MLB
Acuna Matata
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Ronald Acuna just turned 21 years of age this past December and is the current National League Rookie of the Year.
He is a five-tool player who looks to be the face of the Braves franchise and could be for the next decade or so.
Acuna missed all of April because of the business side of baseball and then a sprained knee that hampered him in June.
The young Venezuelan hit .293/.366/.552 over 111 games and 487 plate appearances, scoring 78 runs, driving in 64, and pounding out 26 doubles, 4 triples, and 26 home runs.
Did I already mention that Acuna missed roughly two months of the 2018 season? If not for that I believe this kid would have been named the National League MVP in 2018.
You probably can already tell by reading this article that I’m a huge Ronald Acuna fan. I think he is the most talented player to arrive in Atlanta since Andruw Jones. That is saying a lot.
The projected Braves lineup in 2018 looks like this:
LF: Ronald Acuna Jr. (R)
1B: Freddie Freeman (L)
3B: Josh Donaldson (R)
C: Brian McCann (L)
RF: Nick Markakis (L)
2B: Ozzie Albies (S)
CF: Ender Inciarte (L)
SS: Dansby Swanson (R)
Before the Braves brought back Brian McCann, it was looking like Acuna would move to the clean-up spot in the batting order, but now he is back at the leadoff spot where he can lead the 2019 Braves.
With Acuna, Freeman, Donaldson, McCann, and Albies this batting order has some pop in it. Then you have Tyler Flowers, Charlie Culberson, Pedro Florimon, and John Camargo providing depth that should keep Donaldson and McCann fresh throughout the season.
I think this can be a dangerous, run producing batting order that may allow some of the younger arms in the rotation to flourish.
Back to Ronald Acuna, this kid has superstar written all over him. Acuna moved to the leadoff spot on July 20th last year and he hit .322 with 19 homers and a 1.028 OPS over the last 68 games.
Without that line-up move the Braves do not win the NL East in 2018. Acuna was the Braves MVP in this writer’s opinion in 2018.
With Acuna, Donaldson and Freeman the Braves have three MVP caliber players in the everyday line-up. Acuna could possibly end up batting in the four-hole, but after the excitement you saw in 2018 why would you move him?
Right now, Ronald Acuna projects as the best player in the National League going into the 2019. If you don’t believe me look it up. Barring injury I’m predicting Ronald Acuna Jr. to be the 2019 National League MVP.
Excitement for Braves baseball is off the charts right now. If this rotation can hold up and a closer steps up this offense will lead the Braves back to the playoffs.
Who knows who the Braves can pick up at the trade deadline maybe a quality arm or two for a playoff run?
Ronald Acuna is the new face of the Atlanta Braves, and now the Braves must put the pieces together to ensure Acuna retires as a Brave in about 15-18 years.
Baseball is thriving again in Atlanta, Georgia. Ronald Acuna may be the face of Atlanta sports. The Falcons and Hawks are struggling at the moment.
Opening Act
By: TJ Hartnett
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Tampa Bay Rays find ways to win. That has been their modus operandi since they dropped the “Devil” and changed their color scheme.
Without much in the way of payroll and in a consistently competitive division, along with some giant franchises like the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox, the Rays have always scrapped, scratched and clawed their way to September and even October from time to time over the past 11 years.
Last season was no different, though one of their bold strategies has courted no little amount of controversy – the “Opener.”
If you have not been following the Rays, the Opener is basically – as you might imagine – the opposite of a Closer.
“But TJ! Isn’t a starter the opposite of a closer?” You might ask. You might very well think that – but an Opener is something a little more specific and a little more parallel to what a Closer does at the end of a game.
Basically, when reliable pitchers like Blake Snell aren’t starting a game, Rays manager Kevin Cash begins the game with an Opener; a relief pitcher in any other context who is slotted in as the starting pitcher but is only ever expected to pitch an inning or two.
Then another pitcher comes in to eat up innings and hopefully (since the “starter” would not have pitched the requisite five innings) pick up the win.
