Nothing 8 runs won’t cure.
The Reds Luis Castillo struck out 8 in his 4 innings, but his inability to go deeper was costly, as Tyler Flowers broke open a 2 – 0 game in the 5th with a grand slam off of Drew Storen. Brandon Phillips and Freddie Freeman added 3 hits apiece, and Sean Newcomb battled through 5 innings to get his 2nd win. Newcomb allowed 5 hits, 5 walks, and hit a batter, but did not allow a run. Matt Wisler added 3 uneventful innings of scoreless relief; Max Fried allowed the run in the 9th.
Ozzie Albies and Dansby Swanson added 2 hits apiece, as patience remains in order. It’s pretty well known that hitters can be expected to improve in performance up to a peak age, after which point they can be expected to decline. There is some debate over exactly what that peak age is, but ages 26 – 29 will catch the peak season of a lot of players. Here’s one of many pieces of research: http://www.hardballtimes.com/how-do-baseball-players-age-part-1/
There are exceptions (Tyler Flowers,) and few careers follow a perfect curve of annual improvement followed by annual decline, but anyhow, that’s the way to bet.
The Braves have a big gap in the age curve between prospects Albies, Swanson, Johan Camargo, and Ronald Acuna, and prime age players Freeman and Ender Inciarte. There is really no one relevant in between the very young and the prime. It’s like a college team with only a couple of good Seniors and a promising Freshman class.
I’d like to see the Braves make a couple of bets on some players closer to their prime who are blocked, or otherwise out of favor in their organizations. I think it’s a cheaper way to accelerate the rebuild to gamble on this type of player to break through, and better odds. For example, the Reds just got Scooter Gennett off waivers. The Dodgers just sent Joc Pederson to the minors. The Mets won’t commit to a position for Wilmer Flores. Andrelton Simmons could be had for a couple of minor leaguers, probably. Insert your favorite candidate here: _______.
In any case, it sure would be nice if when the Braves make their next wave of moves for them to get someone on the right side of the age curve, rather than another Dan Uggla, Melvin Upton Jr., or Hector Olivera. Hey, Matt Adams has worked out pretty well.
The Braves salvage a game from the 3 game series and hope to carry that over when Seattle comes to town Monday.
God as my witness, the funniest thing I ever heard about anywhere.
From the last thread…
I think Ruiz at this point would be best utilized as a platoon player if he plays at the big league level. If we don’t get a third baseman in the offseason I wonder if a Camargo/Ruiz platoon would work. Though the Braves haven’t been willing to try platoons since Bobby Cox retired.
Albies is now batting 206 and Swanson is at 222. A good poll question would be who will have the highest batting average at the end of the year. My bet would be Albies since Swanson has so many more at bats and batting average increases won’t come quickly.
Someone mentioned the change in Swansons stance. Here’s a TC piece on that:
http://tinyurl.com/y9purcpf
@3 and then there was this comment by someone below the Swanson stance article:
“Apparently Dansby’s mom suggested that Dansby bat lefty during his BPs while in AAA to see how the breaking balls behave when they are breaking toward him. He credited that also with helping him discern breaking pitches that would be strikes and breaking pitches off the black.”
Dansby’s mom and Chipper’s dad should get together and run this team.
45-45 seems a long time ago. What happened? Sigh.
Dem Braves! Wait ’til next year!
@4
They could have a kid named Chipsby Joneson. Ok that’s stupid.
But really, I can’t imagine that story is true.
Is it to soon to start rosterbating for 2018?
@4/5
Mrs S and Mister J
plan everything the other way
righties left, lefties right
switch ’em back at 6 each night.
The Lady is creative, the Gentleman brusque. A match made in Baseball heaven.
@8 on BJ, never? LOL.
Andrew Albers
one moment he’s ours, now he’s their’s
you will excuse his confusion
already the Press with hints of collusion.
Dansby S
a better stance, gaw’d bless
the right leg tho’, that lateral retreat
subject of so many an early morning tweet.
Acuna is ready and then some
We’ve been rosterbating for almost 3 years and this is no time to stop!
But really, though, there’s still a month and a half left in the season, and we have one of the youngest rosters in baseball. I count no less than 11 players on the roster whose performance could make a huge impact on how to proceed about 2018, and we have no idea how they’ll do. Basically the entire rotation, a big chunk of the bullpen, and about half of the lineup is completely uncertain. Now even more than last season, the team has to finish strong because that will have meant some long-term pieces have played well, and obviously this team really needs that. Obviously very generic, but like tfloyd, I do tend to derive some happiness from seeing this team play well, and this collection of players is becoming more and more influential of the future.
He is an Ancient Mariner
and he hitteth one in three
where once he scorched the Yankee Porch
he fancies STP
We fear thee Ancient Mariner
we fear thy calloused hand
for thou art long and lank and brown
as is the sea ribbed sand.
Can I Cano you up the River?
Brandon Phil-Lips
says don’t forget to watch the Eclipse
if i could get to where it landed
i’d catch both those balls bare handed.
no more!
Winkler activated. Brothers optioned. I
Apparently Winkler has to be on the roster for 16 days into 2018 without losing him back to the Rockies. With all of the fuss with him, I hope that he turns out to be a good reliever. He’d be some nice found money in a rebuild. There are things that rebuilds produce, like cash and roster spots, and they clearly wanted him to occupy a roster spot in 2016.
