TJ Hartnett
New Dirty Birds
By: TJ Hartnett
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The NFL Draft is a magical time. It is both a beginning and an ending.
One door shuts on the college career of young and hungry hopefuls, while the door to their professional career opens wide.
It’s a time of hope for fans as well, as they look for their favorite team to draft the players that will turn them around or help them take the next step.
People will debate until they are blue in the face which college player should be drafted at what point in the draft, or who is the best fit for what team and who will be the player that falls the farthest. The point is everyone has an opinion about the NFL Draft and that includes Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan, apparently.
Word is that Ryan sent a text message to the Falcons’ General Manager, Thomas Dimitroff, thanking him for drafting offensive linemen with both their first and their second picks in the Draft. That says something profound about how badly Ryan needed protection after season that saw him get hit third-most in the league and sacked eighth-most.
Those offensive linemen were Chris Lindstrom at 14 and Kaleb McGary, whom the Falcons traded up for to draft 31st overall.
Lindstrom is a guard from Boston College and McGary played right tackle at Washington, though he could also be moved to guard.
Lindstrom was not likely the 14th best player in the Draft, but the Falcons made a statement by drafting him and by trading their 2nd and 3rd round picks in order to get McGary in the first round. The O-line is going to be better this year come hell or high water.
Adding to the intrigue is the fact that the Falcons signed two offensive guards during the offseason in Jamon Brown and James Carpenter.
It seemed fairly likely that those two would be starting for Atlanta come September, but with these two draft picks it now seems like a competition for those positions will be on. These are choices that potentially improve the team by leaps and bounds.
After missing the 2nd and 3rd rounds, the Falcons picked up cornerback Kendall Sheffield from Ohio State. Sheffield’s game is his speed and will play an important role for the team, if his pectoral injury doesn’t plague him the way it plagued Desmond Trufant.
Dimitroff then took John Cominsky, a Defensive End from Charleston, for his second pick in the 4th round. He’s got size and versatility, and his presence could keep the likes of Vic Beasley, Jr. and Takk McKinley on their toes and motivated.
Round 5 saw the Falcons draft a running back from Pittsburgh by the name of Qadree Ollison. Ollison is a big dude and should be capable of brining power to the short-yardage game of the Falcons, serving as a nice compliment to Devonta Freeman.
Atlanta’s second pick of the 5th round was another corner: Jordan Miller – also of Washington. Their second at that position of the draft, Miller will add depth to the secondary and join another former Washing player in Trufant there.
For Round 6, the Falcons branched out and took a wide receiver: UL Monroe’s Marcus Green. Green isn’t going to supplant Julio Jones, but he may be counted upon to make both kickoff and punt returns. He has the potential to provide some explosive returns and provides competition with free agent signing Kenjon Barner for the role.
Fire Fighter
By: TJ Hartnett
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
There is such a thing as beating a dead horse – so head’s up: I am about to do it.
I am about to talk about relief pitching, and it will not be a positive column. You have been warned.
The Arizona Diamondbacks swept the Atlanta Braves, finishing up yet another series in which the Braves proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that they desperately need help in their bullpen.
Reliever AJ Minter took a loss in the series, spoiling a great start by rookie, Max Fried. Both Minter and Chad Sobotka gave up 3 earned runs a piece in the loss.
That dumpster fire was followed up by an extra innings loss after Jesse Biddle couldn’t hold the tie game in the 10th inning.
Then Mike Soroka took a loss even though the young hurler gave up one run on six strikeouts and a walk in five innings, but Sobotka gave up another three (two earned) to let the game get away from the Braves.
I’m not sure this can be considered a silver lining, but in the first game of the doubleheader against the Indians, it was Julio Teheran who gave up the most runs in the Braves’ fourth straight loss (Wes Parsons did give up three as well; that bullpen will not be outdone!).
So back to that dead horse. Even though we haven’t brought him up in the SSE for a while: let’s talk about Craig Kimbrel.
