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2,175 comments Add your comment
MFin04
May 27th, 2009
11:03 am
Any news on getting a big bat? Does this organization really think it can’t compete consistently scoring 0,1,2,3, runs a game?
Efrim
May 27th, 2009
11:04 am
Gordon Edes has an article seconding the Ken Rosenthal report about the Red Sox having interest in Jeff Francoeur. I’d be interested to see what the Braves would ask back for in a trade with them. I don’t really see a fit, unless Atlanta is willing to take back prospects.
ppaddy123
May 27th, 2009
11:06 am
It’s tough to be a Mets fan………when you’re a second class citizen in your own city. Let’s face it, New York is “all about the Yankees.” Ever hear Regis get excited about the Mets? Nope. He LOVES those pinstripes. Johan Santana now realizes he signed with the wrong team. It’s hard to get exposure on the back pages of the Daily News. The Mets have 1 marketable player (David Wright) and they treat him like crap. No wonder they CHOKE in September.
DAP
May 27th, 2009
11:06 am
PMC see, i dont think the braves are that shaky in the bullpen. they have a few guys that have been getting lit up, but carlyle is on the DL now, bennett has made a mechanical adjustment, and gonzalez, soriano and o’flarety have been very solid all season long. if you combine our bullpen with our great starters who are consistently giving us 6 to 7 innings, we have the arms to get it done. its not like we need 14 out out of our bullpen every night…im very happy with the bullpen, and its has alot to do with o’flarety surpassing my expectations. now if moylan can get back where he needs to be…..
but yeah, youre right. the bat might not be available. but any improvement, even if its not the huge impact bat we want, will be welcomed by me.
PWHjort
May 27th, 2009
11:07 am
BamaBrave,
You said it. That Peavy article was so dumb. It was poorly written and you come away from it with a sense that the author knows nothing about the Braves organization at the MLB level or any part of the minor leagues. The only prospect he “bothered” to mention was Tommy Hanson (and I used quotation marks because I’m not convinced he knows the name of another prospect in our system). And thinking Peavy makes us contenders? Maybe if Peavy played the outfield and could hit 40 bombs a year. He convieniently “failed to address” the financial implications of a Peavy deal (again, I use quotation marks because I’m in no way convinced he’s aware of the financial implications). Overall that article was full blown, 100%, unadulterated crap.
DAP
May 27th, 2009
11:08 am
i was hoping for the braves to just win 4 games on this road trip….they really need to win tonight to make that not far-fetched. the braves have “the big three” going in arizona, but taking four in a row from a team is pretty tuff to do. lets crush johnson tonight!!!!
Lew
May 27th, 2009
11:08 am
The primary reason we lost out on the Teixeira deal was that when we acquired him we needed pitching-NOT a big bat. He wasn’t the piece that was needed at the time and whether or not he was going to be re-signed only exacerbated (no Troll Boy-it doesn’t mean Tex played with himself) that situation. What the deal DID do was to show what Chipper (and the offense) was capable of with a threat hitting behind him. It did, in essence, make a Batting Champ out of Chipper.
This season is almost the opposite of that situation in that we HAVE the pitching this time and now a big bat (along the lines of Tex) would make the difference we need to make. Maybe now is the time for a blockbuster deal similar to the Tex trade. It could well make all the difference in the world this time around to actually go out and get the piece we need.
Now, I do believe that Hanson and Heyward should be off the table, but we do have the #4 Farm System in all of baseball and the 7 pick in the draft. NOW is the time to pull the trigger and trade some of this talent. However, this time around, lets have Frank try to find someone we can control contractually for more than a year and a half.
AndyC
May 27th, 2009
11:11 am
ppaddy123, you make some good points. I think this explains the Mets fan and player mentality. Always second best. Never able to get the job done. Mostly ignored.
TRAVIS
May 27th, 2009
11:12 am
None of the postion players brought up through the farm for the Braves have “thrived” under the current coaching staff except Mac and he goes to his dad for instruction on his offense. Sound fishy? Escobar is hitting ok but his stroke to the right side is a natural and kind of hard to screw up long term.
PWHjort
May 27th, 2009
11:13 am
Lew,
Great post. And I agree.
ppaddy123
May 27th, 2009
11:16 am
I can’t believe I’m asking this: would the Braves be a better team with Adam Dunn in RF?
PWHjort
May 27th, 2009
11:16 am
DAP,
True about our big 3, but we’re facing Haren, David, Garland, and Scherzer. An equally apt group.
LOST-BRAVE
May 27th, 2009
11:18 am
i know that with the outfilder’s struggling to get on base, and with hudson still recovering i still belive
that with the talent the braves have and maybe working in younger player’s that if hudson can give
the braves a couple of good games the braves will be right there at the end of the season.
