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250 comments Add your comment
VP
July 31st, 2011
12:14 pm
Very excited about this move plus we didn’t give up any of our studs. Can’t argue with that.
Dave P
July 31st, 2011
12:15 pm
Welcome Mr. Bourn!!!
real braves fan
July 31st, 2011
12:21 pm
he is a boras client. so that means we will have to trade him next year?
Phils fan
July 31st, 2011
12:23 pm
Well done! Now show some real blanks and hp get b.j. Upton too.
wayn-o
July 31st, 2011
12:23 pm
yessssssssssssssssss
dogsbrekky
July 31st, 2011
12:24 pm
I love the comment from the Cobra that he wants us to be based on speed and defense..
This may be the slowest moving baseball team in Braves history..
Chipper, McCann, Freeman, Uggla, Hinske, Ross and AGONZ are slower than molasses
Ted M
July 31st, 2011
12:24 pm
Bourn usually slide feet first too
berrygin
July 31st, 2011
12:25 pm
Soon we will see the Bourn Supremacy….jokes…1st in that respect. Never been prouder.
Hey, don’t worry about trading him next year(we can get 2 picks for him IF he doesn’t sign with the braves after 2012) and cheer getting the best base stealer, the best leadoff hitter in the game!
Mets stink
July 31st, 2011
12:25 pm
Great pickup. Much better fit than pence would have been. Uggla is the right handed bat we needed at the trade deadline. Uggla won’t keep his current pace going all year but if he’s the player he was last year then the braves are set up to make a run at the phillies.
LowCountry XPlant
July 31st, 2011
12:25 pm
Great move! This was the best possible trade at this point.
Craig
July 31st, 2011
12:26 pm
Just when you think Wren is down for the count, he makes us all look like uneducated idiots. Nicely done Mr. Wren and welcome to the Brave Mr. Bourn. I think this was the best move the Brave could make. It all starts with the leadoff hitter.
Top 5 Players who could be Dealt | Sports News. By Bums Like You.
July 31st, 2011
12:26 pm
[...] season. The Nationals, Reds and Indians have some interest in him. The Braves were too, until dealing for Michael Bourn earlier [...]
Jamaaliver
July 31st, 2011
12:27 pm
Alas, poor Schaefer, we knew him well.
Gotta sting going from the penthouse to the outhouse. But at least Jordan will get plenty of opportunities there to play. Hopefully he gets to become a free agent soon and get the heck outta there.
Houston is AWFUL!!!
mathman
July 31st, 2011
12:27 pm
Still very susceptible to lefty pitching. Still need a RH hitting bat for the OF and a reliever. Gave up much too much. Here’s predicting that Schafer will give Houston 4-5 years of .280 and 35 SB’s. We will see. Meanwhile, Braves against lefties will still have 4 lefty hitters in the lineup.
sam
July 31st, 2011
12:27 pm
Rafael Furcal?…lol I think he mant Kenny Lofton. Dont ever remember Furcal as a leadoff man.
MAC
July 31st, 2011
12:28 pm
any chance he’ll be in today’s starting lineup? i’m doubtful but hopeful….. if that makes any sense.
jason
July 31st, 2011
12:29 pm
It doesn’t matter because we can start a game first and third nobody out.
jason
July 31st, 2011
12:29 pm
@MAC I think he’s on his way and he has to get his physical
Nuzzy Futz
July 31st, 2011
12:30 pm
Love this trade, this guy could be a real difference maker.
MAC
July 31st, 2011
12:31 pm
yeah thats what i was thinking, just excited to see him, I just saw DOBs tweet, looks like Constanza to lead us off.
BravesDave
July 31st, 2011
12:31 pm
When you stop and think about it, Wren is on some kind of run. He’s acquired Dan Uggla and Michael Bourn without giving up any of the organizations top prospects. That is almost incomprehensible. he really deserves a lot of credit.
I am really anxious to see if he can work some more magic in the next 3.5 hours. Still would love another bullpen arm…or Josh Willingham (since Quentin seems to be a no-go). Before the Bourn deal, I had no desire for Willingham to be a Brave. Now, the entire picture has changed.
PABrave
July 31st, 2011
12:32 pm
when does bourn play is first game?
