Furcal, others aren’t making Braves look bad so far
Here's former Brave Rafael Furcal, presumably looking for a batting helmet to smash. (AP photo)
So I’m heading out to the Braves game today to attempt to assess where this team is at the end of another homestand. (Dime-store analysis: 29-29 overall, 15-16 at home. They’re pretty average.)
But I started wondering something: With all the focus since this winter on all the players the Braves DIDN’T get, compounded by the early failures of Jordan Schafer (.204 before being bussed to Gwinnett), the seeming indifference of Garret Anderson (also a .254 average) and the reality check concerning Kenshin Kawakami (he cost how much?), are the Braves missing much with the guys who aren’t here?
Here’s a rundown of a few, in no particular order:
♦ A.J. Burnett, pitcher, New York Yankees: It has been no loss so far — for the Braves. He signed for five years and $82.5 million with the Yankees, which was way more than any other team was going to pay. Oops. He’s 4-3 with a 4.89 ERA, and he’s been somewhat of a train wreck lately. He’s 0-1 with a 12.91 ERA in two games against Boston — games that are kind of important in New York — and had a meltdown Tuesday night when he was yanked after giving up five runs and five walks in 2 2/3 innings in a 7-0 loss to the Red Sox. Burnett actually started walking to the dugout long before Joe Girardi reached the mound and didn’t even stop to talk or look at the manager. When he got to the dugout, he punted the orange water cooler. Burnett later: ”I’m not the first person to kick over a water cooler.” No, dude. Just probably the richest.
♦ Rafael Furcal, shortstop, Los Angeles: I’m sure you’ll recall the “He’s coming back!”/”He’s not coming back!” exchange between the Braves and Furcal, which sparked denials from his agent that a deal ever was done and claims by team president John Schuerholz that the team will never again deal with clients from that agency (which, by the way, could be in violation of the CBA or some sort of labor laws). But things have cooled down a bit since then. Good thing. Because Furcal hasn’t exactly been worth all of the furor. He’s hitting only .244 with an on-base percentage of .310 for the Dodgers, which is not what Joe Torre wants near the top of the batting order. Furcal is coming off back surgery last year, and he also has missed some time with a strain buttocks muscle. Furcal didn’t quite pull a Burnett the other day, but close. He shattered a batting helmet. I’m still not quite sure if he spiked it, crushed it with a bat or just ran head first into the wall. After Furcal hit .167 on a recent six-game road trip, Torre noted the obvious to the L.A. Times: “He’s getting frustrated. There’s no question. Right now I think it’s just [being] overanxious. Physically, he seems fine.”
♦ Jake Peavy, pitcher, San Diego: Yeah they could use him. He’s a power pitcher the team could use (92 strikeouts and 28 walks in 81.2 innings). He’s 6-6 with a 3.97 ERA but he’s win four of his last 5 starts on a pretty average team. Logic says he makes the Braves better than average. But the fact Peavy hasn’t gone anywhere yet –the Padres never traded him before the season and Peavy recently rejected a trade to the Chicago White Sox — could be some solace for Frank Wren.
♦ Andruw Jones, outfield/DH, Texas: The Braves considered bringing Jones back as a non-roster player but decided against it. He ended up going to Texas, ostensibly to work with hitting guru Rudy Jaramillo, and he made the team as a back up center fielder and designated hitter. Jones got off to a phenomenal start. In early May he was hitting .340 with an uncommon .500 on-base percentage (he actually had more walks, with 14, than strikeouts, 10). But Jones has slid since. He wound up hitting only .245 in May and has started this month going one for 12. When you’re a part-time player, numbers can change dramatically. Jones’ current stats: .258 average, .340 OBP, five homers, 15 RBI.
♦ Josh Anderson, outfield, Detroit: Just throwing him in here because he would’ve started the season in center field if the Braves didn’t decide to promote Jordan Schafer (or, for whatever reason, kept both). The Braves dealt Anderson to Detroit for a prospect because he was out of options. Anderson has mostly platooned in left field for the Tigers and been a nice addition. He’s hitting .261 and, here’s the big thing: He has 14 stolen bases, which is only three less than the Braves have had all season.
