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
Jeff D.
April 26th, 2010
6:07 pm
Roja: Let’s hold off on nominating Kelly Johnson as the new Ted Williams. It’s early. He has plenty of time to get his career average back to .266
Hadji
April 26th, 2010
6:13 pm
We would need to give up Minor, who as of now is killing in the minors with k+ per inning. One of our top prospects
Roja
April 26th, 2010
6:16 pm
I’ll hold off on KJ and also on Prado’s great start. It’s EARLY so I’ll also lay off Glaus’ poor start and on Chipper’s errors, and on McClouth’s slow start and on Melky’s slow start and on Yunel’s attack of “duh”. There are 144 games left!!! But as far as TP and Bobby…. I have the last 4 years to base my feelings on that they just may BE the problem with this team.
Hillbilly Deluxe
April 26th, 2010
6:17 pm
If I were making the decision, I’d just wait ’til next when Freeman is ready. Trading for Gonzalez would stick you with another contract down the road and this team isn’t going anywhere this year, anyway. Though they won’t admit it publically, the Braves are in the middle of a rebuilding phase.
Roja
April 26th, 2010
6:18 pm
By the way, Andruw is hitting .292 with 6 HRs and a .404 OBP and .708 SLG and 1.112 OPS. I guess the White Sox have a real Hitting Coach, also.
MIchael Smith
April 26th, 2010
6:25 pm
The troubling thing about the Glaus situation is that pitchers are getting him out just blowing fastballs by him — nothing tricky or nasty, just low 90s fastballs.
But we’ll see — we are only a little over 10% into the season.
T'VILLE DAWG
April 26th, 2010
6:27 pm
If your a Cox fav he will play you no matter how bad you are, Andruw Jones didn’t hit his weight for three years before he thankfully moved on. The higher ups decided as soon as 09 was up to find the cheapest right handed hitter for first regaurdless. I can’t watch this crap any more. I’m thrilled Cox is going to leave soon. But on the other hand the other dead weight Pendelton will probably get the job so the same old shiatzu will keep spinning on the old turntable.That’s crap for another day though, man it chafes me the Braves gave away a potential superstar to a division rival, boy the Mets really have the Braves number, no need to name names, but I will, poor Jeff and am I pleased to see him flourish under legitimate coaching. Chipper hasn’t used T.P. for hitting advice in forever. punchline to the joke of the day, answer Pendelton.
Jeff D.
April 26th, 2010
6:29 pm
Roja: I think Andrew is playing better because he’s had to work for it. He was cruising on pure talent for a while, got fat and his swing got sloppy. I’m glad he’s doing well now.
gt
April 26th, 2010
6:32 pm
if he is one of the top 7 million players alive todaY, BRING HIM. HE WOULD BE AN IMPROVEMENT.
NO MORE BOBBY
April 26th, 2010
6:38 pm
Padres are winning so Gonzalez is going nowhere.
FYI – THE COACHES GOTTA GO BEFORE ANY BROUGHT IN PLAYER IS GOING TO HELP THIS TEAM!!! We bring in Tex. Did that help? We get McClouth from Pirates. Did that help? We get Church from Mets (lame). Did that help? We get Kotchman from Angels. Did that help? Point is we can play musical chairs all day long with bringing in new guys but until Bobby and his boys are finally gone it will always be the same results. LOSING.
TheAntiMe
April 26th, 2010
6:40 pm
Sorry, Jeff, but the Padres being desperate is a very relative concept, to be sure. Do you recall just one off-season ago when the Padres were also desperate to trade Jake Peavy that the deal was not feasible because the desperate Padres, reportedly wanted Tommy Hanson, Yunel Escobar, and 2 more very high-profile minor league prospects for Peavy and some long-shot minor leaguer?
I would be happy to see Adrian Gonzales with a tomahawk across his chest, but not at the expense of say Jason Heyward, Freedie Freeman and Tommy Hanson. It’s just not worth it to trade the Braves future for a player that – although he is perhaps the best hitter at his position in the NL – still will not be enough to get the Braves into the playoffs without other big changes to the roster taking place.
The Braves are so close with their younger players such as Freeman, Jordan Schafer, and Arodys Vizcaino that it would be foolish to give two or more of these players up.
Bottom line: Adrian Gonzales is a native son of San Diego and is a rock star in that city. I would be shocked if the Padres – desperate or not – didn’t require a kings ransom for him in a trade, just based on their recent demands with Peavy.
NEW CARS
April 26th, 2010
6:45 pm
SGT. Schultz,
I wonder if they might do like they did with the bullpen a few years ago and ship someone to the minors, like Melky and try to catch lightning in a bottle with Brent Clevlen. What are the chances of putting Chipper at first and getting Bob Horner back for a game to see which one hurt themselves first in BP…
gobraves
April 26th, 2010
6:46 pm
i know that we are all spoiled due to the success that us as braves fans have had, but wow this team is really sloppy. offence deffence everything but pitching. very few guys hustle and even if everyone did hustle i do not think that it would make up for the lack to talent left on the ball club. its like the braves are the new raiders. yesh this guy was good until he put on a braves uniform. i am not sure if it is TP or just the overall standard of this team now. i know you hear everyone say that it is a business, but at some point all these guys are going to have to start playing the game and not doing business. that goes from top to bottom of the organization.