Theo Williams
July 31st, 2011
12:34 pm
Now I wanna see all those Frank Wren haters come on here and bash this trade! Fantastic job by Wren the magician!!!
gene garbage
July 31st, 2011
12:36 pm
this is a good deal. now can we go get tyler green from the Cards to play SS, they obviously don’t need him anymore…speed speed and more speed..
MAC
July 31st, 2011
12:36 pm
Much better than the Yunel/Agon fiasco of last year, we needed this.
Robert
July 31st, 2011
12:37 pm
Excellent move! Hope this isn’t the end. Would still love a right handed bat. How about Upton for left field and move Prado to 3rd? Great defensive outfield, plus you just know that Chipper will get hurt again when he comes back.
David
July 31st, 2011
12:37 pm
This is a great trade. And Furcal was indeed a lead-off hitter for the Braves, and the last legitimate lead-off hitter we had.
Father of 5
July 31st, 2011
12:37 pm
For the first time in years, I will have to go buy some tickets. I went to Gwinnett after the way Wren treated Smoltz and other icons, but now we’ll go downtown again. A great CF changes a team, and we haven’t seen one here since AJ. Bourn is not a great leadoff hitter yet (needs to learn discipline), but I can’t wait to watch him run once he finds himself on base. The Braves just became a much better team.
Choppinmama
July 31st, 2011
12:38 pm
Yeah, first and third, nobody out……………..we might even see a few steals at home before the season ends. Set your sights high, Michael.
Congrats, Braves braintrust. Good acquisition, minor pain endured.
ijudgenot
July 31st, 2011
12:38 pm
With what they gave up to get him, this was a good deal and a better fit than Pence. With the trade of Lowe in the offseason coupled with Minor, the Braves can get the leftfielder or 3rd baseman of their future. Not sure they have enough righthanded power this year to win it all, if no more moves are made.
berrygin
July 31st, 2011
12:38 pm
Wren truly is amazing. Most likely told the team couldn’t afford Pence, plus those above him probably didn’t want JHey on the bench or the minors, and got the best leadoff hitter out there, that the team has needed for years, without giving up any of the top 4 pitchers everything thought he HAD to give up. GM of the year…
Adam
July 31st, 2011
12:39 pm
Forget Furcal or or even Lofton. This reminds me more of the days of Otis Nixon. Lofton had some power to his stroke. This is pure speed and great D. It’s great to have a true table setter today and yet we paid nothing for him.
Choppinmama
July 31st, 2011
12:41 pm
Let’s have a moment of silence for the Schaefer-that-could-have-been. Injuries just ruined the gift of centerfield he had been given a couple of years ago. Good luck to him in TX.
bvillebaron
July 31st, 2011
12:42 pm
Theo Williams:
In response to your question about the Frank Wren haters, I offer Mathman. Hey, I may well be Schafer’s biggest fan and I hope he turns out to be another Bourn, but we have the real deal now. Wren also did not give up any of the big 4 pitching prospects for him. Hopefully, some of his many detractors will finally give him some credit. IMO he has done a great job rebuilding this team since he took over after the 2007 season.
Around The Horn
July 31st, 2011
12:42 pm
Boras clients always test the market.
That pretty much dooms the Braves plans for an extension — unless they want to overpay, as is usual with Boras.
Art Vandelay
July 31st, 2011
12:42 pm
“McLouth has underperformed for most of two seasons and will not be brought back in 2011.”
I assume you meant 2012, but we can dream, can’t we?
Steve
July 31st, 2011
12:44 pm
I have been a Wren basher. I have to eat crow because the man came through in a big way.
pat h
July 31st, 2011
12:45 pm
Great move by the Braves here. Feel bad for Schafer a bit though- he was the victim of some rotten luck. Looking forward to seeing Bourn over the coming weeks. Go Bravos!
Stizz
July 31st, 2011
12:45 pm
This is turning out to be one of the better trade deadlines.
Frank still looking for RH bat.
mdubthewiz
July 31st, 2011
12:47 pm
Why isn’t this the top story on the AJC Sports page?
