Yunel Escobar (.471) like a new player — should Braves care?
Yunel Escobar's grand slam against Baltimore was his first homer of year.
When the Braves traded shortstop Yunel Escobar for Alex Gonzalez, it was easy to understand their logic. Escobar was slumping, management was turned off by his perceived attitude and they viewed him as a potential road block to a grand postseason run.
I wrote at the time that the deal could come back to haunt them. Of course, my time frame wasn’t the next four games.
Have you seen Escobar’s numbers since the deal? He is 8-for-17 (.471) with three runs scored, seven RBI and a grand slam on Sunday (his first homer of the season). He has walked once and has yet to strike out. He has moved runners along. He has been solid defensively.
Also, he has yet to pout.
So I guess he doesn’t stink after all.
Now, from the Braves’ perspective, this trade will be judged at the end of the season by: 1) Whether they make the playoffs and how they do when they get there; 2) What role Gonzalez has in that run (for what it’s worth, he’s 3 for 16 with the Braves).
In that sense, Escobar isn’t even a factor. But the franchise’s worst nightmare down the line would be for him to turn back into the player they saw for three seasons.
Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston, who spoke to Bobby Cox about Escobar following the deal, said: “The kid’s played great here. He’s done everything we’ve asked him to do and more.”
Just want to take a pulse of Braves’ fandom here: Are you happy for Escobar, upset that he has been a success or really don’t care one way or another?
This might be even the bigger question: What will make the Gonzalez-Escobar trade a success or failure in your eyes?
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486 comments Add your comment
Joe
July 20th, 2010
12:17 pm
An easier question to ask yourself Jeff is, would you love going to work at the AJC if everyone hated you? And its apparent by the standing O that everyone did. When you wished a coworker happy birthday did they say “Hey Jeff try writing a great column today can you do that for me?” Like what Buster Olney said a player told Yunel to play hard after Yunel wished him happy birthday. Besides Yunel lead the team in 2009 in hits, runs scored and second in RBI last year what does it take for someone to earn a right to be in an offensive funk? Oh and he had 13 errors in 605 chances, Chipper had 22 in 315. Did he tank last year too? I said it before ill say it again this trade couldve been made a week or two after the break to see if he just needed a breather, if he was still stinking it up then you put his name out there and get the big guns wanting to offer something cause im sure teams wouldve loved to buy low on Escobar. At the very least i think Atlanta played a bad hand. If youre gonna trade him see what teams want him. Then make your move. I heard the Rays were interested and who knows maybe the Chisox they love so called headcases, anything to up the package.
ASHCAN.
July 20th, 2010
12:17 pm
And if you don’t like my comment,YOU CAN KISS MY ASHCAN!!!!
Jeff Schultz
July 20th, 2010
12:17 pm
Heyward22: See earlier comment.
Jeff Schultz
July 20th, 2010
12:18 pm
George: See earlier comment.
sean
July 20th, 2010
12:18 pm
BTW………TheManMike hit the whole situation on the nail head!…i couldnt agree more!!!
nick
July 20th, 2010
12:18 pm
this has to be a joke… 4 games against the worst team in the AL
Jeff Schultz
July 20th, 2010
12:19 pm
Michael: I love you too. And see earlier comment. (Why do I feel like a parrot?)
GTI in Chicago
July 20th, 2010
12:19 pm
It’s almost like he flipped on a switch, isn’t it? It only makes me wonder why he couldn’t use that “ON” switch while he was still with us. Toronto certainly hasn’t re-coached him in 4 short days. It’s sad that it took a surprise trade to snap his focus into full strength. No way he’d be doing this if he was still with us. He’d still be coasting. It’s too bad. I want him to do well no matter where he is, but I’m disappointed in him for not doing his job here.
BravesFan
July 20th, 2010
12:19 pm
I hope Yunel does well for his new team, he just wasn’t getting it done here. Also something to note, he played well against the HORRIBLE O’s . Baltimore has been horrid this season, let’s see how he does against the Yankees or Rays.
Jeff Schultz
July 20th, 2010
12:20 pm
Najeh Davenpoop — Forgot about the whole Peavy thing.
Mitchell
July 20th, 2010
12:20 pm
Will Escobar Trade Haunt Braves?
Uh, yes.
Has Terry Pendleton’s tenure with the Atlanta Braves hauted the Braves?
Uh, yeah.
How many more homegrown future stars in this organization are going to burn out under his watch and eventually leave?
We’ve seen Andruw Jones go from being one of the most feared hitters in the National League and a potential Hall of Famer to barely hitting his weight and a DH for the White Sox.
Jeff Francoeur was supposed to be the face of the franchise for years to come but he eventually gets traded to the Mets of all teams for Ryan Church who is now also gone.
