The Braves announced today that they have signed first baseman Matt Adams. It’s a minor-league arrangement.
Adams had recently opted out of his deal with the division-rival Mets. Though there just wasn’t room for him on the New York roster, it seems the left-handed hitter showed enough to earn a spot in the Atlanta 60-man player pool.
This isn’t the first go-round for Adams with the Braves. He had a productive part-season stint with the team in 2017 — so much so that Freddie Freeman lined up at third base to keep Adams in the lineup. While he was also effective at the plate in 2018, Adams limped to a .226/.276/.465 slash line in 333 plate appearances last year with the Nationals.
Good by the Braves. Matt Adams can play in outfield too. Does this mean that the Braves are not interested in Puig anymore?
“Can play in the outfield” is a bit of a stretch lol. This will not prevent Puig
Agree that Adams will not be an OF option. Disagree that Puig is still an option for Braves. Adams gives Braves another bat vs RH pitching. He could even be a DH occasionally. So, if Adams sticks with Braves this year, they won’t need Puig.
They need Puig and Adams due to COVID-19 and players opt out this years. Their outfield is a mess
Umm…what? Their outfield is fine.
The only time Matt Adams should ever be in the outfield is stretching before games.
They’ve been playing 4-man OFs in intrasquad games to get guys looks – and I’m not sure he’d cover the necessary ground during that to make it worth it.
Lol
Adams won’t play in the OF, but I do think it means they won’t be circling back on Puig
Adams will play DH. Just means Ozuna likely won’t be seeing much time at DH now
Ozuna, Inciarte, Acuna, Camargo, Duvall is likely your outfield.
Riley and Camargo your 3B
A mix of Adams, Riley, Camargo, Ozuna at DH depending on who’s playing in the field that day
I think Ozuna will still be the primary DH. Adams will be a PH and backup to Freddie at 1B.
Agree with your post except I doubt Adams will DH when a LH starts for other team. Braves might platoon Adams and Ozuna at DH, something like this:
When a lefty pitches, Ozuna will be DH and Duvall will play LF
When a righty pitches, Ozuna will play LF and Adams will DH
Adams will see time at first as they use the DH role to ease Freeman back in.
Nice move. I’m surprised all the teams with waivers ahead passed. Bye Yonder. Also BYE Puig we hardly knew ya!
Why surprised? He’s a first base only guy who had a 0.1 WAR last year and a .276 OBP… I’m surprised he got picked up at all. Doubt he factors much into Atlanta’s plans.
That was one down year, while he was a quality player three years in a row before that.
.276 OBP is a helluva down year
I am not about to make a case for Matt Adams future Hall of Fame candidacy, but I just don’t see him as quite as bad as you do. He managed to post a .465 slugging percentage, and had an OPS of .741. He also mashed 20 homeruns in 300 plate appearances. If you take that pace, and play it out to a 500 AB season, he’d have hit 34 HR.
When you look at the free agents left available at this point, they all have some sort of flaw in their game. So I just don’t see Adams as a bad signing for this juncture of the year. He’s basically just a guy to round out the bench, play some DH, and occasionally spell Freeman. Let’s also not forget he was part of a WS champion team last year, so he has a little value.
Adams has value vs righties, not lefties. Problem against lefties is the only reason StL let him go to begin with (as far as I know). I believe Adams will mainly be used against a RH starter and mostly as DH.
Puig deal off due to Covid. He tested positive for it.
Why didn’t Pittsburgh try to sign the slippery rock product?
Why? He’s kind of a left handed Will Craig. No real need for a guy like that.
I was watching the Yankee/Pirates this weekend on the MLB channel and I saw Craig at 1b for the Pirates. I had to look it up, I thought Allen Craig had made a comeback.
Yes!!!
I swear the guys on talking chop just mentioned this a podcast or two ago
nice depth piece. Especially have losing Puig. Which I know wasn’t a fan favorite, but Puig was a big pickup and it really stinks to lose him.
Give Puig 2 weeks and then he could do no wrong. It’s the Braves way
I mean.. that’s pretty much every fan base way but ok… lol
Matt Adams has a three team rotation of teams he plays with. The Cardinals, Nationals, and Braves. If I am not wrong, his next stop should be back to St. Louis.