TnBrian
May 27th, 2009
11:21 am
I to agree with that. People are scared of any trade because of that Texas deal gone bad, but like you say, we now have the solid pitching that might just need that extra bat to make a playoff run. Some say a one bat won’t make the difference, I think it will considering how many better pitches Chipper and even McCann will get to smash. Wren will surely get a bat, but I’m clueless as to who.
MFin04
May 27th, 2009
11:23 am
What’s the news on Buddy C?
brian
May 27th, 2009
11:26 am
I think it would be a mistake to not give Medlen one more start unless Glavine is ready to take the spot. Medlen showed much improvement last night. That one inning was rough and walking the pitcher with 2 outs is inexcusable, but he was able to settle down after that and pitch very effectively. This is a learning process for Medlen – he is not going to be lights out inning after inning or game after game (and neither will Hanson at first). Give him one more start.
With all the patience shown to Schafer, Francoeur, etc., the least Bobby could do is give Medlen one more start
Matt
May 27th, 2009
11:26 am
DOB, glad to see there are still ‘Mats fans around. “Tim” is a great album and still on my playlist.
ppaddy123
May 27th, 2009
11:27 am
We have the extra pitching to get a bat. That’s why I think Medlen and possibly Bennett or Campillo will be dangled.
fleming
May 27th, 2009
11:29 am
McFann Currently working at getting your mann on the All Star team. Currently voting about 1000 times a day and considering writing a script to increase the votes to about 10000 per day
DAP
May 27th, 2009
11:30 am
lew
i agree completely. when the braves traded for tex, they wanted pitching, but there was none to be had. remember that? so JS tried to patch it up with offense. the offense was great, but the pitching couldnt hold up, and we failed to get into the post season.
this situation is easier. we are a flawed team, but instead of many flaws we really just have one big one. fixing it could propel this team to the playoffs.
the braves need to find payroll somewhere. i dont care if they borrow forward from next year if they have to. they have like $20mil coming off the books, so instead of spending $20mil next offseason, they can spend just $10mil and use some of that money this year.
DAP
May 27th, 2009
11:31 am
PWHjortTrue about our big 3, but we’re facing Haren, David, Garland, and Scherzer. An equally apt group.
youre kidding, right?
David O'Brien
May 27th, 2009
11:34 am
Matt: Isn’t that an incredible album? Probably my favorite of theirs, from start to finish….
DAP: Agreed on difficulty in sweeping four, especially in a road series. Extremely tough. Braves need to win tonight to have a real shot at a winning record on the trip….
MFin04, why don’t you just read the website note on Buddy yourself, so someone else doesn’t have to look it up for you and distill the info for you? What, you don’t think that we reported on it? Or just can’t be bothered to look?
Nate
May 27th, 2009
11:35 am
By not acquiring a legitimate outfield power threat in the offseason the front office signaled their intent to play for 2010 and beyond. Going into the offseason their were question marks at all three outfield positions for 2009. When the season started all thsoe question marks were still there, and now at the the end of May teh team still has three big question marks in the outfield. Acquiring a legitimate clean up hitter to play left and someone to platoon with Schafer would make this team much better. If the front office reverses course and tries to contend this year that power bat will cost a lot more now than it would have in January. The team is missing more than a piece or two. Its better to take our lumps and wait for next year.
monty
May 27th, 2009
11:37 am
We all saw last night’s game coming.. so, no real shocker there or major dissapointment, Medlen against Lincecun…hummmm, let’ see. We were fortunate to get last Friday’s win against Halladay. No such luck last night. It was of course Medlen’s undoing walking the pitcher with 2 outs. But he did come back and retire 11 or so in a row. I still believe he could benefit with a little more concentration when he gets in a jam, he pitches like he has attention deficit disorder. Nothing wrong with slowing things down. Maybe take some yoga classes, focus on breathing. Lincecum was just flat out nasty and he owns the Braves.
PWHjort
May 27th, 2009
11:37 am
Bennett has no trade value whatsoever. If we want to get a real bat we’re going to have to dip into our pitching surplus down on the farm. And we have a TON of pitching prospects on the farm that are expendable and coveted by many, many teams. Locke is the first name that comes to mind. I think the only ones that won’t be move except maybe for a young cheap player under team control for a long time are Tommy Hanson, Cole Rohrbough, Randall Delgado, Brett DeVall, and Julio Teheran. That leaves more than a dozen legitimate pitching prospects that could be dealt for a bat.
DAP
May 27th, 2009
11:38 am
nate?The team is missing more than a piece or two.
im not convinced that it is…
David O'Brien
May 27th, 2009
11:39 am
MFin04: So that you won’t have to look for the note on Carlyle, here it is, from today’s Braves notebook posted online (Chipper returning to lineup was the headline and first note, and there was a reference in the lead paragraph about Carlyle going on DL and being replaced by Jorge Campillo):
Campillo for Carlyle
Buddy Carlyle had gotten lit up by hitters in several appearances recently, and Tuesday the Braves divulged a reason for his woeful performance.
