Atlanta Braves Morning Chop: the controllable starters

Trade Rumors Stirring?

Sometimes you can infer a trade rumor without actually seeing any teams listed as “potential suitors” for a particular player.

In this case, it was Buster Olney giving his assessment of the Blue Jays in an interview posted yesterday from TSN Radio 1050 in Toronto:

Now before getting into this, I should say that the radio hosts here went almost wall-to-wall yesterday (and again this morning, it appears) about the idea that Marcus Stroman will not be a member of the Blue Jays after July.

Buster is hearing rumblings that the Jays are likely of the mindset that the tearing it all down is much more likely than not:

"“There is an absolute sense in the marketplace that if the Blue Jays continue to declare themselves in this way, then Mark Shapiro/Ross Atkins absolutely are prepared to make a hard right-hand turn into re-tooling/rebuilding… Some teams are torn on this sort of question, but the feeling among rival executives is that the Blue Jays absolutely are prepared to go down that path.  And let’s face it, what’s gone on there in the past week pushes them in that direction.”"

That said, the TSN 1050 crew also brought in their analyst Dirk Hayhurst who believes that Stroman is “almost certain” to remain a Blue Jay.  But he is also under the belief that this is because “the price isn’t gonna be right.”

Stroman pulled himself out of the Jays’ game on Monday due to a blister issue, but Olney’s report was about the value of Stroman and about the Jays’ potential to ‘blow it up’ and start selling everybody.

Olney said he has spoken with a ‘number of teams’ who are looking for starting pitching at the deadline, but in a twist from the past, the idea of “control” is coming up more often.

Now in this specific context, teams mentioned as ‘fitting this context’ include the Cubs, Astros, and Yankees – teams that would not be interested in getting 2 months out of a player, but probably 2+ years.

The Braves would also be in this category.

This is where Hayhurst then called Stroman someone of “incredibly high value”… and rattled off a ton of reasons for that.  He’s probably right, too… but if getting Stroman a lengthy contract extension isn’t in the offing, then what’s the alternative for Toronto?

Pitching Paradigm Shift

There has been this shift in teams trying to get years of control in trades.  That makes perfect sense, too:  if you’re going to give up value to obtain a pitcher, then you’d rather get the most you can for what you are losing in prospects.

Of course, when you go to get those extra years – whether we’re talking about a Shelby Miller or Chris Sale – the cost has also immediately risen in directly proportion as the sellers are playing the same game.

We have seen prohibitive prices being paid … to the point that this writer wonders if certain players at the top are essentially untradable because few – if any – teams actually have enough (or are willing enough) to give up in exchange for an Archer, Quintana, Gray, or Stroman.

This is the box in which that the Atlanta Braves are trying to position themselves.

While not being mentioned by name, you know that this is John Coppolella’s goal:  a young, controllable starting pitcher who is at least ‘rotation anchor’ material if not actually Ace level.

Marcus Stroman fits that billing… and certainly the Blue Jays would much rather have him toiling in the National League rather than AL – or certainly within their own division.   He’s under team control through 2020.

So has Coppy checked in on all 5’8″ of Stroman?  I’d guarantee it.  But use that information with discretion, for he “checks in” on everybody.

Here’s the rest of those whose names have been bandied about, with their contract situations:

• Sonny Gray – free agent after 2019
• Chris Archer – under contract w/team options through 2021
• Jose Quintana – under contract w/team options through 2020

Atlanta Braves

While Hayhurst is right that the Blue Jays would want to build around Stroman – even in a rebuild situation – Olney is also right in that by the time they would be ready to compete again, Stroman would be out the door as a free agent.

In short, it’s the Julio Teheran argument all over again:  do you sell your #1 or build around him – knowing that the road will be bumpier without him but that there is no pot of gold awaiting if you keep him until free agency hits?

Toronto’s Catalog

By Olney’s reckoning, the highest value players the Blue Jays could offer to the market are Stroman and Josh Donaldson… Josh being a good ol’ boy from Mobile, Alabama and Auburn University.  He’s under contract just through 2018.

Next: Freeman is back!

But the Braves already have a new third baseman now, right?