“But fortunately for Braves fans every where, that horrid deal was nixed by Dempster.
Just a really bad deal.”
Not sure I understand the backlash on this proposed trade at all. Absolutely a short term deal and playing for today I get. Still if Dempster agreed to be a Brave are you not a little more confident if you get by a playin with this guy? Minor has been really solid but no way, no how Dempster doesn’t get the ball for Game 2 ahead of Minor. He may pitch well, or lose his donuts on the pitching mound before pitch one in starting Game 2. Dempster would be perfect this season and very well could be the piece that got you to the WS. I don’t feel that way with Paul Malholm pitching a game in the NLCS. We will see. If Dempster has the rock and leads the Rangers to the WS going to be tough to take.
That Dempster deal wasn’t horrid, but I am happy that things ended up as they did. I agree with Frankie’s comments about Dempster pitching game 2 in NLDS if he played for us. Maholm probably pitches Game 4 if we are up 2-1, but I bet its Huddy if we are down 1-2. I think Maholm has been pretty solid since we got him, I don’t think he gets the props he deserves, looked pretty good last night, after first two innings that is.
Maholm seems to run hot and cold. But he’s a good arm for the 3rd/4th slot. Normally keeps you in the game. But agree Dempster is more of a big game starter than Maholm.
Not to be a stickler, but Dempster is 35, and he was averaging 6.5 innings per outing with a low 2’s ERA before the trade.
I’d want someone who was rockin it THIS year. And unless he was on a noticeable down hill slide, I wouldn’t care how old he was if he was just a rental.
Just sayin…..
I think a lot of us were a little put out when he didn’t jump at the chance to come to Atlanta. And that my be clouding our judgment a tad bit???
Braves have a pretty good history when it comes to the young arms they have traded away, with the obvious exceptions of Wainwright (although a lot of injuries there) and N. Perez and Harrison in Teixeira trade.
“Managerial changes are never easy or taken lightly, but as we approached the end of the season and turned our attention to assessing the year, we determined a change was necessary,” GM Chris Antonetti said in a statement.
Shapiro and Antonetti should be given their walking papers. I know they fell on hard luck and players left and some came up lame with injuries. But how do you explain the utter lack of pitching talent throughout the entire organization? Same with Minnesota and Colorado. Terrible drafts for near 6 straight years.
In case y’all missed it… MLB Network @MLBNetwork
The @SFGiants have announced that Melky Cabrera will not play in any #postseason games. #TheRundown is live w/complete coverage.
Who’s going to take a flier on Melky next year? And how much of his performance increase was due to the PED’s and how much to getting in shape/losing weight? (or are they linked?)
If he wasn’t such a turd, I’d bring him back for a LF tryout.
Efrim is a tough room, people. Don’t get on his bad side
You know me, scoots……hard times aren’t easy – but every year there is a draft and every year a team has a chance to plug in talent to their system. No system should be as bad as Colorado, Cleveland and Minny’s for as bad as they have been the last couple years. Change that draft strategy.
I mean, I don’t love Huntington, and those were relatively easy calls, but at least he made the ones he should of made in the Top 10. There are some teams that refuse to do this for some insane reason.
We have one of the best pitching staffs in the NL,next year we will need two to replace Chipper and Bourn,and what if Mac does’nt come back?I don’t see the need for more pitching when we have so many more needs.
Dickey has been so good this year. Like, really, really good. I have to give it to him. Man’s been a horse. Kimbrel would probably be #2 or #3 for me, though. Cueto being the other.
“Not to be a stickler, but Dempster is 35, and he was averaging 6.5 innings per outing with a low 2’s ERA before the trade.
I’d want someone who was rockin it THIS year. And unless he was on a noticeable down hill slide, I wouldn’t care how old he was if he was just a rental.
Just sayin…..
I think a lot of us were a little put out when he didn’t jump at the chance to come to Atlanta. And that my be clouding our judgment a tad bit???”
That was my stance the whole time. You have him for 2 months which suxs but if he pitches like he has(too many here thought career year and really wasn’t) can go far in the playoffs. Age means nothing if you get to WS this season. Dunno. Maybe Delgado becomes outstanding although doubtful. If we trade Delgado, make it a piece that can help you to a Series and not just to make the team a little better.
David O’Brien @ajcbraves
#Braves lineup. Constanza CF Prado LF Heyward RF Jones 3B Freeman 1B uggla 2B Ross C Simmons SS Hanson P
No Bourn, but Constanza… No like. Why was the u in Uggla written small? LOL He’s hitting, no need to try to hide his name! Ross instead of BMac, might help the SB threat, but I hope Mac’s alright… took a few awkward swings yesterday.
Yes, you could make a case for Dickey, Cueto and Gonzalez. But I still think Kimbrel’s year far exceeds that those guys have done. But maybe it’s the “homer” in me that thinks this way.
Wayne, I just think the amount of innings a guy throws matters. I do love that all of Kimbrel’s are high leverage, and that’s why he’s #2 in my book. But R.A. has been the best starter in the league practically all season and I think he has the edge over Craig.
Frankie:Who would Dumpster replace?other then Hanson who should’nt be in there.Paul had a better record with the Cubs,and comparing same defense same offense and same teams against,that would od even been a bad trade for JJ because of the salary we would of picked up.
