Atlanta Braves Morning Chop – Trade Reactions
The trade is officially complete. Evan Gattis is an Astro. The Braves more-or-less got exactly what they needed from the Astros. Let’s take a look at the reactions this morning (full stories available at the links provided):
Adi-Oso Blanco: Braves trade Evan Gattis to Astros
[Ed. note: this story has to be first, because Martin was the first: the first to break the news that this might be happening.]
This is another rebuilding trade for the Braves, who ship off their final obvious trade chip for three more building blocks. As with the first trade of this offseason, in which the team sent the popular Jason Heyward to St. Louis, the Braves may be bookending the offseason trading frenzy by parting ways with the equally popular Gattis. While we should all be used to the tenor of this offseason by now, it is never easy to see a fan-favorite player depart.
As a fan of homegrown Braves players this trade is a tough one to handle, but of all the moves Atlanta has made this offseason, moving Gattis was probably the most likely thing to happen. So why was Gattis traded?
His trade value might never be higher than it is right now, having posted back-to-back 20-home-run seasons, and still with four years of team control. But his value to the Braves was declining, due to the team’s subtextual unwillingness to play him in the outfield, and the presence of rookie catcher Christian Bethancourt.
Forget that this makes the 2015 lineup weaker, it should be pretty clear by now that regardless of the stated desire of the front office to contend this year, they’re rebuilding and in the midst of an all-out Hungry Hungry Hippo-esque prospect grab. I now believe that their trading may still not be done, and that even some of the new faces on the team will be moved during the season. Their focus is on 2017, with all seasons before that being sacrificed to achieve maximum contending ability in the inaugural year of White Flight Field™.
Is the Braves’ sell-off their not-so-fond kiss-off to Atlanta?
The Atlanta Braves are moving to Cobb County in 2017. There are two seasons to play until they do. If the tone of this offseason is any indication, they don’t care much about putting a winning product on display at lame-duck Turner Field. The Braves might say this is only a coincidence, that rebuilding needs to happen when it has to happen. I wonder.
Let’s say the Braves were moving into SunTrust Stadium this April. Would they have traded Jason Heyward, Justin Upton and Evan Gattis for young arms, many of whom mightn’t be major-league ready until 2017 if then? Would they have committed so fully to a sell-off if they were about to face a (somewhat) new target audience?
As we know, the Braves didn’t really consider moving away from Atlanta until one of Mayor Kasim Reed’s staffers told Mike Plant, “It’s not as if you can move anywhere.” Taking the dare, the Braves found an ardent suitor just up I-75. In what could only be described as an attempt at one-upmanship, Reed held a press conference to stress that the on-the-market Hawks would stay in Atlanta the same day as the Braves staged their Cobb groundbreaking.
Next: The Trade: A Bear in Houston
Braves make tremendous trade with Astros
BILL SHANKS / BRAVES.SCOUT.COM
It’s always hard to put together a top prospect list. Whether a farm system is strong or weak, it’s never easy to slot players according to their potential.
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If you had put together a prospect list for the Braves at the end of last season, it would have been, well, depressing. You would have realized how bad the organization’s depth was and how different it was compared to the glory years when the Braves were regularly graduating legit prospects to the big leagues.
It’s even more difficult now to put a list together, as the Braves have made a significant makeover with numerous trades this offseason to improve the organization.
Atlanta’s farm system was a mess, but it certainly looks much better now.
The latest haul was three players – pitchers Mike Foltynewicz and Andrew Thurman and third baseman Rio Ruiz. Foltynewicz (number two) and Ruiz (number six) were immediately placed in Atlanta’s Top 10 prospect list by MLB.com. Seven of the Top 20 on that list are players acquired by the Braves this offseason.
Think about that for a moment. That’s 35% of the top players in the organization that are brand new. That’s impressive. It tells you how much better the farm system is now compared to when the offseason began, regardless of the debate about where to slot each player in such a list.
The Braves have done this with pitching. Amen and pass the biscuits. Yes, that’s what they had to do. They had to go out and make the organization stronger by bringing in more arms – more young impact starting pitching prospects.
Next: The Prequel: Evan Gattis Rumor Time
Braves replenish system with Gattis trade
Houston, we have a left fielder.
The Astros agreed to trade for the Braves’ Evan Gattis on Wednesday, flipping three prospects to Atlanta — right-handers Mike Foltynewicz and Andrew Thurman along with infielder Rio Ruiz — according to MLB.com’s Braves beat reporter Mark Bowman. Houston also picked up right-handed pitcher James Hoyt in the deal.
Foltynewicz and Ruiz are the headliners. Formerly No. 4 and 9 respectively on MLB.com’s Astros Top 20 prospect list, now they’re No. 2 and 6 respectively on the Braves’ Top 20.
Foltynewicz was a first-round pick (19th overall) in the 2010 Draft and features one of the Minors’ best fastballs. The fireballer spent most of 2014 with Triple-A Oklahoma City, where he was 7-7 with a 5.08 ERA. The 23-year-old struck out 102 batters in 102 2/3 innings, but also walked 52. MLB.com notes that the 6-foot-4 hurler is still sharpening the command of his repertoire and the consistency of his offspeed pitches.
“It’s a shocking thing that’s happened to me right now, but I’m excited to start fresh in my career,” Foltynewicz told MLB.com’s Astros beat writer Brian McTaggart.
Ruiz was a fourth-round pick in the 2012 Draft but signed for a reported $1,850,000, well over the recommended slot value. The 20-year-old was one of the youngest players in the Class A Advanced California League in 2014, where he hit .293 with 11 homers and an .823 OPS in 131 games with Lancaster. Houston sent Ruiz to the Arizona Fall League, where he hit .187 in 21 games.
Some in the Astros system, including director of pro scouting Kevin Goldstein, expected Ruiz to hit for more power in 2014. Despite that, Goldstein said he was still high on Ruiz given his age and potential.
“Rio had a good year at Lancaster,” Goldstein told MiLB.com in September. “He maybe didn’t get the power explosion we thought he might get, but everything else was there. He flirted with .300 all year, had some big hits in the playoffs.
“He’s made improvements defensively. He’s a guy with, there are still signs of power potential and he’s a guy who will probably start next year as a 20-year-old in Double-A. He’s ahead of the curve developmentally.”