Hill makes 18. I'd take every bit if it helped us get Bellinger who makes nothing. Alex wood and Puig around 10-11. Pederson 6-7
Anthopoulos knows value of patience, how to avoid needing to change email By David O'Brien 5h ago 5 LAS VEGAS — Alex Anthopoulos told the story more than once to writers since being hired as Braves general manager 13 months ago. It bears repeating now for the general public, as it informs his philosophy of patience and unwavering focus in building a roster. It’s the story of a decision he made that backfired on Anthopoulos. The result served to teach him the value of patience, something he draws upon at times like these, with deals not coming together quickly for the Braves at baseball’s Winter Meetings and plenty of anxious fans on social media wishing he’d operate with urgency, to be reactive, to counter moves made by division rivals. The Braves are still searching to sign or trade for a corner outfielder, a starting pitcher and a reliever, and Anthopoulos said Tuesday that not only does he think they might leave the Winter Meetings without any of those additions, but that it might not happen before January. “I don’t feel pressure, and that doesn’t mean I don’t understand the importance or magnitude of winning and the fan base and all that,” he said on the second day of the Winter Meetings that run through Thursday. “But I just think if you start putting pressure on — everyone puts pressure on themselves to win and do well, but you just can’t put pressure on yourself to (make moves). … “I don’t feel any urgency, I guess because I’m not necessarily locked into what the fans are saying or doing. I think you just have to worry about putting a good team on the field. (The rest) takes care of itself.” Anthopoulos wasn’t always this resolute. Late in the winter before the 2012 season, only 34 years old and already beginning his third year as Toronto Blue Jays general manager, Anthopoulos went against his better instincts and organizational research and decided to sign reliever Francisco Cordero to a one-year, $4.5 million contract on Feb. 1. The GM recalls Cordero turned down an offer from the Mets earlier that winter worth about $15 million over two years. Cordero had compiled a 2.97 ERA and averaged 39 saves over the previous five seasons, but his strikeouts had slipped from 59 in 72 2/3 innings in 2010 to 42 in 69 2/3 in 2011, and now he was three months shy of his 37th birthday as 2012 spring training neared with him unemployed. Suddenly, his price tag was dropping like a rock. “We (Blue Jays) had no interest in him going into the winter,” Anthopoulos said. “The strikeout rate had come down, and a lot of the other numbers — we just were not going to pursue him. He was someone who was not a good fit for us.” But that was before Cordero went unsigned through December and January. And before the Blue Jays had a trade in place for Rangers reliever Koji Uehara, only to have him refuse to waive his no-trade clause, which had only five teams on it, one of those being Toronto. “We tried to convince him and get him to waive it; we spent a week on it,” Anthopoulos said of Uehara. “He ultimately wouldn’t waive it, so the deal fell apart. I think Uehara made about $4 million, and that’s what we had left (to spend that winter after Uehara vetoed the trade). “So Cordero ends up being available later in the winter, and he’ll take $4 million. And you start saying, ‘Wow, you know, this guy was going to get two (years) times 8 (million dollars annually). And you start talking yourself into, ‘This is really good value.’ But objectively, we were never going to pursue (Cordero).” But they did, after Uerhara rejected them and Cordero’s price dropped. The urge was too strong. The Blue Jays and their young, aggressive GM signed him, and Cordero proceeded to have what was easily the worst season of his career. He had a 5.77 ERA and blew threw of five save opportunities in 41 appearances for Toronto. “That was the first time I had to change my email address,” Anthopoulos said. “Cordero would blow a game and it was like, my phone blows up — ‘You f’ing this, you f’ing that.’ So I changed my email address.” Eventually he traded Cordero on July 20 along with outfielder Ben Francisco and five others to the Astros for pitchers Brandon Lyon, David Carpenter and J.A. Happ. (Coincidentally, the Braves are among teams interested in free-agent starter Happ this winter.) Cordero pitched in only six games for the Astros after the trade and allowed 13 hits and 11 runs in five innings, raising his ERA to 7.55 in the worst and final season of his 14-year major league career. “It didn’t work out,” Anthopoulos said of the signing he made against his own better judgment. “We had to make a change.” Lesson learned. “The process we had going into the winter, he wasn’t someone we were going to pursue,” Anthopoulos said. “But you can force deals late — something I used to do early in my career. You feel like you have money left over, you should just spend it; ‘It’s the winter, just spend it.’ I learned to hold back and not chase deals. I think that’s something that, over time, you learn to wait it out. “Warren Buffett has all these quotes. Not that I’m into stocks, but I like a lot of his quotes in his books. There’s a quote he has, ‘Price is what you pay, value is what you get.’ Don’t like a player because of the price. Decide who you like and then you can work on the price. Do the (background work) on who you like. Don’t all of a sudden, because the (reduced) price is out there, start letting that seep into your decision-making because it sounds like a great deal.” Flash forward to Tuesday, when the National League East rival Philadelphia Phillies signed veteran Andrew McCutchen to a three-year, $50 million contract. He was one of several free agents the Braves had considered for their corner-outfield vacancy, but only if he’d been willing to sign a one- or two-year deal and probably not for as much as the average annual value of nearly $17 million he got from the Phillies. “The division got better,” Anthopoulos said of the Phillies signing McCutchen, who had 11 home runs with a .392 on-base percentage and .834 OPS in 61 games after the All-Star break, including five homers and an .892 OPS in 25 games after a trade from the San Francisco Giants to the Yankees. “He did really well for New York. I guess I would say we definitely vetted the landscape of free-agent outfielders, and we haven’t found a deal that works for us yet. … “Andrew McCutchen is a significant upgrade to (the Phillies’) offense. I think anytime someone goes off the board it can move things one of two ways: It can spark interest in others; it can move things up, it can take away a suitor, a landing spot for someone else. It could conversely move it the other way. So I do think there’s a domino effect anytime someone comes off the board whether it’s trade or free agency.” Other free agents they’re considering for corner outfield, including the man who filled it the past four seasons, first-time All-Star Nick Markakis, and former Cleveland Indians outfielder Michael Brantley. But Brantley is reportedly asking for a three-year deal worth even more than what McCutchen got, and it’s not clear if or when the Braves might circle back to 35-year-old Markakis and offer him a multi-year contract if they don’t find a suitable younger player. The Braves have also discussed possibly making an offer to Diamondbacks free-agent center fielder A.J. Pollock, even though it would cost them a compensatory draft pick if they signed him, since Pollock declined Arizona’s qualifying offer. Anthopoulos said losing the draft pick wouldn’t prevent them from signing Pollock. However, it remains to be seen if the Braves would make anywhere near the multi-year offer Pollock is expected to command. MLBTradeRumors projected entering the offseason that he’d command a four-year, $60 million deal. Anthopoulos might also try to swing a trade for one of the Dodgers’ surplus of outfielders, including power-hitting Joc Pederson, 26, who has 87 homers and an .801 OPS in 538 games in the past four seasons. Anthopoulos was a Dodgers executive for two seasons between his Toronto and Atlanta GM jobs. Pederson and some other outfield trade possibilities are below-average defenders on a team that’s stressed defense since Anthopoulos arrived, but he said that wouldn’t prevent them from potentially trading for such a player. The Braves’ three-time Gold Glove center fielder, Ender Inciarte, gives them some leeway to pursue a less-than-steady defender at a corner-outfield spot. “We have talked about the fact that we have Ender in center and he’s such a good defender,” Anthopoulos said. “One of our guys talks about how it’s like we have a center fielder and a half, because he’s that good defensively for us. Knowing we have him in center field, it does allow us to at least discuss taking on a defender that’s maybe not as strong, because the bat is that much better. It’s not our first choice, but Ender does allow us to broaden our scope of players we may go after.” Pressed on that subject a little more, he said, “Look, we value defense at every spot … and the fact that we have a center fielder that, for us, is the best in the game defensively, and can really range in both gaps. I think an average right fielder, with Ender there — because he’s so strong defensively in center — we can go potentially below average in right or left. He can cover so much ground and make up for someone’s shortcomings on the corner. Not ideal; of course we want better defenders. But our offense is something that we talked about after we signed (power-hitting third baseman) Donaldson, it’s something that we continue to prioritize.” Also, phenom Ronald Acuña Jr.’s ability to play any of the outfield spots gives the Braves the luxury of filling in at left or right field. “We have talked about some guys where Acuña would stay in left, others where he would switch to right,” Anthopoulos said. “I think it would be more a byproduct of the player we would acquire, because we feel pretty strongly about Acuña in both spots. But it’s nice having a guy like Acuña that can go to both corners. If there’s someone out there that the arm strength isn’t great, we don’t want them in right field. But then we talk about out (spacious) left field, range-wise is more important. But we have talked about scenarios in both spots.” The Braves’ other priority