Braves, Wren send right message with deadline trades
Rick Ankiel, a converted pitcher, hit 25 homers in 2008 and will fill the Braves' void in center field.
Sports fans scream for a championship every season. But really all most expect is for somebody in the executive suite — whether it’s the person who’s making trades or clutching the checkbook — to care as much as they do.
As a general rule, “We’re building for next season,” just doesn’t play well with the guy in the $6 seat.
Given that, the Braves should be commended today. They’re being as passionate and proactive off the field as they have been on it. They’re trying to win now, not sitting back and praying for unicorns.
Maybe Philadelphia’s acquisition of Roy Oswalt spooked them a little. Maybe they see something special in this team. Maybe they’re intent on trying to send Bobby Cox out with a championship.
Kyle Farnsworth excelled as a closer for the Braves in 2005.
Does it matter?
Drink this up Atlanta: You have a team going for a championship.
Faced with a tight trade market and a thin budget, general manager Frank Wren managed to improve the team anyway. This is the way things are supposed to work with playoff contenders at trade deadlines.
Trade deadlines highlight the serious players and expose the pretenders.
The Braves made a five-player trade with Kansas City. Outfielder Rick Ankiel and Kyle Farnsworth come this way. Gregor Blanco, Jesse Chavez and prospect Tim Collins go that way. If you break this deal down by player, Chavez’s exit will result in the loudest single cheer. At some point, the question became not whether he would make it as a Brave, but whether he would make it to the parking lot.
He had a 5.89 ERA. He had given up six home runs, 40 hits and 12 walks in 36 2/3 innings. Torch-carrying villagers were starting to wait for him outside the stadium.
But Ankiel and Farnsworth provide immediate help. Ankiel can fill the Braves’ black hole in center field. He brings some power (having his 25 homers in 2008), even if he’s currently hitting only .261 with four homers. Farnsworth, who was briefly a lights-out closer for the Braves in 2005, has been strong out of the bullpen this season (3-0, 2.42).
Neither is a centerpiece. Neither has to be.
They fit what the Braves need and what this team has become. The roster lacks star power, but makes up for it in depth, aggressiveness and chemistry. They just needed a boost lately, with Philadelphia rising, the lineup settling and Troy Glaus looking more and more like a one-month wonder.
Credit Wren. If this and other recent moves lead to the Braves’ first postseason berth since 2005, he may have just sewed up Executive of the Year honors.
Approaching the trade deadline, Wren had to feel like he was duct-taped to a lamp post. Dead money was killing the budget. Fact is, for all of Wren’s success in rebuilding the roster over the past three years, he still was paying the price for three significant miscalculations: Derek Lowe (four years, $60 million), Kenshin Kawakami (three years, $23 million) and Nate McLouth (three years, $15.75 million). The three read like a bad 401k portfolio.
Lowe was signed to be an ace. He quickly become a fourth starter making $15 million a year. Kawakami was signed to be a second or third starter. By midway through this season he couldn’t even hang on to the No. 5 job and was jettisoned to the bullpen.
Nobody has seen him since. He’s like D.B. Cooper.
McLouth, acquired from Pittsburgh, was expected to be the perfect bridge to Jordan Schafer. That’s an “oops” to the second power.
Expensive mistakes hamstring general managers. Lowe, Kawakami and McLouth represent $27 million of an $85 million payroll (31.7 percent) this season. Factor in Chipper Jones’ $14 million contract, and that’s $41 million for four players (48.2 percent).
Wren suggested in recent days that he likely wouldn’t do anything. The market was too tight. The budget seemed blown. He also kind of liked his team.
“We’re talking to teams,” Wren said a few days ago, “but we’re not putting a full-court press on.”
Either he was being less than truthful then or something changed. Doesn’t matter. He chose not to sit back. Serious teams don’t do that. The message about this season seems clear.
♦
You don’t need no stinkin’ DVR: Last 3 posts
♦ Dwight Howard opens up on LeBron, Shaq and Josh’s wedding (sssh)
♦ Roy Oswalt going to Phillies, and Braves need to respond
♦ Blank says Falcons are playoff team again (and maybe more)
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490 comments Add your comment
Clay
August 1st, 2010
12:14 pm
To me, the worth of a GM is how well his team competes with the major market (big money) teams, and no team is doing that better that the Braves this year. His payroll is about $60M less than the Phillies and Mets, and $120M less than the Yankees, yet we are competing with those teams, and are in first place! If crertain guys start producing up to their standards, the Braves will win the division, plus the farm system is stocked. Be happy, Braves fans!
