Josh Harrison received interest from multiple teams before signing his minor league deal with the Phillies yesterday, and MLB Network’s Jon Heyman reports (Twitter link) that the Mets were the runners-up in the race for the veteran infielder. Given that Cesar Hernandez has been widely tabbed as a non-tender candidate, Harrison would seemingly have a smoother path to possible playing time at second base in Philadelphia, whereas Robinson Cano, Jeff McNeil, and Jed Lowrie could all be ahead of Harrison on the depth chart in Queens. Despite the seeming glut of infield talent, it isn’t surprising that the Mets were on the lookout for more depth given that Cano battled both injuries and a downturn in performance in 2019, while Lowrie spent most of the year on the injured list.
More from around the NL East….
- While the Braves have been the winter’s busiest team thus far, their “offseason will rise/fall on [Josh] Donaldson’s decision,” Mark Bradley of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution opines. Missing out on Donaldson would leave the team with a big hole in the lineup, and one that couldn’t be entirely filled by another third base addition like Mike Moustakas. As Bradley puts it, “Moustakas is a good player. Donaldson and [Anthony] Rendon are great players.” This take is perhaps rather dismissive of Moustakas’ abilities, as while Donaldson is the better player, there is some upside to inking a lesser third base option — for instance, Atlanta could sign Moustakas and a starting pitcher for the same price it would take to land just Donaldson. While it remains to be seen if Donaldson will be re-signed, Bradley notes that the Braves’ early flurry of signings has quieted some critics who felt the team wasn’t prepared to spend to reinforce its NL East-winning roster.
- The Braves’ quick pace wasn’t by design, however, as GM Alex Anthopoulos tells The Athletic’s Jayson Stark (subscription required). “I’m not in a position to forecast what the rest of our offseason is going to look like because what we’ve done so far was really just circumstance. It just happened to come together the way it did,” Anthopoulos said, noting that the deals with Chris Martin, Darren O’Day, Nick Markakis, and Tyler Flowers were aided by the fact that all four players were already with Atlanta in 2019. As a result, Stark writes that fans might be disappointed if they think Atlanta’s moves or the White Sox moving quickly to sign Yasmani Grandal could signal a busier hot stove season for all 30 teams rather than the slow-moving winters of the last two years.
- Relief pitching looks to be a clear need for the Nationals this offseason…or is it? As Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post observes, the Nats’ early acquisitions of Trevor Rosenthal and Kyle Barraclough last winter ended up as disasters, and the club ended up more or less entirely remaking their bullpen by season’s end. With this in mind, the Nationals might aim lower in picking up any new relievers this offseason because, since relief pitching performance is so hard to predict from year to year, the club might prefer to save such acquisitions for closer to the trade deadline. GM Mike Rizzo “prefers to assess relievers in-season, with fresh data and video to parse through,” Dougherty writes.
This team has a much bigger hole at the top of the rotation, then at third base. If they do not address their mediocre rotation, the Braves will once again be an embarrassment.
If you think a team that won 97 games, a division title and took a team to 5 games in the NLDS is an embarrassment then you have impossibly high standards.
and then look overmatched by a worse team when it mattered most…Yes, they are an embarrassment.
I swear Braves fans kill me. This was the first year they were truely supposed to compete after the rebuild and they won 97 games. Hilarious to think that is an “embarrassment” for such a young team. What’s more hilarious is you thinking Bumgarner is more than a 4 or 5 on a good team at this point. You should be more embarrassed that you think signing him moves the needle at all from last years team.
I find it hilarious (not really) that people still throw out this “arbitrary year” argument. So what happens when they finish in 4th place in 2020? Will your argument once again be 2021 is supposed to be the year?
Bumgarner is the second-best starter available behind Cole. Reality says they will likely go after the former rather than the latter. The only thing that will move the needle at this point is signing or trading for a TOR arm. Bringing back .250 cent umbrella man, while still reassuring yourselves that Faulty has something left in him, is a direction that is destined to fail. We witnessed it this year losing to the terrible Cards team.
Our pitching did not look overmatched. Our offense faltered at worst possible time. So you’re argument is based on a false presumption.
Maybe it had something to do with the terrible Cards offense?
Admittedly, I’m harsh on the team but it is mindboggling that people are still finding excuses for this team, particularly their rotation. Anyone who knows anything about baseball will tell you the Braves need a TOR arm. That is their biggest weakness and the missing link. This conversation comes up every year; every year the Braves do nothing to address it. The results on the field say it is a problem, yet there are fans who continue to believe it is a non issue.
