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© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
2,408 comments Add your comment
Wayne in Utah
September 30th, 2010
3:11 pm
Stolen bases are way overrated. Team speed is much more important. Unfortunately, we have neither.
McJJeffrey lee
September 30th, 2010
3:11 pm
Roman Gal? I thought she died
McJJeffrey lee
September 30th, 2010
3:11 pm
bam….hittin leadoff
Roman Gal
September 30th, 2010
3:12 pm
jeffrey-
Then why didn’t you come to my funeral?
PDOG
September 30th, 2010
3:14 pm
I think that the Twins might give up Delmon Young if the right deal came along.
Tomas
September 30th, 2010
3:14 pm
http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=12593649&topic_id=7417714
Look at the Network’s tribute for Cox
McJJeffrey lee
September 30th, 2010
3:14 pm
Braves game was on
Nova Scotia Steve
September 30th, 2010
3:15 pm
Well.
May as well throw on Arizona/SanFran in 20 mins…
Murph
September 30th, 2010
3:15 pm
DAP, do you remember what would happen when Furcal got on base, though? He disrupted the other team. The threat of him going was enough to change the pitcher’s focus. The Braves don’t have a guy like that now, and haven’t had one since he left.
I’m too lazy to look it up, but an interesting stat would be how the #2 and #3 hitters fared when Furcal was hitting leadoff versus when he wasn’t.
Hitting leadoff is only really important that first inning. The #1 hitter isn’t likely to be hitting first many innings after that. Hence the importance of having a guy who knows his role. He’s not there to hit homers, he’s not there to drive guys in. He’s there to get on base, move guys over, and create havoc on the base paths. The table setter. The spark plug. A lot of what makes a good leadoff guy good are intangible qualities, stuff that baseball-statistics.com doesn’t show.
If leadoff guys don’t exist or aren’t valuable then you know more than the guys getting paid millions of dollars per year to put these teams together. Your views on hitting could revolutionize the baseball industry, were in not for the fact that they don’t get past the AJC blogs.
Roman Gal
September 30th, 2010
3:16 pm
Look at the Network’s tribute for Cox
I wrote a Bobby Cox tribute for the paper. I’m think about mailing it to him…
FEAR
September 30th, 2010
3:17 pm
I wrote a Bobby Cox tribute for the paper. I’m think about mailing it to him…
he’ll probably enjoy it more than the death threats from Robert and NO MORE BOBBY
T for Texas
September 30th, 2010
3:18 pm
Wayne–Good point on stolen bases. Give me a team of guys that can go first to third on a single, and I will live without the occasional swiping of 2nd base by one or two guys in the lineup.
McJJeffrey lee
September 30th, 2010
3:18 pm
It’s hard to take death threats in crayon seriously.
Actually, they might be more scary
Bobby Hill
September 30th, 2010
3:19 pm
No one wants to trade young productive controllable outfielders. No one goes to all the trouble to develop a young all-star caliber outfielder with the intention of trading him. Even if a team like the Dodger concluded that they would be better off trading a guy like Kemp for pitching, they are not likely to broadcast it. Instead they’ll play hard to get, and listen to offers. If the right offer comes along they’d pull the trigger. If nobody comes up with a great offer, they would just hold on to him. It to they have to trade him to clear salary or something like that.
To land a bat this winter Wren is going to has to be very aggressive, and that’s the one thing he’s proven to be, aggressive.
Bobby Hill
September 30th, 2010
3:20 pm
correction:
It’s not like they have to trade him to clear salary or something like that.
Roman Gal
September 30th, 2010
3:21 pm
he’ll probably enjoy it more than the death threats from Robert and NO MORE BOBBY
Oh, I don’t know…surely someone thinks they’re funny, right?
Braveheart
September 30th, 2010
3:23 pm
Furcal was a leadoff guy. He got things going for the team.
The leadoff hitter averaged 112 runs scored during the 6 seasons Furcal was here. The Braves leadoff hitters have scored 108 runs this season with 3 games to play, and have averaged 107 runs scored in the 5 seasons since Furcal left.
Wayne in Utah
September 30th, 2010
3:23 pm
Gary O
Kawakami this year has had 16 starts. The last one was a disaster. Before that one, he pitched well enough to win in 9 of the 15 starts. Plenty good enough for a 5th starter.
With any kind of an offense, he could be at or near .500 for the season.
Take out his two relief appearances and this start in September, and his ERA for the year is around 4.5. Not great, but not terrible either.
