These aren't massive changes many would notice without being side by side Here’s a quick rundown of each uniform: Primary Home: Unchanged, as it should be. Primary Away: Script logo on the chest is slightly modified in order to match the home script logo. Friday Home: Not too different from red jerseys from the past, but this time the white outlining on the piping has been removed. Blue Away: The script logo and numbers are now red. Light gray piping has been added as well. Sunday Home: Added piping on the sleeves.
Why couldn’t we have signed Avisail Garcia? Sure, he’s not that good but he’s better than fucking Markakis and he only commands $3.5 million.
Per GM Alex Anthopoulos (h/t to the Atlanta Journal Constitution’s Gabe Burns on Twitter), the Braves have made an outfield acquisition their top priority at current, and a move “may be resolved soon.” The club, of course, has been linked to still-available A.J. Pollock (who would cost the team a second-round draft pick if signed) and the recently-departed Nick Markakisto fill its vacancy at one outfield spot. With an overflow of starting pitching talent in the upper minors, the team seems better positioned than almost any to fill its hole via trade, but has thus far shown little interest in doing so. The Blue Jay version of Anthopoulos was an ardent mover of minor-league assets, shuffling talent in all directions when circumstances dictated, but has been far more cautious in his short time with Atlanta. With a still-unsettled rotation mix, perhaps this strategy is prudent, but distancing his club from the ravenous NL East pack will almost surely require a return to old ways for the young Braves GM.
Exactly. We have prospects to trade but we should focus on huge upgrades. Give Dipoto an offer he can’t refuse based around Swanson and Pache for Haniger and build a deal for Greinke and Peralta around Inciarte and Teheran. Acuña’s value automatically increases by having his offense in CF with his above average d there.
Agreed. I think all 6 are likely to be quality big league contributors no later than mid-2020 (bold, I know). But none of those guys should be considered off limits if the deal we could get back is right. Pretty much the only minor leaguer that is untouchable in my eyes is Contreras. I hope AA isn’t once bitten, twice shy from his Syndergaard trade. Though Syndergaard has great potential to be a front line guy you can count on all season, all he has shown to this day is still potential rather than becoming one. We have the ability to cash in on some these lofty prospect rankings before their luster wears off. Even if we have to part with a few guys we believe will in the near future be quality major leaguers, we can upgrade our current major league team in significantly impactful ways during this arms race in the East.
I have what is probably a really dumb question. Kolby Allard was consistently listed as a top prospect, then seemingly after his callup and everyone realized his fastball is low 90’s he fell off the radar. So were there other factors at play, or was that literally it? Because it seems like anyone who follows our prospects for a living should have known he didn’t throw gas. If it was that combined with struggles in AAA then that makes more sense I guess. Just kind of makes me question some of these lists and the amount of actual baseball watching goes into them.
I think it has less to do with the velocity alone, and more the low velocity and modest movement together. The combination found more bats for better contact against better hitters as he progressed. Still only 20 though.
That’s always been known about him. I think the surprise to this point in the bigs has been his lack of control, because that was essentially his calling card in the minors.
I think people had more projection on his fastball built into their scouting reports on him earlier on in the minors and as he got higher in the levels (and the projection didn't pan out) his profile started to drop a bit but was buoyed by the fact that he was still uber-productive and still got people out.
Thought he had some back issues that kind of stopped his development Think he was in the mid-low 90s pre draft workouts
From DOB/The Athletic Anthopoulos and his top aides have spent much of the winter trying to replace right fielder Nick Markakis, who made his first All-Star team at age 34 but tailed badly in the final two months of the final season of a four-year contract. While re-signing Markakis remains an option if the Braves circle back before another team picks him up, it’s believed they are trying to finalize a deal for another outfielder.
