Reacting to tragedy after the death of Oscar Taveras, the Cardinals on Monday acquired right fielder Jason Heyward plus reliever Jordan Walden from the Braves for Shelby Miller and Tyrell Jenkins.
While this trade signified – as usual – the Cardinals are loading up to go for it in 2015, the Braves might have shown in the strongest way yet they are thinking about rebuilding with an eye toward having a better situation when their new park opens in 2017.
Taveras died in a car accident in his native Dominican Republic on Oct. 26. The Cardinals were ready to turn right field over to their top prospect in 2015, hoping his lefty power played immediately.
Instead, they will turn to Heyward, who is arguably the best defensive right fielder in the majors. He hit .271 with 11 homers and a .735 OPS last year as he performed dreadfully (.477 OPS) vs. lefties. St. Louis still has righty-swinging Randal Grichuk available to hit against southpaws, if necessary.
Atlanta had tried to sign Heyward to long-term deals in the past. They failed and believed he would ultimately go out into free agency next offseason. Heyward is due $7.8 million in 2015 and the Cardinals are risking losing Heyward after one season and settling for a compensation draft pick. But St. Louis has found a way to retain players they obtain and like who fall in love with their baseball-mad city.
Braves general manager John Hart told me last week they wanted to find a way to take Evan Gattis from behind the plate and make him the full-time left fielder. That can be done now with Justin Upton switching from left to right to replace Heyward.
But it is possible the Braves are far from done dealing. Hart has admitted the farm system is bereft of talent, especially pitching, and says a total rebuild is possible. Thus, Upton still can be dealt and Atlanta continues to look for ways to salary-dump his brother, center fielder B.J. Upton.
The Braves added three arms between Sunday and Monday. They traded second baseman Tommy La Stella to the Cubs on Sunday for righty Aroldys Vizcaino, a pitcher they once obtained from the Yankees as part of the Javier Vazquez trade. For Heyward and Walden, the Braves received Miller and Jenkins, a once-well-regarded prospect who has yet to go beyond Single-A. Miller is 26-18 with a 3.33 ERA in his two Cardinals seasons.
What Atlanta was obtaining with all three pitchers is youth, what it believes is good upside and years of control. That suggests the Braves are thinking big picture about better positioning themselves for the opening of their stadium in 2017.