(LATE ADDITION: GEEZ. HOW COULD I FORGET….)
♦ Ken Griffey, Jr., DH, Seattle: You’ve got to be pretty bad to make Garret Anderson look good. And Griffey is. He’s hitting .208, although he has more home runs (six) than Anderson (three). Predictably, he also has only 154 at-bats, which places him seventh on the Mariners, having sat out 14 of 59 games to rest is broken down body. If Seattle wants him, they can have him.
So a question to you in the blogosphere:
Are you upset about the Braves not having any of the above players in the lineup?
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147 comments Add your comment
mitch
June 11th, 2009
7:56 am
Who, me? I just want to be first.
Jeff Schultz
June 11th, 2009
8:18 am
You’ve always been No. 1 with me, Mitch. (I’m sorry. Who are you?)
NC Braves Fan
June 11th, 2009
8:29 am
I think mitch may be the Hot Phone Sex Princess. Or not.
Good points all, Jeff. Save for grabbing a good, power-hitting OF this winter, the Braves seem to have done pretty well for themselves overall.
That said, average (and terribly boring to watch at times) sounds about right for Les Bravos in the current construction.
Atticus
June 11th, 2009
8:34 am
You forgot one situation Jeff. Garret Anderson sucks. While the Phillies got Ibanez, the Braves went after a loafing player that hits no home runs and has no speed. That decision cost us ANOTHER year missing the playoffs. They should’ve gone after Adam Dunn or ANYBODY that is hitting better than Anderson. This team has NO CHANCE to make the playoffs without a big hitter. You have 3 players that have contirbuted NOTHING in the lineup, Francouer, KJ and Garret. You can’t win with five hitters. Plug Norton in until Kotch is back and that makes 4.
Hot Phone Sex Princess
June 11th, 2009
8:39 am
To answer your question, Jeff, no, I’m not unhappy that those players are not here.
And to NC Braves Fan, there is only one HPSP and it ain’t mitch.
Jeff Schultz
June 11th, 2009
8:47 am
Attitucs — I agree, particular on Dunn. Don’t suppose $$$ had anything to do with that, do you?
Hot Phone Sex Princess — I need to talk to you about some charges on my last bill. Is it cheaper if I get you in my Friends and Family Plan?
Hot Phone Sex Princess
June 11th, 2009
8:56 am
You know where to find me, however the caller is responsible for all charges incurred during the course of the transaction.
Mac
June 11th, 2009
8:57 am
If I remember correctly, the Braves players were pushing for Derek Lowe when the Braves were chasing Burnette. Thank God for those darn Yankees.
And, didn’t the Braves offer a Japanese pitcher before Kawakami? I’m pretty sure they did. Who was that guy, where is he and how is he doing?
NYCBrave
June 11th, 2009
8:59 am
Nice article Jeff. I would say the Braves haven’t missed any of these guys with the exception of Peavy perhaps, but they tried to to get him.
You could always think of how a change of setting would affect a player’s stats, etc, but that gets you nowhere. Although I think Andruw in a Braves uniform would either be hitting about .163 or have been released already.
NC Braves Fan
June 11th, 2009
9:00 am
HPSP – nice gig! Schultz wants to make you one of his “ten sprinkles” (if you’ve seen the commercial).
Corliss
June 11th, 2009
9:08 am
Garret Anderson=Claudell Washington reincarnated. Need I say more?
Ted Striker
June 11th, 2009
9:18 am
Speaking of missed opportunities, I think the Braves should have treated Mike Hampton like an ‘87 corvette, and just parted him out when someone else on the roster was aching. (Not that those parts would come with a warranty)
TommyP
June 11th, 2009
9:23 am
As always, great article.
What makes all of these players’ struggles all the bit more frustrating is the fact that these guys were the top choices for Wren. Mainly Burnett.
Peavy would’ve cost a king’s ransom and then they go after Burnett for some inexplicable reason. Lowe finally falls into their laps. What if the Mets had done the right thing and signed Lowe? What would’ve been the fall back plan for Wren?
I think your headline needs to be changed. They ARE making Wren look bad ’cause those were the guys he had at the top of his list.
