As Braves talk trade (Pence?), Ross says ‘We need a piece’

Hunter Pence, easily. He’s young, hard working, and has great offensive numbers that could help the braves make a late post season run.

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I’ve got a bad feeling that the Braves are about to overpay for Hunter Pence.

If the Braves are going to give up a top-tier prospect, I hope they can get BJ Upton instead. If they really could have received Carlos Beltran for Mike Minor, I think most (including me) would be disappointed to know that they didn’t pull the trigger on it.

The Braves certainly need a RH bat. But, with the limited options available, I have a sinking feeling that the Astros are about to get a lop-sided return for a solid player who is no where near a superstar.

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Ah, this sin of reading the article…I’d like to see Pence in a Braves uniform, but if we’re competing against the Phillies it probably won’t happen. Carlos Quentin would be a tremendous alternative.

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I believe upton is hitting .230, hence sir pence is better

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It seems as if the asking price for Pence is three prospects. FW would not part with one of these prospects for Beltran. This may seem a bit out there, but knowing the financial situation the Dodgers are in and how much of a need a right handed hitting OF (specifically CF) is needed, why not spend the three prospects on Matt Kemp? To me, Kemp at 26 years of age for three prospects is much better than Pence, 28 for three prospects.

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Just getting someone (or two) in here who can help our team .237 batting average would be nice. I mean, If I’m gonna pay $200 for my family to see a game, seeing a hit or two is always good. Otherwise this is BORING!

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Pence for sure.

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If Houston does pull the trigger and trade Hunter Pence, whoever gets him is going to pay through the nose.

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I’d love to see the Braves get Pence and Ludwick – Chipper won’t be around beyond next year, then Prado takes 3rd base and Ludwick stays in left (Schafer goes to the Astros presumably along with a few big arms). Easy breezy, bring on the debt ceiling.

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IMO, the price for Pence is too steep for comfort.He would help a lot with this ragtag bunch. But I prefer Quentin slightly more. I feel like he fills a need more than Pence would. Go Braves!

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Ugly will hit like he has in the past for the rest of the year. It’s like adding a new bat. Get rid of Proctor and Sherrill. Let Heyward pitch from the bullpen. Can’t do much worse for the team than he is at the plate. Any hey, put McOut on P-90X. He looks frail up there popping out to the catch and first base. What happened to that guy? All the sudden he’s got an arm like a 10 year old little leaguer with that bloop throw in from the outfield. And whilest I’m at it, RUN FREDDIE RUN! If you have a decent speed guy on first with 1 or no outs, run! Don’t wait for this team to hit him home. You’re going to need to steal a run! Oh and finally, Parrish needs to perish. Get rid of him. Buck stops there. Ask Heyward if he’ll be hitting coach. Kidding of course but a fresh approach will help – can’t hurt this awful hitting team. No team chases pitches out of the zone better than ATL.

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No matter what half-time player Chipper says the Braves simply do not have the tools to compete with Philly or win a world series. If Chipper was at his prime it would not be as pressing. Heyworth is simply young and has some maturing to do. A big bat in the middle of the lineup would help McCann, Freeman, and Uggla. The Braves have had the great pitching staffs in the past and have a pretty darn good one now, but the hitting has killed them in the playoffs and has just netted them 1 world series title. To get talent you have to give up talent. If Wren was unwilling to give up Minor for Beltran for the rest of the season he made a major mistake. In addition they dont need a aging lower tier Willinghan or Ludwick, that solves nothing but a Pence or Quentin would make the Braves legitimate contenders.

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We need Oswalt to have a set back. You get the Phillies top 3 pitchers healthy, they should win the whole thing no matter what bat the Braves add. The Braves have nice pitching but they don’t intimidate in the post season like the Phillies do.

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I wish the Phillies would get Frenchy. It would be nice to see him flail at the outside pitches and actually feel excited about it.

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BJ Upton. Average not there yet but has speed and power

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Barn dude is dead on. I think that’s Freddie Gonzalez incognito!

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Sorry, listening to the President while typing. Correction: “Do Pence or Quentin come…”

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Who listens to that dumb $%@ president? That’s the whole problem!

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So relieved the Braves didn’t pull the trigger on the Beltran trade, as people seem to forget past top prospects like Adam Wainwright, a guy named Elvis, who “left the building”) of the Braves, who now are top flight players and the Braves had a brief affair with what they got in return. True, The Braves are rich in pitching right, now but fact is two of the Bravos top starting hurlers will only be with the team two more years, as both Hanson and JJ are Scott Boras clients and most would have to believe the Braves don’t have a snowballs chance in your know where to keep them long-term! Like most everyone, it’s obvious Frank Wren needs to pull off some type trade, but past acts of desperation have come back to bite the ‘powers-that be’ of the Braves countless times, with giving up too much of the farm for a quick fix! I think the team needs a prove bench player who bats righty, who has some pop, and another arm in the bullpen,and hope and pray Uggla and Heyward returns to the form of their past, which could help carry any team to the glory-land of a ton of wins!

