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© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
257 comments Add your comment
man and dog
December 9th, 2012
6:32 am
You wan’t a winner – you pay for the winners
lpt nation
December 9th, 2012
6:35 am
if simmons is so great ( WHICH HE IS ) then who got fired for making the decision to put pasternicky in the line up in front of simmons.probably the same person or person’s who traded infanta for ugly or Ugla or what ever you want to call him
man and dog
December 9th, 2012
6:43 am
Picture this – if you will…….
SS – Simmons
3B – Prado
LF – Hamilton
CF – Upton
1B – That Guy at first
RF – Sayhey
C / 2B (interchangable)
C / 2B (interchangable)
P – any one of the great one’s that is assembled
man and dog
December 9th, 2012
6:45 am
@ lpt nation – you are so right on
74bravesjersey
December 9th, 2012
7:16 am
Could Scott Hairston be a descent pickup for bench help?
WigWamWisps
December 9th, 2012
7:19 am
I heard on MLB Network Friday night how rare it is that a player with Wil Myers’ talent is been offered- or least teams calls are being answered- for pitching. The story went on to say that it would take a huge deal to get him but that the Royals are listening.
74bravesjersey
December 9th, 2012
7:22 am
“Hairston” – OF, 2B, PH, I would love to have ‘em play 2nd, .263BA,20hr, only struck out 83 times in 389 AB’s, Scott Hairston would be nice addition, he could probably learn 3rd as well.
Matthew Blanshei
December 9th, 2012
7:34 am
Simply unbelievable. What has been the Braves’ biggest weakness for over a decade? A lack of discipline at the plate. And now, for an insane sum, they have signed Upton, a notorious free-swinger with no patience. So, now our two highest players (?), Uggla and Upton, will be flailing away against good pitchers in key games and, if we are so lucky, in the playoffs. Could someone please explain what Wren could have based his decision upon? We need a hitters with Prado’s discipline up and down the line-up. Look for another season filled with frustration.
LivinInAL
December 9th, 2012
7:43 am
Someone mentioned Jordan Schafer; he needs to do what Chipper told him, GROW UP, toss the pot, utilize the tools he has to be the leadoff hitter, DECIDE TO PLAY BASEBALL, and realize his home run career was over after his first major league game. He, Upton, and Heyward make a pretty good defensive OF.
Bill M.
December 9th, 2012
8:05 am
The Braves are in trouble if they don’t get another bat. I would offer Hamilton 25M for 4 yrs. (McCann & Hudson will be off the books in 2014). Pay him less money in 2013. If that didn’t work, try and trade for Meyers or Gordon from KC. If they balk, trade Simmons to Diamondbacks for J. Upton as long as they include Bloomquist. I would hate to lose Simmons but who knows how he will develope. Bloomquist could hold down SS until Ahmed is ready.
Joey
December 9th, 2012
8:27 am
I keep hearing about how our prospects are diminished because we “lost” Chipper. In my view, losing Chipper is gonna be a good thing, much like the Hawks “losing” Joe Johnson.
Chipper’s average-to-poor defense the last couple years offset the average hitting he did. He had a great career, but this is 2012, not 2000. Whether it’s Francisco or Prado at 3rd, we will have at least as much punch with the bat, and better (more consistant) defense.
Chipper just wasn’t Chipper anymore – that’s why he retired. Well, maybe that AND the playmate!
Gotta let him go . . .
Joey
December 9th, 2012
8:34 am
Bill M, Francisco hit really good last year, when he started, and is tearing the cover off the ball this winter. Also has slimmed down.
You don’t think he could be the “another bat” we need?
I kinda hope Wren goes with him at 3rd and Prado in LF for now. If it doesn’t work, Wren has the $10M to go make a move before June.
longtimefan
December 9th, 2012
8:47 am
Ozzie- Simmons won the batting title in high A ball, Carolina league, with a .311 average. Bill James projects him to hit .290 in 2013. To find a SS who can really play defense and also hit is a rarity. It is not just FW who are so high on Simmons, it is numerous scouts and evaluators of MLB talent. Why do you think another major league GM would trade Justin Upton for him? Because he is that good and the ceiling is high.
And to above comment about questioning starting Pastornicky at SS to start 2012, their are 3 good reasons:1) Simmons needed more seasoning in minors;he was drafted in 2010 2) They wanted to see what Pastornicky could do and 3) By waiting to bring Simmons up they have an additional year of control before he is arb eligible.
