Atlanta Braves Armchair GMs 7&8

Braves Armchair GM #7, TurkeyLeggedDingo

Armchair GM TurkeyLegged Dingo is a family man who has modeled too much of his life after legendary Atlanta Brave Dale Murphy, as he has 13 children, 8 boys and 5 girls. He told his wife they couldn’t stop until they reached their 8th boy saying “It’s what Dale would have wanted”, which is an odd thing to say in past-tense considering Dale is still very much alive. TLD, as he likes to be called, is training all of his children to become Armchair GMs and has them dedicate 2 hours/day researching the best fake teams Monopoly money can buy.  He rarely leaves the office, which is actually not an office at all but a corner at Boudreaux’s Coffee Shop in the bayous of Louisiana. His favorite drink is a mixture of Abita Amber and chicory coffee of which he has several of a day. 

A note from Armchair GM, Turkey Legged Dingo 

It is my opinion that in order to be ready to knock down the door in 2017, the Braves have to start knocking at the door in 2016.  They can continue to bargain hunt for 1-year contracts, likely stay afloat, but there’d be no continuity for years to come. The Braves made a commitment to Nick Markakis last offseason and I think it’s those types of commitments that the Braves need to continue pursue, not only for the fanbase, but for the players themselves. It’s got to be comforting to all 25 men on the roster that, no matter what, 10-12 of those guys will be back the next year, ready to wreak havoc on the league.

Tier 1

My take…less is more. If Jonathan Lucroy can’t be had via trade, give the money to Matt Wieters.  Swisher and Bourn are already there for “leadership” and a platoon with them in LF could be worse. If the money is low, fix 1 huge problem for multiple years.This young core of starting pitching needs to have the tutelage of a catcher that can manage a staff for years to come. I think there’s plenty to hope for in the pitching staff, and while it’d be all kinds of awesome to add more pieces whether starter or reliever, it’d also be awesome to see what the staff can do with a good defensive catcher calling the shots. Let it ride.

Matt Wieters: 6 years/90 million dollars.  

Tier 2

Continue with the theme of fixing glaring problems. While I think Matt Marksberry could be a very solid LOOGY, the Braves have little in the system as far as durable LHR are concerned. Fix that and catching for years to come, then use the surplus for a Hector Olivera safety net.

Matt Wieters- 6/90MM (15/year)

Tony Sipp– 3/20MM (6.7/year)

Kelly Johnson–  1/3.3MM

Tier 3

Still going with the theme of fixing long-term plans. The Braves have a few prospects (Mallex Smith, Braxton Davidson, Austin Riley, Ozhaino Albies) that could be solutions within a few years time, but not sure where they fit in the defensive spectrum. What better way to address that then to sign a guy that can play nearly anywhere on the diamond?

Matt Wieters- 6/90MM

Tony Sipp- 3/20MM

Ben Zobrist– 4/60MM (12MM 1st year, 16 next 3)

Brandon Beachy– Minor League Contract with MLB incentives to reach 3MM

Bonus Level! Tier 4

Continuing the theme of fixing long-term plans, now that there’s a hole in LF due to the trade of Swisher/Bourn and Maybin, the LF equivalent to Jason Heyward can make the OF green shrink quite a bit.

Matt Wieters- 4/60MM

Tony Sipp- 3/20MM

Ben Zobrist- 4/60MM (12MM first year, 16 last 3)

Alex Gordon 5/90MM

Kelly Johnson- 1/2.5MM

Brandon Beachy- Minor League Contract with MLB incentives to reach 3MM

Final breakdown: The last team is obviously the cream of the crop and not that unrealistic if the Braves can play their cards correctly. The rest of the tiers might not break .500 in 2016, but each tier fills 1-2 more holes than it’s predecessor and decreases the shopping down for the 2017 season. If the Braves continue to fill holes with cheap veterans, there will continue to be holes every offseason. Start filling next year!  With Wieters in every tier, the hope is that a steady catching presence can provide a boost to our overall staff.  It is my opinion that the Braves could use an “ace” but I’d like to see if Wieters behind the plate could turn some of these guys into aces.  Also, after looking at the starting pitching depth, I just could not bring myself into dipping into that market.  The young guys need a chance to prove/disprove themselves and with Shelby Miller, Julio Teheran, Matt Wisler, Manny Banuelos, Tyrell Jenkins, Mike Minor*, Mike Foltynewicz, Williams Perez, and Ryan Weber, there’s plenty to like.

These moves make 2017 very tight, making it almost a necessity for the Braves to increase the payroll to 130 million, or so, a move that isn’t out of the realm of possibilities.

That does it for TLD, Armchair GM#7.  Now let’s hear from Armchair GM #8. Coach Wes!

Next: Braves Armchair GM #8, Coach Wes