re: ATL Thread | offseason hot takes + discussion

You’re not wrong. Time will tell.

So your knocking AA because he hasn’t had to rebuild a farm system until now? Come on. The Braves have a system that works. They draft pitchers in the American draft and they go after bats in the international market.

The only reason our farm is ranked low right now is because AA promoted everyone and their performance has proven all those call ups were spot on.

The Braves are in a great position to be in the tournament for the next 5-6 years. That’s all you can do. Then hope you get some guys play out of their mind and you win one or two. Meanwhile, teams with huge contracts are stuck playing the old game. Good luck to the Yankees trying to build a team with Judges contract. We’ve seen how far the Angels have made it with 2 superstars.

quote:

---

The only reason our farm is ranked low right now is because AA promoted everyone and their performance has proven all those call ups were spot on.

---

The reason its so low right now is because he promoted all the guys they hit on and haven't really hit on anyone else thus far. If he were so good at that aspect we probably don't dip below 20-ish even in a year where you promote 3-4 top guys. I don't think 3-4 hits when you have a farm consisting of dozens of prospects means you're automatically strong in that department.

quote:

---

Our farm system would be ranked a lot higher if we pussyfooted around with Harris, Grissom, Strider and elder. Most teams would still have those guys in AAA and at least three of them would be top 100 prospects.

---

I'm not blaming AA for hurting our system by calling those guys up. It was refreshing to see a GM thrust its young talent into the spotlight to see if they sink or swim.

However, fact of the matter is, our farm is barren now, which will make it harder to improve the team if we simply refuse to play the free agent market. That's why I lament letting Freddie walk, because the correlated events that followed made it a lot harder for us to improve in areas of need this offseason (LF and SS).

quote:

---

I think as long as Dana Brown is in the organization

---

Hope and pray he doesn't get the Astros GM job

They literally were not allowed to sign any amateur international free agents for 4 years. Very difficult to maintain any sort of farm system when you are calling up guys you drafted at a very aggressive pace and have zero international guys in the system aged 17-21. They also have not picked outside of the 20s or 30s since 2018.

We literally just had the top two finishers in the rookie of the year race on a 101 win team.

The way you can judge him is based on his drafting and one of the drafts was a 5 rounder and another was shortened. Not the best way to build depth.

Even with all the restrictions, these are the notable draft picks over last 5 years

2017

Tristan Beck-Traded for Mark Melancon, who was a very productive part of winning teams

2018

Shea Langeliers-Centerpiece in trade for top 5 1B

Braden Shewmake-Looks like a future major leaguer, although a backend of the roster/depth piece

Michael Harris-2022 Rookie of the Year

Vaughn Grissom-Likely OD SS

Joey Estes-3rd piece in Olson trade

Bryce Ball-traded straight up for Joc Pederson, who was key piece on WS team

2019

Jared Shuster-Braves #1 prospect

2020

Spencer Strider-Historic rookie season, ROY runner up

Bryce Elder-3.14 ERA in 54 big league innings, possible #5 starter

Jesse Franklin-.829 OPS in minors as an up the middle guy. Big year coming up though as he missed basically all of 2022 with injury

2021

Ryan Cusick-Another piece in Olson trade

Spencer Schwellenbach-Hasn’t appeared in a game yet in Braves system. Drafted him knowing he needed TJS. Very high upside but a lot of risk.

Dylan Dodd-Already in AAA. Likely not a big league starter but could be a LOOGY by end of summer.

2022
Owen Murphy-#2 prospect in system

JR Ritchie-#3 prospect in system

Owen Murphy-#5 prospect in system

How many teams do you think have produced more guys who have made an impact either at major league level or through trade than this over the past 5 drafts?

He was the best pitcher in the system last year.

quote:

---

How many teams do you think have produced more guys who have made an impact either at major league level or through trade than this over the past 5 drafts?

---

So now, after a wall of text, you change the argument

The farm isn't in a good place, AA is responsible for the farm.

He didn't really do a whole lot of favors in Toronto on that front either.

Where are these guys nationally? Being the number 2 or 5 prospect in a bad system doesn't really mean a whole lot

The only guys left from the old GMs are minor league lifers or Triple A depth guys, if we have any left at all.

And I literally said in my first comment on the issue that this is what I THINK, but its still very much up in the air. He guided Toronto through a window and got here when ours was starting to open up. He just hasn't done it. Most people just aren't good at every single aspect of their job

Literally the only thing he can do to improve the system is draft and he has drafted more WAR than any other organization in the 18-22 drafts and used several other guys as assets to win a WS and the division every year he has been here.

If he is drafting at an extremely high level and has not been permitted to add talent in any other manner how is he responsible for the farm being bad?

quote:

---

Strider and Harris were not too 100 prospects either.

---

Harris was