Tampa started using this strategy in May of last year, starting with veteran closer Sergio Romo but primarily using pitchers Ryne Stanek and Hunter Wood in the role. Then guys like Ryan Yarbrough would enter the game and (ideally) shoulder the bulk of the work.
It was 2018, so obviously reaction and opinion on this strategy was divided, though Tampa’s success can hardly be argued against.
Their ERA dropped after they started using Openers, and had the team not played in a division that saw not one but two 100-game winners, they would very likely have seen the playoffs again.
The past few weeks in particular have seen a rise in anti-Opener rhetoric from Major Leaguers in particular, including Giants ace Madison Bumgarner, who said he would leave the ballpark if San Francisco manager Bruce Bochy tried to use an opener before MadBum entered the game.
More damningly, Bumgarner’s teammate and fellow pitcher Jeff Samardzija called the concept of the Opener “a load of crap” in an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle. He also criticized the Rays’ pitchers for what he perceived as their lack of “moxie” in failing to push back and demand that they go seven innings.
The irony in the vitriol coming from Samardzija is that the Giants won a paltry 75 games in 2018, 15 less than the Rays, who sat at 90. This is not to mention the fact that the Giants hurler has managed a 22-31 record in his three seasons in San Fran with an ERA of 4.33 – much higher than the 3.97 ERA posted by Tampa Bay’s Openers last year.
The Rays have made it clear that they aren’t turning away from the Opener and after Snell, Charlie Morton, and Tyler Glasnow, Kevin Cash will indeed be penciling in a pitcher to throw just an inning or two.
Despite the negative reaction from some players, the notion has actually been spreading.
The Milwaukee Brewers opened up a game in the NLCS by have having Wade Miley throw to just one batter and the Oakland A’s put their entire season on the line in the AL Wild Card Game by using Liam Hendricks as an Opener.
The new General Manager of the Giants, Farhan Zaidi, even said that his team might consider adopting the practice when it makes sense. Though I get the sense that it will be over Bumgarner’s and Samardzija’s dead bodies.
Beast Of The East
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The teams of the NL East have been busy this off season trying to get better quickly.
The National League East hasn’t been decided by fewer than seven games since 2012 and the division race hasn’t come down to the season’s final weekend since 2008.
The Atlanta Braves won the division in 2018 by 8 games and pulled away from the Phillies down the stretch.
How did the NL East teams get better this off-season?
Let’s take a look:
Atlanta Braves: GM Alex Anthopoulos went out and signed Josh Donaldson and Brian McCann. The Braves also brought back Nick Markakis. They have the youngest talent in the division, but need a number 1 starter, and closer help.
They won 90 games in 2018. It may be tough to match that win total in 2019. I think the Braves haven’t done enough to address starting pitching concerns this off-season. Will that hurt them? Probably and will have to be addressed at the trade deadline.
NY Mets: New general manager Brodie Van Wagenen has come in making moves.
Van Wagenen already has traded for perennial All-Star second baseman Robinson Canó and elite closer Edwin Díaz.
He also brought fellow late-inning reliever Jeurys Familia back to New York. Wilson Ramos was signed for $19M to come in and catch. Great move by Mets. The Mets have the best starting pitching in the division. Don’t be shocked if the Mets win this division. I like the moves they are making.
Philadelphia Phillies: The Phillies in their own words want to spend stupid money.
They signed Andrew McCutchen for three years and $50 million during the Winter Meetings and acquired shortstop Jean Segura from Seattle.
They traded for catcher JT Realmuto and think they will sign either Manny Machado or Bryce Harper. That could be scary in that hitter friendly ballpark in Philadelphia. The Phillies have been bold and aggressive during the winter and I think it will pay off this season.
Washington Nationals: The Nats brought in elite starter, Patrick Corbin, catchers Kurt Suzuki and Yan Gomes, and re-signed a big bat in Matt Adams.
The Nats need bullpen help and potentially an outfielder to replace Harper. I don’t think Washington did enough to offset the pending loss of Harper.
Miami Marlins: The Marlins at this point, only develop talent and trade it away. They are no immediate threat in the division. I don’t understand this organization. The Marlins can spot, draft, and develop talent as good as any club in baseball, but will not pay to keep it.