DAP
September 30th, 2010
3:24 pm
murph do you remember what would happen when Furcal got on base, though? He disrupted the other team.
alot of good it did them. braves scored 80 more runs the season after furcal left.
Bobby Hill
September 30th, 2010
3:25 pm
I think the Braves will be able to give Kawakami away this winter, but don’t expect anything in return.
Murph
September 30th, 2010
3:26 pm
“guess which year the braves scored more runs…. 2005, when they had their last “true leadoff hitter” rafael furcal steal 46 bases, or 2006 when marcus giles stole 10?”
The team also hit 40 more homeruns that year. So… wait, what’s the point of your argument? That homeruns equal wins?
Albert Pujols is the current active leader in OBP, so on your team, you’d hit him leadoff? If OBP is the only criteria you look for in your leadoff hitter, your team isn’t going to score many runs.
Efrim
September 30th, 2010
3:26 pm
I suspect that the Braves might be tempted to offer up JJ in a deal to get an outfielder, and if that happens, I am not at all comfortable with Beachy and Minor being counted on.
A fair point, Wayne. Not sure what Braves Triple-A pitchers can be counted on should they trade Jurrjens. They need to be careful not to leave the rotation’s 4/5 spots to two pitchers with less than 10 starts total of major league experience.
Wayne in Utah
September 30th, 2010
3:28 pm
Just for grins, was looking up McLouth’s numbers for September.
275/345/549 with 10 RBI’s in 51 AB’s. Not too shabby. I could live with that sort of productivity in CF next year.
T for Texas
September 30th, 2010
3:29 pm
Wayne–Do you think if Kawakami would simply work faster, and work in the strike zone more that would help with his offensive an defensive support? He is so deliberate when he works I think it hurts the flow of the game.
Efrim
September 30th, 2010
3:31 pm
South Atlantic League Top 20 Prospects
6. Arodys Vizcaino, rhp, Rome Braves
After joining the Braves in the Javier Vazquez trade last winter, Vizcaino teamed with Teheran to give Rome the SAL’s most devastating pair of starters in the early season. He earned a promotion a month after Teheran did, though a partially torn elbow ligament limited Vizcaino to three starts in high Class A. He avoided surgery and did return for a brief outing with Rome in September.
When healthy, Vizcaino shows a 92-94 mph fastball that touches 96, a hammer curveball and excellent control. His changeup continues to improve and could give him a third plus pitch.
“He learned how to pitch while he was here,” Rome manager Randy Ingle said. “There’s a lot of electricity in his arm, but he wasn’t using it properly early on. He worked hard with Zak (pitching coach Jim Czajkowski) and the light came on.”
DAP
September 30th, 2010
3:32 pm
murph Albert Pujols is the current active leader in OBP, so on your team, you’d hit him leadoff?
no, but you probably would if he stole 40 bases. i never saud the highest OBP shold bat leadoff, you made that up. i do think that a high OBP is more important than stealing bases, though. for example, my team would score more runs with martin prado batting lead off (5 stolen bases)than it would with juan pierre batting leadoff (60+ stolen bases).
The team also hit 40 more homeruns that year. So… wait, what’s the point of your argument? That homeruns equal wins?
and that your leadoff hitter stealing bases doesnt necessarily help you score more.
Efrim
September 30th, 2010
3:33 pm
South Atlantic League Top 20 Prospects
14. Christian Bethancourt, c, Rome Braves
The mention of Bethancourt’s name generated comments from one extreme to the other in the SAL. One manager said he would pay just to watch Bethancourt catch and throw, and he erased 39 percent of basestealers while showing soft hands and good agility behind the plate. But others thought he was an overrated defender who set up too high and relied too much on his plus-plus arm strength, and some believed he lacked the fire and leadership desired in a major league catcher.
Bethancourt didn’t turn 19 until the end of the season, so he still has plenty of time to address his flaws. Offensively, he has a short stroke but needs to show more patient. Though he showed only minimal power, he should be able to drive balls more consistently as his body matures.
“He grew up during the last month of the season,” Ingle said. “He showed a lot of improvement in his work habits and his maturity, and those things transferred to the field. He has all the tools you’d ever want to see for a guy behind the plate, and he needs to continue to do the day-to-day things to get the most out of his talent.”
CB
September 30th, 2010
3:36 pm
I don’t think JJ’s trade value would be as high due to all the injuries and performance being off. Some teams might overlook it but I think his trade value has gone down.
Braveheart
September 30th, 2010
3:36 pm
If OBP is the only criteria you look for in your leadoff hitter, your team isn’t going to score many runs.
