Atlanta Braves Morning Chop: Earning Gigs
Offseason Outlook: Atlanta Braves
“The rebuilding Braves didn’t show much improvement in the standings, ending up with a 68-93 record that landed them the fifth overall pick in the 2017 draft. But Atlanta ended the year on a 12-and-2 tear that represented a high note on which to finish. With a much-anticipated new ballpark on the horizon and an expectation of significant financial outlays at the major league level, hopes are high … but just how high should they be?
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If there’s a spot other than the rotation that will almost certainly see some change, it’s behind the plate. Tyler Flowers will be back after a strong season in which he ran up a 109 OPS+ while appearing in 83 games. Journeyman Anthony Recker is controllable as well, and was even more impressive (.278/.394/.433) in his 112 plate appearances. But with Opening Day starter A.J. Pierzynski set to depart, and a mandate to improve, there has been plenty of chatter about the possibilities for an upgrade.
The free agent catching market took a huge hit with the recent ACL tear of Wilson Ramos, and it had already lost Francisco Cervelli when he agreed to an extension with the Pirates earlier in the season. But there are still at least a few near-everyday players set to reach the open market — chiefly, Matt Wieters (who has ties to the Atlanta area) and Jason Castro — and the trade market could provide some avenues as well. Atlanta has been connected, in particular, with long-time star Brian McCann, though it doesn’t seem as if the Yankees will part with him for quite as low a price as the Braves would prefer to pay. A bounceback candidate such as Derek Norris could also be pursued if the team’s preferred options aren’t achievable.
All told, there are a number of places on this roster that a clear contending team would deem in need of an upgrade. For Atlanta, though, there needs to be greater balance, lest future commitments again tie the organization’s hands. Coppolella has said that the club will have much more to spend than usual, but a truly all-in approach would be a major surprise. What investments the team does make figure to play a fairly significant role in dictating the team’s timeline to return to true contention.”
[ Ed. Note – Full treatment is available at the link above on the MLB Trade Rumors site, as the above was substantially excerpted. Noting Fred Owens’ significant recent write-ups on the catching market – both for free agents and trade possibilities – I pulled this bit about catching specifically to highlight for comparison.
There is a note about the bullpen that could be resolved in a different manner. With the signing of Jim Johnson, one would have to wonder if Arodys Vizcaino might not be that ‘anchor’ for the Braves’ bullpen so much as trade bait. A trade could be difficult early on, though, given Vizzy’s recent injuries and difficulty in returning to the mound at the end of the year, but to suggest that he will be the closer for 2017 is at least a bit premature. ]