He’s already been back with cards we will pass
The Braves would have passed as well had it not been for all the losses related to Covid. His career is being extended because of the pandemic.
certainly an upgrade over O’Brien and maybe even Yonder
Even when he’s not being used as a backup 1B – will be interesting platoon pinch-hitter against righties. Having him for righties and Duvall against southpaws should be really nice coming off the bench.
Good move by the Braves. They were thin at 1B.
Sly bit of baseball humor :)
Freddie gets to go back to 3B again!
I’d say he’ll see some time, but this is nothing more than depth and insurance. Now that Freeman is officially back I don’t see the Braves wasting a spot on a first base-only pinch hitter when Riley and Duvall could handle the spot in a pinch. Great depth though and makes more sense as a bench bat in a playoff series than the regular season.
DH him.
Nice pickup. The Braves need someone to retrieve all those balls hit into the empty stands.
Great signing and exponential improvement over Alonso. Now get Mat Joyce fromMarlins And team is set from bith sides of the mound.
Yeah do what backatit said!!!!
@Backatit, How would Matt Joyce make the team set from both sides of the mound when he’s a left handed hitter just like Matt Adams is?
Yes, a left handed outfielder. Only Inciarte is a lefty and he has not been acceptable at the plate. Joyce is a taller and stronger Markakis. He also was the leading hitter BA last year for Braves – did you know that – .297.
@Backatit, yes I did know that about Joyce but that still doesn’t explain your statement regarding it making the Braves set from both sides of the mound. Your statement makes it sound as though you’re saying the signing of Adams and getting Joyce would give them 2 players, one that could play/DH against right handed pitching and one against left handed pitching but since the conversation is about 2 left handed hitters you comment makes no sense whatsoever.
Yes!!!!.now DFA yonder and put Charlie clutch on the 40 man rostet
wait?!…Culberson is not on the roster? really?!
Is now thankfully
ADAMS will be giving up time with his FAMILY !!
Puig would’ve been better
Nah pass on the COVID-19 bat licker
Puig to the Cubs would be interesting, the Wild Horse in Chicago and then have Shwarber DH, Happ and Almora in the OF with him Rizz at first, Baez at second , Hoerner at SS, Bote or Bryant at 3rd, maybe make a big trade with the Yanks sending Bryant to NY , could probably pull a Clint Frazier and one of Loasiga or Clarke Schmidt
How does Miguel Andujar for Kyle Schwarber sound? Then trade Bryant to the Braves. They have a excellent farm system. They need a 3rd baseman badly. Yanks are pretty happy with Gio Urshella at 3rd.
The yankees would be better off flipping Andujar for Vogelbach I would think, his power in Yankees Stadium would be a show, yeh maybe Bryant to the Braves or even Kyle Seager , he might pop off with a change of scenery
Can’t see Culberson on the thirty to start the season unless for crocodile tears.
Nice offer with Yankees but I definitely will have to pass. Not wanting Kris Bryant at all. I like the Cubs they are my National League. To bad a Giancarlo Stanton for Kyle Schwarber trade couldn’t be pulled off it would help both teams. Yanks obviously would have to pay about 35% percent of Stanton’s contract
Cubs should of hired Girardi broke my heart. That’s where he wanted to go. Obviously still not over it. Not too optimistic about this season. Hopefully they do well. I can’t tell you how much I hate the Cardinals. lol
Yanks are not trading Clarke Schmidt or Johnny Lasagna. Masahiro Tanaka and John Paxton are both free agents next season. Johnny Lasagna will be in the bullpen this year. Schmidt takes over for Happ eventually
Could be temporary to allow Freeman to DH the first week. Or the Braves aren’t that high on Camargo. Figured he and Riley along with Ozuna would cover 3B/LF/DH, effectively making the Adams transaction meaningless. My guess is it could come down to both.
I think the issue is they can’t unquestionably count on Camargo or Riley to handle 3rd and produce at the dish. The hope is at least one of them will, but what if neither hit? Then you’re subpar at 3B and DH. At least this way Adams, Duvall and Ozuna can cover LF/DH. Then we just have to hope one of Riley or Camargo nails down 3rd.