Tampa Gator
July 31st, 2011
12:49 pm
Bourn is what the Braves have been lacking…..a outstanding Glove in center, makes consistent contact, and can run big time in the leadoff spot. Schafer was an excellent fielder, but he struck out too much….and has good speed. But Bourn takes the position up a big notch and makes the Braves….instantly….a better team. I would not be surprised to see Wren add another righthanded bat and a reliever before the end of the day……both probably from the Padres.
Jimbo Jones
July 31st, 2011
12:49 pm
@ijudgenot
They may need some of that dough from Chipper, Lowe and McClouth to keep Bourn around beyond 2012. Still there should be some change leftover to try and find a RH left fielder. Prado will be at 3rd if he can stay healthy, which is a big if…
Tman
July 31st, 2011
12:50 pm
This is great news. Bourn provides us with the kind of run manufactoring capability we’ve lacked the past couple of years. Maybe now peopel won’t badmouth Wren so much. He MIGHT just know what he’s doing.Now we just need an inning-eating reliever. It says everything that the Braves feel compelled to use Venters and Kimbrell with a four then five run lead last night. They are in serious danger of overwork.
Phil in GA
July 31st, 2011
12:50 pm
Art Vandelay –
Ha, I wish that was the case, too. How you doin’ man?
Sorry to see Schafer go – really think he could have turned into a near-Bourn. But I like the trade. If we can’t get legit RH power, I’d much rather have legit speed than a middling Willingham/Ludwick OF type.
Just too bad we couldn’t dupe the ‘Stros into taking McLouth instead of Schafer. Imagine the speed we could employ off the bench with Schaf. Or both at the same time when Chip was injured (and Prado at 3rd) or Heyward struggling – Schafer and Bourn both in the OF and atop the order. That could have been fun to watch.
don
July 31st, 2011
12:52 pm
Theo,
You can’t grade the omelet when you buy the eggs. Let’s wait a while to see if it turns good or bad. You were probably giddy when the Braves got Drew and Teixeira.
From the posts, one thing is certain, The local stores are selling a lot more Charmin and Fruit of the Loom today.
No one has bashed Wren any worse than have I. I will say that, unlike the aforementioned trades, this one has a possibility of being positive. However, time will tell and Wren’s transcript is not passing. Don’t break out the Jack Daniel’s yet.
Edge8602
July 31st, 2011
12:52 pm
LOVE this pickup for the fact that we gave up 4 guys that 3 of which have no future in the Braves organization unless like 5 pitchers go down with injuries.
Kimbrel rocks
July 31st, 2011
12:54 pm
now….all the Wren haters…please step forward and say you are sorry
DHD
July 31st, 2011
12:54 pm
I don’t know why you would feel bad for Schafer. He will be the starting centerfielder in Houston and will make more money than most of will ever see. We feel bad for him? Living the dream, playing in the majors? Get your thinking back into perspective.
BRAVES TRADER
July 31st, 2011
12:54 pm
We move Schafer and not Nate? Hmmmmm. Good ol’ boy system strikes again in Atlanta.
The Dude Abides
July 31st, 2011
12:55 pm
DOB, do you have any info the Infante talks?
JDawg1785
July 31st, 2011
12:58 pm
Bourn is the guy that the Braves needed. Welcome to ATL, Michael!!
Good Riddance to Schafer
July 31st, 2011
12:58 pm
Glad the Minor League Druggie Schafer is gone – he was and is a continual LOSER……. Now let’s get Bourn in centerfield and win some games.
South Georgia Boy
July 31st, 2011
12:58 pm
Good move. Bourn is same type as Scafer(good defense, base stealer) but is a better hitter with more experience. Don’t worry about the minor league pitching prospects. Some prospects turn out good, but most don’t ever make it.
MFin04
July 31st, 2011
12:59 pm
Now its being reported that the Braves have a great chance at getting Bourn. Lol.
Great pickup for the Braves. Sorry to see Schafer go. Hope he does well.
Ted M
July 31st, 2011
1:00 pm
I wonder why there has been no talk of trading Carlos Lee to anybody. I know he has really fat contract but he is hitting .352 against lefties.
DaveinNEPA
July 31st, 2011
1:00 pm
On the surface this looks like a great deal for the Braves.