I would like to see what Francisco can do at third over a full season. He is tearing it up now. We also have Gattis to compete in LF in ST. He has hit at every minor league level and is 26. Time to see if he is the real thing. I believe it is preferable to build the ML club from the minors. After all, all these players the fans are salivating over are just a few years removed from the minor leagues themselves. This year will be when the dominoes fall in the SP staff and we can see which of the young guns are for real. Then FW can deal from a position of strength to fill a hole or restock the farm. I am excited about 2013. I may be in the minority but I believe both Uggla and McCaan are going to have comeback years.
Joey
December 9th, 2012
9:01 am
longtimefan, I am also excited by our prospects in ‘13.
I hope you are right about Uggla and Mac – if they produced at their career averages, the Braves will be better than good.
It worries me though that Mac and Uggla both had their best seasons when their teams were no where near the pressure of a pennant race.
Bill M.
December 9th, 2012
9:09 am
Joey– We don’t know how much weight he has lost. I guess that’s why Wren is checking him out this weekend. He has the power and a good arm. We will never know unless he’s given a chance.
nc82
December 9th, 2012
9:26 am
Heres what should happen, Wren offers Schafer Uggla Terheran and Lipka to Jays for Raja Davis and Bonifacio, then Wren calls up Colorado and offers Davis Pastornicky and Delgado for Fowler.
heres the line up for 2013
Bonifacio 2B
Fowler Left Field
Prado 3rd
Freeman
Upton
Heyward
McCann
Simmons
Joey
December 9th, 2012
9:48 am
That would be sweet, nc82. But with Teheran and Delgado both gone, what happens when if we get a sore arm (or worse)?
Already got rid of JJ, TH, and Vizcaino. Beachy may not be back til the end of the season – it took Huddy and Medlen both 1.5 years to reover from Tommy John surgery.
Who am I missing as a starter – Medlen, Huddy, Minor, Maholm?
grounder
December 9th, 2012
9:50 am
I’m not watching Braves if Shafer can’t work the bill of his hat any better…must have never played as a kid.
Comfortably Dumb
December 9th, 2012
9:57 am
Ah, you people are so stupid. This used to be a pretty good place to talk Braves, as I recall.
Joey- Viz is gone.
nc82- Heyward batting that low? Yeah ok.
Comfortably Dumb
December 9th, 2012
9:59 am
What do you know. Another ridiculous post from….grounder, this time.
This place is depressing.
Joey
December 9th, 2012
10:06 am
Comfortably Dumb (9:57): “Joey- Viz is gone.”
**********************
Joey (9:48): “Already got rid of JJ, TH, and Vizcaino.”
****************************************
So who’s stupid, or has trouble with reading comprehension?
sonicfruits
December 9th, 2012
10:14 am
I am fairly new here and I really liked watching Michael Bourne the last couple of years and wonder what was wrong with him? I would have definitely kept him over Upton…
I watched Dexter Fowler come up with Colorado, he is not really a true lead off guy, great speed running the bases but not a base stealer, he can go from first third in a couple of strides but is not a true base stealer…I always thought of him as a great guy for the sixth spot in the line up..does have surprising extra base power and racks up triples…He is a supreme defensive outfielder, way under rated there…put him in Center, Upton in left and Heyward in right..not many balls would ever fall in..those guys would cover some serious ground
I see the complaints on your GM Wren and after growing up with the Padres when they were the laughing stock of the game in the 70’s and than recently watching all of the dysfunctional insanity in Colorado (horrible ownership) …you don’t know how good you have it here!! Say what you will but many on the outside wish they had your scouting and player development.
Still remember that brawl with the Padres and Braves and Pasqual Perez
Anyway the Rockies never appreciated Fowler so you might get lucky, not sure he has even gotten the coaching he needed either so he could develop even more in the right scenario
Joey
December 9th, 2012
10:55 am
sonicfruits, as soon as we acquired Bourn, his numbers fell off in that second half of ‘11. He was great in the first half of ‘12, but didn’t do anything after June.
Bourn apparently prefers the non-pressure of the Houston Astros, to the pressure of pennant races with the Braves.
Guarantee you that’s why he hasn’t gotten any big-time offers yet from the big money teams.
