Yesterday, John Coppolella said this:
“We don’t want to trade Erick Aybar; he’s a great, winning player. We need to win more games this year, and he’s going to be a big part of that. So we’re very happy to hold onto Eric Aybar.”
He also said that Ozzie Albies and Dansby Swanson “have all been very impressive” during spring training, that he wouldn’t rule out calling them up this year, and added, “Sometimes, when you bring up prospects early, they’re more willing to sign long-term because they know you didn’t hold them hostage or try to manipulate them in any way.”
Now, ordinarily, when a GM is about to trade a guy, you start hearing them deny that they are about to trade that player a bit more loudly than usual. (For example, Coppy hasn’t loudly denied any plans to trade Ender Inciarte in a while. That could suggest that there haven’t been any recent offers he likes.)
If there is one thing that the last 24 months have taught us, it is that this team is willing to sell anything that isn’t bolted to the floor. I would be shocked if Aybar was still a Brave in August.
“Construction on Suntrust Park is on schedule and just under budget,” he adds.
Frenchy homered
Just like they weren’t trying to trade Shelby Miller or Craig Kimbrel.
Things not to believe:
1. I’m from the government and I’m here to help you.
2. Of course I’ll respect you in the morning.
3. We’re not trading Erick Aybar.
We should start a pool on the date Aybar is traded.
I got Saturday.
We’re not trying to trade him. I guess it’ll be like an accident or something. Oops.
We’re not trying to trade him, but neither are we actively trying to prevent a trade from being conceived. I guess it’s up to the good lord.
BTW, Falcons massively overpay for a mediocre #3 WR, Sanu @ 5 yrs, 32.5 mil. They’re still up to their old tricks!
Did you guys see the Goose Gossage comments today? Holy wow.
@8, tl;dr version
Lol. I feel like it would be prudent to also get off of his lawn.
I’m usually a glutton for snarky comments, but when I saw the headline for that Gossage article, I didn’t even bother. Just reeked of “angry old man”.
Norris looked good again today. Winkler’s velocity was higher than I thought.
Could Swisher be any more of a sunk asset at this point? I’m glad we don’t have, really, any expectations for him, but I don’t see how you break camp with him on the bench when you’ve got Bourn/Peterson/KJ/Beckham/Bonifacio/Castro all fighting for 4 spots. KJ’s your backup 1st baseman, Bourn and Bonifacio are your back up left fielders, and they all have more value than Swisher at this point.
Also, Mallex is leading the spring in ABs. Are they really wanting to get that good of a look at him?
Swisher will be cut and Frenchy will somehow be on the roster.
We owe Swisher $15M. I don’t see us cutting him. I’m afraid he’ll be playing the very annoying veteran leader / bro-fist role all year.
Wait, it’s only half that really since Cleveland did give us cash. Still, we haven’t shown much ability or desire to eat sunk costs.
We owe Swisher $15 million no matter how much Cleveland gave us in cash. It wasn’t cash designated to be spent only on Nick Swisher.
The problem with cutting Swisher isn’t sunk cost, it’s that there is a non-zero chance that he plays decently and someone agrees to take on a portion of his contract (Oh, believe me–I know how close to zero it is, but it’s not zero). In that way, the cost isn’t really sunk just yet.
Statcast’s top exit velocities:
http://m.mlb.com/statcast/leaderboard#avg-hit-velo
Tyler Flowers is the only Brave on the list
Bowman is talking like there’s no spot for Swisher, so maybe we actually will release him.
It’s probably just as well. He’s almost certainly washed up
After all these years of swishing, I would hope so.
Nick Swisher
creates somewhat of a fissure
multiple choice
but,regardless,fifteen million reasons to rejoice.
the missed sign
to the pages of history we might have to consign
so many potential consequences
some immaterial, others over fences.
Swisher and Bourn will be paid. Weep not for them but for Braves fans should we have to endure their being on the team come April.
Never underestimate the power of a walk year. At least one of those guys, Swisher or Bourn, will have a decent year prolonging their career(s), if healthy.
If we aren’t trying to trade Aybar, we are wrong.
I don’t think we should trade Aybar unless we get a solid prospect. He will still have the same value at the deadline, barring a disastrous first half, and injuries will happen around the league. Someone could overpay for him. It’s also possible he has a strong first half, more in line with 2011-2 and 2014, making him even more attractive.
Smitty,
It’s not that we’re NOT trying to trade Aybar, it’s that we’re SAYING we’re not trying to trade Aybar. If that makes sense to you, then please drop me an email explaining it.
Thanks,
SP
I’m also not trying to sell my car (but secretly I am desperate to sell my car–PLEASE make me an offer)
If it’s the Cardinals, then obviously, they need a SS now, not in July. If it’s not the Cardinals, then no rush.