Furcal has never averaged 100 runs scored per 700 plate appearances in any season where he’s had an OBP less than .340.
Gary O
September 30th, 2010
3:38 pm
I would be surprised if the Braves traded JJ, because his arbitration salary wont be too bad, and coming off his injuries makes his trade value lower. I think they keep him and hope he stays healthy next year.
Given Nate’s $6.5 mil contract, I think he will be a starting OF next year (probably in center). I wont be surprised if we end up platooning either CF or LF.
Braveheart
September 30th, 2010
3:43 pm
I don’t think JJ’s trade value would be as high due to all the injuries and performance being off. Some teams might overlook it but I think his trade value has gone down.
Three injuries in one year – shoulder, hamstring, knee. Shoulder concerns expressed back when he was in the Tigers system. He’s noticeably put on weight this year. He’s due to start making millions. His results were significantly less this year. There were concerns in the past that he wasn’t really as good as the results were making him appear to be. Trade value can’t be much right now.
McFann :Ô: :Ô: :ô:
September 30th, 2010
3:44 pm
Wayne Stolen bases are way overrated.
Totally…
MiaBchBravesFan
September 30th, 2010
3:44 pm
I, however, do not have a problem with Minor at four and Beachy at five. If we can trade KK for nothing, that frees up a notch under $7 million. Ross is already signed, I am sure Conrad will be back, I do not have a problem with Diory as a backup middle infielder, and Infante will probably be back.
The nickel and dime loss loss of arb. elig. players such as Diaz, Cabrera (who I never want to see again in a Braves’ uni), and bench types like Glaus and Hinske, will free up money for the arb. re-sign’s, like Prado, and provide just enough space to get that LF power bat, and a new CF.
I just don’t see McLouth as any kind of an answer. He is stubborn, stupid, and a basket case. I hope we can also give him away, to free up the $7.5 he’s due. If Wren can just manage to get rid of KK and McLouth…
He can keep his job one more year.
Tomas
September 30th, 2010
3:47 pm
How about trading for Mark Reynolds, plugging him in left field and then when Chipper retires, Reynolds would take over at third.
He is a right handed power bat, and I mean 40 home run power. He’s had a bad season mostly caused by injuries, so his value is down and it wouldn’t take a top prospect to get him. He has an affordable contract, and he can learn to play LF
Booby's booger finger
September 30th, 2010
3:49 pm
What to do on a day off? should I pick or not?
MiaBchBravesFan
September 30th, 2010
3:49 pm
That may be true, but a knee can be scoped and cleaned up. JJ will have big trade value in a market with very little talented AND affordable starting pitching.
MiaBchBravesFan
September 30th, 2010
3:53 pm
The problem is that the REAL good athletes that used to play in the MLB, have high OBP, and steal 80-90-100 bases a year are playing football or basketball. Once the full impact of “no more PED’s” is felt, guys like McCutcheon will be back in vogue.
If McCutcheon were playing for me, he’d bat lead-off, cut down on his swing, and get on base for me and drive pitchers nuts.
Don’t pooh-pooh the stolen base. It will be back in vogue before you know it.
Booby's booger finger
September 30th, 2010
3:57 pm
Vogue? OK Madonna
Tomas
September 30th, 2010
4:00 pm
Acquire Mark Reynolds(to play LF) and Coco Crisp.
2B Martin Prado 300 AVG (800OPS)
RF Jason Heyward 300 AVG (850OPS)
3B Chipper Jones 290 AVG (920OPS in 115 games)
C Brian McCann 280 AVG 20HR 90RBI’s
LF Mark Reynolds 250 AVG 30HR 100RBI’s
1B Freddy Freeman 275 AVG 15HR 70RBI’s
SS Alex Gonzalez 260 AVG (750OPS)
CF Coco Crisp 270 AVG (750OPS) 35 SB
Pitcher
RC
September 30th, 2010
4:04 pm
Acquire Dan Uggla to play LF next year. He seems to be friendly with most of the Braves players (he and David Ross had a conversation every time he reached 2nd last night), and should be familiar with the manager next year (I’m going with the assumption that it will be Fredi Gonzalez).
Efrim
September 30th, 2010
4:04 pm
Giants threatening in the first inning: 2nd and 3rd, 2 outs. Burrell up.
Efrim
September 30th, 2010
4:06 pm
I think it would benefit the Braves to hold onto Jurrjens. I understand most feel he is their greatest trade chip to acquire a bat, but why not use the infinite amount of pitching prospects that we have in the minors?