Kimbrel is still sitting at home with a week and a half left until May. From what I’ve read, there’s an increasing chance that Kimbrel’s asking price has dropped from the reported six-year, $100 million-or-so to possibly even a much more palatable three-year contract.
Interesting note, Kimbrel’s agent is the same guy who represents Ozzie Albies, which is bonkers when you think about it: one guy is sitting at home because he’s asking for too much, the other guy took roughly 1/10th of his value for the next decade.
But let’s throw money out of the equation for now and pretend that the Braves and Kimbrel could reach a deal that would satisfy both the flame-throwing righty as well as Liberty Media.
Would Kimbrel really be the savior of the season if the Braves actually inked him to a return deal? Well, no. Despite being one of the greatest closers of all time even this early into his career, he’s still just one guy.
He can replace Arodys Vizcaino at the back end of the bullpen (Vizcaino, possibly the most reliable piece on the relief staff, is out for the season), but he can’t set up for himself, or do damage control for three innings in the middle of a game. He’s a great pitcher, but he’s not five great pitchers.
The starting rotation, which has been very good, isn’t going to provide eight innings every night, either.
Unfortunately, that’s the only situation in which signing Craig Kimbrel solves all of the Braves’ problems. That being said, it also would be a good start. The best bullpens are built from the 9th inning on down, and a reunion with Kimbrel would certainly be a step in the right direction.
Acuna Money-tata
By: TJ Hartnett
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
If we’ve learned anything from the 11th hour contract signings of Manny Machado and Bryce Harper and the fact that Dallas Keuchel and Craig Kimbrel are spending time with their families nearly a week into the new season, it’s that free agency is not the sure-fire promised land it once appeared to be.
In fact, players all across Major League Baseball seemed to have realized that in the past few weeks.
The Harper and Machado deals were followed by a slew of contract extensions, pushing back free agency for the likes of Alex Bregman, Jacob DeGrom, Blake Snell, Paul Goldschmidt, Xander Bogaerts, Justin Verlander and of course Mike Trout.
These are all players who would make a killing on the open market, with teams fighting over them to the tune of escalating contract offers, or at least that would have been the case a few years ago.
The cold stove of 2018-2019 seems to have put ballplayers off of free agency altogether, opting to agree to terms with their current teams instead.
For Braves fans, that trend reached its glorious zenith on Tuesday, as Atlanta inked Ronald Acuna, Jr. to an eight-year, $100 million-dollar extension, with team options for years 9 and 10.
The details of the contract, briefly, are this: it starts this year, when Acuna will earn $1 million, then bumps up to $5 million in 2021 before a nice raise to $15 million in 2022 and settling in at $17 million from 2023 to 2026. The team options are worth $17 million for 2027 and 2028 with a $10 million buyout before the ’27 season.
For a young kid who’s got only one year in the majors under his belt (a Rookie of the Year, mind you), that’s a lot of scratch. On the other hand, based on this kid’s potential ceiling, it might end up being a steal for the Braves.
I was reading MLB end-of-year award predictions last week, and one of them put their money on Acuna to win the National League MVP in his second season. His prediction didn’t begin with “now this seems crazy.” That’s because it’s not crazy. What Acuna showed in 111 games in 2018 is that he can be an elite player at the big-league level.
For the sake of comparison, here’s what some former MVPs are going to be making in 2019:
Mike Trout – $36 million
Clayton Kershaw – $31 million
Bryce Harper – $30 million
Miguel Cabrera – $30 million
Justin Verlander – $28 million
Albert Pujols – $28 million
Giancarlo Stanton – $28 million
Let’s also not overlook the fact that Acuna’s teammate Josh Donaldson, who is 33 and coming off an injury-plagued 2018, is making $23 million this season.
Now I have no idea if Acuna will win the NL MVP this year, but if he does, he’ll be making nearly $30 million less than the average of the eight guys I just mentioned.
If he wins an MVP award at any point during the next eight seasons, he’ll be making at most $13 million less than that average.