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Pence. Ludwick is hitting in the .230s and striking out a an Alex Gonzalez-like rate. We don’t need another flailer up there. We need at least one guy who can bring a runner home. Willingham might be worth a shot if the price tag isn’t too high in hopes of him returning to his NL form. If all we can get is Ludwick or Frenchy it’s not worth bothering.

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Burning up my TIVO scanning ahead looking for Braves socring a run.

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I like Quentin or Upton more than Pence. I think that a change of scenery could greatly motivate Upton and Quentin is very solid at the plate. Go get one of em!

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Bourn makes much more sense than Pence.Bourn is a gold-glove CF with elite speed and signed through 2012.With MLB cleaning up PED’s spped is becoming a more important asset than marginal power which is all Pence has…and Bourn fills alot of needs:leadoff man,great defense,steal a run,etc.What we need is RUNS,it doesnt matter how we get them and we will get more of them from Bourn and better defense at a lower price to be paid(by the way,Bourn has the same number of 2B’s as Pence-the only category Pence is better than Bourn is HR’s,but only 11,and SLG%

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If you go get a CF go get Upton. His home/road splits favor him benefitting a change of scenary.

If you get Pence play him in RF. Put Heyward in CF and bat him leadoff. Joe Madden batted Longoria leadoff earlier this year to change it up. Think outside the box Braves. Let Heyward just play ball. Centerfielder and leadoff hitter….Jason Heyward. Has a nice ring to it.

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I’m all like, who cares huh? I mean, seriously? I know, right? Really? Oh and by the way, Braves need to watch their tail. The are slipping in the Wildcard folks! What happens if they trade for one of these “hotshots” and finish 3 games behind in the WC race? Like, know what I mean?

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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!)

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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.

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I just had a birthday. Yea for me!

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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

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Hey, it ain’t my fault they ain’t hittin. Playing too much XBox when they should be in the cage.

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Hand solo, because Heyward doesn’t knock players down in the clubhouse so that he gets to the reporters’ mic first

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Where’d the hot blonde chick go…? More interesting than talking bout the Braves bats! “Batless in Atlanta”

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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!

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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.

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PENCE…everyone else is second rate. Get him here ASAP…

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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

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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!

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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.

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I am the only member so far but hope to double enrollment soon…

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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.

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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!

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Has anyone heard what the Braves are offering for Pence?

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@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.

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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.

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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 ……

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Ayyy you guys want me back? Too bad. Pence is going to the Phillies BTW.

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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.

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That was Jon Heyman btw.

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It’s a toss up. If you want to win this year, a right-handed bat is imperative. However, Philly is really strong. San Fran is too. The future looks bright. It might be better to hold on to the pitching and perhaps pick up a second tier bat. Sometimes this works out better. With that said, to take it to the NLCS this year, the Braves need a player like Pence, one who will be part of the future.

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Best possible options:

Kemp (if Wren is going to trade prospects go all out)
Bourn (check his numbers, yes he’s a lefty but need a leadoff guy)
Quinten (wouldn’t destroy the farm & the prospects would be in the AL)
Pence (just to keep him away from Philly)
Upton (bad attitude, see Yunel, as long as it doesn’t cost A prospect)
Ludwick (safe for the farm, decent RH bat)

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So there are 6 best possible options? That makes no sense. haha. You pretty much broke down all of the options…except trade Kemp for Willingham.

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Bourn is the better choice in my opinion. We need a center-fielder… lead off man more than anything.

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Melky, we can’t afford the catering bill

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Did Chipper really say, “What it is?”

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The only outfielder we have playing above average is our future third baseman.

I wouldn’t consider Prado to be playing above average this year. Compared to the other two clowns in our outfield, yes… but, compared to the rest of the league he’s merely average.

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Do NOTHING Frank ~ the Braves ‘ll be ahead of the curve when MLB goes to the 8 man pitching rotation …

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No trades for this bunch….Chumper pushed and pushed to get Drew & Texiera to take the load off, heck, they traded away half the minors so Chumper wouldn’t grunt, but now…..Chumper, he just sits with all his aches and pains collecting 14 mill…..Put a fork in ‘em.

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Pence by a landslide. Three reasons – best available, under control for another two years and if we don’t get him guess who will be playing RF for the Phillies next week (and in the playoffs).

Cost will be high but you pay more for a BMW than you do for some of the well worn Dodges out there.

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Enter your comments here

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Crisp & Pence or Quentin would be very nice. Crisp can leadoff and play CF and Pence or Quentin could hit 2nd,3rd,or 4th. Forget about McOut and Heyward. They have been given more than enough opportunity to prove themselves and failed. As a matter of fact, those two are the reason the Braves are in this predicament to start with. If McOut was hitting .285 15 50 and Heyward .300 20 60 (AS EXPECTED). then the Braves would not need to make a move. Add that to Chipper being gimpy then a move or a couple moves must be made. We all know it. So does Mr. Frank Wren !

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If the Braves truly believe that Teheran, Vizcaino, Delgado, and Minor are hugely important parts of our future, than I’m all for not trading them for what’s currently available. I only hope they are not balking at these deals because of fear of repeating the Teixeira fiasco.