RC
September 30th, 2010
4:07 pm
Uggla would be like Mark Reynolds with fewer K’s and the ability to play 2b in a pinch.
Gary O
September 30th, 2010
4:07 pm
Since there are no games today, here is another topic for discussion.
This deal was discussed at the deadline, but if Chipper retires, any interest in trading KK for Chone Figgins (3 years, $26 mil left) and a prospect?
Figgins has struggled some this year, and he does not hit for power. But he will steal you 40 bases with a .350 OBP, and maybe he could lead off…
Trey
September 30th, 2010
4:07 pm
usnavyvolfaninva, how’s it going? Man, this weather is brutal today. I love it.
RC
September 30th, 2010
4:14 pm
I think it would benefit the Braves to hold onto Jurrjens. I understand most feel he is their greatest trade chip to acquire a bat, but why not use the infinite amount of pitching prospects that we have in the minors?
I think it’s mostly about value per dollar spent. Using Mike Minor as an example, lets say that he’s 75% as good as Jurrjens over the next 3 years (I think that’s a reasonable assumption). The price for Minor will be the league minimum for the next 3 years, while Jurrjens will be able to earn signficantly more through the arbitration process, after which he’ll have the ability to become a free agent (and Minor will still have 3 years of service to the Braves left). Based on the structure of arbitration, Jurrjens will make something in the neighborhood of 2,500% as much as Minor over the next three years, while only giving production that is 25% higher. Considering that pitching is a strength of the team and offense is a need, it would make sense to leverage some of those $$’s to add to the offense, even if it means losing just a little on the pitching side.
RC
September 30th, 2010
4:16 pm
Since there are no games today, here is another topic for discussion.
There are 2 HUGE games today….San Francisco vs. Arizona (currently playing) and San Diego vs. Chicago. If Arizona and Chicago can both pull off wins today, the Braves are guaranteed AT LEAST a one-game playoff, and with a win tomorrow can clinch the Wild Card. Let’s go D-backs and Cubs!
Efrim
September 30th, 2010
4:18 pm
Considering that pitching is a strength of the team and offense is a need, it would make sense to leverage some of those $$’s to add to the offense, even if it means losing just a little on the pitching side.
I agree that it’s really all just about expanding that run differential in anyway that you feel is best. But I just think that selling low on Jurrjens while the team has a plethora of prospects to deal isn’t the greatest strategy. I can’t believe I am saying that, but I am….
Tomas
September 30th, 2010
4:18 pm
Uggla would cost the Braves Mike Dunn and Randall Delgado + 10 million(his salary).
Reynolds would cost the Braves KK, Nate Mclouth, and Todd Redmond +(5 million(his salary) and 10 million(cash considerations for KK and Mclouth). They were considering trading Reynolds for Kevin Kouzmanoff and Vin Mazzaro……..So it’s at least possible, and a healthy Reynolds would look good in the lineup(he hit 260 with 44 homers and 102 RBI’s + 24SB in 2009)
Efrim
September 30th, 2010
4:20 pm
If Arizona and Chicago can both pull off wins today, the Braves are guaranteed AT LEAST a one-game playoff, and with a win tomorrow can clinch the Wild Card.
Yup. I’m actually surprised that we aren’t seeing more on here today with this thought. Braves can be faced with just having to win one game going into this weekend if SD and San Fran lose both games today. It’s awesome.
Tomas
September 30th, 2010
4:21 pm
Panda is getting his swing back….Damn
J-Hey
September 30th, 2010
4:21 pm
you give up a homer to the 8th place hitter with the pitcher on deck?
Efrim
September 30th, 2010
4:22 pm
Uggla would cost the Braves Mike Dunn and Randall Delgado + 10 million(his salary).
Yeah, wouldn’t surprise me to see the Braves trade Dunn this offseason. Especially if they feel Lee Hyde or Tim Collins can contribute in the bullpen in the near future…..
What’s that? Collins got traded for who?!!?
Bobby's Cox
September 30th, 2010
4:23 pm
MiaBchBravesFan @ 3:53
Totally agree. I’ve been saying the same thing for the last 3 seasons since the end of the roid era. Every year you see less HR’s, more steals & sacrifices. Baseball is reverting back to a speed & tightly pitched game instead of a wait for the 3-run bomb game.
Teams that can afford the higher paid player are going to hit the HR’s. The Phils, Yanks, etc will hit HR. But, they also have guys that can run & steal bases. Small budget teams (San Diego, Minnesota) will rely on manufacturing runs. Make no mistake, one method against another are totally competitive, but if your a mid-market team like the Braves, you have have a bopper in the middle of the lineup, and speedster up top.
