Braves explore options during GM meetings

Whatever nolie. I don’t need to look up the park adjustments to know that a guy like Marquis had a tougher go of it at old Busch Stadium, Wrigley and Coors, than Vazquez did in Yankee Stadium, at the BOB and in Cellular Field.

You think Vazquez has been above average for over a decade. Fine. One team jumped at him last year. Perhaps the other GM’s should have been made aware of the park adjusted ERA, huh?

Why don’t you, instead of continuing to spout bullshit, look up some component ERA metrics. Is it that hard>?

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Whatever nolie. I don’t need to look up the park adjustments to know that a guy like Marquis had a tougher go of it at old Busch Stadium, Wrigley and Coors, than Vazquez did in Yankee Stadium, at the BOB and in Cellular Field.

You think Vazquez has been above average for over a decade. Fine. One team jumped at him last year. Perhaps the other GM’s should have been made aware of the park adjusted ERA, huh?

Why don’t you, instead of continuing to spout BS, look up some component ERA metrics. Is it that hard>?

All you have to do is go to http://www.hardballtimes.com/ and look at his FIP and xFIP or go to http://www.statcorner.com/ and look at his tRA. This argument wouldn’t even be an argument if you’d just do a tiny bit of research.

I don’t even know what the original argument was, I didn’t keep up, but the truth isn’t that hard to spot. He had been a historically unlucky pitcher. He has always been much better than his ERA (ERA fluctuates much more than fundamental skills), and if 2009 isn’t a perfect representation of his true skills, it’s not far off at all. That’s it. There’s not really much more to discuss.

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Do you ever get to see the minor-league teams play? (PW)

not this year at all. a few times last year.a few dozen times the year B4 that, and from 05 or 04 Iand years b4 that I would spend a couple months each summer visiting 2 or 3 teams. Health/finances just not up to it any more.

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Holliday would be the perfect fit for our Braves. Like PW says, he is the ideal acquisition, if money were not the object, that is.

Holliday is also more of a gap hitter than a pull hitter, so Turner would not hurt him much, if any.

Now, will the bidding be in the area where we can be competitive? Is he another Tex, just going to take the highest offer, regardless of the circumstances. Never mind what situation might be able to put him in more post seasons (hint, hint, we have some great pitching!). Nor which team would he fit perfectly on.

I remember thinking when Boras put Beltran on the Mets, I was thinking: “your not doing this kid any favors”. Putting him in the bright spotlight of New Jack City, where he has just done well in Houston. He would have been a cult hero in Houston, and would have been the one piece back then that might have propelled them into a few years of playoffs.

Yes, most of Scott’s clients get the top dollar. Unfortunately for smaller market teams, it worked out for Tex this time.

If Holliday comes in around 18 million per for 4-5 years, we might just be in the game. Depends on if we lose the Lowe contract or not.

What about a lineup in 2 years of Schafer, Chipper, Heyward, Holliday, McCann, Escobar, Freeman and Prado??

Substitute McLouth for Schafer, if you are a non believer.

PW Hjort: Let’s get a call into Franks’ voice mail……

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nolie

You didn’t get your stimulus bail-out yet? (still watching the mail every day for mine too!)

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NATE

ERA+ of 100 is average. Vazques ERA+ last 10 years is over 110, too lazy to figure it exactly, thus he is in fact an above average pitcher.
Also over the years Busch played very close to Turner in park effects. One year a bit better , one year a bit worse, so all that stuff of yous was was pretty silly too.
He only has one year at Coors and nolie already admitted that he did well there. It is still a haven, but not what it was before he got there.
Silly little fella.

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I thought I already splained all the Vazquez/Lowe stuff to yous guys. Caintchu read?

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Everybody mentions Turner Field as a hitter’s park. Which of course makes the pitchers look even better when they succeed, because after all, they’re succeeding in a hitter’s park NATE

Turner Field is not a hitters park idiot. It was the 5 best pitcher’s park in baseball last year and it usually plays pretty neutral, so right off the bat you are full of crap and it just goes on from there. Try to get at least something right.
And yes a pitcher can be lucky or unlucky most of his career. Marquis has been luckier than most, Vazquez has been unluckier than most. Anything is possible under a curve. Most events stay withing a few SD, but aberrations can and do happen,dude.
You are such a silly little fella so full of yourself.

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Unlucky for 11 years, huh? OK.

