There is one player early into his $75 million contract who just hit .184.
There is another player with $26 million left on his contract who just hit .179.
Several others are eligible for arbitration, and you need not be a bookkeeper to know that that generally means an increase in digits to the left of the decimal point.
With that as a backdrop, we can surmise this much about the Braves' plans in this offseason: They're not going on a spending spree. They can't, and given past results, why would they want to? Frank Wren is not going to bask in the aftermath of some roof-raising, free-agent contract, as he did following the B.J. Upton signing last winter, only to have the roof then cave in again.
The Braves’ are limited in what they’re going to be able to do financially. Don’t blame Liberty Media. As much as the absentee corporate owner is an easy target, the Braves’ front office has known for years what the situation is: They’re annually going to sit in the middle of the pack among major league payrolls, which currently translates to about $90 million.
They’re not the Yankees ($228 million), but they’re also not the Astros ($26 million). It’s Wren’s job to make the middle work. But that’s difficult when you make high-profile mistakes. Upton isn’t going anywhere, which means escalating salaries from $13.45 million to $16.45 million for the next four years. The Braves also are expected to consider paying a significant portion of Uggla’s remaining two contract years (totaling $26 million) in hopes of enticing another team to take him.
When you add the Braves’ blur of coveted young players who are arbitration eligible — including Craig Kimbrel, Freddie Freeman and Brandon Beachy in their first year of eligibility, and Jason Heyward and Kris Medlen in their second — it’s easy to understand the situation the team is.
The Braves’ best route to improving the roster is via trades. That will mean parting with players and or prospects they probably would rather keep, but it is the only way they’re going to be able to fill their primary needs: 1) a legitimate No. 1 starting pitcher; 2) a starting second basemen, preferably one who can hit higher than .179 and ideally one who also can bat leadoff (even if Heyward has proved to be a nice option there).
I'm proposing three names as trade bait. They may not be popular with the masses, for various reasons. But considering the roster situation and the contracts that Wren has locked the team into, they may be the only options:
Justin Upton: He has value and would be attractive for many teams, particularly with only two years left on his contract (albeit totaling $28.75 million). Upton hit 27 homers, but hit .263 average was 15 points below his six-year average in Arizona, and he also went 2-for-18 in the postseason.
Would the Braves want to trade Upton? No. They just got him early this year. He’s good. He’s likable. But if you look in the outfield, B.J. Upton is locked in to a roster spot, and Heyward probably won’t be moved because of his youth, talent, upside and the memory of how he ignited this team in August (hitting .348 with 10 extra-base hits).
Medlen: He is one of everybody's favorite pitchers to watch and probably every media person's favorite personality in the clubhouse. But if the Braves are going to trade a starting pitcher, manager Frank Wren seems far less likely to deal Mike Minor (25), Brandon Beachy (24) or Julio Teheran (22) than Medlen (28 and two years away from free agency).
Medlen could be part of a nice package for another team that might be willing to part with its No. 1 starter because: 1) It would allow them to shed salary (Medlen is still relatively cheap); 2) Medlen gives them a pitcher back in the deal.
Evan Gattis: I know. Great hitter, great story, projected starting catcher next season. But let's look at the situation. The Braves have veteran Gerald Laird for another year and prospect Christian Bethancourt on the horizon. Brian McCann, a free agent, almost certainly is gone. If Bethancourt isn't ready for the majors next year, the Braves could find another catcher to share duties with Laird and bridge the gap.
Gattis, similar to Medlen, could be a part of an attractive package deal. Why? Because he can hit, and he also can play a little outfield (OK, very little). He’s a ready-made designated hitter for the American League. Manager Fredi Gonzalez said he would be comfortable with Gattis as his everyday catcher. But defense likely never will be a strength, and it’s difficult to have a feel for how he will be able to handle pitchers. If that uncertainty exists and he’s not projected as your team’s catcher of the future, he has to be considered movable.
The Braves are not in bad shape. They have a strong core of young players who aren’t likely to be traded: Beachy, Minor and Teheran in the rotation, Kimbrel in the bullpen, Heyward and Andrelton Simmons in the field. They had a surprise this year at third base with Chris Johnson and would have been in better shape on the bench if not for injuries. But their team, as currently constructed, is not likely to win a World Series.
They need help. That means making changes, which means parting with a player or players they otherwise would rather not.
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