Joc Pederson to Braves

[Eye Black]

Cubs receive 1B Bryce Ball in return, the Braves #12 prospect according to MLB Pipeline.

 

The Cubs fire sale appears to have commenced.

[adambr2]

Ball is a fairly legitimate return for 2+ months of a meh player.

[Jopal78]

Ball is a fairly legitimate return for 2+ months of a meh player.

 

Goes to show you; will be a sellers market

[wildcat2237]

Welp. Guess you can stick a fork in the Chubs.

 

Its going to be Brewers, Reds, and Cards.

 

I refuse to ever declare the Cards dead.

[adambr2]

Welp. Guess you can stick a fork in the Chubs.

 

Its going to be Brewers, Reds, and Cards.

 

I refuse to ever declare the Cards dead.

 

I assume you mean because it's a good sign the Cubs will sell more. Because Joc alone doesn't really move the needle in the division race at all.

[Simba2020]

A pretty worthless player traded for somebody who I'd be quite surprised if he ever made it to the majors. Nothing to see here.

[CheezWizHed]

They traded Pederson for a tall, left-handed bat with a lot of power and a 28% k rate. Sounds like Pederson, except he is learning to play 1B and can't play OF.

[nate82]

Ball is a fairly legitimate return for 2+ months of a meh player.

 

Ball is very similar to Lutz but in A+ versus Lutz being in AA. They are also having a very similar season. I wouldn't call Ball fairly legitimate more like a lottery ticket as his K% is rather high and I doubt it improves. Basically the Cubs got a lottery ticket who is going to be a 1B only player.

[adambr2]

Ball is a fairly legitimate return for 2+ months of a meh player.

 

Ball is very similar to Lutz but in A+ versus Lutz being in AA. They are also having a very similar season. I wouldn't call Ball fairly legitimate more like a lottery ticket as his K% is rather high and I doubt it improves. Basically the Cubs got a lottery ticket who is going to be a 1B only player.

 

If the Brewers traded Tristen Lutz for a Joc rental this board would be up in arms.

[JosephC]

Ball is looking a lot like the Lutz/Erceg type of prospect. A guy who first hits the scene, tears it up in his first season of pro ball and gets the fans all wound up...and after that really doesn't do anything with the bat to warrant any excitement.

 

I'd put Ball as a fringe prospect (2.2 million in surplus value) and Lutz as a role-player prospect (5.5 million in surplus value), but on his current trajectory Lutz will likely be down in the fringe prospect category going into next season. Fangraphs have been his biggest supporter, and in their recently released rankings have Lutz down to a 40+ FV and slotted #17 on the Brewer's top prospect list. He really can't be considered any type of stand-out prospect anymore.

[Fear The Chorizo]

Ball is a fairly legitimate return for 2+ months of a meh player.

 

Goes to show you; will be a sellers market

 

Not at all, really. This trade never happens if Acuna doesn't get injured and if the Braves weren't in a division nobody wants to be good in - so they send a guy who is probably on his last legs being considered a prospect at all for a 2 month stopgap in case the rest of their team starts playing better. The fact that Pederson was moved right now means there aren't more than 1 team calling the cubs about him and they took the first possible deal.

 

Ball is apparently now rated the Cubs 29thish best prospect in their system....so basically a guy everyone would be shocked ever makes it to MLB.

[Roderick]

I think it is assume the Braves would deal Pederson away if there playoff chances evaporate by the deadline. So that would interesting to see what they ended up paying for two weeks of a player.

[Lathund]

Braves have been starting Orlando Arcia in LF recently. That's about as big of a positional need there is. With Acuña out for the season there's a decent argument for selling, but at the same time they're still only 4 games out so some minor additions could be worth a shot too, and has been pointed out if they fall even further behind they could flip Joc again before the deadline to get something back. Return seems reasonable to me. A 23 year old 1B/DH in A+ doesn't exactly scream high ceiling, but could be a useful player if that power can stay while keeping strikeouts at an acceptable level. Big ifs, but can't really expect much more for a platoon LF bat who has struggled the last couple seasons.

[KeithStone53151]

Braves have been starting Orlando Arcia in LF recently. That's about as big of a positional need there is. With Acuña out for the season there's a decent argument for selling, but at the same time they're still only 4 games out so some minor additions could be worth a shot too, and has been pointed out if they fall even further behind they could flip Joc again before the deadline to get something back. Return seems reasonable to me. A 23 year old 1B/DH in A+ doesn't exactly scream high ceiling, but could be a useful player if that power can stay while keeping strikeouts at an acceptable level. Big ifs, but can't really expect much more for a platoon LF bat who has struggled the last couple seasons.