The journeyman right-hander had a recurrence of neck pain — it was termed a back strain, but Carlyle said it was the neck — from a collision with San Diego’s Kevin Kouzmanoff along the first-base line on May 8, 2008.
Carlyle got an injection soon after, which relieved the pain and stiffness for the rest of the season. Carlyle said the problem didn’t crop up again until spring training. In the past six weeks, it got progressively worse.
“My velocity’s down, and my mechanics are out of whack,” said Carlyle, whose 8.84 ERA and .369 opponents’ average included 15 hits, 12 runs, seven walks and three homers allowed in his past five appearances.
“It’s frustrating because I pride myself in being there for my team. But I wasn’t doing anybody any favors, doing what I was doing. It was embarrassing.”
He was to return to Atlanta on Wednesday and get another injection.
Campillo was on the DL six weeks for rotator-cuff tendinitis. He gave up five hits and two runs in five innings during two rehab appearances, including a three-inning stint for Class AAA Gwinnett on Thursday.
He was scheduled to pitch Monday for Gwinnett, but the Braves pulled him out of that assignment after the Carlyle decision. Campillo caught a flight to San Francisco on Tuesday and was scheduled to arrive before the game.
Jeff Thomas
May 27th, 2009
11:42 am
You think anyone would give us a bag of batting practice balls for Francoeur?
abwright
May 27th, 2009
11:43 am
I’ve got to give Medlen credit for turning it around after that dreadful 2nd inning. Much better start than his first start, since he did not get a chance to work through his melt-down and have some quality innings. He ends his second start on a high note (retiring 11 batters in a row, I think). I suspect that he gets the start in Arizona, so that he can build on what he did in San Francisco.
Braves weren’t going to win this one no matter what, though. Lincecum was just too good and you cannot win ball-games unless you score a run.
The Braves had some early chances to scratch a run, but they couldn’t get that key hit. Even though the Braves offense is not terribly consistent from the fifth spot down, Lincecum was just too good last night.
Hopefully the Braves are better prepared tonight, and Kawakami repeats his outstanding performance from his last start. Braves need to score more than 0 or 2 runs if they’re going to win.
A quick check shows that the Braves have been shut out 5 times so far this season and have won two 1-0 decisions.
It would be nice if the Braves hitters would figure out that every run is precious, and they need to do the little things every day.
PWHjort
May 27th, 2009
11:43 am
No, I’m not kidding. Check the stats. Haren is the 2nd best pitcher in the NL right now, Davis owns the Braves, Scherzer is one of the top young pitchers in the game, and Garland kind of sucks this season, so I’ll give you that. And the D-Backs play in a hitters park so their miniscule ERA is inflated.
McFann Ô
May 27th, 2009
11:43 am
Fleming–
Wow! 1000? I haven’t even cracked 100 yet! Keep it up!
MFin04
May 27th, 2009
11:45 am
The NL All-Star team usually has 3 catchers. Two of them get on by MLB voting, not fan voting. McCann will never win the fan voting being that he plays for Atlanta, but by the time the Managers or whoever vote, McCann will make the team. There aren’t 3 better catchers than McCann.
PMC
May 27th, 2009
11:45 am
I hear you DAP. If they can find a way to make a trade for a big bat without losing Hanson or Heyward I’d be ecstatic I just don’t think we are going to find it this year anyway. I think we are loads closer this year than last. I do have faith eventually maybe even as the year goes on we will find the right Chemistry anyway. Stretch a few series wins toegther and stay healthy.
Chief Nock A Homa
May 27th, 2009
11:46 am
DOB:
I mentioned this yesterday afternoon…
What do you think about going outside the box and trying to work something out with the Reds for Micah Owings, and then putting him and his big bat in right field???
He’s a true hitter who happens to be able to pitch well enough to keep teams hanging on to his pitching potential, has killed it when he’s played in the ATL, is a home town boy and would be a cheap ($400K) potential solution…
Couldn’t do worse than what Frenchy is doing right now, and would definitely bring a power boost to the lineup, even if he whiffed a few…
What do you think???
MFin04
May 27th, 2009
11:46 am
Where is this Braves notebook? I get most of my info from here or Braves.com?
DAP
May 27th, 2009
11:47 am
PWHjortBennett has no trade value whatsoever.
i wouldnt say that. he not a center piece or anything, but he a good all purpose guy…can start, can do long relief, or come in a get you a K or a ground ball with his power arm. the guy can throw 95 after all…and if he is throwing strikes, like he has been lately, i actually think he a pretty nice arm.
