Very Nice Move. Congrats. The rest of the season and the playoffs should be fun. Love seeing both or teams really trying to do everything to win. I want this to be the NL version of the Yanks and Boston.
The only thing that raises an eyebrow is that Bourn is a Houston native. Just hope his production wasn’t because of being in his “comfort zone”. He didn’t get good until he moved back home. This has affected other players especially in the immediate future when no longer comfortable, or leaving family.
Great News for Braves fans! Bourn is the one many of us have been wanting all along. As Wren said, we finally have a true lead-off hitter.
While the Braves didn’t give up one of the top 4, they did trade away some good young talent. Clemens and Abreu appear to be strong relief pitching prospects, and Oberholtzer has a good chance to be a starter for Houston in a year or two. Still . . .
Will the Braves also trade for a RH bat? That’s still a need but the pressure for a big name player is off.
Let’s get everyone back:
Bourn
Prado
Jones
McCann
Freeman
Uggla
Heyward
Gonzalez
Pitcher
(I’d consider swapping Chipper and Uggla, letting the hot-hitting U bat 3rd. Hinske needs to get his at bats too.)
I love it, now get rid of Proctor. Glad Schafer is gone but I have always read that you cannot trade a player that is on the DL, so much for that rumor.
@ExBraves Fan…if you’re comments were not so negetive, I wouldn’t have pointed out your ignorance. I take it back, you’re not ignorant, you’re stupid because evidently you would rather keep using words incorrectly instead of learning their correct meaning. Keep digging your hole!
Chris Jones– that’s not a bad idea. The Braves only need 4 starters in the playoffs and Lowe is not only the weakest starter by far but he is also the most experienced in the bullpen. They could give Minor or Teheran more experience in the fifth starter position the rest of the season and the difference between one of them and Lowe would be negligible. What is the difference between a 5 ERA from Lowe or his replacement?
At first blush, I like the trade. I sure would still like to get Infante and a RH RP as well. If not, I still consider this a successful trade season for the Braves.
It’s a great day for Braves Country! Hope he makes it for today’s game, but I have no idea if that’s actually possible. He will wear #24 and be a huge threat on the basepaths. Excellent trade that helps keep our championship dreams alive! WooHoo!!
I must admit this is better than I expected. we keep the fab 4 and we also have Hoover. the only guy I was willing to lose was Delgado.
if we included one of the 4, we would have probably saved a player, but I prefer giving up quantity over quality. I was hoping Schafer would be dealt back to Houston as I knew Mc Louth has no value.
Schafer is not a kid anymore-he’s almost 25 and is approaching suspect territory. this also clears up space on the 40 man roster.
Frank didn’t cave in and made a good move. even though I am not a Wren booster, i’ll give credit where it is due.
Dave Winfield is an idiot. Saying Braves are trade deadline losers because they haven’t done anything, and that they NEED to trade for Michael Bourn. This is a LIVE Sportscenter.
Rollins SS Bourn CF
Victorino CF Prado LF
Utley 2B Chipper 3B
Howard 1B McCann C
Pence RF Freeman 1B
Ibanez LF Ugla 2B
Polanco 3B Heyward RF
Ruiz C Gonzalez SS
It’s amazing how only one change to each line up helps so much. Pence balances the Philly lineup quite a bit and the Bourn trade gets rid of the 220 averages at the top of your order. Nice moves in my opinion
Wow, i just hope Freddie and company don’t hold him back from playing his game though, if that happens, the trade won’t benefit the team. I would also like to see another player with some pop in his bat to platoon with Heyward, maybe that would shake him up.
Well done, Mr. Wren! Getting Bourn will have a far greater positive impact on The Braves than Pence’s impact on the Phillies. This is amazing news for Braves fans. We get one of the best defensive CF’s in baseball, the best base stealer, and one of the best lead off men in baseball. With Bourn on base, the Braves hitters will be feasting on fastballs. GREAT MOVE!!!
This is a great move for us. I don’t know how Frank got Ed Wade to trade us Bourn without including anyone better than Oberholtzer, but I am thrilled. Oberholtzer has a chance to be a nice pitcher in the majors, but he doesn’t have nearly the upside (or the proven performance) of the others teams were asking for. Abreu is 26 years old and has never cracked the majors; he has a huge fastball which he has never been able to translate into consistent success, and we took advantage of the fact that he’s having a nice season. Clemens has decent numbers but doesn’t look like a huge prospect (but I honestly don’t know much about him). Schafer is, well, we all know what he is. He hasn’t lived up to his potential and he can’t stay healthy. Even when he was healthy this season, he had a sub-.300 OBP.
Short version — I don’t know how Wren pulled this trade off, but I’m glad he did.
Hey, if NOTHING else, we at least have an answer to the Reyes’s and McCutcheon’s in the league. i just hope his bat stays solid for the rest of this season, and hope we can resign the guy during arbitration….
John Mayberry Sr… I just read that too. I thought I remember that from his Philly days. People hate Boras but honestly does anyone do better for his client then him. And thats his job but I hated it when Werth changed agents last year and hired him.
Even if Jordan becomes a superstar in Houston (and I’ll be rooting hard for him, love the way he plays) I still think this is a great move because we didn’t give up any of our top pitching prospects.
