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© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
2,603 comments Add your comment
VaBravesFan
April 23rd, 2012
10:42 am
Heyward has struck out 20% of the time and Walked 13% in his young career. Which is right on point with his great rookie season of 20% K, 14% BB
Efrim
April 23rd, 2012
10:43 am
I like what Francisco brings, and I do understand that he is dirt cheap for the next couple seasons. But I’d rather have the stronger defender in Prado at 3rd base next year – even if he is making 6 million or so. I’m sure Wren’s top priority will be re-working that outfield……again……
TennesseePaul
April 23rd, 2012
10:44 am
Why? The Braves did it with McCann
Because McCann is a position player and Beachy is a starter. I don’t see them guaranteeing Beachy, or any young starter, a contract before they even hit arbitration years. I could see that with Heyward and Freeman since they are position players.
nolie
April 23rd, 2012
10:44 am
colon roll colon murph
Efrim
April 23rd, 2012
10:46 am
Freeman got hot just as Heyward was getting cold. Is it possible to get these two going at once? Hoping we’ll see that soon.
ncscoots
April 23rd, 2012
10:46 am
So much of an unknown that the possibility of improvement has resulted in him being benched for two straight games while we all watch Wilson, the back up, play.
What you do in the cage today, may show up in the game tomorrow. Just have to wait and see.
Lew
April 23rd, 2012
10:47 am
If the Braves paid Beachy $4 mil per starting next year, they would have paid him $3.25 mil more than Jurrjens through his first two arb years. Just don’t see it happening. At best, they’d just be breaking even thorugh his arb years by giving him a 4 year deal now and would not have bought out a single FA year – much less seen what he’s goign to look like – Dude has only made 30 something starts so far.
Efrim
April 23rd, 2012
10:47 am
I don’t see them guaranteeing Beachy, or any young starter, a contract before they even hit arbitration years.
Really? I guess you are right. The extensions and contractual control being handed out league wide must of gotten me thinking the Braves would award Beachy, Hanson or Polished a deal – but you’re right that it’s more likely to be Heyward and Freeman if they have solid years.
jeffrey d
April 23rd, 2012
10:48 am
Why are we talking about Murph’s colon?
TennesseePaul
April 23rd, 2012
10:48 am
Why in the world would the team, considering it’s financial position, go extending players with so much team control left?
Not that I’m disagreeing with you on your point Murph, but the team’s financial position to consider is the following: They have one player locked up for next year and beyond. They have two other players with option years. And the reset are pre-arb or arb players. That means they have a total guaranteed commitment of less than $15M for next year. Their financial position is quite good and very capable of locking up players if they so choose.
TennesseePaul
April 23rd, 2012
10:49 am
What you do in the cage today, may show up in the game tomorrow. Just have to wait and see….
…if coach even puts you in the game tomorrow….
DAP
April 23rd, 2012
10:49 am
nolie too early to sign most of these young guys. Heywood might be the closest if he has a good season,
i would extend heyward if he had a good year. same with freeman. if prado is in the long term plans id go ahead and lock him up. id also consider locking up hanson.
i might even lock up kimbrel if i could get a really good deal. it would be risky, but we might save money in arbitration years when he is racking up 45+ saves per year.
the braves probably need to operate this way because of the moderate payroll. even pitchers, as unreliable as they can be, if you can get them cheap year to year, might be worth the risk.
Efrim
April 23rd, 2012
10:49 am
I absolutley love referring to Mike Minor as “Polished”.
By the way, “Signable” has 11 strikeouts through 26 innings pitched in Double-A.
VaBravesFan
April 23rd, 2012
10:49 am
Sea Bass has struck out 18% of the time and walked 4%, wow thats bad. Francoeur walks 5% of the time.
Efrim
April 23rd, 2012
10:51 am
i might even lock up kimbrel if i could get a really good deal. it would be risky
I wouldn’t touch Kimbrel, Venters or EOF. Just my thinking with relievers, regardless how dominant they are at the moment.
ncscoots
April 23rd, 2012
10:51 am
Freeman got hot just as Heyward was getting cold. Is it possible to get these two going at once? Hoping we’ll see that soon.