I’ll repeat myself for the 100th time, but the Mets are in a better spot than most think with that pitching staff next year. Dickey, Niese, Harvey, Santana, Gee, McHugh, Wheeler – lots of options. They just need a bullpen and an entire outfield…..and a catcher…..that’s all.
Efrim: Like I said, you can make a case for all 4 guys.
Baseball Movie Trivia (the Uggla steal of home got me thinking)
Benny “The Jet” Rodriquez from “The Sandlot”, was played by actor Mike Vitar. His older brother Pablo played the older version of Benny that stole home as a Dodger in the end of the movie. Unfortunately, Pablo succumbed to cancer a few years ago.
Braves have kept the Fish pretty quiet this series, and Hanson despite allowing all those hits and stolen bases has done pretty decently (ERA around 2.00, I believe, in 2 starts 10 IP).
6 IP, 1 or 2 ER. 7 Ks. Come on Tommy, I believe in ya. You need a good start, and I want to you succeed.
I’ll wait til the end of the season, but, Kimbrel’s numbers are historic. Sometimes you have to consider a reliever for Cy Young. This would be the time.
Dickey, Gonzalez, and Cueto are wandering into 20 wins (maybe 21) with good ERAs. But, relative to the recent past, none of them look amazing.
I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a closer as dominating as Kimbrel is right now. And that’s considering Smoltzie’s ridiculous run, Gagne’s back-to-back ridiculous seasons, and Chapman’s 100+ mph heat.
When the kid is on, like last night, you figure he could intentionally walk the bases loaded and not give up a run. When he’s off, unless he gives up a dinger, the other team still has to sweat and bleed to push one run across.
Braves are going to win 93 or 94 games this year but people here on the blog are still looking to make stupid trades for next year. I say offer Bourne 14 million a year for 5 years if he says no then go after Cain from KC, should be able to get him for Hanson, Malhom and maybe another small piece. Then take the 30 million or so that is left and tie up the good young players that the Braves already have. I don’t know about anyone else but I get alot of enjoyment watching the young guys come up through the system and do well. I would rather keep are own young players and give more a chance then signing over the hill free agents. Would love to see the braves lock up Prado,Heyward,Freeman and Kimbrell for the next 5 years and give Tehran, Delgado, Gattis and Cunningham a shot then throw a bunch of money at two or three free agents.
Buster Olney @Buster_ESPN
R.A. Dickey now the frontrunner for the NL Cy Young Award, IMO. But Gio still to pitch for No. 21, and there will be a Kimbrel faction.
Going forward, I’d probably project Bourn as a +3 to +4 win player, which is generally worth $15 to $20 million per year. But, even though he’s younger than Josh Hamilton or Nick Swisher, I’d be very uncomfortable going more than three years for Bourn. It isn’t just about what he’ll be in a few years – it’s about the potential risk if it all goes south real quick.
My guess is that someone will go five years for Bourn, and he’ll end up with a contract for between $75 and $100 million. Given his contact issues and the amount of his value that’s tied to his defense and baserunning, though, I don’t think I’d go beyond three years, and probably top out at $50-$60 million total. He’s going to get more than that, but I don’t know that I’d bet on him being worth more than that going forward. – Dave Cameron
I agree completely that he’s getting five years, and at least 15 million. Someone(Phillies, Nationals, Giants, Rangers) isn’t going to care about the red flags and just offer it up. They are in a better position to do this than the Braves are. No sense for Atlanta to even get deep into negotiations with Bourn and Boras. Qualifying offer and see you later.
I remember Smoltz was just absolutely lethal, and he had so many ways to come at you, it was just totally unfair. Kimbrel, though, just seems almost elemental. A force of nature. The two pitches, that’s it. You gear up for the gas, he throws the gas, and you still can’t hit it. You gear up for the gas, he throws the slider, and even your mama’s embarassed by the swing. It’s like arm-wrestling with The Hulk: “Oh, you want to try the other arm? Sure, put it up there.” Wham!
The numbers are just stupid, and the eye test says “Hey, maybe they’re not just making this bleep up.” So, maybe he does deserve the Cy. Maybe it’s the most dominating year by a relief pitcher, ever. Dunno. Pretty frickin’ good, though, and that’s a fact.
PDOG: with all due respect, Bourn is not worth signing. His failures in consecutive Septembers makes him the kind of player I do not want playing in Atlanta. Save the money, and allow Mr. Bourn to be someone else’s overpaid September headache.. or thumb sprain.
PDOG: with all due respect, Bourn is not worth signing. His failures in consecutive Septembers makes him the kind of player I do not want playing in Atlanta. Save the money, and allow Mr. Bourn to be someone else’s overpaid September headache.. or thumb sprain.
PDOG: with all due respect, Bourn is not worth signing. His failures in consecutive Septembers makes him the kind of player I do not want playing in Atlanta. Save the money, and allow Mr. Bourn to be someone else’s overpaid September headache.. or thumb sprain.
PDOG: with all due respect, Bourn is not worth signing. His failures in consecutive Septembers makes him the kind of player I do not want playing in Atlanta. Save the money, and allow Mr. Bourn to be someone else’s overpaid September headache.. or thumb sprain.