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Pence and Bourn would be #1 on list..
BJ Upton and Fransworth would be cheaper and BJ would be a 30-30 plus player in Atlanta. He is a five Star player, Defense and cannon for a arm. power and speed..just need to get his average up some.. most scouts agree on that. I know the GM’s on blog will not but Wren knows.Just getting away from Rays will help just like Rasmus getting away from Cards.
Fransworth is hitting 97 on gun and has 20 saves with 1.98 era.

But who knows I don’t, I’m just a Braves fan.

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The braves have 4 Ludwicks alreay on the team. I would take Ludwig only if Adams is in the deal

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If you are a Braves fan you dont want farnsworth for the 3rd time

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Franworth is better now than ever….check it out.

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Your justyafool if you think the Braves would go a 3rd round with him. He is from here and something happens to him once he gets home that softens him up.

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Bitcher you the fool sir.

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Peter,

I think there are enough pitcher that are not the top 4 that are valuable to other teams, especially if they are packaged, that we can make a trade or two and not severely hurt our depth.

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Brave in NJ — Kemp is an MVP caliber player that is under control for at least a couple more years. I suspect the price would start at Teheran, Vizcaino and Freeman. Not even worth the discussion.

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The Dodger are not trading Kemp…why keep on about him. They said yesterday they might trade Either (sp) but it would take alot-lot.

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@ chc4

From what I read, Kemp is signed through the end of 2012 as he recently signed a two year deal to avoid an arbitration case. I would prefer to get stronger up the middle and CF/SS are two glaring areas we need help in. I’d even take back Furcal to move Gonzalez if it was necessary.

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Bourn by himself would not help us, as he doesn’t fill a RH hitter need. But, if you get him and a RH hitter, then you improve your leadoff situation and fill the need for RH power.

The things that all of us hear are not the only things being discussed. That’s usually the chaff that clubs spit out for media types to follow and get them off the trail of what is really going on.

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If the Phillies get Pence then Braves will have to worry about Howard,Utley,Rollins,Ibanez,D.Brown,and then Pence for neaxt few years… We need to get Pence.

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DO NOT OVERPAY FOR PENCE. HE IS NOT WORTH IT

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I guees the Braves like hitters that hit .210 with 4 hrs and 20 rbi. That’s pretty much all they got minus Freeman,Uggla,and McCann…

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justafan,

You aren’t getting my point. He would help but he wouldn’t address the bigger issue of our left-handed heavy lineup. We NEED a RH hitting outfielder to balance out the lineup.

Bourn is a big step up for our leadoff situation. But I don’t think that move alone will solve our issues.

That said, if we could only get Bourn and nothing else, I would do that without question. I just think we should do that in conjunction with getting a RH hitter.

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I don’t see all the hoopla over Mike Minor. I mean you’ve got Vizcaino,Teheran,Delgado,Medlen,Beachy. Braves won’t even miss him.

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agree Bluestreak..sorry if I misjudged your opinion..

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Actually, there have been plenty of stories about a possibility of Michael Bourn being traded. While Quentin and Pence would be great additions to the Braves, the only logical result would be to bench Heyward. While he’s not played well most of this year, it’s not likely that the Braves would want to do that. Bourn is a natural fit for what the Braves really need — a leadoff hitter who is hitting around .300 and who would be the best base stealer that we’ve had in years. Then, bat Prado 2nd, and you should have plenty of baserunners for the heart of the order to drive in…. Hmmmm… I didn’t know that the media has to cover any trade possibilities before it is OK for the Braves to pursue it or for fans to hope that they do……. Bourn in center and a decent outfielder to platoon in RF would be great additions and would give the Braves a great shot at winning the World Series…

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This from MLBTradeRumors.com:

•Joel Sherman of the New York Post hears that the Astros prefer the Braves’ prospects to the Phillies’ prospects (Twitter link). Atlanta won’t give up the “key guy,” who is believed to be Mike Minor, Sherman writes.

As long as we’re not keeping Minor over one of the other 3 big 4, then I’m cool. And I would tend to agree that any Braves package is better than the Philly packages getting floated out there, because they are closer to the Majors and the new Stros owner doesn’t want to be down long in a rebuilding phase

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How about Heyward and one of the pitching prospects for both Bourne and Pence

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That was a pretty pathetic series:

Game 1 – Loss; 0 hits with RISP
Game 2 – 19th inning win; a gift from a tired umpire
Game 3 – 10th inning win off a minor league pitcher
Game 4 – Loss; 10 LOB

That could have easily have been a Pirates sweep.

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SI_JonHeyman Jon Heyman
#astros prefer to do pence deal wi/ #braves, but atl very protective of bigtime pitching prospects. #phillies working on it

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Hopeful, no..Heyward’s having a bad year. Trading him would be selling low on a future superstar.

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@12:29 Buestreak–that would work….

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I’d trade Schafer but not J-Hey..22 years old and runner up last year to ROY..the kid could turn it around and God only knows what he could do…keep J-Hey.