Still don’t think this guy is enough to carry them over. Jones injured. Heyworthless not hitting. Uggla hot now, but can he keep it up. McLousy is lousy. SS would not hit water if he fell out of a boat in the gulf of Mexico. Still strangled with Lowe and his mega contract. He’s worthless. I always said the Braves would rule the day they signed this guy. He has not been a $60M pitcher. More a $25 pitcher. This division and the NL crown belown to SF or Philly. Braves are still an after thought.
Wow…who peed in your wheaties? What a negative nelly…..the braves don’t need fans like you so why don’t you just state the obvious and say that you are a phillies fan?
Hey Joe, you are dead wrong. Schafer had the opportunities given to him and has shown he’s nothing more than a .220 hitter. Bourn is a true lead-off man and has as many sleals as the entire team had prior. This is a definite upgrade to CF and lead-off!
You do have to wonder what the impact of taking him out of Houston, his home, and bringing him here in the middle of the season will do to his production. Hopefully he sees this as a win-win and can get his family out here to support him…. at least now he’s playing for a contender.
Now…for all of you that were bashing wren the past few days….he obviously knew what he was doing. the phillies gave up a LOT for their guy…the braves didn’t. I do think schafer was tough and was doing a lot better though and I really wish him well.
RM… I agree with you completely I like bourn when he was in philly. He is much better then schafer. The only thing schafer may have on him is an arm. I am not sure what schafers arm is like (maybe you guys could fill in this info). I believe Bourns arm is not bad but not a plus arm.
Get somebody, anybody, Matt Diaz, Frenchie to Platoon with J-Hey, could even bring up Gartrell, need to plug that hole in the line-up, guess we will have to live with A-Gone until Sept call ups.
As a long time Astros fan its sad to see two of our favorite players go, first Pence to Philli, and now Bourn to Atlanta. Wish them the best and hope they do well for their new teams. Take care of Bourn for us Braves fans. Hope its another good year for the playoffs for you guys.
Awesome!!!. I really didn’t think they would get Bourn and would settle for a second rate player like Ludwick or Crisp. Very happy that they got Bourn and didn’t have to give up a single top prospect starting pitcher. Great trade by Wren here. I am a little sad to see Schafer go, but truly believe he needed to go to a different team as to much was on his plate in Atlanta with the whole HGH suspension, his injuries, not producing, and being labeled as a bust. This is a great move for everyone involved.
Agreed, AGon’s stick is still the weak link in the lineup. I still say we send Heyward down til Sept callups and let him get his swing situation fixed. Right now you have to hold your breath everytime we get runners on and these 2 come to bat.
brave73… I think I read that they don’t expect the White Sox to move Queintin. I could be wrong I definitely don’t have any inside knowledge like some claim on these boards haha
I just lost a ton of respect for ESPN when they said we are the deadline losers and it was almost an hour after we acquired Bourn. Good reporting ESPN.
First Bourn: he’s an elite center fielder, obviously. You can look at the gold gloves if you want to, though I don’t advise it. Look instead at the advanced defensive metrics which suggest that he’s easily the best defensive center fielder in the National League and, short of Franklin Gutierrez, probably the best in baseball. He is also an elite base runner, successful in 83% of his stolen base attempts in his career.
That glove and those legs have allowed him to more than make up for a fair-at-best bat these past few years, but this season has been an offensive breakthrough for him, as he’s hitting .303/.363/.403. His on base percentage is up, mostly because he has been a bit hit-lucky this year, but his power numbers are interesting. He has never been a home run hitter and still isn’t, but he already has more doubles and triples this season than he had all of last year.
AWESOME! I cringed when I saw four players but then I read the names… a fantastic trade! I hope this is an effort to get more speed on the basepaths… Jordan deserves credit for giving the Braves a boost but he is always hurt. Can’t wait to see him in the lineup!!
We definitely just sewed up the Wild Card in my opinion and will give the Phillies a good run for the division crown!
The only downside is come the end of 2012 we have to contend with Bore-Ass and will probably lose Bourn because he was just named 2012 NL MVP after wininng another Gold Glove, hitting .300+, scoring 120+ runs, and stealing 75+ bases. Oh well…
I hate to see Schafer go but this is a good deal as we didn’t have to give up one of our big 4 pitching prospects. This makes me think that we may have yet another trade in the works for another outfielder or shortstop. I wish Schafer the best … and still think he will be a star. Our needs just outstripped our ability to wait on his continued development.
So, acquiring Bourn is clearly a great move for Atlanta, who was in desperate need of an outfielder, especially a center fielder. What’s crazy though is just how great a deal they got for him.
While I have seen some commentary this morning about how the Braves are “high on Jordan Schafer,” I think the best way to take that is that they’re high on him in much the same way you might get high on a hallucinatory drug. He is clearly overmatched by major league pitching and has shown no real progress in that regard over the past few years. None of the prospects involved – Brett Oberholtzer, Paul Clemens and Juan Abreu — are top tier guys. And the fact that the Astros are sending the Braves money in this deal is borderline criminal.
When I saw the good deal that the Phillies got for Hunter Pence — likewise not having to give up their best prospects — I sighed “well, there goes Ed Wade, playing favorites with his old employer again.” Guess Wade decided to share the wealth with the Braves as well.