Frankly, I would much rather have Costanza playing CF next year and hitting 8th, maybe re-sign R. Johnson as a backup, and divert the saved dollars off not signing Bourn, Chipper retired, not offering JJ arb., getting rid of Hanson via trade, and the $10 Mil Lowe Debacle…
And signing/trading for a LEGIT RH LF power-&-average bat. More money could be saved by not offering BMac the $12 mil next year and signing Russell Martin (FA) for two years at a fraction of the cost, along with Rossy. Catcher is not a position I would spend big money on if I were GM.
If we get a legit MVP RH LF bat for next year, Heyward, Freeman, & Uggla will blossom because two of those players are not yet ready to carry a team, and the 2B never will. We can then place Prado at 3B and have Francisco as a bench bat.
I’d keep Bourn out for the next few games, absolutely no reason to run him out there before he’s truly healed up. He’s been anchor on offense anyways.. give him some rest so he’ll be ready to go in the post season.
I do agree about Bourne but if you don’t sign him who are you going to get to play CF? I mentioned Cain but after that I don’t really see anyone else worth it. Hamilton will be out of the Braves price range and Vizcaiano is already 32 years old, I would not invest more then a year or two on him. Maybe you can make a deal for Ellsbury if the Sox decide to blow the whole thing up and start over.
flange1: honestly, I have not researched that. That said, I am scared to allow “Bird-Brain” wren the chance to make that selection. IMO, it is the most important and most fiscally prudent move the Braves can make w/o driving themselves into fiscal ruin.
Maybe 1-2 season of such a bat until either Terd or Gattis are ready to roll, if ever.
In the meantime, a team starved for pitching, who might have such a bat, would be willing to part with such a player. Delgado, Teheran, Gilmartin, and Minor are untouchables in such a scenario.
OR!
With Chipper retired, allow Gattis to catch with Ross and Terd to play LF, insert Delgado & Teheran in the rotation, and allow the Youth Movement to begin! As PDOG said earlier, ya gotta save the BIG scratch to sign the likes of Heyward, Freeman, Minor, Prado, Kimbrel, et. al., down the road.
I just watched the first 2 episodes of Boardwalk Empire. I thought they jumped the shark last year by killing off Jimmy, but instead, they are off to a strong start for the new season.
Its sounds like an easy thing to get a RH LF who can hit for power, but man it just isn’t or we would have gotten him a long time ago.
Absolutely true. If it happens, folks here are either going to scream about the trade cost or scream that the player isn’t high-caliber enough. Or both.
Real RH power is at a premium in the game right now, that’s just a fact of life.
Only problem I have with voting for Kimbrel for CYA is the way he is used (which of course is not his fault). The relievers who’ve won the award were all from a slightly (or much) less specialized era, and would actually come into games and “put out a fire.”
In ‘92 when Eckersly won, he entered the game with men on base at least 20 times. Of the 31 base runners he inherited that year, only 2 scored.
Kimbrel has started each appearance (except one?) with none on, none out. The “inherited runners/scored” statistic is practically not even applicable to him – he’s inherited 9 base runners in his entire career.
Not an indictment of Kimbrel… just don’t think a pitcher used that way should win the Cy.
MiaBchBravesFan, I’d like to see us try to acquire Craig Gentry from Texas to play CF. Great defensive fielder, great speed and hits from the right side.. plus hits lefties really well.
I might go after Peter Boujas from Angels if I am the Braves, also might not be a bad idea to try and sign Tori Hunter for 1 year for about 5 million to play LF, but I keep getting images of Garret Anderson in LF.
For LF, I’d be okay with Justin Upton(huge price), Willingham(Twins want to keep him), BJ Upton(FA probably going to be expensive) and then my next choice would be to look at some available minor league prospects like Garcia from Detroit that have the potential to supply the power and production we’re looking for.
Of course, all the things that make a player attractive to us, makes them valuable and desirable on the market (trade or FA). This is what makes the moves so difficult, especially for a team in the 47%.
1,027 comments Add your comment
DS1
September 27th, 2012
2:25 pm
scoots
If I turn on the mute, I really enjoy MSNBC. Especially Rachel Maddow!!
Frankie
September 27th, 2012
2:28 pm
“But fortunately for Braves fans every where, that horrid deal was nixed by Dempster.
Just a really bad deal.”
Not sure I understand the backlash on this proposed trade at all. Absolutely a short term deal and playing for today I get. Still if Dempster agreed to be a Brave are you not a little more confident if you get by a playin with this guy? Minor has been really solid but no way, no how Dempster doesn’t get the ball for Game 2 ahead of Minor. He may pitch well, or lose his donuts on the pitching mound before pitch one in starting Game 2. Dempster would be perfect this season and very well could be the piece that got you to the WS. I don’t feel that way with Paul Malholm pitching a game in the NLCS. We will see. If Dempster has the rock and leads the Rangers to the WS going to be tough to take.
TennesseePaul
September 27th, 2012
2:31 pm
If Dempster has the rock and leads the Rangers to the WS going to be tough to take.
You tip your cap to ‘em. But it doesn’t change the fact that the proposed deal was horrid.
Frankie
September 27th, 2012
2:33 pm
‘You tip your cap to ‘em. But it doesn’t change the fact that the proposed deal was horrid.’
