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1,568 comments Add your comment
Willy Wally
May 26th, 2009
1:21 pm
because Gabe Kappler hit the ball and busted his ass every play he was in the game. (WES)
Really? And somehow despite all that mashing, all that hustle, and all those roids he injected, Kapler has the same exact career OPS+ that Frenchy has.
Renegator
May 26th, 2009
1:21 pm
Two moves that NEED to be done before the game starts tonight:
DFA Norton and bring up B. Barton to pinch hit and back-up all 3 OF positions
DFA Carlyle and bring up anyone else.
Why Carlyle and Norton are still on this team is anybody’s guess.
Wes
May 26th, 2009
1:21 pm
yes you did, on mlbtraderumors.com. I’m not the only one who read it.
DAP
May 26th, 2009
1:21 pm
this one didnt show up earlier…
chuck james was solid…
ok, thats fine. if you mean homers than say homers. i just think its ridiculous that folks keep talking about the team leader in XBH like he is some punchless goober with a bat. folks continue to overlook one of the best sources of power (if you define power as XBH) on this team.
obviously he doesnt have as much as we would like him to have, and i agree with you completely about where in the lineup he should be hitting, but when talking about what we DO have, he really oughta be mentioned.
Wes
May 26th, 2009
1:25 pm
How are you comparing a bench player who nothing was expected out of like Kapler, to “the next Chipper Jones” Jeff Francoeur?
Apparently Kapler did enough good in his run with the Sox that you actually remember him!
Efrim
May 26th, 2009
1:26 pm
“Frenchy for Delmon Young. This should fit your description.”
I’d almost rather have Francoeur. Delmon Young is like the worst defensive outfielder in baseball and he can’t hit.
Homer
May 26th, 2009
1:26 pm
I like Wes.
Steve from OH
May 26th, 2009
1:27 pm
Wes, he suggested JJ OR Hanson. I still didn’t agree with it, but it wasn’t both of them…
Wes
May 26th, 2009
1:28 pm
Not to mention how much Kapler going head first into the wall to make a catch pumps up the rest of the team………as opposed to watching French fumble over a groundball, heave a wild throw to the infield and then pout about it.
Wes
May 26th, 2009
1:28 pm
Oh, ok i misinterpreted the “/”
And if you guys want to call Hanson ‘untouchable’ what the hell does that make JJ? God?
TBF(n)K as Billy
May 26th, 2009
1:29 pm
Pete do you count the great defensive plays that are made that rob hitters of hits too? That stuff balances out Francour got a lucky triple and im sure he was robbed of an extra base hit at some point this season.
Noah
May 26th, 2009
1:29 pm
From FoxSports:
Matt Holliday to the Braves
The Braves badly need a bat in the outfield. Jordan Shafer (although he has much long-term potential) is batting .211, Jeff Francoeur — despite reams of column inches devoted to his certain revival — can’t reach base or hit for power, and Garret Anderson is simply done as a useful ballplayer.
So enter Holliday.
Holliday got off to a slow start in Oakland, but he’s raking in May. Expect him to get on base at a good clip and slug close to .500 for the remainder of the season. As well, Holliday is a plus defender in left, and the budget-conscious Braves can let him walk after this season. If Atlanta trades for Holliday and gives regular duty to Matt Diaz in right, then the outfield will be significantly more productive. That’s what they need to stay competitive in the tough NL East.
As for Oakland’s side of the ledger, the Braves’ top prospects, right-hander Tommy Hanson and outfielder Jason Heyward, certainly aren’t going anywhere. However, a package designed around center fielder Gorkys Hernandez should work.
DAP
May 26th, 2009
1:31 pm
supesbut we are NOT good enough and NOT 1 player away from contending.
i do not agree with this. i do think the braves are one player away, if its the right player…but back up…that braves are already contending. 1.5 games out of first with our flawed roster. that tells me that the right player could make all the difference to this team.
now weather or not that player exists is another thing…
i mean, just on paper. lets say we add carlos lee. a .300 avg, 30 homer kind of guy.
1. escobar
2. kotchman
3. chipper
4. lee
5. mccann
6. johnson
7. diaz/anderson
8. schafer
dont tell me that this doesnt make this lineup WAAAY better, and combined with the great pitching, a very formidable team.
disclaimer: this is just an illustration.
