As Braves talk trade (Pence?), Ross says ‘We need a piece’
Teams like the aggressive Hunter Pence (sliding) but Phillies may have an edge on Braves.
Good morning. No trades yet.
The pursuit of Houston outfielder Hunter Pence by several teams, including the Braves and Philadelphia, is what’s creating a logjam in the trade market, according to ESPN’s Buster Olney. From his latest blog (which requires an Insider subscription).
… It is clear that right now, [Pence] has the greatest market value of any available player. The Astros’ initial instinct seemed to be to play conservative and hang onto him, but they probably will never again get the kind of offers they’re getting for Pence — the Phillies’ package of pitcher Jarred Cosart and first baseman Jonathan Singleton, or Atlanta’s offer, which presumably includes young pitchers they would not consider trading for Carlos Beltran. For the Braves, the stakes are high, because they already are faced with a postseason in which they may have to face Beltran, and now their most prominent division rival appears to be the front-runner to get Pence.
… [Pence] does not fit the profile of an elite offensive player, with his unorthodox swing and playing style. But he’s a good player greatly respected for how hard he plays, and unlike Beltran — a pure rental — the team that acquires Pence could have him for the next two years and beyond. He’s the type of player the Phillies could use now; he’s the type of player the Braves could use now.
… At some point, the rest of the dominoes behind Pence will fall: Ryan Ludwick, perhaps to Cleveland or Atlanta; Coco Crisp, maybe to the Braves; Carlos Quentin, perhaps if somebody will pay to pry him away from the White Sox, although Kenny Williams wakes up today just three games out in a very, very winnable division.
You know where I stand: general manager Frank Wren would be playing a dangerous game if he did nothing of significance.
I spoke to Braves catcher David Ross after Thursday’s 5-2 loss to the Pirates and he did nothing to hide his belief that the Braves need help. The team’s run totals in the last six games are 2-3-1-4-2-2.
From Ross: “I think we all know we need a piece. I don’t think we’re desperate for a piece. But another presence in the lineup would be nice. Especially being as left-handed heavy as we are, a right handed bat [is needed]. [We hear] the rumors. Wren hasn’t actually talked to me. He’s not really blowing up my phone, asking my opinion.”
Chipper Jones acknowledged the team could use another bat but he cautioned against players being distracted by the trade talk.
“I’m confident that we’ll do something,” he said. “What it is? I don’t know. To what magnitude? I don’t know. I’m pretty confident we’ll better our ballclub in the next couple of days. But the guys in here need to worry about the Florida Marlins [the next opponent]. And we’re confident we can win games with what we’ve got. So everybody’s kind of been instructed to stay tunneled in on what our goal is every day and not worry about Frank Wren’s job.”
When asked if he believed the team needs to make a trade, Jones responded, “I’m not going to alienate my current teammates. All teams can probably benefit from an injection of new blood when it’s a quality player. But we don’t have 60-plus wins for nothing. We’re a pretty good ballclub. We do it our way. As long as we pitch, we’re going to win. If we don’t pitch, we’re going to struggle.”
David O’Brien weighed in on the benefits of the Braves dealing for Quentin, but some remain skeptical that Chicago is serious about dealing him.
That’s it for now. We’ll let you know if anything serious develops.
Who would be your first choice for the Braves? Pence, Quentin or somebody else?
By Jeff Schultz
♦
Earlier: Braves would be taking a risk without major move
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414 comments Add your comment
18yearoldHotBlondChick
July 29th, 2011
10:51 am
Barn said intimidated in POST SEASON! Read the posts Furman or I’ll come over there to the old folks home and slap you! (Or gravesite. You may be dead. Sorry ’bout that mate!)
18yearoldHotBlondChick
July 29th, 2011
10:52 am
At least the Braves won’t have to play the Nationals in the t season. PHEWWWWWW!
don
July 29th, 2011
10:52 am
The overall theme of nearly all of these posts is that everyone is scared of the Phillies. You want Pence so the Phillies don’t get him. The Phillies don’t need Pence. Pence won’t bring a rebirth for the Braves. We are talking about Hunter Pence, not Ty Cobb.
