Atlanta Braves: Shop While Tigers Open for Business?
The Detroit Tigers are prepared to listen on every single one of their expensive veterans according to an ESPN Insider post from Buster Olney (subscribers only). Are there matches in the Motor City for our beloved Atlanta Braves?
Al Avila, Detroit Tigers GM, dropped some hints last week and we were picking up what he was laying down as we’ve already discussed the idea that the Atlanta Braves could look into acquiring Justin Verlander.
Are there any other heavily paid Tigers that Coppy could have interest in? First, let’s take a look at the contracts that the Tigers could be willing to unload, then we’ll decipher whether or not there’s a fit in Atlanta.
Here are the contract breakdowns of the Tigers’ most expensive players:
Justin Verlander– 3 year/84 million dollars with a 22 million dollar vesting option for 2020 with full no-trade 5/10 rights.
Miguel Cabrera– 7 year/212 million dollars with 2 additional club options for 30 million/year with full no trade 5/10 rights.
Justin Upton– 5 year/110 million dollars, opt-out after 2017 with no-trade clause for 20 teams.
Jordan Zimmerman– 4 year/92 million dollars with full no-trade clause
Victor Martinez– 2 year/36 million dollars with full no-trade 5/10 rights
Anibal Sanchez– 1 year/16 million dollars with a 16 million dollar option and 5 million dollar buyout.
Ian Kinsler– 1 year/11 million dollars with a 10 million dollar option and 5 million dollar buyout
Cameron Maybin– 9 million dollar option with 1 million dollar buyout
Mike Pelfrey– 1 year/8 million dollars
J.D. Martinez– 1 year/11.75 million dollars
Mark Lowe– 1 year/5.5 million dollars
Which Tigers could the Atlanta Braves have interest in?
Let’s go through the list again, this time with an eye on areas of need…
Justin Verlander– It’s been discussed by us here and yes, I think the Braves would have interest in acquiring him if he became available.
Miguel Cabrera– Unless the National League adopts the DH in 2017 and the Tigers decided to be generous and throw 100 million in cash their way, ah…what am I saying. He’s still a great hitter, but… No frickin’ match.
Justin Upton– The Braves already have an outfield logjam and they’re likely not trading Matt Kemp after the half season he had.// especially as streaky as Upton has been. No match.
Jordan Zimmerman– Zimm’s FB velocity dropped below 92 and his K/9 dropped below 6, and his ERA was nearly 5. Furthermore he was injured half the season and is owed a lot of money. Oh yeah…there’s that no-trade thing as well. Too many hoops. Not a match.
Victor Martinez– No DH, no Victor. Not a match.
Anibal Sanchez– ERA was near 6 in 2017 and there’s likely just as many scrap-heap starting pitchers (Bud Norris) that can do better for a fraction of the price. No match, in my opinion.
Ian Kinsler– A pretty great player worth 5.8 WAR last year and is under team control through 2018 with a very affordable club option. He’s strictly been a 2nd baseman for his career and has been very good, but with the presence of Ozzie Albies and Jace Peterson, there’s many other areas the Braves need to improve before looking at 2nd base. No match.
Cameron Maybin– He’s here because of the price of his option. Yes, his buyout is only 1 million but letting him walk leaves their CF vacant. The Braves already have a logjam of sorts in the OF, but if someone gets dealt, Maybin could be a target. It’s a stretch…a big stretch. No match.
J.D. Martinez– In a competition for worst-fielding outfielder, J.D. gives Matt Kemp a run for his money. He’s got some serious power but Braves don’t need another defensive liability. No match.
Mark Lowe– A 7.11 ERA for the Tigers and a big drop in velocity. Braves should be trading bullpen depth, not acquiring it. No match.
I know, I know…
More from Tomahawk Take
- Atlanta Braves 2012 Prospect Review: Joey Terdoslavich
- Braves News: Braves sign Fuentes, Andruw’s HOF candidacy, more
- The Weakest Braves Homers Since 2015
- Atlanta Braves Sign Joshua Fuentes to Minor League Deal
- Braves News: New Year’s Eve comes with several questions about the 2023 Braves
Why was this written? Was it all a big tease? Actually, no. That was not the intent at all.
When a club like the Tigers declares a fire sale, there’s plenty of speculation that occurs and many aren’t in the know about contract clauses, 5/10 rights, and such.
In total, it’s actually something of a surprise that there are so few players that the Braves could use from their roster – and of those with some form of a fit, frustrating impediments exist (namely contract sizes and contract clauses).
It is likewise evident that other teams will also run into various levels of difficulties with these same issues as Detroit shops their players this off-season, so this is hardly a Braves-only problem.
What was tried here (and hopefully accomplished) is to show that if the Braves were to go after a player from the fire sale, the most logical one is Verlander… and yet he’s still one with contractual issues that would have to be worked through. Unfortunately there just isn’t much else.
Hope you enjoyed…or at least felt informed! Let’s say it together…1, 2, 3