Gambler’s fallacy

Here’s a question for you park adjustment guys. What determines whether a ballpark is a hitter’s park or a pitcher’s park? I’ll assume (since I don’t care enough to look it up – I’ll you guys spout it off like you like to do), that it’s a sum of all of the AB’s in a particular park?

So what if a team has an incredibly inept lineup not capable of hitting HR or hitting for a high slugging and OPS total? Is that park known as a pitcher’s park then? If said team also has many good pitchers, would that also factor in?

It compares a team’s home lines to there away lines over 5 years. If a team is incapable of slugging it will be reflected in both the home and away stats, thus negating whatever effect you’re trying to presumably argue it presents.

The reason I ask is. Everybody mentions Turner Field as a hitter’s park. Which of course makes the pitchers look even better when they succeed, because after all, they’re succeeding in a hitter’s park.

Well, most people who know what they’re talking about consider Turner Field basically neutral, maybe slightly favorable for pitchers. I’ve never heard a sane argument that states Turner Field is a hitters’ park.

On the flip side, what if the Yankees lineup was the Padres lineup? If Arod, Tex, Jeter and Posada were knocking the ball all over Petco, racking up run after run, would it all of the sudden be known as a hitter’s paradise?

No, because they would be hitting home runs at a higher rate outside of PETCO.

My point is that you guys spout park adjusted this or that, but haven’t really factored in why those parks are considered what they are.

Your lack of understand doesn’t mean everyone else experiences the same lack of understanding. WEAK argument.

It’s the classic case of the chicken and the egg to me.

Defense can factor in too, can’t it? If there is a team that is lousy at catching and throwing the ball (not neccesarily errors), won’t that factor in to whether a park is deemed a hitter’s park or not?

Again, it’s relative to what the team does ELSEWHERE.

After all, many Braves pitchers apparently “lucked out” by having Andruw in CF all those years, right?</em?

But yeah. Vazquez was just unlucky. You’re right, and 30 other GM’s are wrong.

What do you mean the “other 30 GM’s are wrong”? Frank Wren gave up a handsome package of prospects to get a pitcher that he knew was going to give him what he did. Just because the other 29 GM’s were unwilling to surrender top prospects to get a valuable contract doesn’t mean they didn’t view the contract as valuable. Basically, you’re saying that only the Braves were after Vazquez. I don’t know if that’s true or not, but I doubt it. And if it is, it means Frank Wren was ahead of the curve, not that he stumbled on some luck. Either way, it isn’t much of a point.

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Andrew

Didn’t you hear? Ted bought back the Braves last year during the holidays! We are going to WIN and WIN BIG in 2010!!!

Go Ted! Go Braves!

(must be bedtime)

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Really Moby? You’ve never heard anybody talking about since they’ve put up the hi-def scoreboard, the park plays smaller?

The gap in RCF is a rally killer, but the ball JUMPS out of that park to straight away LF and RF. Even to dead center there have been more balls hit off the base of the scoreboard or way over the wall in recent years.

But yeah. I’m full of myself. Keep spoutin’ moby. Just trying to educate myself on a system I’ve never bought into. To me it’s always been more black and white with hitting and pitching.

Pitchers that throw quality strikes, don’t walk people and don’t miss their target by two feet (especially after giving up walks), usually succeed on a regular basis.

Hitters that take the ball where it’s pitched, or patiently wait for a pitch to pull if that’s what they are predetermined to do, while fighting off tough pitches, usually get on base and succeed more consistently than guys with poor approaches.

No matter what park they play in. Sure the park, whether, teammates, umpires, illness, fatigue, injury, being hungover, fighting with their wife/girlfriend on the way to the park, nerves, pressure all factor in.

But ultimately a pitcher or a hitter makes their own luck over time.

Javier Vazquez has always (before last year) been victim to the big inning. 2 or 3 hits, and then BAM a 3-run HR. Strange how his luck always seemed to go that way, huh?

Might have never had anything to do with him making poor adjustments the 3rd time through the order, right? Maybe he’s gotten wiser in his later years. Maybe not.

I suppose you guys think that Francoeur has just been unlucky too, because pitchers just wouldn’t throw the ball two more feet towards the plate, where he could actually reach it?

Again. Just answer the simple question. If it’s such common knowledge to you guys that Vazquez has been unlucky all this time, why weren’t teams fighting over him when he demanded a trade from Arizona in 05? That would have seemed like the perfect time for the vultures to swoop in and make a run at such a good player with bad luck, not?