Fleming
May 26th, 2009
1:33 pm
DAP – now weather or not that player exists is another thing
You want Thunder and lightning in his bat evidentially
Steve from OH
May 26th, 2009
1:33 pm
I’d build a package around Gorkys for Holliday, but the rest of the “package” had better be scraps…
PWHjort
May 26th, 2009
1:35 pm
Find me the exact quote that said we should trade JJ, Hanson, and Francoeur for Quentin and I’ll concede. But you won’t. Because THAT’S NOT WHAT I SAID. I said we should explore the possibility of trading ONE OF JJ and Hanson with KELLY JOHNSON and some prospects for Quentin then trade Francoeur and others to the ROYALS for Alberto Callaspo. And we’ve discussed this to it’s end on this blog so we’re not re-opening that can of worms. And I admitted it was a long-shot possibility, yet it’s still more of a possibility than your Bay idea. Some people liked my idea, more didn’t. Look, we’re not starting this discussion again, but I was talking about trading for a young hitter under team control for 4 more years currently making the league minimum that had 5 months of MVP caliber hitting last season. You’re talking about trading virtually the same package for 3 months of a guy making 7.5 MILLION this year who has never had a season close to as good as Quentin’s last year. I was talking about selling the farm for a young player that you can build around. You’re talking about either selling the farm for a 3 month rental or selling the farm for a 3 month rental then handicapping the organization for years to come by singing him to an humongous contract that we can’t afford. And you have the balls to tell me to keep my comments to myself. Look, I don’t tell people what to do. But I deserve more respect than that, especially from you, because you don’t know what the f&$# you’re talking about. Get out of here you little weenie. I’d love to see you try to tell me to keep my comments to myself in person. I’d just love it.
Unknown
May 26th, 2009
1:35 pm
I wouldn’t trade Gorkys for a half season of Holliday. I’d rather rebuild.
RHR
May 26th, 2009
1:35 pm
It has got to be crazy right now in SF with the prop 8 decision.
Steve from OH
May 26th, 2009
1:36 pm
It has got to be crazy right now in SF with the prop 8 decision.
I guess tonight might not be the best night for BAS to get all dressed up and display his “DOB loves Whitesnake” sign, eh?
TRAVIS
May 26th, 2009
1:38 pm
Every time I think about letting a potentially good hitter like Franceour leave because ” he needs a change of scenery” I think maybe our hitting coach needs a change of scenery. What a shame that these streaky hitters can’t become stable assets to the team without shipping them somewhere else to become stars. If Frenchy can’t succeed here with all the patience the Braves have shown maybe a stint with Don Baylor would help. If the Booby Cox replacement is TP and the Braves are just holding on to him for that purpose let him sell hot dogs in the stands till then.
Noah
May 26th, 2009
1:38 pm
I wouldn’t trade Gorkys for a half season of Holliday. I’d rather rebuild.
If your 1 1/2 games out of 1st nearing the trade deadline you don’t rebuild, you go for it. Lets see how the next two months go. Its not like the rest of the division doesn’t have their problems.
Steve from OH
May 26th, 2009
1:38 pm
Unknown, I would. Now, I wouldn’t do Gorkys/Locke or Gorkys/top-10 or 15 prospect, but Gorkys is destined to move if the club thinks Schafer is the long-term centerfielder here. Plus, we’d get two first-round draft picks after Holliday leaves, so we’d recoup a bit of the loss in prospects that way…
Dwight Schrute
May 26th, 2009
1:39 pm
Hello America. Dwight Schrute here. Assistant Regional Manager of
Dunder-Mifflin Paper Products. I am excited to have the BILLIONS of people who rely on the internet every day (whether it be to look up weather and traffic, to research academic papers and/or to download pornography) turn to me to get their daily fill of what Dwight has to say.
PWHjort
May 26th, 2009
1:40 pm
Noah and others,
We just spent 40 million dollars on pitching. We’re not going to turn around and “re-build” after pumping that kind of cash into our immediate success.
TBF(n)K as Billy
May 26th, 2009
1:42 pm
anyone have a scouting report on gorkys
Bay Area Steve
May 26th, 2009
1:43 pm
Never a time like the present, Steve from OH.
No leather jacket, though. Just the McCann road-grey, 16.