In your opinion.
Puma
September 27th, 2012
2:39 pm
That Dempster deal wasn’t horrid, but I am happy that things ended up as they did. I agree with Frankie’s comments about Dempster pitching game 2 in NLDS if he played for us. Maholm probably pitches Game 4 if we are up 2-1, but I bet its Huddy if we are down 1-2. I think Maholm has been pretty solid since we got him, I don’t think he gets the props he deserves, looked pretty good last night, after first two innings that is.
DS1
September 27th, 2012
2:44 pm
I liked the Dempster deal OK, but I was also talking about Maholm and Johnson or Baker before the deal was made (looks like I got all 3 of my wish).
And I don’t think it was horrid four shore.
DS1
September 27th, 2012
2:49 pm
Puma
Maholm seems to run hot and cold. But he’s a good arm for the 3rd/4th slot. Normally keeps you in the game. But agree Dempster is more of a big game starter than Maholm.
Efrim
September 27th, 2012
2:49 pm
I’m not completely against trading a prospect for a short term rental – but that rental better be more than 36 year old Ryan Dempster….
ncscoots
September 27th, 2012
2:52 pm
Speaking of “big game starter”, I’m nominating Tyler Cloyd as my Pick To Click tonight, LOL. Sic ‘em, rookie!
Venice Jim
September 27th, 2012
2:56 pm
leveland Indians @Indians
Manny Acta will not return as Manager in 2013. Sandy Alomar will be Interim Manager the last 6 games of the season
DS1
September 27th, 2012
2:56 pm
Not to be a stickler, but Dempster is 35, and he was averaging 6.5 innings per outing with a low 2’s ERA before the trade.
I’d want someone who was rockin it THIS year. And unless he was on a noticeable down hill slide, I wouldn’t care how old he was if he was just a rental.
Just sayin…..
I think a lot of us were a little put out when he didn’t jump at the chance to come to Atlanta. And that my be clouding our judgment a tad bit???
Venice Jim
September 27th, 2012
2:56 pm
C
TheOnlyBravesFan
September 27th, 2012
2:56 pm
Delgado for Greinke? Might not have been so against that.
Manny Acta fired in Cleveland.
DS1
September 27th, 2012
2:57 pm
Gotta love a guy named Cloyd!
Puma
September 27th, 2012
2:57 pm
Braves have a pretty good history when it comes to the young arms they have traded away, with the obvious exceptions of Wainwright (although a lot of injuries there) and N. Perez and Harrison in Teixeira trade.
Efrim
September 27th, 2012
2:58 pm
Good to see David Wright have a big few games. Up to .309/.393/.499 on the year.
Man, I’d love to see him hitting between Heyward and Freeman.
Efrim
September 27th, 2012
2:59 pm
And yes, I am totally rooting hard for R.A. Dickey to win #20 today!!!
First knuckler to win a Cy Young award. Good for him.
DS1
September 27th, 2012
3:02 pm
Amen on David Wright!!
What would it take to get him in an “A” cap?
Prado, Bethancourt, Teheran and more?
Efrim
September 27th, 2012
3:02 pm
“Managerial changes are never easy or taken lightly, but as we approached the end of the season and turned our attention to assessing the year, we determined a change was necessary,” GM Chris Antonetti said in a statement.
Shapiro and Antonetti should be given their walking papers. I know they fell on hard luck and players left and some came up lame with injuries. But how do you explain the utter lack of pitching talent throughout the entire organization? Same with Minnesota and Colorado. Terrible drafts for near 6 straight years.
The Axe to all of em.
TheOnlyBravesFan
September 27th, 2012
3:02 pm
In case y’all missed it… MLB Network @MLBNetwork
The @SFGiants have announced that Melky Cabrera will not play in any #postseason games. #TheRundown is live w/complete coverage.
Good. He didn’t deserve PS play.
ncscoots
September 27th, 2012
3:05 pm
Efrim is a tough room, people. Don’t get on his bad side.
DS1
September 27th, 2012
3:07 pm
Who’s going to take a flier on Melky next year? And how much of his performance increase was due to the PED’s and how much to getting in shape/losing weight? (or are they linked?)
If he wasn’t such a turd, I’d bring him back for a LF tryout.
Puma
September 27th, 2012
3:08 pm
I can’t believe Melky was even eligible to play in postseason. Giants don’t want him playing unless he’s juiced anyway.
ncscoots
September 27th, 2012
3:09 pm
6 BB, 92 K , 49-1/3 IP.
I mean, come on…a K/BB ration of 15? Seriously?
DS1
September 27th, 2012
3:09 pm
Efrim ain’t so tough! Wait till he’s been married 30+ years. THEN we’ll see how tough he really is!
Efrim
September 27th, 2012
3:10 pm
Efrim is a tough room, people. Don’t get on his bad side
You know me, scoots……hard times aren’t easy – but every year there is a draft and every year a team has a chance to plug in talent to their system. No system should be as bad as Colorado, Cleveland and Minny’s for as bad as they have been the last couple years. Change that draft strategy.
I mean, I don’t love Huntington, and those were relatively easy calls, but at least he made the ones he should of made in the Top 10. There are some teams that refuse to do this for some insane reason.
jeffrey d
September 27th, 2012
3:10 pm
They couldn’t let Manny coach 6 more games?