Nate McLouth was a legitimate All Star with Pittsburg and his average has done nothing but drop since becoming a Braves.
Kelly Johnson, one of the promising young Baby Braves, a streaky hitter to begin with went by the wayside.
Jordan Schafer would seem to be a bust at this point.
Why does Yunel’s poor performance not put Terry Pendleton under the microscope. It never gets written about. Fans don’t put any pressure on the organization like those in Boston or New York or even Chicago. They just see first place and get offended that anyone would dare suggest there are areas of concern yet to be addressed.
Why was it all on Yunel? He was the team MVP last year. He wasn’t hitting this year. Doesn’t he get the benefit of the doubt? Maybe the problem is with the freaking batting coach. Did we ever think of that?
I mean, not every prospect is going to turn out like Chipper and Brian and hopefully Jason Heyward but do they all have to end up roughly like Jeff Francoeur who’s future with the Mets may be fleeting as well?
I believe the Braves/Bobby/TP failed Yunel. They had their reasons to want to get rid of him but what they got rid of was a future All Star.
I hope he does haunt them.
Jeff Schultz
July 20th, 2010
12:22 pm
Terry Pendleton — Ah, the TP argument. What too so long? And does he get any credit for Prado, Infante, Glaus, Hinske . . .
Tweets that mention Yunel Escobar (.471) like a new player -- should Braves care? | Jeff Schultz -- Topsy.com
July 20th, 2010
12:22 pm
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by JenniferfromLaJolla, Jeff Schultz. Jeff Schultz said: Yunel Escobar (.471) like a new player — should Braves care? http://bit.ly/92Ng0G [...]
Brian
July 20th, 2010
12:23 pm
As a whole, during his tenure, hitters have hit slightly better under TP than in their careers under other hitting coaches. I calculated it all out a few months ago.
Tmac
July 20th, 2010
12:23 pm
People act the Braves traded Escobar after one incident.
Ahhhh, no. the Esco-roller coaster went on for the entire time he was with the Braves. He has a lot of talent, but when you are asked continually to be a constant “professional” with your attitude and effort… and you’r not. You become someone else’s problem.
Yunel will either become a “professional” with Toronto or revert back to his old ways after some time.
But, he wasn’t doing it here.
John Tucker
July 20th, 2010
12:23 pm
So what. I’m glad Yunel heard the wake-up call and hope he can revive his career in Toronto. But, he was so done as a Brave after losing trust and respect of teammates with dropped popups, bad throws, no hustle on the bases and hacking off umpires with his shrugs and rolling of eyes at pitch calls.
Maybe, Yunel will learn to be a team player in Canada instead of a self-centered one-man show he’s been in Atlanta.
space monkey
July 20th, 2010
12:25 pm
Even if he hits .400 the rest of the year for the Jays, that doesn’t mean that he would here. But I would bet he reverts to who he really is again: a small man who wants to be a power hitter, has warning track power, and plays stupidly. Another question: Are the fences closer in Toronto?
Terry
July 20th, 2010
12:25 pm
Escobar can go to hell. He is not a true professional. If he was, he would have performed for the Braves this year. He is the typical MLB player that can only thrive on a mediocre to bad team, ala Nate McClouth. Put Escobar on any decent team, and he will under peform. He cannot handle the pressure. Go to hell Escobar.
James
July 20th, 2010
12:26 pm
Hated to see it happen. I really think Yunel has great potential but do agree that he seemed like he was not happy or trying real hard. Wish him the best of luck and hope what we got was worth it. Seems like we are getting rid of alot of shortstops with potential.
Relax Frankie
July 20th, 2010
12:26 pm
Didn’t understand the deal to begin with but then again Frank Wren has made some great moves and hasn’t called me once for approval–Gonzalez will come around just like Glaus did.
Brian
July 20th, 2010
12:26 pm
Newsflash: Yunel Escobar could hit .471 the rest of the year, but if the Braves make the playoffs (which it looks like they will) it would still have been a good trade.
LostCause
July 20th, 2010
12:27 pm
YES!!!! See what it took to wake him up. It will be a good trade for both sides.
Shane
July 20th, 2010
12:27 pm
If the Braves had sent Terry Pendleton off somewhere instead, Escobar might be hitting .471 right HERE.
That maybe the dumbest thing ive ever heard. What did TP have to do with Yunel pouting and whining?
Halberstram
July 20th, 2010
12:28 pm
The Braves shouldn’t care. It’s obvious the team wanted him gone by the reception Gonzalez received upon his arrival. The impact of Gonzalez should be across the entire team, not just at the shortstop position.
