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© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
1,748 comments Add your comment
Danga
July 2nd, 2012
10:32 am
There is Moylan also. Who knows what he looks like after so much time off…But he is in the equation.
Danga
July 2nd, 2012
10:33 am
(Guess the ol’ blog reverse curse hasn’t worked on this one, because I’ve mentioned it every week since they were 0-4 or 0-5 on Mondays….)
We appreciate the effort though, DOB. Showing a lot of grit and hustle the way you keep blogging about it every week.
MFin04
July 2nd, 2012
10:34 am
“I bet we get swept by the Cubs.”
Well in the words of the great blog maestro, “It wouldn’t be a disgrace…(to lose to the worst team in baseball)”
ncscoots
July 2nd, 2012
10:35 am
I wonder if this Sheets thing works out if one of the kids would be able to perform out of the BP. There are always BP arms available at the deadline. I will be very surpised if the Braves don’t make a move for one of them.
I’d be reluctant on Minor or Delgado in the pen. Rahter see them pitching in the minors every fifth day.
I agree with you on the availability at the deadline. Those bully guys are often the biggest bang for the buck at the deadline, anyway. Lotsa big trades go bust, but those secondary deals have a way of adding more value than thought of at first glance.
phil
July 2nd, 2012
10:36 am
I suppose we might win a Monday game if we get some good pitching, good defense and good hitting for, oh, 9 innings or so….
Probably asking too much. Besides, it’s hot.
Ease
July 2nd, 2012
10:36 am
THE GM CAROUSEL: HOW FAST WILL IT SPIN?
Speaking of stress, some in the industry already are speculating about which general managers might be in trouble.
The Braves, working with diminishing payrolls, reacted with restraint to last September’s collapse, but some in the industry believe that a second straight failure to reach the postseason could jeopardize GM Frank Wren. – Ken Rosenthal
TheOnlyBravesFan
July 2nd, 2012
10:37 am
There is Moylan also. Who knows what he looks like after so much time off…But he is in the equation.
Would be nice to see what he’s got, but I don’t think he should be the shutdown RP we get. The guy hasn’t pitched much in the bigs in 2 years….
urban redneck
July 2nd, 2012
10:37 am
i would LOVE to see him beat bryce harper. however, unless harper gets hit by a bus, simmons doesn’t have a great chance.
hope springs eternal………………….especially for atlanta fans. go bravos!!
Arkansas Transplant
July 2nd, 2012
10:39 am
Transplant – You fault Uggla for where he hits in the batting order? – lew
Actually I don’t fault him for anything, but I don’t think he should be anywhere in the top 6 spots of the lineup or at least until he’s showing output. As far as anything he does, you can’t fault him for it… it’s not like he doesn’t play hard day in and day out. I just don’t think he fits in certain spots.
nolie
July 2nd, 2012
10:39 am
OUCH on Uggla? Whats the ouch? He has an OPS+ of 107, noticeably ablove average , even more so for a second baseman.
Mitchie-sand
July 2nd, 2012
10:40 am
You know Faux doesnt rhyme with Sox, right?
McFann :Ô: :Ô: :ô:
July 2nd, 2012
10:40 am
How about some comic relief?…
http://vimeo.com/24785477
http://vimeo.com/43933073
ncscoots
July 2nd, 2012
10:40 am
some in the industry believe
“Some” being a couple of AL traveling secretaries, plus maybe Mitch Williams on MLBN.
(Is Mitch not just the dumbest sumbee you’ve ever seen sitting at an analyst’s desk?)
TheOnlyBravesFan
July 2nd, 2012
10:40 am
I’d be reluctant on Minor or Delgado in the pen. Rahter see them pitching in the minors every fifth day.
Why? RD and MM have proven they can pitch in AAA…. what else is there to do? Granted, I wouldn’t like them in the pen either…
Tomahawkin
July 2nd, 2012
10:42 am
MFin04
July 2nd, 2012
10:34 am
“I bet we get swept by the Cubs.”
