Poll time: If Braves get Lee, should they drop-kick Glaus?
Troy Glaus homered against Los Angeles Sunday but he has only two in his last 46 games.
If the Braves acquire first baseman Derrek Lee — and that’s a good move only if the Chicago Cubs’ first baseman doesn’t arrive in traction for his bad back — general manager Frank Wren has a question: What does he do with Troy Glaus?
Glaus has been a lightning rod almost from Day 1. First, he was an embarrassment (.194 with nine RBIs in April). Then he was a Godsend (.330 with 28 RBI in May). Now he’s pretty much flotsam again (.174 with two home runs and 15 RBIs in his last 46 games). He has grounded into a team-high 16 double plays and struck out his first three times up Tuesday night against Washington (he wound up going 1-for-5, with a meaningless eighth-inning RBI double in a 10-2 win).
Manager Bobby Cox remains loyal to Glaus, but he’s in the minority. So what are the Braves to do? Here are the options:
♦ RELEASE HIM: Glaus can’t be traded. So if the Braves simply want him off the payroll, they’ll have to simply say goodbye. His base salary ($1.75 million) is a non-factor. But he already has made an additional $950,000 in bonuses for roster and plate appearances (that’s $2.7 million combined). He has 466 plate appearances. His next incentive bonus ($350,000) kicks in at 500 plate appearances. There are other plateaus at 550 PA ($400,000) and 600 PA, which isn’t likely ($550,000). So the Braves could save some money on incentives.
Loading ...♦ BENCH HIM: If the Braves want a potential power bat on the bench, they could simply make Glaus a reserve. This could appease Cox and leave open the possibility that extra rest would help Glaus’s ailing knees, potentially making him a viable option down the stretch. The built-in assumption there, however, is that he’s not already toast and still has something left to contribute. The other issue: Would you trust Glaus in a crucial at-bat in September or a postseason game?
♦ DISABLE HIM: Like benching Glaus, this would give him some needed rest. It also would put a stop sign on more incentive bonuses. If there comes a time when the Braves are confident Glaus is ready to contribute, then he could be activated, probably when rosters expand in September.
One final word on this subject: Many have you have screamed for the Braves to bring up prospect Freddie Freeman from Gwinnett. That’s understandable, given how he’s ripping up Triple-A. But it also seems clear that the Braves have some concerns about adding another 20-year-old to the roster during a playoff race (not to mention the financial aspect of starting the clock on Freeman’s arbitration window). Otherwise, Freeman would’ve been here already.
So what do you think? I’ll put up a poll but I also want to see your comments. If the Lee trade is completed, do the Braves release Glaus, bench him or disable him?
My vote, by the way: Disable him. It buys time and saves money.
♦
Miss the past few blogs? No problem
♦ Prado has three hits in comeback — and why not him for MVP?
♦ We’re LIVE, as Braves try for something new — an early win
♦ Falcons and Patriots put aside NFL’s secret society (for a limited time)
♦ Countdown: Bikini-ball, Petrino’s death touch and ‘Real Housewife of Flowery Branch’
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200 comments Add your comment
59bulldawg
August 18th, 2010
4:51 pm
What a bunch of thankless ingrates! Some of you calling on the Braves to just dump Glaus would probably be some of the same fans to rip an athlete for leaving one team for another. Good thing you guys were not around when George Washington was getting his butt kicked by the British. Glaus is a key reason why the Braves are in first right now. He’s giving us all that he has left. He’s not complained about playing on his bad knees and he’s not asked for less playing time. He’s not able to play the more physically demanding position at third base but probably wouldn’t complain if asked. Glaus is the consummate team player giving it all that he has left each and every night. If we can get Lee without giving up much in return I wouldn’t mind platooning him with Glaus at first but just dumping the guy would be one of the most classless acts ever committed by a sports team. You know, if money were no object we could probably upgrade to superstar status at every position on the team. But it wouldn’t be THIS BRAVES TEAM that we’ve grown to love this season. You can buy a championship but you can’t buy fan admiration. I love the guys on this team. They work hard each night and are the most entertaining bunch we’ve had in quite a while. If we can add a player here and there without taking away a big piece of the reason why we’re in first to begin with, I don’t have a problem with it. Otherwise I say don’t mess with team chemistry.
steve brown
August 18th, 2010
4:52 pm
The mention of Kirk Gibson is right on. Get Lee keep Glaus. They’ve both got aches and pains but together they may make a whole player. More importantly it sets up the final scene of the final act of this surreal season we are living. Whichever one is hurting more will get the key at bat in a pinch hitting role at the key moment this fall. Keep the dream alive!
