Atlanta Braves Morning Chop – Winter Mtgs Preview

2014 Baseball Winter Meetings returns to San Diego after three decades

MILB.COM

Beautiful beaches, warm breezes and sun-filled days are calling from San Diego, and we’re inviting you to answer the call! Join us at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront from December 7-11, as “America’s Finest City” will welcome the 113^th annual Baseball Winter Meetings for the first time in nearly three decades. With a breathtaking, downtown waterfront location, the 30-story host hotel captures the essence of the city’s distinctive coastal culture and lifestyle. Spend your days mingling in the heart of baseball’s premier off-season event, and at night, walk to the Gaslamp Quarter and East Village for dining, world-class shopping, entertainment and recreational venues.

With a location adjacent to the San Diego Convention Center, across the street from the San Diego Padres’ Petco Park, and minutes from San Diego International Airport (SAN), you will be in the midst of all the week’s action. Don’t miss your opportunity to experience five days of everything this world-class city has to offer!

The Baseball Winter Meetings is the annual gathering of members of The National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues, Inc. d/b/a Minor League Baseball, Major League Baseball and their affiliated parties. Known as the largest gathering of baseball executives in the world, the Baseball Winter Meetings brings together front office personnel, trade show exhibitors and job seekers in one place for five days of seminars, league meetings and organizational meetings.

[ Editor’s note:  the nineteen page brochure of the event can be seen here.  Hint:  if you still want to go, bring cash! ]

10 Bold Winter Winter Meetings Predictions

ANTHONY CASTROVINCE / SPORTSONEARTH.COM

…there was so much November activity in the bats department that clubs are now forced to either swoop in on the remaining options or get creative in trades. And the pitching market should finally start to see some dominoes falling once Jon Lester signs — a move that should happen any minute now, if it hasn’t already by the time you read this.

So let’s throw out some real Winter Meetings possibilities.

…

1. Justin Upton to the Orioles

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While their hesitance to go to a fourth guaranteed year for

is understandable, the immediate fact of the matter is that the reigning home run champ now resides elsewhere. Even with

and

getting healthier, and even if you believe that

is going to rebound, the O’s have some potential for major offensive regression if they don’t make some moves this winter.

In Upton, the O’s can reel in a corner outfielder who has a history of getting on base roughly 35 percent of the time, and can give you a 30-plus-homer season at Camden Yards. This is the kind of move the O’s need to make to maintain their top spot in an AL East in which the Red Sox and Blue Jays are obviously both dramatically improved.

Here’s the rub: The Braves, who appear more certain than ever to move Upton now that they’ve signed Nick Markakis, are looking for young, controllable arms in their bid to build a contender for 2017. There was a time when a top-tier pitching prospect such as Dylan Bundy would have netted far more years of contractual control than Upton, a pending free agent, provides. But in this starting-saturated market – and with Bundy re-establishing himself following Tommy John surgery – I’m not so sure that’s the case. Would the O’s be willing to part with Bundy’s long-term potential for some short-term thump? Hard to say, but their free-agent options have thinned in a hurry.

Andrew Miller Decision Expected Today

STEVE ADAMS / MLBTR.COM

Teams are expecting Andrew Miller to make his decision today, tweets Joel Sherman of the New York Post. Sherman adds that the Yankees are willing to guarantee a fourth season if it limits the average annual value of the contract.

Miller has been connected to the Yankees, Dodgers and Astros in the past 48 hours, with the Red Sox and Orioles said to have bowed out the bidding. More recently, the Astros were reported to be an unlikely destination for Miller, who is expected to receive a four-year contract that could approach $40MM. That amount (or anything close to it) would easily set the record for largest guarantee and highest AAV for a non-closing relief pitcher.

[ Editor’s Note:  Andrew Miller is gonna get $10 million per year for 4 years – a lefty setup man.  The Braves just picked up Jim Johnson for $1.6 million.  If you don’t see the obvious bargain Atlanta got there (albeit with some risk, yes), then I can’t help you. ]

Jon Lester Status – and why the Braves NEED him

(EDITOR’S RANT)

• “Lester is unlikely to sign prior to the Winter Meetings, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.”
• Teams involved:  Dodgers, Red Sox, Giants, Cubs (definitely)
• Teams “lingering“:  Cardinals and Braves
• There’s a lot of folks still mentioning Lester’s words to the effect that ‘a few extra million won’t change my life’, ‘family matters’, ‘his wife prefers the south’.

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Okay, I will make my sales pitch:

Atlanta is most probably soon to trade

away.  If that happens, the committed Braves’ payroll for 2015 would drop to $84,140,000.

That allows for at least $26 million in available budget space

.

The addition of Jon Lester would allow Mike Minor to be used in another deal… possibly packaged with Evan Gattis and B.J. Upton to both move the elder Upton’s salary and return some actual offense for 2015…never mind creating more payroll space.

Jun 28, 2014; Bronx, NY, USA; Boston Red Sox catcher

(3) visits starting pitcher Jon Lester (31). Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

The addition of the veteran Lester would also restore the staff experience lost when Tim Hudson was allowed to walk away last year.  This would be essential to help Roger McDowell mentor Julio Teheran, Alex Wood and Shelby Miller… plus whoever they could add via the big trade pieces above.

Oh, and while you’re at it, John?  Go ahead and ink the other guy in the photo for a $2 million deal:  catcher David Ross.  Bring him home, too.