Baba O'Riley
May 27th, 2009
11:48 am
Anybody seen Fookie’s stats? They’re worse than KJ’s. Looks like that was a good non-signing, but I still hope he catches one in the ribs when the Dodgers visit.
Diver Down
May 27th, 2009
11:49 am
Josh WIllingham is a cheap possibility and could probably be had well before the deadline.
David O'Brien
May 27th, 2009
11:51 am
By not acquiring a legitimate outfield power threat in the offseason the front office signaled their intent to play for 2010 and beyond. — Nate
So let me get this straight. You’re saying they traded a few prospects (including Tyler Flowers and Brent Lillibridge) to the White Sox to get Javier Vazquez, who had two years left on his contract at $11.5 mill per season, because the Braves were aiming to compete not in 2009, but in 2010 and beyond?
And they signed 35-year-old Derek Lowe to a four-year contract for the same reason, not to compete now, but in the future? And 33-year-old Kenshin Kawakami, they signed him for the same reason? And they gave Francoeur more than $3 mill in arbitration in a one-year deal for 2009, with an eye toward competing in 2010 and beyond?
Nate, all due respect, but your statement doesn’t make much sense.
Whether the Braves made the right moves, you can certainly debate and make a case either way. But to suggest they made moves designed to compete not in 2009, but in 2010 and beyond, just doesn’t jibe with the actual moves they made.
fleming
May 27th, 2009
11:51 am
MFin04 – Two of them get on by MLB voting
That’s not MLB voting but manager decision. Always helps to be in the top three if you want to be picked by the manager. Not always the case but it helps
Lew
May 27th, 2009
11:53 am
Nate-You claim that the Braves needed to get outfield upgrades over the winter. However, they ALSO needed to get pitching (much harder to address), because without it (as we have seen) offense don’t mean diddly.
We are in a position now to acquire a heavy hitter and have them make a profound difference-yes we ARE one piece away. However, we’re only one piece away because Frank went out and addressed the pitching needs-in spades.
PWHjort
May 27th, 2009
11:56 am
I like his arm a lot too. I think he was out of shape in the spring and at the beginning of the season and he’s gotten in better shape which has helped his sinker move more. But you’re talking about a guy who isn’t young, is out of options, arbitration eligible next season, doesn’t profile as a starter or late innings guy, and doesn’t have a track record of sustained MLB success. Just not a guy many teams want.
CB
May 27th, 2009
11:59 am
I agree with your opinion Lew if the one big hitter we receive takes Francoeur out of the lineup. We cannot afford to have too many weak links in the lineup assuming we keep Schafer here.
Shaun
May 27th, 2009
12:03 pm
Chief, how do we know Micah Owings is a “true” hitter? He could probably be at least an adequate big league hitter but we just don’t know if he’s good enough to play corner-outfield or firstbase everyday in the majors–if his bat is big enough for those positions or his defense.
MFin04
May 27th, 2009
12:04 pm
fleming – fans only vote for the starting 8 I believe? Who fills out the rest of the roster? People around the Majors correct? So if McCann isn’t number 1 in the voting, then MLB picks the next two catchers, correct? I’m not sure that McCann has ever made the All-star team from fan votes. No reason he shouldn’t make the team this year. He never seems to get to play much at the All-Star games either. Usually is the last catcher used, I guess because he is a defensive liability. Kinda sad.
No More Bobby
May 27th, 2009
12:04 pm
May require some changes? Good one! For everything Wren did right with starting pitchers he really missed out on the outfield. Anderson is a bust and Frenchy should’ve been traded in the offseason when he had some value still.
There is still some hope to make a run but moves have to be made. If we stick with this outfield it will be another “maybe next year” season.
monty
May 27th, 2009
12:06 pm
Does anyone else agree that McCann can’t hang onto the ball on tags at the plate? Many drops over the years and he also doesn’t seem to want to receive throws at the plate, he seems to want to take them in front of the plate and dive back trying to make the tag which really slows the process down or else he keeps getting short hopped on throws. Simpson noticed that too last night.
David O'Brien
May 27th, 2009
12:07 pm
MFin04, it’s on the BRAVES PAGE on our website, along with Braves game stories and Braves feature stories and columnists writing about the Braves. A whole new world to explore! But seriously, you really don’t look at anything in our Braves coverage other than the blog?
Dude, this is a blog. We write news stories and feature stories about the team. You might want to check those, too.
And I’m sure the other site you mentioned reading for Braves info, also had something on Carlyle’s situation. So, I don’t really see why you just don’t look for it, like most fans do, rather than ask someone here to find it for you or relay the news to you. You had to know that we wrote about a guy going on the DL, right? (If not, let me assure you for future reference, when a player is put on the DL, we always write about it.)
