SAN FRANCISCO, CA – SEPTEMBER 11: Mike Foltynewicz #26 of the Atlanta Braves pitches against the San Francisco Giants in the bottom of the first inning at AT&T Park on September 11, 2018, in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
The Simulated Winter Meetings ended Friday night at 10 p.m. eastern time. The third year offered more challenges than in past years, but in the end, it proved a successful learning experience.
The Atlanta Braves improved their mock roster with a series of simulated trades and a few strategic free agent signings. The exercise allowed me to gain insight into the way our writers for other teams look at things. It was interesting.
I did my best to follow the plan that I hear Alex Anthopoulos repeating. I was in on every available player I felt could help. I didn’t get them all, but I got enough.
I tried to be aware of my spending and didn’t check the bottom line until Friday morning. I’d committed $98M to the mock payroll. I needed it to sign free agents later.
Like every commodity, trades are based on market factors. The market sets the price; you then must decide whether you pay it or pass. Understanding how the market views your players before you start to formulate a deal gives you an advantage when making a deal.
Those things noted I’ll dive into the story so far.
Braves pitching needs addressed
My goal from the outset centered on a getting a top of the rotation arm and a reinforcing the bullpen. I tried to work out a deal for Corey Kluber, but before I could complete it, the ‘Indians’ traded Carlos Carrasco and decided that he would be the only starter that would leave Cleveland.
I asked early about Edwin Diaz, but the Mariners weren’t really interested in the deal. I asked about Sonny Grey, worked on a Kyle Hendricks deal then dug deeper into the data and changed my mind.
I began talking about Kirby Yates on day one, but that didn’t conclude until day 3. I looked at the bullpen and saw a series of hard throwers, Sergio Romo’s presence changes that and his experience as a winning player helps too.
Ken Giles appeared out of nowhere when I was putting together the failed three-team deal for Francisco Mejia. Here are the pitchers for this simulated team.
