Atlanta Braves: Breaking down the top 3 free agents left to consider
The winter meetings have passed, and the offseason is well underway. However, the Atlanta Braves are hopefully not yet done spending.
Barring the rather unlikely Nolan Arenado trade happening, the Atlanta Braves still have a big hole to fill in the middle of the lineup where Josh Donaldson once was.
The Braves, like all teams, can always improve. I will be finding three players who, in my opinion, would benefit the team.
They will be in no particular order in terms of impact level. I will be focusing on position players for this article, as the pitching market besides Gerrit Cole and Stephen Strasburg were very thin.
One pitcher who I will give an honorable mention would be Alex Wood.
Related Story. Free Agent Profile: Alex Wood. light
While he had a sub-par season last year, he was hampered by injury for most of it.
He does have a very strong career track record, and is a fan favorite many in Braves country would love to see back on a short-term, prove-it type of deal.
Alex Wood, 90mph Fastball (called strike) and 85mph Changeup (swinging K), Overlay. pic.twitter.com/b6fDcgQAPZ
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) July 15, 2018
An Old “Friend”
After last season’s NLDS, Alex Anthouoplous should be very familiar with Marcell Ozuna. In the series, he hit a scalding .429 with 2 home runs, 5 RBI, and a 1.335 OPS.
The Braves will need an anchor for the middle of the order, and Ozuna would be a solid choice.
Ozuna had a good year in the heart of the Cardinals order, hitting .241 with a .800 OPS with 29 home runs.
The average number is a bit concerning because it is 31 points off of his career .272 average. However, his OPS is 16 points higher than his career average of .784.
If he can get back to his career average number while keeping his OPS in the .800-.900 range he would be a great pickup for the middle of the order.
I think he would be able to do that in a Braves lineup that is superior in talent to the cardinals lineup he was in last year (in my opinion).
My main issue with Ozuna lies in his fielding (a problem shared by the last name on this list). As highlighted by his often made fun of attempted wall catch last year, his fielding is less than stellar.
However, considering the Braves’ other two outfielders are great fielders, they may be able to cover up some of his deficiencies.
4⃣7⃣9⃣ feet
— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) April 4, 2018
Marcell Ozuna's first home run as a Cardinal was CRUSHED https://t.co/Yanb3f73W2
If Ozuna was signed, he would fit neatly into the 4 hole, and he would likely replace most if not all of the production that Donaldson gave last year. Speaking of Donaldson…….
Bringer of Rain
Josh Donaldson needs no introduction for Braves country. The 34-year-old slugger endeared himself to the fans with his umbrella carrying antics and the clear spark that he brought to the lineup on a day-to-day basis.
I am still surprised that Donaldson remains unsigned after a sterling 2019 campaign.
Related Story. Report: Braves at 4 years with JD. light
In a return to form, Donaldson batted .259 with 37 home runs and a .900 OPS. He is clearly the best infielder left on the free agent market.
Donaldson received a $23 million, one-year deal from the Atlanta Braves going into the 2019 season, and I have to admit I was skeptical for much of the first month of the year.
After some early struggles, the Braves headed into Sunday night baseball versus the Indians.
https://twitter.com/espn/status/1120118372971237381
The Bringer of rain went deep twice in that game, and both homers were impressive long shots in the spacious confines of Progressive Field. I think that game was a turning point in his season.
While his batting average would be tough to recover, his OBP would remain in the high .300s and his final numbers were good enough to earn him the NL comeback player of the year award.
Besides his offensive production, Donaldson is an amazing defensive third baseman. Throughout the year, he constantly made plays that made my jaw drop. He also had a fielding percentage of .969, which was the highest of his career for a full season.
If you can’t tell, I’m trying to reach a certain audience here, one who has much more control over the actions of the Braves then someone like me. If you’re listening, please give the man whatever he wants!
Hard to pronounce
Nicholas Castellanos toiled in relative anonymity in Detroit for years after his debut in 2013. He was a highly-touted prospect, but for many years he struggled to hit for power consistently like many thought he might be able to.
He never had an average lower than .255, but the low power wasn’t ideal.
However, in 2017 he broke out. This was the first year that he hit 20 home runs, hitting 26 with a .272 average and .811 OPS.
After this, he was the subject of trade rumors until the middle of the 2019 season.
At that point, he was traded to the Cubs. He hadn’t had much of a great year with Detroit, only having hit 11 home runs with a .273 average and .790 OPS. However, in only 51 games in Chicago, he hit 16 home runs with a .321 average and 1.002 OPS.
These numbers are likely what is driving his free agent market, as they are incredible for such a short time.
They remind me of when JD Martinez was traded to Arizona in 2017, and he had one of the best second halves of a season I’ve ever seen.
Of course, they don’t quite stack up to what Martinez did in Arizona. He hit 29 home runs in only 62 games, which is insane.
It does show me that maybe Castellanos could be that kind of player full-time if he’s in a great lineup like Chicago’s or Atlanta’s.
Nicholas Castellanos sets a career high with his 27th home run of the season!#EverybodyIn pic.twitter.com/xcZagsbWyE
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) September 22, 2019
The main issue with him, like Ozuna, is his fielding. Even with a pretty great hitting season he only had a 2.7 WAR.
In the end, I believe his fielding could be made up for by the other outfielders’ excellence.
I would take Castellanos over Ozuna if I was given the chance. He is a year younger, and while he hit for less power last year, he had .063 more OPS, which is not an insignificant number.
dark. Next. Time for an Ultimatum
The Atlanta Braves have to address the 4 hole soon before other teams jump on the best available options. I hope that one of these players is in a Braves uniform come 2020.