Wren’s problem: He hasn’t earned benefit of doubt
Here's Troy Glaus looking at a called third strike Wednesday night. He's hitting .203. So much for that experiment.
Frank Wren spent Wednesday at a high school game, coughing from pollen that triggers his allergies. That night, the Braves lost their eighth straight game in St. Louis, coughing from their apparent allergy — the other team.
They can’t hit long. They can’t hit short. Some nights they can’t field. Some nights they forget to tag up. Usually, they can pitch pretty well, although St. Louis hung 10 on them Thursday and there are some nights when Derek Lowe looks like he’s allergic to mounds.
When the Braves broke spring training, they looked like a possible playoff team. Now they have the second-worst record in baseball.
What is Wren doing about it? Nothing. Not trading. Not panicking. Not even twitching. Just waiting for the rain to wash away the pollen.
He will tell you the Braves have the advantage of time. But don’t even baseball time frames get shortened when a team has its longest losing steak since 2006 (the same year this non-playoff string began)?
“You can go from last place to first place pretty quickly this time of year,” he said. “I know everybody is jumping off the ship now. But this is like if the Falcons had played two games. We’ve only played one-eighth of the season.”
The math is accurate. But in the NFL, nobody asks, “When is the last time we lost two in a row?” When losing streaks are being researched, there’s a problem.
The Braves lost Thursday, 10-4. That makes nine straight. One more and marketing is going to have to start including lobster with the all-you-can-eat seats.
Their record is 8-14. They’ve been outscored 16-4 in the last two days. Total offense in the nine losses: 17 runs (including three shutouts).
Wren is preaching patience. If he is having a hard time finding support, it’s because that philosophy carries more weight when the preacher has a resume. The Braves have missed the playoffs four straight seasons. Wren is 0 for 3 since taking over. When the team hit a bump during John Schuerholz’ regime, it was easy to remain calm. Wren hasn’t earned the benefit of the doubt.
The leadoff spot figured to be a problem. It is. Chipper Jones’ health and production figured to be questions. They are. Troy Glaus figured to be a risk. Confirmation received. Nate McLouth, Melky Cabrera – it doesn’t end.
It was easy during the 10-game losing streak in 2006. You could look into the bullpen and say, “Their fault.”
Most of Bobby Cox's problems haven't been on the mound (Derek Lowe notwithstanding).
Now, the problems are everywhere. Every day is a new Bobby Cox lineup. Wednesday included six starters hitting .203 or less. Thursday’s lineup opened with Cabrera and Yunel Escobar, both hitting .197. (The blip is Martin Prado. He has no allergies.)
Wren said he is free to make a trade. He said, “We have some flexibility in our payroll,” though he didn’t quantify that.
“The other factor [in a trade] is how it affects us talent-wise. We have a farm system that we’re carefully stocking. We don’t want to do something that will lessen our ability to compete long term.”
It’s at this point that I mention the name: Mark Teixeira. In 2007, the Braves dealt a boatload of prospects to Texas for Teixeira. They hoped he would turn them into a World Series team. He didn’t. The thought occurs that memories of that deal would dissuade the Braves from making a significant prospects-for-All-Star trade again. (San Diego’s Adrian Gonzalez comes to mind.) But Wren said no.
“The Teixeira trade hasn’t impacted us at all,” he said. “If you look at the players we gave up, I’m not sure it’s had any effect on the major league club. We had Escobar ahead of [Elvis] Andrus at shortstop, we had [Brian] McCann ahead of [Jarrod] Saltalamacchia at catcher, the other guys wouldn’t have made our club. Neftali Feliz would be in our bullpen.”
So you wouldn’t be gun shy?
“No, not at all. We’ll make a trade if we feel it helps us.” But he added he won’t deal a prospect whom he feels can be part of the Braves’ future. That list presumably begins with Freddie Freeman.