Time
December 9th, 2012
11:11 am
I hope people are right about Simmons. I’m not sold, but I think the Braves management are so he’s not going anywhere. Personally, I see Edgar Renteria when I see Simmons. Which isn’t bad, but you trade Renteria for Justin Upton all day, every day and twice on Sunday.
On BJ. One thing to also take into account with him is he’s never had the kind of lineup protection he will find in Atlanta. And if he can even go from the .250 hitter he was last year to a .270 hitter, a modest improvement, then his contract becomes a bargain. Added protection and a fresh start in a new place can sometimes make all the difference.
Ralph
December 9th, 2012
11:39 am
The more I read in these posts the smarter Wren get!
Surething
December 9th, 2012
11:48 am
Just dump Uggla. I don’t care what it costs us $ wise. He’s a huge liability at the plate. The rare homeruns come with no one on and when the games don’t matter. Never have I been more disappointed in a player than with Uggla. Awful and he truly should give back at least 1/2 of the cash he’s stolen from Braves’ fans.
Ozzie
December 9th, 2012
11:48 am
Hitting well in A ball then being know for his glove and a ?mark bat (at the higher levels) is not reassuring.
Look I know Simmons is a tremendous prospect but I know from watching this team for 20 yrs that RBIs and a weak performing OF (offensively) have been their undoing (year after year). I hope Simmons hits .290/80 RBIs but James is not Nostradamus and is projecting off a tiny ‘n’.
I WANT to keep Simmons and trade Ahmed for a guy like JUpton but if the market wants more than you “may” have to do it.
A trade that moves you closer to winning a WS now and in the intermediate term (Upton is under contract for 3yrs and could be extended IMHO) has to be on the table.
17yrs since a WS ring, 13 yrs since the last WS appearance and 4 years since Wren had any real money to spend in the offseason. We are looking at major gaps between being able to win.
Look at Mac. They wasted his prime years in ATL and won nothing. No flags, no rings, not even a respectable showing in the post season. Why b/c they nibbled with adds versus going all in. Traded for 1yr rentals versus guys under control for 3-4 years.
ATL is known for making one significant move then losing their nerve on the 2nd hoping prospects of vets could turn it up a notch.
Bottom line – A WS all in move trade will hurt. The trades that don’t hurt a bit for both teams are not difference makers. You would like to think Infante for Uggla moves would work. Usually they don’t.
RogerDodger
December 9th, 2012
11:49 am
Uggla is terrible. He looks juiced. That would affect his batting for average for sure. He’s overdone the roids.
RogerDodger
December 9th, 2012
11:51 am
Ozzie is making sense y’all Braves fans.
eddie57
December 9th, 2012
11:53 am
If the statement that BJ’s next nearest offer was around $50 million then I’m even more upset with Wren for having another Lowe-like panic attack. I hope I’m wrong about BJ but please don’t waste any effort on overpaying for his brother.
Bravesfansince 1835
December 9th, 2012
11:54 am
Ozzie had to go and ruin my day and remind me how much Brian McCann’s performance has dropped off. I am NOT liking these “new” Braves other than another 90 or son win season and an early playoff exit. Add the expense and hassle of going to the games at the TED and I’m probably going to continue fading as a fan.
Zane Smith
December 9th, 2012
11:56 am
Atlanta Braves offseason moves = “zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz” wake me up when the NFL cranks up again (assuming an early Falcons playoff lose of course)
JK
December 9th, 2012
11:59 am
if we bat upton 7th and uggla 8th I can see this working. If we try to stick both of them in the meat of the order it will be a frustrating season for Braves fans.
SemperFi
December 9th, 2012
12:08 pm
You guys think too much. Let the Braves brain trust handle this. It’s what they get paid for. Voicing your opinion on who should get who is a non-matter. Nobody cares what you think. We will be happy, happy (Duck Dynasty
when the season starts. We all love baseball. Lets enjoy the game.
David O'Brien
December 9th, 2012
12:11 pm
DOB or ANYBODY,
Whats the deal with Blake DeWitt? Does he have anything left in the tank??? — NORRIS CHUCK
I don’t know what he’s got “left in the tank,” but it was just a minor league deal, so there’s no risk involved. Gives them depth at Triple-A, if nothing else. And he’s had some success in the past in big leagues, so you feel better about having a guy who’s done it before than hoping a kid with no experience can just be plugged into a major league lineup in a bind.
