Atlanta Braves: Josh Donaldson wrangling and the case against Nolan Arenado

Setting and Meeting Expectations

So there’s this game with negotiations that you might have seen on eBay or in other auction-like situations…

• You want $100 for a lamp you’re selling
• A potential buyer needs a lamp, but really wanted to keep the price around $90 or less
• You put a $110 price tag on your lamp…
• … the hope being that maybe you can talk the buyer into a ‘compromise’ price that splits the difference at $100.
• In the end, you get what you wanted and the buyer still feels like he got a good deal

It feels like that’s the kind of dance that the Braves and Donaldson’s representatives are doing here… that the 1st bona fide $100 million offer they get might get the man signed.

Note:  Ken Rosenthal reported late last week (theAthletic – subscription required) that the Nationals allegedly were at that number, though you’d have to expect that this included a deferred-monies arrangement. 

That team’s actions since then suggest that he may have told Washington to forget it – despite reports that their offer is ‘still on the table‘.

It’s Not Just Atlanta!

The Twins, while apparently aren’t yet competitive enough despite the possible lure of making Donaldson a DH later in the contract… and what’s termed “daily conversations” with Donaldson.  A building relationship with Rocco Baldelli could end up winning the day if they step up a bit with their bid.

The sense is still that the Atlanta Braves are the preferred choice, but perhaps that they are trying to exploit that preference by keeping their bid on the low side.

Thus while the Braves are not the only other team actively involved in this staredown, Alex Anthopoulos is still having none of this negotiation manipulation trickery.  He’s evidently holding his bid firm at something lower and this ‘splitting the difference’ idea is a lamp he’s not buying.

Like Atlanta writers Bowman and Dave O’Brien, another writer – SKOR North contributor Darren Wolfson – seems to believe that we are finally coming down to the wire here and that the end may come by the weekend.

This all adds up to even more reasons why being an MLB General Manager is highly stressful job. There isn’t a best answer here… it’s all about trying to make the best call you can with the information you have at the time.

Besides – I’m greedy.  I still want the Braves to save a bit of cash while getting Donaldson back to be able to go snag Clevinger, too.