Anyways. I’m exhausted on this topic. Sad thing is, I want them to extend him because based on his past season, he looks like a good fit for the Braves, and I think he’d be more valuable over the next 3 years than Lowe and probably cost less or the same.

But you guys want to argue about how he’s been unlucky for a decade. Him, Lloyd Christmas and Harry Dunn. The three most unlucky SOB’s ever to walk the planet.

Don’t worry. One day they’ll catch their lucky break too. You just watch.

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“It compares a team’s home lines to there away lines over 5 years.” P. W. Hjort

Thank the lord and baby Jesus!!! Somebody answered the damn question.

Thank you. That is EXACTLY what I was looking for. Couldn’t find that statement anywhere that I looked for a “definition” of what factors (or how long those factors) went into determining how a park plays.

That was the basis for my arguement. If it was from year to year, then it’s BS. But if it plays out over 5 years, that makes more sense.

You win the prize of me shutting up on this subject for the night. Congrats and goodnight.

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“There is no way that a sane reasonable person can not understand how that changed stats. it works the same way for pitchers N8.” Moby

I understood it just fine. Just wanted somebody to explain how long of a time period was used to determine it. P. W. Hjort did that. In all that rambling of mine about how players changed from year to year, and what not, would it have been that hard for you to simply state that it is factored over a 5 year period?

You called me lazy for not looking it up. I’ll call you lazy for not answering the question.

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But you guys want to argue about how he’s been unlucky for a decade.

Javier Vazquez, ERA, FIP, FIP-ERA

2004: 4.91, 4.83, -0.08
2005: 4.42, 3.96, -0.46
2006: 4.84, 3.94, -0.90
2007: 3.74, 3.92, 0.18
2008: 4.67, 3.81, -0.86
2009: 2.87, 2.80, -0.08

So he’s been substantially unlucky for 3 of the past 6 years. In 2008 his FIP was 0.86 points lower than his ERA. In 2006 his FIP was 0.90 points lower than his ERA. In 2005 his FIP was 0.46 points lower than his ERA. In 2009 his FIP was a mere 0.08 points lower than his phenomenal 2.87 ERA. In 2007 he posted a 3.74 ERA in the AL and a 3.92 FIP. In 2004 (behind inexplicably posting the 2nd lowest K rate in his career, the 3rd highest BB rate of his career, and the 3rd lowest K/BB ratio of his career) he posted a 4.91 ERA and a 4.83 FIP.

Every year he’s pitched well he’s gotten pretty unlucky. Every year he’s pitched badly his peripherals have aligned with his ERA. This is not a counter-intuitive concept or a particularly difficult one to grasp.

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“it ranked as the 5th best pitchers park last year. That was extreme, but it certainly didn’t play smaller last year, it played bigger.” Moby

I’m not really arguing anymore. Just discussing. But I have to comment on this comment, even though you are kind of disagreeing a bit with Turner Field’s ranking.

But that ranking and what went on with the Braves last year, is exactly my argument for the ranking system.

We had GREAT pitching last year. The pitching staff essentially allowed the same amount of runs on the road as at Turner Field (this is just total runs allowed, not ER – too lazy to not only look up, but type up all the detailed stats, so I’m going by runs to shorten it up).

On the road, the Braves allowed 323 runs, at home 318.

On the road, the Braves scored 403 runs and scored 332 at home. That’s almost a run a game more on the road. So I can see the gap there.

That’s where my dilemma with this rating system goes south as far as my belief in it goes. If Turner Field was that much of a pitcher’s park, shouldn’t the Braves staff have allowed much more runs at home?

I guess one could look at the game logs. Perhaps they had more home games early in the year before Hanson was called up, and before KK got in his groove he got into? I don’t know.

But to me it’s no more of an exact science than just looking at the numbers.

The Braves hitters could have had the same fate, after LaRoche was added maybe they played more road games and the big run totals skewed the stats? But that’s my point. Even in the middle of the 2009 season, the players creating those splits was constantly changing. Injuries and what not factored in. Guys that just flat out were having bad years (Schafer, KJ, Francoeur), possibly helped skew those numbers early in the year?

If the Braves pitching staff had had the same fate in terms of allowing more runs on the road, I’d buy it. But with that discrepancy, I’m not completely sold.

Sorry.

