Chicago Cubs, Atlanta Braves, Arizona Diamondbacks Make Big Moves at Winter Meetings

The Winter Meetings have gotten crazy, so much so that there is too much to digest in one post. That doesn’t mean observations can’t be made, however, so here are some quick thoughts about the news to come out of Nashville:

On the spectrum of monumental rebuilds, there are teams that horde talented position players (example: Cubs) at one end, teams with hybrid pitcher/position player talent (Astros) and then there is the Atlanta Braves. The Braves are betting their future on a host of young arms. For example, look at this prospect ranking by MLB Pipeline: Dansby Swanson, after coming over in a trade from the Diamondbacks for Shelby Miller, is the team’s new No. 1 prospect. Ozhaino Albies, a shortstop, is the team’s No.3 prospect. The next eight prospects are all pitchers, including Aaron Blair (No. 4), who also came over in the Miller trade. No. 2 on the list is Sean Newcomb, whom the Braves acquired from the Andrelton Simmons trade with the Angels.

Yes, the Braves have also acquired Hector Olivera, Swanson, Erick Aybar and Ender Inciarte, but the main focus has been pitching. The Braves will be bad in 2016, and when their battalion of arms starts to arrive in 2017, they may be pitching in a lot of close, low scoring games, considering the National League’s worst offense in 2015 by runs per game has improved incrementally.

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Remember how at this time last year the Cubs were the team on the rise? Well, consider that narrative over. The Cubs are no longer a team on the rise; they are a team built to win now. The John Lackey and Ben Zobrist signings and the trade of Starlin Castro were clear signs of the franchise’s intentions, as are the rumors the Cubs are in an arms race to sign Jason Heyward away from the Cardinals. So what about all of the young players still in the minors, such as shortstop Gleyber Torres, Billy McKinney, Albert Almora and Willson Contreras? Or Javier Baez, who was presumed to take over second base if Castro was traded? The Cubs would be happy to keep them around, but don’t be surprised if their used as trade bait.

Likewise, the Diamondbacks are no longer in rebuild mode. If the Cubs and Astros had shown marked improvement last season but still missed the playoffs, their seasons would’ve been viewed very positively. They arrived a year or two early. But the splashes the Diamondbacks made this offseason mean a playoff berth is the expectation.

The Mariners finally made a sensible trade by acquiring Adam Lind from the Brewers for three teenagers. Jack Zduriencik’s tenure as General Manager was fraught with trades for high-power, low on-base players, but Lind has power and a combined .364 on base percentage over the past three seasons. Considering the Mariners do not have a deep farm, Lind is a cheap addition, as none of the players sent to the Brewers are top level prospects—yet, anyway.

Next: Diamondbacks Make Another Big Splash

The Astros didn’t offer Chris Carter a contract, sending him into free agency, and they will need to replace his bat. A.J. Reed would be a perfect fit. He has yet to play above Double-A, but they way he abused minor league pitching last season, he may not need much more development. Houston acquired Ken Giles from the Phillies for quite the haul late Wednesday evening, adding Vincent Velasquez, Brett Oberholtzer and Thomas Eshelman as rotation options, as well as Derek Fisher to their outfield mix in the next couple of years. The meetings will officially come to a close on Thursday, but not before the Rule 5 Draft takes place.