I’ll settle for any two guys of McCann/Uggla/Heyward/Freeman being en fuego at the same time, as long as the other two aren’t in black-hole slumps.
TennesseePaul
April 23rd, 2012
10:52 am
Really? I guess you are right.
I could be wrong, but I can’t think of any young Braves starter ever getting an extension before he hits his arbitration. And even then I don’t recall too many Braves starters getting very long deals. 5 years is the longest and that was Maddux, way back in the day. Typically it’s 3 years and sometimes they stretch it to a fourth.
VaBravesFan
April 23rd, 2012
10:54 am
Juan Francisco struck out 23% of the time in the Minors, and Walked 3% of the time. Majors 28% K 3%
Efrim
April 23rd, 2012
10:54 am
Realistically, it’s 34.2 million in 3 players for 2013(Uggla, McCann, and Hudson). 8 arbitration eligibles after that – Jurrjens, Prado, O’Flaherty, Heyward, Hanson, Venters, Medlen, and Martinez.
TennesseePaul
April 23rd, 2012
10:54 am
I absolutley love referring to Mike Minor as “Polished”.
( :
Efrim
April 23rd, 2012
10:55 am
And something tells me not all of Jurrjens, Prado and EOF will be on this roster in 2013. That’s not exactly a big leap there.
Lew
April 23rd, 2012
10:58 am
If i were goping to lock anyone up for a longer term deal, it would be Freeman and I’d try to get Prado for a couple more years at a reasonable rate.
flange1
April 23rd, 2012
10:59 am
Saw the great Drive by Truckers at the Tabernacle in ATL this Saturday nite, they packed the house and then tore it down!
They did a great cover of the Weight by the Band as the first encore with all the members from the opening act on stage with them.
A fun night was had by all!
TennesseePaul
April 23rd, 2012
10:59 am
And something tells me not all of Jurrjens, Prado and EOF will be on this roster in 2013
Yup. I could see all three of those guys moving on. Mainly because the team will still need an outfield. Chipper is gone and that means Prado stays as a 3B or LF? Heh. I could see them spinning him and coupling in EOF in a trade for a young guy they like. If Jurrjens doesn’t rebound I could see a DFA as I’d think after a full year of misery, he’d be completely untradeable. It wouldn’t even be a matter of “not a good offer.” There just wouldn’t be any offers.
Bat Masterson
April 23rd, 2012
11:01 am
Yeah it’s WAY to early to be concerned about locking guys up and I would think Heap has to be first on the list.
If Heyward plays up to his potential this year that could get really interesting.
Just off the top of my head I think Heyward will have earned around 3mm in his career after this year.
Make say 3mm plus next year, double his career earnings
Make around 6mm the next, another double
Then what 8, 10, I don’t know
Be a free agent for his 26 year old season
Hillbilly
April 23rd, 2012
11:02 am
I absolutley love referring to Mike Minor as “Polished”.
By the way, “Signable” has 11 strikeouts through 26 innings pitched in Double-A.
No doubt. These nicknames are so much better than the grotesque “First initial + first syllable of last name” phenomenon of the the past 10 years or so. Good stuff.
nolie
April 23rd, 2012
11:05 am
hey has made about half that after this year I think Bat. approx a half mil a year
I think he will be the guy they try to sew up first if he has a good season
doubt any pitchers get offered esp relievers
jeffrey d
April 23rd, 2012
11:06 am
Good call, H-Bil
tiger297
April 23rd, 2012
11:07 am
mcfann – rules are specific if it hits the ground before it gets to the catcher its a wild pitch
keylargo
April 23rd, 2012
11:07 am
Really? With four years of contractual control after this year? That makes absolutely no sense at all. Lew
I don’t disagree with you Lew, but the arb numbers are getting out of control too. I think that’s why Prado won’t be back next year. He’s making almost $5M and that will increase to $7 or $8 next year.