NL East Predictions:
- Phillies
- Braves
- Mets
- Nationals
- Marlins
Don’t be surprised if the NL East produces a Wild Card Team in 2019. This division is on the rise. I love the start of baseball season. Spring, warm weather, sand gnats, shorts, flip flops, and eventually the beach gear gets pulled out of the boxes.
Ronald Acuna Jr. is the best young player in baseball, and will win the NL MVP within the next three years.
The Big Fish
By: TJ Hartnett
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Over the course of a few weeks in the winter of 2017 the Miami Marlins traded away Giancarlo Stanton, Christian Yelich, Marcell Ozuna, and Dee Gordon in a purge of talent and payroll the likes of which had not been seen since…well, since the last time the Marlins purged talent and payroll. So about four years.
Notably not traded, however, was JT Realmuto. The catcher who was suspected to be one of the league’s best and who proved it in 2018 with his first All-Star selection and Silver Slugger award.
The backstop made it clear he wasn’t happy being the only man left behind and rumors began to swirl and continued to do so for more than a year, until at long last he was traded to the division rival Philadelphia Phillies.
With Realmuto goes the final piece of the rebuild puzzle, as – despite reports that Miami wanted a Major League player a la Cody Bellinger or Ozzie Albies – the return was three prospects: Sixto Sanchez, Jorge Alfaro, Will Stewart, as well as international signing money.
While not getting a big leaguer in return might seem like the Marlins settled, that’s not necessarily true. While Albies and Bellinger have several years left on their respective contracts, I would wonder whether or not they (or similar players of their ilk that the Marlins could have received) would be wasted on bad teams for a few years before being unloaded just like Realmuto.
Miami is, as this moment, so far behind the rest of the National League East that they don’t have a chance of competing for at least the next two seasons. However, the rest of the division (the Braves and Phillies in particular) are only going to get better over the next several years. So perhaps a haul of prospects (and money for prospects) is the smart play for Derek Jeter and company.
Alfaro wasn’t the centerpiece of the trade, but he’ll have the most immediate impact, replacing Realmuto behind the plate. He is a downgrade, but literally every catcher in the league is a downgrade.
However, he has pop in his bat and a strong arm. He should make a reliable starter for the Fish going forward, even if he lacks the complete game that his predecessor will be displaying in the City of Brotherly Love.
Stewart isn’t likely to be a dominating hurler, but he has a fastball in the low 90s that he can locate. He’ll be a consistent Major Leaguer because of that control and since he’s only 21 there’s still time for him to develop more power and more pitches.
Sanchez is the prize for Miami here. He has the stuff to pitch at or near the top of the rotation and despite his small stature he can get his fastball into triple digits with some movement.
He also has a plus breaking ball and his change flashes above-average, although it’s the weakest of the three offerings. He should throw enough strikes to be a starter, but he’s battled injuries, and his size might suggest a move to the bullpen.
He could be dominant there, but the Marlins will give Sanchez every chance to develop into a well-above-average starter.
It was inevitable that Miami would trade JT Realmuto during this offseason. Although they cut it pretty close, as he’ll be reporting to Spring Training later this week.
While getting the Phillies’ number one prospect in return, along with two other players that will at least be decent long-term Major Leaguers, seems like good deal, it is questionable whether or not the best catcher in the game, under control for two more season, could have brought more back.
Braves Get Real-Muto?
By: TJ Hartnett
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
For what seems like the 15 gazillionith time this offseason, the trade market for Miami Marlins All-Star Catcher JT Realmuto has apparently started heating up.
The Padres, Dodgers, Reds and Braves are all in the mix to be Miami’s dance partner. He’s a hot commodity and it’s no surprise that he’s being highly sought after by teams looking to compete in 2019.
It’s also no surprise that trade talks have stretched into February, with less than two weeks remaining before Realmuto has to report…somewhere. After all, the top free agents – Bryce Harper and Manny Machado – have yet to land anywhere either.
Over the past several months, the Realmuto trade talk has been a roller coaster, with teams being reported as in, then out, then in again.
