Tuesday, October 8, 2013

The Yankees Should Trade For Ryan Braun

Current Yankee, Former Yankee, Future Yankee?


Anyone who reads any Milwaukee Brewers blogs have seen the speculation that the Brewers could be trying to trade Ryan Braun this offseason after his steroid suspension from this season. Obviously there are a few hurdles that need to be cleared including Braun's  hefty contract that will, including a mutual option year, take him through the 2021 season, Braun's no trade clause, and his baggage upon baggage he brings. No one wants to take on a guy that is connected to the whole Biogenesis fall out, especially just a year or two removed from the "FedEx guy tampering with his sample" and getting a pass on one failed test already. 


For the fun of reading and fandom let's just assume that the Yankees have the pieces to trade for Braun, who would have zero trade value just for the record, and that Ryan was willing to waive his no trade clause to New York. Let's also assume, again for simplicity sake, that the Yankees throw out the entire luxury tax threshold and the $189 million mandate and go all in for 2014 and beyond. Let's assume that George Steinbrenner is reincarnated into Hank and Hal Steinbrenner's balls and the Yankees ownership gives a shit about winning just one more time. Let's assume....

Ryan signed a 5 year contract extension before the 2012 season worth $105,000,000 with a mutual option for the 2021 season worth $15,000,000. Braun will be 38 years old when this contract runs out which is more encouraging then having a 42 year old Alex Rodriguez making big money in his final season in pinstripes. If I understand the new collective bargaining agreement the way I think I do, which could really be very little because you have to be a lawyer to understand that thing, Braun's AAV started being calculated in 2012 with the extension and everything before then is excluded. If this is the case Ryan will have an AAV of $15,833,333 for the next seven seasons. If they include the four seasons prior, which again I do not believe that they do even though it was an extension and not a new contract, his AAV drops down to $10,621,429. 


Braun is a left fielder by nature but could easily play right field for a season with speedster Brett Gardner in center field covering a ton of ground. Braun's right handed bat could really stack and balance the lineup, even in Yankees Stadium, and would return us to our glory days of 200+ home runs a season. Also I think if any market in the world could handle having three previous steroid suspended players on the team in Braun, Alex Rodriguez, and Francisco Cervelli I think it is New York. Braun would likely take a back seat to the media circus anyway with the whole "Derek Jeter Effect" and would especially if Jeter decided to announce that 2014 was his final season. Braun also helps his own cause being a humble character, whether proactively or re-actively, as we all saw when Braun was calling season ticket holders apologizing for his steroid suspension.  Braun seems like a great clubhouse guy and would seemingly fit in the New York clubhouse. 

The greatest part of this is, again assuming this trade even went down realistically, that Braun could be had for the low low price of Brett Marshall, Greg Bird, JR Murphy, David Adams, and Tommy Kahnle. I know it sounds like a ton but when you think about it it's really not. Milwaukee is rebuilding so they want young talent and controllable talent, plus we still have a bit of a 40 man roster crunch so it works for us too. We have to be "realistic" here and know that we are trading for premium talent, even clean as his would suggest, and cannot have him for nothing. We have to include Greg Bird, arguably a top five prospect of ours, and we have to include one of our catching trio of Murphy, Austin Romine, and Francisco Cervelli. Kahnle and Marshall do not seem to have a future in New York being way down on the totem pole and with both needing Rule 5 draft protection this winter it seems like the perfect time to get something for them. David Adams gets one more season of development in Milwaukee behind Aramis Ramirez before having to take over the full time role in 2015. This trade seems to help both teams achieve their respected goals, we compete in 2014 and beyond, and the Brewers continue to rebuild and retool. 


Is this unrealistic? Hell yeah. Was it fun to think about a lineup of Gardner, Soriano, Cano, Braun, Teixeira, Rodriguez, Granderson(DH), Jeter, Cervelli?, Another hell yeah. Does a post like this popping up already mean something? Yes, unfortunately, it means this is going to be a looooong winter and off season. Keep dreaming Yankees family!

5 comments:

  1. I'd like to see Braun in Pinstripes. But it won't happen

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    1. Agreed. I dont think it would ever happen but I would be ecstatic

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  2. TWASP is old fashioned when it comes to player moves. Hate all the moving around. You see a player for a couple of seasons get to like him and then poof hes gone. i dont want Braun, I want Grandy and Cano and Tex and Jeter and even Aroid. to me Soriano is a Yankee keep him.w

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    1. I agree with you a 100% but, with one caveat...I don't like Braun anymore than I like A-Rod! Both cheated and lied about it.
      But if it helps the team I can be as fair with him as any other Yankee player!

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    2. I grew up with the whole hot stove being on tv 24/7 and all that so I guess I have grown used to it by now.

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