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One more comment…I’m about tired of the “homer” Braves announcers…. Praising every rountine play by the other team’s defense as “spectacular” and here’s the best: trying to justify at bats for us as “good at bat” (like a full count or p/o without advancing a runner)….. Worse collective offense I’ve seen at about any level of ball.

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First of all–Freeman is having a special season, has far exceeded my expectations, and I would guess the NL rookie of the year if a vote was held today.

Second-The good news is that being the pathetic RBI generators that they are, the Braves are still a serious playoff contender. This tell us that this team, with some offensive help, has the potential to do something special this year. We can only wait and see if ownership/management will make a serious committment to the rest of this season and the post season. We need a 2011 version of Fred McGriff ….and some bullpen help. Otherwise, we Braves fans will be left at the altar once again.

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Copied off Yahoo :

It appeared that the Philadelphia Phillies were done haggling for Hunter Pence(notes) of the Houston Astros after the folks in Texas supposedly said no to an offer of Class A right-hander Jarred Cosart and first baseman Jonathan Singleton along with a third piece.

But now FOX Sports reports that the Phils and Astros “are making progress” on a Pence trade. However, a source tells the site that if the trade can’t be agreed up on Friday, the Astros will move on to the other suitors for Pence, including the Atlanta Braves, Cincinnati Reds, and Boston Red Sox.

What’s supposedly holding things up is the ID of that third piece (and possibly a fourth), according to FOX Sports, but one thing Phillies fans don’t have to worry about is that young outfielder Domonic Brown(notes) is not a name being discussed.

However, Yahoo! Sports’ Tim Brown points out that “the sense outside the organization is that Pence will not be traded” and that “the consensus in the clubhouse, according to one player, is that Pence will not be dealt.” However, Brown notes that pitcher Wandy Rodriguez(notes) and infielder Clint Barmes(notes) are believed to be headed elsewhere before Sunday’s deadline.

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I want my home team announcers to be homers, but with a clear view of what is going on. If I want the negative Atlanta slant, I’ll tune into Fox or ESPN (not so much now that Morgana, er Morgan and that other guy have left).

If you want extreme homerism, tune into WGN and listen to the WS broadcast (you can put it on the board, YES!!) Speaking of YES, that is another homerism example. The Yanks can lose the game by 12 and it would be a squeaker to those guys. Just can’t stand to listen to either.

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Quentin is having a career year, Uncle Frank needs to bring his bat to Atlanta. I like the idea that I heard from another(cant remember their name), sit Heyward or demote him for the rest of the season in an effort to find his swing and you have a perfect place for Quentin. Then if Chip retires move Prado to third, Quentin to left and Heyward back to right. Heyward needs some smelling salt(AAA) in order to wake that bat up.Just an opinion that I share with someone else whose name escapes me at the moment!

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Minor,McLouth,and W.Ramirez for Pence ?

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I just heard on the Radio that the Phillies are going after Pence….Keep waiting Wren and their wont be anyone left.

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I have watched Hunter Pence since he first came up from the minors. And, I can unequivocally tell you that whoever gets him will be getting a jewel. The kid is strong, very fast, has a good arm, and is very good offensively. But, beside all of that you will be getting a really good hearted, generous, extremely hard working, dedicated, loyal citizen. Hunter is about as firmly grounded of a human as you will find…he’s the sort of guy you would invite over for Sunday dinner and let your daughter date. Love the guy! I hate for the Lastros to let him go cause he’s my only reason these days for following them, but for Huner’s career it is better served with another team that is contending.

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blah blah blah Michael Bourn blah blah blah

It’s not going to happen. So just shut up about it.

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My vote is Pence.

The Braves are already 5 games behind the Phills. If the Phillies get Hunter Pence, and the Braves settle for a Ludwick, or Willingham type, the gap between the Phills and Braves will be wider.

By getting Hunter Pence, the Braves would be a better team, and they would keep him away from the Phillies.

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I’d give up the farm for Pence and Bourn…and throw in Fredi too.

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go ahead and trade minor. he’s not another glavine, more like another chen or reyes. (jo-jo). destined to have a decent career as a 4 or 5 starter for a bad team, only because he’s a lefty. beachy’s a righty version of minor and won’t last long.

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Go Phils! I dont care who we get if anyone ..we gonna win it all

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Willie Mays!!!!…after the loss of Beltran whose rental price was not acceptable…the leftovers are lets are…BBBBBBBORING!!!!!!!….and MEDIOCRE…MEDIOCRE…MEDIOCRE…READ MY LIPS FRANK…..MEDIOCRE…..theres no “TALENT” left but MEDIOCRITY and we already have enough of that!!!!!!…..our only claim to TALENT are PITCHERS THAT SHOULD NEVER BE GIVEN AWAY FOR RENTALS AND LOUSY MEDIOCRITY….SSSSSO just hold and go with what we have and build for the future and nuture your farm system…too many teams try to buy glory and not earn it through patiently building your foundation for success!!!!…I’m available if you need an assistant Mr. Wren…..TTTTTTTHINK!!!!!!!!!!…..ppppplease….those that don’t learn from mistakes of the past are bound to repeat them? duh

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@Bernard

How many days have you been off your meds?