The Braves in particular have been linked to the catcher days before reportedly passing on him altogether. Now, the rumor is that they’re back in the mix, though the Padres and Dodgers are the strongest contenders.
But personally, I’m getting a little tired of hearing about him maybe or maybe not coming to Atlanta. Do I want the guy? Yes. Would he improve the team? Of course. But is he the last piece that makes the Braves a complete team and threat to Washington, Philadelphia, and New York? He is not.
It’s not that the Braves couldn’t use an upgrade at catcher. Brian McCann was a feel-good addition to the roster, but his days as an All-Star backstop are behind him.
Tyler Flowers signed a two-year deal signed after the 2017, but that was the Braves betting on the wrong horse (while Kurt Suzuki is now a National).
The excitement of Realmuto coming to Atlanta had a lot to do with his bat, along with his position. While his bat would still be a hell of an asset, when the Braves signed Josh Donaldson to a one-year deal they made Realmuto’s offensive skills redundant.
In fact, if Donaldson is healthy and produces up to his normal level, he’ll be a better bat than Realmuto would be, and he only costs the Braves cash. Realmuto would cost prospects. And that would be prospect capital that could be used elsewhere.
And that’s the real reason I’m getting tired of hearing about Realmuto. He fills a need the Braves don’t really need addressed at the moment.
The Braves biggest hole last year was their bullpen, and beyond that, the move that would make the biggest difference to their contender status is acquisition of a stud pitcher to either serve as the team’s ace or as a solid number two behind Mike Foltynewicz.
Despite those needs, the rumor mill about the Braves trading or otherwise acquiring pitching help has been nearly nonexistent over the past several months.
Meanwhile, the Washington Nationals picked up arguably the best free agent pitcher on the market in Patrick Corbin and the Mets shored up their bullpen by trading for Edwin Diaz (with a pinch of Robinson Cano). Dallas Keuchel is still available, but the Braves haven’t been linked to him in a substantial way; Cory Kluber hasn’t been traded, though the rumor mill surrounding him seems to have quieted altogether.
Relief pitchers are always available. Yet, Atlanta hasn’t picked up anyone to throw the ball.
Is there still time? Sure. But it is frustrating to hear constant rumors abound that the Braves might make a play for an unnecessary position player when it’s a pitcher or two that would keep them at the top of the pile.
With the improvements that other teams in the NL East have made, it’s easy to think that the Braves may have fallen back in the pack, despite winning the division last season.
If they can bolster their pitching staff, they might even be considered the favorites to win again.
Braves Find Their Mark-akis
By: TJ Hartnett
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Nick Markakis’ four-year stint in an Atlanta uniform was a consistently solid one.
For a guy who came in on the wrong side of 30 and replaced hometown hero Jason Heyward in right field, he managed to endear himself to Braves Country. He did that by staying on the field, playing Gold Glove defense, filling any spot in the lineup he was needed to fill, and being a veteran clubhouse leader.
Markakis finished up his four-year contract ($11 million per year to produce a far superior run than Heyward has been having for $23 million, I might add) with a stellar campaign that saw him earn his first-ever All-Star selection (a starter, no less) along with his first Silver Slugger and third Gold Glove.
When the season came to a close, it seemed like the Woodstock native would move on to another team as the Braves cast a wider net to fill his roster spot with a power hitter. Besides, after a career year, Markakis would likely be able to net a 3-year deal and the Braves probably wouldn’t want to offer him such a contract.
Then the Braves surprised the world and signed Josh Donaldson, who will play third base and serve as the protection for Freddie Freeman. Atlanta has only sporadically provided that over the past few years.
This meant that the hole in right field needn’t be filled by a 25+ home run player. Then the New Year passed, most of January, and the outfield market that seemed to be waiting for Bryce Harper to sign somewhere just didn’t move.
Michael Brantley had signed a contract earlier in the offseason, but the top free agents remain unsigned and possibly impatient.
I admit I didn’t have a clue where the Braves were going to go to fill right field for next season. Markakis resigning was always a possibility. He is loved by the fanbase and well-liked by the players and the organization but given the season he had it just seemed unlikely that he’d fit into the Braves financial and long-term plans.
