tOfficial 2019 Braves season thread

[Rod Freakin' Dangerfield]

 

[Chewbaccer]

I think this is a much needed off day.

 

[Chewbaccer]

Pitchers and catchers report in 12 days, Super Bowl is over, so now it's officially baseball season.

Won the division last year and lost in the NLDS. Anything short of an NLCS appearance this season will be a disappointment, and it feels good to be able to say that again(Before last season I said I'd be happy with .500).

I really hope we're not done adding to the team this offseason. I doubt we're gonna sign anyone of note, but I have a feeling there's gonna be at least one more trade between now and the start of the regular season.

Key additions:

Josh Donaldson
Brian McCann
Darren O'Day(we got him last year, but I'm counting him since he was hurt and didn't pitch for us)

Key subtractions:

Kurt Suzuki
Anibal Sanchez
Brad Brach

Our offense was good enough to win a title last season, and it should be better this season with Donaldson added and more mature versions of Acuna, Albies and Dansby(hopefully).

But we need our pitching to be a lot better. We've got to throw more strikes and cut way down on the walks. The walks absolutely killed us last year. Both the rotation and pen. The two best opponent's batting averages in Atlanta Braves history were 2018 Folty and 2018 Teheran. That tells me the stuff is good, but most damage was done by walks and homers. We had a young rotation and a lot of rookies in the pen last year, so there's realistic hope for improvement.

Like I said, I don't think we're done making moves, but as of what we have now, this is my prediction for the opening day 25 man roster(with my preferred batting order)

1. Ender Inciarte- CF
2. Josh Donaldson- 3B
3. Freddie Freeman- 1B
4. Ronald Acuna- LF
5. Nick Markakis- RF
6. Ozzie Albies- 2B
7. Tyler Flowers- C
8. Dansby Swanson- SS

BN- Johan Camargo- super utility
BN- Brian McCann- C
BN- Adam Duvall- OF
BN- Charlie Culberson- super utility

SP- Mike Foltynewicz
SP- Kevin Gausman
SP- Sean Newcomb
SP- Julio Teheran
SP- Touki Toussaint

BP- Arodis Vizcaino
BP- AJ Minter
BP- Jonny Venters
BP- Chad Sobotka
BP- Jesse Biddle
BP- Dan Winkler
BP- Shane Carle
BP- Sam Freeman(unfortunately)

Just reading the first post in this thread. 6 of the 8 guys I listed, 6 aren’t in the organization anymore, and 2 are in AAA.

 

[DayDrinkinginDurham]

Realistically speaking, what're the teams chances against the heavy hitters of the NL i.e. the Dodgers and Cubs come playoff time?

 

[Mistaken4193]

We will beat the Cubs IMO. 0% chance against the Dodgers with our Bullpen.

 

[gobigred]

We will beat the Cubs IMO. 0% chance against the Dodgers with our Bullpen.

Yep, Cubs aren’t anything spectacular. It’s the Dodgers and everyone else in the NL right now. Like you said, Braves bullpen needs to pull heads out of their asses really fast to have any chance against Dodgers. Dodgers starting pitching way too good

 

[Mistaken4193]

Yep, Cubs aren’t anything spectacular. It’s the Dodgers and everyone else in the NL right now. Like you said, Braves bullpen needs to pull heads out of their asses really fast to have any chance against Dodgers. Dodgers starting pitching way too good

Our Bullpen sucks.....but so does everyone elses

 

[Chewbaccer]

Best case for us in the playoffs is the WCG winner upsets the Dodgers and we beat the Cubs.

I don’t think we’d have a real chance against the Astros or Yankees, but if we get there, we have a chance.

Dodgers have Kershaw and Ryu, and both of them own us.

 

[Mistaken4193]

Jon Morosi on MLB Network just said the RedSox will look to trade Mookie Betts and we could look into trading for him this off-season. But would have to give up Ian Anderson for him.


Idk how I feel about it. I’d rather keep Anderson tbh. I think He is better than Soroka and will be our ace. He has K stuff unlike Soroka.

 

[Rod Freakin' Dangerfield]

Jon Morosi on MLB Network just said the RedSox will look to trade Mookie Betts and we could look into trading for him this off-season. But would have to give up Ian Anderson for him.


Idk how I feel about it. I’d rather keep Anderson tbh. I think He is better than Soroka and will be our ace. He has K stuff unlike Soroka.

I'd offer them a crap load of other top 10 prospects for him, including either Pache or Waters, but would not include Anderson at this point in time.

 

[gobigred]

Jon Morosi on MLB Network just said the RedSox will look to trade Mookie Betts and we could look into trading for him this off-season. But would have to give up Ian Anderson for him.


Idk how I feel about it. I’d rather keep Anderson tbh. I think He is better than Soroka and will be our ace. He has K stuff unlike Soroka.

I’m shocked the Red Sox would consider trading him as one of the best hitters in the game. I can’t see Liberty Media doing this as he already turned down a 8 year/$200 mil contract offer.

 

[gobigred]

I'd offer them a crap load of other top 10 prospects for him, including either Pache or Waters, but would not include Anderson at this point in time.

Problem is that Red Sox desperately need pitching so that’s what they will want in any trade

 

[Rod Freakin' Dangerfield]

Problem is that Red Sox desperately need pitching so that’s what they will want in any trade

Wright
Wilson
Toussaint
Minter
Newcomb

 

[Mistaken4193]

Called up OF Raphael Ortega. Hopefully he gets the start Duvall has fell off since the Washington series.
Ortega hitting .285 with 21HR


Need to call up Webb.......and would be nice to give Weigel,Ynoa, and Walker chances to prove themselves

 

[Chewbaccer]

Trading for Mookie Betts would be dumb. We’d be completely mortgaging the future on a player we have no shot to sign long term.

If we do it, we’d be going for broke in 2020, and if we don’t win it all, we’d might as well start another rebuild

 

[bamafan4evr12]

We will beat the Cubs IMO. 0% chance against the Dodgers with our Bullpen.

I agree with you except I think we need Dansby and/or Nick back to healthy and playing like they were for us to beat the cubs. Otherwise I think it's a closer series

 

[bamafan4evr12]

Trading for Mookie Betts would be dumb. We’d be completely mortgaging the future on a player we have no shot to sign long term.

If we do it, we’d be going for broke in 2020, and if we don’t win it all, we’d might as well start another rebuild

Not to mention our year is probably 2021

 

[bamafan4evr12]

Acuna with a long single.....going for that 30-30 tonight

 

[Chewbaccer]

One thing I'm still getting used to about STP. A ball off the wall in right field isn't an automatic double.

 

[Chewbaccer]

Just a fly ball will do, Josh.