We need to take 3 out of 4, But this can easily be labeled a Trap series in that we are gonna take the AAA Iowa Cubs Too lightly and that worries me! I need a Cancerstick
McFann :Ô: :Ô: :ô:
July 2nd, 2012
10:42 am
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2LaVHZcr3s
Fog
July 2nd, 2012
10:42 am
Chipper has had a hell of a career and should be a Hall of Famer, but he does not deserve to be in the All-Star game. His play this year has not been outstanding, and he has only played in 44 out of 78 games (56%). He could show a lot of class by saying no thanks. His teammate, Michael Bourn, is much more deserving considering the year he is having. Having watched Chipper all these years, he wouldn’t do any such thing, as he wants the attention on him.
ncscoots
July 2nd, 2012
10:42 am
You know Faux doesnt rhyme with Sox, right?
Depends on which universe you inhabit.
TheOnlyBravesFan
July 2nd, 2012
10:42 am
Frank Wren shouldn’t be in trouble this year…. anyways, he can blame it on Beachy
FW has done a great job IMO
Ease
July 2nd, 2012
10:43 am
More from Rosenthal…
Attention, deadline shoppers: Brewers right-hander Francisco Rodriguez is averaging 91.6 mph with his fastball, his highest velocity since 2009.
Rodiriguez, who can set up or close, would make particular sense for the Cardinals, Phillies and Marlins, all of whom are struggling with their setup relief.
With Venters struggling, mayhap the Braves get interested real quick…
nolie
July 2nd, 2012
10:44 am
not sure how they can fault Wren enough to fire him for not reaching the playoffs, when they give him a middle of the pack budget. any number of teams with a bigger one don’t make it.
Be more fair to give him 2013 to see what he can do when he finally has some spending ability. Not that I care all that much one way or t’other.
Mitchie-sand
July 2nd, 2012
10:45 am
Haha, it doesnt in mine scoots.
TheOnlyBravesFan
July 2nd, 2012
10:47 am
Ease: I’ve been thinking/saying that for a while now…. K-Rod would do well here IMO, strengthen up our BP, and be cheaper than Greinke….
MFin04
July 2nd, 2012
10:48 am
“Frank Wren shouldn’t be in trouble this year…”
Well it is like going to McDonald’s and being disappointed that they don’t sell steak.
He really has no money to make the deals that the Phillies or even the Marlins made. So instead of getting the big score…we get guys like Durbin, Livan, Francisco, Ben Sheets, etc.
Maybe they work out, maybe they don’t, but the aren’t Cliff Lee, Jose Reyes, Hunter Pence, or Papelbon.
nolie
July 2nd, 2012
10:49 am
someone make a foe-pah?
Lew
July 2nd, 2012
10:50 am
Wren acted with restraint last winter because of the budgetary constraints placed on him by those who would be the ones to fire him. Symmetry or Catch 22?
Wren won’t be fired.
Venice Jim
July 2nd, 2012
10:50 am
McFann – not sure there’s a good online access – this might work, but it might only work for me since I have a subscription:
http://eedition2.latimes.com/Olive/ODE/LATimes/
You would have to go to the July 1 paper and page 11 of the Arts and Books section…
Jeff R
July 2nd, 2012
10:52 am
He really has no money to make the deals that the Phillies or even the Marlins made. So instead of getting the big score…we get guys like Durbin, Livan, Francisco, Ben Sheets, etc.
Wren may have his front office whizzes do some creative accounting to come up with the dough to satisfy a Greinke, if he decides to go in that direction and swings a deal.
Beyond that, as we all know, this winter will allow Wren more wiggle room financially. As much as I expect the Braves to be competitive this season, I think better things lie ahead in ‘13.
TheOnlyBravesFan
July 2nd, 2012
10:53 am
FW does very well with a mid-market team, it’s not like we’re losing 90-100 games. Just imagine how much better he would be if we had another 25 mil to spend….
And to think the Rays GM maintains a contending team on even less money!
TheOnlyBravesFan
July 2nd, 2012
10:54 am
I think better things lie ahead in ‘13.
