Braves beat writer Dave O’Brien joined Dukes & Bell and talked about Josh Donaldson’s departure and what the Braves might actually do to fill the void in the lineup.
Dave talked about why Donaldson went with the Twins.
“I can’t give you the exact offer, because no one has disclosed it yet, I heard the Nationals offered 4 years for $100.” O’Brien said “I’ve said before one of the main priorities of Alex is not to have dead money on the payroll going forward, I think that’s what it came down to with Josh.”
O’Brien told the guys a reasonable option to replace Donaldson’s bat without giving away too much.
“I wrote yesterday I like Starling Marte from the Pirates, the Pirates aren’t going to demand nearly as much as the Cubs for Bryant.” O’Brien said “The last couple of years he’s had more WAR than Bryant because Bryant had an injury plagued 2018. Marte’s the kind of guy who can hit you 25-30 homers, and steal 30 bags, hit for a high average, think he hit .295 last year. It’s a guy who is making $12 million a year, only under contract for one more year with an option, so that’s the kinda guy to me that seems like a Braves kind of pick up there with one year left on the deal and an option. And he can play centerfield if you want to trade Ender Inciarte eventually, I don’t know which way they’re leaning but it seems more reasonable because they are comfortable if they need to go with Camargo and Austin Riley at third base and let them compete, use them both or use one coming out of spring training they will do that. If they can add that bat in the outfield, because they have to add a bat whether it’s at third base or the outfield."