MFin04
May 27th, 2009
12:08 pm
I misread your post fleming, sorry. Hmm so the managers pick. Still, no reason not to pick McCann unless the manager goes with some sort of “homer/his team” pick.
Shaun
May 27th, 2009
12:12 pm
Lew, Teixeira did help because it increased scoring and therefore gave the Braves a better chance to win. You can say the Braves “needed” a pitcher more but I imagine they would have been a worse team without Teixeira than with him (in the 1-1/2 years they had him). And, if my memory serves me, there wasn’t the kind of pitcher out there that would have made the impact of a Teixeira.
So it’s not really a question of need. It’s a question of what increases the likelihood of winning more games. That should always be the consideration (aside from contract, salary, depleting the farm system, etc.) Right now if the Braves could get Jake Peavy instead of a lesser outfielder under a similar contract, I think most of us would want Peavy…even though the Braves may “need” another outfielder.
MFin04
May 27th, 2009
12:13 pm
DOB. I’ve looked everywhere on the AJC Braves site and the Braves.com site and it isn’t in any of the headlines. I’m not lazy. I look around first and if I don’t find it, then I ask. Still have not found it on either of the two site.
And I do read the Braves main page and all the articles, not just the blog. Just haven’t seen anything on the Buddy DL news. Probably because it isn’t “big news” although it might help the team immensely.
DHD
May 27th, 2009
12:15 pm
To me, it doesn’t make sense to trade a couple of minor league players for players like Willingham when we have that guy in Gwinnett. Brandon Jones is as good as most of the players I see people recommending us to get. If we’re going to make a deal, let’s make a great deal. A tweak is not going to help us.
The ghost of Brave's offense
May 27th, 2009
12:15 pm
“The Braves’ outfield production has been atrocious, but the perception by other teams is that Atlanta hasn’t gotten fully engaged yet in a search for replacements for the likes of Jeff Francoeur.” – Buster Olney
What the he11 are they waiting for?
AustinBrave
May 27th, 2009
12:16 pm
I see there is some strong interest from the Red Soxs for Francouer, but who would we want in return. Jason Bay is not going anywhere.
N8
May 27th, 2009
12:17 pm
PWHjort, you said:
“…but why would we expect him to not encounter the same struggles Medlen did?”
I think those of us that are realistic, realize that Hanson will struggle at times. By struggle, I mean get hit. Power pitchers give up HR when they “miss” in the strike zone. But I don’t think it’s unrealistic to NOT expect Hanson to have the meltdown’s that Medlen did. He doesn’t strike me as a guy that would just “lose it” like that.
“People act like we are a much better team with Hanson. I don’t see it. I mean, our starting pitching may be better (we don’t even know that it will be), but we still don’t have enough offense to win the games our starting pitching keeps us in.”
Can’t really argue with you there. But I don’t want to just concede the games that our 5th starter starts either. Because we can and will occasionally lose games started by Vazquez, Lowe and JJJ. If your 5th starter NEVER gives you a chance to win, why bother playing?
“…but don’t act like Hanson is the savior that will lead this team to the world series.”
Exactly. And since I’m not so sure that a deal is out there to be made that fixes ALL three OF spots (which need to be fixed), I’m not so sure that we actually are going anywhere this year. It’s possible, but not probably. Especially if Chipper isn’t in the lineup more than twice a week.
Which is why, for the future pennant drives, it might be wise to bring up Hanson now (or soon), and let him have those lumps this year. Not next. Because, I too believe he’ll have rough spots along the way. But, I don’t think he has anything left to prove at AAA. He has an excellent K/BB ratio, he doesn’t give up many hits, and he is now “stretching himself out”, and going deeper into games.
I’d say, that if stayed his confidence could get higher, but he doesn’t strike me as the guy that has a lack of confidences. He appears to be the “anti-Charlie Morton”, when it comes to his belief in his own ability.
The time is now. If for no reason, other than to get him ready for 2010.
Chief Nock A Homa
May 27th, 2009
12:18 pm
Shaun,
Basing it on the fact that throughout his whole career, there has always been the scouts, coaches, managers, etc… that have struggled whether to play him in the field to utilize his bat, or not… He holds the GA state high school record for dingers and killed it in college, as well… And, he’s even used as a primary pinch hitter for the Reds now and by Arizona previously…
Defense was good in past, but would probably need an adjustment period, of course…
Efrim
May 27th, 2009
12:21 pm
“What the he11 are they waiting for?”
Teams are probably asking for a King’s ransom. Or they are offering scraps for Francoeur. Probably a little bit of both.
