House That Hank Built
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Reactions to the Atlanta Braves at the Winter Meetings: podcast episode 3

By Alan Carpenter

LAS VEGAS, NV - JANUARY 11: A glasses-free Toshiba 55-inch 3-D 4x full HD TV shows the movie, "Coraline" at the 2012 International Consumer Electronics Show at the Las Vegas Convention Center January 11, 2012 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The TVs are scheduled to be available this year and will come with embedded cameras with facial recognition capability so depending on where you are sitting, the set will adjust the viewing point for the best 3-D experience. CES, the world's largest annual consumer technology trade show, runs through January 13 and features more than 3,100 exhibitors showing off their latest products and services to about 140,000 attendees. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV - JANUARY 11: A glasses-free Toshiba 55-inch 3-D 4x full HD TV shows the movie, "Coraline" at the 2012 International Consumer Electronics Show at the Las Vegas Convention Center January 11, 2012 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The TVs are scheduled to be available this year and will come with embedded cameras with facial recognition capability so depending on where you are sitting, the set will adjust the viewing point for the best 3-D experience. CES, the world's largest annual consumer technology trade show, runs through January 13 and features more than 3,100 exhibitors showing off their latest products and services to about 140,000 attendees. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /
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Did Atlanta do anything of significance in San Diego?  Not a lot, but that doesn’t mean that there was nothing accomplished, either.

To the podcast!  The Atlanta Braves already had shamed the league into getting down to business this off-season thanks to a flurry of early bullpen moves, but it was Scott Boras who really got the ball rolling by foregoing his usual practice of having his clients wait out the market.

With the 3 biggest free agents now off the board, the biggest one left standing right now is… Josh Donaldson.

He is clearly in the enviable position of being able to make his own timetable between now and Christmas, but the betting here is that he will decide on a new team – hopefully the Atlanta Braves – at some point in the next few days.

In podcast episode 3, we explore the fallout from the Winter Meetings, the competition for Donaldson’s services, and the possible Plans B/C/D that the Braves will have to turn to if he ultimately opts to go elsewhere.

Alex Anthopoulos certainly did a lot of talking in San Diego, which should lay some ground for what would almost have to be trade discussions if Donaldson spurns Atlanta’s overtures.

Continue to keep in mind these watch words:  ‘certainty’ and ‘clarity’ about third base.  The Braves are poised to win and to win now.  The effort to land a quality, proven third baseman is all about these 2 words.

Yes – there is the potential that Austin Riley and/or Johan Camargo could be excellent options at the position in 2020 and beyond.  Right now, there is no certainty about that… and this is – unfortunately for both of them – a team not positioned to allow them the opportunity to grow at the major level level in a full-time job.

That’s the reason behind Anthopoulos’ quest, and that’s the bulk of where our far-and-wide discussion went in this episode.  Give a listen!

Of note:  we are now having these pushed out to iTunes, so if that is a convenient forum for you, then please look us up there and subscribe!

Here's something done at the Winter Meetings.... dark. Next

Thanks for listening!

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