It’s amazing how many fans on this blog in particular who are against bunting, hitting & running, & stealing. Not sure if they really are scribes of the Earl Weaver school of thought, or if they are really just stuck in the roid era.
Tomas
September 30th, 2010
4:24 pm
Efrim LOL, I was about to write Collins had been traded for Ankiel and Farnsworth
braveslifer
September 30th, 2010
4:25 pm
1 Lowe, Derek $15.00M
2 Jones, Chipper $13.00M
3 Hudson, Tim $9.00M
4 Kawakami, Kenshin $7.33M
5 McCann, Brian $6.67M
6 McLouth, Nate $7.00M
7 Infante, Omar $2.50M
8 Alex G $2.50M
9 Ross, David $1.625M
10 Moylan, Peter $1.5M
11 Jurrjens, Jair $3M
12 O’Flaherty, Eric $1.15M
13 Prado, Martin $3M
14 Hanson, Tommy $0.5M
15 Conrad, Brooks $0.5M
16 Dunn, Michael $0.5M
17 Hernandez, Diory $0.5M
18 Heyward, Jason $0.5M
19 Freeman $0.5M
20 Kimbrel $0.5M
21 Venters, Jonny $0.5M
TOTAL – $77.28
Did a quick breakdown of the 2011 Braves Payroll using the numbers from Cot’s and it looks like we are not going to have $ for many moves next year considering 2010’s payroll was at $83M. The assumptions include non-tendering for Melky and Diaz, League Min of $500K (its a little less for some players), and arb salaries of $3M for JJ and Prado (could be higher).
RC
September 30th, 2010
4:26 pm
Tomas,
Where did you get these theoretical “costs” for Uggla and Reynolds from??? I agree that Uggla wouldn’t be cheap, but I also think that Florida doesn’t want to pay him what he’ll make in arbitration, meaning that they are more likely to trade him than they would be otherwise.
As for Reynolds….why in the heck would Arizona want KK, McLouth, and Redmond???? If anything Arizona is the team that would demand young pitching, since they had one of the worst bullpens in the majors this season and are in the middle of a rebuilding process. They defintely wouldn’t take 2 players in KK and McLouth that a) make more money than Reynolds, b) are not under team control for as long as Reynolds, and c) not as good as Reynolds for him.
Also, Uggla is going into his 5th year, while Reynolds is going into his 4th+ year (he was a Super 2 player this year), meaning that Uggla is likely to make much more in arbitration than Reynolds is, giving Reynolds a higher trade price on the market.
Efrim
September 30th, 2010
4:37 pm
Did a quick breakdown of the 2011 Braves Payroll using the numbers from Cot’s and it looks like we are not going to have $ for many moves next year considering 2010’s payroll was at $83M
I think the Braves view their payroll different than how Cot’s does. Chipper’s signing bonus broken out through the duration of the deal, plate appearance bonuses for Glaus, bonuses for Saito/McLouth/McCann, etc. I think they still say that their payroll was around 90 million. They will probably say that again this offseason. I’ll guess they will have something like 5-10 million to spend unless they deal away Kawakami and/or McLouth.
braveslifer
September 30th, 2010
4:40 pm
You are right they didn’t calculate the PA bonuses for Glaus and Saito who will both likely not be on the team this year. Should subtract a few million more.
dmack2027
September 30th, 2010
4:40 pm
If the Braves were going to trade JJ, they would need something of high value in return like Matt Kemp or Cory Rasmus. It would be something like the Garza for Delmon Young trade a few years ago. Personally, I think LaRussa is gone before they trade Rasmus.
At some point, the Braves are going to have to make room for Teheran. Minor is clearly going to be in the rotation next year. Smart money is on the Braves moving KK.
Wayne in Utah
September 30th, 2010
4:41 pm
Let’s throw all our higher salaries or players we don’t want into a package for Albert Pujols and Matt Holliday. Maybe we can throw in Freeman to sweeten the pot.
C’mon folks, keep it real. Look at it from the other GM wanting to improve his club PLUS keep his job.
Nova Scotia Steve
September 30th, 2010
4:42 pm
D’Backs threatening….two on and one out in the 4th.
1-0 Giants
Nova Scotia Steve
September 30th, 2010
4:42 pm
Check that – Bases loaded – 1 out
ncscoots
September 30th, 2010
4:42 pm
It’s amazing how many fans on this blog in particular who are against bunting, hitting & running, & stealing.