Wow. Much as we like Schafer on defense and his potential as a hitter and leadoff man, Bourn is already where Schafer would get if he reaches that potential. Looks like a really good deal.
Fantastic! Great move Braves. It will be nice to stick it to the Phillies with a guy they developed in their own farm system (Bourn). He could be for this club what Otis Nixon was in 1991.
Who Me?… Both Heyward and our Dom Brown suffer from their extreme success in the minors. I love that Brown will have the opportunity down there and not get rushed in the pressure cooker in Philly. And I like most think Heyward is a better prospect then Brown. The tough part though is you can develop bad habits against inferior (AAA) pitching too. It’s a tough call
mountain_jim… Ed Wade drafted well while in Philly but he always seemed overmatched at trade time. Hopefully he is at least drafting well in Houston. haha
Not gonna bash Schafer – I think the kid had started to get his act together when the injuries piled up. I hope he has success with the Astros. While he might have developed into a good player, he was definitely not the lead-off hitter we need today, right now. All in all, a good trade for Atlanta. Got the high-average, fast, lead-off guy we need and didn’t give up any of the “top 4″ prospect that the “experts” said we had to give up to get a Bourne/Pence/Ludwick/, etc. .
Bourn is a great center fielder but I have to say I am very sad to see Schafer go. When he was healthy he provided a spark for the team in the lead off spot. I wish him luck.
None of the potential outfielders we were considering had the ability to change the Braves as positively as Bourne does. We just addressed several needs in one fell swoop, and we really did not give up much (no disrespect to Schafer or trhe young pitcher, all of whom I hope blossom into stars for the Astros). Bourne is in the prime of his career and is now our leadoff hitter for at least 2011 and 2012. With our pitching staff, we have gone from playoff contenders to World Series contenders. Speed never slumps.
Frank Wren did all he can do, now it’s time for Bourn to make the trade look good. I’m for bringing Franceour back and use him platooning with Heyward in right and using both at times with Heyward in left.
Anyone who suggests us getting rid of Heyward is a moron. This is a 5-tool talent who is only 21 years old. Most players his age are riding busses in the minors dreaming of making it to the big leagues. I’m not saying Heyward will some day make The Hall of Fame, but he will be a very good, and possibly great player during his career.
While this looks good, I’m sorry to see Schafer go. I really wanted to see up close what kind of progress he could make over the next year or so. I hope someday that he might be involved in a deadline deal back to the Braves. I do believe that he will one day be a very good player.
Wow. I don’t recall a bigger Wren love fest on this blog. He definitely deserves a ton of credit for not letting go of our top prospects. Even though Schaefer was never really raking, his speed alone remarkably improved our offense. The ability for Bourn to turn a single into a double is huge when you have Prado, Mac and Freeman lined up to drive him in. This is how I would like to see our llineup:
Bourn
Prado
Mac
Freeman
Chipper
Uggla
Heyward
Gonzo
I have thought for awhile Chipper is a perfect #5. He kills pitching with RISP. Plus his high OBP would be good to get him on base before Popeye comes up to bat. While the Braves have struggled offensively this year with the exception of Mac and Freeman, I am really excited about our offense. I think we are going to start seriously producing over the next several months.
Hopefully this will be a shot in the arm for Minor — the fact that we weren’t wiling to trade him. He is our best lefty in the minors after all.
Hopefully now we can get a utility infielder and some bullpen help. Me need a fourth stud in the pen. Unlike the Philies whose starters tend to go 7 or 8 innings, our tend to go 6 or 7, adn we are going to need someone else we can rely on.
If only Terrence Moore were still here to bask in this trade. His next column would be about how the Braves should still sign Griffey… even out of retirement.
Excellent trade!!!! Now go get Michael Cuddyer-RF from Minnesota and we can make a strong run at the World Series. Heyward is lost and needs to be sent down to get his swing figured out. Cuddyer would be a rental but his numbers are similar to Pence and wouldn’t cost nearly as much in terms of prospects. Go Braves!!!!!
I’ve said from the beginning that this is the guy the braves should have been after from the start so I am pleased, especially since we didn’t have to overpay to get him. He fills a much bigger need in the lineup than pence would have. Pence wasn’t good enough to carry the team by himself, the rest of the lineup has to stay healthy and contribute. If they do, Bourne will provide the biggest impact as a guy who can get in scoring position and be disruptive on the bases. Speed never slumps. Id love to see the braves now go grab a guy like ludwick as a righty hitter off the bench since he can be had for cheap. Another great move by Wren.
I think the Michael Bourn trade was a good one even though he is lefthanded. He is currently hitting .330 vs lefties! Compare that to Schafer who was only hitting .190 vs lefties, I would say this is a huge upgrade.
Frankly the 3 biggest contributors to the poor performance vs lefthanded starters was Schafer, Uggla and Heyward, and we just knocked one of them off the list in a big way since he is no longer with the team. If Uggla continues to hit the way he is, I don’t think this line up will have the same issues with lefties the rest of the way.