It’s the end of April. General managers “tend to look at the quarter-poll,” Wren said. “Mid-May is when you start to get a sense where your club is. Really, June 1 is when you start making decisions.”
The math could work out. But if 8-14 turns into 16-28, just remember how early the cough started.
♦
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548 comments Add your comment
Dude
April 30th, 2010
7:59 am
The Hawks, now there’s a team the Braves can beat! On second thought how about the Braves, Hawks and Thrashers in a round robin: no one would win!!
stew
April 30th, 2010
8:14 am
Problem with Tex deal was that he wasn’t signed. Teams that make deals for FAs to be should either sign them before making the deal or not make the trade. Should the Braves opt for Gonzo extend him or don’t make the deal. You can’t trade for a superstar for one or two years not with the Yankees outbidding everyone for the superstars. For the integrity of baseball let’s hope the Yanks don’t sign Pujols afterall they just spent 425 million last year on three players (indluding Tex). Last year Yanks got Vas and we got Melky and draft pick.
Harry
April 30th, 2010
8:47 am
That is one terrible article. Poorly written. Typical AJC.
Kansas City & Pittsburgh Fan Base
April 30th, 2010
8:51 am
Welcome to our world!
PMC
April 30th, 2010
8:55 am
So uh… Jesse Chavez for Rafael Soriano was freaking brilliant too eh?
He starts slow right? Like Adam Laroche?
Ph.D.
April 30th, 2010
8:56 am
Amen, Dejay!
PMC
April 30th, 2010
9:00 am
On the plus side, they are finally terrible. They’ve finally hit rock bottom (1988-89) and nobody is going to cry when they make wholesale changes to position players because they really could get a lot more out of at least 4 positions.
Starting next year maybe they won’t have 4 out of 8 position players being either underperforming or too old/broken to perform up to standards.
JIm (not Mora)
April 30th, 2010
9:05 am
My two big questions of the decade. We basically rent Teixeira for a couple of months and then won’t sign him for what he wants….and gets in a new contract. So we didn’t know going in approx what he would be asking for????? Or was he just another of our “one year wonders” needed to get us to the playoffs? We let Kelly Johnson go and he’s leading the league in homers with the DBacks….something crazy like 9 in 21 games. Just a change in scenery do that????? Is someone lacking vision.
Algenis
April 30th, 2010
9:10 am
Not sure if you guys have been reading between the lines of what some of our SP are saying after the game. KK said through an interperter, of course, that he feels a lot of pressure whne he goes out there to the mound to pitch bc he knows he is not going to get a lot of run support.
Jurgens, yesterday said he felt the game was over after giving up the 3-run homer in the first inning. LMAO.
Even the pitchers are begining to get anxiy.
I think the Braves showed start a fight with the Astros. Build up some toughness and start playing with some.
As far as FW and his comments, who does he think he’s talking to? “Payroll flexability” Why is Jermaine Dye still out there? You can make a trade? Adrain Gonzalez for Freddy Freeman, lock up Gonzo long term. I don’t believe FF will hit 40 hour a season.
We need professional hitter Frank. My lineup would look like this:
McClouth
Prado
CJ
Gonzo
Jermaine
McCann
Escobar
Heyward
That gives CJ all the protection in the world
Bill
April 30th, 2010
9:14 am
The problem is Bobby Cox. The Braves should have forced him to retire years ago!
Ga Dept of Labor
April 30th, 2010
9:15 am
I received an unemployment claim from Terry Pendleton this morning to process. Did any of you guys send this in?
Old Timer Brave Fan
April 30th, 2010
9:16 am
Maybe we need a new hitting coach..Or let TP hit leadoff
Tom B.
April 30th, 2010
9:34 am
I’m giving this sorry excuse for a team just 10 games before I decide to jump ship and support a team that cares about being competitive;Chipper has no heart anymore, much less no game; send his worthless butt to the AL;Cox needs to retire during the All-Star break, and Pendleton needs to gone before the series starts tonight. Wren is horribly out of his element. I agree that the organization needs to bring the young guys up and play them full time. If we’re going to finish in the cellar,at least have a vaild reason:
Freeman-1b
Prado-2b
Infante-3b
Escobar-ss (if he can’t get his head together and focus, dump him now!)
