By CHUCK OLIVER
680 THE FAN, ATLANTA – There’s a great comparison for what the Braves can be over the next 4-5 years. And it’s about 90% positive.
The Braves can look at Houston for what might be in the next several seasons.
The Astros stocked the farm system so damn deep that the front office decided “All in!” each of the past THREE Julys. As proof, witness the 8 top 100 prospects the team traded for Verlander, Cole and Greinke. The results have been impressive:
311 wins, two pennants and a World Series title.
For three seasons leading up to 2016 the Astros system never really wavered outside the top 3. Now? Probably bottom 5 in all of baseball and there are only 4-5 prospects that the team feels confident are close. Right now they have 1 in the top 100, lowest total since 2012.
At some point you start dealing the REALLY good prospects, not the Demerritt’s and Wentz’. That’s when you better start being right, because you’ve got a relatively short time before the combination of a dried-up farm system and really expensive veterans you’ve either traded for or signed make up the majority of your roster.
The 10% that’s not positive is that thing where you have to fire your manager and GM and asst GM and you cheated so bad two mangers on OTHER teams lose their jobs, as well. We’re really more about that first 90%