Agree. ‘13 and beyond.
Lew
July 2nd, 2012
10:55 am
MFin04 – Yep, it’s terrible that we couldn’t have had Cliff Lee go 0-5 with a 4.13 ERA this year for the Braves for a mere $21.5 million.
Lew
July 2nd, 2012
10:56 am
Lee has 17 wins for the Phillies in 2011 and 2012 (also 13 losses). Only cost the Philles $32.5 million, too.
nolie
July 2nd, 2012
10:56 am
Rays likely won’t last anywhere near as long as the Braves run. They had 10 years to hoard draft picks to give them a running start. I think they do a great job, but drafting higher and a low budget will prolly do them in
MFin04
July 2nd, 2012
10:56 am
“As much as I expect the Braves to be competitive this season, I think better things lie ahead in ‘13.”
Nope, this is the year. McCann is declining apparently, Chipper will be gone. Bourn will be gone. Hudson is getting older. Beachy is out for half the year, Delgado, Minor, and Teheran still aren’t reliable. Jurrjens might be gone as well.
If there is a year to compete it is this year. Phillies are terrible. Mets and Marlins aren’t as good as the Braves. The Time is Now!
MFin04
July 2nd, 2012
10:57 am
Lew – Yeh, and if he pitched in Atlanta, he probably wouldn’t give up half that many runs. And the Phillies somehow can’t score runs for him. I’d still take him or Hamels. He is an elite pitcher, for sure, but they are paying a ton which the Braves would never do.
nolie
July 2nd, 2012
10:58 am
right on MF04, carpe diem
Lew
July 2nd, 2012
10:59 am
Declining or having a poor season for the first time in his career? I’d wait until after he tanks next year before I’d start claiming decline after missing his first All Star game.
nolie
July 2nd, 2012
11:01 am
nah, according to KL and some others, he has one foot in the grave already Lew. too bad about such a short career….
ncscoots
July 2nd, 2012
11:02 am
Nope, this is the year. McCann is declining apparently, Chipper will be gone. Bourn will be gone. Hudson is getting older. Beachy is out for half the year, Delgado, Minor, and Teheran still aren’t reliable. Jurrjens might be gone as well
You make it sound as if the Braves won’t replace any of the “gone” players and that the young pitching will always be inexperienced. Neither is true.
But I’ll admit to getting a little tired of “next year’, my own self.
Lew
July 2nd, 2012
11:02 am
MFin04 – Just pointing out that you can spend hundreds of millions of dollars like the Phillies and gain nothing whatsoever for the expediture. $350 million over the past two years with several hundred million still owed. For what? Two first round and outs in the playoffs and now a fire sae at he deadline? Even the Braves didn’t have to pay anywhere near that much for the same results.
Frankie Wren
July 2nd, 2012
11:03 am
Geez, spoken like Cubs fans. Next year the year. BS. I agree this is the year, need to go for it. Twink this lineup. Last two years the Giants and Cardinals made serious trades and added lots of pieces, didn’t seem to hurt overall.
MFin04
July 2nd, 2012
11:04 am
“Declining or having a poor season for the first time in his career? I’d wait until after he tanks next year before I’d start claiming decline after missing his first All Star game.”
That is fine, you can wait if you’d like.
OPS+
2006 – 143
2008 – 135
2010- 124
2011 – 121
2012 – 82
nolie
July 2nd, 2012
11:04 am
yeah you can, but given the same level of expertise of your GM, bigger money gives you better odds of success
MFin04
July 2nd, 2012
11:07 am
“You make it sound as if the Braves won’t replace any of the “gone” players and that the young pitching will always be inexperienced. Neither is true.
But I’ll admit to getting a little tired of “next year’, my own self.”
Ok, first, this IS next year. Delgado and Teheran and Minor are all older. Same crap we said last year. Heyward and Freeman are older. Kimbrel and Venters are both older. EOF is older. I mean some of these guys should be getting better with age, right? And this year you have the 7 or 8 starting pitcheres that we were soo excited about. Bourn for a whole year. Chipper on his retirement tour.
