I also think they have already said they are going to try and move Newcomb back to the rotation to fill the 4th spot next season. I wouldn’t trade Riley for anything short of a superstar and I doubt that will happen since he is at his low point. He is young and inexperienced so there is a very good chance he will improve a lot. I think he should start the season in triple A but I wouldn’t be completely shocked if he finished the 2021 season as a 3rd baseman with 50-something homers in the majors. That potential is way to great to give up on now. If we can’t sign JD then Camargo might turn out to be a reasonable Band aid until Riley is ready. Camargo was pretty good in 2018.
I basically asked that question and he suggested pitcher but I think we need a big bat
I honestly dont know, in an ideal world the Braves get both…I would love to resign JD AND get Wheeler, but then again I realoze it is much more lokely that they sign MadBum and just go with Riley and Camargo…/: lol
If Connor is getting questions randomly… why do so many feed off one another so quickly?
Jason
7:07 If the braves were to make a big splash, which is unlikely, do you think Cole or rendon would be a better choice?
Connor Byrne
7:08 I’ll say Cole because I think he’s the best player available, the Braves need a top-rotation guy to pair with Soroka and they could always plug Riley in at 3B in a worst-case scenario
BaVeS
7:08 Loving all the braves answers
Connor Byrne
7:08 Soon enough, someone will accuse me of being biased toward the Braves
JNogle
7:09 can You stop being so biased toward the Braves
Connor Byrne
7:09 Boom
I wondered about that too!
Seems odd…..
He has usually several hundred to a few thousand questions to pull from if I understand correctly. I would think that he could pick a topic line he wants then answer a few related questions in quick succession. Not sure if he has a key word (such as “Braves “) search feature that streamlines his choice of questions.
Thanks southi!