Post by Strategist on Jan 15, 2020 8:42:56 GMT
2018 Review:
Record: 63-99 5th in NL East. R/G Scored: 15th (NL) R/G Against: 9th (NL)
So going to do the teams that are obviously playing for the future a little different and focus more on that future than their season. Will still be going over all trades and FA moves.
2019 Review:
Record: 69-93 5th in NL East. R/G Scored: 15th (NL) R/G Against: 11th (NL)
Rankings were very similar to 2018 but did win 6 more games.
Future:
Salary Cap: 63.2 Mil under next years cap. I am sure his budget has dropped with 2 poor season but I would guess he still has 60-70 Mil to spend this offseason. No real pressing FAs.
Lineup: To kind of look back there was a trade that turned out pretty amazing for the Braves. The Braves sent SP Sean Manaea to SEA for 3B Austin Riley, 2B Keston Hiura, and 1B Yordan Alvarez. Riley was later moved in another trade but Hiura already has gotten a very good projection and Alvarez has a monster one. Pair them with Vladimir Guerrero Jr and SS Wander Franco (#1) overall prospect on most lists although only 18 and still a few years away from the pros if I were to guess. That is just an UBER talented core to build your lineup around. Focusing on next year they will have an unspectacular but solid OF of RF Kole Calhoun, CF Mallex Smith, and LF Domingo Santana. Defensive wiz C Jorge Alfaro behind the plate and he is only slighty below league average on offense the last 2 seasons so should be usable at the plate in the sim. It does look like they need an upgrade at SS, and CF in the short term. Long term CF should be fielded by another top 100 prospect in Cristian Pache. Even so as it stands now they still have a very good lineup with an extremely bright future.
Rotation: Doesn't quite have the same type of MLB ready talent as the lineup. Frankie Montas should get an above average projection after that Dylan Bundy, Matt Boyd, Zach Davies and Miles Mikolas were all league average IRL and will probably get a similar type projection next season. So they have roughly 5 averagish SPs and they have high end top 100 type prospects in Hunter Greene, Sixto Sanchez, Ian Anderson, and Dane Dunning but 2 of those guys missed all of 2019 with elbow surgeries and the other 2 are likely to spend the majority of the season in the minors so the Braves are looking at 2021 before any of those guys are useful in the sim. So the Braves need to find some starting pitching. Which is what half of the contenders need so it is easier said then done. With their cap space and mid tier prospect cache it shouldn't be impossible to get at least 1 top end SP. If they could get 1 top end and another #2 or #3 type that should be enough to compete with their lineup.
Bullpen: This needs a lot of work with only Micheal Lorenzen under contract and above average RP. Bullpens aren't as hard to build as Rotations though so I think the Braves will be able to build a solid bullpen in 1 yr with a look towards creating an elite bullpen over the core of the next 2-3 years.
Overall with their prospects and cap space the Braves should be able to become a force. Depending on the moves they make the NL East could possibly have 5 teams over .500 next season.
Trades Overview:
LF Hunter Renfroe to SD for RP Trent Thornton, 2B Jeter Downs, and CF Jameson Hannah - For a slightly above average LF the Braves got a pretty good return. Downs being a top 100 guy and Thorton and Hannah both near the top 10 org lists.
1B Greg Bird to TB for SP Cole Hamels - This was mainly a salary dump by TB as Bird wasn't much of a prospect anymore after performing poorly for several seasons. This turned into a boon for the Braves though as you will see later.
1B Dan Vogelbach to TB for SP Micheal Pineda - Another mostly salary dump Pineda also was flipped later for a major haul in return.
SP Clay Buckholz, SP Michael Pineda, RF Jhailyn Ortiz to TB for SP Frankie Montas - Moved 2 expiring average pitchers and a mid tier prospect for Montas who pitched like an ace in 16 GS. If Montas continues to pitch well this move will turn out well for the Braves.
C Kurt Suzuki and 1B Chad Spanberger to OAK for SP Zach Davies - Spanberger a mid tier type prospect so not a high price to get Davies who is an average pitcher. This move was about the future.