Alan
June 11th, 2009
9:24 am
Its refreshing to see a team like Pittsburg that doesn’t stand a chance to win anything play as hard as they do, on the other hand we have a guy at shortstop who thinks he is god’s gift and seems be be somewhere else when he is in the field.
I watch other teams go up to bat and if nothing else they make the pitcher work to get them out where as KJ, Frenchy and Yunel never seem to think in those terms, its like they are scared to wait for the right pitch, can’t they take a moment and watch Chipper in the box, it cost nothing and they just might learn how to hit.
I have to wonder when Terry is working with these hitters if he trys to get then to understand, if he does the message is getting lost, which brings us back to Bobby.
Corliss
June 11th, 2009
9:25 am
As for Jordan Schafer=Brad Kommisk. When the bases are loaded, I’d rather have Rick Camp at the plate. Also,this is the perfect time to trade Frenchy: maybe he & JS can trade stories about being sent back to the farm in spite of all of their “potential.”
paul
June 11th, 2009
9:29 am
Watching a bit of the Yanks Red Sox last night after the Bravos and noticed Nick Swisher with .256 / 12HR/ +30RBI. He plays right field and made an amazing defensive play… *Sigh*
Jeff Schultz
June 11th, 2009
9:33 am
HOT PHONE SEX PRINCESS: This is getting too complicated. Like all relationships.
NYCBRAVE — I’d still take Peavy. Nothing against Lowe but I love a power guy at the top of the rotation.
MAC: First I heard of there being another Japanese pitcher. Maybe DOB knows but I missed that.
TOMMYP: Hah! Hadn’t thought about that as the headline.
ALAN: I agree. It’s always fun to watch young/hungry teams that play hard even when they know realistically they’re not going anywhere. But I think that’s why the Braves’ trade ticked them off so much. It’s like, ‘Why take our only All-Star?’
CORLISS: Schafer=Kommisk. OMG, I hope not. And Rick Camp. You go back a few years, don’t you?
Jeff Schultz
June 11th, 2009
9:36 am
PAUL: Yeah, and have you seen Swisher’s girlfriend? Wow.
http://www.wagrankings.com/catherine-panagiotopoulos
paul
June 11th, 2009
9:45 am
We will / do have a power guy in the rotation in Mr. Hanson.
Baseball players obtain unfairly attractive women.
Corliss
June 11th, 2009
9:45 am
Jeff, you can’t be a true Braves fan unless you remember the bad times(i.e, the failed Nick Esasky/Rico Brogna experiments@1B, lest I forget about a washed up Chris Chambliss,trading Brett Butler)too. I hate front-runners who call themselves “fans.” If people thought Skip Caray was acerbic, they should have heard him THEN. Good work, Jeff.
VaBravesfan
June 11th, 2009
10:02 am
Paul: He also made a terrible defensive play, but i see your point.
NC Braves Fan
June 11th, 2009
10:07 am
TommyP re: your 9:23 … I think what’s worse than the FA stuff Wren tried to do is the fact that we have glaring holes in several lineup spots and absolutely no one who can come up from the minors to bail them out. No-one. Everyone that is slotted as a replacement is at least a year away from the bigs.
I don’t know that the team would be significantly worse off if Wren had been able to sign all his top-choice FAs at this point.
PMC
June 11th, 2009
10:10 am
It’s just odd that it’s been X number of years and they still are struggling to find an everyday left fielder. It seems like they simply abandoned speed altoegther. Watching McCutchon fly around makes you miss that speed in Center and honestly a couple days of McClouths arm makes me think perhaps he’s a better fit for Left. The entire outfield has been kind of a mess the last few years. It’s really odd that with all the pitching these guys get they don’t ever seem to find outfielders with ANY speed untill this year I guess with the guy from Dade county. Maybe Roy could go watch the kids catch rabbits in Pahokee too and see if he can’t get a few to come play baseball. If the Pirates can scout India surely we can scout south Florida.
PMC
June 11th, 2009
10:15 am
I think Jeff Francouer has pretty much run out of potential at this point too. Sorry, 4 years in, he IS a .240 hitter and essentially a defensive outfielder. Unless he FINALLY starts swinging at pitches in the strike zone all he will ever be is a pretty good defensive right fielder with a cannon arm. He is a liability at the plate and in the line up. He is what he is at this point.
