The Atlanta Braves have been perhaps one of the most bizarre teams this offseason. President of baseball operations John Hart has committed his focus to lowering the payroll and bettering player development, but the team has been linked to a number of expensive free agents.
Atlanta traded Jason Heyward to the St. Louis Cardinals and is continuing to shop Justin and B.J. Upton in hopes of relieving themselves of hefty salaries. However, they've been linked to pricey players such as starting pitcher Jon Lester and outfielder Yasmany Tomas, who would by no means be easy on the payroll. Now they're apparently going after outfielder Nick Markakis, who won't be cheap either.
According to Mark Bowman of MLB.com, "Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez and assistant general manager John Coppolella flew to Baltimore on Monday to have dinner with Markakis," who could potentially be the leadoff hitter in Atlanta if they sign him. However, Markakis wants a four-year contract and sources said talks between he and the Orioles got "serious" about a deal that would pay him between $10 to $12 million annually. Are the Braves willing to spend that money before they manage to get one (or both) of the Upton brothers off their hands?
It's certainly possible because the team has no definitive leadoff man after trying out a number of names throughout the season. They need a reliable contact hitter who can get on base, especially since first baseman Freddie Freeman led the team with a .288 batting average. Throwing Markakis in a talented Braves lineup could prove successful since he's most effective at the top of the order. As a leadoff hitter, Markakis has slashed .294/.353/.402 with 18 home runs and 95 RBIs throughout his career. When batting second, he's amassed a .313/.384/.491 stat line with 40 home runs and 164 RBIs.
The Braves might have an edge in signing Markakis because he's a suburban Atlanta native, but a number of other teams are interested in his services, including the Orioles, San Francisco Giants, Toronto Blue Jays and others. Additionally, the fact that the Braves are trying to rid themselves of burdensome salaries seemingly doesn't mean they're unwilling to spend. They traded Jason Heyward because he was due for a raise in 2016 after being a disappointment over the past two seasons. The reason they're looking to trade Justin Upton is because they think they can get good value in return for him, while they're merely looking to get B.J. off their hands since he's owed $46.35 million over the next three seasons and has been one of the worst full-time hitters in the league over the past two years (.198 average with 21 home runs and 61 RBIs).
Hart is likely willing to spend if the player is worth it in terms of durability and effectiveness. Markakis, who has played 1,365 of 1,458 career games and owns a .290 career batting average, is one of those guys.
