MMs - The 2016 – The Atlanta Braves

Projected free agent losses from their 2016 squad will be P Ross Detwiler and C A.J. Pierzynski. 

There are only so many top players on this team right now and these are the only ones that I can project for the 25-man roster:

SP     Mike Minor – (2015: $5.6mil): 2016: ARB-3  

SP     Julio Teheran - $3.467mil

SP     Shelby Miller – (2015: $535K) – 2016: ARB-1

SP     

SP    

RP     Jason Grilli - $3.5mil

RP     Arodys Vizcaino – (2015: $507,500) – 2016: ARB-1

RP     Luis Avilan - $507,500

RP    

RP    

1B     Nick Swisher - $15mil

          Freddie Freeman - $12.359mil -

2B     Jace Peterson - $507,500

SS      Erick Aybar - $8.75mil

3B     Hector Oliveros - $8.667mil

OF       Michael Bourne - $15mil

OF     Cameron Maybin - $8.1mil

OF     Nick Markakis - $11mil

C       Christian Bethancourt - $507,500

Other top prospects that are projected to be a factor at some point in the 2016 season include P Tyrell Jenkins, P Manny Banuelos, and 3B Rio Ruiz.

There doesn’t seem to be enough meat here to warrant a playoff team in 2016.

The first problem is salary. As of today, only $68.869mil is committed to the 2016 team. This won’t hunt the dog.

Secondly, pitching, pitching, pitching.

I don’t expect the Braves to give up on either Minor or Miller in 2016, but they do both need to bounce back from an injury and a bad year. Relief wise, they will have to find new pitchers to replace the loss of both Edwin Jackson and Jim Johnson.

Starter wise, Matt Wisler finished strong in 2015, but I expect the Braves to sign, possibly, a couple of short term mid-rotation starters to shore up a young rotation. The two starter prospects obtained in the Andrelton Simmons deal, Chris Ellis and Sean Newcomb, are both on target to graduate to the majors in 2017

Observation – As I said earlier, there simply isn’t enough here to catch either the Mets or Nats. In fact, I don’t see them finishing above Miami. 

New management here seems to want to build their own version of this team and Braves fans are going to have to wait out their rebuilding plan like we did with Sandy Alderson.

I’ve got them still rebuilding, finishing fourth.