Paddy
December 9th, 2012
12:12 pm
Iowa Brave…….how would plan on trading Uggla? Other teams saw the same thing we did this past year!
BoobieCox
December 9th, 2012
12:13 pm
I could lose in the World Series with this team too.
David O'Brien
December 9th, 2012
12:14 pm
Hey DOB, thanks for the up-date, but sounds like we in a lull right now. Maybe I’ve missed something, but what’s happened to Michael Bourn? — Quack Quack
You haven’t missed anything. There hasn’t been any team linked to him lately, no offers made that anyone has reported. All that’s happened is the potential suitors have thinned out as several have already plugged their center-field needs. It doesn’t look good at all for Boras to get him the deal that he hoped to get him. (But I also learned long ago never to rule out Boras’ ability to get a huge deal when we least expect that he can.)
BoobieCox
December 9th, 2012
12:14 pm
Pipe down semper douchebag
David O'Brien
December 9th, 2012
12:17 pm
DOB – Are the Braves still trying to re-sign Chad Durbin, I would hate to see the Nats or Phils grab him and the Phils will be looking for a reliever since the just gave up two of them in the trade for Young. — Ralph
No. When I asked Wren about the bullpen at the Winter Meetings, he said they’re done adding to it. They’re comfortable with their pitching depth, starting and relieving.
Frank Wren
December 9th, 2012
12:17 pm
These folks have opinions and it’s fun reading. Who invited the jarhead in?
SemperFi
December 9th, 2012
12:19 pm
Sorry guys, I am a moron.
Paddy
December 9th, 2012
12:22 pm
I don’t see Schafer making the club out of Spring Trainig.
Super Slueth
December 9th, 2012
12:31 pm
I bet you are Frank! I bet you are….Sheesh what a lying sonofab..tch
David O'Brien
December 9th, 2012
12:37 pm
If you’re a fan of the great Johnny Cash — and really, who is not? — see if you can watch this video tribute while listening to his duet with Rosanne on “September When It Comes” without coming close to losing it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxYQZmTzgoE
Dirty Dawg
December 9th, 2012
12:50 pm
Damn folks, if you can’t watch Simmons play ball and not see what the Braves see, then you just need to switch to basketball, or soccer, or anything other than baseball. The kid is a truly exceptional talent and assuming we don’t lose our minds – or more specifically, Frank Wren – he’s, in the words of Lt Col Frank Slade, ‘gonna make you proud one day, I promise you.’
bob
December 9th, 2012
1:08 pm
Here is a major concern: Strikeouts.
Last year the following K stats:
Uggla: 160+
Heyward: 140+
Freeman: 120+
Upton: 160+
Schafer: 100+ (300 at bats)
Juan: 70+ (200 at bats)
In other words, these guys ‘wasted’ 790 outs. This is 263 innings or 28 games.
I know that FG is a ‘big inning guy’ but these are a huge amount of outs and too many innings lost.
Plus, in losing CJ (about 70 K’s) who could put the ball in play, there is a real chance that we could see a number of innings where there are 3 K’s.
Also, with the loss of Bourne there is no disruption on the base paths. In the absence of such, it is quite possible we could see a higher number of K’s this year by this group.
The only good thing about K’s is that it sometimes leads to high pitch counts (provided there is some patience on the part of the Braves) and an early exit for the other team pitchers.
Any thoughts?
74bravesjersey
December 9th, 2012
1:21 pm
DOB; Would Wren consider Scott Hairston as possible FA sign? Good bat & OF/2B/PH
74bravesjersey
December 9th, 2012
1:23 pm
What about Cory Hart?
Mr Pitts
December 9th, 2012
1:43 pm
“I would offer Hamilton 25M for 4 yrs.”
Did this revelation come to you while chewing on a mouthful of Cheese Puffs? Funny stuff when MLB reported that a Hamilton suitor had begun the background check process prior to making a serious offer for this boozer. Like what don’t weknow about this mess?
Mr Pitts
December 9th, 2012
1:46 pm
Bob: Here is a major concern: Strikeouts.
