Atlanta Braves might have a familiar trade option for the outfield

In the past couple of days, the Cubs have unexpectedly risen from their early Winter’s hibernation, and that might present an option to… consider.

When the Dodgers made their deal on Friday to send Matt Kemp, Alex Wood, and Yasiel Puig to Cincinnati, we noted that this might start opening up some avenues for player movement – including the possibility of new options for the Atlanta Braves.  What I didn’t expect was this:

Jon Greenberg is the founding Editor of TheAthletic, so I can’t dismiss his opinions entirely… though perhaps I should in this case: I do think he’s… a bit off here.

The Dodgers cleared (or at least rearranged) some payroll by (in part) jettisoning 2 outfielders, but the move wasn’t designed to go get another outfielder worse than the ones they already had.

Besides, they are looking for a right-handed power bat… something we also discussed.  Heyward hits lefty and therefore is of no use to LA whatsoever.

Of course, Bryce Harper also hits from that side, and while he’s in another category all together, this LA-Chicago connection seems specious at best.

[okay – this was apparently tongue-in-cheek…but let’s get to the real point here.]

But it is this Cubs angle that’s curious here.  They have made just a couple of moves this off-season (not counting their coaching staff), and that’s due strictly to payroll considerations.

The only addition they have made of any significance, in fact, was picking up Cole Hamels‘ $20 million option.

A glance at their COTS page explains why:

• Jon Lester $27.5 million
• Cole Hamels $20 million
• Jason Heyward $20 million
• Yu Darvish $20 million
• Kris Bryant (arbitration estimate of) $12.4 million
• Ben Zobrist $12.5 million
• Tyler Chatwood $12.5 million
• Anthony Rizzo (only!) $11.3 million
• Jose Quintana $10.5 million

That’s a pile of players all getting $10 million and above… and there are some deadwood-ish pieces among them, notably Heyward and Darvish.

But let’s look specifically at old friend Jason Heyward for a bit here.  The biggest problem the Cubs have with him is that he’s not the superstar he was expected to be for $20+ million annually.

His contract still requires a payout to him of $106 million more over the next 5 years.  Over the 1st 3 years of that pact, the Cubs have seen a payoff of exactly 4.0 fWAR.

But what if another team – not the Dodgers – might be convinced to take that contract from them? …  (I know – you can see where this is going, but stick with me for a bit here… there’s reasons).

That Outfielder Market

Let’s take stock of what we’ve seen so far… and remind ourselves that ideally the Braves would prefer a bigger bat player that defends well and hits from the left side to balance out Donaldson, Acuna, and Flowers.

In recent weeks, we’ve looked at all of these options:

• Michael Brantley (signed with Houston)
• Andrew McCutchen (signed with Philly)
• Nick Castellanos (still with Detroit thanks to a nutty price tag despite only 1 year of control)
• Mitch Haniger (not likely to be moved)
• Domingo Santana (oh wait – that didn’t get posted since Jerry DiPoto is faster than we are)
• A.J. Pollock (said to be seeking a 6-year deal)
• Yasiel Puig (traded to Cincy as noted)
• David Peralta (Arizona doesn’t seem inclined to move him)
• Bryce Harper (yeah…)
• Nick Markakis (still out there…. lingering)

[update: Curtis Granderson has been mentioned… at age 38, I can’t believe he’d be a serious candidate for Atlanta… may as well stay with Adam Duvall if he’s the remaining choice.]

That’s a market getting pretty thin, pretty quickly.  Atlanta still needs to get somebody – without overpaying – and that’s why the tweet above makes at least a bit of sense.

Cubs Interest

The Cubs need an upgrade.  They were inquiring on Harper, but at the moment, he’s both out of reach and without an obvious spot on the diamond to fill.

But here’s the latest news:

Scott Stern (12up.com):

Recent reports have surfaced claiming that Theo Epstein has requested that Harper delays his decision to give time for the Cubs to dump some salary.

That report also appeared in BleacherNation.com.  More backup:

From the Cubs’ perspective, the price for Harper would not be all that prohibitive – provided that they could move Heyward.

Now they might be thinking ‘$30-35 million for Harper minus $20 million for Heyward… that’s only $10-15 million extra per year’, but it wouldn’t quite work like that.

For the Cubs to jettison Heyward, they would have to give up a lot more… extra cash and/or a significant player or prospect to get anybody interested.

But what would you get in Jason Heyward these days?

Atlanta’s Interest

There won’t be a rumor sheet from the Braves on this one unless it were to actually happen, so we’re just gonna have to go with these known facts:

• The Cubs want Harper
• The Cubs are motivated to move salary to do it.. probably quickly, too.
• The Braves need a right fielder
• The Braves’ options for that position are getting quite limited

But Atlanta isn’t simply going to tell the Cubs to send him over without a lot more being involved.  Here are two plausible scenarios – but please: feel free to insert your own:

THE BROTHERLY LOVE CONNECTION

• Braves get Heyward and catcher Willson Contreras, the latter of which is not even arbitration-eligible yet.  Cubs get Tyler Flowers, which is a wash offensively for them.
  • Cubs still have former Brave Victor Caratini to catch with Flowers
  • Net salary swap is ~$13+ million more for Atlanta; Cubs that much less.
  • Sets up a possible future catching tandem of Contreras and Contreras once the younger brother reaches the majors.

THE 3-WAY PLAY

More from Tomahawk Take

• Atlanta Braves 2023 Preseason Top 30 Prospects List: 11-15
• Braves News: Braves sign Luplow, Atlanta’s shortstop plans, more
• Atlanta Braves Could Go With Six-Man Rotation in 2023
• Atlanta Braves sign free agent outfielder Jordan Luplow
• Atlanta Braves 2023 Preseason Top 30 Prospects List: 16-20

Braves get Heyward and $30 million from the Cubs spread over 5 years and catcher J.T. Realmuto from Miami

Cubs get a middling prospect from the Braves while Atlanta takes Heyward’s full contract.

• Net salary swap is about $14 million extra (for 2019) for Atlanta since Flowers and Realmuto’s numbers will be about the same.
• Cubs net $14 million less.
• Miami ‘s payroll remains the same… actually saving some 2020 money.

This would be a tricky trade – no doubt. But it’s one that could work to benefit all clubs involved.  As with all speculation, though, the chance of it coming to pass is vanishingly close to zero… but it’s fun to play General Manager regardless.

But in all of this, there is still the nagging notion that Heyward is (easily) available, the Cubs are motivated, and the Braves… should be as well.

Those #22 shirtsies where you scratched out ‘Heyward’ and wrote in ‘Markakis’?  Guess what?