5 years 130 is not crazy for decent starting pitching
He isn't a high velo guy, so I bet his stuff ages well as he goes into years 3,4,5 and even if he does regress i doubt he will be 39 year uncle Charlie 2 seasons ago and we paid him 20m
Has there been any chatter involving the Braves over the last few weeks? Feel like everything has went dead silent. Even from national guy’s, just trying to get a click.
Interesting how dead quiet news around Ozuna’s free agency has been. I feel like he’s going to end up on a noncontender like the Pirates. Good clubhouse guy who can still hit 20+ HRs.
A pure DH is just a tough sell unless you are ELITE it just limits roster construction so much not being able to play him in the field at all to give someone a rest
With the big name pitchers starting to come off the board now, I'll be interested to se if AA makes a run at one of the second tier guys. I know I have been on about Bassitt all off-season, but I do feel we need another solid arm to eat innings to hopefully get our guys back into pitching how they were.
MLB is doing their top 100 players list thing again. They ranked Drake Baldwin at #96 and no other Braves through #81, which is far as they've gotten.
They did say Austin Riley is not on the list this year, which seems like a snub, but I'm not sure I disagree. I do believe he'll bounce back this year, though, depending on how fully recovered he'll be from his injury.
After 2025, sure, but if Riley has managed to heal up from his injury (who knows how lingering his sports hernia is or how long he tried to play through it), I don't see a reason why can't get close to his 2021-2023 self.
Riley last two years have put doubt over how he will perform the rest of his career. That's another reason why many don't think the Braves will win anything in 2026.
He has to be that 2nd big bat behind Ronnie. I love Olson, but her is not a superstar. The Braves NEED 2023 Riley or I just don't think they will have enough offensively.
In 2025, Matt Olson won a Gold Glove, was a Silver Slugger finalist, and led the team in almost every offensive metric. Overall, Matt Olson holds the Atlanta Braves single-season home run record, has three Gold Gloves, a Silver Slugger, and has been an All-Star three times. Why is he catching strays here?
He had the 12th best season last year on average and 20th is as low you as could logically put it. The olson hate because he only hit 29 dingers is insane.
Funny enough Langeliers is ranked at 92 just 4 spots ahead of Baldwin and both hard good seasons last year. I only bring him up as obviously he was the best piece Oak got in the Olson deal.
While I probably would have been down for signing him if we did, I leaned more on preferring we didn't. I prefer not to sign any QO free agent. My preference right now is to work out a Peralta trade, but you really never know what AA might come up with.
Ya'll, I'm so bored. January is the worst month, in my opinion, because baseball in general seems so far away. Thanksgiving and Christmas is a distraction and once those are done, what's there to look forward to? Valentine's Day? My mind is racing with plans of getting tickets for 6/20 (my birthday) versus the Brewers and I'm already planning on what binoculars I'm going to get and how many things I can stuff into my approved one-gallon baggie.
I want it to be here now!
EDIT: I should also mention that the Chattanooga Lookouts are getting a new stadium this year and I'm also looking forward to that.
A few options to scratch the itch. My personal favorite is to look up old Braves games on Youtube. There's tons of 90s games on there!
Another is to watch the archives on mlb.tv. Unfortunately, you need a subscription for that, but I bought a month for $7 and I've watched a bunch games. Worth every penny to watch the Pour Larry a Crown game again!
I've just gotten back into watching and going to baseball in the past couple of years and that sounds like a great way to "catch up" on the past 25 years or so.
You know, I really don't want Kyle Tucker to go the Mets, but I also just need to remind myself that somehow, the Mets will find a way to lolmets even if they do land him.
If Kyle Tucker is somehow reading this, hey bro, only sign with the Mets if you want a high chance of spending October in Cancun.
I kind of felt at the beginning of the offseason that if the Mets chose to go a different direction than Alonso that Tucker was likely heavily in play for them.
I honestly thought they would go Tucker Medium/longer term with Belli as a backup, but seems like they are going to try Tucker short term high AAV which isn't a typical lolmets move unfortunately.
I'm wondering if there isn't a little bit of Soto regret. They signed that massive deal and immediately flopped. It wasn't Soto's fault, to be sure, but it definitely felt like maybe putting so many eggs in one basket was a bad move.
Honestly if it was any team but the Mets and Cohen I might agree, but it's hard to argue against signing a 25 year old superstar who is on track to being a very highly touted HOFer to a long term deal, even at the number they gave him. Like it or not, hard to argue against building the foundation of a team, even today and Soto not being close to the top of the list, he's still so young and we may still not have seen his best yet.