This IS the year.
And as for the Braves replacing the players…do you really think they are going to get someone to replace guys like Chipper or Bourn? I doubt it. Probably going to go with guys like Juan Francisco or Troy Glaus for third and Constanza or Durango for CF. They are cheap, it is what they do.
nolie
July 2nd, 2012
11:07 am
10 ans 11 were basically the same, so this season is the first big dip, plus you are ignoring the fact that he already has had two worse years than what you are posting and came back from them, I don’y think I’ve ever been any place where so many folks assume that one bad year is the ending on a career
Lew
July 2nd, 2012
11:08 am
MFin04 – I admit the error of my optimism re: McCann in the face of such overwhelming evidence that his career is over.
nolie
July 2nd, 2012
11:08 am
football mentality rears its ugly head again……
MFin04
July 2nd, 2012
11:08 am
“MFin04 – Just pointing out that you can spend hundreds of millions of dollars like the Phillies and gain nothing whatsoever for the expenditure.”
I do agree with this to a point. Some teams don’t know how to spend money wisely, like the Yankees and Phillies. The Braves could use some more money and believe they would be wiser with it. But Hunter Pence was a great deal for the Phillies. Oswalt wasn’t bad. Lee still is a pretty good pitcher as well.
Lew
July 2nd, 2012
11:10 am
Yes, Heyward, Freeman, Kimbrel, Teheran and Delgado ARE older. They might actually be old ennough to buy beer now.
nolie
July 2nd, 2012
11:10 am
if they had been around back then, according to this blog we shoulda just DFA’d Chipper after the 04 season….
McFann :Ô: :Ô: :ô:
July 2nd, 2012
11:12 am
V. Jim—
Yeah, it won’t let me in…Bummer. Kinda hate how you have to have subscriptions to access certain things, but I guess it makes sense…
TennesseePaul
July 2nd, 2012
11:12 am
and now a fire sale at he deadline?
I hadn’t read this anywhere, the Phillies are making every single player available for cheap?
MFin04
July 2nd, 2012
11:12 am
It comes down to whether or not you want to pay McCann long-term for past production and hope he regains his form, or do you let him go and use the money else where? It is easy to say he will bounce back, but not as easy if you have to sign him to a 5 year $90-$100 million deal.
McFann :Ô: :Ô: :ô:
July 2nd, 2012
11:12 am
Lew I admit the error of my optimism re: McCann in the face of such overwhelming evidence that his career is over.
Please don’t say that…even if you are kidding!…
richbrave
July 2nd, 2012
11:13 am
ED GOODE is wondering why Jeffrey D’s ranting about the D.C. subway. I mean ATLANTA’s got MARTA.
Lew
July 2nd, 2012
9:03 am
“…..What happens if they don’t win 5 of 7? They get thrown out of the league and have to go home for the rest of the season?…….”
Yes?
Tomahawkin
July 2nd, 2012
11:13 am
Danga
“We appreciate the effort though, DOB. Showing a lot of grit and hustle the way you keep blogging about it every week.”
Co-Sign on that 10:33 Post…
TheOnlyBravesFan
July 2nd, 2012
11:13 am
yeah you can, but given the same level of expertise of your GM, bigger money gives you better odds of success
FW with the Phillies payroll would be a beast. Amaro (the Phillies GM) with the braves payroll would have been fired “last year”. he’s like Ed Wade… they both suck. FW is a great GM and I’d love to see what he could do with a little more payroll flexibility. I mean, at some point, we’re gonna need to sign some of your young stars, especially with our farm looking so “weak”
Lew
July 2nd, 2012
11:14 am
Yep, Lee is a pretty good pitcher – one that is owed another $85-102 million for being pretty good and who is owed $25 mil for this season. Per win this year that comes to – wait a minute, e doesn;t have any wins. Guess that means he’s earned $5 mil per loss so far -but I bet that the price per goes down the rest of the way.