I think the injuries to both center fielders on the Braves roster made the trade for a center fielder inevitable. What is surprising to me is that the Astros gave up Bourn so cheaply, relatively speaking. They basically had the Braves over a barrel and didn’t take advantage. Bourn, for the price, is a fantastic pickup.
Next season, if Chipper retires, the Braves should go hard for free agent to be right handed hitting outfielder Michael Cuddyer from the Twins and they will be set, except for SS.
423 comments Add your comment
RM
July 31st, 2011
10:35 am
Yeh baby! Way to go Wren!!
PhillieFan
July 31st, 2011
10:36 am
Very Nice Move. Congrats. The rest of the season and the playoffs should be fun. Love seeing both or teams really trying to do everything to win. I want this to be the NL version of the Yanks and Boston.
JRW
July 31st, 2011
10:36 am
The only thing that raises an eyebrow is that Bourn is a Houston native. Just hope his production wasn’t because of being in his “comfort zone”. He didn’t get good until he moved back home. This has affected other players especially in the immediate future when no longer comfortable, or leaving family.
Banner229
July 31st, 2011
10:36 am
Not a better a trade then pence because his contract is team friendly and Pence is a better overall player.
Bill Stanfill
July 31st, 2011
10:36 am
Great News for Braves fans! Bourn is the one many of us have been wanting all along. As Wren said, we finally have a true lead-off hitter.
While the Braves didn’t give up one of the top 4, they did trade away some good young talent. Clemens and Abreu appear to be strong relief pitching prospects, and Oberholtzer has a good chance to be a starter for Houston in a year or two. Still . . .
Will the Braves also trade for a RH bat? That’s still a need but the pressure for a big name player is off.
Let’s get everyone back:
Bourn
Prado
Jones
McCann
Freeman
Uggla
Heyward
Gonzalez
Pitcher
(I’d consider swapping Chipper and Uggla, letting the hot-hitting U bat 3rd. Hinske needs to get his at bats too.)
Kane337
July 31st, 2011
10:36 am
Excellent pick up and didn’t have to give up our top prospects. Great job Frank Wren. Will miss Schaffer though. The kid was improving.
urban redneck
July 31st, 2011
10:37 am
crap, i just got abreu to sign a ball. twelve bucks down the drain.
but i’ll live. kudos to wren. i’ll sleep better tonight.
Ralph
July 31st, 2011
10:38 am
I love it, now get rid of Proctor. Glad Schafer is gone but I have always read that you cannot trade a player that is on the DL, so much for that rumor.
Big Earl
July 31st, 2011
10:38 am
@ExBraves Fan…if you’re comments were not so negetive, I wouldn’t have pointed out your ignorance. I take it back, you’re not ignorant, you’re stupid because evidently you would rather keep using words incorrectly instead of learning their correct meaning. Keep digging your hole!
bravesfanforever
July 31st, 2011
10:38 am
Chris Jones– that’s not a bad idea. The Braves only need 4 starters in the playoffs and Lowe is not only the weakest starter by far but he is also the most experienced in the bullpen. They could give Minor or Teheran more experience in the fifth starter position the rest of the season and the difference between one of them and Lowe would be negligible. What is the difference between a 5 ERA from Lowe or his replacement?
Matt
July 31st, 2011
10:38 am
gojackets – nice comment on Ex
AlabamaBrave
July 31st, 2011
10:38 am
At first blush, I like the trade. I sure would still like to get Infante and a RH RP as well. If not, I still consider this a successful trade season for the Braves.
Justin
July 31st, 2011
10:41 am
It’s a great day for Braves Country! Hope he makes it for today’s game, but I have no idea if that’s actually possible. He will wear #24 and be a huge threat on the basepaths. Excellent trade that helps keep our championship dreams alive! WooHoo!!
ray
July 31st, 2011
10:41 am
I must admit this is better than I expected. we keep the fab 4 and we also have Hoover. the only guy I was willing to lose was Delgado.
if we included one of the 4, we would have probably saved a player, but I prefer giving up quantity over quality. I was hoping Schafer would be dealt back to Houston as I knew Mc Louth has no value.
Schafer is not a kid anymore-he’s almost 25 and is approaching suspect territory. this also clears up space on the 40 man roster.
Frank didn’t cave in and made a good move. even though I am not a Wren booster, i’ll give credit where it is due.
phil
July 31st, 2011
10:41 am
Fire FG…
John Mayberry Sr.
July 31st, 2011
10:42 am
Who’s our trade bait for any further deals today? Ideas?
Peter
July 31st, 2011
10:42 am
Dave Winfield is an idiot. Saying Braves are trade deadline losers because they haven’t done anything, and that they NEED to trade for Michael Bourn. This is a LIVE Sportscenter.
Big Earl
July 31st, 2011
10:42 am
Would LOVE to get Infante, but he looked like he pulled an oblique the other night … we don’t need any more of those.
PhillieFan
July 31st, 2011
10:43 am
Rollins SS Bourn CF
Victorino CF Prado LF
Utley 2B Chipper 3B
Howard 1B McCann C
Pence RF Freeman 1B
Ibanez LF Ugla 2B
Polanco 3B Heyward RF
Ruiz C Gonzalez SS
It’s amazing how only one change to each line up helps so much. Pence balances the Philly lineup quite a bit and the Bourn trade gets rid of the 220 averages at the top of your order. Nice moves in my opinion
ppaddy123
July 31st, 2011
10:43 am
Let’s not forget about Omar!
