First base is Braves’ most fixable problem: Adrian Gonzalez
Here's Adrian Gonzalez after he scored during Padres' 10-run fourth-inning against Braves. Oops.
A rumor popped up a few days ago that the Braves might have some interest in San Diego first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, which is interesting because I proposed the same thing in November.
As I wrote then, the Padres need to trim payroll and there is absolutely no downside to the Braves pursuing a trade for Gonzalez: 1) He gives them a dependable power hitter and run producer; 2) He fills the great black hole that always seems to exist at first base in Turner Field; 3) He has a favorable contract ($4.75 million and $5.5 million this season and in 2011, respectively); 4) His name isn’t Troy Glaus.
Would Braves general manager Frank Wren have to deal some prospects for Gonzalez? Yes. Do the Braves still feel somewhat burned by the Mark Teixeira trade? Probably. But there comes a time when a franchise has to push the button on a deal, and the Braves can’t afford to drop too far out of the race and potentially miss the playoffs for the fifth straight season.
Now, back to Glaus. There is no shortage of problems in the lineup. We can start at leadoff, where the Braves are batting a sickly .091 — last in the majors by a longshot. Texas is next lowest at .138. The major league average is .252.
Detroit, which is led by would-be Brave Johnny Damon’s .323, is hitting .313 at leadoff. Sorry, just had to throw that in.
Chances are the Braves will have to deal with the leadoff issue all season. Their hope is that Nate McLouth or another player eventually gets hot (or even tepid) in that role. Or that Jordan Schafer can be brought back up and he takes it over. There just aren’t a lot of great leadoff hitters around.
The Glaus situation is different. The worst news is not that he stinks (.186 batting average, 17 strikeouts in 59 at-bats; slugging percentage of .305, even worse than Omar Infante’s .346). The worst news is that he might not get better. Consider that Glaus’ career stats show that his best months are April and May. In other words, this might be as good as it gets.
The career splits:
March: .250.
April: .276.
May: .270.
June: .233
July: .242
August: .252
September: .258
October: .151.
For what it’s worth, here are Gonzalez’ current statistics: .317, 6 homers, 14 RBI, .667 slugging, .429 on-base percentage, 1.095 OPS.
So the question is: How long can Wren afford to wait before pursuing a deal? And since some of you will bring up Freddie Freeman, here’s my view: Freeman can stay in the minors one more season. He’s not ready yet. Next year is next year, and that issue can be dealt with then. It’s about making something of this season.
♦
Earlier posts today
♦ Grading Falcons’ drafts, from Roddy (A) to Jimmy (ugh)
♦ Draft report card: Graders get an F, Falcons get 3 to 5 years
♦
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389 comments Add your comment
GTSteve
April 26th, 2010
3:55 pm
San Diego is in first freaking place…do you think they are going to give Gonzalez(sp) away…this team needs new management…..and now is not too early
I'm Frank Wren and I SUCK
April 26th, 2010
3:55 pm
Why on earth would I do something like bring Gonzalez in to our clubhouse? It makes too much sense.
Besides, I’m still waiting on the Javy Vasquez trade to pay off. What’s Melky’s BA right now anyways?
LuisG
April 26th, 2010
3:56 pm
It was Bret Boone, Ryan Klesko and Jason Shiell to the Padres for Wally Joyner, Quilvio Veras and Reggie Sanders to the Braves.
Jason W.
April 26th, 2010
3:57 pm
Actually I have to take my original thought back. Butler still has a few more seasons under contract and would block Freeman
Don't Wait Until The Season Is Lost
April 26th, 2010
3:57 pm
What about Adam Dunn? He doesn’t hit for average, but he has great power and walks alot. He could probably drive in some runs, and he’s in the last year of his contract so he wouldn’t block Freeman. Might not take a whole lot to trade for him.
Don't Wait Until The Season Is Lost
April 26th, 2010
3:58 pm
Everyone always blames Wren, but John Scherholtz is the still the team President. Don’t you think he has input on these moves? I think JS saw the writing on the wall in regards to payroll reductions and decided to get out of the GM position so he wouldn’t tarnish his “legacy”. In the 90’s JS could pretty much spend as much as he wanted.