Heyward-rf
Schafer-cf (same as with Escobar)
Diaz-lf (he hustles)
McCann-c
Hudson-p
Hanson-p
Jurrigens-p
keep the bullpen
Bench:
Chipper
Glaus
Hinske
McCloth or Cabrera
trade for a starting left-hander; dump Lowe, Hasikawa and McCloth or Melky
They need to do something serious now, or they lose a number of faithful fans, including me.
PMC
April 30th, 2010
9:37 am
Texiera was a last ditch desperation move by John Scherholtz to make one last deep run into the playoffs. It didn’t work out and there is no money to fix it.
John
April 30th, 2010
9:52 am
When Turner lost control of the Braves back in the TW merger, it was ALL downhill from there. They dont have a solid ownership group that give a RATS butt, they have turned cheap on the Braves organization and some of the players we have our rents, Glaus/Hinske/Chavez/Wagner. Wagner however, bar none has been the only rent player that has performed, but until we have a owner that WANTS to win, I dont think the Braves will be contenders for ???? They need to rid TP, Chipper needs to step it up, and Heyward isnt going to be a hero every game. The Braves owners are affraid to spend, they have no interest in making the team of the 90’s contenders. Its a shame!!
chorton
April 30th, 2010
9:55 am
the problem starts with tp. the longer he stays, the worse the braves play.
Wow!
April 30th, 2010
10:12 am
Not always about management. More about production. These guys are “professional” baseball players. Look at this comparison of outfield production…
Braves (Heyward, Melky, Diaz, and McClouth)
AB – 245 Hits – 48 Runs – 23 HR – 6 RBIs-25 BA .195 OBP .285 SLUG .302
Ryan Braun
AB-90 Hits-32 Runs-20 HR-5 RBIs-20 BA – .356 OBP .427 SLUG .589
Doug
April 30th, 2010
10:17 am
If this was the Kentucky Derby our entry would be a Mule!
shane
April 30th, 2010
10:32 am
Frank Wren put a good team on the field. Not his fault they are playing like sh*t.
Let your best players go for nothing. Letting Vasquez go was just idiotic.
You guys do realize Vazquez is getting lit up like a pinata and we got the Yankees best pitching prospect in the deal
Dorothy Davis
April 30th, 2010
10:44 am
We all know that Glaus and Melky were not a good deal, but they are not the only problems. Chipper is off to his worst start (physically and mentally) since: “EVER”, and the entire team has forgot how to hit, with the exception of Infante, and he is on the bench most of the time. I do not see any hope for anything to change, as long as Bobby and Wren are at the controls. Just imagine an entire stadium at home with empty seats, and then imagine a new GM and Mgr. Please, lets not say “it is early” and pray for some changes!
Braves fan in Budapest
April 30th, 2010
10:55 am
Well written article. Finally one of these writers has the cojones to pose the real questions. Bravo!!!
Cantops
April 30th, 2010
11:22 am
I will say the Wainwright-JD Drew trade did actually work out for us for that year but set us back for the future. They knew what Wainy was but Drew had a terrific season – and I hate that guy. What we did to get Teixeira was a lot more than what Wren will make it out to be. We could have Andrus at 2nd base (not to take away from Prado), Yunel at SS, and Prado at 3rd base while Chipper mends. Heck, we could have put Chipper at first and had a solid INF (I think we can still do that if Wren doesn’t wanna make a move). Freddie Freeman is NOT the future at 1st base. No way. Guy is not the power hitting prospect we must have. As a fan, I am tired of just filling out the position. To compete, we must have a big presence at the corner infield. We need to make a move and it starts with the farm system and at 1st base. These farm systems are to service our major league level. What is the good if we always have a great farm system while always fielding a mediocre MLB team?
