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© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
4,357 comments Add your comment
just sayin
November 14th, 2012
4:00 pm
Bye David. Nice knowing ya. Good veteran presence, but not worth over double what the average backup catcher makes in the league. Hope Bentancourt gets ready, he’s a great prospect. Or Gattis, although I’ve heard his defense isn’t that great. We’ll figure it out. GO BRAVES
Ward
November 14th, 2012
4:01 pm
I like Cody Ross, and he’s a gamer, and that is what the Braves need.
Ward
November 14th, 2012
4:03 pm
I think Braves should go with Bethancourt, and Gattis. Srew the Catcher Free Agents. Some on the list have never had a prime.
Efrim
November 14th, 2012
4:03 pm
Hello everyone!
My day has been made. Thank you, Ward.
Ward
November 14th, 2012
4:05 pm
Meant to say screw the catchers on the Free Agents list. Braves can do better.
ncscoots
November 14th, 2012
4:07 pm
Ward, what about Stanton, man? Should the Braves pursue him?
Ward
November 14th, 2012
4:10 pm
ncscoots – I would since Marlins ar on a fire sale. Not give up the farm though.
Jimmy
November 14th, 2012
4:10 pm
Hey folks.
Haven’t posted much lately, but I’ve been following.
Here is a thought, but I’m sure it won’t happen:
Freeman the lead in a package for Stanton. Sign Adam LaRoche for two years at first. Heap comes back in May and produces. We resign him and he ends up at first in two years.
That is the only way McCann stays in Atlanta past this season.
Murph
November 14th, 2012
4:10 pm
According to MLBTradeRumors, Cody Ross is getting the most interest from the Phillies, Tigers, Mariners, and Red Sox.
Whew!
nolie
November 14th, 2012
4:10 pm
Smolyz was paid as a starter and used a couple years as a reliever because of his arm, he went back to starting when his arm was felt safe in the last three years. No way they would have paid him that if he was origianally just a closer
Ward
November 14th, 2012
4:13 pm
ncsoots – I would since Marlins are on a fire sale, but not give up the farm though for him.
nolie
November 14th, 2012
4:13 pm
Smoltz was in a different category, he closed 4 years but the thought was that he would start again at some point most likely, as he did. No way they would have paid him like that is he had only been a closer all along
ncscoots
November 14th, 2012
4:13 pm
No way they would have paid him that if he was origianally just a closer
Nit-picker.
nolie
November 14th, 2012
4:14 pm
I hate this damn site.
Ward
November 14th, 2012
4:17 pm
ncscoots – I hope the Braves go through with the 3 year offer. I like Cody Ross a lot. A great solid player, and team player. He’s a gamer, and that’s what I like.
Murph
November 14th, 2012
4:18 pm
nolie, do you hate it for the content… or for the server errors?
I just had a couple of minutes of server errors myself.
flange1
November 14th, 2012
4:20 pm
The server errors are getting tiresome.
Murph
November 14th, 2012
4:20 pm
Ward being all for signing Cody Ross tells me all I need to know.
David O'Brien
November 14th, 2012
4:21 pm
From ESPN Stats & Info: Only 2 rightfielders had more Most Defensive Runs Saved last season than Torri Hunter’s 15: Josh Reddick (22) and Jason Heyward (20)
ncscoots
November 14th, 2012
4:23 pm
Ward’s a gamer, though. Gritty. Scrappy.
David O'Brien
November 14th, 2012
4:26 pm
so the Jays contacted Cox to see if he is interested in managing the MarlinJays……
Yes, but it was more than two weeks ago, after Farrell jumped to the Red Sox.
By the way, gotta be Toronto Blue Marlins, right?
Murph
November 14th, 2012
4:26 pm
Ward’s a gamer, though. Gritty. Scrappy.
You’re grossly overpaying….
Ward
November 14th, 2012
4:27 pm
I’m also been hearing a lot that Shane Victorino will end up a Brave. All this news about Cody Ross. Gives me hope!