Lock up a good, not great starter for $3M a year for four years? Not such a terrible idea.
nolie
April 23rd, 2012
11:07 am
11 Ks in 26 IP? really is Minor lite I guess
Mitchell
April 23rd, 2012
11:08 am
Correct me if I’m wrong but aren’t we technically supposed to win when we score first, get ten hits and drive in four runs?
LOL. Just sayin’. =]
Bat Masterson
April 23rd, 2012
11:09 am
Yeah, nolie, but I seem to recall Heyward got a pretty good signing bonus, around 1.5 I think so I included that.
nolie
April 23rd, 2012
11:10 am
they would be kinda nuts to lock up a young pitcher after 2 years too many things go wrong with pitchers
nolie
April 23rd, 2012
11:11 am
oh ok Bat, that does not count as salary but i see whay you mean i think
nolie
April 23rd, 2012
11:12 am
oh you’re wrong, but it would be a waste of time to correct you….
Hillbilly
April 23rd, 2012
11:13 am
Saw the great Drive by Truckers at the Tabernacle in ATL this Saturday nite, they packed the house and then tore it down! flange
Looking over the setlist on threedimesdown.com, it looks like you got a hell of a rock show. That Buttholeville/State Trooper combo is always an absolute killer. I’m jealous that you got to hear The Living Bubba, My Sweet Annette, and Angels and Fuselage. I haven’t seen any of those live yet.
VaBravesFan
April 23rd, 2012
11:13 am
Well i’m outta here, cya tomorrow night.
tiger297
April 23rd, 2012
11:14 am
nolie – agree
Veer
April 23rd, 2012
11:18 am
Jurrjens line prediction
3.2 IP
6 ER
2 Ks
7 Hits
3 walks
nolie
April 23rd, 2012
11:20 am
just walk Kemp every time no matter what and we will win
Veer
April 23rd, 2012
11:22 am
They have Either as well.
Lew
April 23rd, 2012
11:23 am
key largo – Not until he has a lot more than 30 big league starts. Too much can happen to derail young pitchers.
cricket
April 23rd, 2012
11:23 am
just walk Kemp every time no matter what and we will win
ha! they sorta tried it with Kennedy yesterday and it blew in their faces
DAP
April 23rd, 2012
11:23 am
efrim, i know it, and i kinda feel the same way. but, if kimbrel is one to value security, they can sign him so cheap per year that it wont be a huge deal if he does get hurt and flame out. instead of paying him $10mil in the last couple of arbitration years, they could be paying him $4mil. the braves have so much financial flexibility with a limited payroll, i think taking some risk and locking guys up is the way to go, if the players are willing.
TheOnlyBravesFan
April 23rd, 2012
11:24 am
Veer: I say 2.2 IP and 8 runs against JJ…. no K’s for him either.
Craig Kimbrel
April 23rd, 2012
11:25 am
instead of paying him $10mil in the last couple of arbitration years, they could be paying him $4mil
ooh! Where do I sign??
Efrim
April 23rd, 2012
11:28 am
If Jurrjens doesn’t rebound I could see a DFA as I’d think after a full year of misery, he’d be completely untradeable. It wouldn’t even be a matter of “not a good offer.” There just wouldn’t be any offers.
This would make me so sad. To get absolutely nothing for Jurrjens would upset me. An ERA of around 5 this year, and non-tendering him is a certainty this December.
Veer
April 23rd, 2012
11:28 am
It’s time we end the Jurrjens experiment and move on with Medlin.
We have several guys in AAA that have been dominating in Russel, Flande, and Gerrien.
Vavaro is also healthy now and pitching. So I don’t see the need for Medlin being that great in the bullpen. Medlin is being wasted in the bullpen.
DAP
April 23rd, 2012
11:34 am
keylargo Lock up a good, not great starter for $3M a year for four years? Not such a terrible idea.
i agree with this. its a risk that could be worth taking for a team like atlanta, who has a modest payroll and not alot of it committed. if you can get a starter for $3mil per, thats really good, even if the guy is just ok. if he gets hurt, you arent out that much, and if he is really good, you hit the jackpot. rays are doing stuff like this, and the braves might want to start trying to make the most out of a modest payroll.