Bum>Stras?
I’d take Bum over Stras; however, I do understand why Strasburg is ahead of Bumgarner on the rankings.
Bumgarner is what?!? You’re confusing present day Bumgarner with the one of yesteryear. He’s not the 2nd best SP behind Cole; nor the 3rd, or the 4th… He’s probably slightly better than Hamels, but I honestly would prefer Hamels on a 1yr deal than Bumgarner on 4 or 5.
The reality is Bumgarner isn’t elite anymore. He’s a 3rd starter, with a pedigree, who might still flash some occasional brilliance. Folty’s capable of the same, for a lot cheaper, just minus the pedigree.
Donaldson should be priority 1, 2 and 3.
The Braves likely only lost that series because Martin got hurt, and they struggled to adjust. If he never gets hurt, they probably don’t lose the game he was set to appear in. Fried also probably remains a starter.
The team had some bad luck, and some bad moments; but they were far from an embarrassment. As a fan, I was proud of the season they had.
I understand your feelings towards Bumgarner. In fact, statistically, he is trending away from his peripherals in the early 2010s. However, I believe he still has a lot left in him. Regardless of how you feel, he is the best and most realistic option available on the market.
If the Braves do get him and he falters, then I will be the first to say I was wrong. However, I’m confident he will reinvent himself. Give him a winning environment, and he will thrive again.
The Braves lost the NLDS because of Martin’s injury that blew game 1 for us…and Freeman’s injury where our 3-hole hitter could barely swing the bat and required surgery almost immediately after the season. People like to forget that “Faulty” (as you so inappropriately called him) outpitched the hottest pitcher in baseball in game 2. Yes, we need a top of the rotation arm, but we also need a middle of the order bat, so we don’t have Markakis/Joyce protecting Freeman in the lineup. To argue we don’t a Donaldson-like bat is insane to me.
As a Phillies fan, the Braves had a great season and I believe were better than the Nationals. The Gnats just got hot and the Braves did not- plus injuries. Heck the Dodgers, Brewers and Cards all were better teams and went cold. Nats did not. Best teams don’t always win: 2008 Phillies were not the best team and won. 2011 Phillies were far better then the 2008 team, but lost. Just an example.
Not close to an embarrassment. Be proud.
Folty is capable of nothing. Never has, never will.
Thank goodness Teheran is gone (hopefully for good). Next season should be Faulty’s last opportunity to prove himself.
The Braves also lost because Faulty, DK, and Fried all sucked. This is not basketball. This is a team sport. The starting rotation, outside of Soroka, failed to go deep and failed to get outs. The offense is as much to blame, given all the late opportunities they missed out on. At the end of the day, however, the Braves are heading into 2020 with only one good pitcher, and his name is Soroka.
The Braves bullpen blew two different leads. That is the first reason the Braves didn’t advance further. Had the bullpen did its job even with one of those two games we wouldnt be having this conversation.
There is a lot of offseason to go and I imagine they will bring in anther starter but what caused the Braves early exit has been addressed.
You keep saying you believe he has more in him. Sure he does. As a no.4 pitcher.
“I’d take Bum over Stras”
This could be interpreted as a comment about their likely contracts, but your earlier comment said:
“Bumgarner is the second-best starter available behind Cole.”
I imagine this makes you one of the very few people on the planet with this opinion.
My general feeling is this. Bumgarner to me has been more consistent than Strasburg. I tend to be skeptical of players performing their best during their contract year. This is not to say that Strasburg has not been a very good pitcher throughout his career. I prefer Bumgarner over anybody on the market with the exception of Cole.
Again, I understand the skepticism, but I truly believe Bumgarner has ace level potential left in him despite the naysayers. Bumgarner-Soroka one-two is formidable and not just during the 162 game season.
The Mets have 4th place locked up and the Marlins in last
Fried didn’t suck. He had been extremely effective out of the pen, until the rough outing. Look how often they had went to him prior, though.
Folty wasn’t bad either overall. He tossed an absolute gem his first time out. Game 5 just wasn’t his day. If things had broke different with Martin, there’s probably not a game 5 though.
DK wasn’t the best, but I mean he was what he is at this point.