DS1
September 27th, 2012
3:11 pm
scoots
Should definitely be in the Cy Young consideration. And a lot of national folks aren’t giving him much play.
DS1
September 27th, 2012
3:12 pm
jeffrey
Probably some behind the scene’s conversations that went too far………. Some times it’s just better to cut and run.
DS1
September 27th, 2012
3:13 pm
I have always liked Manny A…….
ncscoots
September 27th, 2012
3:15 pm
They couldn’t let Manny coach 6 more games?
Sometimes, an exiting manager has the choice of departure dates and picks “today”.
John Leonard
September 27th, 2012
3:16 pm
We have one of the best pitching staffs in the NL,next year we will need two to replace Chipper and Bourn,and what if Mac does’nt come back?I don’t see the need for more pitching when we have so many more needs.
Efrim
September 27th, 2012
3:17 pm
Dickey has been so good this year. Like, really, really good. I have to give it to him. Man’s been a horse. Kimbrel would probably be #2 or #3 for me, though. Cueto being the other.
Venice Jim
September 27th, 2012
3:17 pm
Atlanta Braves @Braves
Tonight’s lineup vs. MIA (7:10, SPSO/680AM/BRN): Constanza 8 Prado 7 Heyward 9 Jones 5 Freeman 3 Uggla 4 Ross 2 Simmons 6 Hanson 1
David O'Brien
September 27th, 2012
3:18 pm
Great Chipper story by J. Stark: http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/8427136/the-many-amazing-feats-chipper-jones
Efrim
September 27th, 2012
3:18 pm
Tad concerning that Bourn is out of the lineup – again. Really hope he can get in the following 6 games.
Efrim
September 27th, 2012
3:20 pm
Dickey has thrown 111 pitches through 7 IP and is staying in the game. 11 K’s through 7 innings.
ncscoots
September 27th, 2012
3:20 pm
Geez, did a coyote chew off Bourn’s whole dang hand? Splint that *****, and get in there.
DS1
September 27th, 2012
3:21 pm
Advice a friend gave to the Alaskan woman who fell 60 feet down a rocky, ocean side cliff while texting:
“Lesson learned — don’t leave the gate open, don’t text message and smoke cigarettes on a slippery bluff with a long drop to the rocks.”
Frankie
September 27th, 2012
3:22 pm
“Not to be a stickler, but Dempster is 35, and he was averaging 6.5 innings per outing with a low 2’s ERA before the trade.
I’d want someone who was rockin it THIS year. And unless he was on a noticeable down hill slide, I wouldn’t care how old he was if he was just a rental.
Just sayin…..
I think a lot of us were a little put out when he didn’t jump at the chance to come to Atlanta. And that my be clouding our judgment a tad bit???”
That was my stance the whole time. You have him for 2 months which suxs but if he pitches like he has(too many here thought career year and really wasn’t) can go far in the playoffs. Age means nothing if you get to WS this season. Dunno. Maybe Delgado becomes outstanding although doubtful. If we trade Delgado, make it a piece that can help you to a Series and not just to make the team a little better.
Yogi got to give to get sometimes.
TheOnlyBravesFan
September 27th, 2012
3:23 pm
David O’Brien @ajcbraves
#Braves lineup. Constanza CF Prado LF Heyward RF Jones 3B Freeman 1B uggla 2B Ross C Simmons SS Hanson P
No Bourn, but Constanza… No like. Why was the u in Uggla written small? LOL He’s hitting, no need to try to hide his name! Ross instead of BMac, might help the SB threat, but I hope Mac’s alright… took a few awkward swings yesterday.
David O'Brien
September 27th, 2012
3:24 pm
Braves lineup: Constanza CF, Prado LF, Heyward RF, Jones 3B, Freeman 1B, uggla 2B, Ross C, Simmons SS, Hanson P
DS1
September 27th, 2012
3:24 pm
Efrim
Yes, you could make a case for Dickey, Cueto and Gonzalez. But I still think Kimbrel’s year far exceeds that those guys have done. But maybe it’s the “homer” in me that thinks this way.
TheOnlyBravesFan
September 27th, 2012
3:26 pm
Jon Heyman @JonHeymanCBS
dismissing acta w/ a few games left gives #Indians people a chance to see alomar jr. in action. heavy favorite to get job.
See him in action over 6 games? Makes no sense.
Efrim
September 27th, 2012
3:27 pm
Wayne, I just think the amount of innings a guy throws matters. I do love that all of Kimbrel’s are high leverage, and that’s why he’s #2 in my book. But R.A. has been the best starter in the league practically all season and I think he has the edge over Craig.
John Leonard
September 27th, 2012
3:30 pm
Frankie:Who would Dumpster replace?other then Hanson who should’nt be in there.Paul had a better record with the Cubs,and comparing same defense same offense and same teams against,that would od even been a bad trade for JJ because of the salary we would of picked up.