 

Ehh, there's still so much talent on the roster though. They also have the farm to add some better pieces, they also have one or two pretty darn good outfield prospects in the minors. Not trying to say they are Acuna but they could get lucky and call up one of those guys that is really good off the rip until teams figure him out. The latter part sucks but it usually takes at least a month if not more.

[umphrey]

Ball is a fairly legitimate return for 2+ months of a meh player.

 

Ball is very similar to Lutz but in A+ versus Lutz being in AA. They are also having a very similar season. I wouldn't call Ball fairly legitimate more like a lottery ticket as his K% is rather high and I doubt it improves. Basically the Cubs got a lottery ticket who is going to be a 1B only player.

 

If the Brewers traded Tristen Lutz for a Joc rental this board would be up in arms.

Lutz is completely expendable to me, I wouldn't mind it at all

[Simba2020]

 

Ball is very similar to Lutz but in A+ versus Lutz being in AA. They are also having a very similar season. I wouldn't call Ball fairly legitimate more like a lottery ticket as his K% is rather high and I doubt it improves. Basically the Cubs got a lottery ticket who is going to be a 1B only player.

 

If the Brewers traded Tristen Lutz for a Joc rental this board would be up in arms.

Lutz is completely expendable to me, I wouldn't mind it at all

I'd pretty much agree on Lutz. He had some kind of pedigree to warrant a 1st round selection versus 24th round for Ball. However, at this point the likelihood of either making it to the majors and contributing anything positive is extremely remote. I'd say Lutz is worth a tad more but it wouldn't be by much.

[Jopal78]

Braves have been starting Orlando Arcia in LF recently. That's about as big of a positional need there is. With Acuña out for the season there's a decent argument for selling, but at the same time they're still only 4 games out so some minor additions could be worth a shot too, and has been pointed out if they fall even further behind they could flip Joc again before the deadline to get something back. Return seems reasonable to me. A 23 year old 1B/DH in A+ doesn't exactly scream high ceiling, but could be a useful player if that power can stay while keeping strikeouts at an acceptable level. Big ifs, but can't really expect much more for a platoon LF bat who has struggled the last couple seasons.

 

Ehh, there's still so much talent on the roster though. They also have the farm to add some better pieces, they also have one or two pretty darn good outfield prospects in the minors. Not trying to say they are Acuna but they could get lucky and call up one of those guys that is really good off the rip until teams figure him out. The latter part sucks but it usually takes at least a month if not more.

 

They have plenty of hitting talent, their pitching is why they are a .500 team: Smyly and Max Fried haven't been very good and they've cycled through arms at the back end of their rotation due to injuries and ineffectiveness. Charlie Morton has been good, then again the BABIP against him is 30 points lower than his career average, and the slugging percentage against him is 80 points lower than his career mark suggesting he's in line for some regression. The Atlanta bullpen hasn't been too good either: Tomlin and Edgar Santana have had trouble keeping the ball in the park, Matzek and Luke Jackson have trouble with free passes.

 

Their first six games out of the break are against Tampa and San Diego. Those six games will be huge because immediately before the deadline they have five games against the Mets. In fact, if they don't gain any ground this week they probably have to make up their mind what to do before that Mets series.

[CheeseheadInQC]

With it looking like the catcher experiment is almost over, I would have Thomas Dillard about 30th on the Brewers list. Ball feels like poor man’s version of Dillard.

[Simba2020]

Braves have been starting Orlando Arcia in LF recently. That's about as big of a positional need there is.

Hey Arcia has an .860 OPS in 7 games with the Braves with 6 RBI. That's better production in LF than from another team I know.

[Lathund]

Braves have been starting Orlando Arcia in LF recently. That's about as big of a positional need there is.

Hey Arcia has an .860 OPS in 7 games with the Braves with 6 RBI. That's better production in LF than from another team I know.

 

It's sometimes hard to tell who on here is joking and who takes a 7-game sample seriously. I suspect the former, but just in case it's the latter: .245/.294/.366 career hitter. Now without even the slightly redeeming factor of adquate shortstop defense.

[LouisEly]

If the Brewers traded Tristen Lutz for a Joc rental this board would be up in arms.

Lutz is completely expendable to me, I wouldn't mind it at all

Yeah, at this point I'd gladly trade Lutz for a two-month rental of a bat with a career OPS just under .800.

[jason21nl]

Pederson is towards the top of my all time hated players so to see him gone from the division makes me happy