Real UT
April 26th, 2010
6:53 pm
I would throw Freeman in if I had to. Gonzalez is a proven stud at the major league level. Freeman seems like he will be, too, but he doesn’t really have anywhere near the power Gonzalez has. The Braves need a power bat.
Lineup
1. Prado
2. J- Hey
3. Chipper
4. Gonzalez
5. Mac
6. Esky
7. Diaz/Cabrera
8. McLouth
9. P
This lineup would be dirty. I would also consider putting Infante somewhere in the outfield/infield everyday and just let him lead off.
thunderbull56
April 26th, 2010
7:20 pm
Everbody’s doing a brand new dance now.Come on baby do the locomotion.Funny how all you scribes can dog on the Nortons and Johnsons of the world.BTW, last I heard Kelly and Frenchy were rippin’ it up. And never mention the illustrious Terry Pendleton’s obvious ineptitude.I know he’s not the one in the batter’s box, but for cryin’ out loud,how long can Bobby Cox wear those rose colored glasses?
Bill
April 26th, 2010
7:21 pm
Trade Escobar and two minor leagers. If that didn’t work add another , just get it done.
MitchC
April 26th, 2010
7:23 pm
Jeff. Thank You! Finally, someone has a solution that will help this team.
I agree with you that Gonzalez would be an excellent fit for this team. He has power, he’s a first baseman, and he has a very affordable contract. Most important, he can play every day, and would result in Troy Glaus finally being let go. I also agree that the Braves can’t worry about next season and Freddie Freeman. They are having enough trouble this season, and, if they don’t start playing better soon, they will not only have to worry about Philly being long gone, but also about falling completely out of the wild card race.
Do the fans a favor, Jeff, contact Frank Wren and tell him what you just wrote. If I know Wren, he’ll wait, and wait, and wait, until it’s too late.
Get Gonzalez here, now! If Wren doesn’t, he should pay by losing his job!
GoodTraction
April 26th, 2010
7:26 pm
Where is Sonny? C’mon, Sonny, you always come out of the woodwork on the Braves blog. Even if you’re on vacation in Bora Bora, you can enlighten us by remote.
Jeff
April 26th, 2010
7:29 pm
If I were Frank Wren this is what I would do. 1) Trade one of our surplus pitchers of Adrian Gonzalez.
2) When Freeman is ready to be called up, move Gonzalez to 3rd and force Chipper to retire. Genius.
Skid
April 26th, 2010
7:45 pm
The braves don’t need to do anything but open the checkbook up alittle. I don’t care what Terry M. says but the payroll has been cut. The numbers sure don’t add up to last year. The braves could have had a good team if they could spend close to 100 mill. I am tired of the braves trying to fix the offense with vets that are 33+ years old. We need to find a RH power bat for LF in the worst way. Their were 2 on the market this year and the braves did nothing. I can’t wait until we have a real owner. Maybe we can spend some money on the players we need.
Dejay
April 26th, 2010
7:46 pm
BravesfaninWis said it best; as long as ownership continues to care more about how much $$$ was made in the Chophouse instead of titles won on the field, the Braves will remain a third-tier team who continue to think of itself as elite although it hasn’t been relevant in close to a decade. It’s as if they’re the only ones in town who don’t realize that it isn’t 1995 anymore.
The problem with this franchise goes WAYYYYYYYY beyond them not being in the eventual Gonzales sweepstakes (who are we really fooling folks, he’s not coming here). This is the same team who let a productive guy walk because $5M was too much for him to ask. And just how many contending teams you know of right now have a $1.5M, 34-year old batting cleanup? Think about it; the corner infielders are comprised of Chipper and Glaus, which would’ve been cool if it was 2006 and not 2010.
And as much as Vasquez is getting shelled in NYC, who would you rather have had here to begin the season; him or Cabrera? And do I even need to go there with the Derek Lowe signing? It’s like he took a ski mask and an AK-47 to Turner Field during the negotiations.
Ask yourselves this; before we get to Liberty Media, the GM has to be taken to task for bringing in a bunch of guys who have yet to produce. What team(s) did he build before he got here? The Orioles; how did they do under his watch? Oh, yeah.
So we can hope that the bats come around and hope that the starting pitchers (save Lowe) don’t blow a gasket the next time they go 7 innings, give up two runs, and still lose 2-0, hope that Liberty Media don’t pare payroll even further when only 12-17K are in the building in mid-July, and hope the next guy they face don’t take a look at their lineup and decide to make history like Jimenez did a week ago. There’s better odds in the Powerball, though…
ryan
April 26th, 2010
7:53 pm
ESPN is reporting that the Cubs are going to cut Alfonso Soriano maybe that is somebody the Braves can look at.
.
April 26th, 2010
8:04 pm
ryan don’t believe that sh@#
siskel_god
April 26th, 2010
8:05 pm
Throw in Escobar and bring back Everth Cabrera. Gonzo and Cabrera solve the power and the lead off spot. I know Cabrera isn’t hitting much better than any of our other guys, but for what ever reason Bobby Cox seems to hate Yunel. So let’s just do him a favor and send him to San Diego.