Efrim
September 27th, 2012
3:30 pm
I’ll repeat myself for the 100th time, but the Mets are in a better spot than most think with that pitching staff next year. Dickey, Niese, Harvey, Santana, Gee, McHugh, Wheeler – lots of options. They just need a bullpen and an entire outfield…..and a catcher…..that’s all.
raleighbravefan
September 27th, 2012
3:30 pm
Pretty good lineup tonight. I hope Tommy doesn’t blow up. He should be on a short leash, beginning with 4th inning.
DAP
September 27th, 2012
3:31 pm
no bourn? no problem. hes slumping and hurting. get him ready for the WC game.
John Leonard
September 27th, 2012
3:33 pm
Should of been “of” not od.did not check before posting.Good excuse as any.
DS1
September 27th, 2012
3:33 pm
Efrim: Like I said, you can make a case for all 4 guys.
Baseball Movie Trivia (the Uggla steal of home got me thinking)
Benny “The Jet” Rodriquez from “The Sandlot”, was played by actor Mike Vitar. His older brother Pablo played the older version of Benny that stole home as a Dodger in the end of the movie. Unfortunately, Pablo succumbed to cancer a few years ago.
David O'Brien
September 27th, 2012
3:33 pm
Good story in Creative Loafing by Max Blau, who did an oral history of Chipper by talking to about 20 folks, many of them (including me) at length:
http://clatl.com/gyrobase/chipper-jones-an-oral-history/Content?oid=6473900&showFullText=true
TheOnlyBravesFan
September 27th, 2012
3:34 pm
Braves have kept the Fish pretty quiet this series, and Hanson despite allowing all those hits and stolen bases has done pretty decently (ERA around 2.00, I believe, in 2 starts 10 IP).
6 IP, 1 or 2 ER. 7 Ks. Come on Tommy, I believe in ya. You need a good start, and I want to you succeed.
DS1
September 27th, 2012
3:34 pm
A bullpen, an outfield and a catcher? No problem!
ncscoots
September 27th, 2012
3:35 pm
get him ready for the WC game.
Riding pine only gets you ready for the rocking chair.
abeeeewright
September 27th, 2012
3:35 pm
I’ll wait til the end of the season, but, Kimbrel’s numbers are historic. Sometimes you have to consider a reliever for Cy Young. This would be the time.
Dickey, Gonzalez, and Cueto are wandering into 20 wins (maybe 21) with good ERAs. But, relative to the recent past, none of them look amazing.
I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a closer as dominating as Kimbrel is right now. And that’s considering Smoltzie’s ridiculous run, Gagne’s back-to-back ridiculous seasons, and Chapman’s 100+ mph heat.
When the kid is on, like last night, you figure he could intentionally walk the bases loaded and not give up a run. When he’s off, unless he gives up a dinger, the other team still has to sweat and bleed to push one run across.
ncscoots
September 27th, 2012
3:36 pm
Stark-on-Chipper was pretty good. Thanks for that link, David. I go over to ESPN so seldom anymore, I might have missed it.
DS1
September 27th, 2012
3:38 pm
scoots
You’re spending WAY too much time over on Fox News!
PDOG
September 27th, 2012
3:39 pm
Braves are going to win 93 or 94 games this year but people here on the blog are still looking to make stupid trades for next year. I say offer Bourne 14 million a year for 5 years if he says no then go after Cain from KC, should be able to get him for Hanson, Malhom and maybe another small piece. Then take the 30 million or so that is left and tie up the good young players that the Braves already have. I don’t know about anyone else but I get alot of enjoyment watching the young guys come up through the system and do well. I would rather keep are own young players and give more a chance then signing over the hill free agents. Would love to see the braves lock up Prado,Heyward,Freeman and Kimbrell for the next 5 years and give Tehran, Delgado, Gattis and Cunningham a shot then throw a bunch of money at two or three free agents.
Efrim
September 27th, 2012
3:44 pm
Ryan Howard has hit .223/.296/.430, 93 OPS+ this year with 96 K’s in 287 plate appearances, 69 games.
He is owed $105 million dollars over the next four seasons through 2016.
He will play next year as a 33 year old…..
Bravesfan1984
September 27th, 2012
3:45 pm
http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/michael-bourns-market-value/
O.M.G.
September 27th, 2012
3:46 pm
Murph–92 strikeouts in 49-1/3 innings
My math-deficient brain cannot comprehend this. I think that’s something like 12 strikeouts per inning.
Impressive!
Try 1.86 K’s per inning, still impressive.
TheOnlyBravesFan
September 27th, 2012
3:47 pm
Buster Olney @Buster_ESPN
R.A. Dickey now the frontrunner for the NL Cy Young Award, IMO. But Gio still to pitch for No. 21, and there will be a Kimbrel faction.
Kimbrel! Kimbrel!
Efrim
September 27th, 2012
3:49 pm
Going forward, I’d probably project Bourn as a +3 to +4 win player, which is generally worth $15 to $20 million per year. But, even though he’s younger than Josh Hamilton or Nick Swisher, I’d be very uncomfortable going more than three years for Bourn. It isn’t just about what he’ll be in a few years – it’s about the potential risk if it all goes south real quick.