GroundedFalcon
April 26th, 2010
4:00 pm
Whoa! Everyone, it’s early. The Braves are only 3 games back of the leaders in a tight division. Typicallly, the Braves don’t start playing their best ball until after the All Star break. So quit panicking! They’ll be alright. Remember Glaus was injured almost all of last year. It’s hard to get the timing back in any sport. However, there is a little concern with Chipper. Maybe he could help himself by hitting from just one side. Braves management, please don’t get rattled and give up the farm! Have you ever considered starting Hinske at first base? He’s hitting well! In conclusion, I think the team is trying to hard. They need to relax. You can’t play any sport well if your on edge. Relax, Relax, Relax, focus on the ball and the hitting will take care of it self.
Yoda
April 26th, 2010
4:00 pm
Heck lets deal Chumper..err ..Slipper…I mean Chipper to Texas and see if we can recoup some of that silly trade.
Nelson S.
April 26th, 2010
4:00 pm
If we can sign him to an extension I’m all for it but if not no. Look at Ryan Howard just got, do you think we’ll be able to pay Gonzo close to that? I just don’t see it.
Rough Estimate
April 26th, 2010
4:02 pm
Everyone says Glaus just needs more time to get his timing back and start producing, well why don’t they let him play some games at AAA until he shows that he has his timing back instead of wasting a MLB roster spot? Hinske or Prado can play 1B.
Diecinueve
April 26th, 2010
4:02 pm
Jeff Schultz, Do you know what It would take for us to trade for A-Gone? Let me help you..It would be a boat load!! Probably a package similar to the Tex deal..No way that happens again! The folks on this board are still crying over the Tex trade!
Jackie Treehorn
April 26th, 2010
4:03 pm
Jeff, the only thing about trading for Gonzalez is I don’t foresee any way they don’t ask for Freeman in return. In fact, I think it would take Yunel Escobar (might not be a bad thing to get rid of him), Freddie Freeman, and a pitching prospect to get it done….and even that probably wouldn’t work.
EW
April 26th, 2010
4:05 pm
Cmon Jeff!!! We all know that bringing Gonzalez to the Braves would lead to his demise as a hitter…and that sending Glaus away would rejuvenate his swing just like all the other Braves who left and found their swing…Atlanta is becoming a black hole for hitters….
duckey
April 26th, 2010
4:05 pm
give them yunel for him he is a head case will be glad to see him go
Yoda
April 26th, 2010
4:07 pm
Throw in Chumper..I mean Slipper..Chipper and they gotta take Pendleton too
Roscoe
April 26th, 2010
4:08 pm
Jeff……where ya at?
Bourbon Dawgwalker
April 26th, 2010
4:09 pm
While we’re dealing in fairy tales, I think Albert Pujols would look better at first, Alex Rodriguez would look better at 3rd, and Roy Halladay would be great on the mound for the Bravos.
Greg Norton
April 26th, 2010
4:10 pm
You should of kept my bat around. Give me a call, I can play first base for you all.
Martin Morales
April 26th, 2010
4:11 pm
Mr. Jeff Schultz,
you should change your title to the article…I got happy when i read braves: get gonzalez…gotta admit, smart way to get people to read…
GTSteve
April 26th, 2010
4:14 pm
If they would do it for Yunel, Freeman, and a pitching prospect, I say go for it…let Chipper retire and sign Gonzalez to an extension with the money saved from his contract, but I don’t think the Padres will go for that.
Marc in FL
April 26th, 2010
4:16 pm
What to do with Freeman? Simply, package him in the deal. He’ll be a good player someday, but he doesn’t look like a HOFer in the making. If Freeman was another Heyward then I would be against it, but he is, unfortunately, expendable.
Put Glaus and Melky on the wire, some team(s) will pick them up and take their contracts off our backs. That’s 5mil… That’s about what Adrian is making this year.
Delbert D.
April 26th, 2010
4:17 pm
Jeff, do whatever you have to do to make the Gonzalez thing happen. Can the AJC spring for a sky-writer plane for the next home stand?
Marc in FL
April 26th, 2010
4:18 pm
GTSteve, who plays SS if we send Escobar? Hicks? Infante? Not bad players, but Hicks can’t hit and Infante is better at stationary positions, though he would serviceable if needed I suppose.