So, at best the Braves are getting a bargain on Acuna’s potential production. As much as baseball players get paid, this deal is a good one even if Acuna’s rookie campaign turns out to be his ceiling.
A good defensive outfielder who hits around .300 with 25+ dingers and a handful of stolen bases to boot is worth $17 million easy.
Andrew McCutchen (another former MVP) is making $17 million with the Phillies this year and he’s beyond the days where he can put up those kinds of numbers.
And let’s face it: Acuna has not come close to hitting his ceiling. Good deal.
Young Guns
By: TJ Hartnett
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The starting rotation for a professional baseball team going into the start of the season can set the tone for a club early on.
Some rotations are intimidating and strike fear into the hearts of opponents from the get-go. Some showcase talent without experience – potential, defined.
Look at the Boston Red Sox, for example. They have two former Cy Young award winners in David Price and Rick Porcello slotting in a two and three in their rotation behind ace Chris Sale. You think the Seattle Mariners are excited to launch their season staring down the barrels of those guns?
Washington has the same feather in its cap: Max Scherzer leads the charge with Stephen Strasburg and new National, Patrick Corbin, at his back. These are scary arms to contend with, and teams have every right to be nervous.
The Atlanta Braves, however, are sort of in the latter category but the situation with the starters is fluid.
They have already announced their starting rotation to begin the year, starting with Julio Teheran opening the season in Philadelphia.
Atlanta will follow that up with Bryse Wilson in game two of the series and Kyle Wright making his first ever big league start during the third contest.
Following that trio is Sean Newcomb getting the nod for the Braves home opener, and then Max Fried taking a turn on the mound after Julio gets his second start of the year on normal rest.
No Mike Foltynewicz and no Kevin Gausman to start the season. Both of them will miss time due to injury, though mercifully it doesn’t seem like either will be out for the long haul.
Still, beginning the year with this rotation; an Opening Day starter who will likely never live up to expectations and four kids with barely a season’s worth of a starts under their belts combined is potential trouble as much as it is full of potential.
Setting aside Julio for now, there is very little experience in the rotation. That’s not a guarantee of failure, but four kids are probably not going to make the leap all at the same time.
Newcomb knows how hard a major league season can be; just look at his second-half struggles in 2018.
If nearly the whole rotation struggles for the first few weeks of the season before the “veterans” Folty and Gausman can come back and do their thing, the Braves will be looking up from a self-dug hole that they may not be able to climb out of. Especially given the huge improvements made by nearly the rest of the NL East.
Still, there is plenty to be excited about. The two rookies (Wilson and Wright) and the two not-quite-rookies (Newk and Fried) are highly touted prospects, and the more time they spend facing Major League hitters the better chance they’ll have at developing into winning pieces on the staff.
It’s frustrating to open the season with unknowns when the knowns are injured (or sitting at home as unsigned free agents), but the talent is undeniable, and Wilson, Wright, and Fried all had very strong springs.
Fake Ace
By: TJ Hartnett
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Pay attention, because this one is going to have a twist ending.
Julio Teheran, the right-handed pitcher whom the Braves once thought could be their stud, is sadly kind of an afterthought in Atlanta these days.
Mike Foltynewicz is the young, flame throwing ace and he’s backed up by Kevin Gausman and a slew of homegrown prospects like Sean Newcomb, Mike Soroka, Touki Toussaint, and what feels like dozens of others.
There was a time when Julio was the next big thing and he’s got a pretty nice paycheck to prove it. He’s got two All Star appearances to his credit, and three out of his first four seasons he managed an ERA of 3.21 or less.
But something has just failed to click. He hasn’t been awful in the two seasons since that run, but he hasn’t been able to rack up wins. He went 7-10 in 2016, 11-13 in 2017, and dead-even 9-9 despite an ERA under 4.00 last season. For whatever reason, he just hasn’t been the guy that Braves Country wanted him to be.
