Offseason '15-'16 thread....

[HMFFL]

Braves could use camp to shop Swisher
With Johnson deal in place, outfielder less likely to remain with Atlanta
http://m.braves.mlb.com/news/article/161277908/braves-may-try-to-trade-nick-swisher

We really need his contract off our books.
Sadly, I expect us to pay a great deal of it, even if we end up moving him.

[ATL Boy]

Kelly Johnson just can't stay away from the Braves. I'm glad he's back, Braves country loves him.

[HMFFL]

Braves interested in Cespedes

Now that Yoenis Cespedes has remained on the free-agent market much longer than envisioned, the Mets have renewed some level of interest and the Braves have at least inquired to see what it might take to sign the power-hitting outfielder.

As Cespedes continues to seek a multiyear deal, the White Sox, Angels and Orioles still stand as the most likely potential suitors. The Mets and Braves seem more interested in the possibility that the 30-year-old Cuban slugger might eventually become willing to accept a short-term contract. MLB Network insider Jon Heyman mentioned the Braves on Twitter on Wednesday. http://m.braves.mlb.com/news/article/161849472/market-for-free-agent-yoenis-cespedes-expands

[ATL Boy]

Astros are reportedly inquiring about Inciarte. Would take a handsome payment to get him, seeing as how he's not even arbitration eligible yet.

[Ruzious]

I like the strategy of getting Cespedes at a surprisingly low price and trading Inciarte - even with Cespedes at 30. He would't be holding back a good young player from getting playing time, and Braves need to put out a presentable team this season. And he could end up being the tradable asset to acquire a good young OFer with power. Besides, let's see if Mallex Smith can play CF in the majors.

[Nemesis21]

Braves can't afford Cespedes, unless both Swisher and Bourn are moved.

[HMFFL]

Braves avoid arbitration with reliever Withrow
Club also hopes to settle with righty Vizcaino before deadline, but ready for process if necessary
http://m.braves.mlb.com/news/article/161934974/braves-avoid-arbitration-with-chris-withrow

[Nemesis21]

Braves avoid arby with Vizcaino,

http://m.braves.mlb.com/news/article/162030256/braves-arodys-vizcaino-avoid-arbitration

[HMFFL]

Braves can't afford Cespedes, unless both Swisher and Bourn are moved.

If he's seeking 6 years, $132 million you're correct.
I see no reason to even bother with him if he's going to end up receiving that much money. Keep in mind how many times he's been moved around already. That concerns me.

[ATL Boy]

Lost in the heap of trades Hart and Coppy have made over the past year has been the Tommy La Stella for Arodys Vizcaino trade, which is looking brilliant. La Stella was nothing more than a bench piece while Viz had a 1.60 ERA last year and looks poised to be this team's closer of the future.

[Jamaaliver]

Lost in the heap of trades Hart and Coppy have made over the past year has been the Tommy La Stella for Arodys Vizcaino trade, which is looking brilliant. La Stella was nothing more than a bench piece while Viz had a 1.60 ERA last year and looks poised to be this team's closer of the future.

Hart and Coppy have been mostly brilliant in the personnel they've managed to acquire over the past 13 months. They revamped the team in only a year and suddenly have some truly great young talents to build around for the next decade.

[HMFFL]

I like the new look very much.
I may need to pickup one of the hats.


Braves will sport new spring training uniforms





http://www.ajc.com/news/sports/baseball/braves-new-spring-training-uniforms/nqD5Z/

[JDR720]

i have always liked dark uniforms.

[ATL Boy]

Dave Cameron over at fangraphs did his annual list of top 10 transactions of the baseball offseason. The Braves make the list on both ends of the spectrum, and Mr. Cameron ranks our Shelby trade as the best move of the offseason.

He shows some love to the Angels for swinging the Andrelton Simmons trade at #7:

#7: Angels Upgrade at Shortstop
This summer, I ranked Andrelton Simmons as the 30th most valuable trade chips in all of MLB; a few months later, he was traded for a high-risk pitching prospect and an average player in the final year of his contract. Certainly, teams don’t pay for defensive excellence like they do for offense, but no one questions Simmons’ value in the field, and despite the truth that defense peaks early, previous defenders at this level have proven to be quite valuable even as they age. This is the kind of return that you’d expect for a short-term upgrade, but Simmons is signed through 2020 at below-market rates, giving the Angels some real value even beyond 2016. The fact that no one else stepped up to outbid the Angels suggests that the league doesn’t place as high a value on Simmons as the public does, or maybe the industry thinks we’re selling Sean Newcomb short, but from my perspective, the Angels added one of the best shortstops in baseball for a pitcher with a high likelihood of failure.