MFin04
July 2nd, 2012
11:14 am
My overarching point is this…the Braves are the 2nd best team in the NL East. They have a great shot at winning one of the two wild card spots. This team can win a play-in game, but currently they haven’t shown the consistency to win big games or big series within the division.
Probably need at least one more starting pitcher, one more reliever, and one more bat to really be a deep contender in the playoffs.
ncscoots
July 2nd, 2012
11:14 am
I mean some of these guys should be getting better with age, right?
sometimes, I think the level of talent shown by the kids who make up the core of what is one of the youngest teams in all of MLB tends to raise some expectations beyond “reasonable”. Frankly, I’m guilty of that myself, occasionally.
nolie
July 2nd, 2012
11:15 am
they will pick up his option and then make that decision next year almost assuredly, not trade him off this season as some demand
MFin04
July 2nd, 2012
11:15 am
Lew – I do agree with you, the deal was absurd, not one the Braves could afford, but if you can afford it, it isn’t a bad deal. And the Phillies can’t win games this year or score runs, so it isn’t all on him.
Ease
July 2nd, 2012
11:16 am
Braves Sign Venezuelan Righthander Yeralf Torres
The international signing period has begun, and the Braves make an early splash with Yeralf Torres, a 16-year old RHP from Venezuela, who can get his fastball into the low-90s. He has some good secondary offerings as well, but needs to improve his control … of course, he’s 16, so there’s plenty of time.
Frankie Wren
July 2nd, 2012
11:17 am
“My overarching point is this…the Braves are the 2nd best team in the NL East. They have a great shot at winning one of the two wild card spots. This team can win a play-in game, but currently they haven’t shown the consistency to win big games or big series within the division.
Probably need at least one more starting pitcher, one more reliever, and one more bat to really be a deep contender in the playoffs.”
Agree, agree, and agree.
TheOnlyBravesFan
July 2nd, 2012
11:17 am
I hadn’t read this anywhere, the Phillies are making every single player available for cheap?
Supposedly, they are getting closer to doing this. Not cheaply though. The trades this weekend were supposedly the start. They say that the Phils will try 1 last time to extend Hamels, then trade him if necessary. At that point, expect other guys to start going…
It is easy to say he will bounce back, but not as easy if you have to sign him to a 5 year $90-$100 million deal.
True, but let’s give him next year to see. No way should he get a 90-100 mil deal, and not for 5 years, unless the last one is an option… he’s a catcher.
Lew
July 2nd, 2012
11:18 am
Ten Paul – Well, I guess they;’re probably stuck with Howard’s, Utley’s, Lee’s and Rollins contracts. Bet they try to deal Hamels, Victorino and a couple others, though. When you owe several players as much as the Phillies do, I guess fire sale is somewhat relative. Doubt they’ll be buyers, though and that they’d love to jettison some salary if they could.
TennesseePaul
July 2nd, 2012
11:19 am
Some teams don’t know how to spend money wisely, like the Yankees and Phillies
I’ll wait and see on the Phillies. The Yankees have yet to be crippled by any of their signings. They spends gobs of cash because they can (and they win), not because they’re drunken sailors making bad choices. For the longest time at least one prominent poster here proclaimed the Phillies couldn’t spend any more and since then the Phillies doubled their payroll, so obviously that wasn’t true. But now we will learn how sustainable that is. Will they be capable of off-loading some players (like the Yankees do) and then signing new players at large deals (like the Yankees do)? If so, well, obviously they know their own finances and they’ve come to the conclusion that such deals don’t break their bank… much like the Yankees. I thought for sure the Ibanez deal would hurt the Phillies at the time, but it didn’t and they signed more players after him.
ncscoots
July 2nd, 2012
11:19 am
but needs to improve his control
I don’t know why analysts even include this for newly-signed prospects. It goes without saying that a teenage pitcher needs to work on command and control. If they didn’t, they’d come straight to the bigs, instead.
Lew
July 2nd, 2012
11:20 am
TenPaul – I’m also referencing a conversation I heard on XM HOme Plate this morning. Theiropinion is that the Phillies are toast despite the return of Utley and (soon) Howard. Can’t say I really disagree, either.