DMAN
July 31st, 2011
10:44 am
How can you not like this trade,Don’t forget about Moylan folks!
Alvin
July 31st, 2011
10:44 am
Wow, i just hope Freddie and company don’t hold him back from playing his game though, if that happens, the trade won’t benefit the team. I would also like to see another player with some pop in his bat to platoon with Heyward, maybe that would shake him up.
Brave New World
July 31st, 2011
10:44 am
Well done, Mr. Wren! Getting Bourn will have a far greater positive impact on The Braves than Pence’s impact on the Phillies. This is amazing news for Braves fans. We get one of the best defensive CF’s in baseball, the best base stealer, and one of the best lead off men in baseball. With Bourn on base, the Braves hitters will be feasting on fastballs. GREAT MOVE!!!
JoeFan
July 31st, 2011
10:44 am
Good move. Great move if Bourn works out and can be signed beyond 2012. Otherwise the Braves will be looking for another CF this time next year.
Marty
July 31st, 2011
10:45 am
This is a great move for us. I don’t know how Frank got Ed Wade to trade us Bourn without including anyone better than Oberholtzer, but I am thrilled. Oberholtzer has a chance to be a nice pitcher in the majors, but he doesn’t have nearly the upside (or the proven performance) of the others teams were asking for. Abreu is 26 years old and has never cracked the majors; he has a huge fastball which he has never been able to translate into consistent success, and we took advantage of the fact that he’s having a nice season. Clemens has decent numbers but doesn’t look like a huge prospect (but I honestly don’t know much about him). Schafer is, well, we all know what he is. He hasn’t lived up to his potential and he can’t stay healthy. Even when he was healthy this season, he had a sub-.300 OBP.
Short version — I don’t know how Wren pulled this trade off, but I’m glad he did.
CJ
July 31st, 2011
10:45 am
all the braves need to do now, is to get a solid reliever and they are set.
Who Me?
July 31st, 2011
10:45 am
Hey, if NOTHING else, we at least have an answer to the Reyes’s and McCutcheon’s in the league. i just hope his bat stays solid for the rest of this season, and hope we can resign the guy during arbitration….
John Mayberry Sr.
July 31st, 2011
10:45 am
damn Scott Boras client!
Dent
July 31st, 2011
10:46 am
All I can think about is 92 when we got Otis my man and he ran wild.
Brave New World
July 31st, 2011
10:46 am
BTW, good luck Jordan in Houston. Schafer may blossom with a rebuilding Astros team.
PhillieFan
July 31st, 2011
10:47 am
John Mayberry Sr… I just read that too. I thought I remember that from his Philly days. People hate Boras but honestly does anyone do better for his client then him. And thats his job but I hated it when Werth changed agents last year and hired him.
Furman Bitcher
July 31st, 2011
10:48 am
Nice move wren. Lets get it on. Now one more right handed bat for outfield platoon with Heyward
Peter
July 31st, 2011
10:48 am
Even if Jordan becomes a superstar in Houston (and I’ll be rooting hard for him, love the way he plays) I still think this is a great move because we didn’t give up any of our top pitching prospects.
bruce
July 31st, 2011
10:49 am
sorry to see schafer go, wish him the best.
katherine
July 31st, 2011
10:50 am
ExBraves Fan
July 31st, 2011
10:16 am
Still don’t think this guy is enough to carry them over. Jones injured. Heyworthless not hitting. Uggla hot now, but can he keep it up. McLousy is lousy. SS would not hit water if he fell out of a boat in the gulf of Mexico. Still strangled with Lowe and his mega contract. He’s worthless. I always said the Braves would rule the day they signed this guy. He has not been a $60M pitcher. More a $25 pitcher. This division and the NL crown belown to SF or Philly. Braves are still an after thought.
Wow…who peed in your wheaties? What a negative nelly…..the braves don’t need fans like you so why don’t you just state the obvious and say that you are a phillies fan?
RM
July 31st, 2011
10:50 am
Hey Joe, you are dead wrong. Schafer had the opportunities given to him and has shown he’s nothing more than a .220 hitter. Bourn is a true lead-off man and has as many sleals as the entire team had prior. This is a definite upgrade to CF and lead-off!
John Mayberry Sr.
July 31st, 2011
10:50 am
Next big FW move: trade Liberty Media for Arthur Blank and cash.
Alvin
July 31st, 2011
10:50 am
When Moylan come back, can we finally say goodbye to Proctor
.
2centsdawg
July 31st, 2011
10:51 am
Can we just through in Mclouth to get rid of him
Who Me?
July 31st, 2011
10:51 am
You do have to wonder what the impact of taking him out of Houston, his home, and bringing him here in the middle of the season will do to his production. Hopefully he sees this as a win-win and can get his family out here to support him…. at least now he’s playing for a contender.
katherine
July 31st, 2011
10:52 am
Now…for all of you that were bashing wren the past few days….he obviously knew what he was doing. the phillies gave up a LOT for their guy…the braves didn’t. I do think schafer was tough and was doing a lot better though and I really wish him well.