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i say get bourne and pence give it up frank,this team hugs the dam prospects more than anythingas a braves fan we all saw what pitching did in the 90s i f world series and we lost game 7 1992 1-0,some things never change hell look at last year 1 run games.im tired of the bs saying we didnt have chipper or prado,well what have they done this year?prado cant hit without mommy around,and chipper hits 1st pitch again into a dplay

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Latest rumor…Kurkjian said the Braves are out of the Hunter Pence sweepstakes. ESPN SPORTSCENTER

It appears the Braves have landed Quentin for pitching prospect Randall Delgado, minor infielder Salcedo and a third player to be named later (rumored to be Shafer). Sox Radio 690

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LATEST RUMOR….ASTROS ARE SAYING IF BRAVES INCLUDE MINOR…DEAL IS DONE FOR PENCE………DEAL ALREADY INCLUDES DELGADO

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KMills. Well said. Anyone who has watched that kid in Houston play and not just looked at a bunch of stats, can’t help but want him.

the truth – couldn’t agree more. If we lose Pence because of an unwillingness to give up Minor, that dude better be hanging up 15 win seasons and low three ERAs next year or the year after. And as pointed out, what is Gilmartin but a younger Minor who will be likewise fast tracked?

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Wren said yesterday schafer is the future,cannot trade a player while on the dl,do you people know anything about baseball?mlb says unless commissioner approves no deal for player on dl go look it up

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It isn’t often that you get a quote from a player admitting that their team needs an addition, as obvious as the need is for the Braves now. The reason for that rarity is that to add someone who can help the team win…someone else has to GO, and baseball teams tend to be close-knit groups from what I’ve seen and heard. I’m sure it’s not easy for Ross or anyone else to recommend trading for an impact bat when it could mean the loss of a teammate or prospect they have gotten to know personally; they all know it’s part of the business, yes, but by and large they pull for each other, and I’ve NEVER seen anybody make “recommendations” about WHO should go…it’s already hard enough for them to admit that there’s a need for help outside the 25 guys they have currently in the clubhouse.

Having looked at the numbers, I think that Quentin could be a good fit; he’s got nice power and more importantly seems to hit for average as well, for what it’s worth. We’ll see what the Braves end up doing soon, I’d guess.

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Larry..we know that but its easy to get approved ,also if player makes less than million you don’t need approval. Schaer makes 450,000.
Who u talking to DA..bloggers are smarter than u..

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dont even ask what i would do,i emailed frank last year to sign mcutchen,you rem frank?hows that working out for ya?

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excuse me but my sources are not from espn,yahhoo or whatever,i posted that about the astros because i know 100%what they want from the braves,i cant say who the other 2 players were but they were good,…period

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lobo

if u learn how to read ,especiall dob,he posted it early this week about schafe

DA

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good points southgeorgiabrave

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some one we can platoon with hayward a right hand that is good against left hand ..

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dob is not the gospel, his opinion no better than others

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Whoever we get, they’re going to suck when they come here.

This team is all pitching. I’m not opposed to trading Mike Minor but if it’s for some guy who was an All Star a year ago he’ll only end struggling to stay in the majors within another year, then what’s the point.

We need a new hitting coach.

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we need cf, ss,rh hitter,relief pitcher..hitting coach and mgr.

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Pence is a good player, and would upgrade the outfields hitting. McClouth has played his best this year, but he simply is a light hitter and average outfielder. Most teams would have him as a utility player instead of starting him.

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lobo i give u 10-1 odds schafer stays put wanna bet?

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we need someone like ludwick to come here,come on guys his avg.will fit right in the others will be out of place,lol

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I like Pense because he does several things well that help his team win. R H bat that hits for average, some power, drives in runs, decent speed and good base runner, good fielder and good arm. Quentin may have more pop, but I’m not sure he’s as good a hitter as Pense. Like Upton because he’s athletic and a good outfielder. Better speed than the other guys, but he’s inconsisitent and hasn’t played to his abilities yet. Do we really need another outfielder who hits 230 -235?

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Another holdup n #Astros’ Pence talks w/ #Phillies: Astros also trying 2 move Bourn, Wandy, B. Myers. #tradedeadline #MLGB

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Southgabrave,

If the Braves get Marlon Byrd and a RH reliever,while the Phillies get Pence and San Francisco gets Beltran, what do you think our chances are of winning the Pennant?

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•The Astros want pitching for Pence, according to Heyman (on Twitter).
•The Phillies and Astros are exploring potential three-team deals involving Pence, according to ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark. Jon Heyman of SI.com and Joel Sherman of the New York Post agree (Twitter links). The Phillies may be willing to trade Brown to a third team to get the prospects the Astros want for Pence, Stark writes.
•The Braves offered a package that included prospects they didn’t offer to the Mets for Carlos Beltran, but the Astros turned the offer down, according to Stark. The Braves may be moving on, which would leave the Phillies as Pence’s primary suitor. The Red Sox, Reds, Pirates and Indians appear to have peeled off, according to Stark

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larry we already read that crap..no need to repeat.