That’s a slight mischaracterization, Bobby’s. I’m against those things as a strategic offensive philosophy, in which you do them as a matter of course from inning 1. I’m not against them as a tactical move in the context of a game where such things provide a good probability of scoring the one run you need to win a game. Big difference.
The percentage of innings in which teams score, at all, is so low that a team cannot afford to play for fewer than the maximum number of runs at each scoring opportunity, with the exception of late innings at home and one run wins it. In addition, in a significant percentage of games, the winner scores more runs in a single inning that the loser scores in the game, and you can’t minimize the opportunity to establish that scenario.
Now, since dingers are the most efficient way to score runs (1.4 per event, and no other offensive event produces as much as 1, on average), it makes sense to base your offense around bangers and thumpers who don’t make outs. Ergo, Earl Weaver rules, LOL. Nothing wrong with Gene Mauch (who should be your hero), but Earl wins more games.
Efrim
September 30th, 2010
4:43 pm
Top 4, 1 out for Zona. Bases loaded for the pitcher, Enright.
mcbravesgrl4lifeeeeeeeee
September 30th, 2010
4:44 pm
Sopheee and Roman Gal – it depends on your Dish Network provider regarding the cancellation of the channels. If you go to http://www.getwhatipaidfor.com and enter your zip code and choose whether you get Dish Network via Alltel Corp or ATT-Uverse, it will tell you if you are at risk. I checked for my zip for both providers (I bundled Dish with Windstream/Alltel) and I am good to keep the channels.
Efrim
September 30th, 2010
4:45 pm
Sac fly. 1-1.
Sopheeee
September 30th, 2010
4:48 pm
mcbravesgrl4lifeeeeeeeee – lucky! I checked my zip and I’m at risk to lose the channels around midnight today. Fingers crossed that they work something out.
Sopheeee
September 30th, 2010
4:49 pm
From MattE’s fb -
MattE and Leslee Diaz Family Foundation: Saying a prayer for Martin Prado. I’ve never rooted harder for a teammate or been more thrilled with one’s success. He is a great guy and more of a leader than anyone outside our locker room knows.
Murph
September 30th, 2010
4:50 pm
I don’t see how SB’s are overrated. You have a guy who, when he gets on base, can get into scoring position an extra 50-60 times a year and it’s overrated? Imagine if Prado had a guy in scoring position for 50% more of his AB’s, what kind of numbers he might have.
Now that the steroid era is coming to a close you’re going to see teams focusing more on the fundamentals of baseball, and a guy who can get 50+ SB’s in a year is going to be a big commodity when all the HR’s dry up and turn into singles and doubles.
Efrim
September 30th, 2010
4:53 pm
Give me guys that get on base, hit for extra bases, and are just good base runners. The Juan Pierre’s of the world aren’t even good offensive players.
Tomas
September 30th, 2010
4:55 pm
braveslifer, according to mlb trade rumors, they estimate Prado topping 1 million and compare JJ to Jered Weaver(who made 4.265 million this year), I’d say JJ make’s 4 million…And Moylan I bet ends up making around 2 million. I assume Stephen Marek makes the team next year. And Matt Diaz is gonna be Non-tendered I agree but I think they renegotiate to bring him back at 2yrs 4.5 million. Eric Hinske also think is gonna be signed back for 1.5M.
1 Lowe, Derek $15.00M
2 Jones, Chipper $13.00M
3 Hudson, Tim $9.00M
4 Kawakami, Kenshin $7.33M(not really a place in the 25 man roster sorry KK)
5 McCann, Brian $6.67M
6 McLouth, Nate $7.00M
7 Infante, Omar $2.50M
8 Alex G $2.50M
9 Ross, David $1.625M
10 Moylan, Peter $2M
11 Jurrjens, Jair $4M
12 O’Flaherty, Eric $1.15M
13 Prado, Martin $1M
14 Hanson, Tommy $0.5M
15 Conrad, Brooks $0.5M
16 Dunn, Michael $0.5M
17 Hernandez, Diory $0.5M(not really a place in the 25-man roster)
18 Heyward, Jason $0.5M
19 Freeman $0.5M
20 Kimbrel $0.5M
21 Venters, Jonny $0.5M
22 Stephen Marek $0.5M
23 Eric Hinske $1.5M
24 Matt Diaz $2M
Total: $80.775M
So the Braves have 22 men in place for next year(if they call up Marek, and resign Diaz and Hinske).