After weeks of folks talking about this Bob takes the initiative to remind us all of this tenedency. Wow, enlightenment never stops coming.
jbill
December 9th, 2012
1:50 pm
What about Cory Hart…
Well he is 6′6″ and 240 lbs. Will be a free agent in 2014 and now makes 9 million a year…he’s strong and had 30 hrs last year with 35 doubles. His BA was in 270’s.. would be good in LF.
Scott Hairston would fill in good also.
Steve and the others calling for Schafer must be smoking the same powder that Schafer smokes. DOB and Wren has said Schafer was picked up off waivers for bench help not LF. I don’t want my kid looking up to Schafer as a Atlanta Braves Player…bad example…cut his a@@
Mr Pitts
December 9th, 2012
1:51 pm
Time: I hope people are right about Simmons. I’m not sold, but I think the Braves management are so he’s not going anywhere. Personally, I see Edgar Renteria when I see Simmons. Which isn’t bad, but you trade Renteria for Justin Upton all day, every day and twice on Sunday.
Take a breather, eat some Cheese Puffs and repost the same thing later. Please mention that the Braves strikeout a lot. ANd that we should sign Hamilton for whatever it takes.
Ozzie
December 9th, 2012
2:25 pm
I think the Braves see Arod (Seattle vintage or early Texas) at SS when they look at Simmons. If they see Renteria I agree you trade Renteria for Justin Upton any time.
I hope Justin stays in AZ until ST gets well under way and Ahmed to make a case that he is worthy of a package deal for Justin.
Short of that the only player Wren would trade Simmons for would be King Felix or Kemp.
Ken Stallings
December 9th, 2012
2:52 pm
Mr. Pitts, how about you post what you want to say and let others exercise the same right! Long as people don’t post insulting, profane, or vulgar comments, it hardly warrants your disagreement!
Ken Stallings
December 9th, 2012
2:59 pm
DOB,
You are right about Boras’ ability to pull out the surprisingly big deal, but Boras has just as often greatly overplayed his hand and ended up costing his client huge money.
I see that happening with Bourn right now. Teams are receiving Boras’ initial demands, offering counters at significantly less, and seeing Boras come back with the same response. These teams have moved on.
I did not think Bourn was going to get that kind of money. I think Upton got a bit more than I thought he would, but the others have priced out about where I thought they would. It would be rather ironic if Bourn had nowhere to go and ended up signing back with the Braves for something in the $11 million a year area.
No. 1 Braves Fan
December 9th, 2012
3:37 pm
Ken: Wren was quoted as saying part of the deal with BJ is he will be the Braves CF. I don`t think this will change even if Bourn does not get a multi-year deal and wanted to come back to the Braves. If they had to pay him 11mil would that not be overspending for a one year rental to play LF when we have Prado and Johnson combo with Francisco and Prado at 3B?
Ralph
December 9th, 2012
3:50 pm
I don’t think we need to add another bat right now, we are in good shape with a combo of Prado, Johnson and Fransisco platoon between 3B and LF until we see how everything works out in spring traning, if after ST it looks like we have a hole to fill, could be any position, we still have the prospects and or $10million to go get what we need. If we spend that money now and someone gets hurt we would have the resources to get a replacement.
STEELY DAN MAN
December 9th, 2012
3:57 pm
Ken Stallings ….. I’ve been wishing for that to every since we signed Upton…. if the Bourn situation boils down to Atl having a chance to sign him, that would be a formidable lineup ….. even w/ Bourne’s 100+strikeouts. 1.BOURN 2.PRADO 3.HEYWARD 4.UPTON 5.FREEMAN 6.UGGLA 7.McCANN 8.SIMMONS
RJB in DC
December 9th, 2012
3:58 pm
Rangers sent Michael Young to Philadelphia. They are eating 10 mil of his salary, and Philly is going to pick up the other 6 mil of his contract. That should safely take another big-money club out the running for Bourn.
Tim
December 9th, 2012
4:26 pm
So wasn’t Bourne asking for $15 million or so? Why does he seem to have been totally written off? Is there something about that scenario that we aren’t being told?
STEELY DAN MAN
December 9th, 2012
4:34 pm
Good question Tim !!!
Gary
December 9th, 2012
5:03 pm
CORECTION: The Braves signing anyone to a millions-dollar contract is OUTRAGEOUS! This should have been realized with Turner signed Esasky, who never played because of vertigo.