I will gladly pay you in August for a shortstop today.
-Wimpy Mozeliak
@22
I proposed the idea that walk years can be good years, which was met with statistical analysis that it is NOT true. So, there’s your answer.
my walk year
before i disappear
your last chance
to take me back to the dance.
@28, that’s what PTBNL are for!
I get the feeling we will be trying to get ourselves excited about the Cardinal’s 19th and 26th best prospects pretty soon. They only have 2 top-100 guys after promoting several studs the last couple years, and I’m sure their top 6, at least, would be “off limits”
@32
Depends on what internal options at short they have. If none, then the top 6 prospects could very easily be had. I imagine we will want a prospect plus a major league player from them.
Hasongou is dominating.
@33, gimme Nick Plummer and we’re on
Aybar isn’t much better than their internal options. They won’t pay much for 2 months of his service. We need other starting SS’s to miss some time so we can create some more demand.
Olivera’s 2-2 puts him at a cool .500
@34, I am so on board with this nickname.
I think we might be over-inflating Aybar’s value because of a short term (sort of) need of one team.
I think we’re hoping that some other team will over-inflate his value. He’s not great, but neither do we want to trade him for a prospect that won’t crack our top-30.
for Erick Aybar
we should set a fairly high bar
send us not your poor and your huddled
we’ve so many of those we’re already befuddled.
DOB – #Braves Freeman out after 2 long innings here at WWOS. Struck out to end 2nd, and shook his wrist as he was coming off field.
Gordon Beckham
Diagnosed deficient in phlegmon
His starting third baseman rumors
Caused an imbalance in all our humors
Really love Mallex’s energy. That guy wants to be on the roster.
You know how in Interstellar Matthew McConaughey goes into outer space and travels near light speed so that he barely ages but everyone on earth ages a lot? @42 makes me think that I should look into buying a ticket.
Albies just made an amazing diving grab on a liner into short left field. He looked like another fella from Curacao.
Man, they sure can play some baseball on that island.
EDIT: I just went back and rewatched it. He got full extension. That was so awesome.
Via DOB…
#Braves Freeman left game with soreness in his hand/wrist. Was in training room when we went down, sent word he’d talk to us tomorrow.
Also…via @SlmSolo on Twitter
Freeman drove (golf cart) to the batting cages with Bobby Cox and took BP after coming out of the game.
Got a feeling we better get used to Kelly Johnson at 1b.
Wouldn’t we assume taking BP afterwards is a good thing?
I find it hard to believe he hurt his hand and then drove to the batting cage to take BP.
She did say that Freeman spent over 10 min in the cages so it must have been a stinger or something small. I hope…
Bobby Cox’s job is to drive golf carts. I love it.
Actually it sounds like Bobby just rides in them. Freddie drove
KNew it wouldnt be long before Freeman was on shelf — damamged goods !!!
@53, +1,000,000
Freddie being injured might mean a roster spot for Nick Swisher. Nevermind–that’s hardly a silver lining
P.S.: Do my eyes deceive me, or did the heretofore-only-rumored Dian Toscano play for the split-squad Braves vs Philly?
P.P.S: Apparently, Kyle Kendrick doesn’t do to the Phillies as a Brave what he used to do to the Braves as a Philly
@45 – Yes they do, yes they do.
You could sign Calvin Johnson as your #3 and ti still wouldn’t make Matt Ryan any less of a mediocre washout already on the down side of his career.
Kendrick gone…
@57 and Volstad gone…
And Daniel Cabrera sent down. I guess if they trade Aybar he is allowed to come back up.
Daniel Cabrera? You mean Castro?
Side note: Alex wood scratched w/ forearm stiffness
Buster Olney @Buster_ESPN 13m13 minutes ago
Interesting spring numbers (if not necessarily meaningful): ATL’s Hector Olivera is 12-for-24. 0 walks, 1 strikeout.
60 — Yes, I meant Castro. I mess up names and stuff more than I used to. Not sure if it is because there are so many new players or if I’m just getting older.
Messed up names
Happen with meaningless games
Or is it senescence?
Old men scarce remember all these peasants
@56, meh. I could argue because you get so many things wrong, but for all intents and purposes you’ll be right. Matt Ryan is probably the 8th or 10th best QB in the NFL, and with incompetent management, he may as well be Brian Hoyer.
@63..kudos.
David Ross
on the road he will not have to floss
he’ll have a hi tech basin
paid for and plumbed in by Jason.
Alex Wood
is it nasty to feel good?
five hundred for Hector
so unplug your BS detector?
Yade Molina
‘is this the face that staunched a thousand tips?’
Braves are now 3 and 10 during spring training. It’s a good thing that the spring training record means absolutely nothing. If it did, I would be worried that the Braves wouldn’t have a good season this year.
New thread.