Tyler
April 26th, 2010
8:07 pm
Its TERRY PENDELTON, he is the PROBLEM, look at what kelly Johnson and jeff francouer are doing out of ATL, Terry Pendelton just hasnt been able to help the players get better. End of story.
robdawg08
April 26th, 2010
8:11 pm
Sadsacker News announces today that Parabrokebackmount Pictures is making a movie called “White Men Can’t Hit”.
Braves fans should be excited because the producer has announced that the leading acting role
will be chosen from Nate Mclouth,Troy Glaus,and Matt Diaz. Producer Juan Hung Lo says “The best part is these players can just be themselves and suck at hitting. Whether its Nate,Troy,or Matt that lands the leading role, all three will be in this blockbuster film !”
He also stated that “We will use Ubaldo Jimenez and Roy Halladay as the opposing pitchers in this movie.” Surprisingly he revealed that Melky Cabrera will also be in the movie. “We know Melky is not white but since he is light-skinned we can use a bunch of make-up to make him white enough.” Terry Pendleton will be the hitting coach that will be seen eating a lot of sunflower seeds and peanuts as his prodigies struggle at the plate helplessly…Although no Braves fans are expected to want to watch this documentary film,tickets are being offered at half price with 25 % of all ticket sales being donated to Bobby Cox charity : MLB Managers Over 65.
Coming soon to a theater near you…
Hillbilly Deluxe
April 26th, 2010
8:22 pm
In spite of his drawbacks, I’d be surprised to see the Cubs release Soriano. He is hitting .300 going into today,
Jeff R
April 26th, 2010
8:22 pm
“Do the Braves still feel somewhat burned by the Mark Teixeira trade? Probably.”
Geez, Jeff, if all Braves’ management feels is “somewhat” burned by the Super Tex fleecing, then maybe Wren will go off half-cocked and trade another armful of solid prospects for what amounts to another rental.
And what would San Diego want for Gonzalez? Pitching? Wouldn’t do that. Remember, the Braves’ added McGriff and Andres when they had the other pieces of a contending team in place. The 2010 Braves aren’t there yet. I’d keep my powder dry, if I were Wren.
.
April 26th, 2010
8:23 pm
end of 1st…0-0. Chip looked sick at bat (in pain) ?
robdawg08
April 26th, 2010
8:24 pm
Tim Hudson’s gotta throw a no-hitter to win. One run and he will lose…
David Smith
April 26th, 2010
8:24 pm
Getting Gonzo would be a huge lift to our offense with his clutch hitting (3.17 avg and leading his team in HR’s with 6) and, Gold Glove fielding. We will see if Wren has the guts to pull the trigger to get him.
.
April 26th, 2010
8:26 pm
Soriano salary is $19,000,ooo thats alot of money to eat…and like Hillbilly said he is hitting 300 with 2 hrs.
bp
April 26th, 2010
8:27 pm
All these people saying we should have kept Kelly J. are the same ones who wanted him gone.He’ll cool off.
robdawg08
April 26th, 2010
8:28 pm
Chipper might have pulled the hammy running out that bunt to shortstop…
robdawg08
April 26th, 2010
8:29 pm
Kelly could play OF too. Could be playing CF or LF and still have Prado at 2B…
robdawg08
April 26th, 2010
8:30 pm
Here’s ole two outs fer one hittin’ Glaus…
robdawg08
April 26th, 2010
8:32 pm
Bases loaded 1 out, Glaus will hit into DP. Nobody on base Glaus gets a hit…
robdawg08
April 26th, 2010
8:35 pm
Ump bad call. SS off bag on force play. Glaus was safe. 2 outs top 2nd.
1st 2010
April 26th, 2010
8:35 pm
Who would we trade for him?? Schaffer and glaus, or Melky and glaus or all of them together?
robdawg08
April 26th, 2010
8:37 pm
1st and 3rd two outs McLouth up.
robdawg08
April 26th, 2010
8:38 pm
Tap to pitcher, 3 outs.
.
April 26th, 2010
8:38 pm
Umpire missed call at 2nd base, Glaus was safe. BC said not a word.
Cabrera hits, men on corners for Nate which is easy out to pitcher.
bp
April 26th, 2010
8:40 pm
Have you ever seen a worse atbat with men on than Mclouse
.
April 26th, 2010
8:40 pm
1st 2010=trade all three.
robdawg08
April 26th, 2010
8:40 pm
M. Holliday up,single to LF.
robdawg08
April 26th, 2010
8:42 pm
Rasmus base hit. runners 1st & 2nd no outs.
robdawg08
April 26th, 2010
8:44 pm
Holliday thrown out stealing 3rd.
robdawg08
April 26th, 2010
8:46 pm
Fly out. Runner at 2B 2 outs. Frese at bat
.
April 26th, 2010
8:49 pm
robdawg08, you do a better job than me. Keep it up.
robdawg08
April 26th, 2010
8:49 pm
Freese frozen on a change-up. 3 outs.