Anyhow. Either way I appreciate the “education” on the whole park adjustment thing. Just don’t try and sell me on sabermatics. LOL

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Either way I appreciate the “education” on the whole park adjustment thing. Just don’t try and sell me on sabermatics. N8

That is too bad N8, because some of the individual sabermetric stats can give insights that traditional ones can’t. I think they should be wedded to the older ones, and all of them used as tools.

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“Well it’s important to always consider the source. Some places use 3-year factors, some use 5-year factors, some are stupid and use 1-year factors. It all depends on the source of the information.” P. W. Hjort

That’s my point. I can buy that over a five year period, it might speak a little more truth to the matter. But on a year to year basis? I can’t buy that. Like Moby’s link to the ESPN page.

The Phillies had good hitters. That team actually scored more runs on the road as well. Yet everybody blames that “bandbox” for their offensive success. The pitchers barely allowed more runs at home (367 to 342).

Isn’t it possible that good teams from year to year, score more runs on average everywhere, and allow fewer runs no matter where they pitch? And when those teams stay together for an extended period of time (even meaning the 5 year period is skewed) the numbers aren’t an exact science? Or am I completely missing the boat on how it’s calculated.

For example. Without Zak Greinke, would the Kaufmann Stadium in KC have been considered more of a hitter’s park, if say Kyle Davies took most of his starts?

Not trying to be an ass. Just trying to grasp it.

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For example. Without Zak Greinke, would the Kaufmann Stadium in KC have been considered more of a hitter’s park, if say Kyle Davies took most of his starts?

No because Kyle Davies would be pitching at Kaufmann Stadium and elsewhere. If Greinke only pitched at Kaufmann Stadium or only pitched elsewhere that’s a different issue. But that doesn’t happen in absolutes. And if it does happen to a degree, the effect is largely obscured when your sample sizes are large enough. Say, 5 years.

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Either way I appreciate the “education” on the whole park adjustment thing. Just don’t try and sell me on sabermatics.

Like it or not, your questioning of park effects is 100% in line with sabermetric philosophy. To quote Bill James:

Sabermetrics is descended from traditional sportswriting. Sportswriting consists of two types of things—reporting, and analysis. Sabermetrics came from that part of sportswriting which consists of analysis, argument, evaluation, opinion and bullshit. I can tell you very precisely when and how we parted ways with traditional analysis.

What we do is simply to begin by asking “Who is the National League’s Most Valuable Player this season?” rather than to begin by stating that “Albert Pujols is the National League’s Most Valuable Player this season, and let me tell you why.” That’s all. That is the entire difference between sabermetrics and traditional sportswriting. It isn’t the use of statistics. It isn’t the use of formulas. It is merely the habit of beginning with a question, rather than beginning with an answer.

Sabermetrics is about questioning commonplace groupthink, not a set of component ERA formulas and BABIP calculations. That’s why I support sabermetrics, because I believe that the next generation of Americans should be raised with the belief that they shouldn’t accept any concept unless there is data to support it. They shouldn’t believe something because their parents did or because their teachers say so or because some idiot sportswriter says it’s true, they should believe things that are tried and true, tried with empirical evidence. The quest for the truth (in life, as well as in baseball) is an empirical one.

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N8 (November 12th, 2009 2:29 am): “That’s where my dilemma with this rating system goes south as far as my belief in it goes. If Turner Field was that much of a pitcher’s park, shouldn’t the Braves staff have allowed much more runs at home?”

You gotta realize that the Braves were not the only team that played at the Ted last year (or the last 3 or 5 years) — their performance there compared to their performance away would constitute no more than 50% of the total data that would go into computing a park adjustment.

I think you answered your own question — “We had GREAT pitching last year.” Perhaps good enough to be less vulnerable to park factors than other teams’ pitching.

Also, the types of pitchers fielded by the Braves may have been individually less vulnerable to the Ted’s particular park factors than other teams’ types of pitchers.

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Daybed is right, and not to mention that we would still need a few bullpen arms and a first baseman as well. So Holliday does not fit into the payroll, not even if we shed Lowe’s contract.

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Some of your figures are off, some higher and some lower than what they really are. Jurrjens made $450,000 in ‘09 and he is surely to get a raise on that. Logan made more than what you have there. And I just dont see Heyward, Brandon Jones and Conrad coming off the bench like that. And that is if we can even move Lowe’s contract to make room for Holliday. And all that adds up to 98.9 million, just a tad under 100. And unless they sign someone like Russell Branyan to take over first base, you can forget 7.25 million there as well. Theres your tomato.