TennesseePaul
April 23rd, 2012
11:36 am
This would make me so sad. To get absolutely nothing for Jurrjens would upset me.
Ah… but it’d have a certain level of symmetry as Gorgkys was trade for McLouth who is now not a Brave this year and Jurrjens would be at the end this year… all the same year Renteria retires, whom we traded to acquire Gorkys and Jurrjens.
Bravofan
April 23rd, 2012
11:39 am
Just wanted to think all of you guys that LIKED my Thanks Chipper page on Facebook. It has 138 likes thanks to you guys. If you haven’t seen it check it out.
http://www.facebook.com/ThanksChipper
raleighbravefan
April 23rd, 2012
11:40 am
If they “lock up” anyone, it will likely be young position players (most likely Heyward and FF).
A young pitcher who is a year and a half from arbitration? I don’t think so. Just look at the shouts to do so with Hanson (shoulder still a little iffy) and JJ (who knows where that’s going). If he had, imagin the outcry now about Wren signing JJ to a long contract. Pitchers are much less predictable when it comes to longevity.
Murph
April 23rd, 2012
11:41 am
I’m not ready to give up on JJ just yet… he had a couple of decent ST starts towards the end. Even if they were against Astros minor leaguers in split squad games, he showed signs of being JJ again.
I think he’s going to have a good game against the Dodgers tonight. Pitching in LA, against one of the best teams in the NL thus far in 2012, needing to get the team back to their winning ways… I’d bet he produces and comes out looking like one of the heroes tonight.
cricket
April 23rd, 2012
11:42 am
I’m not ready to give up on JJ just yet
ditto
raleighbravefan
April 23rd, 2012
11:42 am
I love DOB’s comments about the morons coming out of the woodworks when we lose the second game in the last 12. Move along folks….nothing to see here.
McFann :Ô: :Ô:
April 23rd, 2012
11:43 am
tiger297 rules are specific if it hits the ground before it gets to the catcher its a wild pitch
Oh, I know—I just said that ’cause I think I’ve seen that rule bended a time or two…
raleighbravefan
April 23rd, 2012
11:45 am
Murph & cricket – ditto ditto (RE JJ).
Idiots here were ready to give up on Heyward, Minor, etc etc.
He may not make a comeback…but he was too good and it is WAY too early to make that judgement at this point.
raleighbravefan
April 23rd, 2012
11:46 am
bended = bent
ncscoots
April 23rd, 2012
11:49 am
bended = bent
Why would you correct a typo in a McFann post, unless (gasp!) you are actually McFann?!?
DAP
April 23rd, 2012
11:49 am
craig kimbrel instead of paying him $10mil in the last couple of arbitration years, they could be paying him $4mil
ooh! Where do I sign??
you are scoffing, and maybe you dont value security. thats fine. but, we can offer you 5 year, $18mil or so, buying out your first free agent year, or you can go year by year, risk injury, and never make much more than the minimum. a player has to decide if they want the risk, just like the team does when they offer a deal.
DAP
April 23rd, 2012
11:50 am
This would make me so sad. To get absolutely nothing for Jurrjens would upset me.
i doubt this happens.
McFann :Ô: :Ô:
April 23rd, 2012
11:51 am
“What I have written, I have written”…
Lew
April 23rd, 2012
11:52 am
DAP – Scoffing or not, it’s just rare that they will sign a pitcher to a longer term contract prior to – at the very least – his first arbitration year. Such is the case with Beachy and Kimbrel.
DAP
April 23rd, 2012
11:52 am
ralieghbravesfan Pitchers are much less predictable when it comes to longevity.
you are very right, and locking up the position players is more likely. but, its not unprecedented to lock up a young starter, especially if you are getting him dirt cheap, like $3mil per. look at what the rays did with matt moore. they took a risk, knowing if he did turn out to be pretty good, they would come out great, and if he didnt, they didnt lose all that much.