Mac
June 11th, 2009
10:24 am
Got it, Jeff. Before the Braves signed Kawakami, they offered a major league contract to 22-year-old right hander Junichi Tazawa, who signed with the Red Sox and is, I believe, now in their minor league system.
FIRE COX!!!
June 11th, 2009
10:40 am
Garret Anderson is a slug!! Anyone else see him “walk” after balls hit in the gap? I would have shown him the door after Mondays game with the pirates but good ole Bobby loves his old players…..
court
June 11th, 2009
10:42 am
I have less of a problem with not getting the guys on this list than I do with not making a run at guys like Jermaine Dye.
Francoeur hasn’t gotten any better since the league found out he can’t hit a breaking pitch of any kind, and letting him get away with all that whining last year was enough for me to want to get rid of him and take a run at Dye.
How the heck do you compare Shafer and Komminsk ? Komminsk wasn’t a leadoff hitter.
This team has more problems than a few guys they didn’t get in the off season. We have a manager who, when it looks like his team is getting some momemtum, allows a .100 hitter to go to the plate with 2 outs in the 9th after getting a home run to get within a run. This “it’s only one game” attitude has cost the team a lot of post season games.
sad brotha
June 11th, 2009
10:43 am
How is Tex doing in New York?
Brian not a Braves fan
June 11th, 2009
10:46 am
Jeff,
I think the Braves made a huge mistake and signed both Kenshin Kawakami and Garrett Anderson. Kawakami can’t seem to find the plate, and Anderson is over his prime years. As for fixing the Team, I think Francouer must be traded, I hate to say that, b/c he is a great kid, but he is too much like Brad Komminsk. (sorry to drag up an OLD name). I also think its time to get rid of Kotchman. He is a corner infielder that does not hit for power. See any problem with that??
Chris
June 11th, 2009
10:47 am
PMC, agree with you that McLouth is better suited to left field. Hopefully when (if?) Schafer gets healthy and gets his swing back, he will be back in center next year with McLouth in left and G. Anderson sitting on a beach somewhere. Then they have to figure out right field.
Brian not a Braves fan
June 11th, 2009
10:48 am
and one more thing. Swisher’s GF is on the cover of a Dave Matthews Band Cd. Always wondered who she was.. WOW!!
NC Braves Fan
June 11th, 2009
10:49 am
Chris – my guess is that right field will be “figured out” before July 31.
DR
June 11th, 2009
10:49 am
Who cares?
Michael J
June 11th, 2009
10:50 am
Good article Jeff – one measure of how effective Braves trades have been over the years would be to look at what we have given up, and what we have gotten in return. Seems we let good talent go for little or nothing, and then either release players or they just don’t pan out. We gave the Dodgers Furcal & Betemit, with nothing in return. We gave up Salty & Andrus for Tex, knowing that we would never keep Tex because his agent is Boras. I could keep going – Marquis, Millwood, DeRosa, Dye, etc. The Braves braintrust is broken. We got lucky with having three Hall of Famers on our staff in the 90’s, plus other great arms. Once those guys were allowed to go, the team really has not been that much of a force. The farm is weak. Hanson has great promise, but who else is down there that can help? Heyward possibly, and thats it. We’ve given up too much over the years and have received little in return.
Herschworld
June 11th, 2009
10:51 am
Jeff you still look like a retarded Andy Dick and your still a worthless Hack of a journalist EKKKHH you make me sick
Dawg Fan
June 11th, 2009
10:54 am
Who would be better for the braves right now Andrew Jones or Greg Norton? I think we all know the answer to that. Norton is awfull this year.
Braves Fan
June 11th, 2009
11:02 am
They are still just a half team with no reasonable prospect for challenging the Mets or Phillies. They have Jones, Escobar, McCann and McClouth and little else except on rare occasions. That was especially the case in the 3 – 2 loss last night to the Pirates.