need entering the offseason was catcher, which they crossed off the list a few weeks ago after signing seven-time former All-Star Brian McCann to a below-market $2 million contract to split the backstop duties with Tyler Flowers. But unless and until Marlins star catcher J.T. Realmuto is traded elsewhere, he and the Braves seem inextricably linked on the rumor mill, which got stoked again Tuesday after it was learned the Marlins and Mets have discussed a possible trade, signaling the Marlins are willing to trade him within the division. “We’re happy with what we have behind the plate,” Anthopoulos said. “If any great players are available in a trade, we’re not doing our job if we don’t explore that. All I’d say is, I like Miami, I like (president of baseball operations) Mike Hill a lot; I think they’re great to deal with, they’re very up-front. But to get into specifics of what they would or wouldn’t do, is probably not fair to them.” The Braves don’t want to go beyond two years on any free-agent outfielder, as they have top prospect Christian Pache expected to be ready at some point in 2020 to join Inciarte and Acuña, the NL Rookie of the Year. They also don’t want to commit big dollars beyond 2020 for a free agent, but might make a longer commitment via trade to a frontline starting pitcher with three year remaining of contractual control. Someone like the Cleveland Indians’ Corey Kluber, the two-time former AL Cy Young Award winner, who’ll be 33 in April and is signed for a club-friendly rate of $17 million in 2019 with club options worth $17.5 million in 2020 and $18 million in 2021, and $1 million buyouts each of those last two seasons. The Braves are among the many teams who’ve inquired with the Indians about the potential cost in a trade for Kluber and it’s uncertain whether the Braves could get it done with just a package of pitching prospects. They might also have to include a major league position player or a position-player prospect ready for the majors, with the Indians specifically looking to improve their outfield. The team has also expressed interest in free agent starters, including Happ, whom they could probably get if they were willing to extend an offer beyond two years. The 36-year-old lefty is looking for a three-year deal after going 17-6 with a 3.65 ERA and 193 strikeouts in 177 2/3 innings during 31 starts for Toronto and the New York Yankees, including an eye-opening 7-0 with a 2.69 ERA in 11 starts for the Yankees. So far, the Braves haven’t been willing to meet the asking price in any proposed trade or the price of any free agent. Anthopoulos said they had no offers out to any free agents as of Tuesday afternoon. “I think the more white hair you get in your beard, you get better at it (being patient),” joked Anthopoulos, who is 41 and does have more than a sprinkle of white in his his beard. “I’d say as a young GM it’s harder. I just think experience and having been through it, having made some mistakes, I think you realize that being patient is not a bad thing. I’ve been down this path before where you go into the offseason targeting certain players, liking certain players, valuing certain guys, and then as the winter goes along, guys you never really had interest in, you chase the deal rather than the player.” A GM shouldn’t do that, Anthopoulos now realizes. So don’t expect him to do a deal he’s not comfortable with just to appease fans or others calling for movement. Even with only one full day left at the meetings and with Christmas on the way, traditionally a dead week for most teams, including the Braves. “I don’t know how active December is going to be,” Anthopoulos said. “We’re getting to the point, it’s middle of December, meetings have a day left pretty much. I just … I wouldn’t be surprised, again the offseason could be January, February or whatnot. But I just think we made some moves early in the month of November. We’re not close to anything now. We’re obviously having a ton of dialogue, but I just think we’re going to need to wait things out a little bit. “For where we value things, for the price points that we want — both in free agents and trade — I just think we’re going to have to be patient overall and just wait it out. Because it’s just not there for us right now this month.”
10 minute AA interview on MLBN yesterday. Cliffs: -Love Zuk, talked during the season and after about an extension, but couldn't come to terms. Hate he's in the division but happy for him. -Think Mac's going to be more like his old self with better knee health. Mac's already been in the building working with people and learning. -Going to play Goat everywhere. Takes blame for the bad bench last year and not having ability to give guys days off. Says Goat can play 3B, SS, 2B, 1B and they'll look at the OF as well. -"Very willing" to move prospect arms in a deal, just don't want to do numerous deals. If there's one deal where we move 2 or 3 of them, can do that. -Have to keep in mind that young core will get more expensive, need to be able to backfill to balance out salary. "2019 is important, but so is 2020 and beyond." -"Doesn't see how" trading Folty "makes sense." Bar for moving "elite defensive players" would be pretty high as well.