Sadly for us, Stearns' strategy appears pretty good so far, get a young superstar, sign good FAs to high AAV short term deals and build the farm system. It's very "Dodgers-esk" and they're just missing the pitching component to truly be in a championship window themselves. I don't think the staff is there for next year, but they're not far off.
It honestly felt like the plan for last year was 1 last ride for the old foundation and if it didn't work, tear it down and rebuild it. Easy to say with hindsight, but they never did go get any high end arms last year either so the plan may be similar for this season. Try to sneak in the post-season and then work on the staff.
Apparently, Cam Caminiti had quite a few mechanical changes. His fastball velocity is up a bit (heard reports of him touching 99 but no idea if thats true) with higher IVB. His arm slot is lower with more extension. And he's now throwing a kick change
I’m really curious to see how the DH will be used this year. I wonder if there is still another bat AA would like to target. I’m cool with a platoon of White and Yaz, but obviously the greed inside me would desire more lol.
The theory I see most is that Profar will be the main DH with Yaz taking the field most often. But the DH will also rotate more often, giving opportunities for Baldwin, Acuna, Olson, and everyone to get days off from the field.
I think a lot of us respect what Olson has done the last 5 years, but 2131 itself takes 13+ years to achieve. Olson just finished his age 31 season. Braves sub or not, Cal's 2131 streak is not being broken by Olson. I think you kind of lost sight of exactly what Cal accomplished.
Look at it this way. Cal left it at 2632. Matt's streak is at 785. He still needs 523 games to get to 1308 even. Another 3.2 seasons. If he plays every day for the next 4 years he'd be on 1433 and 35 years old. That's IF we have a full season or one at all in 27.
I hope we see a healthy and productive Murphy this year. That can really bolster our lineup. Love the flexibility. We got a deep lineup if we see some positive regression.
I hope this surgery he has fixes him. He said he's been in pain for years, so maybe this will get him to consistency. When he's good, he's one of the best catchers in baseball.
Where are we grading this off-season so far, gang?
For me we're in strong A- territory after the latest Kim and Kinley deals, bordering on an A or A+ if AA can pull something off to secure a starting pitcher we'd be comfortable starting in a playoff game.
I don't think we've massively raised the ceiling but we sure as hell have raised the floor, and I think we are a competitor as constructed today. Give me a strong #2 or #3 rotation guy and I think we have reasonable top 5 World Series odds if we can wake a few bats up.
Our ceiling is what we did in 2023. That's a ceiling that's really hard to raise. I don't see us ever reaching that ceiling again but I do see our potential as somewhere between 2023 and 2025 -- our best and worst years in recent memory. Just like I don't believe we'll see the 2023 ceiling again, I don't think we'll see the 2025 floor either. AA's moves have made 2025 a much more distant possibility by, as you said, raising the floor. I think the floor is raised enough that we'll do better than 2024 too.
Currently, I think the off-season stands at a B+. I would like the floor on our starting pitching to be raised as well. A solid addition to the rotation would make this an A.
Rumors have the Yankees as the favorites to land him with Luis Gil as the centerpiece for their side.
If they're willing to give up too steep a price to land him, let them. Peralta is great, but I don't think we should overpay for him. Especially not when we already have guys without options competing for a rotation spot.
I wish we would have done Ranger's deal.
5 years 130 is not crazy for decent starting pitching
He isn't a high velo guy, so I bet his stuff ages well as he goes into years 3,4,5 and even if he does regress i doubt he will be 39 year uncle Charlie 2 seasons ago and we paid him 20m
Has there been any chatter involving the Braves over the last few weeks? Feel like everything has went dead silent. Even from national guy’s, just trying to get a click.
Seriously. Football season is basically over. Give me scoops
Interesting how dead quiet news around Ozuna’s free agency has been. I feel like he’s going to end up on a noncontender like the Pirates. Good clubhouse guy who can still hit 20+ HRs.
A pure DH is just a tough sell unless you are ELITE it just limits roster construction so much not being able to play him in the field at all to give someone a rest
With the big name pitchers starting to come off the board now, I'll be interested to se if AA makes a run at one of the second tier guys. I know I have been on about Bassitt all off-season, but I do feel we need another solid arm to eat innings to hopefully get our guys back into pitching how they were.
I wanted Ranger Suarez 😔. Oh well at least he didn't go to the mets lol.
Mets can sign whoever they want, they'll still miss the playoffs lol
MLB is doing their top 100 players list thing again. They ranked Drake Baldwin at #96 and no other Braves through #81, which is far as they've gotten.
They did say Austin Riley is not on the list this year, which seems like a snub, but I'm not sure I disagree. I do believe he'll bounce back this year, though, depending on how fully recovered he'll be from his injury.
