Going on two weeks since Atlanta’s Game 7 loss to the eventual World Champion Los Angeles Dodgers and the OFR staff is pretty much over it (we will never be over it) and what’s shaping up to be an… interesting off-season is just getting started.
So it seemed a good time to take a look in the ‘ole mailbag!
You can submit your questions the following ways:
- Email us
- Tweet us (@OFRSports)
- Post them in the Outfield Fly Rule Facebook group.
Q: Will the NL keep the DH rule next year? -A. Sparks
It does not seem likely at this point. The NL using the DH rule was a temporary measure for 2020 just to try to minimize chances for pitcher injuries. The player’s union has long wanted to expand the rule to the NL, and after the 2020 experiment it appears that a majority of NL owners are now also in favor, but it’s still something that is more likely to be hammered out in the collective bargaining negotiations.
It may come back as part of the 2021 COVID-19 protocols that will no doubt have to be negotiated, but those discussions likely won’t happen until early 2021.
Q: Do the Braves extend Freddie this offseason? Also, if Ozuna proves to be too expensive to sign, where do we go from there for a big bat to hit behind Freddie? – J. Saunders
A: I named extending Freddie Freeman the top priority for the Braves this offseason, and I see no reason why a deal couldn’t get done before Opening Day. Unlike free agent signings, a Freeman extension wouldn’t have anything to do with 2021 expenditures other than a signing bonus, and even that likely could be deferred.
If the Braves can’t or won’t bring back Marcell Ozuna there’s still a number of right-handed hitters that could be available for Atlanta, including almost-Brave Yasiel Puig and Ryan Braun, who’s option was not exercised by the Brewers.
I also wouldn’t put it past the Braves to possibly engineer a trade for a bat using some of their cheap, high-upside pitching talent. But if there is no DH, it’s possible the Braves could look at spreading this money out to improve overall depth and run with Ozzie Albies, Adam Duvall, or Travis d’Arnaud hitting 3rd in the order behind the dynamic duo of Acuña and Freeman.
Q: Trevor Bauer, any chance we get him and what will it take? – Several People
A: I suppose there’s a chance, especially if the Braves do as I speculate above and take the money that would be earmarked for a bat an applied it elsewhere, but it seems unlikely that the Braves would outbid other teams for Bauer. In fact, I would be surprised if Bauer goes anywhere except to the New York Yankees given their needs.
Q: What’s the Braves outfield situation with Pache and Waters? – D. Morgan
The Braves currently have five outfielders on the 40-man roster in Adam Duvall, Ronald Acuña, Ender Inciarte, Cristian Pache, and newly-signed veteran journeyman Abraham Almonte. Unless the Braves make another acquisition (or something like the Braves non-tendering Adam Duvall, in which case whoa-nelly this offseason is going to be U-G-L-Y), I would expect the alignment to be Duvall in left, Pache in center, and Acuña in right field. Assuming something like a normal season, I would guess that Drew Waters, the OFR #3 prospect, would get called up by midseason to fill in and would likely outperform both Inciarte and Almonte.
That said, the Braves will almost certainly acquire another outfielder, if not a starter than perhaps a left-handed platoon partner for Duvall (the role that Nick Markakis was expected to fill before last season) or simply another depth bat.
Q: Any way-too-early guesses on who Alex Anthopoulos’s magic one-year deal acquisition will be? – N. Lyle
A: There’s a ton of possibilities here given the likely economics of this offseason. With teams reluctant to spend, it seems likely a lot of free agents will look to sign short-term deals in order to hit the market again next off-season when hopefully the revenue outlook for teams isn’t so uncertain.
But I’ll throw a dart at the board and say… Mike Leake.
Q: Will the Braves finally move on from Ender or keep him around? – M. Barham
A: It seems very unlikely that the Braves will be able to find a taker for Ender Inciarte unless it’s a trade for another high-dollar contract. He’s guaranteed $9.72 million on the remainder of his contract and has only hit .225/.314/.343 in 361 plate appearances in 2019-20. Not only has his production been poor, but his batted ball metrics are among the worst in baseball over that time. He’s no longer a plus defender in centerfield either, so he can’t make up value that way. Given that his primary value was in his defense, it’s hard to see him even as a legitimate major league player at this point.
It’s a sad state of affairs for everyone involved, and I suspect it goes back to the repeated hamstring issues he’s suffered over the years. Assuming they can’t off-load him somewhere, I will guess they bring him to camp to give him one last shot to show he deserves a roster spot since it doesn’t cost the team to do so. If he doesn’t, they’ll cut him loose.
Q: Any chance on Kluber? – B. O’Dell
After throwing one inning in 2020 for them, the Texas Rangers decided not to exercise their option on former Cleveland ace Corey Kluber, making him a free agent. The reason the Rangers traded for Kluber before last season is the same reason why he would be an intriguing free agent signing: before the last two injury-marred seasons, Kluber was one of the best pitchers in the American League, throwing over 1000 innings from 2014-18 with a 2.85 ERA and winning two Cy Young Awards. Now going into his age 35 season and coming off a shoulder injury, I would not pursue Kluber unless he was willing to take a non-guaranteed contract.
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