Fire Terry P
April 26th, 2010
4:18 pm
When is the heat going to be turned up on TP again? Yes, he was a great player for the Braves in the early 90s, but he has proven to be terrible as a hitting coach. Sorry TP… it’s what have you done for me lately?!?! Do you not see the impact he is already having on J-Hey just in the first month? J-Hey has become more tentative at the plate (sorry, don’t tell me it’s patience there is a difference) and when he swings the same force/conviction isn’t there. Please show him the door before he ruins another Braves hitter…. and what concerns me even more is they have him on the short list to replace Bobby.
Marc in FL
April 26th, 2010
4:20 pm
So, you’re mad at TP for trying to teach our hitters pitch recognition?
a
April 26th, 2010
4:25 pm
Well said from an NBC sports blog in reaction to these rumors:
“If the Braves traded for Adrian Gonzales it would be like a guy making $40K a year leasing a BMW. Maybe the monthly payments are technically affordable in the short term, but it’s gonna cost too much regardless and at the end of the day he’s not even gonna own the thing.”
Right on.
Aziz
April 26th, 2010
4:28 pm
I am officially giving up on watching braves until they get rid of Troy Glauss. I don’t care if they replace him with a high school first baseman (atleast the kid would run faster than him).
Colin
April 26th, 2010
4:29 pm
8-14..here we come..Albert Pujols will make us look silly.
CraZyTRaDeMaN
April 26th, 2010
4:29 pm
Screw it lets just trade single A Rome and AA Mississippi to the PADRES for Gonzalez. And we all know how much Bobby loves platoons so I purpose we also trade AAA Gwinnett and all our Rookie league teams to the Cardinals for Pujols. Righties get Gonzalez lefties get Pujols!!! IT would work!!!
Come on Schultz you blabbering Bradley want-a-be. And who the hell wants to be like Bradley!!! In the words of EMINEM: Go home, write some @#$%, make it suspenseful, And don’t come back until something dope hits you. Isn’t it time for another Vacation Schultz? Just Kidding… ….. It just amazes me how one minute people debate how colossally bad the Tex trade was then freak out (Insert Howard Dean Scream) over 18 games into a season and 3 games out of 1st. Chill out people the Braves will make moves but not this soon. Unless we get A Gonzales for what we got for Tex (Kotchman) it won’t happen. Wren learned from JS’s trade for Tex that it’s not worth mortgaging the farm for one year of falling short of the playoffs which is what happened the year we made the Tex trade.
Tomas
April 26th, 2010
4:30 pm
Jeff, this is Mark Texeira part two. Gonzalez is a better player I would say, and doesn’t slump at the start of the season. To do what he has done with no protection at all, is truly remarkable. And if I remember correctly Texeira was around 10 million and then 13 million, Adrian is earning 4.85 milllion. Blabla, etc the guy is a superstar and the Braves need one.
BUT, can you imagine what the Padres want in return? I mean I know Kevin Towers was fired, but remember what they were asking for Jake Peavy??? Tommy Hanson, Yunel Escobar, Jeff Locke, and Gorkys Hernandez. TOMMY HANSON I’d dare to say the guy is as good as Peavy, earning 500k and not injury prone. They were nuts, and that’s probably why they fired Kevin Towers.
What the Rangers got in the Texeira deal, Elvis Andrus(probably the best fielding shorstop in the AL west), Neftali Perez(he can bring it), and Jarrod Saltalamacchia who has failed to meet expectations, and two other prospects. That’s plain robbery.
Now, what would the Padres ask for Adrian? Jason Heyward, Freddie Freeman, Craig Kimbrell?????? Those would be my 3 untoachables, and I’d hate to trade Schafer considering Mclouth’s struggles.
Ron Roberts
April 26th, 2010
4:31 pm
What kills me is, ever since they got lucky with Jaret Wright in 2003, they’ve had this itch to wanna try and put a “budget resurrection” project on their roster. Remember the 41-game Raul Mondesi experiment? Are we going to go 40 games or so before realizing Glaus can’t catch up to a major league pitch, this year? Last year it was Garret Anderson; Before that it was Mark Kotsay (and his ailing back) . . .
