This week's mailbag gets into Braves, Padres, and Red Sox offseason possibilities, where Anthony Rizzo and Walker Buehler could land, off-the-wall Reds trade ideas, potential Rangers trade partners, and much more.
Bill asks:
What will Atlanta do this offseason with their shortstop, pitching, catching, and outfield needs?
I don't think the Braves will do anything significant at catcher; they might be content to use Chadwick Tromp as Sean Murphy's backup and see how Drake Baldwin comes along. If they wanted to limit Murphy's playing time, they would've kept Travis d'Arnaud.
In terms of starting pitchers, the Braves have been linked to Walker Buehler, Nick Pivetta, and Nathan Eovaldi so far. We'll know by Friday whether they tender a contract to Griffin Canning. I don't love the Pivetta fit, given that he declined a qualifying offer.
12 days ago, Justin Toscano of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution tossed out some of these same names and also speculated on Jordan Montgomery, Jack Flaherty, Kevin Gausman, and Shane Bieber. I consider Kikuchi another viable free agent option, as well as Max Scherzer, Justin Verlander, and a reunion with Charlie Morton. The Braves could make a play for Garrett Crochet, or try to trade for Fedde, Sonny Gray, Zack Littell, Jesus Luzardo, Luis Castillo, or Jeffrey Springs. They could sign Jeff Hoffman as a starter, given how well that strategy worked with Reynaldo Lopez.
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Kevin Gausman a Brave again? I knew I shouldn’t have burned his jersey in effigy. Rage makes good music but bad decisions.
Killing in the name of
You might be able to find one on ebay in decent condition at a reasonable price point. I’m not even a Braves fanatic but a Gausman Braves jersey would be cool to have. Lot better than a Gausman Orioles jersey.
AA will bolster our pen. Lots of options available however IMO No Chop Helsley is off the table.
Go Braves !
Or Helsley embraces the chop and tells everyone how much he loves it!!
I had not thought about that aspect. I wonder if he really is off the table.
AA is known for prizing clubhouse harmony. Helsley made several derogatory comments about Braves fans in that playoff series. Don’t think he’ll be happy to be dealt to Atlanta. I’ll be extremely surprised if the Braves are considering him at all. Very poor fit on a personal level.
Let’s tell the whole story here.
Ryan Helsley is a member of the Cherokee nation. You can disagree with him but his opinion counts a little more than yours or mine does. The Redskins changed their names. The Guardians changed their name. This really isn’t off base for him to have issues with the chop. Even if you disagree let’s not be so flippant about it.
No I don’t see him playing for the Braves. Ever.
@Blackpink: How do you know what my opinion of Helsley is? I didn’t say anything about whether I did or didn’t disagree w/Helsley’s comments. I meant that he took offense to the Braves fans doing the chop, and that I thought he wouldn’t be interested in playing for the Braves any more than they would be to have him. Stop turning every comment on here into one of your race baiting strawman arguments.
Why didn’t you mention he’s Cherokee??? That’s a really important detail you and the other 2 people commenting ignored. It’s not race baiting. If you are insecure about it there is probably a reason for that.
How do you mention all that stuff and not mention he’s Cherokee?
These are good reads on the topic:
latimes.com/sports/story/2022-07-18/ryan-helsley-a…
stltoday.com/sports/professional/mlb/cardinals/bir…
“several derogatory comments about Braves fans in that playoff series” – got a link? He made no such comments in these two articles.
@Tim Dierkes You’re right. After reading the LA Times article and several others that I googled, I found no derogatory comments aimed at Braves fans that can be attributed to Helsley. His comments were based on him finding the chop “disrespectful, disappointing.” A better read on the topic is the ABC News 10 article dated October 10, 2019 by Charles Odum: Associated Press. Unbiased, simply factual.
As I’ve been saying, it’s really, really, really hard to take anything serious from a guy who puts a KPop group on his username.
There’s got to be something AA can fleece from Getz and Breslow again…
I think Rizzo re-signs with the Yankees.
Not a chance on hell as he is washed up and unless he willing to play for $2 million plus his $6 million buyout then maybe it happens but only as a bench player
Agreed! I’d much rather be waiting in line for potatoes and toilet paper.
Nyet, comrade nyet!
Nyet, Captain Peabrain nyet!
Bart Harley Jarvis;
LOL
The guy’s a brainwashed empty vessel. Unsurprisingly he didn’t get it.
Not sure I understand this comment, but mailbags were never free. I started doing them for Front Office.