That said, I’ll remain skeptical until I see that Bourn hasn’t morphed into McClouth/Kotchman/Ankiel/Gonzalez/Lee and the other deadline deals that have been done in recent years.
Ghostrider
July 31st, 2011
1:01 pm
I sure hope this isn’t a 2 month rental….Please say it isn’t so.
The Dude
July 31st, 2011
1:01 pm
Great Trade!…..and Braves Trader….we can’t move Nate, no one will take him.
PDOG
July 31st, 2011
1:02 pm
Great trade, much rather have Bourn then Beltran or Pence but for those of you who feel the Braves didn;t give up anything beware I think Clements could be a stud.
Brave New World
July 31st, 2011
1:02 pm
Now trade Nate and a low minor prospect to rent Josh Willingham for the rest of 2011.
Noone, Alot, Loosers, Than, Then & To Much
July 31st, 2011
1:02 pm
Aah, the Bourn again Braves. Gotta luv it!
DC Brave
July 31st, 2011
1:02 pm
About to talk to Frank Wren on ESPN Baseball Tonight
SAL
July 31st, 2011
1:03 pm
Good job Mr. Wren. Proven CF & leadoff hitter and keeping the 4 top pitching prospects. Now, just get him signed to an extension like you did with Uggla.
JerseyChoppin
July 31st, 2011
1:04 pm
mathman, where are you getting the projection of Schafer batting .280 for next 5 years? Nothing leads me to believe he will project even that high, unless of course he needs an atmosphere of zero pressure. I liked Schafer, but to say this deal wasn’t good for braves because of schafer is a bit off.
Here are his cumulative Batting Avgs:
AAA (3 seasons) .227;
AA (2 seasons) .253;
A (3 seasons) .273;
A+ (1 season) .294
Rkie Lg (1 season) .203
Minor league BA: (7 seasons) .258
2009 ML Braves: 167 AB, .204 BA
2011 ML Braves: 196 AB, .240 BA
JerseyChoppin
July 31st, 2011
1:06 pm
Just sucks that Bourn is a Boras client. Well Braves, this buys a few years of time to acquire a young CF talent and get him ready to take over in CF.
Zing
July 31st, 2011
1:06 pm
Looks like a great trade. I just hope we don’t get McLouth’d. (That looked like a great trade for a center fielder at the time, also).
wut
July 31st, 2011
1:06 pm
“Glad the Minor League Druggie Schafer is gone – he was and is a continual LOSER……. Now let’s get Bourn in centerfield and win some games.”
I think the real loser is the dude sitting in his basement slamming someone who’s making six, seven figures in pro ball…
Jabbo
July 31st, 2011
1:07 pm
Good luck to Jordan Schaefer. Your effort was never in doubt. I hope you have a great career.
darren
July 31st, 2011
1:07 pm
The Braves will have approximately 13 million next year when Mcclouth,Kamakasi come off the books and another 20 million if we can offload Lowe and for the love of God and all Atlanta Fans Chipper retires. He is killing the team. We could afford any player in the league with his pay. Please Chipper do the right thing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ToccoaBrave
July 31st, 2011
1:07 pm
Good luck Schaf, I hope you heal up and become the player we always knew you could be.
JASon
July 31st, 2011
1:09 pm
Bourn is hitting .284 against lefties.
Beltran is hitting .230 against lefties.
Bourn is a much better fit for the braves than Beltran or Pence. Why the other two got all of the local media attention is beyond me.
Itsthetruth
July 31st, 2011
1:09 pm
Braves Trader, you do know that both teams have to agree to make a trade. You can’t get something for nothing…
Ted M
July 31st, 2011
1:10 pm
nice comparison jason
Ted M
July 31st, 2011
1:11 pm
I’ll be rootin for schafer too
eager kid
July 31st, 2011
1:12 pm
I was ecstatic as I clicked on the link stating that the Braves acquired Bourn. I was shocked to learn that we didn’t lose Minor or any other top-tier prospects in the process. Way to go Wren. Also, well written and great job on the coverage DOB!
gcs
July 31st, 2011
1:13 pm
Wow, Wren pulled a “Schuerholz”.