If you have a better pen, where you’re not using guys like Jackson in high leverage situations, shorter outings won’t be a big deal though.+
Braves would have advanced if the pen saved just 1 of the 2 games they blew. I don’t believe Braves would have won the WS, however, even if they advanced past round 1, mainly because their rotation wasn’t strong enough.
Dodgers took the series to five games. Brewers were leading until 2 outs in bottom 8th in WC game. Besides they had best September record, didn’t they? Not exactly cold teams. I don’t think Cards were better than Nationals. Braves in the NLCS would have been much less surprising but they got outplayed in that one inning and paid the price. I think by calling Nationals just a hot team and opponents going cold, you are undermining their performance in elimination games, run-scoring with 2 outs, and some elite relief work by their starters.
They did not lose to the cards because of starting pitching. If they had the exact same bullpen they have right now the Braves would have swept that series.
You keep saying “Faulty” sucked like game 2 never happened. And let’s not forget that if Freddie turns a tailor-made double play with the catcher running, the 1st inning of game 5 ends with the Cards only up 1-0. Your selective memory is astonishingly hilarious. But hey man, this is 2019…where facts don’t matter as long as you scream loud enough. Have at it. But you’re wrong.
You can’t be serious. This is 2020; 2015 MadBum is gone. Stras is possibly better now than MadBum was then.
There’s a couple of things you need to do. 1) Lay off the spiked eggnog. It’s not even December yet. 2) re-read your comment “I’d take Bum over Stras” 3) Like the Astros, put a * next to every comment you make because everyone needs to realize how idiotic that sounds.
No one in their right mind would take 2020 MadBum over 2020 Stras. Literally no one.
I’d rather re-sign Dolnaldson and get a starter via trade than sign MadBum. But that’s just me, I guess.
Prove it. You cant just say we would have swept anyone. The data alone suggests that’s an idiotic thing to say. Sheesh, so many people give Braves fans bad names. I promise, Internet, we are not all stupid.
I find it hilarious you think Bumgarner is the second-best starter available behind Cole. I just took a quick glance at ERA+ (park-adjusted ERA), and MadBum is just a tad above league average at 107 for 2019 (100 being average, and higher being better).
Some other numbers:
Ryu – 179 (second in all of MLB behind Cole)
Strasburg – 138
Keuchel – 121
Teheran – 119
Hamels – 117
Miley – 116
Anderson – 111
Bumgarner
Roark – 103
People might take your posts more seriously if you stopped the obvious bias. MadBum is nowhere near the pitcher he used to be, and even the pitcher he used to be was not as good as his numbers because he pitched in one of the top pitchers parks in the game.
His biggest value piece is the postseason, but do we really know he is still ‘that’ guy?. Not to mention his career postseason ERA’s are not anywhere near as dominant as one would think,.
Wild Card games = 2-o / 0.00 ERA (unreal to be sure)
NLDS = 1-2 / 4.43 ERA (middling at best)
NLCS = 1-1 / 4.15 ERA (again, middling at best)
WS – 4-0 / 0.25 ERA Definitely has been legit there, but the last time he was in a World Series was 2014 … aka .. a LONG TIME given his recent injuries and numbers sliding towards SP4 realm.
You need to step into reality. MadBum stabilizes a young rotation, but it is every bit as probable that he ends up being no better than SP4/5 for Atlanta by the end of the year. If he hits his ceiling at this stage of his career, he likely still doesn’t put up Strasburg or Ryu type numbers. So even if you really think he is going to turn it around, he still is not the number two SP on the market.
I would still love to have him, simply because I don’t think the Braves get anyone better. I just look at it realistically.
I fully expect at least one major move before Christmas. Whether that move involves third or the rotation, I’m not sure, but the next move will clarify whether Atlanta has really opened up the budget or will fill the remaining needs with budget options.
The only embarrassment here is you to other Braves fans.
@bravos4evr
I agree with you 100%
I know you casuals celebrate worthless division titles but I don’t. Talk to me when the Braves advance past freshman year of college.
I hope things improve for you.
You must have really hated the 90s then.
I don’t think he was alive in the 90’s. Based on his comments he has to be about 12 or 13 y/o.
Well if you get your wish, and they blow a boatload of money on Bumgarner, you won’t have to worry about us “casuals” celebrating “worthless” division titles, because the Braves will probably finish 3rd or 4th with your boy, and without an offense.
