I dont know anything about the guys coming to Atlanta, but Heyward was scheduled to make $7.8M next year, his contract year. That would already be more than every Braves player but Uggla ($13M, -0.9 WAR), B.J. Upton ($13.4M, -0.3), Santana ($14M, -0.1) and Justin Upton ($14.3M, and the only of the four with a positive WAR, at 3.3). If you are not planning to pony up next summer (when he may fetch $15M per on a four- or five-year deal from a team that already has its offense figured out and can spend on the luxury of a defense-first outfielder), then you move him. While he put up great defensive number this year, he doesnt have the pop to commands a desperate trade from a contender in July. It was this, or watch him walk after this season with no compensation. I dont like the deal, but if it has taken this for you to realize that these arent Ted Turners Braves, you havent been paying attention. The Braves were 17th in salary this season, and thats with more than 40% of their salary tied up in three guys with a combined -1.3 WAR. The only real contributors to come out of their drafts since 2007 have been Simmons and Kimbrel, with a smattering of lifetime .253 Gattis. Most trades and big-money free agent pickups have ranged from underwhelming to catastrophic. And, with all that, the team has still finished first or second in its division for the past four years. Ask any team in the Braves tax bracket if theyd take that. So, basically, deal with it. Or go be a Red Sox fan (and come in fifth again next season.
Posted on: Mon, 17 Nov 2014 18:42:47 +0000
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