My guess is that someone will go five years for Bourn, and he’ll end up with a contract for between $75 and $100 million. Given his contact issues and the amount of his value that’s tied to his defense and baserunning, though, I don’t think I’d go beyond three years, and probably top out at $50-$60 million total. He’s going to get more than that, but I don’t know that I’d bet on him being worth more than that going forward. – Dave Cameron
I agree completely that he’s getting five years, and at least 15 million. Someone(Phillies, Nationals, Giants, Rangers) isn’t going to care about the red flags and just offer it up. They are in a better position to do this than the Braves are. No sense for Atlanta to even get deep into negotiations with Bourn and Boras. Qualifying offer and see you later.
ncscoots
September 27th, 2012
3:51 pm
And that’s considering Smoltzie’s ridiculous run
I remember Smoltz was just absolutely lethal, and he had so many ways to come at you, it was just totally unfair. Kimbrel, though, just seems almost elemental. A force of nature. The two pitches, that’s it. You gear up for the gas, he throws the gas, and you still can’t hit it. You gear up for the gas, he throws the slider, and even your mama’s embarassed by the swing. It’s like arm-wrestling with The Hulk: “Oh, you want to try the other arm? Sure, put it up there.” Wham!
The numbers are just stupid, and the eye test says “Hey, maybe they’re not just making this bleep up.” So, maybe he does deserve the Cy. Maybe it’s the most dominating year by a relief pitcher, ever. Dunno. Pretty frickin’ good, though, and that’s a fact.
MiaBchBravesFan
September 27th, 2012
3:55 pm
PDOG: with all due respect, Bourn is not worth signing. His failures in consecutive Septembers makes him the kind of player I do not want playing in Atlanta. Save the money, and allow Mr. Bourn to be someone else’s overpaid September headache.. or thumb sprain.
MiaBchBravesFan
September 27th, 2012
3:55 pm
PDOG: with all due respect, Bourn is not worth signing. His failures in consecutive Septembers makes him the kind of player I do not want playing in Atlanta. Save the money, and allow Mr. Bourn to be someone else’s overpaid September headache.. or thumb sprain.
MiaBchBravesFan
September 27th, 2012
3:55 pm
PDOG: with all due respect, Bourn is not worth signing. His failures in consecutive Septembers makes him the kind of player I do not want playing in Atlanta. Save the money, and allow Mr. Bourn to be someone else’s overpaid September headache.. or thumb sprain.
MiaBchBravesFan
September 27th, 2012
3:55 pm
PDOG: with all due respect, Bourn is not worth signing. His failures in consecutive Septembers makes him the kind of player I do not want playing in Atlanta. Save the money, and allow Mr. Bourn to be someone else’s overpaid September headache.. or thumb sprain.
MiaBchBravesFan
September 27th, 2012
3:56 pm
Did not mean to do that, stupid server.
DS1
September 27th, 2012
4:00 pm
Miami Beach bringing it strong!!
Bay Area Steve
September 27th, 2012
4:01 pm
“I don’t know … the fact that he’s playing at age 40 and producing the way he is pretty much tells me to shut the hell up.”
Strong quote, ‘OB. Me like.
TheOnlyBravesFan
September 27th, 2012
4:04 pm
Mark Bowman @mlbbowman
Bourn is encouraged with the progress of his thumb. But he will <b<miss at least another day or two
That’s what they said when he first got hurt…
DK
September 27th, 2012
4:06 pm
PDOG
Your 3:39 post gets my post of month vote.
monty
September 27th, 2012
4:08 pm
I’ve never really liked the idea of giving the CY Young to a reliver, until now!
MiaBchBravesFan
September 27th, 2012
4:08 pm
Frankly, I would much rather have Costanza playing CF next year and hitting 8th, maybe re-sign R. Johnson as a backup, and divert the saved dollars off not signing Bourn, Chipper retired, not offering JJ arb., getting rid of Hanson via trade, and the $10 Mil Lowe Debacle…
And signing/trading for a LEGIT RH LF power-&-average bat. More money could be saved by not offering BMac the $12 mil next year and signing Russell Martin (FA) for two years at a fraction of the cost, along with Rossy. Catcher is not a position I would spend big money on if I were GM.
If we get a legit MVP RH LF bat for next year, Heyward, Freeman, & Uggla will blossom because two of those players are not yet ready to carry a team, and the 2B never will. We can then place Prado at 3B and have Francisco as a bench bat.
1. Simmons
2. Prado
3. Heyward
4. RH MVP bat
5. Freeman
6. Uggla
7. Ross/Martin
8. Costanza
9. SP
That is not a lineup to sneeze at. And all it takes is ONE player.
DAP
September 27th, 2012
4:08 pm
scoots Riding pine only gets you ready for the rocking chair.
in this case, it lets bourn’s thumb heal. get him back in there by the pirates series, and he’ll be fine.
Arkansas Transplant
September 27th, 2012
4:12 pm
I’d keep Bourn out for the next few games, absolutely no reason to run him out there before he’s truly healed up. He’s been anchor on offense anyways.. give him some rest so he’ll be ready to go in the post season.
monty
September 27th, 2012
4:13 pm
Not sure why Dempster would be lights out in the playoffs with his 4.5 ERA second half of the year. Unless you just have him as a fan fave.