Couch Tater
April 23rd, 2012
11:55 am
Pete Orr entering his 7th (non-consecutive) season up in the show.
WBC Canada has to fill a team, too. In the Beer League Curling circles, they call Pete, “The Hammer.”
McFann :Ô: :Ô:
April 23rd, 2012
11:59 am
Saw that hit on the OKC player by Ron Artest…dang, what a piece of garbage!…
Lew
April 23rd, 2012
11:59 am
DAP – Maybe the Rays did lock up Moore for seven years, but I guarantee tht hardly any team has ever locked someone up that long with less than 10 ML starts. That is exactly the kind of deal that will reach out and burn their behinds.
Couch Tater
April 23rd, 2012
12:00 pm
..or is it they call the hammer “Pete Orr”. I forget.
DAP
April 23rd, 2012
12:00 pm
lew, youre right, man. just jawin’.
Lew
April 23rd, 2012
12:04 pm
And I’m not thinking that $37 mil is an insignificant amount for a low low budget team like the Rays – especially when the deal is so heavily backloaded. Yes, they could end up with an incredible deal, or they could get burned big time.
Venice Jim
April 23rd, 2012
12:04 pm
David Murphy @HighCheese
The Braves enter today leading the NL with 91 runs scored. The Phillies enter today on pace to score their 91st run on May 12.
Retweeted by Kevin McAlpin
DAP
April 23rd, 2012
12:04 pm
lew, moore’s deal was 5 years $14mil, with three club options if he lives up to expectations.
i have to say, thats a deal unlikely to burn anyone’s behind, even for a team with a low payroll like the rays. its $2.8mil per year for 5 years for a guy with pretty good potential. even if he does flame out, its not gonna kill the rays. locking up beachy or kimbrel or minor right now would be a deal sort of like that. im not saying the braves should definitely do it, but they may want to start doing some things to maximize payroll like the rays do, even if ours isnt as low as theirs.
raleighbravefan
April 23rd, 2012
12:06 pm
scoots – You caught me…I’m not really a 61 year old guy from NC…I’m actually a young lady from GA that loves McCann and turtles.
Lew
April 23rd, 2012
12:07 pm
DAP – What I’d do as far as locking up Braves is get Mac signed to an extension, get Freeman (he’s the real deal) locked up, try to get Martin for several years at $5 mil per (he’d be worth it) and maybe lock Heyward up if he has the year we hope he will.
Too soon to tell where Hanson is headed. JJ is a crap shoot at this point. Huddy is good for his option and then…….and Beachy, Minor and Kimbrel are too early in their careers to worry about locking them up longer term, yet.
Lew
April 23rd, 2012
12:09 pm
DAP – Yes, there are three years of options, but if he gets seriously injured before then, they could be on the hook for all of the money.
DAP
April 23rd, 2012
12:09 pm
lew What I’d do as far as locking up Braves is get Mac signed to an extension, get Freeman (he’s the real deal) locked up, try to get Martin for several years at $5 mil per (he’d be worth it) and maybe lock Heyward up if he has the year we hope he will.
id be really happy with that. i would actually look at locking heyward up, to.
bravesgrl4life
April 23rd, 2012
12:10 pm
Hoping the good JJ shows up tonight. Won’t be up to see it, but will check in the a.m.
raleighbravefan
April 23rd, 2012
12:11 pm
I’m not real big on locking up guys who will still be making near minimum for another couple of years, and who are under control for at least 3 or 4 years…especially pitchers.
raleighbravefan
April 23rd, 2012
12:15 pm
As the official blog optimist, I am still hopeful JJ will figure it out, and resume near his previous level…at least a solid 3. If so, I would trade him as soon as his value returns to a reasonable level. I don’t see much alternative right now to doing everything possible to help him right the ship.
cabravesfan
April 23rd, 2012
12:21 pm
Wait, I thought I was the official blog optimist! is raleighbravefan trying to steal my job??