Original Jon
May 27th, 2009
12:21 pm
MFin04, in DOB’s defense, you didnt look too hard, because it is under the title Chipper back in lineup, IN BOLD LETTERS at the bottom of the column.
flange1
May 27th, 2009
12:23 pm
MFin,
Here is the story. You have to read the whole thing to get to the Buddy stuff.
http://www.ajc.com/braves/content/sports/braves/stories/2009/05/26/atlanta_braves_news.html
Mike
May 27th, 2009
12:24 pm
It seems to me that if we want someone that can come in an make a difference (hitting HR’s, driving in runs, and protecting Chipper) on this offense, then Holiday may be our man. We have a deep farm system and as long as we arent giving up Hanson, Heyward, or Freeman, I dont have a problem trading for him, as long as what we are giving up equates out to how long we are getting him for. If we wait till closer to the deadline, we will have to up the price to compete with other teams.
I would love the opportunity to sign him long term. If you sign him long term, and maybe see if you can convince him and Boras to do it during the season (unlikely..I know), then it wouldnt feel like a bad trade. Half as many people didnt complain about the Tex trade until we lost him, and the same would happen with a Holiday trade. Anything less than Holiday picking up this entire team and winning us a WS ring all by himself would constitute a bad trade if he left after the season, regardless of who we gave up. But as I was saying, I would love for the team to trade Frenchy and pony up some dough to sign Holiday long term, but not at the expense of anything else on the team.
Such as was the case with this past off-season. We loaded up on pitching at the expense of the OF bat. The Braves thought we could do it with what we had in the OF. Well they were wrong. As DOB said, hindsight, we should have never signed GA or KK (though I do like him and think he is going to do better, we just dont need him as bad as OF bat), and we should have signed Dunn or Ibanez (that guy is rakin’). But hey as I said hindsight’s 20/20.
CB
May 27th, 2009
12:24 pm
Good post n8
abwright
May 27th, 2009
12:25 pm
MFin04, 12:13 pm…”DOB. I’ve looked everywhere on the AJC Braves site and the Braves.com site and it isn’t in any of the headlines.”
Carlyle story was embedded in a “chipper returns” story…AJC Story with snippet on Carlyle
I don’t think Buddy to DL rates a headline.
MFin04
May 27th, 2009
12:25 pm
Great post n8 about Hanson. I think the Braves can afford to to wait on Hanson a lot more than they can afford to wait on redoing this outfield. Hanson would help our 5th spot in the rotation, but we need a bat playing everyday that can help us win every day, not just help us win every 5th day.
Whatever the Braves want to do with Hanson is fine since we have 4 quality starting pitchers, but this outfield (and offense for that matter) that the Braves keep trotting out there is going to continue to lose games for us even if we have great starting pitching.
Mike
May 27th, 2009
12:26 pm
Didnt mean to miss quote DOB, I was meaning when DOB said what he did about Dunn or Ibanez, not GA or KK.
abwright
May 27th, 2009
12:26 pm
AustinBrave, 12:16 pm…”I see there is some strong interest from the Red Soxs for Francouer, but who would we want in return.”
How about John Smoltz?
Hillbilly
May 27th, 2009
12:27 pm
DOB,
In MFin04’s defense, the notebook cuts off after the headline “Campillo for Carlyle.” The meat of the report isn’t there. He’s not being lazy. It’s not there.
Original Jon
May 27th, 2009
12:28 pm
I just read the whole article Hillbilly, maybe its a browser issue.
N8
May 27th, 2009
12:28 pm
Lew, Lew, you’re dead on about the Tex trade in your 11:08 post.
As for being the time to make a blockbuster? First of all, agree that Hanson and Heyward should be off limits. But, that being said, I’m not sure what “blockbuster” we could pull of without including one of those two.
I wouldn’t be against it, because like DOB said, all of the past off-season moves were made with 2009 in mind. I still don’t want to mortgage the future too much. But if the piece coming our way would be young and have 2 or 3 years left on his current contract (and be good enough to be worth that contract), then go for it!
Not sure who is out there to fit that bill. But I certainly don’t want Wren to sell off 3 prospects for Matt Holliday, or Jermaine Dye.
Now if Lance Berkman AND Carlos Lee could come our way for say, Kotchman and Francoeur and some prospects, and LM was willing to eat the money? Sure. Go for it.
But it ain’t happening. The only way we get a big blockbuster “difference maker” in the lineup, is by including one of Hanson, Heyward, KJ, JJJ or Escobar.
That being said, I’m not so sure it needs to be a blockbuster deal. Our outfield (all three spots) has literally been so bad and inconsistent, that merely adding three slightly above average guys, just might be what the doctor ordered. Hell, add three “role” (Infante type utility capability) guys out there and turn all three spots into a platoon situation, and we might get the offense we need to take advantage of the pitching we have in place.
I think THAT is the more realistic approach, than expecting Wren to make a big splash (unless you’re OK with giving up some good talent going the other way – I’m not – other than maybe KJ).
c jonze
May 27th, 2009
12:29 pm
D.O.B.
