The Atlanta Braves made a puzzling trade last week when they sent Gold Glove shortstop Andrelton Simmons to the Los Angeles Angels for a few prospects. Trade rumors are now suggesting the team could move another one of their young, talented players: first baseman Freddie Freeman.
It's unclear what the Braves' plan is, but the fact that they've traded Simmons, Justin Upton, Craig Kimbrel, Evan Gattis, Jason Heyward, Chris Johnson, Jordan Walden, Alex Wood and others in the past year indicates they're trying to start from scratch.
Freeman and a few others could be next in their trade plans.
"Officials from three different clubs told me that the Braves have indeed shopped first baseman Freddie Freeman, with one saying such a possibility was 'the talk of the (Arizona) Fall League' among scouts about 10 days ago," writes FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal.
"The Braves, another official says, are 'shopping everyone owed money' - a group that would include right-hander Julio Teheran, right fielder Nick Markakis and center fielder Cameron Maybin, among others."
Here's the contract information for each player reportedly on the block:
Freeman - owed $118.5 million through 2021
Teheran - owed $29.6 million through 2019 ($12 million team option for 2020)
Markakis - owed $33 million through 2018
Maybin - owed $9 million through 2016 ($9 million team option for 2017)
Rumors have also suggested they're looking to move Nick Swisher and Michael Bourn, but that's no surprise because both will be free agents after 2016 and have large annual salaries.
General manager John Coppolella told David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that the team hasn't had "any trade discussions" on Freeman, but that can't be taken too seriously since the team denied trade rumors surrounding Simmons last week and a number of their other players last year.
Nonetheless, while it's shocking they've already dealt Simmons and could possibly deal Freeman, ESPN's Buster Olney makes a good point as to why they might be conducting this fire sale.
"If you made a cold assessment of the Braves' future, here's something worth considering: They will open their new ballpark in 2017 and will naturally get an attendance bump that year and in 2018, so the push for Atlanta to contend probably doesn't really need to start until 2019," he wrote in his Sunday column.
Atlanta possesses a ton of prospects that have been acquired in the past year, which indicates they could be in full rebuilding mode as they prepare to move into their new stadium after 2016. Sean Newcomb, Ozhaino Albies, Touki Toussaint, Kolby Allard, Tyrell Jenkins, Manny Banuelos, Max Fried, Lucas Sims, Mallex Smith and others should be ready for full-time MLB action within the next 2-3 seasons. And let's not forget about Jace Peterson, Matt Wisler, Mike Foltynewicz, Williams Perez, Ryan Weber and Hector Olivera currently on the MLB roster (and still developing).
Freeman is among the best first basemen in the MLB, so the Braves will likely get a big return for the 26-year-old if he's traded. If they add more prospects, it's possible they can also use their surplus of young talent to trade for an experienced MLB star down the road as well.
But anyway, cheers to not knowing what the Braves are doing.