bradF
April 30th, 2010
12:57 pm
well if this team doesnt make playoffs i bet u money Wren is gone and since ted turner has first right to buy back team and hes already said he wants to and the owner right now of the braves has what a year or 2 left or it could be this year that its the last for them but you will be ted come back and give ATL what they have been missing and thats more $ for elite players and also so that we can dominate like we used to when we had a passionate owner at almost every game. i cant see ATL goin another year without playoffs cause before long if ted doesnt buy team back youll see ol arthur blank who ownes falcons come in cause hes made the falcons dominate and so why not just help the braves so that we can the FALCONS,BRAVES & HAWKS run the top 3 sports in America!!
Nelson
April 30th, 2010
1:04 pm
BOYCOTT THE BRAVES .No one ATTENDS TO THE STADIUM , we are going TO THIS GM WREN THAT FAN OF THE ATL BRAVES deserve respect .
Hawks down 3-2 but Skiles hardly looks satisfied | Jeff Schultz
April 30th, 2010
1:45 pm
[...] ♦ Frank Wren’s problem: He hasn’t earned benefit of the doubt [...]
MDBravesFan
April 30th, 2010
2:12 pm
Frankly, I am tired of what this regime has not accomplished. Glad to know that 2010 is Cox’s last year, and I look forward Wren going away. Some other food for thought.. A few years ago, there was chatter about letting our best player go, Senor Jones, that is. Perhaps this was the point where the current regime went wrong??? After-all, we are in the business to win and make a profit, right? It turns my stomach to see the NATs ahead of the Braves in the rankings… as I continue to get more depressed.
fieldofdreams
April 30th, 2010
2:24 pm
On the strength of the Renteria – Jurrgens trade, I’ve been a Wren supporter but the evidence is staring to mount very seriously to the negative side of his trades- moves ledger. Adam LaRoche would have looked awfully good at first this year, Willie Harris would shine in our center field, and why is Kelly Johnson thriving,away from Atlanta? We appear to have slipped painfully back into the pre-90’s mediocrity that plagued this franchise for so long. It’s going to be a very long Summer here, during which Liberty will learn just how cheap cheap baseball can get it.
George
April 30th, 2010
2:38 pm
The only trade I can remember (life long Braves fan) working out in our favor was Doyle Alexander for John Smoltz.
Plate Appearance
April 30th, 2010
5:57 pm
ON WREN’S PATIENCE — AND MORE
It’s truly funny to hear Wren extolling patience now, when he showed very little patience with Francoeur, Johnson, and LaRoche — all of whom would have really helped the Braves this year.
I also believe in the adage that what you sow you’ll reap. If you treat people badly and look at them as disposable commodities in the way Frank has with Francoeur, Smoltz, Glavine, LaRoche, Johnson, and others, I don’t believe that an organization will ultimately prosper.
And that’s certainly what’s happening now.
I’d really like the Braves to get a GM with some integrity and true patience. My suggestion: Fire Wren and move Bobby to the GM position at the end of the year.
This is the first year as a Braves fan where I’ve felt that the team didn’t at least have a chance to contend.
Sad times — but an apt result for this oh so sad Wren regime.
SR
April 30th, 2010
6:33 pm
Throughout Major League Baseball, feel-good stories abound, from the surprising Padres leading the NL West to the Rays playing solid baseball and leading the AL East. The Mets are equally suprising as are the Nats who have even managed to work their way up to the .500 level.
Insofar as individual performances to date are concerned, we’ve all noted the resurgence of Kelly Johnson, the surprisingly good start by Adam LaRoche, the dominance of Ubaldo Jiminez and Tim Lincecum and even Barry Zito. Yes, plenty of players and teams stepping up and proving themselves as the 2010 season unfolds.