TheOnlyBravesFan
July 2nd, 2012
11:20 am
Lew: Cliff Lee hasn’t been great, but the fact that he is winless isn’t all on him. Their offense has been crap and the bullpen has blown too many leads.
OldFan
July 2nd, 2012
11:22 am
Simmons is the real deal and a pleasure to watch for every baseball fan. Seems he’s destined to be a long time star. Unfortunately, Harper has already been announced by MLB as the next sure thing. Unless he badly falters, or Simmons can lead the Braves over the Nats by season’s end, it’s Harper’s ROY.
MFin04
July 2nd, 2012
11:23 am
“Their opinion is that the Phillies are toast despite the return of Utley and (soon) Howard. Can’t say I really disagree, either.”
I wouldn’t count them out just yet. They have really good pitchers and Utley and Howard can help that team A LOT. And if the Braves are going to keep getting swept by the Phillies, then I see no reason they can’t get back into the race fairly quickly.
TennesseePaul
July 2nd, 2012
11:23 am
they’d love to jettison some salary if they could.
The calendar flipping will jettison $60M off the books for them. It flips again and they’ll be down $100M from where they are now. Most of their guaranteed contracts are short term with a few minor exceptions. They have commitments to only 4 players after next year. I’d imagine any dealing they make is with the goal of competing again very soon. I don’t see them “rebuilding” anything.
bobbymahlon
July 2nd, 2012
11:24 am
If Simmons keeps up the pace he is on now he will win the ROY Award. But nobody expects him to end the year batting .300. I would like to see nothing better than for him to win that award.
Jeff R
July 2nd, 2012
11:25 am
MFin04…
Well, timing is everything, but there are limits – and good and bad luck.
We do have the second half to look forward to, and the Braves aren’t at all poorly positioned.
As to the future, Chipper is practically gone now, given his limited playing time. McCann declining – might be premature. Bourn gone – very likely. Beachy out until July ‘13 – not good, but back for the stretch run (good). Hudson- older but I think he still has enough gas in his tank. Jurrjens is gone, period. Delgado, Minor, and Teheran are talented kids with a lot of upside, IMO.
But who said Wren will sit still over the winter?
As it stands now, the Braves project a solid infield in ‘13 (McCann, Freeman, Uggla, Simmons, and Prado). If Heyward keeps on stroking, RF is in the bag. Means Wren has to address CF and LF. Hard to upgrade Bourn (if he goes) but there are other capable CFers out there, as well as LF.
Starting pitching is more of a challenge. Perhaps Wren gets a front line starter before trade deadline this year to go with Hanson and Hudson. Or in the off-season.
phoenix
July 2nd, 2012
11:26 am
1. All Star? Uggla .232, 11 HR 43 RBI. Zero steals, 8 errors (thanks to Freeman, who has saved him about 8 more). Salary: $ 13 million. Compare that to Aaron Hill: .300, 11 HR, 38 RBI. 7 steals, only 4 errors. Salary: $ 5.5 million.
2. McCann began his traditional out-of-shape late-season swoon in May this year. Does anyone think he’ll get better as the season drags on?
3. Braves need to unload half-tool player Diaz and no-tool player Wilson (even his defense is fading) and bring up 2-tool players Constanza, and Pastornicky. As grandpa used to say 2 tools are better than none.
4. Speaking of no tools, there must be someone out there more versatile, agile and useful than Hinske and Francisco, whose talents appear to be limited to cleaning out the post-game chicken buffet.
5. Chipper for All-Star? Sure, I wish we could also vote for past greats like Murph and Maddux. For now, he’s an every-other-day singles hitter who specializes in dodging balls hit to 3B.
Bottom line: if Braves can’t at least split against the woeful Cubs, we may see Jim Fregosi as interim manager on Friday. Let me rephrase that . We SHOULD see Fregosi.