18 Wheels of Love
May 26th, 2009
1:43 pm
If there is no trade market for Frenchy, then why isn’t there more talk about sending him to AAA to figure it all out? Isn’t that what the minors is all about? Hell, Ron Gant went all the way back to A ball to learn how to play the OF. Are they worried about hurting his feelings if they send him down? I guess if they truly are shopping him though, having him in the minors makes trading all that more difficult.
RHR
May 26th, 2009
1:44 pm
CB
May 26th, 2009
1:45 pm
DAP I agree with your post. I guess we’re dangerous,right? Francoeur replaced with Lee or Berkman we would be a different team.
cabravesfan
May 26th, 2009
1:46 pm
It has got to be crazy right now in SF with the prop 8 decision.
It will be…this has the potential to get very ugly, very quickly. Hopefully that won’t happen
Steve from OH
May 26th, 2009
1:46 pm
Strengths: Hernandez has all the tools to be a quintessential leadoff hitter and center fielder. He drives the ball from gap to gap with his line-drive swing and is a weapon on the bases with his above-average speed. He covers tremendous ground in center with his quickness and precise routes, and he also has a strong, accurate arm.
Weaknesses: While he has made improvements by cutting down on his swing, particularly with two strikes, Hernandez still gives away too many at-bats. He doesn’t have much home run power but still swings for the fences on occasion. A more refined approach and improved strike-zone judgment will boost his modest walk totals and on-base percentage.
The Future: With Jordan Schafer and Hernandez, the Braves have two of the premier center-field prospects in the game. Their skills are similar, and Schafer is only one rung higher on the organizational ladder. Hernandez will spend 2009 in Double-A.
a643dp
May 26th, 2009
1:48 pm
Noah– What part of KK 3yr/23Million D.lowe 4yr/60Million do you not understand. People on here think this team is rebuilding go to Miami go to San Diego go to Oakland. Those teams are rebuilding. Look at this link and tell me that the braves are a among the teams rebuilding.
http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=p4ew-fwu2XT3cpPRtt9qIGw
Pete
May 26th, 2009
1:49 pm
TBF(n)K as Billy: “Pete do you count the great defensive plays that are made that rob hitters of hits too? That stuff balances out Francour got a lucky triple and im sure he was robbed of an extra base hit at some point this season.”
I was just clarifying a power statistic when in fact there was no power involved. My point is that even though youre right in saying it balances out, JF basically has very little power when he was expected to provide quite a bit.
Efrim
May 26th, 2009
1:51 pm
I’d trade Gorkys straight up for Holliday. I’d maybe add another arm or two, but none considered in the Braves Top 10-12 prospects. 4 months of Holliday doesn’t equal to more than that.
CB
May 26th, 2009
1:51 pm
DOB a question was asked earlier if you feel the Braves would be willing to add salary this year. Would you be willing to express your opinion,please?
RHR
May 26th, 2009
1:52 pm
I hope so too, cabraves. Isn’t Union Square (where the team hotel is) a popular protesting spot? It’s a GREAT thing Smoltzy is no longer a brave! He might get mauled if he were recognized while walking the streets of SF today.
PWHjort
May 26th, 2009
1:52 pm
Billy,
He’s toolsy, but raw. Quick as lightning. Doesn’t hit for much power. Doesn’t walk much. Plays good defense in center. Steals a ton of bases and can leg out infield hits by the dozens. All his offensive success thusfar has been batting average driven. He could wind up being great, but his game needs a LOT of polish.
Lew
May 26th, 2009
1:54 pm
I still think Francoeur’s eyes are bad. He needs Mac Glasses.
Noah
May 26th, 2009
1:54 pm
Noah– What part of KK 3yr/23Million D.lowe 4yr/60Million do you not understand
Maybe you misunderstood, I am totally in the Go for it camp and do not think they are rebuilding. I said they should go for it, especially if they are so close to 1st in July as they are now. The way they have turned around the pitching is awesome.
Steve from OH
May 26th, 2009
1:54 pm
What, too shy to look like this at a ballgame? For shame. At least wear the Ray-Bans! LOL!
Steve from OH
May 26th, 2009
1:56 pm
Efrim, I’d do a Gorkys/Clemens deal, or something of the like. A low-minors reliever, or one of our scrap starters from AA…
Cameron
May 26th, 2009
1:56 pm
DOB:
What is the status on Escobar? When do you think we will see him playing again?
CB
May 26th, 2009
1:57 pm
Steve that wasn’t you ?