According to Braves president John Schuerholz, the Braves had a 90 million payroll this year, and it has not decreased. That means that they counted incentives of Troy Glaus and Saito as part of that money. So the actual payroll was not 83.890 it was 88.44 million, which actually makes sense because remember the Braves said they had around 2 million to spend and were trying to sign Johnny Damon.
So actually the Braves 9.225 million to spend this offseason, and they need 3 players: 1 starting pitcher, 1 reliever, and 1 outfielder.
Travis
September 30th, 2010
4:56 pm
Javier Vasquez is an interesting situation for the Braves. He has proved that pitching against the AL east teams is probably a lot more diificult than the NL east. Wonder if he could be a decent replacement for JJ at about the same money. Jurgens might just be the key guy in some trades for decent position players. KK will have to be dumped along with a good pitching prospect or just sit him on the bench and pay for his race car. Uggla just might be a decent aquisition but the Marlins will make us pay being in the division and all. Still like Kemp for JJ and pitching prospect. If Freddie comes on board, he might push for Uggla.
RC
September 30th, 2010
4:57 pm
Now that the steroid era is coming to a close you’re going to see teams focusing more on the fundamentals of baseball, and a guy who can get 50+ SB’s in a year is going to be a big commodity when all the HR’s dry up and turn into singles and doubles.
While I don’t disagree with the general sentiment that fundamentals will become more important in the coming years, it’s worth noting that many of the guys using steriods WERE the speed-first guys, who used it to fuel some of their 40-50 steal seasons. The first player suspended under MLB’s steriod testing was Alex Sanchez, how had a career high of 2 HRs in a season, but had 52 SB in 2003.
Efrim
September 30th, 2010
5:01 pm
Can someone crack a three run jack for the D-Backs or what?
ncscoots
September 30th, 2010
5:01 pm
Murph, the only offensive scenario in which the SB by your guy makes any difference whatsoever to the scoring in an inning, is the one in which he is the only run to score in the inning, and would not have scored that run from 1B. In all other scenarios, his SB is moot: he would have scored had he not stolen, or is LOB regardless of base. Add the inherent risk in stealing (reduction of expected runs at the loss of both an out AND a baserunner), and you can see why some of us might think it’s a little overrated by some.
A good base-stealer is “nice”, but, if he ain’t Rickey, it’s just icing, not the cake.
Travis
September 30th, 2010
5:02 pm
Uggla at second and Infante back on the bench isn’t a bad move.
Travis
September 30th, 2010
5:03 pm
Not many Ricky Hendersons out there.
DAP
September 30th, 2010
5:04 pm
bobby’s cox, i cant speak for everyone, but for me, i dont dislike hitting and running, bunting (in the right situation) or stealing bases. in fact, a SB is one of the most exciting plays in baseball, to me. i love it. its just that its pretty low down on the list of how to score alot of runs. its not nearly as important as getting on base and getting extra base hits. a SB in the right place is great, just like a bunt. its just that i would rather have a doubles machine with a .350 OBP than a light hitting basestealer with a .300 OBP.
D.J.
September 30th, 2010
5:04 pm
I agree, Travis. It’s a terrible move.
Nova Scotia Steve
September 30th, 2010
5:05 pm
Did someone say crack???
timthebrave
September 30th, 2010
5:06 pm
Rooting for the d backs is like rooting for paint to dry….Come on KJ make the blog go crazy and hit a couple of home runs…ha ha
Nova Scotia Steve
September 30th, 2010
5:06 pm
Nova Scotia Steve
September 30th, 2010
5:07 pm
Giants offense is much like the Braves at times – non-existent.
Gunna be a low scoring series should Giants/Braves meet in the NLDS.
Wayne in Utah
September 30th, 2010
5:08 pm
I recall lots of folks saying that Hanson was having an off year. Was just pulling up some numbers, and I don’t think he has been nearly as bad overall as some might think.
If you look at the ERA and W/L record, I can understand this sort of thinking.
Here is what Hanson has done this year: ER’s/Game
0 ER / 7 games
1 ER / 7 games
2 ER / 10 games
3 ER / 1 game
4 ER / 3 games
5 ER / 2 games
6+ER / 3 games
That’s 25 out of 33 starts where he gives up 3 ER’s or less. Not too shabby. In his worst 4 games, he gave up 28 runs in 14 innings total. Ouch! So take those numbers out of the mix, and his ERA for his best 29 starts is less than 2.40.
So Tommy stunk it up in FOUR games this year, and pitched pretty darn good in the other 29 games. 88% of the time he pitched from good to great!
