Atlanta Braves: Catching tandem proving to be more than enough
The Atlanta Braves spent the better part of six months inquiring about then-Marlins catcher J.T. Realmuto, before the all-star catcher was traded to the Phillies. Was it worth it by not trading for Realmuto?
Up until the very end, I thought acquiring J.T. Realmuto made so much sense for the Atlanta Braves.
He could have joined Ronald Acuña Jr, Freddie Freeman, and Ozzie Albies, among others, as a young core that would have been formidable for many years… if he’d been offered and accepted an extension deal (and that still hasn’t happened in Philly).
But the Braves refused to trade the high-end prospect and MLB ready talent Miami was seeking to get Realmuto, so the Phillies ponied up the prospects at the last minute.
Instead the Braves were left with a platoon of Tyler Flowers and Brian McCann to be the 2019 catching tandem and so far, it has paid off well.
Flowers and McCann are both in their mid 30’s and McCann has an injury history that is still a concern, but for this season, they seem to be the perfect pair for a Braves team that is in the thick of the NL East race.
Numbers aside – which I will get to in a bit – both Flowers and McCann provide leadership and a presence that cannot be replicated.
In his recent podcast on The Athletic (subscription required) with Eric O’Flaherty, David O’Brien mentioned as much, saying (paraphrased) both guys are held in a high esteem in the clubhouse and have provided guidance and direction to a (still) young pitching staff.
Yes, Realmuto is perhaps the best catcher in the game and will most likely be an all-star again, but the Braves made the smart call in holding on to their prospects and going with the veterans.
Realmuto is having a solid season with Philadelphia. He is hitting .277 with six home runs and 29 RBI, while also being a nearly one-win player on defense.
But the “McFlow” numbers are pretty solid, too.
They are combining to hit .288, getting on-base at a .333 clip, while hitting seven homers, with 24 RBI.
The Production We Kept
If the Braves were to have made a move for Realmuto, some of the names that were thrown around as potential targets for the Marlins were Cristian Pache, Ozzie Albies, Austin Riley and Mike Soroka, among others, I’m sure.
Albies, who made the all-star team last season, is on pace for a 24 home run, 71 RBI season, while also playing a solid second base.
We all know the tear Riley is on right now, as he demolished Triple-A before making his big-league debut last week. Since being called up, he is hitting .409 with three bombs and an OPS of 1.298.
At this point in the season, Soroka has been one of the best starting pitchers in all of baseball. He is 5-1 with a 1.01 ERA and worth almost two wins so far.
It is always difficult to play the “what if?” card, but just imagine if the Braves would have parted with one of these three valuable pieces to the 2019 and beyond puzzle?
It would have been a tough pill to swallow.
I understand that teams have to give up something to acquire a talent like Realmuto, but it’s certainly risky.
Alex Anthopolous has been chastised for not making the “splash” move but every time it looks like he has been right and the trade that never happened with Miami is perhaps the best example.