…what did Adam LaRoche wind up signing for? Wasn’t it like $6 million for the one season? DIdn’t we want an affordable, power-hitting 1B who could keep the base warm for a year or two? Well, at LEAST we saved $5 million, right? Except the folks who won’t buy a ticket to see a 3rd-4th-5th place team will add up, Frank Wren/Liberty Media.
Yoda
April 26th, 2010
4:33 pm
JS….I like your daydreams, but lets be real Gonzo ain’t headed here…so now we gotta decide to pack this season in (does seem rather early) or actually start making some moves that should have been attempted before spring….unload Escobar while you can…..cut a check to Chipper and retire him, dump Glaus, Melky & Mclouth…trade Lowe to anyone willing to give a warm body and pay 1/2 his salary…and then start digging over the scrape heap of the barely able to play list and see what sticks.
irked
April 26th, 2010
4:36 pm
That Texiera trade is what killed the Braves. We could have Elvis Andrus at SS and trade Yunel’s sorry behind for a 1st baseman that could hit and we’d have Matt Harrison in the rotation and neftali perez in the pen. But instead, we have Troy “no hitting” Glaus.
sgebraves
April 26th, 2010
4:36 pm
We basicly rebuild the Texas Rangers with the Tex deal, it would be the same thing if we traded for Gonzo. It’ll will take atleast 2 high prospects if not 3 and Gonzo is going to want Tex money and the Braves will lose him after a year. I say keep the prospects because if we do we could be great in a couple of years. I’m tired of them trading good prospects for 1 year guys. This goes all the way back to the JD Drew trade. How nice would it be to have Wainwright as the number 1 right about now. Make this deal which I could not see happening without including Freeman and in 2 years the braves will have a new different 1b and Freeman will be one of the Padres better hitters and probably their 2 or 3rd best starter will be a former Braves farmhand.
Mario Mendoza
April 26th, 2010
4:36 pm
It’s sad when the Braves have runners on the corners with one out or a runner on with the pitcher up and I feel like changing the channel to avoid the disappointment. Too many double plays and too many strikeouts from pitchers not being able to lay down a bunt. Tommy Hanson’s inability to lay down a bunt yesterday turned out to be a big missed opportunity. Glavine was guaranteed to lay a bunt down every time, a skill that young pitchers seemed to have forgotten. The Braves’ approach at the plate is terrible and I blame Pendleton more than Glaus or Melky or any player. I feel like the hitters don’t know how to play small ball and manufacture runs. They just seem lost at the plate with RISP. A guy with a .270 career batting average who struck out twice as many times as he walked should not be a major league hitting coach. Golden sombreros (4 K’s in one game) don’t happen too often and the Braves have three so far this season that I know of (Glaus, Heyward, McLouth). Maybe McGriff can come back and save the Braves during the middle of the season again but as a hitting coach.
irked
April 26th, 2010
4:37 pm
feliz rather. not perez
Marc in FL
April 26th, 2010
4:37 pm
To be fair Laroche demanded a 3 year 21-30 million dollar deal when we tried to resign him. He ended up settling for scraps at the end.
To be fair again… Andrus is the only person in the Tex trade that’s making it big right now. Salty has stayed injured, Feliz flashed some stuff late last season, but is proving mortal already this year and will probably never be more than set-up guy, and Harrison is just an “OK” lefty starter. I think the number of prospects we gave up scares people or something, cause so we’re only missing the SS, but until just recently Escobar has been doing just fine for us.
Yoda
April 26th, 2010
4:38 pm
I hear JD Drew is available
Diecinueve
April 26th, 2010
4:39 pm
Ok, I got the perfect deal for A-Gon..Glaus, Jo Jo, and Milky..How can the Padres pass up this deal?? Make it happen Wren!
Alan
April 26th, 2010
4:39 pm
PLEASE DON’T BRING ANOTHER PROVEN BAT INTO THE ORGANIZATION FOR (TP) TO SCREW UP, GET RID OF HIM FIRST, of course you want have that take place until Bobby is offcialy retired and by the way can’t Scheurholtz handle both his and Wrenn’s job.