Sounds kinda ace-ish to me.
timthebrave
September 30th, 2010
5:09 pm
Novia Scotia Steve, you jinxed us.(not that I’m superstitious) Giants just hit a solo homer
timthebrave
September 30th, 2010
5:11 pm
Hanson is a solid 2 guy with potential to be an ace.
Wayne in Utah
September 30th, 2010
5:14 pm
I love a good SB at the right time. Certainly appreciate the speed game, but as scoots has so aptly put it, it is not the most important thing in putting up some runs on the board.
So, if we had a shot at a high OBP guy that has a good SB % with a little pop, then go for it. If not, then we have 2-3 guys that can hit capably in the leadoff slot. Prado, Infante and McLouth would be those 3 that come to mind.
Wayne in Utah
September 30th, 2010
5:15 pm
tim
That’s exactly how I view him. I just get befuddled to hear folks complain about his season.
Granted, if he can keep those 3-4 bad games a little bit closer, then he is much more ace material.
timthebrave
September 30th, 2010
5:17 pm
All you have to do is look at Felix Hernandez numbers from seattle to see that win losses don’t determine if a guy can pitch. he deserves the cy young even though his record is 13 wins and 12 losses. here are his numbers
249 inning pitched
SO/9 8.4
era 2.27
strike out 232
whip 1.057
Those are just sick numbers….He deserves cy young but might not get it because seattle can’t score any runs
J-Hey
September 30th, 2010
5:25 pm
Posey homer (still remember how to do that Heward?) looks like the Giants will win
Wayne in Utah
September 30th, 2010
5:27 pm
And the probable NL Cy Young winners numbers: ER’s/Games
0 ER / 10 games
1 ER / 6 games
2 ER / 4 games
3 ER / 5 games
4 ER / 3 games
5+ER / 5 games
A little bit better than our guy Hanson. 2.44 ERA for the year! Not bad. More innings too, but not a heckuva lot of difference.
timthebrave
Unfortunately, those voting on the award will take W/L record into consideration. Just too bad for King Felix.
RC
September 30th, 2010
5:27 pm
Regarding the value of a stolen base, I was curious on the current run expectancies with a runner on 1st vs. a runner on 2nd. Based on 2010 stats from Baseball Prospectus, the current results are:
0 out, man on 1st – .86418 runs expected
0 out, man on 2nd – 1.1072 runs expected
1 out, man on 1st – .50551 runs expected
1 out, man on 2nd – .68213 runs expected
2 out, man on 1st – .22977 runs expected
2 out, man on 2nd – .32559 runs expected
After taking the differences in each situation and averaging them, I got that a runner on 2nd was expected to lead to .17182 runs more than a runner on 1st in the same situation. If a player steals 50 bases in a season, assuming there was an even distrubtion of steals with 0, 1, and 2 outs, and the runner was NEVER thrown out (neither of these being accurate assumptions), the team could expect to score 8.591 more per season than if the runner had 0 stolen bases (also with the flawed assumption that speed would be the same).
This is basically a really long winded way to say that ncscoots is right, SB aren’t really that important. And I was actually trying to DISPROVE his point when I started….looks like I was wrong.
Wayne in Utah
September 30th, 2010
5:28 pm
What time does the Padres game start?
Wow..
September 30th, 2010
5:30 pm
Buster Posey = ROY
RC
September 30th, 2010
5:30 pm
If you were able to choose the Braves 1st round opponent between the Reds and Giants, which would you choose? I think I would prefer if the Braves faced the Reds, since the Giants have Lincecum and Cain to throw at us, while the Reds would likely start Bronson Arroyo in Game 1. I also think that SF has a better chance of knocking of the Phillies than the Reds due to the strength of their rotation, so for that reason I’d prefer they match up with Philly.
MiaBchBravesFan
September 30th, 2010
5:34 pm
Blaine Boyer SUCKS!!! The D-backs are just rolling over and taking it against SF.
Wayne in Utah
September 30th, 2010
5:41 pm
RC
Interesting numbers. And that’s not calculating for the runner being faster, or the times he is thrown out.
I don’t think anybody here would disagree that SB’s are a lot of fun, and can put a charge into a team.
But to have a guy with a boat load of SB’s, versus a guy with less is not necessarily good. (Juan Pierre and Scott Podsednik are prime examples)
southern hope
September 30th, 2010
5:45 pm
Okay, so we need the Padres & the Giants to lose tonight. Okay, I can focus on that and will put 100% of my Braves anxiety into it.
MiaBchBravesFan
September 30th, 2010
5:47 pm
And then the damned Gints are going to roll over for the Pahds this weekend.