Braves daily news digest 12/11: Could Evan Gattis stay here as a catcher?

BRAVES NEWS

Fredi: "As Of Right Now, Gattis Is The Starting Catcher"

So this is interesting. After we've heard news all offseason that Evan Gattis would be moving to Left Field, Fredi Gonzalez told CBS Sports yesterday that as of right now, the plan is for Gattis to stay behind the plate as the starting catcher, with Christian Bethancourt being the backup.

From Fredi himself:

I think we'll manage Evan the same thing we did last year, three games, give him a day off, and bring him along that way and kind of help him get through a Major League season. You plug in Christian in those games, and I think he could learn from the Major League level under [pitching coach] Roger [McDowell] and be in a big league atmosphere and learning how to run a pitching staff and preparing himself for a Major League game, I think it would be good for him.

Also, Fredi added that the outfield as of right now is Good Upton in left, Bad Upton in center, and Markakis in right. Again, this is still a very fluid situation since there's still a good possibility that Justin Upton and Evan Gattis could be traded, but it seems as if the Braves aren't ready to make Gattis the full time left fielder just yet.

Braves Fine If Winter Meetings Pass Without Trade

The Braves have definitely been busy at the winter meetings, but they haven't made the big Upton/Gattis trade that many people around baseball are expecting to see. Still, John Hart realizes that he holds most of the leverage here, and is clearly in no hurry to make a deal.

"We didn't come in with any preconceived notion that we were going to walk out of here making some big trade," Hart said Wednesday afternoon. "But along the way, we've been very aggressive in our conversations. We got a good feel. We were well prepared when we came in with what we might want to do. But I think in some cases, unless it's exactly what we want, we're under no timetable and under no pressure to make a move."

Nightengale: "Braves Trying To Handcuff J-Up With Chris Johnson"

Well, you can't say that the Braves aren't trying to move dead weight off of their roster. We've heard rumors that the Braves have been trying to move B.J. Upton with Evan Gattis in any potential deal, and now we've got word that the Braves are trying to move Chris Johnson in any potential deal with Justin Upton. Although moving B.J. would seem to be a long shot, Chris Johnson's contract is a lot less toxic and the fact that he isn't outright horrible (just a tad bad) means that we could see him get moved. Or maybe this is just John Hart continuing to flex his muscle in a position of leverage, so who knows?

Braves Release Updated Renderings Of SunTrust Park

We now have a clearer look at what the Braves' new home in Cobb County will look like in 2017. In addition to getting a look at the stadium, we also got a look at what the surrounding area that the Braves are developing should look like as well. One word: Fancy!

MLB NEWS

Marlins Get Fleeced Out Of Top Prospects For Dee Gordon & Dan Haren

First off, the Dodgers had an extremely busy day yesterday at the Winter Meetings, but it was clear that their best move was victimizing the Marlins in a trade where they sent Dee Gordon to Miami for a prospect haul. The Dodgers have already moved one of those prospects, and although they may have gotten older in the infield, they're still in a better position than the Marlins, according to fangraphs' Jeff Sullivan.

I’m not sure if this is the worst move of the offseason. If it is, I’m not sure if this will remain the worst move of the offseason. But my later response continues to match my initial response: Andrew Friedman and the Dodgers are making out like bandits, successfully selling Dee Gordon about as high as possible. The Dodgers are losing a probable regression candidate, about to enter his Super-Two seasons. They’re getting probably the Marlins’ best prospect, and then even more to boot. The Dodgers picked up some more long-term assets. The Marlins might not have gotten better at all.

Dodgers Trade Matt Kemp To Padres

We're not done with the Dodgers yet, because now there's word that they've traded Matt Kemp to the Padres. Here's the breakdown from our friends at Gaslamp Ball:

According to Lin and UT San Diego, the Kemp deal breaks down as this: The Padres would deal Yasmani Grandal, Joe Wieland and Zach Eflin to the Dodgers in exchange for Matt Kemp, catcher Tim Federowicz and $30 million. The remaining contract on Kemp would work out to $77 million over the next five years, or put in a way that minds can fathom, a paltry $15.4 million per year, taxes be damned.