And then there are the Braves…..the converse of the above, the underachieving, the morose and downtrodden, the incapable and the pathetic, the no-hit, no-power, no-speed, no-defense Braves. Benefit of the doubt? Of course Wren hasn’t earned the benefit of the doubt, why should he? He has overseen a wandering, aimless, barren organization for the last several years, stocking his roster with has-beens, never-weres and never-will-be’s.
In concert with Cox, the blue-print for a roster spot seems to be a player who fits the profile of so many former Braves of ignominious credentials, the Brooks Conrads, the Pete Orrs, the Chris Woodwards, the Scott Thormans, the Ryan Langerhans, the Mike Hessmans, the Corky Millers and so on and so on and so on. Players who cannot play, who could never play and yet were given jobs by this organization. And now here we go again, starting journeyman after journeyman. When you look up and see the flailing Nate McLouth, the flailing Matt Diaz, the flailing Melky Cabrera, who shake your head in frustration. You know, YOU KNOW, they will not get the man over from 2nd to 3rd with less thant 2 out, you know they won’t score the runner from second base with 2 outs, you know they won’t get the sac fly, turn the DP get the key strikeout WE ALL KNOW IT!!
And yet there they are, for all of us to see. And Cox will keep running them out there, again, and again, and again. I’ve never been a Cox hater but enough is enough. Same for Wren. This is beyond pathetic and yet it continues, another year down the tubes and sorry, I don’t see this turning it around and even if they do, then what, they won’t even sniff the playoffs with this roster, just as its been in the last few years.
Who scouted and drafted all those busts? Who considered them to be top notch major league talent? How can this team still field a largely minor league outfield, despite the presence of Heyward? Wren did nothing to address the power shortage in the off-season, has not provide the team with a lead-off hitter since the departure of Furcal, has zero-speed in the line-up and, ahh, I could go on and on.
This team is so seriously flawed it will take many, many moves to get it back to a competitive level and who even cares to watch it while it is going through this period and at major league prices. No, sorry Frank Wren but not only are you undeserving of the benefit of the doubt, you no doubt will go down as one of the worst General Managers those of us who have followed baseball for a while have ever seen.
HarrisCountyfan17
April 30th, 2010
8:34 pm
Wren has not helped the team, he inherited J S’s mess. JS did the same thing in KC. When he saw that the team was going downhill, he left so that his legacy could be mai ntained
miracle braves
May 1st, 2010
5:48 am
It’s a miracle the Braves haven’t been losing 100 games a year like the late 80’s. Only 3 major league teams havev corporate ownership. You can be sure they aren’t Braves fans! Corporate ownership of sports teams is like having a tarantula crawling on you.
miracle braves
May 1st, 2010
5:55 am
It’s a miracle the Braves haven’t been losing 100 games a year like the late 80’s. Only 3 major league teams have corporate ownership. You can be sure they aren’t Braves fans! Corporate ownership of your sports teams is like having a tarantula crawling on you.
Rob
May 1st, 2010
7:55 am
It’s not that trades made or not made but the Troy Glaus signing. Wren could have signed a healthy productive hitter with power and plays a great first base (Adam LaRoche),but he signed a broken down old man that couldn’t hit a beach ball if it was pitched to him.
show me kid
May 1st, 2010
7:56 am
Please, when you are tempted to sign a “washed up” veteran, do not be swayed about what they did years ago. The Texiara deal was a disaster, regardless of what Frank Wren said.
Nobody seems to mention the payroll restraints placed by the ownership. We need to get back up among the top payrolls, if we are going to be competative again.
Superfan
May 1st, 2010
9:01 am
Maybe we should start with our batting coach. We always have issues with our hitting and i believe it was the great Mets right fielder who had enough confidence in him to go to another batting coach in the off season. Look at him now. We dont need him in right but im sure there would be a spot for him in the outfield and we could use the bat that has come alive since he left.
Braves In Last Place | Tomahawk Take | An Atlanta Braves Blog
May 1st, 2010
6:08 pm
[...] Has he earned anything yet? Some do not think he’s done his job well. [...]