Casuals? Whoa Nelly get a load of this.. If you’ve taken the time to set up an MLBTR account and frequently post here, the last thing you are is a casual
BumgarnerequalsNLCS…I’m actually embarrassed by you being a fan. To say they have been an embarrassment after winning two back to back division titles tells.me everything I need to know about your view of the world.
Very sad.
I wish Harrison would have stayed in Detroit. He is a solid player when healthy. I met him last season during a meet n greet; his personality is amazing. A fun, energetic, personable player who loves the game like a kid does. Good luck Josh, I will be rooting for you!
We loved him in Pittsburgh too :)
Harrison should have stayed in Detroit and played for free since he essentially stole a year’s salary with his horrendous performance.
The new rumor is the Nats are interested in going after Trevor Rosenthal again on a 1 year deal.
Sign Moustakas, trade for Marte, and sign Garrett Cole!
That lengthens the lineup and gets Markakis out of the middle of the lineup.
It also gives the Braves the ace to pair with Soroka.
But that will never happen. All 3 are Pipe dreams.
You think Moustakas is a pipe dream? You need your head examined. Moustakas is pretty attainable.
@Mjm117
The only real pipe dream is signing Cole.
The Mets being in on Harrison makes no sense. At this point, Cano is at 2b. Rosario is at SS. McNeil is at 3b with Davis also seeing time there. Lowrie will see time at 2b and SS. Where is the fit for Harrison?
Get your head on straight BVW.
Bench depth. Harrison is likely not going to start for the Phillies either unless he has an impressive spring training.
Mets have no payroll room to add anyone unless they can unload Cano thats not happening
I agree with Bradley, the offseason’s success hinges on re-upping Josh. Moose is good, but a lesser player. Signing a pitcher doesn’t offset that unless it’s Cole or Strasburg inking that deal. That isn’t happening though. So Donaldson is key.
Not sure if I fully believe the Wash front office but the premise is correct about relief pitchers. There is nothing harder than to predict how mid-range relievers will do from year to year and with the going rates for average BP arms, you can easily make 2 or 3, big $6M – $8M mistakes by jumping on a reliever who had a good season last year. For example, I believe SD is going to be very disappointed with Pomeranz. There’s no arguing that he was the most dominate reliever in the bigs last year for 2 months, but he stunk it up the last 2-3 full seasons before this, including some bullpen work during that time. Pitchers can get white hot for a couple of months and then regress back to their norm. So Washington is being smart not throwing around $6M here and $8M there for a reliever who had a solid 2019. It is just so risky. They will probably have to cave and take a chance on one guy, but not multiple risks. It can really hamstring their spending in other areas for the team.
I think Rosenthal deal taught Nats a lesson. I also agree with the idea of bringing in relievers mid-season but the catch is you are giving up talent to get talent. Nationals traded 4 players last season to get 3 relievers. Before that, they traded 3 I think (including Blake and Jesus) for Doolittle and Madson. Before that, they traded for Melancon by giving up 2 pitchers. They have traded so many players almost every July. OTOH, Nationals don’t have to pay for full salaries of any of their acquisitions and they have much better data available to determine their best options..
They also traded Nick Pivetta for Papelbon a few years back. I think Nick goes to the pen this year and finally puts it all together as a swingman/long reliever
i don’t get why hernandez is thought of as an obvious non tender candidate. he’s pretty valuable
It’s mainly because his arbitration salary is projected to reach $11 million+, but I’m still skeptical that they’ll dump him. Hernandez isn’t flashy, and they could very well decide he’s too expensive, but consistent 2-3 win players are plenty valuable, and if their only signing to replace him is Josh Harrison, it makes the 2020 Phillies a worse team.
Kingery will be the everyday 2B. They will sign a FA 3B and trade for a CF.
Foltynewicz should have never have started a must win game. Keuchel was bought for a reason, he should have started that game instead of Foltynewicz, it is a Snitker error that cost the Braves the possibility of advancing, not to mention Martin’s injury. Keuchel had an era of 11 in Busch stadium prior to that game and the Braves started him on 3 days rest. It was completely wrong. The Braves need to get Hamels, Bum, or I’d even be happy if they signed Ryu despite his past injury record. If the Braves don’t get Donaldson or Moustakas then they will find it hard to win the division I believe.
DK wasn’t really all that good for Atlanta. He was ok. But he wasn’t worth his cost. He lost the final 5 games he pitched. 2 of which were to STL in the playoffs.