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lobo

i was the one on here who said do not call schafer up from aaa,.230 avg.185ab i believe

i said release procter call up constanza give him a chance,also bring up gatrell.
both constanza,gatrell have never been on mlb roster.the posters who keep saying its a reason they still in the minors is bs.funny,how conrad was in the minors for 10 years before he got a shot.but i know nothing.lugo is here to give gonzalez a day off only reason.i said schafer had his chance he is not the aswer,go get bourn or someone else.

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At least we have a player who knows we need help and sorry folks but you’re NEVER going to see Chipper of the 90’s. Chipper needs to announce his retirement now and recieve all the atta boys the rest of the season. BEAT the Phils to Pence

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Ok Larry..peace..I agree with @2:18

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just love how the writer dob says heyward,and some others here needs to go back to aaa.If thats the case,load the dam bus for schafer,gonzo,prado,nate to join.Prado went 0/9 the other nite,send him as well.

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dam i been traded but to who?philly or atl.?I prefer philly i know they can hit,and only play 9 innings.

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[...] The Braves need to add some offensive power, preferably a right-handed hitting outfielder who can drive in runs. Wren has had talks for several different players, but he hasn’t pushed the button on a deal yet. He balked at letting go of a valued pitching prospect (Mike Minor) for a rental player (Carlos Beltran). [...]

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Pence has never hit more than 25 HRs, plays in a hitter friendly part and outside of this year is a .280 hitter, not a true .300 guy, to go along with mid-teen steals. If we get anyone from Houston, I’d prefer Bourne who at least brings a real asset to the table.

Do the Braves really need another “character” guy with marginal power? How about adding some real pop or speed, instead?

Look at McLouth’s numbers in Pittsburgh – that is essentially what you’re getting in Pence, and we all know how that worked out.

I’d much rather take a chance on Upton. Average is fickle anyway, but speed never slumps.

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JUST SO YOU KNOW HERE YOU GO ABOUT CHIPPER

Chipper Jones 3b
3 years/$42M (2010-12), plus 2013 option

3 years/$42M (2010-12), plus 2013 option
signed extension with Atlanta 3/31/09
$3M signing bonus (paid each Jan. 15, 2010-12)
10:$13M, 11:$13M, 12:$13M, 13:$7M club option
2013 option guaranteed at $9M with:
123 games in 2012, or
average of 127 games in 2011-12
2013 option price increases by $1M each for:
128, 133, 138, 140 games in 2012, or
averages of 132, 137, 138, 140 games in 2011-12

annual performance bonuses: $0.75M each for 135, 140 games

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Tim Hudson rhp
3 years/$28M (2010-12), plus 2013 option

3 years/$28M (2010-12), plus 2013 club option

signed extension with Atlanta 11/12/09, replacing option year in previous contract

10:$9M, 11:$9M, 12:$9M, 13:$9M club option ($1M buyout)
performance bonus: $0.5M with 600 IP in 2010-12

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Derek Lowe rhp
4 years/$60M (2009-12)

4 years/$60M (2009-12)

signed by Atlanta as a free agent 1/15/09
09:$15M, 10:$15M, 11:$15M, 12:$15M

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and lets compare philly,sf pitching agains the braves since allstar break

our record is 8-9 since break era 4,57 starters,and lets not go there about our runs scored pathetic

as a passionate braves fan im not drinking the kool aid im stating the facts,philly will show us how its done by taking 2/3 of sweeping pittsburg

atl.needs help,and help bad would pence,quentin work?i think so look back at mcgriff trade,team ba was.246 you see?braves havent hit for 20 years

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1995world series title atl.braves team ba.246,we hit when it counted just like sf did last year.

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well im out go braves

i say over/under 3 runs for braves tonight

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Mike R. I agree…Pence has been built up to be a hall of fame player over the past week. I would trade Minor straight up for Pence, but if Wren gives up 2 or 3 prospects for him he will be sorry. Hanson will be auctioned off as a free agent to the highest bidder, Lowe and Hudson will be gone, Beachy is unproven…They will need those young pitchers in a year or 2.

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Ross one of the few stand up guys on the team that is heavy on d bags.Nice to see him sac up and tell it like it is.Chipper needs to shut tfu.Only Mc Cann,Freeman,and Ross have produced this year.Everyone else is lucky they still have a job.

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lowe hudson are here in 2012
we have control over hanson,jj for 2012,and 2013

only one gone in 2012 is lowe
hudson has a option for 2013
we also have medlin,beachy,minor

tell me which prospect comes up besides tehran for 2012?

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Ross thinks little of himself. He is a right hand bat that does not play everyday. He is the best utility RH bat we have. We don’t need to go giving away the farm for Pence or Quinton to get here and not be able to live up to the hype because they have never been put in a situation where they will be ridiculed for everything. We need to make a real move.

Minor, Beachy, Schafer, and a 2nd tier prospect for Matt Kemp.

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Enter your comments here

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I can hit lefthanders.