PhillieFan
July 31st, 2011
10:52 am
RM… I agree with you completely I like bourn when he was in philly. He is much better then schafer. The only thing schafer may have on him is an arm. I am not sure what schafers arm is like (maybe you guys could fill in this info). I believe Bourns arm is not bad but not a plus arm.
Ralph
July 31st, 2011
10:52 am
Get somebody, anybody, Matt Diaz, Frenchie to Platoon with J-Hey, could even bring up Gartrell, need to plug that hole in the line-up, guess we will have to live with A-Gone until Sept call ups.
Chris
July 31st, 2011
10:52 am
As a long time Astros fan its sad to see two of our favorite players go, first Pence to Philli, and now Bourn to Atlanta. Wish them the best and hope they do well for their new teams. Take care of Bourn for us Braves fans. Hope its another good year for the playoffs for you guys.
brave73
July 31st, 2011
10:52 am
Are we still trying to Queintin?
The Dude Abides
July 31st, 2011
10:53 am
GO GET INFANTE!!!
Brave New World
July 31st, 2011
10:53 am
Braves win! Braves win! Braves win!
BravesfaninWis
July 31st, 2011
10:53 am
Awesome!!!. I really didn’t think they would get Bourn and would settle for a second rate player like Ludwick or Crisp. Very happy that they got Bourn and didn’t have to give up a single top prospect starting pitcher. Great trade by Wren here. I am a little sad to see Schafer go, but truly believe he needed to go to a different team as to much was on his plate in Atlanta with the whole HGH suspension, his injuries, not producing, and being labeled as a bust. This is a great move for everyone involved.
Who Me?
July 31st, 2011
10:54 am
Agreed, AGon’s stick is still the weak link in the lineup. I still say we send Heyward down til Sept callups and let him get his swing situation fixed. Right now you have to hold your breath everytime we get runners on and these 2 come to bat.
PhillieFan
July 31st, 2011
10:54 am
brave73… I think I read that they don’t expect the White Sox to move Queintin. I could be wrong I definitely don’t have any inside knowledge like some claim on these boards haha
The Dude Abides
July 31st, 2011
10:54 am
I just lost a ton of respect for ESPN when they said we are the deadline losers and it was almost an hour after we acquired Bourn. Good reporting ESPN.
Fan
July 31st, 2011
10:54 am
desperation move…. yawn
Hunter Pence is the one that got away…. Braves gotta open up the wallet quicker
mountain_jim
July 31st, 2011
10:54 am
http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/07/31/the-braves-addition-of-michael-bourn-was-a-masterful-move-for-the-braves/
First Bourn: he’s an elite center fielder, obviously. You can look at the gold gloves if you want to, though I don’t advise it. Look instead at the advanced defensive metrics which suggest that he’s easily the best defensive center fielder in the National League and, short of Franklin Gutierrez, probably the best in baseball. He is also an elite base runner, successful in 83% of his stolen base attempts in his career.
That glove and those legs have allowed him to more than make up for a fair-at-best bat these past few years, but this season has been an offensive breakthrough for him, as he’s hitting .303/.363/.403. His on base percentage is up, mostly because he has been a bit hit-lucky this year, but his power numbers are interesting. He has never been a home run hitter and still isn’t, but he already has more doubles and triples this season than he had all of last year.
katherine
July 31st, 2011
10:54 am
The only thing I can say bad about it is that he is left handed…is he a switch hitter?
JT19
July 31st, 2011
10:55 am
“Born to be alive” has to be his song when he goes to bat!”
Springsteen’s “Born to Run” would be better!
Ralph
July 31st, 2011
10:55 am
@katherine
Guess Wren does read these blogs after all!
PhillieFan
July 31st, 2011
10:55 am
Who Me? yes but Agon good D and batting 8th makes him much more palatable
Txpeach
July 31st, 2011
10:56 am
Thank u FW!!!!!!!!
Braves Fan in Augusta
July 31st, 2011
10:56 am
AWESOME! I cringed when I saw four players but then I read the names… a fantastic trade! I hope this is an effort to get more speed on the basepaths… Jordan deserves credit for giving the Braves a boost but he is always hurt. Can’t wait to see him in the lineup!!
We definitely just sewed up the Wild Card in my opinion and will give the Phillies a good run for the division crown!
Brave New World
July 31st, 2011
10:57 am
The only downside is come the end of 2012 we have to contend with Bore-Ass and will probably lose Bourn because he was just named 2012 NL MVP after wininng another Gold Glove, hitting .300+, scoring 120+ runs, and stealing 75+ bases. Oh well…
Brandon
July 31st, 2011
10:57 am
We are not gettin. Infante people. It would cost to much for what would be essential a bench player.
Who Me?
July 31st, 2011
10:57 am
PhillieFan – no question about the good D, agreed. Heyward is a different story though…
Big Earl
July 31st, 2011
10:57 am
@Chris…classy dude!
