We'll see how long it takes for Kimbrel to get back to Atlanta...I imagine The Braves will target late April or early May? There will be quite a roster squeeze once Murphy, Strider and Acuña are all back. The question becomes is April enough to evaluate Baldwin, Anderson and BDLC?
Yeah, if Kimbrel makes it I agree that it's probably around that time. We talked about it more on today's podcast, but they've got to help him figure out the velo drop and I suspect they'll want him to ramp up the knuckle-curve usage.
I struggle with the evaluation period, especially given that each of those three won't get full run - Baldwin and BDLC likely won't play every day and Anderson will be in a six-man rotation. I don't know if the sample sizes will actually be fully statistically significant then.
Re Kimbrel: another patient move by Alex, with Craig's salary of $2 million (only if he makes the club.) Way to wait out the market! But even bargain signings displease casual fans (like a lady I know) who don't want to hear about multimillionaire ballplayer salaries of today. So to dramatize the thrifty wisdom of Braves management (still under the penalty cap) if the signing should work out, I had AI list Kimbrel's salaries of recent years ... in Bitcoin at today's price:
I agree with the notion most have that Baldwin will go down when Murphy is ready. Imagine Baldwin is hitting like everyone thinks/hopes he will and then Murphy comes back....poor Tromp. He is a good/solid back of a platoon type catcher. He has been biding his time and ready for his shot (like Hamilton) and then he really only gets 2/3 weeks of a look because Baldwin makes it so they just can't send him down.
I don't believe if BDLC plays better than Kelenic in a very limited sample it would do anything to Kelenic's status, but it is crazy to think they might be cutting bait on Kelenic at some point relatively soon. The Braves took on 15 million or so and then traded two prospects (that both had TJ's but still)(do you have any reports on Wright's return from his shoulder injury?) and could be done with Kelenic in only one and change seasons....wow.
Ian those post seasons seem a lifetime ago, please do better, much much better immediately. I was hoping the Braves could give Ian a shot but at the end of the day: who do I want to face the doyers in two weeks: Ian or AJSS? I guess it can really be that simple.
Any chance the Braves try and teach Kimbrel that new kick change knuckle curve??!!
Kelenic will stick around all season, if for nothing else than he's a high floor defensive option late in games and relatively cheap. Things could change by year or three or four of arbitration, but he's capable of paying all three spots with a strong arm and for a team that has questionable defenders in both corners, they could stick him out there almost every single night they're nursing a lead.
Kimbrel's never really showed a proclivity to a changeup - I'd honestly rather teach him that gyro slider that Strider throws than the kick-change.
The Perdomo trade confounded me, but after the Kimbrel move, it made more sense to me. Can't wait to listen to Welcome to the Jungle again!
We'll see how long it takes for Kimbrel to get back to Atlanta...I imagine The Braves will target late April or early May? There will be quite a roster squeeze once Murphy, Strider and Acuña are all back. The question becomes is April enough to evaluate Baldwin, Anderson and BDLC?
Yeah, if Kimbrel makes it I agree that it's probably around that time. We talked about it more on today's podcast, but they've got to help him figure out the velo drop and I suspect they'll want him to ramp up the knuckle-curve usage.
I struggle with the evaluation period, especially given that each of those three won't get full run - Baldwin and BDLC likely won't play every day and Anderson will be in a six-man rotation. I don't know if the sample sizes will actually be fully statistically significant then.
Re Kimbrel: another patient move by Alex, with Craig's salary of $2 million (only if he makes the club.) Way to wait out the market! But even bargain signings displease casual fans (like a lady I know) who don't want to hear about multimillionaire ballplayer salaries of today. So to dramatize the thrifty wisdom of Braves management (still under the penalty cap) if the signing should work out, I had AI list Kimbrel's salaries of recent years ... in Bitcoin at today's price:
2021: 186.45 BTC
2022: 186.45 BTC
2023: 116.53 BTC
2024: 151.49 BTC
2025: 23.31 BTC
I agree with the notion most have that Baldwin will go down when Murphy is ready. Imagine Baldwin is hitting like everyone thinks/hopes he will and then Murphy comes back....poor Tromp. He is a good/solid back of a platoon type catcher. He has been biding his time and ready for his shot (like Hamilton) and then he really only gets 2/3 weeks of a look because Baldwin makes it so they just can't send him down.
I don't believe if BDLC plays better than Kelenic in a very limited sample it would do anything to Kelenic's status, but it is crazy to think they might be cutting bait on Kelenic at some point relatively soon. The Braves took on 15 million or so and then traded two prospects (that both had TJ's but still)(do you have any reports on Wright's return from his shoulder injury?) and could be done with Kelenic in only one and change seasons....wow.
Ian those post seasons seem a lifetime ago, please do better, much much better immediately. I was hoping the Braves could give Ian a shot but at the end of the day: who do I want to face the doyers in two weeks: Ian or AJSS? I guess it can really be that simple.
Any chance the Braves try and teach Kimbrel that new kick change knuckle curve??!!
Kelenic will stick around all season, if for nothing else than he's a high floor defensive option late in games and relatively cheap. Things could change by year or three or four of arbitration, but he's capable of paying all three spots with a strong arm and for a team that has questionable defenders in both corners, they could stick him out there almost every single night they're nursing a lead.
Kimbrel's never really showed a proclivity to a changeup - I'd honestly rather teach him that gyro slider that Strider throws than the kick-change.