Speaking of cash and rebuilds, what did the Braves gain by having the cash freed up from trading Simmons, Kimbrel, and BUpton? I say those three because JUpton and Heyward’s positions were filled with comparable cash. But Simmons was “about to become expensive”, Kimbrel was a “luxury” both in terms of talent usage and payroll, and of course, BUpton was just a straight payroll dump. Is it wise to include the opportunity costs of the salary dumps in with these trades? For instance, did freed up major league payroll cash go towards the glut of international talent the Braves picked up, like Maitan? Was there always going to be cash for Maitan, et al regardless of whether or not we rebuilt?
The reason I ask is I watched a very depressing segment on MLB Network about how Simmons is the second best player in baseball right now per WAR. And they basically described the trade as “Simmons for Newcomb”, which is, of course, factually untrue, but we don’t tend to talk about the opportunity cost of the savings of Simmons to another, cheaper shortstop (in theory Dansby). So as his salary increases from 2018-2020, that money can also be spent elsewhere. And with player payroll significantly lower in 2015 and 2016 significantly lower, where did that money go? We didn’t/couldn’t spend more in the draft, we bought Touki, we bought international players, so I’m kind of running out of areas where the talent system was rebuilt because of that cleared payroll.
@20 – Agreed, I don’t believe the organization is doing a good job of keeping the fanbase up to date on where those savings are going, if they are in fact going anywhere (other than to offset decreased revenues.)
I don’t think anyone should be held accountable for not predicting Andrelton would have the kind of offensive season he is having, but it was highly predictable, if not certain that he was likely to get *better* (see above.) When you are putting a team together from scratch, and you have a young, generational talent, you pencil him in 8th, and you move on to the next part of your project.
Of course, Newcomb could still become Koufax, and Andrelton might be an old man before the Braves are any good again anyway.
At the opening of this thread it says that Andrelton Simmons could be had for a few minor leaguers. If that’s the case sign me up for just about anyone not named Acuna or Soroka.
@22 – Wait, I’m being told now that we would also have to throw in Erick Aybar.
Some of the money is being used to pay Matt Kemp.
I would trade for and throw in Aybar, Rafael Furcal and even Jeff Blauser to get Simmons back.
In his recap, Rusty makes a great point about the timing of the Braves’ next competitive window. In this rebuild, the FO has focused heavily on high school draftees and international signees (who are even younger than American HS draftees). Even if several of them turn out to be quality major league players, it’s likely to be another 3-5 years before they are good major leaguers, and a few more years after that before they hit their peak. If the Braves plan to compete in 2018 or even 2019, they will have to make some tough decisions about which prospects to hang onto and which ones to trade for established big leaguers (or at least prospects that are ready now).
And being competitive in 2018-19 is complicated by the fact that the pitchers over the age of 20 that they’ve acquired through trade haven’t developed as we might have hoped. Folty, although he’s made strides, is still a big question mark. Wisler and Blair you know about. Fried’s recovery from TJ has taken some time. And it certainly doesn’t help that the one established starter we kept (Teheran) has taken such a step backwards. (I could mention the unloading of Alex Wood, but that would be too painful)
You could say that the FO has had some bad luck as to these pitchers. But of course that is what you should expect from pitching prospects; they will break your heart.
I think the collection of arms in the next wave is a good deal better than the ones mentioned above. But even the ones of that bunch who will make it are all still a few years away from becoming stars–and most won’t make it at all.
Ozzie pulled a Melky.
Made a goofy throw?
Got fat?
Taunted Jason Heyward and Braves fans?
Did steroids?
You’re going a have to be more specific. (I hate Melky).
He made a goofy throw, tried to stop and let the ball go anyway.
Player A: 33 YR old hitting .269/.346/.527 with 13 HR in 212 PAs entering tonight’s play. Career .256/.313/.379 OPS
Player B: 31 YR old hitting .270/.349/.510 with 18 HR in 342 PAs in 2016. Career .233/.304/.391 OPS
Player A: Kurt Suzuki
Player B: Sean Rodriguez
So, for those that want to extend Suzuki, think about dat…
Can’t buy a break tonight.
For the record, that pickoff error should definitely have been on Dansby. Just in case it escaped everyone’s notice. All these runs are still earned, though, so the lion’s share of blame rests with Folty regardless.
This is Folty’s first full season in the majors, so I guess it’s fair to wonder if he is hitting a wall.
Good thing we sold Albers for a bag of balls.
@30 – I’m just relieved to hear that he didn’t eat something off his bat.
As for the Braves’ rebuild, I agree that our pitchers haven’t developed as quickly as I was hoping. However, the development of Acuna is huge. That is one less high dollar free agent we have to go after. Get a top flight starter and a 3rd baseman along with decent bullpen pieces and we’ve got a chance next year.
Safe!
What’s the point of replay?
I think we’re close to Dinner Minter time. He’s given up one run across mostly one inning outings on 7/24, 7/27, 7/29, 8/1, 8/6, 8/9, 8/13, 8/17, 8/21. He’s obviously not at back-to-back territory, but who cares? I think he gets a call in September.
you’ve got to spare the umps’ feelings, can’t go around correcting them….
Josh Collmenter during his “rehab”: 3 G, 1 GS, 10 IP, 8 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 12 K. They’ll have to make a decision about him at some point.
@40
Oh yeah, I forgot.
Screw the umpires and the replay guys. They suck.
What r u doing Inciarte..thats crazy running with Freddie there ..
Good job Snit. We got a bit too close there at the end. Nice of you to keep us on the tank course.
Taking a look at Albies’ triple (which he hit left-handed, y’all), the ball comes off his bat with the same kind of backspin that Chipper would try to get. If this kid can stay on the ball and command the strike-zone a little bit, he’s a really special player. Love the Ichiro leg-lift, too.
Here’s the video: https://www.mlb.com/gameday/mariners-vs-braves/2017/08/21/491964#game_state=final,game_tab=videos,game=491964
recapped