Braves' should pay up to fill biggest need

Longtime Braves beat writer Dave O’Brien joined Dukes & Bell and talked about what the Braves might do at third base.


Dave told the Braves have to bring Donaldson back.


“That would be rough, 19 times a year, World Series champions all of a sudden JD is hitting for them, that would be rough.” O’Brien said “I’ve said it many times, as long as this doesn’t get completely out of hand they got to bring him back, even if you got to go 3 years and jack up the average annual value, as long as it doesn’t get ridiculous he’s that important to this team. I know they don’t want to do the fourth year, and I don’t think they will period so go three and offer him more per year, if you don’t get him you got to get Kris Bryant in my opinion and that’ll cost you prospects and you’re only gonna have him for two years and he’s gonna leave. He’s not as good, defensively he’s not nearly as good as Josh Donaldson but I think he would be a very suitable replacement cause offensively he’s a guy who can hit behind Freddie and protect him, nobody else out there available I see doing that and I think that’s crucial.”


O’Brien said the Braves might have to overpay to fill third base.


“If they decide that none of the third baseman available are in their price range or they’re willing to trade prospects to get they could always add an outfield bat.” O’Brien said “It’s not nearly as good an option I think,  because then you’re going to roll the dice at third base and hope Camargo reverts to his 2018 form rather than last year when he was just bad defensively and bad offensively for most of the year. And Austin Riley if you knew he was going to hit like he did or even close, somewhat closer to what he did in the first six weeks then you’d do that but you just don’t know. I just think third base is so much easier to do you’re just going to have to over pay a little bit more than you want to.”