All the Braves need to do now is offer the Indians Dansby, Pache, Kyle Wright, and a couple more minor leaguers to get Lindor and Kluber, then their hot stove season is done.
No chance they give up Pache.
I think those two put you the Braves over the top. Imagine the top of that lineup with Lindor in the mix and playing a gold glove caliber SS. Then Kluber is a bit of a risk coming off the injury but definitely has the potential to be an ace and you’d have them both for 2 years. I make that trade if I’m Atlanta.
God no.
I think those two put you the Braves over the top. Imagine the top of that lineup with Lindor in the mix and playing a gold glove caliber SS. Then Kluber is a bit of a risk coming off the injury but definitely has the potential to be an ace and you’d have them both for 2 years. I make that trade if I’m Atlanta.
Phillies Phan?? The last 110 games of the season, the World Champion NATS were tied with the Dodgers for the best record in baseball. That’s not exactly backing into the playoffs!
philmccrevice – They were not the best team in the MLB regardless. I am sure when they are the world series champs next year they will prove me wrong though.
This is a solid under the radar move for the Phillies. If or when they non-tender Caesar Hernandez and Maikel Franco, Harrison would provide some depth around the diamond. He was hurt last year, and was playing for the worst team in baseball when he was healthy enough to take the field. I think the Phillies will provide him an opportunity to rise his stock once again and hopefully he’ll be able to secure a MLB guarantee next winter. It’s most likely that he will occupy the role that Sean Rodriguez played last year as a utility infielder and pinch hitter. It’s great to sign a stud free agent that immediately makes your team better, but improving around the margins can be the difference between making the playoffs or missing out by a game or two.
And he’s just a good dude, a solid guy in the clubhouse who gives everything he’s got. You can’t build a team around him but he’s the kind of guy who’ll win games with a big hit or play
That’s what I keep hearing about him, that he’s a high character type that has the clubhouse intangibles to help a team gel and play together. Will be rooting for him in the spring, I hope he catches fire and sticks with the club. With the extra roster spot I think has more than an outside chance.
Nontender Cesar, bring Harrison up. Go after maybe wheeler and Donaldson. Allow some flexibility with Harrison in the IF and outfield, giving Harper some days off.
You know … you all try to explain what happened but there is no explanation. Baseball isn’t a small series game. This is why one of the worst positioned teams won it all and one of the historically greatest teams in the last 90 years lost.
The Braves lost to the weakest team in the playoffs and the Dodgers, the strongest NL team in 2019, didn’t make it to the World Series.
It doesn’t matter how good your team is. It doesn’t matter if you spend a huge amount of money. It doesn’t matter what you record is. You just have to make it to the playoffs and then roll the dice.
I know you all want to think the off season is predictable and you want to think you can super analyze your team and the rest of the league and you can will your team to win it all. Eh, doesn’t work like this.
1. Braves fans, at least a few who posted previously that Atlanta was an embarrassment, need to spend a few summers in San Diego or Cincinnati.
2. Bum or Stras? Not even close. You take Strasburg.
3. Nats not the best team? Well, they were in the NL last year. A top 3 SP that was second to none. A solid player at 3B, SS, LF, CF and RF. A nice catching tandem and a bullpen that improved on the fly. If they don’t lose both Stras and Rendon, they are the NL favorites heading into 2020.
4. Josh Harrison is a stud? C’mon. I’m a Phillies fan too, but let’s not get carried away.
5. No super stars on the Cardinals, even Goldie came down to earth a bit in 2019. Yet, year after year they are always in the hunt and/or playoffs. Mets would be wise to imitate that template of success.
6. Finally, my Phillies? Sign Hamels and Bumgarner. A starting five of Nola, Bumgarner, Hamels, Arrieta and Eflin could/should be pretty good if all stayed healthy. Next on the shopping list is a shut-down LOOGY (I’m not a big Adam Morgan fan.).
If Cigar Guy spends his cheese on Hamels and Bumgarner, I’d sign Moustakis to play 3B because Rendon and Donaldson would then be too expensive to fit.
7. NL East 2020? Four teams will be nip and tuck with one another all the way through September. I say four teams because, sooner or later, the Mets are gonna keep everyone healthy. If it’s this year, I could see them winning the NL East.
Nationals need to be more aggressive with the free agents they have a lot off holes to fill and they need to be busy.