Atlanta Braves News: The Morning Chop 11/23
By Jeff Schafer
Here’s why Yasmany Tomas is about to make a lot of money
Tomahawk Take Editor’s Note: Tomas turned 24-years-old earlier this month and is a hot commodity right now. He is a power hitting outfielder with lots of potential. The top teams looking at him are the Padres and the Braves. But other teams will probably start calling. If the Braves trade away Justin Upton, Tomas would fit in very nicely as a replacement.
"It remains to be seen where Tomas is able to stick defensively, but we know he can hit. As Kiley McDaniel of FanGraphs recently wrote, Tomas has 30-homer upside as a big-leaguer. He likely won’t be better than average at anything else, but if you’re going to have only one skill, then power makes for a quite marketable choice. In his five seasons playing in Cuba’sSerie Nacional, Tomas batted .290/.345/.504, and those strong overall numbers are dragged down by his outputs as a 17- and 18-year-old. Let’s also keep in mind that Jose Abreu‘s hitting skills were quite underestimated prior to his making the jump to the U.S."
Analyzing Trade Talk for Justin Upton, Jay Bruce and More
Tomahawk Take Editor’s Note: If you haven’t heard by now, the Atlanta Braves are shopping almost everyone on their team except for Freddie Freeman, Andrelton Simmons and Craig Kimbrel…though I have a feeling if the Braves decide to throw in the towel for the next two years, Kimbrel may be traded as well. Both Upton brothers are currently being shopped but the Braves are probably getting more calls about Justin…just a wild guess.
However, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, that isn’t what Atlanta is thinking. He’s reporting that the Braves are expecting to net a bigger return for the 27-year-old Upton than they got for Heyward:
"The Braves are very much shopping Justin Upton and are requesting a higher return than they received earlier this week when they dealt their other corner outfielder, Jason Heyward.…Nevertheless, the Braves think Upton has greater value in the trade market because his overall offense — particularly his power — is superior. Upton hit 29 homers and Heyward 11. And Upton bringsrighty power, which is in particularly short demand."
Astros ask on Upton
Tomahawk Take Editor’s Note: It sounds like the phones must be pretty busy for John Hart as even the Astros have called about Justin Upton. With the return on investment probably not being what the Astros wanted, I’m sure the talks went south pretty quickly. But it did leave me to wonder, who the Astros would give up for Justin. Even though most Braves’ fans would love to see Jose Altuve in Atlanta, I doubt he was a candidate the Astros would be willing to move.
"In the vein of due diligence: the New York Post reported the Astros checked in on Justin Upton of the Atlanta Braves, a top power hitting outfielder. The Astros certainly could use him, but he’ll come at a steep price, and perhaps more important, he’s a free agent after this season. It’d be hard to see the Astros giving up premier prospects for a player who might well walk, and Luhnow has said thus far this offseason that outfield is not a priority."