Wren is in his usual panic mode. Sportswriters and fans are demanding moves. Good move (very unlikely)? Bad move (history will repeat itself)? It doesn’t matter. The Braves need a move to stop those dastardly Phillies. Wake up. Look at the personnel. The Braves aint going to catch the Phillies. So why panic and give up another boatload of talent for, in the end, nothing. Must history always repeat itself or will the “Braves Community” finally get somke smarts.
Hunter Pence? Good grief.
18yearoldHotBlondChick
July 29th, 2011
10:53 am
Don – True….True….
19yearoldHotBlondChick
July 29th, 2011
10:53 am
I just had a birthday. Yea for me!
19yearoldHotBlondChick
July 29th, 2011
10:54 am
Uh oh, page 2 now. No one will like, Oh my God, read our posts now. Where is DOB? Is he DOA?
hand solo
July 29th, 2011
10:55 am
explain why hayward is still here when we got rid of francour who by the way had better numbers…..just saying…..is it because of the NAACP? fear of a federal lawsuit? what if the situation was reversed? say francour was black and hayward was white….there would be all kind of hell coming down from the black community
Furman Bitcher
July 29th, 2011
10:55 am
We need Bourne
Larry"watch your batting average perish"
July 29th, 2011
10:56 am
Hey, it ain’t my fault they ain’t hittin. Playing too much XBox when they should be in the cage.
JoeFan
July 29th, 2011
10:57 am
Pence, only if the Astros take Lowe and Heyward and either McLouth or Schafer as chips in the deal.
The Bream Team
July 29th, 2011
10:57 am
Hand solo, because Heyward doesn’t knock players down in the clubhouse so that he gets to the reporters’ mic first
Larry"watch your batting average perish"
July 29th, 2011
10:58 am
Solo hand – word up and I’m a black guy! Very disappointed in Heyward with that swing and going after bad pitches. He can play in a game and it’s like he wasn’t even in the lineup. He’s not even noticeable anymore. Of course, if we unload him, he’ll go off with some other team and end up in the hall.
Larry"watch your batting average perish"
July 29th, 2011
10:59 am
Where’d the hot blonde chick go…? More interesting than talking bout the Braves bats! “Batless in Atlanta”
don
July 29th, 2011
10:59 am
Ludwig, Quentin, and the other non entities being mentioned aren’t even as good as Pence. That should tell everyone a good something.
Don’t make another stupid move just for the sake of making a move. Don’t let some other GM play the game of “Dupe the Braves”. It is time to get rid of that worn out game.
Larry"watch your batting average perish"
July 29th, 2011
11:00 am
I know Wren is reading this. Fire me now you blank hole! I’m tired of picking up your dry cleaning! That’s why I tell the hitters to always swing at pitches in the dirt and over their head! Ha ha you SOB!
Atticus
July 29th, 2011
11:00 am
Why is Michael Cuddyer not being talekd about? Am I missing something?
Steve
July 29th, 2011
11:00 am
I think the issue with Bourn is that he is a LH hitter. The Braves really don’t need any more LH bats in that lineup. Unless it is a package deal that includes Bourn and Pence for Schaeffer and some prospects, it does not make sense for Atlanta.
Really?
July 29th, 2011
11:00 am
Wren in panic mode? Since when does he give up the farm? If you’re referring to the Tex deal. Once again, for the 100 millionth time that was not him.
joe
July 29th, 2011
11:01 am
PENCE…everyone else is second rate. Get him here ASAP…
ChippersLoveChild
July 29th, 2011
11:02 am
Brewers add K-Rod, Giants add Beltran, Phillies probably add Pence….. Where’s the fourth team currently in the playoffs? Adding nobody… Ugh. Make a move.