Wait… Website? Braves Page? Tell me more…
Hillbilly
May 27th, 2009
12:29 pm
Nevermind I see it.
MFin04
May 27th, 2009
12:29 pm
abwright, Chipper returning to the lineup just to get hurt again in a few days doesn’t rate as a headline to me either. That’s why I didn’t read that article I guess.
On the other hand Buddy C to the DL is a huge headline with the fact that he has given up…2 Grand Slams and a 3-run shot I believe in his last fews appearances. I’m not sure that even Chipper can have that much production in just a few games
Hillbilly
May 27th, 2009
12:30 pm
There’s a couple of paragraphs that pop up in bold at the bottom of the notebook, but they disappear after a second or two when the page fully loads.
bravesphanatic004
May 27th, 2009
12:31 pm
DAP,
we won 3 of 4 last year against them didnt we? i think so… but it still seems when we go out west we get demolished by everyone.
Lew
May 27th, 2009
12:32 pm
Welcome back Shaun. We missed you.
NCBravesFan
May 27th, 2009
12:33 pm
Let’s put the Hanson call-up debate in another light – why would you want to put that kind of pressure on a rook until the offense is fixed? Why hand him the ball and basically say, “We need you to help us stay in the race, and oh by the way … good luck getting any run support.”
Might be part of the issue that Medlen is dealing with.
bravesphanatic004
May 27th, 2009
12:34 pm
i meant we won 3 of 4 at arizona…..sorry.
McFann Ô
May 27th, 2009
12:34 pm
MFin04 He never seems to get to play much at the All-Star games either. Usually is the last catcher used, I guess because he is a defensive liability. Kinda sad.
Course, Clint Hurdle put him in to catch before he let him hit…obviously, he never got to bat.
But yeah, he hardly gets to play at all, last year taking the cake. In ‘06 and ‘07 he got one AB in each ASG. Yeah, it’s sad–the best hitting catcher in the NL and he never gets to hit in the ASG…
Monty–
I think someone may have brought that up last night.
Hillbilly
May 27th, 2009
12:34 pm
Let me be the first to blame Bobby Cox and Terry Pendleton for the whole “Braves Notebook” issue.
abwright
May 27th, 2009
12:39 pm
MFin04, 12:29 pm…”..Buddy C to the DL is a huge headline with the fact that he has given up…2 Grand Slams and a 3-run shot I believe in his last fews appearances.”
I agree with you. I was likewise looking for a headline on Buddy C. I’m “glad” to discover that there was a physical problem behind his struggles, since I like the guy and think he can contribute to the team. He hasn’t been getting it done all year, and needed to go somewhere to get right.
I think the Braves are going to spend most of their time fixing middle relief and 5th rotation spot before worrying about the outfield. So, any move to fix middle relief brings us that much closer to the repair of the outfield.
Joe and Boog were talking last night about Roger McDowell spotting a mechanical flaw in Jeff Bennett and working with him to fix it. That accounts for Jeff’s dramatic improvement in recent games.
I hope that the Glavine experiment reaches a conclusion soon. If TG retires, then salary is freed to do something (perhaps cover the budget losses due to low attendance), but hopefully begin to fix the outfield situation. On the other hand, if TG comes back strong, the Braves won’t need to reserve as much of their minor league pitching in the event that he retires.
So, any news on middle relief and 5th rotation spot seems to be bigger than Chipper’s big toe.
Lew
May 27th, 2009
12:39 pm
Nathan-We don’t have the #4 Farm System in baseball strictly because we have Hanson and Heyward. There are plenty of others that would prove attractive to other teams. Look back to the Tex trade-the only “Huge Prospect” of that bunch was Saltalammachia. Yes, more than likely Feliz is the true prize and Andrus was considered good at the time, but besides Salty, none were household names even among Braves’ fans.
There’s still Teheran, Locke, Rohrbough and others not as familiar to us that have tons of upside. We have the wherewithal (like that one Moose Knuckle?) to pull off a blockbuster. Believe it or not, other teams respect our Farm even more than the most rabid Braves’ Homers.
#1 METS TROLL (And Proud Of It)
May 27th, 2009
12:40 pm
LEW…..Why don’t you give me the same kind of greeting that you gave Shaun?
Lew
May 27th, 2009
12:42 pm
Met’s Troll-Maybe because Your And Idiot and Shaun isn’t?
DAP
May 27th, 2009
12:43 pm
hate to say it, but if the braves released norton, they could carry brandon jones to help platoon in the outfield, and give a bit of needed offense. norton isnt doing his job enough to keep his roster spot. honestly, the braves need that spot for someone who can start some game in the OF.
Lew
May 27th, 2009
12:43 pm
Troll-Maybe because even when I disagree with Shaun, he still has a rational, logical thought out point of view and you don’t?
