The Atlanta Braves have been mostly quiet this offseason as they have let free agents Tim Hudson and Brian McCann go to new teams and as the winter meetings start, the team could be heating up, as they have been mentioned in connection with a Jeff Samardzija trade as well as a Dan Uggla deal that could go to the NY Yankees.
The Braves have some moves to make and some money to spend and they could try and get rid of Uggla after he had a rough season under .200 and the team could also add young pitching and they love what Jeff Samardzija has done over the past two seasons. According to SB Nation and Fox Sports, the Braves have an interest in Jeff Samardzija and so do the Yankees, as they are looking for another arm to add to their rotation after losing Robinson Cano and they have also brought back Hiroki Kuroda and they could also sign Matt Garza or Ervin Santana.
The Braves have been mentioned in deals involving Uggla as well as second baseman Brandon Phillips, who reportedly could be traded from the Reds. The team would love to deal Uggla, as he is a power hitter that strikes out too much and he was a disappointment last season and with the Mariners stealing away Cano, the Yankees could deal. The Yanks have also been mentioned as a possibility for Phillips and Samardzija, but no deals are imminent. The Yankees need a new second base option and Phillips could be an amazing grab, but he has a lot of money left on his deal.
Samardzija has some great talent and should be a prime option for the Braves after going 8-13 last season with a 4.34 ERA for the Cubs and while that wasn't great, his 214 strikeouts in nearly as many innings is fantastic and he was just one of a few pitchers to over 200 on both. Last season he had 180 strikeouts in 174.2 innings and went five less starts and had a better ERA and now he could be traded, although reports say the Cubs are also trying to sign him to a long term extension. Samardzija was second in the NL in earned runs and walks, which is troubling, but at 29-years-old he is young and under team control and that could be a nice deal to get for general manger Frank Wren.
Phillips is interesting on all sides, as he is a power hitting second baseman with a great glove and he could be a great addition to either the Yankees or Reds. The Yanks might be out for the money, as he still has $50 million on his deal at 32-years-old and while Gm Walt Jocketty said Phillips is not being shopped, other reports have said that he could be traded after getting into some issues with the GM and owner after they gave $200 million to Joey Votto when he felt they shortchanged him. Last season Philips had 24 home runs and 103 RBIs and was one of the league leaders at his position. Losing Cano hurts the Yankees and Uggla or Phillips could be an option.
