MLB Free Agency: The Best Fits for Orioles Slugger Mark Trumbo
By Jason Reed
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are certainly the most perplexing team in baseball right now. They are in a rebuilding phase, yet are signing old guys like R.A. Dickey and Bartolo Colon. They also have veteran guys Matt Kemp, Freddie Freeman, and Nick Markakis to name a few. The Braves are opening a new ball park, and are trying to add credible names to their already stacked prospects. That is where Mark Trumbo comes in.
Trumbo would serve as the face of the new SunTrust Park in Atlanta. Like the Marlins did in 2012, the Braves seem to be trying to sign bigger names to rebuild credibility for their club. Unlike the Marlins, however, Atlanta must avoid continuing to sign guys that are so old. Although Dickey and Colon can certainly still bring something to the mix, they are going to need more to have the turn around they expect.
That is where signings like Trumbo make sense. He is a big name, coming off the biggest year of his career, and the Braves can not only bank on his talent but can exploit his increase in popularity.
Not only would Trumbo like the idea of being the face of SunTrust Park, he would benefit hitting behind or in front of Freeman. This would benefit the entire middle of the line up, because now the best option to pitch to is Kemp. Although Kemp isn’t what he use to be, he still hit 35 home runs last season.
This signing would likely benefit both sides equally, which could be a very appealing to Trumbo. However, Trumbo might want to win now and not in 3 years, so that could hold him back.