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hold onto all the prospects the pitching has sucked since the break,like i knew it would,hudson only one who has been decent.how the pitching do for u in the 90s?and last year all losses by 1 run games?gee im so sorry expect more to come,oh wait you just saw it in the pirates series,lol!!!! c more of hit tonite against fla,im looking for a sweep by fla.they just swept the nats,something this team will never do.over under is 2 runs i have 500 tonite for the under

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Making moves to improve your team is only half of the equation. Blocking teams from getting guys who can hurt you is also part of the strategy. If Pence goes to Philly, the Braves are basically conceding the division and probably a shot at going deep into the playoffs…..if they even make it. Wren will probably deal for Rick Ankiel and Kyle Farnsworth on Sunday afternoon……again.

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I’m hoping the Braves pull out a surprise trade and get Matt Kemp from the Dodgers.

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this team has not made a world series since 2001 playoffs and lose nothing changes hug your dam prospects while teams with 3 starters and can hit will beat you again,just like sf did that to you with 3 STARTERS

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According to ESPN, the Astros and Phillies are trying to find a third team to make the Pence deal work….(that third team would obvioulsy NOT be the Braves)…..oh well…its gonna be a long rest of the season.

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braves just traded for wallingham,more to come

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Enter your comments here

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The Braves need to pull Lowe out of the rotation and bring up Teheran

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It was pathetic watching Lowe go 0-2 on a pitcher batting .079 and runners in scoring position then allowing a hit…The guy has no velocity and hangs the ball over the plate so any hitter can crush it. I am tired of watching him labor throwing 25 pitches an inning and allowing 2 out nobody on scoring rallies. This team will never score enough runs to win with Lowe on the mound.

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how about Heyward and a pitching prospect for pence.. it would solve 2 problems.. a RH bat in the lineup and JH’s automatic out out of the lineup.

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bench heyward, eric hinske is our solution

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Heyward is not going anywhere

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How long are JJ and Hanson under contract? We cant afford to re-sign them so Wren isnt going to trade away good prospects. Chipper needs to either retire at end of season or restructure deal. Lowe needs to be traded at end of season. Those 2 are eating up close to 30 mill. Lose Mcclouths 10 mill at end of season. That gives 40 mill to work with by practically giving up nothing !

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Why…why…why would ANYONE trade for Coco Crisp? He doesn’t hit for power and as bad as his average is, he would just be a right-handed Nate McClouth….

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The only way we trade Teheran is if we’re getting a Matt Kemp/Justin Upton.

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yahoo sports is confiming the willingham trade as well

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they wont trade tehran but maybe one of the others he will be in the starting rotation next year

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jimor

TEAM STARTING PITCHING LAST 17 GAMES 4.57 GET A F LIFE

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If the Braves just got Willingham, Something besides the press box should catch on fire. Maybe the whole stadium this time. Wren is clueless.

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southgabrave, if the Braves play San Francisco it would be in the 1st round which would be a 5 game series with the Braves traveling to the west coast for the first 2 games against Cain, Linsicom or Baumgardner depending on the rotation. That is a tough hill to climb.

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Willingham would lock down second place in the NL east and Wild Card.Hey Wren you tool I don’t think this was the big piece Ross was talking about.This line up will be as attractive as an old southern pig screw.

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Is Kemp even available? If there’s a possibility of grabbing him, I’m a BIG proponent of this trade but am under the impression he’s pretty locked up in LA.

Go for Pence. I’d give up Minor and Delgado…and possibly another non-pitching prospect. Houston needs pitching to really build back their team. We need a bat AND to keep Pence out of Philly. This trade would be a double-win especially since we’d have Pence for awhile. DO it FW.

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yahoo sports says we gave up delgado

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skyrider 97.5 is garbage thats not what the braves offered i turn that shyt down to

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no chance wren gave up delgado for willingham that has to be bogus

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Nic – You calling me out? That’s what was reported out of Philly. Your report of us signing Willingham isn’t true.

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Damn!!! Im tired We sign anyone yet?Im going on dl when we do.

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Yo Nic – Actually, I didn’t go research that. I knew you made it up.

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bourn.

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shyrider

dont matter some sucker did……STILL LMFAO
RAW HAD THE BEST POST EVER….F HILLARIOUS LET ME ADD ONE TO IT
Schafer-man i hope they dont do a drug test i cant hit without the juice,omg im screwed

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Steve: “Overpaying for Pence” has two sides. One: It improves the Atlanta Braves Two: It keeps him OFF the Phillies.

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why is everyone upset for?we all know the braves will get someone cheap,we are not the phillies ,redsox,yankees.why as they are my favorite,im not spending money by watching them tv is better

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anyone here thinks we can match up with the phillies,sf right now ,i got one thing to say……..

HOW IS THAT HOPE AND CHANGE WORKING OUT FOR YA????

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I dont get why we are being so stubborn. WE CANT HIT. we cant score. Why would we let Pence go to the Phillies? Does our ownership not want to win? So frustrating if he goes to Philly. Willingham/Ludwick wont make difference.

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Ever wonder why they never go after any names anymore…not since Mark You Know Who.