TennesseePaul
July 2nd, 2012
11:27 am
It’s crazy to me that Barry Zito is out pitching Tim Lincecum
TheOnlyBravesFan
July 2nd, 2012
11:27 am
You really think JJ is gone? I kinda was thinking they might work out a 1yr deal for about 4mil for next year (esp. with BB hurt). Granted, him being gone doesn’t hurt me… esp. with what he did this offseason
Frankie Wren
July 2nd, 2012
11:28 am
Wouldn’t count out the Phillies either although they are horrible right now. . The offense hasn’t been bad but certainly not opportunistic. That might change a little when the guns get back and take the pressure off of Pence who cannot carry a team. Pretty important week for them and the Braves have to play well in Philadelphia. Phils can’t be more than 7 games back at break for WC IMO. Too many good teams to leap over in front of them even getting healthier.
TennesseePaul
July 2nd, 2012
11:29 am
And how the hell did Ryan Vogelsong “figure it out” at the age of 33?
Jeff R
July 2nd, 2012
11:30 am
2. McCann began his traditional out-of-shape late-season swoon in May this year. Does anyone think he’ll get better as the season drags on?
Here we go again with the “McCann the Twinkies-eater” routine.
Phoenix is a stealth “Fat Cop” on the prowl.
TheOnlyBravesFan
July 2nd, 2012
11:31 am
Really gonna compare him with Aaron Hill? The Braves weren’t even gonna consider him after the 2010 season. He just came off a season where he hit .205/.271/.394. Uggla was hitting higher than Hills OBP!!!
Hill then put up a .246 /.299/.356 line in 2011.
Could just have a lucky season, or maybe he’s turned it around. But we wouldn’t have the power bat we needed if we had Hill instead.
David O'Brien
July 2nd, 2012
11:32 am
1. All Star? Uggla .232, 11 HR 43 RBI. Zero steals, 8 errors (thanks to Freeman, who has saved him about 8 more). Salary: $ 13 million. Compare that to Aaron Hill: .300, 11 HR, 38 RBI. 7 steals, only 4 errors. Salary: $ 5.5 million. — phoenix
He’s an All-Star because the fans voted him to be one. The fans are entirely responsible for electing the position-player starters to both teams. They vote for whom they want to see. Nothing more. So I’m not sure what the point is in making statistical comparisons, unless you’re just pointing it out to all fans who voted for him over Aaron Hill?
Jeff R
July 2nd, 2012
11:32 am
And how the hell did Ryan Vogelsong “figure it out” at the age of 33?
Late bloomer.
TheOnlyBravesFan
July 2nd, 2012
11:33 am
3. Braves need to unload half-tool player Diaz and no-tool player Wilson (even his defense is fading) and bring up 2-tool players Constanza, and Pastornicky. As grandpa used to say 2 tools are better than none.
Constanza isn’t MLB-caliber. Isn’t a good hitter. Pastornicky needs to spend until September in AAA, get himself ready for a spot next year. He has infield positions to learn.
Lew
July 2nd, 2012
11:33 am
You’d wait and see on whether or not the Phillies spent wisely? I think the ship sailed on that one already. They’re in last place despite all the money they spent and unlikely to rise much higher and going forward, they’ll lose their Center Fielder and their best LHP and only owe $104 mil next year to six players and $74 to 94 MIl in 2014 depending on whether or not they pick up Haladay’s option.
And only $80 mil of that next year is owed to players who spent most of this year on the DL or who haven’t won a game yet. Yep, wisdom personified.
monty
July 2nd, 2012
11:36 am
The future is always rosier than the present, never moreso, than in baseball. “When we make a move before the trade deadline, when Uggla heats up again, when that guy in AAA get’s called up, when we fire the manager, when somebody comes back off the DL, when Liberty gives us a bigger payroll, when the off season gets here and we can make that blockbuster deal,when the young guys finally mature,when the old guy(s) retire and move on out, when …..
ncscoots
July 2nd, 2012
11:36 am
Compare that to Aaron Hill: .