Shaun
May 27th, 2009
12:44 pm
DeRosa is intriguing to me since the Indians may take less for him than obviously it would take to get someone like Holliday…even though Holliday is the player who could make the biggest impact.
Seems to me DeRosa to the Mets would make sense since they have Ramon Martinez and Fernando Tatis playing short.
Lew
May 27th, 2009
12:44 pm
Met’s Troll-Maybe because Shaun tries to clarify points and to educate us with worthwhile knowledge and you come here to stir the sh!t?
MFin04
May 27th, 2009
12:45 pm
I don’t blame the Braves for trying the whole Jo-Jo, Medlen, Glavine thing before Hanson. If all of those options fail you can fall back on Hanson and everything is fine and it might save the Braves a lot of money in the end.
On the other side of things, are Matt Diaz and Kelly Johnson not better options in the outfield right now? Is it completely inconceivable that the Braves play with those two guys in the outfield? Obviously it is more likely when Infante is back, but isn’t it worth a try?
And how long can this team go with Greg Norton only being a pinch hitter (and not even doing that well), yet still having a roster spot?
Dan Schlossberg
May 27th, 2009
12:45 pm
What the Braves REALLY need is better speed and defense. They can do that, AND upgrade their outfield punch, by trading for Brian Roberts, batting him first, and putting Kelly Johnson back in the outfield. How about Jeff Francoeur, Martin Prado, and a couple of minor-league arms for Roberts? Another option would be calling up Freddie Freeman and Jason Heyward now and rushing them into action. They rushed Rafael Furcal up from Class A and didn’t skip a beat — and those guys could do no worse than the veteran incumbents at their positions.
#1 METS TROLL (And Proud Of It)
May 27th, 2009
12:46 pm
Now that hurts LEW. I thought you and I had something special going.
David O'Brien
May 27th, 2009
12:46 pm
Hillbilly, now THAT (12:34) was funny….
Oh, and I, too, welcome Shaun’s return.
Trey06
May 27th, 2009
12:47 pm
DOB…
Has anyone been lighting it up in BP before the games? I’ll be able to see for myself when they come to AZ, but I was just curious. Whenever I see players hitting it out during BP I at least feel that the potential to hit HRs is there. Right now it seems like Mac would be only one hitting HRs in BP.
Lew
May 27th, 2009
12:49 pm
MFin04-Right now I wouldn’t want to consider using KJ in left and putting Prado at second-ESPECIALLY with Yunel out of action. We are just way too thin in infield bench if that were to happen. I’ve got no problem DFAing Norton and bringing up Brandon, though. Hell-I thought signing Norton to PPH was a great move at the time. He sure hasn’t shone in that role, though.
Lew
May 27th, 2009
12:50 pm
Troll-Actually I DO have something special going. I’m a Braves’ fan. You wouldn’t understand, though.
Shaun
May 27th, 2009
12:51 pm
The new format scared me off for a while. I’ve seen a psychologist and have adjusted.
Steve from OH
May 27th, 2009
12:52 pm
Lew–I agree. Norton doesn’t give any value to the club in versatility (other than being a switch hitter) and hasn’t performed thus far. He’s a good DFA candidate, sorry to say it…
fleming
May 27th, 2009
12:52 pm
McFann Ô But yeah, he hardly gets to play at all, last year taking the cake.
Just being there is better than not being there at all even if it’s only for one at bat. Braves always seen to get overlooked when it comes to the ASG fan voting because of market size. Russell Martin has the advantage of a much larger population to vote than Mac. Attendance at Dodger games being larger than attendance at the TED. Plus you have the folks at Angels and Athletics games voting for their hometown boy in the other league.
Lew
May 27th, 2009
12:53 pm
Dan-Hasn’t the Schafer situation given you second thoughts about rushing up players? As for Furcal-Wasn’t he about three years older when called up than we were lead to believe? Or was that strictly in response to the DUI?
Joe Fan
May 27th, 2009
12:53 pm
After beating the OF issue into the ground, it really appears there are no suitable outfielders available that can fill the Braves needs via trades. Realistically it makes no sense to give away the farm for a borderline player. With a break here and there, the Braves may be able to hang around all season long…at least make the Summer interesting.
since57
May 27th, 2009
12:55 pm
Trey06
I was at the game last nite and got there early. I know that it is not all about going yard in BP, but the lack of that even in BP was somewhat alarming. This is definitely a team in serious need of some power.
Daniel
May 27th, 2009
12:55 pm
DOB-
The Dylan/Nelson/ Mellencamp tour is going to make a stop at Encore Park. Hope you will be able to check it out.
BTW- I really hope you have heard the new Grizzly Bear album…. It is fantastic and they will be playing with Tv on the Radio in June.