Imagine my surprise when I see the headline that Markakis was returning to the Braves on a one-year, $6 million-dollar contract (with an option for 2020).
I was sufficiently shocked, but also delighted. Markakis’ performance had earned him far more money, if not years, but a slow market or a desire to continue playing in Atlanta (likely a combination of both) led to a heavily discounted contract being agreed upon.
In addition to getting a solid and respected player for at worst his age 35 and 36 seasons (as opposed to having to take on his age 37 and/or 38 seasons), the Braves also spent so little money that there is still room in the budget for a bigger splash between now and July 31st.
Part of me suspects that Markakis sent his agent to the negotiating table with the mandate that he’d take less money if Alex Anthopoulos uses the excess funds to find pitching help.
Another nice piece to Markakis’ return is the role he’ll need to play. After spending a year-and-a-half hitting cleanup, not a natural spot in the batting order for a player of his type, he’ll be able to relinquish that role to Donaldson and slide into either the five or two holes. This will stretch the lineup and make it more dangerous (for proof, look at the team’s offensive output in the second half of 2017, when Matt Kemp took over batting fourth). It’s a better spot for Markakis and also protects the team from being hurt if/when he eventually shows his age.
It’s a good signing that opens up possibilities for Atlanta without rocking the status quo of what worked in 2018.
A Brave Division?
By: Mike Anthony
GeorgiaSportsEdition.com news services
In recent years, the Major League Baseball offseason has routinely fit into a pattern of ebbs and flows.
With ‘Moneyball’ and sabermetric zealots convincing many teams to focus on building a farm system and putting the MLB club fortunes on hold for years at a time, the offseason has become a slow dance between teams that figure to contend in the coming summer and fall.
And while the biggest names – Bryce Harper and Manny Machado – that figure to move before opening day are still question marks, it’s very possible that the Atlanta Braves have done enough to solidify their spot atop the National League East without breaking the bank or grasping for headlines.
The Braves were the surprise winners of their division last season. After the dust settled, the Braves’ title looked much more like the payoff of shrewd front office moves and the requisite luck to win a hard-fought division than the anomaly that they were treated as while the 2018 season was in motion.
Simply put, the Braves weren’t overly flashy (Rookie of the Year Ronald Acuna notwithstanding) in advancing to the postseason for the first time since 2013. The key to Atlanta’s success was that it had a seemingly never-ending supply of guys who could get the job done on any given day.
So, while big headlines are sure to be made as the offseason’s marquee free agents sign blockbuster deals in the coming weeks, the Braves can sleep easy knowing that they’re as prepared to make a deep playoff run as any team that signs a potential MVP through free agency.
Atlanta enters 2019 with a perennial MVP contender in Freddie Freeman and having added a former American League MVP in Josh Donaldson to play third base.
Acuna will play a full year in left field, Nick Markakis has just been resigned to play right field after a huge 2018 campaign, and the trio of Ender Inciarte, Ozzie Albies and Dansby Swanson forms a middle of the defensive lineup that is as dominating as it is young.
The starting rotation may lack nationwide name recognition without a recognized frontline guy, but the Braves’ top five was as effective as any in the National League last season.
The bullpen was a question, but everything points towards the Braves digging in and mounting a strong defense of last year’s division championship.
So, there is the optimism for Braves fans. And for fans of any MLB squad, optimism is what this time of year is all about.
Flat Out Crime
By: TJ Hartnett
GeorgiaSportsEdition.com news services
I’ve made the case for several years now that Fred McGriff should be in the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame.
His time on the BBWAA ballot has come to a close with this year’s vote, his tenth shot at immortality the old-fashioned way. As he didn’t surpass 25% last year, it’s a safe bet to assume he won’t be reaching the 75% needed to be inducted into Cooperstown this summer.
That is a shame and has been for a decade now. But something happened earlier in December that makes it all the more shameful: Harold Baines was selected for inclusion in the Hall of Fame.
Now, I don’t mean to knock Harold Baines. He was a force for the White Sox in the 80s, and I’m sure he’s a very nice man but what he was not better than Fred McGriff.