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Heres what I got with possible raises and stuff and if we can trade Lowe

Javier Vazquez $11,500,000
Tim Hudson $10,000,000
Kenshin Kawakami $6,667,000
Jair Jurrjens $800,000
Tommy Hanson $500,000

Reliever $5,000,000
Reliever $5,000,000
Peter Moylan $1,500,000
Eric O’Flaherty $500,000
Kris Medlen $500,000
Boone Logan $600,000
Manny Acosta $475,000

Brian McCann $5,500,000
First Baseman $7,250,000
Martin Prado $600,000
Yunel Escobar $700,000
Chipper Jones $13,000,000
Matt Holliday $17,500,000
Nate McLouth $4,500,000
Matt Diaz $2,000,000

David Ross $1,600,000
Omar Infante $2,250,000
Brooks Conrad $400,000
Brandon Jones $400,000
Jason Heyward $400,000

Bringing that total to 99.14 million, and I seriously doubt that Heyward and B. Jones is going to be on the opening day roster. So raise that a few more million.

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Lowe can be moved along with his entire contract. He’s got an excellent track record for winning games year in and year out, stays off of the DL (and has throughout his career) and pitches 200 innings (or damned close to it) every year. $15 mil is really not that huge a contract in the scheme of good pitching. (LEW)

OK, maybe this is going to be harder than I thought. {:

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The fact that Wagner required the Red Sox to pledge NOT to pick up his $10 mill option for 2010 before he was traded is probably some indication of how much he and his agent believe he can get on the open market (DOB)

My recollection from when the deal went down between the Mets and the Red Sox was that Wagner wanted this “pledge” from the Red Sox because if he’s going to pitch this year it has to be for a team that will let him close. Clearly that wouldn’t happen with the Sox (barring and injury). He didn’t want to get boxed in there. I don’t think it’s as much the money. He was willing to go to the Sox to prove he still had stuff in big games against elite guys – he proved that imo. Now he wants to close again only. He publicly stated that his interest in continuing to pitch is to increase his saves number in the hopes of making the HOF. Sounds like a very self serving statement but I give the guy credit for admitting it. No bull from him. If teams have a problem with that, don’t sign him and he’ll stay home. I know he comes off as an ass sometimes but he’s really a stand up guy. Doesn’t hide or shrink from anything. I grew to respect him more than I did before he pitched for the Mets.

That said, I doubt he’ll accept a deal with the Braves to share the closer duties with Gonzo or Soriano. The good news is if Cox tells Wagner he’ll close, Wagner will believe Cox for sure.

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O.J. (November 12, 2009 8:23 AM EST) Some of your figures are off, some higher and some lower than what they really are.

Actually, McLouth’s salary is $500,000 too high and Kawakami’s is $0.666666 million too high and Tim Hudson’s is $1 million too high, yes. Also, I made a mistake WRT Omar Infante’s 2010 salary (I listed his 2009 salary which is ~$400,000 off).

Jurrjens made $450,000 in ‘09 and he is surely to get a raise on that.

You couldn’t possibly be pickier. He’s under team control, year to year, as a pre-arb player. If he gets any type of raise it isn’t going to be a significant one.

Logan made more than what you have there.

No he didn’t. He made $427,500 last season. The $600,000 was an estimate of what he’ll make in arbitration. Your argument is a lot more convincing if you take the trouble to look it up and replace “more than what you have there” with an actual number. Of course, not here, because what you said is wrong, but in the future look it up instead of talking out of your rear.

And I just dont see Heyward, Brandon Jones and Conrad coming off the bench like that.

Heyward, no. I just put him there to demonstrate the club has the ability to call him or Schafer up whenever they want. Why wouldn’t B. Jones and Conrad come off the bench? Even if they don’t and the organization is signing someone like Eric Bruntlett, it’s not important. The finances are, and the club isn’t likely to commit an abundance of financial resources to that area of the bench.

And that is if we can even move Lowe’s contract to make room for Holliday.

That was the original premise, yes.

And all that adds up to 98.9 million, just a tad under 100.

This is a whole new type of fallacy and I don’t know what to call it yet. I’ll get back to you.

Theres your tomato.

Thanks for playing along, at least.

Anyway, here’s the updated salaries with correct information (I’ve entered all the 2nd+ year pre-arb players at $500,000 just to be safe). I’ve bumped the 1B’s salary up to $8,000,000, Kawakami’s down to $6,666,667, McLouth’s down to $4,500,000, and Tim Hudson’s down to $9,000,000.