Schafer has promise and things were looking up for him but I don’t think he’ll ever be an All-Star. He probably won’t even hit over .275 for a season.
Abreu, Clemens and Oberholtzer each have a chance to turn into pretty good pitchers but they aren’t named Minor, Teheran or Beachy.
.
BravesFAN
July 31st, 2011
1:14 pm
Braves Trader – We didn’t give up any of our big 4 arms and all we had to throw in with the 2nd tier arms was a career .220 hitter for a golden glove cf that’s batting .307 with a .363 OBP and leading the NL in stolen bases with 39 and you’re still complaining???? Ahaha we literally just robbed the Astros and you’re talking about how we gave up Schafer and not Nate?? The reason we had to give them Schafer is because at least he may have some upside Nate is a bum that nobody wants. If you wanted to trade Nate and the prospects we just traded we may have been able to bring Melky or Jeff Fran back not a player of Bourns caliber. Be happy and stop complaining dude your GM made an amazing trade and just made the Braves a lot better…
K-man
July 31st, 2011
1:14 pm
Love this deal! Outstanding job by Frank Wren… “well done good and faithful servant”…getting exactly what this team needed (base-stealing CF with Gold Glove defense) at a price in prospects that does not set us back.
Schafer is replaced by Bourn, a definite upgrade for this season and next
Oberholtzer was our No.9 prospect (according to Baseball America), but not 1 of our Top 4 untouchable pitching prospects, and has a projected ceiling of a number 3 starter, more likely a 4
Paul Clemens is not projected as a number 1-3 type starter,
and Juan Abreu is a strong armed RH, but we have a dozen others like him and Clemens.
Way to go Frank!
Now a RH hitter off the bench (like a RH Hinske) plus a middle reliever for our over-used bullpen, and I like our chances of winning the whole thing.
J-Man
July 31st, 2011
1:15 pm
We still need some Bull-pen help
JerseyChoppin
July 31st, 2011
1:16 pm
JA Son: because of the longball, thats why. Bourn has 1 hr this season. I think Bourn is a much better fit for the Braves than Beltran/Pence. Not taking anything away from those guys, but we needed a leadoff who can (and is willing, Beltran) play CF. Especially with Mclouth and Schafer going on DL.
And as far as Bourn becoming Mclouth: Mclouth doesn’t have the speed Bourn does, which I think makes all the difference. Plus, we were trying to make Nate into something he wasn’t. His best years were hitting 3rd on an awful Pitt team.
ry
July 31st, 2011
1:17 pm
Any chance prado can make the move to short (in the event that chipper sticks around next year)
BravesFAN
July 31st, 2011
1:18 pm
Mathamn Schafer hasn’t hit .280 in the minors or majors in nearly 5 years and even then he only did it once in A ball. You’re a complete idiot if you think the Braves didn’t completely and utterly dominate and win this trade. We just added a great leadoff hitter, that might be the fastest player in the MLB, that plays gold glove defense in CF. STOP YOUR CRYING YOU’RE THE WORST KIND OF FAN. NO MATTER WHAT THE BRAVES DO YOU”LL COMPLAIN. WE COULD WIN THE WORLD SERIES AND YOU’D FIND A WAY TO CRY AND COMPLAIN ABOUT IT. YOU’RE A JOKE…
Art Vandelay
July 31st, 2011
1:18 pm
Phil — Agreed that it would’ve been nice to send McLouth instead of Schafer. But the speed we lost by trading Schafer comes back in spades with Bourn (along with a guy who is actually cut out for hitting leadoff), and it looks like Constanza (no relation to Art Vandelay) could be a great sparkplug/pinch runner off the bench. A+ on this deal for Wren.
gene garbage
July 31st, 2011
1:20 pm
sure would be nice to get Moylan back in Sept., wouldn’t it?
David the Shepherd
July 31st, 2011
1:22 pm
Amen! Hallelujah! We have a legitimate lead-off man who can certainly be a game-changer. There is much to fear from a walking triple.
Rob In Fayetteville
July 31st, 2011
1:24 pm
@BRAVES TRADER: The only way the Braves can rid themselves of McOut can be summed up in three words:
Designated for assignment.
