Winter Meetings Live Thread: All Transactions, Atlanta Braves Perspective

October 20, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; New York Mets shortstop Wilmer Flores (4) steals second in the first inning against the Chicago Cubs shortstop Javier Baez (9) in game four of the NLCS at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports

2015 Baseball Winter Meetings – Monday Mid-PM Intrigue

3:15pm EST

• Ken Rosenthal reporting (of course he is) that Seattle is still working the phones.  Trying to get 1B Adam Lind from Milwaukee.  Tweet was repeated for emphasis, I guess.  Immediately after that, Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune tweets that Lind would be a nice target for the Padres.  Sounds like they’d better hurry.
• For somebody who isn’t going to be traded unless the team is absolutely overwhelmed, an awful lot of activity is taking place regarding the Marlins’ Jose Fernandez.  Jayson Stark now says the Yankees are asking, with they, the Dodgers, and DBacks all doing “background work” on him.
• Meanwhile, back on the Aroldis Chapman trade… I think it’s time for some popcorn.

• Washington wants Zobrist, but are looking at Jimmy Rollins as a bridge to get to Trea Turner if Zo goes elsewhere (Buster Olney).
• Braves’ rumor… and this is odd (from Jerry Crasnick).  He says that Atlanta wants to add a CF, but don’t want to lose a draft pick (roughly #31 overall) for Dexter Fowler.  Also think Austin Jackson might be too expensive.  Crasnick goes on to say that if these don’t happen, then they might just go with Michael Bourn and maybe a Drew Stubbs (as a platoon, I suppose).  Hello?  Is Mallex Smith now persona non grata?
• Apparently, comments got back to Crasnick… and Dave O’Brien has chimed in:  “#Braves believe CF prospect Mallex Smith could be ready by All-Star break, but would like to add affordable CF” thanks to Bourn‘s anemic hitting vs. LHP… not that there’s a lot of that.

At this point, I’ll add that Dexter Fowler simply isn’t going to happen, as he’s not looking for anything short of a 3-4 year deal (we caught that earlier).  And even if he wants to go shorter… say 2 years… then the Cubs would be right there to snap him up.  But certainly, Fowler’s price makes him a primary, everyday CF.  And that’s not the need here.

If you’re going to go with Mallex Smith as the CF of the future, then fine:  hold him back in AAA until we get past the Super-2 cutoff and then bring him up.  In the meantime, use Bourn in CF.  Don’t waste effort trying to get a stop-gap.  That’s just dumb… and the few times a LHP will be in play won’t matter.  The 25-man roster is already pretty full.

• Indians showing interest in Shane Victorino.  Okay.  That’s Bob Nightengale checking in.
• Curiously quiet on that Aroldis Chapman trade/non-trade front.

4:00pm EST

• Guessing that all of the GMs present at the earlier luncheon are now back at their suites trying to figure out what damage their AGMs did while they were gone.
• Never say that Billy Beane is afraid to trade within his own division:  Angels looking at Oakland’s Brett Lawrie (Jeff Fletcher, Orange County Register).
• Crasnick reports that Shawn Kelley chatter is up… could be next FA relief pitcher to sign.
• Hunch time from Dave O’Brien:  thinks Braves haven’t yet given up on idea of working either Baez or Soler from the Cubs.
• Multiple simultaneous sources: Rangers talking about trading closer Shawn Tolleson.  Sounds like maybe the Nats to me, but that’s just a hunch.

5:00pm EST (+/-)

• What kind of return are the Marlins looking for to wrest Jose Fernandez from their grip?  Jon Heyman says they want “5 or 6” great young players… multiple MLB-ready as well.  Think that might make teams circle back to the Braves for Shelby Miller?
• Mark Bowman says that the Diamondbacks and Braves are still talking about Shelby or Teheran… but the holdup there is still the same:  A.J. Pollock.
• Bob Nightengale says that the Angels would be willing to trade pitcher C.J. Wilson to free up cash for other needs.  Good luck there – he’s due $20 million in 2016 (the last year of his current contract) and it was 2011 when he last pitched well.
• TIGERS Update: Bob Nightengale reports GM Al Avila declaring that they will not pursue Gordon or Cespedes.  They are out.
• Curiously, the Dodgers have made 2 waiver claims today.  RHP Danny Reynolds (Angels) and now OF Daniel Fields from the Brewers.
• Brewers just lost another player to waivers:  Marlins have claimed LHP Mike Strong (Joe Frisaro report).

Next: Cubbies Put in an Interesting Wrinkle this Morning

Okay, that’s enough for now… will likely update as event warrant this evening… and here it goes…

Next: Yes, there's more: Dinner and a Move?