Name: 2010 Salary
Javier Vazquez $11,500,000
Tim Hudson $9,000,000
Kenshin Kawakami $6,666,666
Jair Jurrjens $500,000
Tommy Hanson $500,000

Reliever $5,000,000
Reliever $5,000,000
Peter Moylan $1,500,000
Eric O’Flaherty $500,000
Kris Medlen $500,000
Boone Logan $600,000
Craig Kimbrel $400,000

Brian McCann $5,666,666
First Baseman $8,000,000
Martin Prado $500,000
Yunel Escobar $500,000
Chipper Jones $13,000,000
Matt Holliday $17,500,000
Nate McLouth $4,500,000
Matt Diaz $3,000,000

David Ross $1,600,000
Omar Infante $2,225,000
Brooks Conrad $400,000
Brandon Jones $400,000
Jason Heyward $400,000

Total $99,358,332

I’ll say it again. You say tomato. I show you that there is no tomato.

P.S. – I see your new post. Why have you given rather sizable raises to all of the pre-arb players? They have no leverage to get raises. They’re usually renewed at close to league minimum.

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BTW- I should post some Mets thoughts. If the Mets don’t go out and get a rock solid #2 this off season than it’s a bust. I know they’re kicking the tires on a big bat, but they need a proven #2 starter badly. Short of that they won’t make up enough ground on the Phils and possibly lose some to the Braves and Marlins depending on their off season dealings.

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I had a dream last night that Matt Diaz was traded to the Nats for two players. I hope it was a result of bad pizza and not a glimps into the future. Can’t get rid of Matty Baseball!!!

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OJ-If Heyward and Brandon JOnes are not going to be on the opening day lineup and are both making $400,000, how does their not being on the roster equate to a “few million more” savings? Even artist’s math doesn’t come up with that figure.

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Anders, that’s funny.

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Is that a club or mutual or player or vesting (or some other type that they haven’t come up with or I haven’t thought of) option.

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I’m sure this has been discussed. Is it possible that we could trade Lowe for an expensive right-handed power hitter who maybe had a less than great 2009? If we did so, then the deal would be revenue neutral to Atlanta and maybe we could sign Vazquez for the long term.

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I’m sure this has been discussed. Is it possible that we could trade Lowe for an expensive right-handed power hitter who maybe had a less than great 2009? (Space Monkey)

Like who?

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I say that because Fredi always liked the guy. Kelly also has a .319 average and .975 OPS in 30 games at the stadium formerly known as Joe Robbie (and Pro PlayerStadium) DOB

Don’t forget LandShark Stadium. Isn’t that some kind of Annheiser/Busch product?

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Let’s be honest here. If Minaya made this move you guys would be all over him. Just sayin. – Anders

Yeah, I’ve got to agree with you there Anders. I’m honestly hoping for a better solution for the Braves, but if they do make this move I’m more likely to think it’s smart than if the Mets made the exact same move. Just years of conditioning myself that way I guess

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Has Uggla ever played left field??

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Has Uggla ever played left field? and if so, how was his defense?

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I will say it again, how bout Lowe for Carlos Lee?

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Dan Uggla has never played a defensive inning anywhere but 2B. (in MLB)

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Could Uggla be any worse defensively than Loaf?

There are 2 red flags though. Uggla is a .257 hitter, and he only hit .208 against lefties last season.

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Uggla? Eh, not bad, but I worry about his LF defense. The bat is fine (maybe not a legit cleanup bat) and a big upgrade over GA, so that’s good.

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In the minors Dan Uggla played 290 games at 2B, 228 games at 3B, 16 games at 1B, 18 games at SS, and 20 games in the OF (presumably LF).

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There are 2 red flags though. Uggla is a .257 hitter, and he only hit .208 against lefties last season.

You wouldn’t consider having NEVER played LF a Red Flag?

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Let’s be honest here. If Minaya made this move you guys would be all over him. Just sayin.

How dare there be bias on a Braves blog???

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Could the Cox comment about Prado possibly moving to the OF have some significance with Uggla? Maybe Uggla takes over 2B?

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No way the Marlins would want any of the three starters we want to trade. They would most likely want KJ and some prospects because the whole idea for them is to cut payroll. thats what the marlins do. They rely on youth.

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[...] Eastern -Tim Hudson’s three year, $27 million extension has been finalized, says the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Now the AJC asks about what the team will do with Javier Vazquez. I say if they can trade Derek [...]

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