McFann :Ô: :Ô:
April 23rd, 2012
12:24 pm
Maybe raleighbravefan is also cabravesfan…
George
April 23rd, 2012
12:27 pm
Hello y’all
Tough lose yesterday. I don’t see why FREDI to concede at lose ever Sunday by not playing his best team. I can see resting CHIPPER and BRIAN on a day game after a night game, but please rest JASON? He is 23 years old he does not need a rest. I bet if we went back two years and looked at our won lost records by day of the week Sunday would be our worst day.
kwajbraves
April 23rd, 2012
12:30 pm
Heyward against his nemesis: LA Ballpark. I hope that he turn it around this trip.
(Break) Don’t tell me that DBacks only gave Chipper a salute as farewell gift? If The Stros gave Chipper a hat, you could think that Dbacks could give Chipper a cactus for his ranch. Los Cheapos!
George
April 23rd, 2012
12:31 pm
George
April 23rd, 2012
12:27 pm
Hello y’all
Tough loss yesterday. I don’t see why FREDI has to concede at loss ever Sunday by not playing his best team. I can see resting CHIPPER and BRIAN on a day game after a night game, but please rest JASON? He is 23 years old he does not need a rest. I bet if we went back two years and looked at our won lost records by day of the week Sunday would be our worst day
******************************
I cleaned up the typos.
ncscoots
April 23rd, 2012
12:32 pm
If so, I would trade [Jurrjens] as soon as his value returns to a reasonable level.
If he’s going bad, then he wouldn’t return anything in a trade; if he’s going good, he has more value to the Braves than anyone else. It’s a quandary, fer sure.
Bat Masterson
April 23rd, 2012
12:34 pm
Heyward is 22, George
cabravesfan
April 23rd, 2012
12:35 pm
McFann-
Nope
I’m just me!
kwajbraves
April 23rd, 2012
12:36 pm
Byrd to the Sox. Now the Red Sox will have a Byrd too.
ncscoots
April 23rd, 2012
12:37 pm
I only watched a few minutes of the new HBO thing called The Veep, but I howled at at least two different lines. My favorite was completely politically incorrect, so I won’t repeat it here, but I think the show might have a chance if it serves up at least one of those a night.
(This is a SSS review, of course, so I reserve the right to change my opinion with more viewings, LOL)
Snotboogie
April 23rd, 2012
12:37 pm
The University of Florida announced this past week that it was dropping its computer science department, which will allow it to save about $1.7 million. …….
…..Meanwhile, the athletic budget for the current year is $99 million, an increase of more than $2 million from last year. The increase alone would more than offset the savings supposedly gained by cutting computer science.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/stevensalzberg/2012/04/22/university-of-florida-eliminates-computer-science-department-increases-athletic-budgets-hmm/
Lew
April 23rd, 2012
12:37 pm
kwaj – Now if the Patriots could get a Burd……..
George
April 23rd, 2012
12:37 pm
Thanks Bat
Even more reason he does not need a rest. I am glad he has turned it around at least so far this year
Sopheee
April 23rd, 2012
12:39 pm
I thought George was the official blog optimist.
cabravesfan
April 23rd, 2012
12:40 pm
Being young does not make one immune to needing a break every now and then…22 year old legs (and arms and backs and the rest of the body) get tired too
Snotboogie
April 23rd, 2012
12:41 pm
I thought George was the official blog optimist.
No. George is the founder and president of the Fredi Gonzalez fan club.
Ease
April 23rd, 2012
12:41 pm
I bet if we went back two years and looked at our won lost records by day of the week Sunday would be our worst day
In which case George, we would have Bobby to “blame” and not Fredi…The jello must be sour today…
Murph
April 23rd, 2012
12:41 pm
scoots, I watched Veep last night too. I’m a huge Julia Louise Dreyfus fan.
It definitely had some moments, but I gotta say, it felt really… forced… in some places. Like they were trying too hard to be the political version of Eastbound and Down or something.
We’ll see how the show shapes up. Right now I’m on the fence.
Ease
April 23rd, 2012
12:42 pm
I thought George was the official blog optimist.
BWAHAHAHAHAHA!
Bat Masterson
April 23rd, 2012
12:42 pm
You’re welcome, George.