Teheran has slipped from being a top-of-the-rotation piece to being the guy everyone was positive would get moved at the trade deadline. That did not happen but everyone knew he would get traded in the offseason. However, that didn’t happen either.
And now, instead of being traded, Julio Teheran is going to make his sixth consecutive Opening Day start next week.
Why not the ace of the staff? Where is Folty? Folty is hurt; maybe for all of April. Gausman has only made two appearances this Spring due to injury. Soroka has been sent down to the minors to begin the season. Newcomb’s second half struggles from last season seem to be following him into the new year.
So, Julio Teheran will make his sixth straight Opening Day start; not because he deserves it, but because he is the only option.
By hitting six in a row, Julio joins the illustrious ranks of legendary Braves pitchers like Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine. Except, here’s the thing: no, he doesn’t.
He’s already surpassed them. Maddux never made six in a row. Neither did Glavine. Nor John Smoltz or Phil Niekro or Johnny Sain.
In fact, the only other pitcher in Braves history to start six consecutive Opening Days is Hall of Famer Warren Spahn.
In fact, Julio will be fourth all-time in overall Opening Day starts by the end of the week, trailing only Spahn, Niekro, and Maddux.
I don’t mean to crap on Julio. He seems like a nice guy and I like him. He’s been remarkably healthy for a pitcher in the 21st century: he started 30 games his rookie year and has never started fewer in the five seasons since then.
He’s never had an ERA above 4.49, and his next highest is 4.04. That’s far from awful.
But the guy whose rookie season set Dixie on fire didn’t evolve into an ace. He didn’t become a guy who should be pitching the first game of the season for a sixth year in a row. And yet, here we go.
Brave Lineup
By: TJ Hartnett
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The excitement of spring training always tends to waver as the weeks of March drag on.
Barring positional battles, the only things to latch on to are little joys like seeing the probable Major League lineup penciled in for their first spring game together.
It gives fans a chance to see what they might see come Opening Day and beyond. It is not generally meaningful in any way, but it is always fun and a reminder that real games are on the horizon.
Brian Snitker recently fielded all of his major starting players for a game and thus penciled in a batting order for a ravenous fanbase to consume while we wait for the front office to probably not make any moves, despite a need.
Instead, we made do with seeing a peak into Snitker’s plan and that plan seemingly includes toying around with moving Ronald Acuna, Jr. to the cleanup position in the lineup.
This is notable because the Braves really caught fire last season with Acuna leading off. So, what gives? Well there are two simple answers: the first one is, Snitker is just messing around to see how the lineup reacts to different ways of being put together. This isn’t a sign of things to come, just an experiment for exhibition games; the second answer is power.
Acuna is strong. He hit 26 home runs in 2018, which led the Braves. I might add, despite playing in just 111 games.
Traditionally, the bat with the biggest power (that isn’t your “best hitter,” mind you) bats fourth. For Atlanta, that power belongs to the young phenom. So, it makes traditional sense that he would bat fourth (26 homers in 111 games stretches out to 38 bombs over the course of a full season). So, there’s that.
There’s also the matter of “who else?” The Braves signed Josh Donaldson to bring some pop to the hot corner and he fits the bill of a cleanup hitter too, but he has made it clear that he’s adverse to cleaning up.
Snitker hit him second that first full-team day, and consensus seems to be that second is where he’ll slot in during the regular season.
As for Freddie Freeman; let’s just assume that it would take an act of god to pry him out of the three-hole and move on. He’s the face of the Braves and his numbers back him up being there.
Beyond that, there’s the Braves’ cleanup hitter from last season: Nick Markakis. Obviously, that worked out fine in 2018 but Markakis is likely to regress and was never really suited for the task to begin with.
Arguably he’d be a better fit for leadoff if Snit does hit Acuna fourth (Ender Inciarte led off the lineup in question).
So maybe Acuna is the way to go, just out of necessity.
On the other hand, the spark he brought to the lineup from the leadoff spot can’t be ignored. Plus, he’s on the record as wanting to hit first and shouldn’t we keep this kid happy?