2B Brian Dozier and RP Zach Duke to SEA for Jhoan Duran - A top 10 twins prospect in return for 2 guys that had no future in ATL. A very good trade for a team building for the future.
SP Cole Hamels to BAL for SP Chance Adams, and SP Hunter Greene - Hamels was pitching amazing for the Braves prior to the trade but to get a top 100 prospect even one that is hurt for a rental is a pretty good move especially when all it took was Bird to get him in the first place. Part of it was he was able to eat the salary on Hamels contract.
1B Miguel Cabrera to TBR for 3B Zach Cozart and SP Dane Dunning - Cozart was a salary dump and later given to the Angels. Dunning has been great in the minors but also hurt for the 2019 season. Still pretty good return on a 1 yr rental of an average 1B.
3B Austin Riley to COL for RF Seth Beer, and SP Mike Fiers - If I ranked everyone so far on trades Tyler would be in the top 3 in the league and maybe the best. Saying that this trade really confuses me. Riley a top 50 prospect coming into the season, crushed AAA, and crushed in the majors for like the first month he was up. To trade him for Seth Beer who I will admit has pretty much crushed in the minors so far but isn't ranked any where near as high as Riley ranking just inside the top 20 DBack prospects and Riley is younger, not even 23 yet. I will say I know that we are several months behind so maybe Riley hadn't made it to the majors yet when this trade went down? That would explain a lot. In that case Tyler wouldn't have known that Riley could play LF. So having Vlad Jr at 3rd already flipped him for an OF prospect. Still just seems like he could have gotten more for Riley.
Overall amazing trades building towards the future.
FA Overview:
Going to some this up in just a little paragraph. Mainly signed 1 year deals. A couple of 2 year deals. Players like Dozier, and Cabrera. Those players were flipped as previously stated. All of the 2 year deals were small and for upside type relievers.
Overall A-. If you aren't trying to win then this is the perfect way to play in FA short term deals that are easy to move and if you can't move them don't hurt you at all.
Record: 63-99 5th in NL East. R/G Scored: 15th (NL) R/G Against: 9th (NL)
So going to do the teams that are obviously playing for the future a little different and focus more on that future than their season. Will still be going over all trades and FA moves.
2019 Review:
Record: 69-93 5th in NL East. R/G Scored: 15th (NL) R/G Against: 11th (NL)
Rankings were very similar to 2018 but did win 6 more games.
Future:
Salary Cap: 63.2 Mil under next years cap. I am sure his budget has dropped with 2 poor season but I would guess he still has 60-70 Mil to spend this offseason. No real pressing FAs.
Lineup: To kind of look back there was a trade that turned out pretty amazing for the Braves. The Braves sent SP Sean Manaea to SEA for 3B Austin Riley, 2B Keston Hiura, and 1B Yordan Alvarez. Riley was later moved in another trade but Hiura already has gotten a very good projection and Alvarez has a monster one. Pair them with Vladimir Guerrero Jr and SS Wander Franco (#1) overall prospect on most lists although only 18 and still a few years away from the pros if I were to guess. That is just an UBER talented core to build your lineup around. Focusing on next year they will have an unspectacular but solid OF of RF Kole Calhoun, CF Mallex Smith, and LF Domingo Santana. Defensive wiz C Jorge Alfaro behind the plate and he is only slighty below league average on offense the last 2 seasons so should be usable at the plate in the sim. It does look like they need an upgrade at SS, and CF in the short term. Long term CF should be fielded by another top 100 prospect in Cristian Pache. Even so as it stands now they still have a very good lineup with an extremely bright future.