To be clear, Baines was not elected to the Hall via the BBWAA ballot. He was elected by the Eras Committee, which is 16 people who vote in overlooked players from particular eras of the game.
This years’ batch, the Today’s Game Committee, inducted Baines and former all-time saves record holder Lee Smith. This makes the BBWAA’s failure to elect McGriff more palatable. Let’s not rule out the Crime Dog finding himself enshrined through this same process, but Baines is still going to have a plaque on the hallowed walls first.
To the naked eye, it might seem like Baines and McGriff are relatively similar players, or even that Baines is superior. Look closer.
Baines had more hits. He had more RBIs. He had a higher batting average. He also played in 370 more games than McGriff. That’s not insignificant if you’re comparing counting stats. If McGriff had played 370 more games even at his lowest level of production, he’d easily make up the RBI difference and close the hit gap, if not pass him there as well.
There is also the matter of intangibles. If Baines is a Hall of Famer, then surely McGriff is based on their respective significance. Baines was a consistent hitter throughout his long career, but was never a dominant one who could be considered the best. McGriff in the late 80s and early 90s was as feared as any hitter in the game at that time.
Baines was a piece of the puzzle on the teams he played for. McGriff was traded for in 1993 and both literally and figuratively Atlanta caught fire. He was the cleanup hitter for the 1995 championship team, Atlanta’s first ever.
Baines, on the other hand, spent the prime of his career on White Sox teams that were mired, in what would eventually be, an 88-year championship drought.
These “intangibles” are not nothing. Many voters will tell you that they vote as much on whether or not a player “feels” like a Hall of Famer as much as they will vote on their statistics.
Jack Morris’ entire argument for getting into the Hall of Fame was his postseason dominance and his 1991 National League Championship Series Game 7 performance in particular. Morris, for what it’s worth, also failed to get into the Hall through the traditional ballot but was selected by the Modern Era committee for induction last year.
While Baines’ induction this month and McGriff’s inevitable snub next month will be frustrating to those who believe that the slugger (who is just seven home runs shy of 500) is deserving of the call, all hope is not lost.
In fact, Baines’ induction should comfort those same people. Because once the Era Committees cycle back around to Today’s Game, they won’t have a leg to stand on in keeping the Crime Dog out of the Hall. It will be overdue, but it will be very deserved.
Beasts From The East
By: Mike Anthony
GeorgiaSportsEdition.com news services
From beginning to end, the 2018 Major League Baseball season went mostly as the experts predicted.
High payroll teams that fattened up even more before April got the returns on investment that were expected as the Red Sox, Yankees and Dodgers all lit up scoreboards throughout the season, with Boston ultimately topping Los Angeles in the World Series as the Dodgers came up just short for the second consecutive season.
Other teams that entered 2018 with rosters that were mostly the same as their winning counterparts from 2017 also excelled.
The defending world champs from Houston made it to another American League Championship Series, Cleveland once again dominated the AL Central and the Chicago Cubs looked like a World Series contender until hitting a late snag.
The one division that played against type last season was the National League East. The division was supposed to be the Nationals’ for the taking, but Washington spun its wheels for two-thirds of the season and never looked like a playoff team. The Mets once again had all the pitching in the world and once again watched as all of those pitchers went down with injuries.
In the end, it was Atlanta and Philadelphia. They were picked fourth and fifth in most preseason predictions. The Braves ultimately claimed the lone playoff spot out of the division, only to bow out in the divisional series.
That left an interesting question heading into the offseason and the always-exciting winter meetings. Would the Nationals and Mets take advantage of windows to win that were allegedly still open, or was the standings flip-flop a sign of big changes coming?
The NL East seems to have chosen option ‘C’, in which just about everyone is making moves as if they expect to be making noise in October.
Washington had a busy December, picking up former Braves Kurt Suzuki and Matt Adams for bench depth before signing arguably the best left-handed pitcher on the free agent market in Patrick Corbin.
The Mets were involved in one of the biggest trades of the offseason so far, as they shipped veteran Jay Bruce and some prospects to Seattle in return for eight-time All-Star Robinson Cano and ace closer Edwin Diaz.