Personally, I wasn’t a fan of the trade, but I didn’t have to deal with Yunel on a daily basis like the team did. Additionally, as fans aren’t privy to all of the issues, our judgment is impaired.
jj
July 20th, 2010
12:29 pm
Bobby wanted Yunel gone and he got his wish.I hope Yunel suceed with his new team and I hope Gonzales flurish here in Atlanta.If BC had bat YE in the two-hole and put Heyward batting #6 until our not so everyday #3 hitter decides to either retire or volunteer to move down in the order we possibly would not be wondering if the Braves made a blunder.To go from team mvp to being traded after half a season is asking some to wonder why this trade was reallydone.BC has a lot of patience with certain guys of less talent as has been talked about on this blog that makes one wonder if what people like Buffalo Soldier says might just have legs.I even remember when Terry Harper was jerked around by Bobby because he liked a certain outfielder that escapes my memory at the moment but there has been a pattern here of guys like KJ,CorkyNorton,and more recently McLough.If BC had moved YE up in the order as he has done for others,I believe he would be here today..
vince
July 20th, 2010
12:30 pm
How’s that decision to send Andrus to Texas working out for us John Shurholtz?
Ron H
July 20th, 2010
12:31 pm
Keep in mind that he is batting in a hitter’s park…You could bunt a HR there.
I still like the trade. I think Escobar will pull a Frenchy and get hot for a few games before coming back down to earth.
Shane
July 20th, 2010
12:31 pm
Yunel reminds me of a guy who would excel at individual sports like Boxing or Tennis but when it comes to a team game he doesn’t understand the whole teammate concept.
Braves20
July 20th, 2010
12:31 pm
Will the Escobar deal haunt the Braves? Gee, do you think? Not in four games but over four years this one will fall just short of the legendary Barker and Dave Justice trades.
PDOG
July 20th, 2010
12:32 pm
Escobar was the MVP of the Braves last year, and it looks like he is going to have a monster second half. If the Braves go to the playoffs the trade looks ok for the short term in the long term there is no way that the Braves come out on top with this one. I can only hope that Escobars early sucess with the Jays stops Wren from making another awful trade. We don’t need Ross or Hart or Willingham. The only outfielders I would want would be either Adam Jones or Chris Young and it would depend on what we had to give to get them.
By the way you think that Escobars production could some how be related to him batting 2nd where he should have been batting for the Braves.
Tao
July 20th, 2010
12:32 pm
LOL. Who from the Braves organization exactly said Escobar had a bad attitute here in Atlanta? Give me a link? They only place I hear about this is from FAT FACES like Steak Shapiro on talk radio and FAT HEADS eating chips at their desks at lunch posting on this blog. Give me some facts – not speculation.
toby
July 20th, 2010
12:33 pm
sometimes a trade is not just about what you get,but what you get rid of! Escobar had become a back cloud to the team,and Bobby Cox does not put up with these kind of players,his actions and attitude dictated this trade,i hope he does well in toronto,i also hope he likes being on a second division team also! You cant let one player become bigger than the TEAM!!!!! i dont care what he does from here on out,i will nopt 2nd guess the deal,Wren & the braves did waht was best for there team!!! point blacnk.
The Real Don Steele
July 20th, 2010
12:33 pm
Bobby had only one option with Escobar still on the roster. Bench him and play Omar Infante full-time. That would have killed Escober’s trade value. I hope he makes the Hall of Fame but he was done in Atlanta. I watch the games every night and Yunel liked to flash his glove but he didn’t hustle and was apparently a real cancer in the clubhouse. The team giving Alex Gonzalez a standing ovation should tell everybody what they need to know.
Shane
July 20th, 2010
12:33 pm
How’s that decision to send Andrus to Texas working out for us John Shurholtz?
Not well but we got Texi for awhile in the deal and if we would have made the playoffs no one would have cared. I hear this 18 year old kid Salciedo (sp?) is coming along and based on his raw talent it wouldn’t have mattered if Andrus or Yunel were here. They would both have to get out of the way,
My View
July 20th, 2010
12:34 pm
I cannot judge the trade until the season plays out but anyone who has ever payed attention knows that thing seem to always even out. Esco had a career worst slump which means he is due to come around in the second half. Gonzo had a career best first half meaning he is bound to come back to earth in the second half.
Shane
July 20th, 2010
12:35 pm
By the way you think that Escobars production could some how be related to him batting 2nd where he should have been batting for the Braves.
No. If you think a .238 hitter should be batting second your dumb. I think it has more to do with a fresh start and facing the Orioles.
Brian
July 20th, 2010
12:35 pm
Who from the Braves organization exactly said Escobar had a bad attitute here in Atlanta?
Bobby Cox said it loud and clear with every puzzled look from the dugout and post-game interview answer. The rest of the team said it loud and clear when they gave Gonzalez a standing ovation as he entered the clubhouse.