N
August 18th, 2010
4:56 pm
Wow. Release your leading RBI man in a pennant race. Never heard of such a thing before.
DogTheMan
August 18th, 2010
4:56 pm
The man should be released and Freeman inserted in the line up. I mean he might as well get his feet wet now as opposed to later. If we continue to wait till next year, next year will never arrive.
Marvel Goose
August 18th, 2010
4:57 pm
I like Glaus and I’m still pulling for him. I like DL because he can rest his knee and be back for September. How would any of YOU writing in like to have the entire City of Atlanta invited to vote on whether or not you get to keep your job? That’s a lotta cheek there, Jeff. To be fair, you should open up a poll on yourself….
While I’m on the subject of pols — could you fix the poll so that it limits you on other criteria than your ip? 4000 workers on this network and only one person gets to vote — if they are first.
Nevada Roy
August 18th, 2010
5:00 pm
[1] Send down the 12th pitcher to make room for Lee. For the short time left in August we can get by with 11-pitchers and don’t need 12 for the playoffs. [2] Lee plays 5-days/week and rests 2-days, Glaus plays 1-2 days/week.
N
August 18th, 2010
5:00 pm
DogtheMan — no one is waiting until next year and that is the reason Freeman is not in the bigs (no on the job training allowed) — because the Braves are a top 5 team and playing to win it this year.
bronkelliott
August 18th, 2010
5:01 pm
I think disabling or benching him are both viable options. It would be nice to have Derek Lee on the team. It is hopeful that he can contribute his services if (healthy) concern! Otherwise somehting Has to be done with Glauss. Awful to watch and it hurts my knees watching him play each day!
Luv 2 Hate Me
August 18th, 2010
5:12 pm
Santa Glaus is hurting and you can tell. The Braves know it and they aren’t telling the media. The big guy is playing in pain and you can see it (bad knees). He needs to rest for a bit and I think he will be able to contribute later down the stretch. Getting Lee is a good thing for the Braves because the answer isn’t Freddie Freeman. They need a vet at first and throughout the playoffs.
Bone Meal
August 18th, 2010
5:12 pm
Problem with Freeman is he’s another lefty. We need a right-handed bat in the lineup to go to the big dance. Lee is that righty. Get him NOW. Put Glaus on the DL for 15 days and let him rest up and repair for the stretch run. We’ll need him at the end of the season when we play 6 with the Phils. The wheels are about to fall off of him if we continue to trot him out there every night.
Phil
August 18th, 2010
5:16 pm
Umm, why is the most likely option missing? Put him at 3rd (natural position), Infante in Left, and that leaves Diaz to pinch against lefties and Conrad against righties. Seriously, it’s the perfect scenario. 1-Prado, 2-Heyward, 3-Prado, 4-McCann, 5-Lee, 6-Glaus, 7-Infante, 8-Ankiel, 9-Pitcher/Diaz/Conrad. World Series lineup. Oh yeah, and don’t forget Chipper coming in for a pinch hit Kurt Gibson in the Series.
Reid Adair
August 18th, 2010
5:19 pm
Troy Glaus should never have been here in the first place. May and the early part of June was a fluke; April, most of June, July and thus far through August are indicative of his potential performance.
Mr Charlie
August 18th, 2010
5:31 pm
So were are replacing a worn out player with bad knees, with a worn out player with a bad back. Is this really being discussed?
Mr Charlie
August 18th, 2010
5:32 pm
Without Troy, this team is 6 games out. He stepped up and showed this team how to win. No way BC dumps him. I say they share 1st.
Mr Charlie
August 18th, 2010
5:34 pm
Glaus reminds me of the catcher in Major League, actually, this entire team reminds me of the Indians in Major League.
nique
August 18th, 2010
5:34 pm
easy call – bench him and use him when d-lee needs a spell or when we need a rh ph – i’d think paying his incentives wouldn’t be a big deal at this point since the bravos appear focused on winning the WS this year
John
August 18th, 2010
5:42 pm
Hey mr. Charlie. Looks like the Braves are thinking a lot like me, and you are lookin’ awfully stupid 12 hours removed from telling me I know nothing about baseball.