BravePack(FreeFan)
November 14th, 2012
4:27 pm
Bay Area Steve
November 14th, 2012
3:43 pm
Pack,
I don’t think there is a single body here who wouldn’t want Kimbrel here until his arm falls off. But, this is the Braves. Do you really think they’re going to give a closer Mariano money? $15 million by five? ‘Cause that’s where it’s gonna start.
I know the Braves are middle of the pack in payroll now but who knows what will happen in a few years. So basically what some are saying is the Braves will never pay any stars big $ if they deserve it? So if Heyward and Freeman become what we expect them to become they are gone as well? Wren just paid Derek f’n Lowe 15 million for many years in his late 30’s and he pitched every 4 days and not very well I might add. I think some of us underestimate Braves management, especially for players who come up through the system. I know Kimbrel only pitches 60/70 innings a year but they are very important innings that can win/lose games especially when an offense is inconsistent like the Braves the last few years and they only have a 1 or 2 run lead. If he continues to pitch like he has the first 2 years he is worth every f’n penny of that 15 mil a year.
ncscoots
November 14th, 2012
4:28 pm
By the way, gotta be Toronto Blue Marlins, right?
And the LA Dodger Sox?
CB
November 14th, 2012
4:30 pm
I like LA Sox Dodgers. They play barefoot.
David O'Brien
November 14th, 2012
4:30 pm
According to my successor at the Sun-Sentinel, the Marlins plans to move Escobar to third (they’d have an all Cuban-defector left side of the infield) or possibly trade him.
http://blogs.sun-sentinel.com/sports_baseball_marlins/2012/11/miami-marlins-hechavarria-not-escobar-to-start-at-short-in-2013.html
ncscoots
November 14th, 2012
4:30 pm
Murph, find us a Marlins blog and see what they want for Stanton.
We cut the ask in half, and we should have an idea for a viable deal.
Ward
November 14th, 2012
4:33 pm
Gotta love the off season. Sure can be some ups, and downs. All, I’ll talk later tonight. Peace my friends, and “Go!!!!!Braves!!!!!” Be cool, and Excellent to one another.
CrαZy
November 14th, 2012
4:33 pm
Ward… I’ve always wondered who do you “hear all the rumors from”? You have terrific sources!!
ncscoots
November 14th, 2012
4:33 pm
They might as well trade Escobar. Latin SS hate being moved off the position.
Shaun
November 14th, 2012
4:34 pm
WTF is wRC+ and why should we care?
Look it up. Not trying to be rude, honestly, but it’s pretty easy to do a quick Google search and find what goes in to certain stats. And you get what goes in to these stats straight from the folks who devise them. You have a problem with me pointing to wRC+ when discussing players and teams, take it up with the folks who devised the stat instead of with me. If folks actually took the time to discover what goes in to these types of stats, they’ll see how and why they are useful, so I’m through with the burden being on me when I bring them up. Just look it up and bring back a case against them based on the explanation of those who devised these stats, if you have a problem with them.
Efrim
November 14th, 2012
4:34 pm
So if Heyward and Freeman become what we expect them to become they are gone as well?
Middle of the order hitting position players. More valued than closers.
If he continues to pitch like he has the first 2 years he is worth every f’n penny of that 15 mil a year.
Mo Rivera – who is the best of all time, HOF – received $15 million a year….from the Yankees. The other team that is paying big dollars to a closer? The team with the 2nd highest payroll in the sport – the Phillies.
Braves do not fall into this category. Unfortunately, it just won’t make sense for us. I’m sorry to say that because he’s a great pitcher – but it will be beneficial for Atlanta to shop him as he gets closer to free agency.
Murph
November 14th, 2012
4:35 pm
scoots, I don’t know if I have the intestinal fortitude to venture out in search of a Marlins blog.
Where’s Tomahawkin? That’s his kind of thing.
cricket
November 14th, 2012
4:37 pm
That is the only way McCann stays in Atlanta past this season
he can have his winter home in ATL while playing for yankees…scratch that, he’ll probably have it in FL
nolie
November 14th, 2012
4:38 pm
if I hated the content even I am smart enuff to just stay away Murph……
ncscoots
November 14th, 2012
4:38 pm
Where’s Tomahawkin? That’s his kind of thing.