59bulldawg
July 31st, 2011
10:57 am
I hate to see Schafer go but this is a good deal as we didn’t have to give up one of our big 4 pitching prospects. This makes me think that we may have yet another trade in the works for another outfielder or shortstop. I wish Schafer the best … and still think he will be a star. Our needs just outstripped our ability to wait on his continued development.
mountain_jim
July 31st, 2011
10:58 am
(the rest)
So, acquiring Bourn is clearly a great move for Atlanta, who was in desperate need of an outfielder, especially a center fielder. What’s crazy though is just how great a deal they got for him.
While I have seen some commentary this morning about how the Braves are “high on Jordan Schafer,” I think the best way to take that is that they’re high on him in much the same way you might get high on a hallucinatory drug. He is clearly overmatched by major league pitching and has shown no real progress in that regard over the past few years. None of the prospects involved – Brett Oberholtzer, Paul Clemens and Juan Abreu — are top tier guys. And the fact that the Astros are sending the Braves money in this deal is borderline criminal.
When I saw the good deal that the Phillies got for Hunter Pence — likewise not having to give up their best prospects — I sighed “well, there goes Ed Wade, playing favorites with his old employer again.” Guess Wade decided to share the wealth with the Braves as well.
Mitch McConnell's Chins
July 31st, 2011
10:58 am
Wow. Much as we like Schafer on defense and his potential as a hitter and leadoff man, Bourn is already where Schafer would get if he reaches that potential. Looks like a really good deal.
1eyedJack
July 31st, 2011
10:58 am
Arthur Blank would be dapper in Braves gear. He could pull it off.
Spoonmon
July 31st, 2011
10:58 am
1. Bourn
2. Prado
3. Freeman
4. Jones
5. McCann
6. Uggla
7. Heyward
8. Gonzalez
When all are healthy of course…looks damn formidable. I like it! Go Braves!
rally
July 31st, 2011
10:59 am
Fantastic! Great move Braves. It will be nice to stick it to the Phillies with a guy they developed in their own farm system (Bourn). He could be for this club what Otis Nixon was in 1991.
PhillieFan
July 31st, 2011
10:59 am
Who Me?… Both Heyward and our Dom Brown suffer from their extreme success in the minors. I love that Brown will have the opportunity down there and not get rushed in the pressure cooker in Philly. And I like most think Heyward is a better prospect then Brown. The tough part though is you can develop bad habits against inferior (AAA) pitching too. It’s a tough call
59bulldawg
July 31st, 2011
11:00 am
Also agree with Big Earl. Chris, you’re all class.
PhillieFan
July 31st, 2011
11:01 am
mountain_jim… Ed Wade drafted well while in Philly but he always seemed overmatched at trade time. Hopefully he is at least drafting well in Houston. haha
AFSOC 1st Sgt
July 31st, 2011
11:02 am
Not gonna bash Schafer – I think the kid had started to get his act together when the injuries piled up. I hope he has success with the Astros. While he might have developed into a good player, he was definitely not the lead-off hitter we need today, right now. All in all, a good trade for Atlanta. Got the high-average, fast, lead-off guy we need and didn’t give up any of the “top 4″ prospect that the “experts” said we had to give up to get a Bourne/Pence/Ludwick/, etc. .
Kelly
July 31st, 2011
11:02 am
Bourn is a great center fielder but I have to say I am very sad to see Schafer go. When he was healthy he provided a spark for the team in the lead off spot. I wish him luck.
katherine
July 31st, 2011
11:02 am
I think getting rid of heyward would be stupid…he is young and will figure it out. Maybe so time with chipper and his dad….
Brave New World
July 31st, 2011
11:04 am
None of the potential outfielders we were considering had the ability to change the Braves as positively as Bourne does. We just addressed several needs in one fell swoop, and we really did not give up much (no disrespect to Schafer or trhe young pitcher, all of whom I hope blossom into stars for the Astros). Bourne is in the prime of his career and is now our leadoff hitter for at least 2011 and 2012. With our pitching staff, we have gone from playoff contenders to World Series contenders. Speed never slumps.
Honest Ingine
July 31st, 2011
11:04 am
Shaffer was fast, but you have to get on base…
Righty
July 31st, 2011
11:04 am
This is why we traded for this guy http://atlanta.braves.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=10852671
Artsolis
July 31st, 2011
11:04 am
Wow , the waitting game to the end. Was worthed, (Bourne)
We still need a right bat see what happen. This last Hours of the trade deadline .
katherine
July 31st, 2011
11:04 am
So has the deadline passed? I thought it was 10 am but my boyfriend says its 4 pm and that they could still get infante…..
bobbymahlon
July 31st, 2011
11:06 am
Frank Wren did all he can do, now it’s time for Bourn to make the trade look good. I’m for bringing Franceour back and use him platooning with Heyward in right and using both at times with Heyward in left.
Brave New World
July 31st, 2011
11:07 am
Anyone who suggests us getting rid of Heyward is a moron. This is a 5-tool talent who is only 21 years old. Most players his age are riding busses in the minors dreaming of making it to the big leagues. I’m not saying Heyward will some day make The Hall of Fame, but he will be a very good, and possibly great player during his career.
katherine
July 31st, 2011
11:08 am
Oh nvm I see on espn.com that the deadline hasn’t passed yet.
PJ
July 31st, 2011
11:08 am
Spoonmon, that’s the order that I would also like to see them bat. I like Freeman in the 3 hole.