Gary
December 9th, 2012
5:03 pm
CORECTION: The Braves signing anyone to a millions-dollar contract is OUTRAGEOUS! This should have been realized with Turner signed Esasky, who never played because of vertigo.
AtHomeGym
December 9th, 2012
5:24 pm
Put Jordan Schafer in LF–let him Leadoff–make him feel needed and you might be surprised. A 26 yr old with all the physical skills and an expressed desire to make good on this trip to Braveland!
A-Ville Ranger
December 9th, 2012
5:45 pm
The Upton contract might not be a bad deal……IF. That is if he was a good hitter and a good fit, but he is neither. He is a crappy hitter in almost every way. He does smack the occasional solo hr. Other than that he’s a black hole in the lineup.. with a questionable attitude.
Mr Pitts
December 9th, 2012
5:47 pm
“Is there something about that scenario that we aren’t being told?”
Yes, he’s not worth 15m a year.
jim
December 9th, 2012
6:01 pm
Another great start for Teheran in the Dominican –
6 IP, 0 Runs, 1 Hit, 1 HBP, 0 BB, 8 K
Was Wren at the game?
Trent
December 9th, 2012
6:04 pm
We gave Upton TOOOOO much money..
jim
December 9th, 2012
6:07 pm
Was there any thought of having Schafer play winter ball? Is he working with the hitting coaches instead?
Trent
December 9th, 2012
6:07 pm
Jordan Schafer is not the answer folkes.. Why do you think Houston let him go.. come on man…
Maybe I will call, crazy
December 9th, 2012
6:11 pm
What about Francouer for left field? He has a great arm and hits right-handed. The Braves could have Walker (and Chipper) work on his swing, get him sorted out like they did with Heyward. Simmons can hit lead off.
jim
December 9th, 2012
6:25 pm
Greinke at 23.3 million/year — What do the Dodgers think they will have to pay Kershaw (and Kemp, and all of the big contracts they added at the end of the year )?
Is he a top 5 pitcher? Not on my list in no particular order
Verlander, Felix Hernandez, Kershaw, Hamels, Strasburg, Price, Weaver (a healthy Halliday)
Is he a top 10? I put him in that conversation with Cain, Latos, Sabathia, Scherzer, Gio Gaonzalez, Dickey, Lee, and others –
Don’t be too quick to trade away Teheran and Delgado — good, cheap, and under control for 6 years.
No. 1 Braves Fan
December 9th, 2012
6:49 pm
Francouer as a second time Brave would be risky. Also, he has been an up and down player since he went to the Mets and Royals.I had rather go with players we have now for LF using the best combo(s) that work out in ST.
huddy00
December 9th, 2012
6:51 pm
at this point i think the best move is to sign ichiro to a 1 or 2 year deal as a stop gap guy or just letting schafer and constanza battle it out/platoon.
Mr.Baseball
December 9th, 2012
7:23 pm
First off anyone that thinks Jordan Schafer should start in LF, has got to be the most DELUSIONAL J@ckass I have ever see post.
Secondly Constanza has been a career minor leaguer for a good friggin reason!
thirdly I see other people pining and whining for Josh Willingham, thet broke back puke wouldn’t put up a quarter of the numbers he has in Atlanta, he can barely walk let alone be a statue in Left Field!
Just stop with the ignorance!
I never want to see Schafer, Constanza Francouer, or any other damn worthless scrub anywhere near Turner Field wearing a Tomahawk on their chest!
Guzzie
December 9th, 2012
8:11 pm
Does anyone remember the Corey Hart rumors from a few years ago? I wonder what it would take to get him from the Brewers ?
Alex
December 9th, 2012
8:43 pm
if simmons is so great ( WHICH HE IS ) then who got fired for making the decision to put pasternicky in the line up in front of simmons.probably the same person or person’s who traded infanta for ugly or Ugla or what ever you want to call him
—————————————————————————————–
This is exactly why you normal fans are not GMs. We dealt with two months of pastornicky because we wanted to delay Simmons’ clock. If we’d of started the year with Simmons, we would only have 5 years of control left. By delaying him 2 months, we keep him for 6 more. Trust me, the Braves’ front office knows what they’re doing. Everything isn’t as easy as some of you like to make it.
