The Atlanta Braves suck and it is fun to watch. They are lessons for all about building a team or program with stability, longevity, and pride. It is a look inside the fat-cats and failures. It shows what happens with long-term contracts; the same can be said about college transfers with years of eligibility left--it probably won't last.
Michigan has had some great teams. Usually it boils down to leadership and people like Mike Sainristil, Aiden Hutchinson, and Derrick Walton, Jr. to name a few.
1. They started the season hoping for a decent team when and if two stars (Acuna and Strider) come back at all-star levels.
2. No. 2 starter Lopez is on the disabled list for shoulder inflammation and it is long-term. His only start was 9 hits in 5 innings with one strikeout and two walks. Remember Chris Sale? He's the Cy Young winner who bowed-out of the playoffs last year.
3. People are calling it fraud. Jurickson Profar is gone for half a season and hopefully more. $14 million a year for a one-time .280 hitter? The other day I read somewhere not worth noting what a great start he had this year in one game. His accomplishments: he fouled off a lot of pitches and only struck out twice; he didn't have an hits. He was supposed to be a bridge to Acuna and replacement for Jared Kelenic, i.e., they already have at least one outfielder who needs replacement.
4. Sean Murphy has shown once again that he doesn't want to or cannot play. Murphy is awful. Last year he missed about half and hit .200. All we ever heard was that he never got his swing back. Duh. Sometimes he gets stats when the game is out of hand and pitchers hardly bother. In terms of helping the team he is a complete no-show.
2023-2028
arbitration-extension-process. Sean Murphy signed a 6 year, $73,000,000
contract with the Atlanta Braves, including $73,000,000 guaranteed, and
an average annual salary of $12,166,667. In 2025, Murphy will earn a base salary of $15,000,000, while carrying a total salary of $15,000,000.
5. The bullpen is terrible and six or seven games into the season they found soon to be 42-year old Jesse Chavez already.
6. 70-year old "Snit" (manager Brian Snitker) is an embarrassment. The only thing I recall him saying this year is how he wants to retire and remain one of those people who still hangs around minor league ballparks (also referred-to as a scout).
7. Yesterday I looked up Bryan De La Cruz, left fielder after seeing the
box score. It is not every day you see someone with a .000 batting average and .083 on base percentage. His career stats are OK; not great, strikes out a lot. $860K. This season 6 strikeouts in 11 at-bats. What is the point? This because Sean Murphy makes $15 million.
8. "AA" as he is called is an arrogant son of a bitch. I remember last year when Acuña went down--an interview, the only thing anyone said about the turnstile of outfielders. He didn't say a word relevant to how he single-handedly destroyed the team. by signing everyone breathing to a huge contract and then retiring. I'll look it up, the story on ESPN. He didn't and still doesn't give a rat's ass about the fans or the trajectory of a once great franchise. Yeah, right, you are going to make the playoffs when everyone heals. AA is Alex Anthopoulos.
9. Joe Jiménez and... I already mentioned the bullpen. Three years $26 million guaranteed is crazy. He is supposed to be the rock of the bullpen, Instead he is skipping the season.
10. Ian Anderson. This reminds me of college basketball, the portal, and 5th, 6th, and 7th years. What is the point? A career of hanging-on with NIL is a poor excuse for a career. Anderson's salary is $800K. The poor Angels.
I could go on. Drake Baldwin, supposedly the Braves' best prospect (catcher, realization Murphy is a flop), is hitting .056. Farm systems used to fill in for injuries and it was a win-win in terms of evaluating prospects. There is virtually nothing on the farm.
Bright spots? Sale has been good if he can last. Spencer Schwellenbach also.
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