New general manager John Hart may need to learn how to operate a construction truck in order to be fully qualified to take on the enormous reclamation project that is the Atlanta Braves.
Hart began the process Monday by shipping beloved outfielder Jason Heyward and reliever Jordan Walden to St. Louis for starter Shelby Miller and pitching prospect Tyrell Jenkins.
Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports was one of the first to break the news via his Twitter:
The deal sent shockwaves through Major League Baseball and will affect the landscape of clubs well outside the city limits of Atlanta and St. Louis. The Cardinals have served notices to fellow NL contenders like the Giants, Nationals and Dodgers, while the Braves may as well have installed an "Everything Must Go!" sign on the gates of Turner Field.
Let's examine the deal, its impact on both involved parties and what it means for the rest of MLB.
What it means for the Cardinals
As far as natural trade partners go, the Braves and Cards were a match made in heaven here. Dave Cameron of FanGraphs explains that cohesive relationship between the two clubs:
So, trading Heyward now makes a good amount of sense for the Braves, and they made it clear that acquiring starting pitching was their #1 priority this winter. A natural trade partner would have a hole in right field, some rotation depth, and the potential desire and ability to try and sign Heyward to a long-term deal before hit the open market next winter. No team in baseball fit that description as well as the St. Louis Cardinals...
Heyward will take over the right field duties for a team in desperate need of an offensive boost. The Cardinals ranked 24th in runs and 29th in home runs in 2014.
St. Louis will also enhance its team defense with the trade, as "J-Hey" is arguably the best defensive right fielder in baseball. In 2014 he led all MLB outfielders in defensive runs saved en route to winning a second Gold Glove. Heyward's arrival will also allow the Cards to platoon the left-handed Jon Jay and the right-handed Randal Grichuk in their natural position of center field.
Of course giving up Miller could always come back to haunt the Cards, but the club is blessed with a deep pitching pipeline. Adam Wainwright, John Lackey, Lance Lynn and the returning Michael Wacha give them an enviable base, with Marco Gonzalez, Carlos Martinez and Jaime Garcia waiting in the wings to replace Miller as the fifth starter.
Jenkins shouldn't come across as a mere throw-in to sweeten the deal, though. According to Keith Law of ESPN.com, he has overcome a 2013 shoulder injury to become one of the best prospects in the Arizona Fall League. Jenkins is a hard-thrower with sinking action, which leads to a high percentage of ground-ball outs.
The alarming risk of the deal is surrendering Miller's four years of control and Jenkins' six years for the potential rental of Heyward. But the Cardinals are built to contend now, so these losses are well worth the swap for Heyward's upside. Don't be surprised to see the Cardinals attempt to extend Heyward to try and cope with some of the risk involved with renting players.
What it means for the Braves
Atlanta's desire for starting pitching must be an unusual feeling for the club. After all, the Bravos created the blueprint of using young arms as the building blocks of a first-class organization, something we see so commonly today.
But to get that top-flight starting pitching, you'll need to part with your best assets, and Heyward fit the profile.
Braves fans were heartbroken by the news of the departure of a homegrown star, as evidenced by the quotes from Hart reported by the Atlanta Journal Constitution's David O'Brien:
Heyward's adoration in Atlanta dates back to his ascension from local high-school phenom to 21-year-old organizational savior, who so memorably debuted by depositing a Carlos Zambrano fastball into the bullpen with his first major league swing (as seen below.)
But since that fateful April day, Heyward's offensive value hasn't quite lived up to all the hype. His rookie season in 2010 remains his best season in terms of average, OBP, wOBA and wRC+. Despite his 6'5", 245 pound frame, the outfielder's expected power surge has yet to occur. We saw a glimpse of his capability in 2012 (27 homers, 82 RBI), but with just 11 dingers last season both Heyward and the Braves seemed less likely to come to an agreement on a longterm extension.
His expedited free agency due to a younger debut, combined with his lack of improving run production, may have turned Atlanta off in terms of forking out the cash that he's going to earn in 2015. With the roster in flux, Hart pulled the trigger at the chance to acquire a young arm for a player he was planning on losing anyway.
Miller fits in nicely with a young rotation comprised of Julio Teheran, Mike Minor and Alex Wood. The 24-year-old righty took steps back in 2014 with a 3.74 ERA and only six strikeouts per nine innings, but he pitched much better down the stretch.
It may not be a popular move in Atlanta, but it's the right one. Two young pitchers with dynamic stuff are now part of the organization and improving the staff has been a stated offseason goal all along.
What it means for the rest of the league
St. Louis addressed its most glaring need, so expect other NL contenders to follow suit. The Giants will likely be in the market for some offense, L.A. desperately needs bullpen upgrades and the Nationals, although quite complete on paper, will be looking to replace Adam LaRoche's production.
Atlanta on the other hand looks to be headed in the opposite direction, as Heyward may have only been the first domino to fall. Justin Upton, Evan Gattis and others could be following "J-Hey" out of Atlanta.
Upton, like Heyward, will be a free agent in 2015, making it highly plausible for Hart to look to deal the outfielder for prospects. The Seattle Mariners could be a fit, as Buster Olney mentioned on his Twitter:
David Schoenfield of ESPN.com contemplated a hypothetical trade scenario with the Braves and those Mariners, centered around Upton, Gattis, top pitching prospect Taijuan Walker and middle infield prospects Brad Miller and Chris Taylor here.
Regardless of the landing spot, Atlanta has made its intentions clear this offseason. Other contenders will kick the tires to see what's available, and I expect Hart to flip any valuable player that doesn't fit into his future plans.
And he should. The Braves aren't going to contend next year, especially after dealing Heyward, so replenishing the farm could go a long way to recreating a contender. In the meantime, how the club handles the rest of the offseason will greatly impact the rest of the league in 2015.
Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com
- Login to post comments