https://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/top-29-prospects-atlanta-braves/ Top 29 Prospects: Atlanta Braves by Eric Longenhagen and Kiley McDaniel December 12, 2018 Top 10: 1. Pache 2. Riley 3. Soroka 4. Anderson 5. Wright 6. Waters 7. Contreras 8. Touki 9. Gohara 10. Wilson System Overview The top 10 of the Braves’ system is still among the best in the game, which is why they still rank highly in our org rankings; Top 100 caliber players are so much more important than the depth pieces. Given some recent trades, graduations, and league sanctions, the depth in the system is down considerably, with something like 15 fewer prospects having trade value (between the list and the Others of Note section) than the list had before those issues. Once you get beyond the 50 FV prospects, this system is very ordinary or even below average. The weaknesses are at the lower levels, though, as the trades and sanctions affected players mostly aged 17-20, so the big league team won’t feel these losses for years and there’s still plenty of ammunition for trades, along with near-ready prospects for the big league team. Their competitive window is securely open now and will likely stay that way for at least 4-5 years, even if the organization opts to move all their chips in for the short-term. The Braves have a rare group of talent in their core and should add a few more pieces to it from this list in 2019, with a trade of a few of the top dozen on this list for an established star with multiple years of control seemingly likely as well. The NL East could go a few different ways this winter, but it looks like every team but the Marlins is trying to win in the short-term and will have a chance at the division. Having a stable of young, optionable power arms should be a useful talent infusion in the second half for the Braves’ rotation and bullpen, constituting a built-in midseason trade of sorts, as payroll is always a factor for mid-market clubs.
The Braves have discussed offering a contract to free agent A.J. Pollock, The Athletic’s David O’Brien writes (subscription required). Atlanta is known to be casting a wide net for outfield help so it isn’t any surprise that Pollock is one of the team’s many options under consideration. The 31-year-old would, however, be one of the costlier names available, both in terms of money — Pollock is reportedly looking for an $80MM deal — and in draft compensation, as Pollock rejected a qualifying offer from the Diamondbacks. The Braves would have to give up their third-highest selection in the 2019 draft for signing Pollock, though GM Alex Anthopoulos indicated that wouldn’t be an obstacle. Pollock has spent the vast majority of his career as a center fielder but would likely shift to a corner position in Atlanta given Ender Inciarte’s outstanding glovework, though Inciarte has himself been the subject of some trade speculation.
Probably still a net improvement even when factoring in the leadership and brooding that Markakis provided.
i am almost to the point where i dont care where he goes as long as the marlins get absolute garbage back. they're such a delusional and awful franchise
I'm ok with our catcher position at least for the time being. Would rather Riley get traded for a stud OF or #1 starter if he gets shipped out
Morosi is a Michigan guy, and I take all his tweets related to the Tigers as stuff the Detroit org wants him to put out there, fwiw. I don't buy that Catellanos has much value, given what we've seen in recent years. If a deal does happen, I don't really know what to tell people about Castellanos. I think he's still got the potential for more offensively. He's got tremendous ability and was all alone in the Detroit line-up in 2018. Obviously, the defense is an issue. I don't think he's quite the "statue" I've seen people describe him as. He's not a horrible athlete. He just has no OF instincts as a former IF. He was horrible on plays near the wall this year, which I think can be improved. A lot of defensive metrics comes down to positioning, too. The Tigers aren't known as the most analytically inclined team, so I wouldn't be shocked if he was better for a team that knew how to position him better. He'll never be good, but I think it's possible for him to get to the below average range.
.298 avg, 23 homers, 89 RBI, 88 runs, .354 OBP, 130 OPS+ I think we all would take that in a heartbeat. I think he has more value than you think
I think he means guys on short deals don't bring much back and I agree. People are pretty split on the Goldy return and he's a way better player.
The Tigers tried for 10 months to trade JD Martinez going into the final year of his deal, and ended up getting 3 shitty prospects from a bad farm system at the deadline when he was clearly the best bat on the market. If the Braves traded for Castellanos, I think the Tigers' best scenario is maybe someone like Muller in return, and I would be surprised if they could get that.
I think he's a great fit for the Braves for all the reasons you just mentioned. We need the offense and have a couple of guys that can cover for him a bit in the outfield. We did go heavily analytics based with our defense last season and it really helped nick Markakis. The hope is the same could be true of him. Could we interest you in a Kolby Allard?
Allard doesn't interest me much, but like I said before, something in the range of a fringe top 100ish prospect is probably the best case scenario for the Tigers unless his market is a lot bigger than I expect.
He's old but he's been really good for 3 years now. Last year actually the worst of the last three. Injuries are a concern though.
he only threw 17 innings 3 years ago. so he's had good age 33 and 34 seasons. his new deal also includes a 3rd year option that could reach 15million if he doesn't miss significant time. a small dip in velocity and i'm not sure he's any better than the handful of middle of the rotation guys we already have.