Plus, traditional isn’t necessarily the same thing as “correct.” I definitely have an image of what a traditional lineup should look like, but that’s somewhat of a trap.
Modern thinking has begun leaning towards front-loading a lineup so that the best players get the most at bats. That would support the notion of keeping Acuna where he was at the end of last season.
Regardless of where he ends up (and my gut tells me he’ll be getting the Braves’ first at bat come March 28th), the Braves will have a very formidable top of the lineup with Acuna, Freeman, and a healthy Donaldson. If Ozzie Albies can have a whole season that looks like his first half from last year, then they’ll be sitting very pretty.
Though, a pitcher could help.
Un-Armed
By: TJ Hartnett
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The baseball gods can be a cruel, unforgiving higher power.
When the hubris of a front office interferes with their will, they can strike down upon a team with great vengeance and furious anger that would make Samuel L. Jackson proud.
The baseball deities seem to have made their displeasure with the Atlanta Braves known, though mercifully not to Sam Jackson levels just yet.
Instead, they have handed out minor injuries to the Braves pitching staff, apparently in retaliation for the Braves’ front office avoiding spending any significant money or prospect capital this offseason. More specifically, not acquiring a stud pitcher to stand alongside Mike Foltynewicz and lead the staff in 2019.
Hyperbole aside, it really does seem like the injuries to Folty and Kevin Gausman (not to mention to relievers Darren O’Day and AJ Minter) are, at the very least, correlated to Alex Anthopoulos’ failure to pick up a starter since October.
That isn’t how real life works, I realize, but the lack of a new Brave and the slew of pitching injuries simply cannot be separated.
Imagine if the Braves had gone out and miraculously picked up Patrick Corbin, the biggest free agent pitcher available on the market. With Corbin reported to Spring Training in a Braves uniform, a couple of minor injuries to Folty and Gausman that, at worst, hold them out until the end of the April don’t seem like the end of the world.
But the reality is that injuries to the top two pitchers on the team, even minor injuries, are concerning developments with no one to pick up the slack.
It seems like Gausman is likely to be ready for Opening Day and that’s great.
But Folty missing two or three weeks at the beginning of the season has the potential to be truly damning for the Braves’ early season success.
It adds extra shine to the fact that the Mets, the Nationals, and the Phillies have all improved themselves (yes, the Nats lost Harper, but they picked up the aforementioned Corbin to solidify a terrifying rotation and also Harper is supremely overrated).
The Braves were falling behind even at full strength, but losing their ace for the first few weeks of the new campaign could put them in a deeper hole than necessary. Especially, since the Braves open the season in Philadelphia and host a four-game set against the Mets with the first two weeks.
Couple those tough series with tough draws like the Chicago Cubs, the Colorado Rockies in Denver, the Arizona Diamondbacks, and the Indians in Cleveland and not having someone to step into Folty’s shoes may cause the Braves to be looking up in the standings by a significant margin well before the close of April.
It was foolhardy for Anthopoulos and company to do nothing. Even signing a 3- or 4-type pitcher would have strengthened the Braves’ ability to weather this injury storm, but as it stands right now Julio Teheran is looking like the team’s number 2 to start the year (assuming Gausman’s health), and that is not a position Atlanta should be comfortable with if they intend to repeat or even compete for another division title.
Gausman may take the mound on Opening Day, or the Braves could turn to Sean Newcomb. Neither scrape the bottom of the barrel, but neither are who the Braves nor Braves Country want to see throwing the first pitch of the season.
There is still one avenue the Braves could take to remedy this situation and that is by calling Dallas Keuchel’s agent and paying him what he wants.
There is an ace-level pitcher sitting at home while Spring Training games are being played and the Braves are scrambling to fill their rotation.
Of course, even if the Braves do sign Keuchel, he won’t be ready for Opening Day on account of missing the start of Spring Training.
Never piss off the baseball gods.
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.