John
August 18th, 2010
5:42 pm
The deal is done
John
August 18th, 2010
5:43 pm
We only gave up one good prospect…Tyrelle Harris. That stings a little. Would’ve rather shipped them Scott diamond, but we got Derek Lee. It’s done
Mr Charlie
August 18th, 2010
5:49 pm
Lets just wait and see how the season plays our before you gloat. Not sure swaping a one washed up player for another with identical stats represents and upgrade.
John
August 18th, 2010
5:53 pm
It doesn’t matter what Lee does, Charlie. The point is, you insisted we had to stick with Glaus to the bitter end. You said the Braves felt the same way and that I knew nothing about baseball. The point is, Wren/Cox and the Braves agreed with me. They were thinking the same thoughts I was last night (not about your silly “karma”), and you look awfully stupid today.
mikedw
August 18th, 2010
5:56 pm
Why the hell do people think Glaus could play 3rd? Really.
John
August 18th, 2010
6:00 pm
Mikedw, they’re delusional Braves fans who think everyone on our roster is great. They only change their tune when we finally cut them loose. It’s called homerism, and there’s something to be said for it. Any true fan is a homer to some degree, but there comes a time when performance has to prevail. The one thing people aren’t considering is that we need Glaus’ roster spot for a utility infielder. We would only have Conrad as a backup infielder and he can’t really play short. We’ll be forced to either disable Glaus or demote diory hernandez today. We could DL glaus and see if he gets any healthier by mid september and then just suck it up and go into the post season with only 1 backup middle infielder on the roster.
Jack Fate
August 18th, 2010
6:09 pm
These polls need an option that reads, Dumb F’in Question
steve
August 18th, 2010
6:13 pm
DL Glaus as his injured knee and ankle are doing him and the Braves no good; Lee was brought in to help us win so he needs to play every day and Glaus cannot get down or move well enough anymore to play 3rd base. I understand it is a tough thing to do in replacing Glaus at this time but when you cannot produce and help the team win but he was given ample time to make it happen plus a nice fat salary to boot.
TampaGator
August 18th, 2010
6:22 pm
Rest him….then tune him up in AAA…and bring him back on September 1 as a pinch hitter down the stretch and in the playoffs…..and hopefully the WS. If rested and healthier…Glaus would be a good bat off the bench. I am just glad he isn’t playing first base any longer. Derrick Lee can move around at first. Go Braves.
Jason
August 18th, 2010
6:28 pm
I have been a Glaus supporter the entire year, but I believe in who’s HOTT and who’s NOT! Rite now, Troy is NOT HOTT @ all! D. Lee coming in off of a 4 HR series against STL! I think Glaus either needs to be put on the DL or bench him! We don’t want to release him and have another contender pick him up and use him against us! That would be the last thing that we need! His bat has come around in last 5 games and he could be a great Pinch Hitter come playoff time! Leave Omar’s bat in the lineup though, PLEASE BOBBY PLEASE! Infante, Heyward, Prado, Lee or McCann(either or), then the rest of the crew! Tell me that isn’t the most intimidating first 5 in the NL! Let’s Go Braves!
James
August 18th, 2010
6:42 pm
I’m glad we got Derrek Lee but I’m also glad we kept Troy Glaus we can use Troy bat when he returns from the DL.
Stratocaster
August 18th, 2010
6:48 pm
The problem with the idea of Glaus as a pinch hitter is that he doesn’t make contact and he can’t run. Maybe I’d put him on a home run derby roster, but that’s it…..
povox
August 18th, 2010
6:54 pm
I just thought everybody would get a kick out of this quote from Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Breaking News website:
“The Braves have received good production from Troy Glaus at first base, but announced that he will go on the 15-day disabled list to rest his legs for a week, then report to Triple-A Gwinnett to practice playing his former position (and Jones’), third base. ”
I think the first sentence can be filed under: One Man’s Trash…
john sanew
August 18th, 2010
6:55 pm
Be careful what you wish for. As a cub fan i have watched this guy all year long stink it up. Even the 2 years the Cubs won their division and D Lee was in the line up he disappeared. He is the king of leaving runners in scoring position when games are on the line. Double play is his middle name. A heck of a nice guy it seems from his time in Chicago, but a clutch hitter he is not.