The Braves signed former American League MVP Josh Donaldson to upgrade at third base. Another former All-Star – and fan favorite – will return to town as Brian McCann returns to the club where he cut his teeth in Major League Baseball.
Philadelphia traded for an All-Star shortstop in Jean Segura, signed former NL MVP Andrew McCutchen and remain as a team constantly linked to free agent crown jewels Manny Machado and Bryce Harper.
And in much less interesting news, the Marlins will still be the Marlins.
Regardless of the myriad moves sure to be made between now and Opening Day, gauging the National League East will be a tough task.
The recent bullies on the block (Washington and New York) have been too inconsistent to believe that the division will be one of the best in the league. Yet, the quick turnarounds and evident investment into continued improvement of Atlanta and Philadelphia will make it tough to write off any team in the division that isn’t playing its home games in Miami.
Injuries, a brutally long season and the notoriously quirky ups and downs of baseball make it impossible to make a call on the division as the final days of 2018 tick away, but anyone paying attention to the offseason hot stove will agree that the NL East should provide plenty of drama next season.
Just Another Jones
By: TJ Hartnett
GeorgiaSportsEdition.com news services
The available options to fill the Braves’ need in the outfield are starting to shrink.
The Houston Astros inked Michael Brantley to a deal last week, taking a player that had been linked to Atlanta off the table.
There are four remaining outfielders that the Braves could seek to reasonably replace Nick Markakis in 2019: Bryce Harper, AJ Pollock, Adam Jones, and Markakis himself.
Assuming that Harper won’t be joining the home team at Suntrust Park (and you should be assuming that), that leaves three. Pollock is an interesting option, though he’s also a bad combination of being oft-injured but talented enough to be expensive. Let’s set him aside for now.
That leaves two long-time Orioles and former teammates in Markakis and Jones. Braves fans have spent the last four years seeing and appreciated what Markakis has done both on the field and in the clubhouse. He’s a known quality and a perfectly fine option if the length of contract is agreeable.
Let’s take a look at the unknown for a moment and advocate for Adam Jones joining Atlanta.
The first thing that jumps out about Jones is the seeming notion that he will cost less than the last two free agent outfielders to sign (Brantley and Andrew McCutchen), both of whom will be making roughly $16 million per year over the course of their respective contracts.
What’s fascinating about that is how quickly the world seems to have written off Adam Jones after one down season.
At 33, Jones is on the down slope of his career, but retirement is still very far off. He’s not as quick as he once was when he was winning his four Gold Gloves, but the Braves don’t need him to play center field.
Jones would slide into a corner spot while Ender Inciarte patrols center and Ronald Acuna, Jr. backs him up. He could roam left or right field with at least the kind of skill that Markakis did for nearly half a decade.
Offensively, the criticism of having a “down year” for Jones is mostly levied at his power numbers. After seven straight seasons of 25 or more home runs (and nine straight of 19+), Jones knocked out only 15 round trippers in 2018.
However, it doesn’t seem to have been a sign of his overall season at the dish, as his batting average was .281, which is above his career average and his on-base percentage was only five points lower than his career OBP.
Interestingly, while he did not play substantially fewer games than normal at 145, he struck out fewer than 100 times for the first time since 2009.
Additionally, he would replace Markakis as the veteran leader in a young clubhouse (albeit with some assistance now from Josh Donaldson and Brian McCann). He’s a different flavor of personality that the ever-reserved Markakis, but he has the same track record of consistency, which was Kake’s calling card.
It all boils down to what I find to be a rather puzzling circumstance: Adam Jones might cost around $10 million annually for a two-to-three-year contract, despite his consistent health and production and his positive reputation in the clubhouse.
I enjoyed and admired Markakis over the past four years, but I am somewhat baffled at the notion that he may command more annual money than Adam Jones, who frankly has been a better and more dynamic plater over the course of his career.
Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, I would also point out that signing Jones for $8-10 million for two years also gives the Braves breathing room to pursue the free agent relief pitching that they so desperately crave.
Is he the best free agent outfielder on the market? He isn’t. But he does make some sense. So, for your consideration: Adam Jones.
