Monday, October 17, 2016

Yankees Potential Trade Partners: The Atlanta Braves


The Atlanta Braves had a miserable campaign in 2016 as the team looked to rebuild towards their new ballpark in 2017 and the future of the organization. The Yankees took a similar stance in 2016 as they jump started their rebuild with a few midseason trades for prospects that stockpiled their farm system. The Yankees are at the beginning of this long path towards rebuilding while the Braves are more towards the end presumably which leaves me wondering if these two teams are potentially trade partners this offseason. I mean, you have to think so right?

The Atlanta Braves have most notably been interested in Yankees catcher and former Braves product Brian McCann but who could the Yankees be interested in if a hypothetical trade were to go down? Who else, if anyone, could be involved in a potential deal?

The Atlanta Braves have shown that they are willing to take on a bad contract if it means they get prospects or draft picks in return. See the Matt Kemp trade for a recent example of this. Could the Yankees package together maybe McCann and Chase Headley, Jacoby Ellsbury or Brett Gardner in the deal and pull some of those key prospects away? Atlanta has said they need star power to attract the fans to the new stadium, could the Yankees maybe sneak in a bad contract with McCann for that reason? Honestly the Braves are so unpredictable lately I have to think that there’s at least a chance of them saying yes to the deal.

So who do the Braves give back? The Yankees need pitching and one name is floated around more in Atlanta trade rumors than any so why not ask for Julio Teheran? Teheran’s stats don’t jump off the page at 7-10 with a 3.21 ERA in 188 innings but his sabermetrics tell a completely different story. Teheran was an ace on a bad team that pitched well and could continue to pitch well in the Bronx being to the Yankees what Michael Pineda was supposed to be for all these years. Teheran is just 25-years old and is controlled through the 2020 season including a club option for that final year.

Brian McCann, an outfielder (more along the lines of Jake Cave or Mason Williams and not Aaron Judge) and a third prospect or one of Headley/Gardner (which would lead Atlanta to including more in the deal to even it out) for Teheran? I make that deal 10 times out of 10. Would the Braves? I don’t think they would immediately hang up and that’s how every trade starts every single offseason. Make the call Cash, all the Braves can say is no.


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Sorry for the Capatcha... Blame the Russians :)