Good point. If he goes under beneath a slavering mob of incensed blog humanity, what have we lost? You and I will still be safe, after all.
Take care of that, if you see him.
Bay Area Steve
November 14th, 2012
4:39 pm
“so I’m through with the burden being on me when I bring them up”
Bet.
Lew
November 14th, 2012
4:40 pm
Do I have a problem? I think I asked two petty straightforward questions Shaun. YOu don’t like they way they were posed? You? Seriously?
flange1
November 14th, 2012
4:40 pm
It is always a great thing to espouse a philosophy that you don’t really understand.
Really makes you no more than a parrot actually.
Clearly.
ncscoots
November 14th, 2012
4:40 pm
Bet.
Off the board in Vegas, BAS.
cricket
November 14th, 2012
4:41 pm
“so I’m through with the burden being on me when I bring them up”
Bet.
and they said he needed humor chip..
Lew
November 14th, 2012
4:41 pm
Petty? well, we are dealing with Shaun.
cricket
November 14th, 2012
4:43 pm
Really makes you no more than a parrot actually.
parrots everywhere are offended
Hillbilly
November 14th, 2012
4:43 pm
here’s Tomahawkin? That’s his kind of thing.
If he comes in here boomin’ and shot-lockin’ and get-out-the-wayin’ in the next 30 minutes, it’s on you. I’m telling you like I tell my kids…”If you wake up your baby sister by being loud, you’re gonna have to feed her and change her diaper.”
Dadgum.....
November 14th, 2012
4:44 pm
Cody Ross, do I puke now at the thought or wait for the official announcement to hurl.
Shaun
November 14th, 2012
4:45 pm
I sure hope Miggy wins the MVP. It will be so much fun to watch the Shaun freakout. Of course, that will be the subject of the hour, every day, until some other “injustice” occurs…but I can always scroll.
I fully expect him to win, which is going to take the fun out of it compared to if it was a surprise horrible choice.
ncscoots
November 14th, 2012
4:45 pm
Hillbilly, how is that newest addition, anyway? I mean to ask you that every time I see your moniker and seem to forget to do so just as often.
Lew
November 14th, 2012
4:45 pm
So you’re bringing them up to make yourself seem informed?
Bay Area Steve
November 14th, 2012
4:45 pm
Lew,
Who’s the young kid in your gallery among all those Braves? Ain’t rich’s grandson is it? And, I hadn’t yet seen Heyward or Sid Slid. Well done, brother.
Lew
November 14th, 2012
4:49 pm
BAS – I think it’s Pameeee’s Grandson (not sure which is up there – I was commissioned to do a couple as Christmas presents for bloggers last year). Haven’t had a chance to put up richbrave’s grandson – actually I don’t think I even photographed it before sending to him.
Glad you like the others. The Carays have the Sid Slid and Adirondack Dave’s grandkids have the Heyward.
Murph
November 14th, 2012
4:49 pm
Hillbilly, you make me laugh man. Too funny.
Don’t worry, if Tomahawkin’ shows up, I’ll talk him.
Hey, you know what they say: see a broad to get dat booty yak? Leg ‘er down a smack ‘em yak ‘em!
COL’ got to be! Y’know? Shiiiiit.
Hillbilly
November 14th, 2012
4:50 pm
how is that newest addition, anyway? I mean to ask you that every time I see your moniker and seem to forget to do so just as often
Meaner than a box full of water moccasins.
Efrim
November 14th, 2012
4:52 pm
C Brantly, 1B Morrison, 2B Solano, SS Hechavarria, 3B Escobar, LF Ruggiano, CF G. Hernandez, RF Stanton
Just awful.
ncscoots
November 14th, 2012
4:53 pm
Meaner than a box full of water moccasins.
Fatherhood at its best, LOL.
COL’ got to be! Y’know? Shiiiiit.