In other words, this poster is completely willing to ignore the two full seasons in which Aaron HIll stunk up the joint, but considers the four weeks of Uggla’s current slump as telling.
I think we have all data we need. Move along, folks, nothing to see here.
Jeff R
July 2nd, 2012
11:39 am
Good points, Lew, about the Phils. This “Gotta win now at all costs and damn the future” mentality is coming back to bite the Phils hard.
Efrim
July 2nd, 2012
11:39 am
But I’ll admit to getting a little tired of “next year’, my own self.
As am I.
As far as Wren goes, if he misses on 2012, has an offseason where they add some players, and miss out again in 2013 – then I think it’s time to start wondering if a new GM might be in order.
Some may think that’s even a stretch, but I’m also getting tired of waiting for next year.
MFin04
July 2nd, 2012
11:39 am
“Granted, him being gone doesn’t hurt me… esp. with what he did this offseason”
I’d be devasted, probably more so than McCann going to the Yankees, and us losing McFann to that joke of a team blog.
But I do think the off-season stuff is overblown. Jair seems like a hard working guy, don’t really know what happened…it was like a one line thing that has turned into this be thing. Either way, I think he has worked very hard in AAA and has been pretty good so far this year. Would love to have him long term.
As for him being gone, I think everyone on this blog has said he will be gone, so I figured it was a safe bet to consider him gone, even though I’d hate it.
monty
July 2nd, 2012
11:39 am
Whatever is wrong with McCann it isn’t related to fat. Ever seen a picture of Babe Ruth?
phil
July 2nd, 2012
11:40 am
nolie
July 2nd, 2012
10:39 am
OUCH on Uggla? Whats the ouch? He has an OPS+ of 107, noticeably ablove average , even more so for a second baseman.
*********
At the risk of sticking foot in mouth, OPS doesn’t measure how outs are made, or am I overlooking something? It doesn’t take BA into consideration either.
If you look at Uggla as a whole, he’s done ok so far, including his June collapse. I can’t see much worth in singling out just one of his stats to trump the guy with in the face of the obvious, that being that he’s stunk up the joint now for about a month.
Which is ok. We know this is what we get from him. The problem going forward this year will be that after he heats back up, he’s very likely to tank again towards the end of the year, just when he’ll be needed the most.
Oh well. That’s sports for ya. Up one minute, down the next. All about timing so much of the time.
Efrim
July 2nd, 2012
11:40 am
Just to keep it in perspective on the Phillies, folks, they will have more to spend on free agents than we will this offseason if they keep the same 170-175 million dollar payroll.
So, while they are down now, let’s relax on the fact that it’s over for them. 2013 will be telling, as it will for the Braves.
ncscoots
July 2nd, 2012
11:40 am
The future is always rosier than the present, never moreso, than in baseball
then, why do so many posters here consider the present to be the future, especially on the D&G side?
To hear some tell it, if it’s bad now, it’s gonna stay bad or get worse. The notion that it might actually get better seems to be beyond the ken of many.
Arkansas Transplant
July 2nd, 2012
11:41 am
I don’t think the Phillies are out of anything this year, if they get Utley and Howard going again and with their pitching it could make running through this division that much harder.
Frankie Wren
July 2nd, 2012
11:42 am
Definitely give FW till after 2013. I am still bullish on 2012 and he does something at the break. Still could care less about next year at this point. Good week of playing solid baseball starting tonight will go a long way.
Jeff R
July 2nd, 2012
11:44 am
“Whatever is wrong with McCann it isn’t related to fat. Ever seen a picture of Babe Ruth?
How about Prince Fielder? No one’s calling him “Skinny.”
monty
July 2nd, 2012
11:44 am
Are the Yankees and Mets allowed to have a blog? I shudder to think what some of their fans would post during extended losses or failure to live up to their potential. Would make some of the things on here probably seem innocent and harmless
TheOnlyBravesFan
July 2nd, 2012
11:45 am
AT: Hamels might be gone at the deadline. They don’t know if he’ll resign, so they’re gonna try to trade him. That would be a big blow to the pitching staff