Tami
August 1st, 2010
12:17 pm
I hated losing Blanco in the deals. I don’t know a thing about the new OF acquired from the Royals. I guess time will tell if Wren did well or not. At least he did something. Now…what can we get for KK?? LOL.
Clay
August 1st, 2010
12:20 pm
Yeah, Tim, that scumbag Glaus. All he did is carry the Braves from last-to-first in May and June. You unappreciative “fans” are something else. Troy was signed at a discount price as a stopgap til hopefully Freeman gets to the majors. He wasn’t supposed to “carry” the team. Tthat was supposed to be left to Chipper, Escobar, and Mac. They’re the ones who haven’t done their jobs, yet.
Brave Dawg
August 1st, 2010
12:20 pm
Sports writers act totally in their self interest. Regardless of their location or whether they like the team they must suck up to the local team management or they would have to pay for their tickets like the rest of us. Add to that the fact that they get paid to do it. This is no more apparent in Atlanta than any place else.
Don’t expect any of them to write their true feelings becaus that ain’t what they are paid to do. Get off their backs.
Heyward22
August 1st, 2010
12:21 pm
Ankiel is going HAM today. I can feel it. The Great American Small Park is nothing, Ankiel is going yard today.
Farnsworth is an IMMEDIATE upgrade over Jesse Chavez and for you people to say otherwise are ridiculous.
I mean, who were we going to get for Blanco, Chavez, Collins, and cash? We didn’t lose anything in this trade. Now, I also ask you guys this:
Why is it that none of your favorites got traded? Huh? Dunn, Hart, Ross, Ellsbury, etc. They are all still in their respective clubs untraded which tells me two things, you guys on here know more about trading baseball players, or the real MLB scouts and trade negotiators know nothing.
Good trade. We got the best on the market at the time and didn’t lose anything. Will is pan out? Who’s to say? But I do know one thing, if you back out Ankiels injury time from this BA, he was averaging .333. I’ll take it.
Clay
August 1st, 2010
12:23 pm
That’s what Google is for, Tami. You’re right, though, time will tell. And my answer to your (rhetorical) question? Um ………….(still thinking) ……………………….
Tim
August 1st, 2010
12:24 pm
I didnt call him a scumbag. I like Glaus.
Clay
August 1st, 2010
12:25 pm
Man, call Jeff whatever you want to call him. But he ain’t no homer. I have yet to see him “suck up” to any local team.
Clay
August 1st, 2010
12:27 pm
Tim: “This trade just makes our weakness at first base all the more glaring. Unless Ham can start hitting again, thats basically an automatic out in our lineup. And even when he gets on base, moving him from one station to the next is like passing an act of Congress.”
******************************************
You like Glaus? Really?
cattle dawg
August 1st, 2010
12:28 pm
Clay, I agree with you on the bats.. Its time for someone to step up. I was hoping that heywards hit the other night would get the team rolling, but that didnt happen yesterday. So maybe someone will step up today.. Chip, Mcann, Gonzales, maybe Ankiel will do something…. If nothing else , hopefully the stadium will catch fire when the Braves return home.
Robert Dean
August 1st, 2010
12:34 pm
After reading most of these posts I am convinced most of you do not really watch the games or keep up with the past or keep up with other teams or the other teams past. Speaking of the Yankees’ pay roll. How many years have they now spent more than anyone and have only produced a championship. The yankees’ consistently over pay for players and still dont when it every year. The pay roll of the Braves is very limited and FW has done a nice job with what he has been given to work with. Speaking of the Braves waiting on the HR to win games. I think that statement is crazy. How many 20 HR guys do we have on the team and we are in first place. That is producing runs. Somebody on he braves always steps up with a key hit. The last two weeks have been hard but every team has a dry spell and we are still in first. The Phillies getting Roy Oswalt does not lock up the division. Oswalt has not pitched good since last year. He is not the difference maker in the division. I agree that Glaus needs to be sat down for a couple of weeks but besides that we are looking pretty darn good. Nice trade MR. Wren. You have made the best bullpen even better and now we have a guy in CF that can actually play the position and now healthy will start to produce runs like 2008! Go Braves!
TheAntiMe
August 1st, 2010
12:35 pm
3. No one would remotely consider taking McLouth or Cabrera in a trade. Both are overpaid. The Braves are stuck with them. Blanco is superior to either of them. that’s why the Royals grabbed him.