Jeff R
May 1st, 2010
6:41 pm
“The Teixeira trade hasn’t impacted us at all,” [Wren]said.
I’m not buying what Wren claims, from a fan’s perspective. Chipper’s not a long termer, despite the ridiculous contract that Wren gave him. Escobar has demonstrated the ability to play third. Escobar and Andrus on the left side of the infield would have been nice. Andrus would have brought speed to the lineup. Escobar’s power numbers may well improve as he matures.
Perez most certainly would have been in the Braves bullpen, which has had to struggle in recent years due to a lack of talent. Wagner just announced he’s not coming back in 2011. A team can’t have enough good young arms around.
Salty is definitely inferior to McCann. But his market value was much higher when Wren peddled him to Texas. Wren might have gotten better in return than the Super Tex rental for Salty, et al.
Matt "Choke" Ryan
May 1st, 2010
6:56 pm
- 2nd in AL in homeruns
- 4th in Majors in homeruns
- 3rd in Majors in slugging
- 3 multi homerun games this season
Know this mystery man?
Andruw Jones – remember him?
HA HA HA
Looks like Andruw is having the final laugh
Braves In Last Place | braves.baseball-news-update.com
May 1st, 2010
8:39 pm
[...] Has he earned anything yet? Some do not think he’s done his job well. [...]
Braves In Last Place | nationals.baseball-news-update.com
May 2nd, 2010
12:39 am
[...] Has he earned anything yet? Some do not think he’s done his job well. [...]
Random
May 2nd, 2010
10:45 am
“Jeff Schultz: “It’s at this point that I mention the name: Mark Teixeira. In 2007, the Braves dealt a boatload of prospects to Texas for Teixeira. They hoped he would turn them into a World Series team. He didn’t.”
You do realize that that trade was made by John “when the team hit a bump, it was easy to remain calm” Schuerholz, and not by Frank “hasn’t earned the benefit of the doubt” Wren.
And get your facts straight — Wren has been GM for only two years, so he cannot be “0 for 3 since taking over” unless you have already written this season off (like Bradley).
MitchC
May 2nd, 2010
3:30 pm
It’s been a very good weekend for the Atlanta teams. Hawks win two in a row to put away the Bucks, Braves hopefully about to sweep the Astros. It looks like the Braves have finally started to hit.
The question now is: Was the Astros series just a tease, or have the Braves found themselves finally? We have a tough road trip starting tomorrow night, so I guess time will tell.
Sid Bream's Leg
May 3rd, 2010
10:23 pm
Any chance we can trade Wren, Glaus, Melky, and Escobar to Milwaukee for 3 cans of Milwaukee’s Best and a half eaten hotdog? (hold the relish).
Braves_1_Fan
May 4th, 2010
6:55 pm
I don’t understand why everyone is piling on Wren. It isn’t his wallet. We should be blaming Bud Selig and MLB for approving a sale to Liberty Media in the first place. To Liberty, the Braves are just a write-off…and it’s pretty obvious, huh?
lineup
May 5th, 2010
8:44 am
How many times do we have to watch Glaus come to the plate with 2 outs and runners on and pops up for the 3rd out of the inning? And then Heyward leads of the next inning with a solo homer…If the braves are unwilling to make cut bait on Glaus..can we at least change the lineup?
Ex-Brave Saltalamacchia morphs into 'Rube Baker' | Jeff Schultz
May 14th, 2010
9:13 am
[...] a few years back, even if some consider it one of the greatest disasters mankind has ever witnessed while general manager Frank Wren told me, “The Teixeira trade hasn’t impacted us at all. If you look at the players we gave up, I’m [...]
Eric
May 20th, 2010
1:59 pm
GM comments are “high-larious” – the 2007 trade didn’t impact the ball club. What?
Elvis Andrus alone makes this trade a disaster from the Braves’ standpoint. Feliz and the others are just added insult.