“Turrble. Jus’ turrble.” – Charles Barkley
Shaun
November 14th, 2012
4:53 pm
Lew, Google wRC+ and you’ll see what it is and why you should care. Once you do, you’ll see that it’s so obviously useful that it should become an accepted part of baseball lexicon.
Bay Area Steve
November 14th, 2012
4:58 pm
How long we gotta wait for a Murph 4 year old v. Hillbilly 6 month old death match? Or maybe less than death… ’cause you know, it’s your kids? Slap fight? Mean match? I vote 11 v. 7. Put it on the board… Yes!
P-Town Brave ©
November 14th, 2012
4:58 pm
@mlbbowman
Braves had visions of signing both Torii Hunter and B.J. Upton. With Hunter off the board, Upton remains their top free agent target.
Frank Wren
November 14th, 2012
4:58 pm
Oh oh. I just remembered that we lost Chipper. What do I do? I know. I’ll sign Franscisco to a huge multi-year deal.
ncscoots
November 14th, 2012
4:58 pm
I still, to this day, cannot see or hear that drawn-out excretory exclamation without thinking of the city councilman from The Wire, who had the all-time champeen utterance of it.
Shaun
November 14th, 2012
4:59 pm
Lew, with all due respect, I should not have to spoon-feed you or anyone else these extremely useful statistics.
ncbravesfan90
November 14th, 2012
4:59 pm
Mark Bowman @mlbbowman
Braves had visions of signing both Torii Hunter and B.J. Upton. With Hunter off the board, Upton remains their top free agent target.
flange1
November 14th, 2012
5:05 pm
That Bowman comment makes no sense to me.
FW has said that a priority was on a “lead off hitter that plays CF”
BJ Upton a lead off hitter?
Really?
Bay Area Steve
November 14th, 2012
5:05 pm
How long we gotta wait for a Murph four-year-old v. Hillbilly six-month-old death match? Or, you know, a little less than death ’cause it’s your kids? Slap fight? Mean match? I vote 11-7. Put it on the board…Yes!
Handicap under consideration: Murph’s six-year-old may be allowed to join Team Hillbilly.
Hillbilly
November 14th, 2012
5:05 pm
Hillbilly 6 month old
Year and a half old, brother. She was sweet at 6 months.
Lew
November 14th, 2012
5:07 pm
Shaun – Doing everything he can to reinforce our research skills.
Bay Area Steve
November 14th, 2012
5:07 pm
“Year and a half old”
I took a shot…
I guess time flies when you don’t have any kids.
Lew
November 14th, 2012
5:08 pm
Google it? I never would have thought of that one – being the dinosaur that I am.
ncbravesfan90
November 14th, 2012
5:08 pm
“That Bowman comment makes no sense to me.
FW has said that a priority was on a “lead off hitter that plays CF”
BJ Upton a lead off hitter?
Really?”
He stole 31 basis last year. 2008 he stole 44, in 09 stole 42, in 10 stole 42 and in 11 stole 36. So yeah, sounds like a leadoff guy to me, not to mention he is right handed.
NORRIS CHUCK
November 14th, 2012
5:09 pm
VICTORINO IN LF AND UPTON IN CENTER AND LETS CALL IT A DAY!
Efrim
November 14th, 2012
5:09 pm
Mark Bowman @mlbbowman
Braves had visions of signing both Torii Hunter and B.J. Upton. With Hunter off the board, Upton remains their top free agent target.
And do what with your pitching, Frank? Win the ERA title for the International League? Man, I can’t believe I’m pushing to trade prospects, but the thought of giving Bossman Junior a five year, $75 million dollar deal + loss of a 1st rounder just makes me think crazy things…..
BFChris28
November 14th, 2012
5:09 pm
BJ Upton for LF & Victorino for CF is what I’d like if they go the FA route for both OF needs.
