Hurston Waldrep now has 56 1/3 innings in 10 starts this year, and you’d have to say that the guy looks like he could be a Dude. He’s got the sit-down-shut-up splinker, and now he’s got the sinker, slider, and cutter to complement it and make him a more complete pitcher. To me, he’s getting to where Spencer Schwellenbach was when he was making the Leap.
Michael Harris is having another good week. He hit two last night, and Ronald added one of his own. Time was, we’d get annoyed around here when the Braves were scoring most of their runs via solo homer, but right now it’s a good problem to have, as this team furiously rushes to limit the number of games under .500 they’ll finish the season with. Michael had a horrible first couple weeks in September – he was 3-39 from September 1-13 – but he’s on another heater, 14-40 over the past ten games, a cool .350/.381/.575 as he’s been a big part of the engine of this winning streak.
Three weeks ago, I wrote that the Braves’ strategy towards retaining Ha-Seong Kim would very likely be affected by how they feel about Ozzie Albies. I think some of the analysis in that piece has probably been proven wrong, as I thought there was little chance Kim would opt out and now I think it’s clear he likely would, if the Braves let him get that far. But ultimately, I still firmly believe the core argument: the Braves badly need Kim as they don’t have any other real starting shortstops in the organization, and moreover, I think the amount of money they’re willing to offer him is likely to be affected by Ozzie’s latest injury.
Over the past four years, Ozzie has broken bones in his finger, toe, foot, wrist, and hamate; his defensive range and arm strength, and power have plummetted, and until his performance started to pick up over the past month, he spent much of the year looking like he was no longer a first-division starting player. It took him a year to regain his power stroke from his wrist fracture last year, and the same is quite possible this time around. Nacho Alvarez is in the wings as a general-purpose utility infielder; someone recently voiced their hope that he could be our new Martin Prado. The team will have to consider quite carefully whether they think he could take over for Ozzie. That evaluation will, I believe, hang heavily over the analysis of how much to offer Kim.
I think they should offer him the $100 million they offered Dansby.
JC’d so I will repost for general discussion:
I agree [that Kim will likely opt out and get paid due to the dearth of shortstops], but to play devil’s advocate, imagine he’s not on the Braves, and he’s a free agent coming off a season in which he hit .250 with a hair below .700 OPS with negative defensive metrics and 30 years old. Just how big a contract would you give him considering the total picture? I would be inclined toward a pillow deal personally. He has played really well for the past few weeks and it makes a huge difference for us compared to Allen, but the big picture perspective is you have a shortstop who is on the wrong side of 30 with declining defense who hasn’t had star-level output since 2023, a year when just about everybody slugged.
What teams with money might want Kim? (a) The Dodgers might want a real shortstop, not a great athlete playing shortstop; (b) the Yankees might be ready to move on from Volpe even though Volpe’s numbers are pretty close to Kim’s; (c) Cardinals; (d) Tigers; (e) Angels. Anybody else come to mind?
And… it’s an afternoon game! Who knew? (Not me.) And Whitman gives up a first inning run.
I didn’t realize that either!
The thing about offering Kim a pillow contract is while it limits the risk to us of him completely busting, it also significantly limits the upside to us – the best-case scenario would be that he performs well for a year and prices himself entirely out of our future plans, and we’d still have no shortstops in the organization a year from now.
We’ve got a guy who could be the answer at the 6, his best friend is in our clubhouse, and he’s having a great time, in marked contrast to his morose summer in Tampa Bay. He’s got plenty of reasons to give us a fair hearing, even if he’s unlikely to give us a significant discount. But the cost of a shortstop will never be lower, and trying to solve the position on the cheap is a big part of why the team is going to be sitting at home this October.
I agree with all that, but I’m pretty sure Scott Boras won’t. And if he thinks the Dodgers are even mildly interested, I suspect we’re toast. (And LA has a giant Korean population, FWIW.)
PS: Another Whitman gopherball and it’s 2-0. Not worried yet.
PPS: And another gopherball before this comment has even passed the edit stage: 3-0, and a trickle of worry.
I think all Boras contracts are pillow deals from their perspective, because they want to opt out after year 1 if he is good. If he rebounds to a 3 WAR season, he’s gone. From our perspective, it is that whole reverse implied odds situation, to use a poker term. You either break even for one season or lose big for multiple seasons.
But I totally agree we need a shortstop in the worst way. Just wish this one had a different agent.
P.S.: I don’t think AA will do any player opt outs either
I just hope this is the last time we need to be exposed to Elder pitching for the Braves. Not that 6 innings and 3 runs is bad by any stretch, it is just the constant Houdini act he has to do in order to get through most innings with the stuff he has.
I’ve been kinda hard on him on him this season, but he’s really what you want in a fifth starter. He gives you innings, he puts up good performances about half the time, he’s not expensive. It’s relying on him to win that’s his problem.
Well, James Wood is good.
Anyway, you’re clearly right that we’re not winning a shooting match with L.A., and I think that this season makes it increasingly likely that the Blue Jays will come to the same conclusion with Bichette that they did with Vladito: that they can’t afford not to keep him.
Earlier this season, I floated the idea of offering Bichette a Riley type deal, $200 MM over 8. His subsequent play has made that seem ludicrously low. Hard to see how he doesn’t get what Trea Turner did.
How can there be a professional such as CB Bucknor?
LOL: Bucknor overruled on two consecutive critical plays.
I was watching both plays on a little iPhone screen from 3 feet away & I could immediately tell that both calls were gonna get overturned.
He must be as blind as Mr. Magoo…
To paraphrase the ancient proverb: there’s no shame in giving up solo homers to James Wood, but getting blanked by Andrew Alvarez is in straight up “I don’t know, buddy” territory.
Joe Simpson was criticizing MLB on the radio broadcast for continuing to keep CB Bucknor around.
I’m mentally preparing myself for AA sitting on his hands this winter and keeping this team pretty much the same for 2026.
Recapped, if anyone cares.