Diver Down
May 26th, 2009
1:57 pm
PWH…here’s the post in question. It’s pretty our there…While you technically did not put JJ, Hanson and Frenchy on there, you included more to make it an even worse option.
And it was from Bowman’s Blog about the OF.
Just did a long-winded post about the Quentin idea. Here’s my final proposal:
Braves send: One of Jurrjens and Hanson, Kelly Johnson, Barbaro Canizares, Jeff Francoeur, Mariano Gomez, Luis Valdez, Gorkys Hernandez, and one of the following: J.C. Holt, Van Pope, and Diory Hernandez.
Braves recieve: Carlos Quentin, Alberto Callaspo, and Dayan Viciedo.
White Sox send: Quentin and Viciedo.
White Sox recieve: One of Jurrjens and Hanson, Kelly Johnson, Barbaro Canizares, Gorkys Hernandez, and one of Mariano Gomez and Luis Valdez.
Royals send: Alberto Callaspo.
Royals recieve: Jeff Francoeur, one of Mariano Gomez and Luis Valdez, and one of the following: J.C. Holt, Diory Hernandez, and Van Pope.
cabravesfan
May 26th, 2009
1:57 pm
RHR-
San Francisco isn’t that big…Union Square is popular, but the CA Supreme Court is in San Francisco, so that is where the majority of the protests will most likely be…
cabravesfan
May 26th, 2009
2:02 pm
RHR-
just an fyi but the team hotel and the CA supreme court are only about a mile apart…ugh
Chuck James was Solid until the 6th!!!
May 26th, 2009
2:03 pm
That stop gap CF’er that the Braves blatantly need should be Jim Edmonds. I wonder what his status is? Hopefully he has been staying in shape since the season began. He can be had for the league minimum until Schafer turns it around. The Braves would have 3-5 more victories if Edmonds started all the games instead of Schafer. These 0-fer’s with a ton of K’s needs to stop, it’s like having 2 pitchers.
Sign Edmonds and ditch Francoeur and get some power out there, leave Anderson and Diaz alone in LF. They will end up putting up solid numbers.
PWHjort
May 26th, 2009
2:04 pm
Diver Down,
We all know what post or series of posts you and I are talking about. That was posted here as well. And you do not have to re-post it.
TnBrian
May 26th, 2009
2:07 pm
Efrim, really? Gorky’s was gotten for basically nothing and Schafer is the guy for the future…period! If you can send Oakland Gorky’s and like Redmond or something, you’d be crazy to not think it’s a great idea. He doesn’t have Dunn type power and his defense isn’t as good as Frenchy’s, but he hits for a high average, drives in a ton, and sticking him between Chipper/McCann can only mean good things. Plus, you keep him out of the Mutts filthy paws…for this year at least.
TBF(n)K as Billy
May 26th, 2009
2:07 pm
Well if you trade Gorkys what happens if shaffer is a bust? Then you have im my opinion a worst outfeild sitution in the future than you do now. And in my estimation the future looks bright would many of you like to dim that brightness for non gauranteed chance at sucess now? On the other hand you add holiday and this line up looks alot better. Did not clutch tex help us much?
TnBrian
May 26th, 2009
2:09 pm
Efrim, sorry dude, I meant that comment to Noah and the “Unknown” person.
Steve from OH
May 26th, 2009
2:10 pm
TnBrian, just because we stole Gorkys doesn’t mean we should give him away…he’s still an asset to the organization. That said, I would trade him for Holliday, provided the other pieces in the deal were a non-issue.
Macon Braves (RIP)
May 26th, 2009
2:12 pm
Jurrjens is NOT being traded, nor should he be. Hanson is NOT being traded, nor should he be.
Good grief people, JJ is one of the top young pitchers in all of baseball (just because he doesn’t get a ton of attention from the national media doesn’t mean he isn’t one of the top young pitchers). He’s allowed 2 or fewer runs in 9 of his 10 starts this season. Not to mention he’s under team control for 3 or 4 more years!
And Hanson is the top pitching prospect in the minors right now. He’s dominating at AAA. He will be under team control for 6 years after they finally bring him up. You don’t trade a guy like him for a 4 month rental! And Bay would be a rental, he’s not going to sign an extension with the Braves and forfeit finding out what he can get on the open market. The Braves would have to offer him $20 million or more a year to get him to forfeit free agency and he’s not worth that.