Rotation: Doesn't quite have the same type of MLB ready talent as the lineup. Frankie Montas should get an above average projection after that Dylan Bundy, Matt Boyd, Zach Davies and Miles Mikolas were all league average IRL and will probably get a similar type projection next season. So they have roughly 5 averagish SPs and they have high end top 100 type prospects in Hunter Greene, Sixto Sanchez, Ian Anderson, and Dane Dunning but 2 of those guys missed all of 2019 with elbow surgeries and the other 2 are likely to spend the majority of the season in the minors so the Braves are looking at 2021 before any of those guys are useful in the sim. So the Braves need to find some starting pitching. Which is what half of the contenders need so it is easier said then done. With their cap space and mid tier prospect cache it shouldn't be impossible to get at least 1 top end SP. If they could get 1 top end and another #2 or #3 type that should be enough to compete with their lineup.
Bullpen: This needs a lot of work with only Micheal Lorenzen under contract and above average RP. Bullpens aren't as hard to build as Rotations though so I think the Braves will be able to build a solid bullpen in 1 yr with a look towards creating an elite bullpen over the core of the next 2-3 years.
Overall with their prospects and cap space the Braves should be able to become a force. Depending on the moves they make the NL East could possibly have 5 teams over .500 next season.
Trades Overview:
LF Hunter Renfroe to SD for RP Trent Thornton, 2B Jeter Downs, and CF Jameson Hannah - For a slightly above average LF the Braves got a pretty good return. Downs being a top 100 guy and Thorton and Hannah both near the top 10 org lists.
1B Greg Bird to TB for SP Cole Hamels - This was mainly a salary dump by TB as Bird wasn't much of a prospect anymore after performing poorly for several seasons. This turned into a boon for the Braves though as you will see later.
1B Dan Vogelbach to TB for SP Micheal Pineda - Another mostly salary dump Pineda also was flipped later for a major haul in return.
SP Clay Buckholz, SP Michael Pineda, RF Jhailyn Ortiz to TB for SP Frankie Montas - Moved 2 expiring average pitchers and a mid tier prospect for Montas who pitched like an ace in 16 GS. If Montas continues to pitch well this move will turn out well for the Braves.
C Kurt Suzuki and 1B Chad Spanberger to OAK for SP Zach Davies - Spanberger a mid tier type prospect so not a high price to get Davies who is an average pitcher. This move was about the future.
2B Brian Dozier and RP Zach Duke to SEA for Jhoan Duran - A top 10 twins prospect in return for 2 guys that had no future in ATL. A very good trade for a team building for the future.
SP Cole Hamels to BAL for SP Chance Adams, and SP Hunter Greene - Hamels was pitching amazing for the Braves prior to the trade but to get a top 100 prospect even one that is hurt for a rental is a pretty good move especially when all it took was Bird to get him in the first place. Part of it was he was able to eat the salary on Hamels contract.
1B Miguel Cabrera to TBR for 3B Zach Cozart and SP Dane Dunning - Cozart was a salary dump and later given to the Angels. Dunning has been great in the minors but also hurt for the 2019 season. Still pretty good return on a 1 yr rental of an average 1B.
3B Austin Riley to COL for RF Seth Beer, and SP Mike Fiers - If I ranked everyone so far on trades Tyler would be in the top 3 in the league and maybe the best. Saying that this trade really confuses me. Riley a top 50 prospect coming into the season, crushed AAA, and crushed in the majors for like the first month he was up. To trade him for Seth Beer who I will admit has pretty much crushed in the minors so far but isn't ranked any where near as high as Riley ranking just inside the top 20 DBack prospects and Riley is younger, not even 23 yet. I will say I know that we are several months behind so maybe Riley hadn't made it to the majors yet when this trade went down? That would explain a lot. In that case Tyler wouldn't have known that Riley could play LF. So having Vlad Jr at 3rd already flipped him for an OF prospect. Still just seems like he could have gotten more for Riley.
Overall amazing trades building towards the future.
FA Overview:
Going to some this up in just a little paragraph. Mainly signed 1 year deals. A couple of 2 year deals. Players like Dozier, and Cabrera. Those players were flipped as previously stated. All of the 2 year deals were small and for upside type relievers.
Overall A-. If you aren't trying to win then this is the perfect way to play in FA short term deals that are easy to move and if you can't move them don't hurt you at all.
almost caught up