There is no doubt that Nate McLouth is in the mother of all slumps this season and wasn’t as good as hoped for last season. However, just two seasons ago McLouth hit 26 HRs and drove in 94 RBIs. He also scored 113 runs and accounted for 23 stolen bases. It’s highly unlikely that Gregor Blanco will hit 26 HRs or drive in 94 RBIs in his entire career. I think that, don, must actually be Gregor Blanco’s spouse.
indigo
August 1st, 2010
12:36 pm
With Gonzalez/Escobar, everyone talked about good it was for clubhouse chemistry, how Gonzalez fit right in and provided leadership.
No talk of that stuff with Farnsworth. If I recall correctly, he could be a real pain. So much for the importance of good team chemistry.
evan
August 1st, 2010
12:36 pm
Even with Glaus struggling lately, he still leads the time in RBI’s right? Tied in homeruns with Bmac, right? Consistency would be nice, but still have to look at what he’s done overall. He carried the team through the month of may and got the braves out front of the phillies where they still are right now. I still wouldn’t mind seeing Freddie Freeman when rosters expand though.
Hopefully Ankiel will be what Nate was supposed to be. Farnsworth is definetly needed as a Righty setup man because Saito can only go every other day and Moylan is getting overworked. Braves bullpen is stacked with Farnsworth aquisition.
RAS
August 1st, 2010
12:43 pm
Rick Ankiel was a sorry pitcher. He’s a sorry outfielder. But, more importantly he is a sorry excuse for an arrogant, self-centered human being (term used for lack of a substitute. I’ll root for the Braves, but I hope Ankiel falls on his face.
Jimmy Dugan
August 1st, 2010
12:44 pm
We are still in first place 3.5 up. Worst we can be after the road trip is 2.5………UP! Wheres that Mitchell dude that said we would be in 2nd come Sunday. Stop all the complaining. No wonder outsiders look at Braves fans as the worst. I say again, enjoy the ride. this is gonna be some fun baseball to watch in the next 2 months.
waterstim
August 1st, 2010
12:46 pm
Anyone who says this trade doesnt improve the Braves, and thinks the Braves made a mistake by trading Blanco—–they know absolute zippo about baseball
bob
August 1st, 2010
12:48 pm
Braves are in a collective hitting slump presently, just like in April. Hopefully they will come out of it early enough for a nice Sept and October run.
It’s called a 162 game Baseball Season folks.
Clay
August 1st, 2010
12:48 pm
Right, cattle dawg and Robert Dean. I mean, since the AllStar break the Braves are playing .500 ball, nobody’s hitting other than Heyward, and they are still in first. And I’m not so down about the Nats series last week now that I see what they are doing to the previously red-hot Phillies. Go Braves.
Clay
August 1st, 2010
12:56 pm
RAS, I know nothing about Ankiel except his stats, and I think they show he is a pretty good outfielder. If he is arrogant and self-centered, that probably makes him the rule instead of the exception as a professional athlete. Seriously, with the exception of Brian McCann, wht millionaire pro isn’t arrogant and self-centered?
bvillebaron
August 1st, 2010
12:56 pm
Jeff:
I have disagreed with many of your posts, but you are spot on with this one. Wren made a very understated, but VERY good trade for several reasons. First, and most importantly, he did NOT give up anything in this trade which is important because I for one think the future of this team is its wealth of prospects and this is not the time for another Texeira fiasco.
All the other geniuses who post here were ready to run Chavez out of town and Farnsworth is a HUGE upgrade over him. The so called experts on ESPN who claim that there are questions about his ability to pitch in key spots in a pennant run apparently forgot about how brilliantly he pitched for the Braves down the stretch in 2005 (as you so aptly pointed out). Besides, I envision Farnsworth as being a 6th or 7th inning guy to be followed by Venters, Moylan, Saito and then Wagner. The major difference between Atlanta and the Phillies is the Braves’ bullpen (another blown save for Lidge last night) and the Braves bullpen just got significantly better and deeper. Collins may have a future, but the Braves have higher rate minor league relievers.
For those of you who claim that Ankiel is a downgrade from Blanco, I got news for you. Blanco is a 5th outfielder on a major league roster that only carries 4. I don’t profess that Ankiel is Corey Hart, but he is an upgrade over Blanco. He is a better outfielder, has a cannon for an arm, plays hard (he keeps getting hurt after crashing into walls) and has some power. I also noticed that he has only played 27 games this year due to injury, but is 11 for 30 with a homer, 6 RBI and 7 runs scored during the last 21 days. I assume Wren confirmed he is now healthy before making this move.
I have ripped you in the past Jeff, but I salute you on this one. This is not a team of stars and this move addressed 2 needs, made the team deeper and did not mortgage what I believe is a very bright future.