P-Town Brave ©
November 14th, 2012
5:09 pm
flange-
Can’t see BJ agreeing to play LF but who knows….maybe he’s the LF and we still go after a Span
Gone Viral
November 14th, 2012
5:09 pm
” I’m not sure GV meant that though, as I saw the names Teheran, Delgado, Spruill and Gilmartin mentioned. ”
What I concisely stated is that we have MLB ready starters that border on being expendable for us. This morning, you moved the goalposts to “They’re not dealing Stanton”, which was never the conversation so I just dropped it. BAS correctly inferred the logic the first time before you dissuaded him with the prospects thing. You are always focused on prospects. That’s a widget term to me. What I mean is that the Braves can give the Marlins players who will give them 70 starts next year and have trade value down the line to repeat the (odd, singularly unique) process they use with their starters. This separates us from potential competitors.
Lew
November 14th, 2012
5:10 pm
“Time flies when you don’t have kids”. Absolutely, time’s passage is an inverse function fo having children – the more you have the slower it seems to pass.
Hillbilly
November 14th, 2012
5:10 pm
I think putting those two in a room together would be extraordinarily dangerous…like, The Gate Keeper and the Key Master-dangerous.
P-Town Brave ©
November 14th, 2012
5:10 pm
Efrim-
As we have discussed earlier though, we don’t lose much out of our system if we do or don’t trade a ton….
And losing a prospect keeps up from screwing that up in the draft right
Bay Area Steve
November 14th, 2012
5:11 pm
“Lew, with all due respect, I should not have to spoon-feed you or anyone else these extremely useful statistics.”
I’m callin’ BS that you talk to people in your life this way. Ain’t no way you talk to family/friends/coworkers like this. ‘Cause, like me, one of them would punch you in the throat until you stopped, or until you needed to be spoon-fed your-damn-self.
Efrim
November 14th, 2012
5:11 pm
So yeah, sounds like a leadoff guy to me, not to mention he is right handed.
On Base percentages of .313, .322, .331, and .298 the last four seasons. Much higher correlation to scoring runs than stolen bases.
TheOnlyBravesFan
November 14th, 2012
5:11 pm
Bowman better be wrong…. this fall just keeps getting worse for me.
If the Fish are gonna trade Escobar, send him to the DBacks! We’ll take Upton. As if those fools down there would help us…
Lew
November 14th, 2012
5:12 pm
Except for those times when you sit there wondering where all the time went.
ncbravesfan90
November 14th, 2012
5:12 pm
Wren just said on Fox Sports 1670 that payroll will be between 95-100 million this up coming year.
BravePack(FreeFan)
November 14th, 2012
5:15 pm
I’ve come to learn not to believe a word of what Bowman writes. Not that I would hate the idea of a BJ. Better than Cody Ross as long as it’s for a decent amount which isn’t likely.
BFChris28
November 14th, 2012
5:15 pm
Would also like to see J. Upton LF BJ Upton CF Heyward RF if it were any way possible to happen.
ncbravesfan90
November 14th, 2012
5:15 pm
Wren also said they had a lot of discussion with Torii Hunter’s agent at the GM meetings, and that if the Detroit deal would have full through that they would have had a real good chance to get him.
flange1
November 14th, 2012
5:15 pm
Thank you Efrim!
P-Town Brave ©
November 14th, 2012
5:16 pm
Frank says he REALLY wanted Torii Hunter and it came down to him not really wanting to change leagues….
Has talked extensively to Hamilton’s rep and has had conversations w/ BJ Upton’s rep….
Having current conversations w/ a dozen different teams at this point
ncbravesfan90
November 14th, 2012
5:16 pm
*fell
TheOnlyBravesFan
November 14th, 2012
5:17 pm
Jimmy at 4:10 Agree with that. Can’t see Freddie being traded though… he’s cheap, Mac’s not. I’d bet on Mac being gone next year.
How can we really sign BJ w/ all his issues, work ethic questions, attitude questions, and the loss of a first-rounder when we badly need some bats in this system…. How, how? May go need to watch a ton of GWT games to see a league-leading rotation. Go get Olt or Justin Upton!
bob
November 14th, 2012
5:17 pm
This is looking bad.