Sam Everyman, Citizen Journalist
June 11th, 2009
11:03 am
“This team has more problems than a few guys they didn’t get in the off season. We have a manager who, when it looks like his team is getting some momemtum, allows a .100 hitter to go to the plate with 2 outs in the 9th after getting a home run to get within a run. This “it’s only one game” attitude has cost the team a lot of post season games.” – court
I think Court is right. How many times do they get something going only to have Bobby fail to act and not give them the best chance at a win? Everytime Francoeur goes to the plate is a wasted opportunity. Nothing new here. Last year he failed with the bases loaded, how many times? Now it’s the same with Norton. This Norton is more like the guy who worked in the sewers than one of the best pinch hitters in baseball.
Getting the same results time after time? Try something different. Like the AJC . . . splashes of color in the paper and more frequent blogging from Jeff and Mark. Trying something different.
Bobby might win more games by improving chances for a successful outcome. Oh, yeah, Bobby’s a legend but if he made moves that would increase the chance of something good happening maybe it would excite the players who expect more of the same. Francoeur spends less time at the plate than anyone I can ever recall – including many pitchers.
Homer
June 11th, 2009
11:06 am
Retarded Andy Dick, that’s hilarious. FIRE SCHULTZ!!!
Biscuit
June 11th, 2009
11:08 am
Doesn’t matter, you could put Tony Gwynn in our lineup and Terry Pendelton will find a way to muck him up.
Chris
June 11th, 2009
11:09 am
NC Braves fan, I just don’t see them being able to move Francoer this year. Who would take him for anything other than non-prospects? He does plays good defense, has a great arm. That might be all we can expect.
Paul W
June 11th, 2009
11:13 am
Too little has been said about Garrett Andersen. How can a “professional”, as he has been touted, be so lackadaisical and indifferent on offense and defense. He looks loke he really wants to be somewhere else- I think we should oblige him.
And poor Frenchy is a head case- we owe it to him and the Braves fans to let him go find himself somewhere else.
Hoosier Aaron
June 11th, 2009
11:14 am
As they say, some of the best deals are the ones you don’t make.
Just for the fun of it…go to mlb.com pitching stats…compare the stats of Jake Peavy to Javy Jazquez…..I’m just sayin’….
I’ll match our Top Three starters against ANY in baseball.
Now we need to do something about 5 through 8 in our batting order.
NC Braves Fan
June 11th, 2009
11:14 am
Chris – I can’t remember if Francouer has an option left or not. If so, the minors could be an option.
I think it’s a situation the Braves are going to solve soon no matter what the outcome may look like.
B12JONEAL
June 11th, 2009
11:21 am
GA is going to help us get back to the playoff just wait.The braves havent had their full lineup in their an chipper has had nagging injury.if frenchy starts getting hits an some homeruns we are ok.I been an angles fan for a while. GA always starts out slow but he will end up with 17-20 homeruns an 80-90 RBI.so the braves just have to put it together.they just need a good bat off the bench an thats Omar.
NRBraindead
June 11th, 2009
11:22 am
Trade Frenchy and Jo-Jo to The Rockies for Hawpe.
Sam Everyman, Citizen Journalist
June 11th, 2009
11:23 am
I pretty much understood that 11:21 post. I am beginning to fit in here. Jeff, you do some amazing work.
Blackberry Cobbler
June 11th, 2009
11:28 am
With exception of Chipper, McCann, and McLouth the Braves are nothing but average players. Average players = average team = .500 record. Simple math.
The pitching has been better than last year……… but that ain’t saying much. It’s still woefully inconsistent.
Francoeur, Anderson, and Kelly Johnson are jokes. Escobar, although a decent SS and decent bat, is as dumb as a brick…….. i.e. base running and fielding mental errors.
For all the “improvements” supposedly made in the off-season and including the recent addition of McLouth (he’s a good player but not a super player), the Braves are still very much an “average” team.
After this next road trip, the NL East race will be a dream for the Braves……. they’ll be double-digits out of the lead. Thanks Frank Wren and Booby Cox.
semiballcoach
June 11th, 2009
11:28 am
anderson would have to improve to be as bad as claudell
Rusty
June 11th, 2009
11:29 am
Bring back Bob Horner @ 3rd and move Chipper to left.