Chris from the Rock
July 31st, 2011
11:10 am
Great move! Now let’s get Infante to improve the bench and “Old Yellar” Lugo, who stinks.
Obee
July 31st, 2011
11:10 am
While this looks good, I’m sorry to see Schafer go. I really wanted to see up close what kind of progress he could make over the next year or so. I hope someday that he might be involved in a deadline deal back to the Braves. I do believe that he will one day be a very good player.
tdc
July 31st, 2011
11:10 am
Jordan Schafer gone. Now all the braves have to do is get rid of Chipper and Nate McClouth to free up 19.5 million in cap space.
Ralph
July 31st, 2011
11:11 am
Maybe Fredi can get rid of his dart board now
sportsradio PD
July 31st, 2011
11:12 am
THE player I was hoping we would get and w/o giving up a “big 4″. BTW katheren Deadline is 4p
Jimbo Jones
July 31st, 2011
11:13 am
Wow. I don’t recall a bigger Wren love fest on this blog. He definitely deserves a ton of credit for not letting go of our top prospects. Even though Schaefer was never really raking, his speed alone remarkably improved our offense. The ability for Bourn to turn a single into a double is huge when you have Prado, Mac and Freeman lined up to drive him in. This is how I would like to see our llineup:
Bourn
Prado
Mac
Freeman
Chipper
Uggla
Heyward
Gonzo
I have thought for awhile Chipper is a perfect #5. He kills pitching with RISP. Plus his high OBP would be good to get him on base before Popeye comes up to bat. While the Braves have struggled offensively this year with the exception of Mac and Freeman, I am really excited about our offense. I think we are going to start seriously producing over the next several months.
Hopefully this will be a shot in the arm for Minor — the fact that we weren’t wiling to trade him. He is our best lefty in the minors after all.
Hopefully now we can get a utility infielder and some bullpen help. Me need a fourth stud in the pen. Unlike the Philies whose starters tend to go 7 or 8 innings, our tend to go 6 or 7, adn we are going to need someone else we can rely on.
Go Braves!!!
chc4
July 31st, 2011
11:13 am
If only Terrence Moore were still here to bask in this trade. His next column would be about how the Braves should still sign Griffey… even out of retirement.
TomTomClub
July 31st, 2011
11:14 am
Excellent trade!!!! Now go get Michael Cuddyer-RF from Minnesota and we can make a strong run at the World Series. Heyward is lost and needs to be sent down to get his swing figured out. Cuddyer would be a rental but his numbers are similar to Pence and wouldn’t cost nearly as much in terms of prospects. Go Braves!!!!!
katherine
July 31st, 2011
11:15 am
sportsradio PD
July 31st, 2011
11:12 am
THE player I was hoping we would get and w/o giving up a “big 4″. BTW katheren Deadline is 4p
Thank you
I still hope they can get infante back….to play short once in awhile or wherever they need him.
Lexbrave
July 31st, 2011
11:16 am
I’ve said from the beginning that this is the guy the braves should have been after from the start so I am pleased, especially since we didn’t have to overpay to get him. He fills a much bigger need in the lineup than pence would have. Pence wasn’t good enough to carry the team by himself, the rest of the lineup has to stay healthy and contribute. If they do, Bourne will provide the biggest impact as a guy who can get in scoring position and be disruptive on the bases. Speed never slumps. Id love to see the braves now go grab a guy like ludwick as a righty hitter off the bench since he can be had for cheap. Another great move by Wren.
bravesfanforever
July 31st, 2011
11:16 am
I think the Michael Bourn trade was a good one even though he is lefthanded. He is currently hitting .330 vs lefties! Compare that to Schafer who was only hitting .190 vs lefties, I would say this is a huge upgrade.
Frankly the 3 biggest contributors to the poor performance vs lefthanded starters was Schafer, Uggla and Heyward, and we just knocked one of them off the list in a big way since he is no longer with the team. If Uggla continues to hit the way he is, I don’t think this line up will have the same issues with lefties the rest of the way.
Mountain Braves Fan
July 31st, 2011
11:17 am
I think the injuries to both center fielders on the Braves roster made the trade for a center fielder inevitable. What is surprising to me is that the Astros gave up Bourn so cheaply, relatively speaking. They basically had the Braves over a barrel and didn’t take advantage. Bourn, for the price, is a fantastic pickup.
Next season, if Chipper retires, the Braves should go hard for free agent to be right handed hitting outfielder Michael Cuddyer from the Twins and they will be set, except for SS.
darrell starks
July 31st, 2011
11:17 am
GREAT MOVE BY THE BRAVES, MAN I WOULD HAVE LIKE TO HAVE KEPT SCHAFER.
GO BRAVES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Kat
July 31st, 2011
11:18 am
Just woke up, turned on my computer, went to the blog as I do everymoring and saw this headline pop up, great thing to wake up to!
Not a fan of the lazy Heyward
July 31st, 2011
11:18 am
Now ship Heyward to the South Cobb All-stars for a bucket of balls, get Willingham and call it a day.
ViningsMike
July 31st, 2011
11:18 am
Great move by the Braves. Just what the Braves need. Best of luck to Schaf. He’s had a rough time, but really gave the Braves some help recently.