This year the Braves were a 94 win team. Right now with CJ gone and MB likely gone and DR now gone, the Braves are an 86 win team. Such will not make the playoffs.
The problem is that Uggla has not produced and hence the need to look for power in left field.
Wren should go in a new direction and look for speed in center and left as the team already has speed in right and speed at short with some speed at third (with prado).
Can you imagine a 30 sb person in left and 30 sb person in center added to the speed of JH in right. Some pretty good disruption on the base paths.
Further, Wren needs to add someone who will not add a bunch of K’s to the team total.
Good luck, but with some creative moves and some money spent the Braves can head into a new direction.
Efrim
November 14th, 2012
5:17 pm
What I concisely stated is that we have MLB ready starters that border on being expendable for us.
You had specifically mentioned Teheran and Delgado and I think Spruill and Gilmartin. I did not see mention of Mike Minor or Kris Medlen – therefore I brought up the prospects thing, since that’s what they are and Minor/Medlen are not.
What I mean is that the Braves can give the Marlins players who will give them 70 starts next year and have trade value down the line to repeat the (odd, singularly unique) process they use with their starters. This separates us from potential competitors.
If you are talking Kris Medlen or Mike Minor. Other organizations have plenty of pitching on par with Teheran and Delgado to make it difficult and I do not believe they would just accepot pitchers for Stanton. I think they would look to get a balanced return if they put him out there with a position prospect which has much more certainty than a pitcher. We do not have position players to deal unless you are considering Freeman and Simmons.
P-Town Brave ©
November 14th, 2012
5:18 pm
I guess I just can’t see the possibility of giving BJ Upton a 5 year mega deal and then turning around and signing another guy like a Victorino or what have you for LF…..
But who the heck knows….
Wren just discussed that he would be a-ok w/ Simmons batting leadoff next year if they needed him to….and Simmons isn’t going anywhere.
ncbravesfan90
November 14th, 2012
5:18 pm
Wren said working on a solid back-up catcher as we speak….
TheOnlyBravesFan
November 14th, 2012
5:18 pm
Jon Heyman @JonHeymanCBS
You’ve got to love any team adding torii hunter. but as far as the $26M/2 yrs, one owner opined, “he’s not carlos beltran.”
This
nolie
November 14th, 2012
5:19 pm
He stole 31 basis last year. 2008 he stole 44, in 09 stole 42, in 10 stole 42 and in 11 stole 36. So yeah, sounds like a leadoff guy to me, not to mention he is right handed…ncbrave
he also had an OBP under 300 last season so NO he is not a leadoff hitter no matter how many bases he steals. OBP has a much bigger correlation to runs scored than SB do
Efrim
November 14th, 2012
5:21 pm
Has talked extensively to Hamilton’s rep and has had conversations w/ BJ Upton’s rep….
I could see BJ. I have a lot of trouble seeing Hamilton anywhere near here.
Gone Viral
November 14th, 2012
5:22 pm
BJ Upton makes no sense. His OPS outside of Tropicana was .687. His career OPS+ is 105. That’s not a player a frugal team locks up with a five-year contract. He had great years in 2007 and 2008. He’s just a warm body ever since.
john
November 14th, 2012
5:22 pm
Pay McCann $12 million to play a half season, but won’t pay Ross, half that for 2 seasons??? Brilliant. Thanks Chipper for anointing McCann “the new leader” thereby force feeding him down our throats another season.
TheOnlyBravesFan
November 14th, 2012
5:23 pm
Doumit???
Between 95 and 100… that’s good. I’ll go w. 99, we have 29mil to spend, 39 if we trade Maholm and Hanson. Get a pitcher. Glad the Tigers got Hunter, don’t really want him.
Surprised that he’s talked extensively to Hamilton though.
P-Town Brave ©
November 14th, 2012
5:23 pm
Efrim-
I do too….I would imagine due diligence, but the way Frank spoke, he’s looking at long term solutions, not stop gap options….
So I would assume that would remove the logic of guys like Ludwick and Ross…..at least IMO