Unknown
May 26th, 2009
2:16 pm
I still wouldn’t trade Gorkys for Holliday just on the fact that we don’t know if Schafer will ever pan out. However, if we could somehow get Oakland to take on Francouer in the trade, I might change my mind, lol.
RC
May 26th, 2009
2:16 pm
Here is the delimma that every general manager is faced with: Is gaining Player A (Holiday) worth losing Prospect B (Gorkys) and Prospect C (low level pitcher)? If gaing Player A means you win the World Series this year, then of course Prospect B and C are worth that. But if you miss the playoffs by 3 games even with Player A, there is no way that was worth losing Prospect B and C. The problem is that the answer to these questions won’t be known until the season is over, so you are really just making your best educated guess as a general manager, and hoping things work out in your favor. If the Braves had made the playoffs in 2007 the Teixeria would look a LOT better in retrospect. But they failed to reach the playoffs, so it comes across as a disaster. I’m betting that Angels fans are upset they lost Casey Kotchman for what will end up being a couple of draft picks from the Yankees this year, since Tex was supposed to be their key to winning in the playoffs, not a first round exit.
TRAVIS
May 26th, 2009
2:18 pm
Can’t have Jordan hitting before or after the pitcher with all those strike outs. At least Frenchy makes contact and should bat 8th.
Steve from OH
May 26th, 2009
2:18 pm
Schafer (to me) has a better tool set than Gorkys, so I’m willing to hedge my bets with him…
MLH
May 26th, 2009
2:19 pm
Thank you for some common sense Macon Braves.
stynes
May 26th, 2009
2:20 pm
Well said, RC.
PWHjort
May 26th, 2009
2:23 pm
I still don’t get all the f*&*#ng crap I’m getting about wanting to trade Jurrgens or Hanson. They’re only pitchers!
David O'Brien
May 26th, 2009
2:23 pm
NEW BLOGGAGE AVAILABLE
OHBravesGirl
May 26th, 2009
2:26 pm
Wow, it never ceases to amaze me how quickly some fans turn on players! I’ll be among the first to admit that Francoeur has had plenty of struggles over the last year and a half, but despite his slump from a couple of weeks ago, I honestly believe he has improved this year. Given the stat from a previous post that he was 8-17 in the 5 games before Monday and the fact that his BA is still hovering around .260 despite the huge slump, I love how many people are willing to just write him off the lineup card in favor of an unproven rookie or a player we don’t even have yet.
I’m not creating excuses for any of his issues, but the sensationalism surrounding Francoeur kills me sometimes.
Chop Chop
May 26th, 2009
2:26 pm
I doubt the Angels are too broken up over the Tex trade. They still had Kendry Morales to slot in at first base. He’s getting paid $600k this year and $700k in 2010. He has an .856 OPS so far this season (.283, 8 HR, 28 RBI). They’ll also get the draft picks for Tex.
Macon Braves (RIP)
May 26th, 2009
2:27 pm
Haha, yeah, they’re ONLY great young pitchers that are under team contol at low salaries for the next 3-6 years.
You were being sarcastic right, I have a hard time telling on here sometimes (just ask nolie). If it wasn’t…..uhhhhh
PWHjort
May 26th, 2009
2:34 pm
I’m not being sarcastic one bit. I want to win NOW.
TURN ON FRANCOEUR SO QUICKLY?!?!?! 4 years is quick?
PWHjort
May 26th, 2009
2:40 pm
……..
Doc Holiday
May 26th, 2009
3:35 pm
Thing is that if we are dealing for a LF, one of the LF has to go. We can have a team with 3 LF and then Norton…………We wont get a good RF for JF straight up, we will need to throw a really good pitcher from the minors to get it done. Or one of the bench guys. We could deal JF + bennett or carlyle + GA for a good RF or maybe JF + bennett + Norton for a RF.
Kevin
May 28th, 2009
7:37 am
so much for that surge David O’brien lied of us when will he get his foot out of mouth n report that bobby cox and TP is the main trouble and wren is also after all remember he use be GM of the baltimore Orioles n look where they at…like us losers this is the same idiot who tried get rid of cal ripklin(sorry if spelled wrong)so we know he lousy well look what did hear kiss glavine ass we love u stay give chipper(i hurt)jones more n told smoltz bye bye….and gve bobby(wife-beater)cox a vote of gas and YP also! we back to under 500 now….so three cheers to are new 4th place team again!N u want to know why fans stay away its not hard to see why.