No team in their right mind would take on McLouth via trade. A 29-year-old mediocre CF with a .677 OPS making the balance of a $6.5 million contract? At least Schafer is 24, making the major league minimum, and still has some upside. Unless the Braves decide to eat McLouth’s contract and let him go, we’re stuck with him, much like Kawakami in AA….
On the positive side of things, Bourn is a great pickup! Now if we can pry Infante back from Florida…
BERNIE
July 31st, 2011
1:25 pm
I think the Braves need to get rid of Heyward. In 2 years in the big leagues he has done absotely nothing. So come on Mr. Wrenn pull the plug on a trade for Mr. Heward
Coach (2011 Fredi G. a go!)
July 31st, 2011
1:26 pm
Frank Wren isn’t done yet……
My gut feeling is that there will be another trade announced by the end of the day. We still need help in the bullpen and on the bench.
UKUGA
July 31st, 2011
1:28 pm
Great trade. Shocked that we didn’t give up one of our top 3 minor league starters.
Auburn Fan
July 31st, 2011
1:31 pm
So maybe the Braves are not going to fizzle out in the post season? Maybe? Maybe not.
Frank Wren has a posse!
July 31st, 2011
1:31 pm
Way to go Frankie! Now just get Moylan/Medlen healthy and dump Mclouth somehow. Gonna miss you Schafer!
Brave New World
July 31st, 2011
1:31 pm
BERNIE July 31st, 2011 1:25 pm
I think the Braves need to get rid of Heyward. In 2 years in the big leagues he has done absotely nothing. So come on Mr. Wrenn pull the plug on a trade for Mr. Heward
BERNIE: While a BUI (Blogging Under the Influence) is not as serious as a DUI, you still need to sleep it off.
gobraves
July 31st, 2011
1:32 pm
We have him through the end of 2012, is that right?
Can't spell McLouth without OUT
July 31st, 2011
1:32 pm
sigh
A Schafer
July 31st, 2011
1:33 pm
I’m gonna miss a lot about this team. But really glad to not have to read this bias blog!
@___ISH___
July 31st, 2011
1:36 pm
Kudos to FW for getting the CF/Leadoff man that we all wanted. And don’t count on Bourn leaving after he becomes a FA, we have a ton of money coming off the books with Lowe and Chipper being gone after next season (if not before). Wren didn’t deal away our young (and affordable) starting rotation of the future so that means we’ll have more $ for position players. Go Braves!
David O'Brien
July 31st, 2011
1:39 pm
CHIPPER JONES on Bourn trade
“I feel bad for the kid [Schafer]. He worked hard to get here, and unfortunately got hurt. Bourn’s a dynamic player, steals a lot of bases, gives us some speed at the type of the lineup, the ability to manufacture some runs. Kind of like what Schafer gave us. It’s going to help our ballclub.”
“If he’s on base, he’s definitely a threat. The last time I looked he was leading the league in steals. We haven’t had that type of threat at the top of our lineup in a long time, consistently anyway. We’ll see how it all turns out.”
If that’s the only move, are you a better club today?
“Talk to me in two months.”
On Schafer’s injuries
“It’s the same old story for him. Seems like he had it going in the right direction, and another injury kind of knocks him off track. He certainly showed a lot of improvement and some promise this year. I was proud of him. He set out in spring training to make difference, and you can honestly say he did that.”
Jim 11
July 31st, 2011
1:40 pm
Bourn is a nice fit in center. It was a good deal for both teams. The Astros freed some salery and got prospects to rebuild with and the Braves kept the top tier talent in the minors.
We need a few more pieces to make a run at the Phillies with the Astros trading Pence there tho. I think he will help their unbalanced lineup alot.
A Schafer
July 31st, 2011
1:45 pm
O’Brien…posting others comments are not your opinions to the blog. It’s a poor way to show you’re not bias. You don’t give that kid a fair shake. I hope he never has a reason to give you an interview.
Tbraves
July 31st, 2011
1:45 pm
Great trade….plain and simple!
if we dont get a BP arm, you can bet that Vizcaino and Moylan will add great value later on!
Wouldnt be surprised to add another OF bat though….someone like Willingham/Frenchy or even Ludwick