PDOG
September 27th, 2012
4:13 pm
I do agree about Bourne but if you don’t sign him who are you going to get to play CF? I mentioned Cain but after that I don’t really see anyone else worth it. Hamilton will be out of the Braves price range and Vizcaiano is already 32 years old, I would not invest more then a year or two on him. Maybe you can make a deal for Ellsbury if the Sox decide to blow the whole thing up and start over.
flange1
September 27th, 2012
4:14 pm
Great speech MiaBch, but name the RH LF masher.
MiaBchBravesFan
September 27th, 2012
4:14 pm
AK Transplant: I wholeheartedly agree.
TheOnlyBravesFan
September 27th, 2012
4:16 pm
And signing/trading for a LEGIT RH LF power-&-average bat.
Who? No free agent fits this description, and Willingham will be hard to trade for
chipontheroad
September 27th, 2012
4:17 pm
thnx for the links D O’B et al
cricket
September 27th, 2012
4:17 pm
so many moves suggested here for players and no one suggested extending 2012 manager of year candidate Fredi?
Fall of George
September 27th, 2012
4:18 pm
Noone has reported it, but the Braves magic number for clinching the 1st wild card position is 1. One win by Braves or one loss by St. Louis.
Of course we want St. Louis to sweep Washington this weekend. We know they’re gonna try, because they haven’t clinched a playoff spot yet.
monty
September 27th, 2012
4:18 pm
Bernadina
Prado
Heyward
Willingham
Freeman
Uggla
McCann
Simmons
WS here we come!
Fall of George
September 27th, 2012
4:22 pm
Go Braves and Go Phillies tonight!
MiaBchBravesFan
September 27th, 2012
4:25 pm
flange1: honestly, I have not researched that. That said, I am scared to allow “Bird-Brain” wren the chance to make that selection. IMO, it is the most important and most fiscally prudent move the Braves can make w/o driving themselves into fiscal ruin.
Maybe 1-2 season of such a bat until either Terd or Gattis are ready to roll, if ever.
In the meantime, a team starved for pitching, who might have such a bat, would be willing to part with such a player. Delgado, Teheran, Gilmartin, and Minor are untouchables in such a scenario.
OR!
With Chipper retired, allow Gattis to catch with Ross and Terd to play LF, insert Delgado & Teheran in the rotation, and allow the Youth Movement to begin! As PDOG said earlier, ya gotta save the BIG scratch to sign the likes of Heyward, Freeman, Minor, Prado, Kimbrel, et. al., down the road.
Puma
September 27th, 2012
4:30 pm
Its sounds like an easy thing to get a RH LF who can hit for power, but man it just isn’t or we would have gotten him a long time ago.
kenhotlanta
September 27th, 2012
4:31 pm
I just watched the first 2 episodes of Boardwalk Empire. I thought they jumped the shark last year by killing off Jimmy, but instead, they are off to a strong start for the new season.
ncscoots
September 27th, 2012
4:36 pm
Its sounds like an easy thing to get a RH LF who can hit for power, but man it just isn’t or we would have gotten him a long time ago.
Absolutely true. If it happens, folks here are either going to scream about the trade cost or scream that the player isn’t high-caliber enough. Or both.
Real RH power is at a premium in the game right now, that’s just a fact of life.
MikeInFl
September 27th, 2012
4:36 pm
Only problem I have with voting for Kimbrel for CYA is the way he is used (which of course is not his fault). The relievers who’ve won the award were all from a slightly (or much) less specialized era, and would actually come into games and “put out a fire.”
In ‘92 when Eckersly won, he entered the game with men on base at least 20 times. Of the 31 base runners he inherited that year, only 2 scored.
Kimbrel has started each appearance (except one?) with none on, none out. The “inherited runners/scored” statistic is practically not even applicable to him – he’s inherited 9 base runners in his entire career.
Not an indictment of Kimbrel… just don’t think a pitcher used that way should win the Cy.
Arkansas Transplant
September 27th, 2012
4:38 pm
MiaBchBravesFan, I’d like to see us try to acquire Craig Gentry from Texas to play CF. Great defensive fielder, great speed and hits from the right side.. plus hits lefties really well.
PDOG
September 27th, 2012
4:42 pm
I might go after Peter Boujas from Angels if I am the Braves, also might not be a bad idea to try and sign Tori Hunter for 1 year for about 5 million to play LF, but I keep getting images of Garret Anderson in LF.
Arkansas Transplant
September 27th, 2012
4:44 pm
For LF, I’d be okay with Justin Upton(huge price), Willingham(Twins want to keep him), BJ Upton(FA probably going to be expensive) and then my next choice would be to look at some available minor league prospects like Garcia from Detroit that have the potential to supply the power and production we’re looking for.
ncscoots
September 27th, 2012
4:47 pm
that have the potential to supply the power and production we’re looking for.
I don’t think they’re going to look for “potential” in the OF, AT. And the deeper the run in the postseason, even less likely that they would do so.
cricket
September 27th, 2012
4:53 pm
i would love willingham. Uptons may not happen. Ludwick woulda been great for a year but he’s got very affordable team option.
raleighbravefan
September 27th, 2012
4:53 pm
scoots – Yep, a deep run in post season creates revenue…key to increased payroll latitude.
raleighbravefan
September 27th, 2012
4:56 pm
Of course, all the things that make a player attractive to us, makes them valuable and desirable on the market (trade or FA). This is what makes the moves so difficult, especially for a team in the 47%.