Atlanta Braves and third base (again)

Other options

There are other theoretical options,  but none appear to fit the Braves plans or the plans of other teams.

Rangers future Hall of Fame third baseman Adrian Beltre earns $18M this season or about $3M a month. Healthy he’d be a fine choice, but he isn’t healthy.

Beltre played 95 games last year, missing time with hamstring strains like those that plagued him the last five years. He’s a high cost, high risk option. He’s also a 10/5 player with the right to block any trade.

Martin Prado’s suffered injuries the last two years as well. In the aftermath of Jose Fernandez death, Prado gets about $2M a month for the remainder of 2018 and another $15M in 2019. He’s also hitting just .169/.221/.280/.401 this season giving a second reason – if one was needed – not to bring him back to Atlanta.

Other teams not in the race with  third basemen I’ve been asked about include:

• The Reds just extended Eugenio Suarez through 2024 with an option
• The Rays control Matt Duffy through 2021,
• The White Sox control Matt Davidson through 2023 and
• The Tigers control Jeimer Candelario through 2024.

I simply consider Manny Machado too expensive.

Best fit

Either player would add experience and power to the lineup, making it harder for opposing pitchers to find a way out of trouble.

Donaldson is older than Moustakas but a better all around hitter; defensively there’s little difference. His right handed bat, big game reputation and close relationship with Alex Anthopoulos put Donaldson firmly at the top of the Braves board.

Cost

Donaldson makes just over $3.8M a month while Moustakas contract calls for just over $916K a month but includes incentives that could double that and a $1M buyout of his $15M 2019 option. The prospect return expected by the teams will vary because their situations are different.

Royals can’t offer Moustakas a QO making a trade the only way they’ll get any return on their investment. Without complicating the conversation by including other players, it seems feasible that a mid level prospect or perhaps a pitcher not in our plans like Matt Wisler and another A ball non-prospect.

The Jays don’t have to trade to get a return. They will offer Donaldson a QO, he’ll reject it and someone will sign him regardless of the draft pick cost. That means it will take a better package to land him.

They will surely ask for Kolby Allard and a another low-level prospect plus a non-prospect body they like. My read on the Braves intentions suggests that they’d try to keep Allard and trade Max Fried along with someone like Ricardo Sanchez and Brett Cumberland.

For all who say that’s too much, remember who needs him and who has him to trade; the Jays hold the leverage and we might not be the only buyers