Former Brave Craig Kimbrel enters the fray at #4, boasting praise for the Padres after they dealt him to the Red Sox:

#4: Padres Get a Haul For Their Closer
I’ve been pretty down on a lot of the moves A.J. Preller has made since taking over in San Diego, but the second of his Craig Kimbrel trades could very well turn out to be a massive win for the franchise. While Kimbrel remains one of the game’s best relievers, he’s not all that young or cheap anymore, and yet the Padres still managed to turn some high-risk years of a guy they didn’t need into a massive talent return. In Margot and Guerra, the organization landed two top-100 prospects, and Allen is interesting in his own right; this is the kind of return that the Padres could have only dreamed about when they realized they’d have to ship out some of their veterans. While minor leaguers are always high-risk propositions, getting this kind of talent back for a declining reliever makes this a big win for the Padres.

But one trade stands above them all, the Braves come in at #1:

#1: Braves Reload and Improve Simultaneously
It’s still actually hard to believe the Braves pulled this off. Shelby Miller is a solid pitcher, having been worth between +2 to +3 WAR per season depending on how much weight you put on FIP or ERA. With his three arbitration years remaining, Miller represents a nice value for a mid-rotation starter, and is still young enough that it’s not crazy to think he might have some room for improvement. But in a market flooded with free-agent pitching, and plenty of other teams looking to sell their starting pitchers as well, the Braves still somehow managed to flip three years of Miller for five years of Ender Inciarte — arguably a player of nearly equal value on the field, and one who has five years of control remaining himself — as well as the #1 pick in last summer’s draft, plus they got one of the Diamondbacks better pitching prospects just for the heck of it.

Inciarte and Blair for Miller would have been something like a fair swap on its own. Or, separately, maybe the Braves requesting Swanson straight-up for three years of Miller could have been justified as a reasonable asking price, given the risky nature of prospects. But to somehow land all three players in the deal? It’s still remarkable, even a couple of months later. Inciarte probably offsets almost all of the lost value the team gives up in 2016 by not having Miller on the mound, and it’s not unreasonable to think Blair could be pitching in Atlanta this summer, so it’s possible that the Braves actually improved their 2016 record by making this deal. Except they get two additional years of control on the big leaguer they acquired, plus whatever Blair turns into, and a top-20 prospect who could be their franchise shortstop beginning in 2017.

We don’t see too many trades like this anymore. This is the kind of move that has a chance to be the modern-day version of Bartolo Colon for Grady Sizemore, Cliff Lee, and Brandon Phillips. It probably won’t turn out that way for the Braves, but the fact that they were able to make a move that has that kind of upside made this an easy pick for the best move any franchise made this winter.

Full article is here: http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/the-best-transactions-of-the-2016-off-season/

[Ruzious]

And they could have blasted the Braves over the trade with the Dodgers - giving up Jose Peraza and Alex Wood for Hector Olivera and Paco Rodriquez. Granted, Peraza and Wood were both probably overrated, but they had value to the Braves, and Olivera's looking like damaged goods, so far.

[ATL Boy]

And they could have blasted the Braves over the trade with the Dodgers - giving up Jose Peraza and Alex Wood for Hector Olivera and Paco Rodriquez. Granted, Peraza and Wood were both probably overrated, but they had value to the Braves, and Olivera's looking like damaged goods, so far.

While that trade sucks the article only reviewed offseason moves, the Braves made the Olivera trade mid-season last year.

[Nemesis21]

Damn I just realized I'm the only nod MOD that posts in this Braves forum. ATL Boy, did you just get promoted to MOD?

[ATL Boy]

Damn I just realized I'm the only nod MOD that posts in this Braves forum. ATL Boy, did you just get promoted to MOD?

Yes sir.

[HMFFL]

Not much news is circling around Atlanta at the moment.
The Hank Aaron statue at Turner Field is being discussed. Some believe it needs to stay downtown and others want it to be at the new stadium.
As far as the Ty Cobb statue nobody gives a damn..lol

[Nemesis21]

Damn I just realized I'm the only nod MOD that posts in this Braves forum. ATL Boy, did you just get promoted to MOD?

Yes sir.

Congrats