Riley belongs nowhere near the top 100.
After 2025, sure, but if Riley has managed to heal up from his injury (who knows how lingering his sports hernia is or how long he tried to play through it), I don't see a reason why can't get close to his 2021-2023 self.
Riley last two years have put doubt over how he will perform the rest of his career. That's another reason why many don't think the Braves will win anything in 2026.
He has to be that 2nd big bat behind Ronnie. I love Olson, but her is not a superstar. The Braves NEED 2023 Riley or I just don't think they will have enough offensively.
In 2025, Matt Olson won a Gold Glove, was a Silver Slugger finalist, and led the team in almost every offensive metric. Overall, Matt Olson holds the Atlanta Braves single-season home run record, has three Gold Gloves, a Silver Slugger, and has been an All-Star three times. Why is he catching strays here?
He had the 12th best season last year on average and 20th is as low you as could logically put it. The olson hate because he only hit 29 dingers is insane.
Not catching strays lol. He is a very good player, and his 2023 year was fantastic. But this team is going as far as Ronnie AND Riley will take them.
Matt olson and RAJ will both be top 20 I'm guessing
Funny enough Langeliers is ranked at 92 just 4 spots ahead of Baldwin and both hard good seasons last year. I only bring him up as obviously he was the best piece Oak got in the Olson deal.
Ranger Suarez to the Red Sox. The bad man is gone!
I think I would've done 5/$130 for him. That's probably going to be a good deal.
Well, that’s one headache we don’t really have to worry about anymore.
Yes at least he is out of the division. I wouldn’t mind Bassitt.
That's who I want.
Man that rotation is going to be nasty with all the young position players they have. Crochet, Suarez, Gray can get you through any playoff series.
While I probably would have been down for signing him if we did, I leaned more on preferring we didn't. I prefer not to sign any QO free agent. My preference right now is to work out a Peralta trade, but you really never know what AA might come up with.
I’m curious to see what happens with Framber Valdez now.
I don't want him. Might hit Baldwin after he pitches poorly
Braves farm system isn't enough for Peralta. He's gonna cost alot
Yep, I think AA is smart to not sign a QO guy, and even if he wanted to, I’m glad he didn’t pay that kind of money to Suarez like the Red Sox did.
Agreed. I’m just glad we’re less likely to have to go against him. He has our number.
Ya'll, I'm so bored. January is the worst month, in my opinion, because baseball in general seems so far away. Thanksgiving and Christmas is a distraction and once those are done, what's there to look forward to? Valentine's Day? My mind is racing with plans of getting tickets for 6/20 (my birthday) versus the Brewers and I'm already planning on what binoculars I'm going to get and how many things I can stuff into my approved one-gallon baggie.
I want it to be here now!
EDIT: I should also mention that the Chattanooga Lookouts are getting a new stadium this year and I'm also looking forward to that.
A few options to scratch the itch. My personal favorite is to look up old Braves games on Youtube. There's tons of 90s games on there!
Another is to watch the archives on mlb.tv. Unfortunately, you need a subscription for that, but I bought a month for $7 and I've watched a bunch games. Worth every penny to watch the Pour Larry a Crown game again!
I've just gotten back into watching and going to baseball in the past couple of years and that sounds like a great way to "catch up" on the past 25 years or so.
You know, I really don't want Kyle Tucker to go the Mets, but I also just need to remind myself that somehow, the Mets will find a way to lolmets even if they do land him.
If Kyle Tucker is somehow reading this, hey bro, only sign with the Mets if you want a high chance of spending October in Cancun.
I kind of felt at the beginning of the offseason that if the Mets chose to go a different direction than Alonso that Tucker was likely heavily in play for them.
Almost every move they've made seems to have Tucker as their main target. Really hoping they don't land him so I can continue to point and laugh.
I honestly thought they would go Tucker Medium/longer term with Belli as a backup, but seems like they are going to try Tucker short term high AAV which isn't a typical lolmets move unfortunately.
I'm wondering if there isn't a little bit of Soto regret. They signed that massive deal and immediately flopped. It wasn't Soto's fault, to be sure, but it definitely felt like maybe putting so many eggs in one basket was a bad move.
Honestly if it was any team but the Mets and Cohen I might agree, but it's hard to argue against signing a 25 year old superstar who is on track to being a very highly touted HOFer to a long term deal, even at the number they gave him. Like it or not, hard to argue against building the foundation of a team, even today and Soto not being close to the top of the list, he's still so young and we may still not have seen his best yet.