Brian Jordan
April 26th, 2010
4:42 pm
I’m tired of seeing the same ole Braves…How about we get a couple of guys who can not only hit but can steal a couple bases….Kinda like the Rays….Maybe we should go after Carl Crawford I think he would be a great pickup but Carl Crawford is not slow and white so thats wishful thinking
ScottBravesfan
April 26th, 2010
4:42 pm
Jeff,
How are you going to get Gonzalez without giving up Freeman? And Gonzalez is going to require at least 20 million a year so you are sending off probably your three best prospects for a year and a half rental? Seriously did you not see the Texiera trade? It’s still costing us. We could have Elvis Andrus and Neftali Felez on our team right now instead of a nothing which we got for Mark Texiera. So one year of Mark Texiera was worth Felez and Andrus? And everyone who remotely follows baseball knows that the Boston Red Sox covet Gonzalez. Do you honestly think that the Braves are going to offer more money than Boston? Sometimes I wonder if there is something in the water in Atlanta that makes the sports fans and writers stupid.
gayle
April 26th, 2010
4:42 pm
Gonzalez would be a welcome addition and a definite upgrade. But in the grand scheme of things, he would be just one more Band Aid vainly trying to cover up the significant shortcomings of this team – on and off the field.
Getting him will placate the fans, but he can’t turn this team around by himself.
steve h
April 26th, 2010
4:43 pm
Adrian Gonzales to the Braves? No thanks!
- Craig Calcaterra
http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/04/adrian-gonzalez-to-the-braves-no-thanks.html.php
GTSteve
April 26th, 2010
4:43 pm
@Marc in FL…..Any freaking body…I have had it with his attitude
ScottBravesfan
April 26th, 2010
4:44 pm
Brian Jordan,
Carl Crawford is a free agent after the year and on a first place team in the Rays. Why exactly would they trade him when they have a shot at winning the World Series this year? Also the Yankees and the Red Sox both have made it clear that they are going after Crawford. Again do you think the Braves will be able to outspend the Yankees and the Red Sox? Maybe if you took your racist ass to the ball park then maybe the Braves would be able to actually sign some free agents but as of now the Braves are barely breaking even every year.
a
April 26th, 2010
4:46 pm
gayle, the move would have little to do with the fans in terms of its failure. the fact is that in 2010 there is no way on the planet Liberty Media is going to shell out the necessary $$$ to actually lock up gonzo.
in all our blaming of cox, TP, glaus, etc., lets not forget to throw our ownership under the bus a little bit. either bring back ted turner or someone talk arthur blank into buying this team!
ScottBravesfan
April 26th, 2010
4:46 pm
Read this
Adrian Gonzalez is going to be the biggest story of the trade deadline this year. Everyone assumes that the Red Sox will be the front runners for him. And if they continue to stink, they may push even harder for him than they otherwise would. But they’re not the only team in baseball who could use a cheap awesome first baseman. Jon Paul Morosi suggests the Braves could be in on AG.
The basis: well, not even a rumor really. Just the realization that (a) the Braves need offense and could use a first baseman; and (b) Adrian Gonzalez is a first baseman. Trades have materialized from less, of course, but at the moment that’s all there is. No word from a Braves source. No word from a Padres source.
And I sort of hope it stays that way. As I wrote earlier in the week, the Braves are not new to this trade-for-a-stud-first baseman thing. They did it with Mark Teixeira a few years ago, and it was fairly disastrous in terms of the young talent the Braves had to give up. Given that Gonzalez is even cheaper and under team-control longer than Teixeira was, the price in prospects would likely be even higher.
And it would be an overpayment no matter what Gonzalez does while signed for 2010 and 2011, because there is no conceivable way that the current owners of the Braves — Liberty Media — would approve the $180 million+ or whatever it would take to sign AG long-term.
If the Braves traded for Adrian Gonzales it would be like a guy making $40K a year leasing a BMW. Maybe the monthly payments are technically affordable in the short term, but it’s gonna cost too much regardless and at the end of the day he’s not even gonna own the thing.
a
April 26th, 2010
4:46 pm
sorry, i meant in 2012, not 2010.
a
April 26th, 2010
4:47 pm
scott, the last paragraph is priceless on that one.