Inbox: Could Camargo play LF in 2019? Beat reporter Mark Bowman fields fans' questions By Mark Bowman MLB.com @mlbbowman Jan. 21st, 2019 Do you think the Braves will use Johan Camargo in left field if they can't find a deal to their liking? -- @BayAreaBrave Looking back on last year's National League East race, you can't discount the fact that while the Braves ranked fourth in the Majors with 59 Defensive Runs Saved, the Nationals (25th with -55 DRS), Mets (27th with -77 DRS) and Phillies (30th with -146 DRS) fielded some of the game's worst defenses. Now in exchange for placing an MVP-caliber bat (Josh Donaldson), Atlanta's best defensive infielder (Camargo) will not be used on an everyday basis. For the record, a much wiser man named Ron Washington makes sure to remind me of Dansby Swanson whenever I refer to Camargo as the organization's best infielder. Regardless, as the Braves plan to utilize Camargo in a super-utility role, it must be remembered how valuable his bat was last year. Braves Weighted Runs Created Plus from May 20 (Camargo's first day as the everyday third baseman) through the end of 2018 1. Ronald Acuna Jr., 151 2. Freddie Freeman, 127 3. Johan Camargo, 117 4. Nick Markakis, 100 5. Tyler Flowers, 91 6. Ender Inciarte, 90 7. Ozzie Albies, 86 8. Swanson, 76 Camargo produced similar splits, generating an .803 OPS from the left side of the plate and an .813 OPS from the right side. This sets up the possibility for him to see time at each of the infield positions. But if an outfielder is not acquired, there's certainly reason to utilize him in left field on more than an occasional basis. Is Craig Kimbrel still a possibility for the Braves? -- @Liam Filipowski As we get closer to Spring Training, there's now at least more reason to think Kimbrel's market might drop to the point where it's more feasible to think about a reunion. The Braves would likely not offer more than three years, but the financial component (likely above $16 million per season) could still prove to be a deterrent. Atlanta has the financial resources necessary to afford Kimbrel next season. But if the Braves were to commit $16 million to $18 million to him, they would limit their flexibility to address their greater needs to add an outfielder or enhance the rotation. If we reach the point where Atlanta would be adding an outfielder or a starting pitcher just to plug a hole, then it would certainly make more sense to use the available funds to gain the value of adding one of the game's top closers. But for now, it seems like the focus remains on the outfield and the rotation. • Hot Stove Tracker Are the Braves interested in Adam Jones as a possible outfield fit? -- @Cantstopchoppin Jones has expressed interest in playing for Atlanta. But the Braves have not pursued the veteran outfielder, who ranked 63rd among qualified outfielders with the 4.3 fWAR (Fangraphs' WAR Model) he produced from 2016-18. The 0.5 fWAR he produced last year ranked 52nd out of 56 qualified outfielders. Taking a chance on trading for Nicholas Castellanos' defensive shortcomings seems to be a better option than pursuing Jones or Carlos Gonzalez, whose value was diminished by his 2018 numbers outside of Coors Field. If the Braves are going to sign a free-agent outfielder, Markakis seems to be the most likely option. Why do the Braves seem to be holding onto all of their pitching prospects rather than "blowing another team away" with a trade offer to fill the outfield void or get an ace? There's not enough room in the rotation for all these young guys. -- @ElderLD There's plenty of room as long as they all still have options, allowing for the possibility for them to be shuttled between the Atlanta and Triple-A Gwinnett rosters. The greater concern comes from the reality that inevitably a few of these highly regarded prospects will eventually diminish in value. If you were to deal Luiz Gohara or Kolby Allard right now, you wouldn't get the same value you would have via a trade involving them at this point last year. With that being said, Allard still has time to physically mature and a better conditioned Gohara could quickly restore his value this year. Yes, the Braves have an abundance of riches with seven pitchers listed among MLB Pipeline's Top 100 Prospects. And yes, it might make sense to use two of those assets to gain three years of Corey Kluber or include one in a package used to acquire two years of J.T. Realmuto. But so far, the right deal has not materialized for general manager Alex Anthopoulos, who has never shied away from making significant trades. Anthopoulos also has to remain cognizant of the fact that until Sean Newcomb proves himself, there is uncertainty beyond Mike Foltynewicz and Kevin Gausman in Atlanta's potential rotation for 2020. Waiting another season to determine which of these prospects should be considered long-term fits could prove costly as some could lose value this year. But preserving much of this depth could prove quite valuable beyond the upcoming season.
The last line saying they’re trying to finalize a deal with a non-Markakis outfielder is news, I think.
Sonny was pretty great away from Yankee Stadium last year. It’s a bet that getting him away from there/NY pressure will help him pitch like his road stats full time.