Miller likely to draw interest at Winter Meetings
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- As the Braves have spent the past year executing a massive rebuilding process, they have proven to be as aggressive as any other team on the trade market. Thus, there is certainly reason to believe they will once again draw strong attention during this week's Winter Meetings.
President of baseball operations John Hart, general manager John Coppolella and their staff members arrived at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel on Sunday to begin preparing for this year's Meetings, which begin on Monday and run through Thursday morning's Rule 5 Draft.
MLB.com and MLB Network will have wall-to-wall coverage of the 2015 Winter Meetings in Nashville, with the Network launching 35 hours of live Winter Meetings coverage. Fans can also catch live streaming of all news conferences and manager availabilities on MLB.com, as well as the announcement of the Hall of Fame Pre-Integration Era Committee inductees on Monday at 11 a.m. ET and the Rule 5 Draft on Thursday at 10 a.m. Check MLB.com, braves.com and the @mlbbowman Twitter feed to follow this week's news.
Much of the attention surrounding the Braves will focus on Shelby Miller, who has been linked to numerous trade rumors over the past week. The Dodgers, Cubs, D-backs and Giants are among the clubs who have shown interest in Miller. This interest could increase once Johnny Cueto becomes the latest starting pitcher to come off the market.
Though the Braves could use Miller to land the impact offensive player they covet, some Atlanta executives have made it clear that they understand the value they already have in the 25-year-old frontline starting pitcher, who could prove to be a bargain -- as he is set to make approximately $22-30 million over the next three seasons.
Along with continuing to evaluate their options with Miller, the Braves are also seeking to add two relievers -- a setup man and lefty specialist -- and a right-handed-hitting center fielder, who could serve as Michael Bourn's backup.
Another interesting angle to follow will be the Braves' pursuit of a catcher to share the position with A.J. Pierzynski. They already have Christian Bethancourt in place, but they have had recent discussions with Tyler Flowers, an Atlanta native who spent the past three seasons as the White Sox primary catcher.
As things currently stand, the Braves are planning to utilize Hector Olivera in left field and a mixture of Adonis Garcia and Gordon Beckham at third base. But they have continued to look at the possibility of bringing Kelly Johnson back to serve as another backup option who could fill in some at third base.
Fans are encouraged to express their opinions and suggestions in the comments section below the stories that will be posted on braves.com. Do you think the Braves should trade Miller? Or do you think it would be in their best long-term interest to continue directly benefiting from his value? Who would you like to see added to the bullpen or acquired to provide some stability at third base?