The Abs Man
August 1st, 2010
1:12 pm
The black hole on Braves?
Bobby Cox when he keeps a total rat like Melk-Dud in lineup.
Melky is a real joke. A Grade I sadsack.
Overweight.
Needs compass on routes to half the balls hit to him, particularly in centerfield.
Swings, half of ‘em, like he has fly swatter instead of bat.
Melky is a loser. Capital ‘L.”
And so are Cox and Braves with this giant stale Melk-Dud abyss in lineup.
mark m
August 1st, 2010
1:21 pm
At least start platooning Hinske at 1B with Glaus. If Gonzalez doesn’t produce. let Infante play more at SS. CF will be a freeforall with McOut, Cabrera, and Ankiel. Hate to lose Blanco,
Jon
August 1st, 2010
1:29 pm
I don’t need to google Jeff. You are defending a proven CHEATER, I am not. He took a banned substance, he knew he did it thus he cheated. What a joke!
Bill
August 1st, 2010
1:32 pm
Bvillebaron..Well said!
.
August 1st, 2010
1:34 pm
Abs boy is the only loser on this blog are team. With Capital “L”
Robert Dean
August 1st, 2010
1:40 pm
Go Braves! Gonzo with a homer and Ankiel a walk. Nice Start!
Robert Dean
August 1st, 2010
1:46 pm
Jon, talking about substance abuse in baseball, if you know your history I would be willing to bet that a lot of your favorite players took them. Cocaine when base ball began to amphetamines in the 60’s and 70’s and steroids until recently. When a edge is available a competitive athlete will usually go for it. I do not like it but I do not condemn one man for what 90 % of athletes have been doing ever since the beginning of athletic competition. GO BRAVES!
Mookie Mills
August 1st, 2010
2:27 pm
Dumb a$$. Blanco was the answer and you traded him and now we have 3 equal shoddy lowers as weak links (Ankiel, McLouth, Melky). Pick which .200 hitter you want to lose the game for you. I thought Melky was laughing about how he threw the ball in the ground last night that cost us 2 runs but he could have just been laughing about Wren and this trade.
Hillbilly Deluxe
August 1st, 2010
2:32 pm
Kyle Farnsworth was never the same after that at bat, where Julio Franco fouled off about 15 pitches and then hammered it.
The Doktor
August 1st, 2010
2:58 pm
The LOB thing is absolutely KILLING this baseball team… it’s MADDENING!
Bye Bye Bobby
August 1st, 2010
3:09 pm
Choking, nohitting, $&#)$)$%_+# . Fire Pendleton. THis team has great pitching, but cannot score runs. Braves suck.
POAD
August 1st, 2010
3:19 pm
We need to get the lead back to say like 6 games.
ltdbrave
August 1st, 2010
3:47 pm
Looks like the Braves should have picked up a few more bats the way they are playing now. They are back to the point where they can’t hit the broadside of a red barn. Losing again today.
fieldofdreams
August 1st, 2010
3:50 pm
Should have put JHEY in center, Diaz in right, Hinske in left. Why is Diaz not playing? He’s the hottest hitter on the team now?
Keith
August 1st, 2010
3:53 pm
Farnsworth is a good pickup! He will definately help in the bull pin. Ankiel is a better outfielder than Melky C. or McClouth. Could the Braves be smart enough to go ahead and trade Mcclouth and certainly Melky C. since neither one of them have panned out? Get rid of them Braves!
Rural Education
August 1st, 2010
3:55 pm
The Braves are done, they won’t be within 6 or 7 games of the Phillies by the end of August. Normal Brave choke
Homer,GA
August 1st, 2010
3:56 pm
And who decided to pay Lowe $15,000,000 per year!!? Now we’re hamstrung financially for a guy we hope will give us a quality start every 5th day. HELLO!!! They say they don’t have the money for a BAT. I wonder why?? Here we are scoring 1 run again today.
RAS
August 1st, 2010
3:59 pm
Clay, you are probably right. I have to say that my feelings for Ankiel are biased. You see, when he was a pitcher in the minor leagues, I took my niece to see him because even though she was a Braves fan, she thought Ankiel was special. She was eight at the time and the minor league game was only in the Applachian league – not AAA or even AA. Ankiel’s team won and he pitched a good game. After the game, she wanted him to sign her ball ( She was 8 at the time). She carried her little ball to where he was going off the field and patiently waited until he passed by. When she asked him if he would sign her ball, he turned and, in the most arrogant, hateful voice I have ever heard, told her he didn’t do autographs. That’s fine. But he could have been a little nicer especially to a child. It just showed me what kind of person he was. She was devastated and remembers it to this day (She is now in college.) So, you see, my perception of Ankiel is colored. I know that. But, I still don’t like him.