Herschel Talker
July 29th, 2011
11:03 am
Roland’s Office, Hunter’s Pence:
Well said. This is definitely starting to get the square peg in a round hole feel. The concern here may be that we have too many lineup problems to overcome with one OF acquisition, so we certainly don’t want to overpay. We need to hope that Frank Wren doesn’t do something bad under pressure under the auspices that he has to do something to get this thing going.
HT
PMC
July 29th, 2011
11:03 am
So Don, when would you have the Braves try to win something?
BravesFanSince 1798
July 29th, 2011
11:03 am
Sounds like Parrish has lost it. Let’s bring back the Crimedog and Skip Carey. Am I the ONLY person who still can;t Stand Chip Carey? He is AWFUL! No one reads from the Sports Bureau Stat book better than Chip. “And that is Chipper Jones’ 23,312th swing as a Brave.” Or Cap’n freakin obvious “Braves need a hit”. HE IS AWFUL! Throw him in with any trade package for a least a warm beer in return!
Brad Komminsk
July 29th, 2011
11:03 am
Whenever I see Nate McClouth approach the batter’s box, I die a little bit inside.
The Bream Team
July 29th, 2011
11:05 am
Heyward hasn’t struck out in a few games. And he’s only swung at good pitches the last few nights. Maybe he’s getting back to his old self and being patient.
AstrosFan
July 29th, 2011
11:06 am
As an Astros fan, I hope this trade doesn’t happen. It would be better for BOTH teams for the following reasons:
- ATL: The pricetag for Pence would probably be too high. At least 3 good prospects and maybe more for a hitter who does not put up stellar numbers.
- HOU: We love, love, LOVE Hunter Pence. His value to the fans goes beyond statistics. He’s pretty much the only reason fans here go to the games anymore, is energetic, fun and hard working. he’s represented this organization with class I we would hate to have see him go.
Plus, the ‘Stros have an awful record of trading their established players for crap. The fans here do not have faith that Ed Wade can pull off a good trade and would rather wait for the onwer to clean house.
Let us keep Pence and Atlanta fans should keep their prized prospects.
Mc OUT fan club
July 29th, 2011
11:07 am
I am the only member so far but hope to double enrollment soon…
hand solo
July 29th, 2011
11:07 am
mr. parrish thanks for your honesty
JASon
July 29th, 2011
11:07 am
Melky Cabrera is hitting .297 with 12 hr and 57 rbis.
Why couldn’t he have done this last year? What is it about the braves that causes most players to suck? This is a question that has plagued my mind for a long time.
SJ
July 29th, 2011
11:08 am
Honestly, Houston would be stupid to trade Pence. The attendance at their games is pathetic as it is and I know for a fact many are only going to see Hunter. Trade him, attendance will be even worse.
SavedbyZero
July 29th, 2011
11:08 am
McOut is like a Prius Komminsk. I rented one in NYC because it’s all they had left and my soul died that day. The Braves need some V-8’s not Hybrids like McOut!
Peter
July 29th, 2011
11:08 am
Im not going to say we absolutely need Hunter Pence, but the thought of him playing for the Phillies is really scary.
Just Wanna Say
July 29th, 2011
11:09 am
Aww back of Chip. Guy has a great voice and when something big happens he is great for it. Yes he reads those stats and can be kind of corny. However, he can call a game.
louisville slugger
July 29th, 2011
11:10 am
Between Pence and Quentin, I’d take Quentin, I like his consistency and power a little better, but we need one of them. BUT, why stop there? I’d ALSO make a run at Bourn to solidify once and for all the leadoff spot. To me, both trades are do-able; yes, you’d take the risk of trading the wrong pitching prospect, but the Braves have a real chance to win, this year, IF they shore up the offense.
Blackberry Cobbler
July 29th, 2011
11:10 am
Chipper is a complete moron:
“As long as we pitch, we’re going to win. If we don’t pitch, we’re going to struggle.”
That assinine. The pitching, for the most part, is good enough. It’s the offense that’s costing us games.
Chipper just needs to STFU and go ahead and retire.
