The buildup to baseball’s trade deadline reached a crescendo for the Braves on Thursday night when the team dealt relief pitcher Cody Martin to Oakland for, and I’m not making this up, “International Bonus Pool Slot No. 53.”
I have been assured that “International Bonus Pool Slot No. 53” has more value than “player to be named later” or “future considerations” or “leftover tuna casserole” and that the move gives Braves flexibility in that they are entitled to pick a player from ANY foreign territory, from Tijuana to Latvia, and including the Republic of Macedonia, which is fortunate because Atlanta is down one Macedonian after Pero Antic fled the Hawks for Turkey.
Well. This should provide a nice lift in the clubhouse.
Prepare yourselves for little to nothing. There are 29 days until the major league’s non-waiver trade deadline, but the likes of Fred McGriff will not be walking through that door for the pennant drive and the press box will not be catching on fire that day (kids: Google), assuming Braves CEO Terry McGuirk doesn’t shoot a flaming arrow in my direction after reading this.
After a winter of payroll paring, prospect aggregating and grand planning for 2017 in the House That Cobb Taxpayers Built, there is no indication that president of baseball ops John Hart will spin a major deal for a starting pitcher or a high-priced corner outfielder. The Braves are not chasing a pennant, as much as manager Fredi Gonzalez wouldn’t mind trying.
Gonzalez joked Thursday that he already has his shopping list ready for Hart. When asked if he would like to see the Braves add pieces (long shot) or expected Hart to deal a veteran or two (more likely) with an eye toward the future, Gonzalez cracked: “Yeah, I want five pieces.”
You already have the names?
“Let’s see … (Clayton) Kershaw, (Mike) Trout …”
Pause.
“Actually, we may have to wait for the Cobb County stadium for Trout.”
Seriously though: It’s not that time or math go against the Braves for a playoff run. It’s the roster that goes against them. That’s meant as no disrespect to the “grinding” and “scrappy” and “hard-working” players who “play the game the right way.” (That should cover the daily talking points.) The Braves were four games under .500 (37-41) going into Thursday’s series finale against Washington and there’s nothing about the team’s talent level of play to suggest they’re going to make a run.
This will be a challenge for Braves fans. Like all fans, they live for deadline deals and the hope of tomorrow. We’ve seen a few in this town with this club. The biggest deadline arrivals: McGriff, from San Diego, in July 1993; John Smoltz for Doyle Alexander from Detroit in 1987. The biggest deadline departure: Dale Murphy, to Philadelphia, in August 1990, only four days after the deadline.
ESPN baseball analyst Jim Bowden, a former general manager, listed the 10 most likely teams to be sellers at the deadline. The Braves were No. 9, with this comment: “The Braves have stayed competitive for most of the first half, but don’t expect that to continue in the second half. They’ve done most of their selling, so all that’s really left is some veteran bench and bullpen help.”
Traded candidates listed by Bowden: Relievers Jason Grilli and Jim Johnson, as well as Kelly Johnson, Jonny Gomes and Chris Johnson. Oddly, Bowden didn’t list catcher A.J. Pierzynski, a seemingly attractive bench piece for some teams. But then Bowden never was much of a visionary as a general manager.
Hart said he doesn’t have a plan as of now, but he added, “I’ve never been a big deadline player. I’ve never made a monster deal, one way or the other. … We might not do anything.”
Gonzalez, who’s in the final year of his contract and obviously would benefit from improved personnel, said he would understand if Hart opts instead to deal old-for-young.
“I would (support it),” he said. “You have to look at where we’re at. If we get to the trade deadline and we’re two, three four games above .500 and we’re right there, we can make a run at it. But if we’re making deals to get better (in the future), I would understand.”
It’s the new reality.