Dan Uggla's Swing
December 9th, 2012
8:45 pm
People love to hate Constanza, but give him a chance in left and I guarantee you he surprises you. Even Cleveland writers dont understand why he wasn’t at the major leagues when the Braves got him. They said he was “forgotten”. A career near .300 average in the minors, and with adequate time in the majors he is a threat. He can hit for avg, play defense like nobody’s business, and run like a mofo who just stole a tv. I think Schafer has a legitmate shot if he can get and stay healthy, I would love to see Georgia and Jordan tear it up this spring trying to win a shot to be on the team. man I cant wait for ST!!! GO BRAVES!!
my-LORD
December 9th, 2012
10:18 pm
Mr Baseball I agree 100 % about Schafer..they’re some stupid people on blog wantng Schafer the drug boy.
M
December 9th, 2012
10:18 pm
What if the position were turned to a one year player? Doesn’t seem like this has been even a thought but there are players who I think could fill the spot in the short term.
Would the Marlins be willing to part with Juan Pierre whom they just signed less than a month ago?
If the Blue Jays want to hold Bonafacio, what about Rajai Davis?
The A’s claim they won’t trade any outfielders but they have six, so perhaps Coco Crisp?
Ryan Raburn in some sort of platoon.
How attached are the Rangers to Craig Gentry?
Andres Torres???
Not ideal on any account but most of them could provide a serviceable bat and fielding for a season especially in a platoon.
While a Justin Upton or someone with a decent pedigree would be great to add to the lineup, the Braves already have things pretty well situated.
CF – BJ Upton
RF – Heyward
1B – Freeman
2B – Uggla
3B – Prado
SS – Simmons
C – McCann (eventually)
My own speculation on the lineup, I am sure someone out there with more knowledge of what is being thought by the team can give something more accurate…but even my guess is a good lineup I think.
1. X
2. Prado
3. Freeman
4. Upton
5. Heyward
6. Uggla
7. McCann
8. Simmons
If nobody is added, I suppose you are looking at this…
1. Simmons
2. Prado
3. Freeman
4. Upton
5. Heyward
6. Uggla
7. McCann
8. Francisco
Perhaps a guy like Torres could slide in at leadoff and move Simmons back to the 8 spot. Gentry too.
A lot is riding on these guys producing average statistics for themselves…i.e. Uggla and McCann have respectable seasons. If they do that, then this lineup will score runs, at least as many and probably more than last season even if the lead off bat is a stopgap player.
The thing I dislike is waiting for the eventual solution…
BravesFanInNashville
December 10th, 2012
4:50 am
In a sentence, Simmons will have a better career than Justin Upton and he plays a premium defensive position.
Mr Pitts
December 10th, 2012
7:38 am
Someone start the day with a nonsensical comment about converting career minor league players to starters or that we should give up our future by trading our top prospects away for overpaid and bloated players.
Steve
December 10th, 2012
7:44 am
The more I think on this the more I really don’t want Simmons leading off. You are putting a ton of pressure on a young man already, adding leadoff to that just seems silly at this stage.
To that end I think the Braves need to either make Schafer the leadoff man and put Prado at third, or go and get someone. I really want to give Francisco a shot given how much work he is putting in, but I don’t want it to come at the cost of confidence in our SS of the future.
At the very least, I am happy with either route .. as long as the Braves give Schafer or Francisco a chance. They are cheap options with tremendous upside for the cost. I would rather go that route than watch old retreads out there.
ppaddy123
December 10th, 2012
8:00 am
Well, it looks like KC moved their young top prospect, Wil Myers, for Big Game James. Shields finished 3rd in Cy Young voting in 2011. I said earlier, KC would only move the kid if they got a stud pitcher in return. Still, I didn’t think he would go for that much.
Ozzie
December 10th, 2012
8:01 am
Hope so re: Simmons but sample size is limited at ML level. Justin already had a few great years and is only 25.
He came up at 20 whereas Simmons came up at 23 only bc he finally started to hit at the upper levels.
At 23 Justin Upton had this line:
BA .273
OBP .356
HR 17
RBI 69
SO 152
OPS .798
SLG .443
WAR 1.2
SB 18
At 24
BA .289
OBP .369
HR 31
RBI 88
SO 126 (big drop w/more ABs than 2010)
OPS .898
SLG .529
WAR 5.7
SB – 21
He was and is a phenom who started too young but was still able to produce. He had a off year in 2012 due to a thumb injury.