Sadly for us, Stearns' strategy appears pretty good so far, get a young superstar, sign good FAs to high AAV short term deals and build the farm system. It's very "Dodgers-esk" and they're just missing the pitching component to truly be in a championship window themselves. I don't think the staff is there for next year, but they're not far off.
It honestly felt like the plan for last year was 1 last ride for the old foundation and if it didn't work, tear it down and rebuild it. Easy to say with hindsight, but they never did go get any high end arms last year either so the plan may be similar for this season. Try to sneak in the post-season and then work on the staff.
How has no one mentioned that we have an actual game on the board now?
40 days!
I miss baseball
Looks like the A-List Opening Day sale started a little early. Might want to check in early, all.
Does anyone know if the Athletic is gonna replace DOB? Or are the Braves joining the long list of non-NFL teams without a beat writer?
I heard it’ll be a man named Brien O’David
Apparently, Cam Caminiti had quite a few mechanical changes. His fastball velocity is up a bit (heard reports of him touching 99 but no idea if thats true) with higher IVB. His arm slot is lower with more extension. And he's now throwing a kick change
Where'd this awesome news come from?
Baseball America reported on it
Hell yeah
Brother
i just came
I’m really curious to see how the DH will be used this year. I wonder if there is still another bat AA would like to target. I’m cool with a platoon of White and Yaz, but obviously the greed inside me would desire more lol.
The theory I see most is that Profar will be the main DH with Yaz taking the field most often. But the DH will also rotate more often, giving opportunities for Baldwin, Acuna, Olson, and everyone to get days off from the field.
Matt is gonna go for 1308. 2131 isn't even out of the question.
He wouldn't play into that calculus too often.
I think a lot of us respect what Olson has done the last 5 years, but 2131 itself takes 13+ years to achieve. Olson just finished his age 31 season. Braves sub or not, Cal's 2131 streak is not being broken by Olson. I think you kind of lost sight of exactly what Cal accomplished.
Look at it this way. Cal left it at 2632. Matt's streak is at 785. He still needs 523 games to get to 1308 even. Another 3.2 seasons. If he plays every day for the next 4 years he'd be on 1433 and 35 years old. That's IF we have a full season or one at all in 27.
I hope we see a healthy and productive Murphy this year. That can really bolster our lineup. Love the flexibility. We got a deep lineup if we see some positive regression.
I hope this surgery he has fixes him. He said he's been in pain for years, so maybe this will get him to consistency. When he's good, he's one of the best catchers in baseball.
Where are we grading this off-season so far, gang?
For me we're in strong A- territory after the latest Kim and Kinley deals, bordering on an A or A+ if AA can pull something off to secure a starting pitcher we'd be comfortable starting in a playoff game.
I don't think we've massively raised the ceiling but we sure as hell have raised the floor, and I think we are a competitor as constructed today. Give me a strong #2 or #3 rotation guy and I think we have reasonable top 5 World Series odds if we can wake a few bats up.
B to B+
B+ for me, I cannot give any sort of A until we address the obvious need for another SP
Our ceiling is what we did in 2023. That's a ceiling that's really hard to raise. I don't see us ever reaching that ceiling again but I do see our potential as somewhere between 2023 and 2025 -- our best and worst years in recent memory. Just like I don't believe we'll see the 2023 ceiling again, I don't think we'll see the 2025 floor either. AA's moves have made 2025 a much more distant possibility by, as you said, raising the floor. I think the floor is raised enough that we'll do better than 2024 too.
Currently, I think the off-season stands at a B+. I would like the floor on our starting pitching to be raised as well. A solid addition to the rotation would make this an A.
I would still like a very good (not necessarily ace) reliable pitcher. Our starting rotation still counts on a lot of “potential”.
Looks like Bo bichette is finally signing with us today
Why?
Ever seen the man hit a baseball?
I have. He's fine. Let's ignore that we have nowhere to put him. Why do you think he's signing with us?
My sources tell me the contract is in the mail. Bo loves Georgia he’s looking for a place in east Atlanta village
Your sources?
That’s right, my sources. Just wait. It’s been a done deal for a couple days now
If you’re right, which you’re not, I’ll send you a Braves tee shirt
I'm saving this one. If you're right, I'll start a thread that's a party just for you.
Oh I’m right, you’ll see. Thank you
If you're wrong you will be banished to the shadow realm (r/Mets)
🙏🏾🙏🏾💯💯
Is today the day we trade for Freddy Peralta? Or is that tomorrow?
Rumors have the Yankees as the favorites to land him with Luis Gil as the centerpiece for their side.
If they're willing to give up too steep a price to land him, let them. Peralta is great, but I don't think we should overpay for him. Especially not when we already have guys without options competing for a rotation spot.