Max
August 1st, 2010
4:07 pm
The Braves are a sorry lot, falling like a rock. Three straight series loses. Glaus never hits. Gonzales never hits except into dp’s. His defense also sucks. Melky’s defense sucks. Anybody other than a Braves sponsor saying this is a great team? This team is stuck in stink mode.
Homer,GA
August 1st, 2010
4:11 pm
The braves have to have the all time record for men left on base.
Brave Dawg
August 1st, 2010
4:14 pm
Signing and managing a team is very easy using only hindsight as your only tool. I bet Wren and Cox wish they had that luxury. Lack of an owner willing to support them is their biggest problem in fielding a winner, and without that support they are both doing a pretty damn good job. Phils and Mets have a budget 20M to 30M more and the Braves still lead both of them.
ONLY
August 1st, 2010
4:30 pm
Whoever traded Adam Wainwright should be fired!! This is not Mon. morning guessing. It was obvious from the start that he was headed for stardom. Who was or is guilty?
ben
August 1st, 2010
4:31 pm
RAS…that’s a terrible story. He could have been a LOT nicer, especially to a young child. Well, thank goodness not all athletes act like total jerks.
wildbill
August 1st, 2010
4:33 pm
Didn’t the Braves look great in Cincy?!?!?! They SUCKED! I believe the team has mailed it in already. They sure don’t look like contenders, heck, they don’t even look like PRETENDERS!
ben
August 1st, 2010
4:34 pm
Escobar went 1 for 5 today…1 RBI, 1 run scored. I still think of him as an Atlanta Brave, despite the media’s portrayal of him.
cattle dawg
August 1st, 2010
4:40 pm
Why cant Diaz stay in the lineup? Leave him in left, Heyward in right, and have a texas death match for center……………………..
Jesse James
August 1st, 2010
4:40 pm
I would really like to see Diaz play everyday and see what he could do. He had a good at bat against the righthander in the nineth today. As far as Ankiel, I also heard from someone that was at a sping training game and Ankiel was doing rehab with the minor league teams and he hit a homerun and didn’t run the bases, he just went back to he dugout in an arrogant way.
Jesse James
August 1st, 2010
4:41 pm
cattle dawg – I agree, Diaz is as good a stick as anybody we have.
Smitty
August 1st, 2010
4:54 pm
Let’s see… we give up Escobar, Chavez, Reyes and Blanco, and get back Gonzalez, Pastornicky, Ankiel and Farnsworth. Collins doesn’t count. He just passed through. Definitely a couple of moves for this year. Chavez, Reyes and Blanco were really just spare parts. Blanco looked good for a short time this year (he peaked). We needed a third dependable right handed option out of the bullpen. We are set with lefties. Chavez had the stuff but was too inconsistent. Hopefully he will do well in KC with less pressure (as he did in Pittburgh). To replace the pouty Escobar, we get Gonzalez, a dependable SS for this year and next, and another ss who MIGHT replace him in 2012. Farnsworth doesn’t have to be the closer. As another RH setup man he sure solidifies the bullpen. With Ankiel taking over CF, Melky becomes the fourth outfielder again, helping in all three slots. Hinski goes back to helping at 1B and off the bench, for which he was signed. He is not a great outfielder.
Now, KK and McLouth become expensive spare parts, serving as emergency backups this year and, hopefully, can be moved in the offseason for someone more useful.
We have major league ready pitching as starters and relievers at AAA, so KK needs to try elsewhere. My big question is: What do the contracts of Ankiel and Farnsworth call for for next year?
Also, this winter, what could we get for KK and McClouth if we throw in a midlevel pitching prospect?
I wonder what the Red Sox would require for Jacoby Ellsbury. He would look great in our OF.
Since Freeman looks like he will be next year’s firstbaseman, we very much need a veteran RH backup at 1B and a good RH bat in LF. I like Matty, but a better power hitter would help.
The Ramirez pickup from Detroit MIGHT be the ticket in LF if, (BIG IF!) he can learn some better bat control. Otherwise he would not even be another Frenchy.
The two trades look promising for this year if all works out well.
Looking ahead, we need to upgrade everywhere except 2B, C and RF. Having premier players at only three positions (other than pitchers) and the rest being role players, puts a strain on the offense. A better balance would be 4 and 4. So, we are not that far away from being a dominant team.