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Atlanta Braves Morning Chop: The Plan and a Crazy Teaser

By Alan Carpenter

May 17, 2016; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Atlanta Braves interim manager Brain Snitker (43) hits baseballs during infield practice before playing the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
May 17, 2016; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Atlanta Braves interim manager Brain Snitker (43) hits baseballs during infield practice before playing the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports /
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May 21, 2016; Miami, FL, USA; A detail of baseballs are seen prior to a game between the Washington Nationals and the Miami Marlins at Marlins Park. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
May 21, 2016; Miami, FL, USA; A detail of baseballs are seen prior to a game between the Washington Nationals and the Miami Marlins at Marlins Park. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports /

My vision of how ‘the plan’ could play out this Summer – notes from the Mark Bradley piece

This is here to provide some measure of encouragement.  Yes, this season is now nearly 1/3rd over, and the team in on pace for a season of 48-114 (and I don’t believe it will end up that bad).

But there are things to look forward to, and June 1st is a good day to remind you of those:

  • The draft happens in 8 more days
  • The International Market opens in 31 days, a date in which we finally get to pump a fist at getting the prize catch of the Summer.
  • We should start getting to see more of some of the expected top prospects reaching AAA and the majors later this Summer.
  • The trade deadline might be … interesting

I’m going to also throw this out as a completely unsubstantiated teaser:

If you read Fred’s review of the International Market situation yesterday, you’ll note that there was a report about steroids being found in at least one of these teenagers linked to Atlanta, plus a top catching prospect who ‘had not progressed’ as hope over the past year.

I’m going to go way out on a limb here and suggest the following:

  • One or more kids that Atlanta might have signed in July will not now be signed due to the steroids.  This could impact not just the teen involved, but any others associated with the trainer, since he was probably involved.
  • As Fred suggested, there’s a good chance of a lower signing bonus for  Abraham Gutierrez

That could mean $3 million or more that Atlanta doesn’t spend on these kids (figuring perhaps $500K less for Gutierrez,

and $0 for Freudis Nova instead of $2.5m

).

[ A correction:  I misread a connection… Nova was slated for the Marlins, not the Braves.  That said, I will suggest that it is not likely that Nova was the only player that might have been juiced up by his or related trainers in the Dominican Republic, and such news could still impact the Braves’ spending… thus, I’ll continue with the teaser: ]

What if that money were used to raise an offer for Lazaro Armenteros instead?

As I say, that’s totally unsubstantiated, totally without support… just connecting a couple of dots that are out there.  Feel free to discuss among yourselves in the lobby during the intermission.

But it does make some sense.

Next: Do I Feel a Draft in Here?

Hey, so long as I’m optimistically dreaming, we may as well go all the way.

Have a Happy Summer, Braves Country!

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