Most importantly, Frank Wren said it loud and clear when he traded Escobar for an older and inferior player.
Eric in Dallas
July 20th, 2010
12:35 pm
Give him a couple of weeks to settle in. The first time he loses it with an umpire or screws up and Cito gets in his back side, watch the lip droop and the scowl grow and the prima dona will surface. Good luck Toronto, Atlanta really got the best of this deal.
Tom
July 20th, 2010
12:35 pm
I agree with BRAVES FAN, those numbers were against the worst team in baseball, the Baltimore O’s. I might be able to hit .300 against them and I’m 60. Seriously, sometimes a player just needs a change in scenery and he becomes more productive. Who really knows why that happens?
Shane
July 20th, 2010
12:36 pm
LOL. Who from the Braves organization exactly said Escobar had a bad attitute here in Atlanta? Give me a link? They only place I hear about this is from FAT FACES like Steak Shapiro on talk radio and FAT HEADS eating chips at their desks at lunch posting on this blog. Give me some facts – not speculation.
The Braves don’t air their dirty laundry in public so you wont find any links. But everyone knew what was going on.
Ron H
July 20th, 2010
12:37 pm
BTW, I see all of you ppl complaining about Andrus, Escobar, etc and realize how feeble minded you are…FW doesn’t make a trade just b/c he feels like it. The trades fill a need and are designed to work out over the course of the season(s), not 4 days.
We’re in first, playing well, and have a good team…and you still complain! You ppl are the type that would complain about the color of car that you won at the fair! Geez.
Bud Wiser
July 20th, 2010
12:37 pm
He had already given up here, so good riddance to bad rubbish.
When he stopped running all the way to first base on ground outs, he was history.
It is only a matter of time before he wears out his welcome there in Toronto; you what they say about putting lipstick on a pig.
My View
July 20th, 2010
12:37 pm
I thought the trade seemed odd in that they were taking a misfit in Esco and a never has been in JoJo for a player having a career year and some promising prospects. When it looks to good to be true it usually is….
The Voice of Reason
July 20th, 2010
12:37 pm
Everything else aside, I think that 4 games is plenty of time to evaluate a trade GIVE ME a BREAK!
Mitchell
July 20th, 2010
12:38 pm
Oh, and by the way, the Braves better damn win the World Series this year or that will end up being the worst trade since Adam Wainright.
The Teixeira trade was bad enough but think about it: if the Braves ended up winning the World Series in 2004, we wouldn’t still be talking about it? If we had made the most of having J.D. Drew on the team for that one year then you would have to say it was worth it.
If we get swept in the first round of the playoffs and Yunel goes on to be the player he was in 2009, it will most definitely not have been worth it especially considering that the two people who most wanted to see him go will be gone for good at the end of the year!
But that’s Bobby Cox for you. I mean, would the Braves spend so much of their time bemoaning the steady decline in attendance over the years had they just won more than one World Series?
They’d probably just say, “Well, it was fun while it lasted. We still have all those great memories of winning World Series after World Series, I guess some people just got tired of us win so many damn World Series.”
Missed opportunities. Too many to count.
balismith
July 20th, 2010
12:38 pm
maybe he will grow up north of the border..i really thought he would become a fine shortstop for the braves….sure had the arm and range..too many lapses of indifference over the past few months..thought glaus was going to get his arm torn off on one of his throws last week..gonzo has looked great in the field wonder if the braves will be able to resign him for a year or two more
observor
July 20th, 2010
12:38 pm
Who cares, it’s only 4 games, which means absolutely nothing in the big picture of a baseball season. Any player can get really hot over a 5 – 10 game stretch. You can cherry pick a four game stretch for any player in the majors and make it look like they are MVP material. Let’s see what the numbers look like at the end of the season before any judgement can be made. Good grief.
Alan
July 20th, 2010
12:39 pm
Jeff, understand this, NO-NEVER-NYET, Yunel requires a baby sitter and the Braves did not need anymore of that attitude, he’ll prosper for awhile and then return to his normal self.
Brian
July 20th, 2010
12:39 pm
Hey, Mitchell, I hear the Yankees have an opening in their fan base.
Chopper
July 20th, 2010
12:39 pm
American League pitching hasn’t seen Escobar that much. Give them a while, they’ll learn him. And you have to think that Gonzalez has just a bit more pressure to perform coming to a division leading team than Escobar does going to a team with no shot of going anywhere this year. I mean heck, when you’re new team gives you a standing ovation when you walk into the clubhouse, don’t you think he felt like there was something big expected of him? He needs to relax a bit and he will do fine. This is still a good trade, if nothing else, for a tighter, more harmonious clubhouse.