LondonBritBrave
July 29th, 2011
11:11 am
Phillies are wankers. Off to get me some bangers and mash. Adios amigos.
Just Wanna Say
July 29th, 2011
11:12 am
I agree Blackberry. How about put up some damn runs and help the pitching out. Yes, they, overall, have struggled since the break but we could be much closer to first, perhaps in it, if the guys in the lineup would have been playing to their potential. Absolutely ridiculous. We had the best team ERA pre-break.
Hankie Aron
July 29th, 2011
11:12 am
Good point JASon. Why do players sometimes suck in Atlanta. That said, I think I get Pence or Quentin depending on which costs me less.
MichaelC
July 29th, 2011
11:13 am
Has anyone heard what the Braves are offering for Pence?
Peter
July 29th, 2011
11:13 am
Im not worried about the division, but most likely we are going to have beat the Giants AND the Phillies to get to the World Series. The way Hunter Pence plays the game I think he could be a huge factor in the playoffs.
Brave Hokie
July 29th, 2011
11:14 am
@JASon: A question I have been asking for 20 years
We’ll get Coco Crisp ~ whenever there is a player named in Braves trade rumors I long thought was out of the league..
the Braves pick him {her} up…
BTW: Hey-would still sucks ~ what a waste.
Dr. Phil
July 29th, 2011
11:15 am
The Braves do not need another .200 hitter like Ludwick. If they don’t come up with a decent hitter, they can start looking toward Oct. 2012.
Atticus
July 29th, 2011
11:16 am
I prefer Quentin too but NOT NOT Ludwick or BJ Upton and I don’t think we should give up two pitchers for Pence. Go after Michael Cuddyer.
Jeff Francoeur
July 29th, 2011
11:17 am
Y’all guys want I should come back and nap out out in right field like I did for 5 years???
Can’t touch this…
hand solo
July 29th, 2011
11:19 am
could the problem be that there is allways flamming hugging going on in the dugout? my god, players kissing players, players allways adusting their private parts for god knows what….constant erections? to me there is to much damn man love going on the the dugout and it probably carries over into the clubhouse…….honest to god i think uggla could very well be a flammer…….we didnt have all this hugging going on before he came onboard……bet the sob is going to new york to get married ……
the truth...
July 29th, 2011
11:20 am
@Blackberry Cobbler
I think you might oughta follow your own advice and STFU when it comes to berating Chipper.
At least he brushes his teeth after he eats his cobbler which is probably more than you can say…..
Really I think Chipper might have earned the right to voice his opinion, boost the confidence of his teamates and ease the expectations should nothing major happen….you think it is good for the team to have their hopes up and thinking that if Wren doesn’t get Pence or Quentin or some other .230 hitter like Upton, Ludwick, etc that we have no chance?
I believe Chipper has earned the right to say what he wants to….you and me ???
NOT!
You and me Cobbler are the ones who should STFU if anyone should…they’re not going to listen to us anyway….
Melky Cabrera
July 29th, 2011
11:21 am
Ayyy you guys want me back? Too bad. Pence is going to the Phillies BTW.
Abnerish
July 29th, 2011
11:23 am
Pence for three reasons:
1) He’s not a rental. There’s a real chance we could keep him for 2 years or more.
2) Getting Pence will mean that the Phillies didn’t.
3) He will be a McGriff-like splash (hopefully, without having to call the fire dept) that could re-energize this team. He’s the only one on that list that would be perceived by the fans in that way. Everyone else (except maybe Quentin) will be considered a cheap imitation.
And the sooner this gets done, the better considering the injuries to Chipper and McCann. We need Pence tonight!! Get ‘er dun, Frank!
PMC
July 29th, 2011
11:27 am
I’d just like to take a moment to say thank GOD that the Braves finally have an AWESOME first baseman. Finally the farm system produced one we can believe in.
Just Wanna Say
July 29th, 2011
11:27 am
source: pence was told during last night’s game he was being pulled due to trade, but then he wasnt pulled. #tradedeadline