Let’s see if Simmons can match Justin’s 2011 before we anoint him the superior player. They are different players with one being a power/RBI guy who will steal 20+ bases a year.
The Braves need that player more to win a WS IMHO. SS don’t make or break teams apart from the rare Arod/Jeter type player.
Ozzie
December 10th, 2012
8:03 am
Justin is similar to Jason Heyward with a bit more speed. So you are saying Simmons is and or will be better than Heyward….
Wow.
Braveoneastside
December 10th, 2012
8:30 am
Simmons plays the most important position in the field and if you ever watched him play in person you would realize the hits he converts to outs. As for his offensive- he lead the A League in hitting. Why do think AZ wants him in any trade for The Other Upton?
This isn’t Fantasy Baseball- you have to be strong up the middle to win (see SF Giants).
ppaddy123
December 10th, 2012
8:33 am
Ozzie, the game is about more than offense. Simmons has a very good chance of being one of the best SS’s for the next decade. The Braves can actually get similar production as Upt on’s in LF with a platoon. He’s not worth the price being asked for him.
Kwajbraves
December 10th, 2012
8:37 am
Strike out
Will Myer
Strike out Myers from our LF wishlist because he got traded to the Rays.
from our LF wishlist. He got traded to the Rays.
Kwajbraves
December 10th, 2012
8:39 am
Wow!!! That was a weird post. Sorry about the redundancy on the previous post.
HOF 10
December 10th, 2012
8:42 am
I, too, am a non-leadoff hitter, part of a wide swath of humanity. Let’s not overpay in LF. The lineup is pretty strong. I wouldn’t mind Constanza in left and lead him off. He puts the bat on the ball and I’d like to see how he would do playing every day.
Dadgum.....
December 10th, 2012
8:49 am
Go back through the years in Atlanta and you quickly understand why Simmons is coveted so highly. The Braves have been a gathering spot for underperforming malcontent SS’s. to my recollection (yes, I’m including Furcal) the Braves have never had a phenom SS or possibility thereof that shows the promise that Simmons shows. Having said that, any thought of Simmons going anywhere borders on lunacy. It is the one position that demands the most and we have an awesome talent there. SS has killed the Braves over the years. We’ve had horrendous luck with that position ever since Blauser left after the WS win.
On a side note, the Braves see Betancourt the same as Simmons. He will get his call up in 2014 to replace McCann. With Upton in CF the Braves will have the 3 most important positions solidified for many many years to come.
ppaddy123
December 10th, 2012
8:53 am
I like Georgie. His athleticism is a bonus . All things being said, however, i would prefer to have Bonafacio in LF. I think he might be available for a good young pitcher and another prospect.
david thompson
December 10th, 2012
9:41 am
LOTS OF GOOD IDEAS GANG BUT WILL MR. WREN LISTEN TO THE FOLKS THAT SUPPORT THE TEAM. I HOPE SO —– THEERE ARE A LOTS OF FANS WITH BASEBALL KNOWLEDGE—GOOD ARTICLE–GOOD FEEDBACK— I READ THEM ALL
flosS
December 10th, 2012
9:58 am
Yall suck
Nick N' Richmond
December 10th, 2012
10:53 am
Idk about that Rays/Royals trade. If Mike Montgomery/Jake Odorizzi are as good as they’ve been hyped over the years (prospect pitching wise), as well as top tier talent of Myers, the Rays have got to win this one. Shields is a big game pitcher, but the Rays still have Price, Moore, and Hellickson at the top of that rotation. Davis was a reliever (a good one at that), but i’m sure they could plug that hole with another come-out of no-where stud the Rays seem to bring in.
ATL Insider
December 10th, 2012
10:55 am
I wonder if the Rays would be interested in flipping Myers? Maybe for Teheran/Delgado and Schafer/Constanza/Fransisco?
Atlanta Braves Links of the Day For December 10, 2012 | Atlanta Braves Dugout Online | Atlanta Braves Blog
December 10th, 2012
11:10 am
[...] Braves still LF shopping, glad they got CF early [...]
Caleb
December 10th, 2012
11:24 am
DOB, what do you think about a package around Teheran, for Upton. Something like
Teheran, Graham or Gilmartin, and Galvin or Ahmed. Delgado is better then Teheran IMO, he has produced in the majors, so Teheran is expendable.