Lobosolo
August 18th, 2010
6:56 pm
I say the Braves outta dump all of you pseudo fans… Why do some of you even bother to calls yourselves that? You don’t pull for the TEAM… What is your point? You do nothing but feed the stereotypes of Braves fans being lousy… I say keep Glaus because he is one of the main reasons we are in first and you don’t do that if you have an iota of class. some of you pricks need to find you another team to “root” for… Classless jerks….
povox
August 18th, 2010
6:58 pm
By the way…for my two cents, I keep Glaus on the bench to let him rest.
Ross
August 18th, 2010
6:59 pm
Classy Schultz – yeah, let’s “drop kick” him, and pull the wings off some flies too. You go first.
Will
August 18th, 2010
7:29 pm
How long have you been covering baseball, Jeff? Releasing him would be stupid with rosters about to expand. STUPID. He’s a valid option off the bench and a backup plan if Lee goes down with injury.
ALLOW ME TO REPEAT MYSELF…STUPID! STUPID! STUPID!
And no, I wasn’t calling you STUPID, Jeff. Nonetheless, I should have been a sports journalist. I’d never be out of job here in Atlanta with the talent I’d have to compete against.
gcs
August 18th, 2010
7:34 pm
People, chill. There is no reason to rush Freddie Freeman.
.
dawg4u
August 18th, 2010
7:37 pm
I am really glad that Troy Glaus contributed to the Braves team in May and early June in a big way. I think the Braves should be loyal to Glaus by benching him some once Lee gets here rather than disabling him. Let’s not forget that Glaus has made millions in his career plus has already earned an additional $700 thou in incentives this year with an additional 350 thou possible. The guy has two home runs since June and is playing with bad knees. He has been given every benefit of the doubt and is making money that most people would consider a winning lottery amount. I helped my company very well in May and June and have had down months in July and August and it is constantly being stressed to me to improve and get back to former status or else. I’m not making near the money that Glaus is so let’s just keep everything in perspective. He needs to produce or move on just like the rest of us and I salute him for what he did earlier but I’ll take a page out of my boss’s book – Troy you need to step it up!!
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Dealarue
August 18th, 2010
7:55 pm
Just remember this….Troy Glaus is a winner in October. Everytime the team he is on goes to the playoffs…and most of the time to the WS. Glaus will make the Braves a winner in October!!!
jim f
August 18th, 2010
8:02 pm
The guy is obviously hurt. Disable him, give him a chance to rest, Don’t forget: Without him, the Braves aren’t in first. He’s played hurt, and done everything that’s been asked of him.
If he’s got a future, it’ll likely be in the AL as a DH, with spot starts in the field. Let him finish his time in Atl. with some class,
jumbeauxtiger
August 18th, 2010
8:06 pm
No way I’d release Glaus. Lee is a nice pick up and Glaus would be a good backup after going on the DL.
gumnamjanu
August 18th, 2010
8:39 pm
Nice post! GA is also my biggest earning. However, it’s not a much.
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August 18th, 2010
9:36 pm
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Jon
August 18th, 2010
11:06 pm
I would rest Glaus and keep him as a bench player. I would not dump him because he is a power bat and he helped us out a lot in May and June. He’s just has bad knees, so he is mainly a pinch hitting option. I might call up Freeman if I was Bobby and try Freeman at third base or in left field. Just remember to keep Hinske. He and Glaus know about going to the World Series.
bubba
August 19th, 2010
12:27 pm
Glaus still leads the team in RBI’S (soon to be passed by McCann now that he is on the DL) Derek Lee is no Fred McGriff and despite his latest surge he is still far behind Glaus in production. Just remember what Lee did in the 2007 playoffs against the Dodgers (a pause as I await your thoughts on his not so Adam LaRoche performance against LA). Just think Wren could have swallowed his pride and traded for both K.Johnson and LaRoche and still wouldn’t have given up anything to the last place Diamondbacks.
bubba
August 19th, 2010
12:38 pm
Remember Glaus hates playing first anyway and will be with someone else next year at third. Glaus could play short ,his favorite position, and could do no worse than what Escobar/Gonzalez have done.
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guerillatraveler
August 21st, 2010
7:05 am
Gentlemen:
Glaus is cool baby and personality goes a long way, not to mention bargain basement salaries (his) and ripping stints at the plate (his). Give him a break. Let him sit. Guts cut the mustard when it comes to the tensest moments and there will be plenty to come this year. Oh yeah.
mode20100
August 26th, 2010
5:41 am
A+ would read again