tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7677732679599132840.post5430533265755012102..comments2023-06-19T07:27:32.226-04:00Comments on Walk-Off Walk: Walk-Off Talk 2.1: Figuring Out the Hot CornerTommy Poehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02321321673712755623noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7677732679599132840.post-10770536083987295882017-10-09T19:52:46.869-04:002017-10-09T19:52:46.869-04:00I would MUCH RATHER that The Braves STAY STILL...a...I would MUCH RATHER that The Braves STAY STILL...and go with a platoon of EITHER Carmago/Ruiz at 3rd OR Garcia/Ruiz (with Carmago the SUPER-SUB option) for 2018. That would give The Braves TIME to consider two options for 2019: 1. Austin Riley lights up Triple A in 2018...showing that he's ready for Opening Day 2019. 2. The Braves decide to OPEN THE VAULT and give Manny Machado at least $35 mil a year in a long term contract! <br /><br />Sure, the past 4 seasons have sucked! We've been losing. HOWEVER Coppy totally rebuilt our Minor League System. Plus, it appears that we got HELLA LUCKY with a couple of Frank Wren's signings (Ozzie Albies AND Ronald Acuna). If Acuna and Albies show in 2018 that they are LEGIT top of the lineup options....they will give The Braves two HELLA CHEAP/productive/fast top of the order players to set the table for Freddie Freeman! If we decide to go after Machado....he would make THE PERFECT clean-up hitter behind Freeman! <br /><br />I just feel that it would be HELLA UNWISE to invest heavily financially in 2018. We simply have too many UNANSWERED questions about what we exactly have! We need to see if Teheran and Folty have it in them to show that they are LONG TERM answers for the top of our rotation. Newcomb and Gohara will be going into their first FULL SEASONS! Fried and Sims need to show if they can be counted on to be legit ML Starters...OR if they are better off in the bullpen! We need to see Allard, Soroka and Tousiant show in Triple A that they are ready to push who we already have in The Majors. Of course we'll have a loaded Double A staff (led by Wilson, Wright and Wentz...potentially) itching to be one step closer.<br /><br />Injuries...more effective as a starter vs. being in the bullpen (like filling an Andrew Miller type role)...showing that they are more Wisler/Blair, than Smoltz/Glavine/Maddux....are all concerns that could derail a number of our prospects. We simply need time (which is what The 2018 season is...time) to figure out what we have/what direction we can realistically take in 2019. Anyone who says that they know how things are going to play out....is LYING! Sure, we, as fans, have our 'hopes/expectations'! But history has shown (who could have predicted that Hanson, Jurrjens, Medlen, Beachy, Minor would have all FLAMMED OUT...OR that The Mets rotation would have been DECIMATED by injuries in 2017) that things have a way of falling apart. <br /><br />That's why I feel SO HOPEFUL by the ENORMOUS NUMBER of Braves high quality pitching prospects that The Braves have! I am SO AGAINST trading any of them anytime soon (except the type that Coppy traded to BOTH The Mariners and The Cardinals...you know, at best, 4th/5th starter types/those who will end up bouncing up and down Triple A/The Majors). Even 'the experts' simply DO NOT KNOW which of our pitching prospects will pan out FOR SURE! <br /><br />As a Braves fan..I was SO EXCITED to see how the next few years would play out. While I still am....I just dont know if our next GM will be able to continue THE EXCELLENT DRAFTS that occurred under Coppy! Sure, the past three drafts (and the International Signings) have our Minors SWELLING with HIGH QUALITY PROSPECTS. However it is IMPERATIVE that we keep stocking our system EVERY YEAR with productive drafts. Just look at our dry spells the 10 years BEFORE Coppy came to The Braves (other than Freeman/Heyward/Kimbrel....it was PRETTY PATHETIC). A number of teams have similar stores to tell. <br /><br />Ideally, I feel that Carmago is better suited to be our SUPER-SUB. However, in 2018 (unless Garcia shows he's able to hit righties productively in a platoon with Ruiz)..he may have to platoon with Ruiz. Regardless, until The Braves hire a new GM AND we hear how hard MLB comes down on The Braves for Coppy's indiscretions....it's premature to speculate how they will proceed. I can only express how I HOPE/WISH they will proceed...based on the information I have/my analysis of things! Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14102781153087436079noreply@blogger.com