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Buster Olney said that, if you honestly review the facts, Pence could well turn out to be another Nate McLouth. He is much more likely to be Nate McLouth than even Raul Ibanez. Wren doesn’t need another McLouth deal to add to his miserable record.

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Tonights line up?

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since sf took 2/3 from philly,while haliday,lee did not pitch they are pissed.expect them to get pence fer sure.meanwhile braves will get willinham/ludwick/

wren already said getting nieves was best trade he made.

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Jim and Steel. Does it really improve the chances of the Braves getting past the first round as the wild card? Somehow overpaying to keep Pence from the Phillies lacks credibility. You don’t commit suicide just to keep someone else from obtaining something that they really don’t need.

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If Frank Wren doesn’t get off his A$$ and do something of significance to help bolster the saddly sagging offensive team, the fans ought to Boycott the Braves. Don’t show up, let the seats go empty and maybe that will send a message to Liberty about how inept its Braves Management Team is. Frank Wren should be run out of the City Of Atlanta – he ought to be boo’ed every time he enters the stadium or the clubhouse. He is an IDIOT.

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lineup not posted yet figuring where to play lugo,conrad,agon at

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houston not posted line up yet either hmmm??

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i send delgado minor,agon,hicks for colo ss

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according to all the sources the braves are no longer looking for a middle reliever,this has been posted 10 times,and astros want bourn and pence to go .i think the 3rd team is cincy because they want bourn,and philly wants pence

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I don’t want Pence, there I said it. Pence would require too many prospects.

Bourn is perfect for us, a leadoff hitter who plays CF with speed. By the way, he’s hitting .287 against lefties.

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milwaukee has posted theres houston,atlanta has not,could it be?

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^What?

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THAT WAS TWEETED 2 MINUTES AGO GBYE DIORY

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BYE SCHAFER,NATE,THAT F DIORY GOOD RIDDANCE TAKE HICKS,AGON WITH YA

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Bring back Francouer!!

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BJ Upton? BJ UPTON???

Stop taking about this freakin’ HORRIBLE player. Yes, you recognize his name. but do you also realize he’s TERRIBLE?

I’m not exaggerating here.

2009: .241 BA, .313 OBP, .686 OPS — 11 HRs, 152 strikeouts
2010: .237, BA .322, OBP .746 OPS — 18 HRs, 164 strikeouts
This Season: .227 BA, .307 OBP, .702 OPS, 15 HRs, 100 strikeouts

How does this player make us BETTER? Because he is on pace for 25 homers? So what? When your OPS is .702 that means you SUCK! We already have enough suck to go around…

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wheres dale murphy when u need him? phillies will probably get pence ,this season is just about over for the braves. wait till next year.!!!!!!

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I vote we trade for Bourn and Quentin. Since it’s obvious we’re never going to have everybody healthy, there will always be spots in the outfield for them. And they definitely upgrade our lineup.

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FRENCHY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Give me Michael Bourn and BJ Upton. If not Bourn, Coco Crisp and BJ Upton. There’s a huge price for Hunter Pence although he has only 11 home runs. I like the speed of the threesome listed above with Upton having not only speed but 16 home runs on top of that. I know his average is only .230 but he’s a talent for sure.

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Everyone in Houston loves Pence. He’s under contract through 2013. He better than anyone in our outfield. We aren’t scoring runs. Chipper can’t stay healthy. We can’t win in the playoffs without some help. I can come up with 10 more reasons why we should make this move. Jeff whats the holdup really? Teheran is the only one of the “Big 4″ that is really untouchable…

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Braves need make two moves here. Plain and simple. Cant score runs if no one gets on base. Leadoff hitter is not Prado. Sorry, he is best as a #2. Bourn needs to be gotten, give away Mclouth and high prospect(s) for bourn(just not any of “BIG 4″), sign him up long term and there we go. Leadoff hitter & speed threat we been missing since Furcal left has now been filled.

Next, go after a right handed power hitter, I dont care how its done, trade one of big 4.

Seriously Jurrgens is here, Hanson is here, Beachy is here, wheres the other 4 gonna fit? Get rid of atleast one top pitching prospect, if not two, depending on what comes back to make this happen.

All Braves really need is 2 prospects to come up after Lowe and Hudson leave, and Hudson might be around after 2012 contract expires so as long as they keep the BIG 3 (Jurrgens, Hanson, Beachy) could even argue Medlen then really why do we need 4 top prospects? To keep in AAA? to take whos place? to trade? duh! trade atleast 1 if not 2 and lets try to win this year!

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Well Mclouth on DL now. Think its time Atlanta gives up on him. Need new CF and new corner outfielder! Trade some prospects!

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Trade for Pence eminent… pretty sure it’s gonna be the Phils but I guess we’re still a possibility based on previous rumors.

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Wren is eating sh!t again! He saw Beltran going to the giants for nothing. The Braves has better prospects than that guy Wheeler. Now he is going to see Pence going to the Phillies a guy that remind me a lot of Matt Halliday cause in his yeras in Colorado nobody heard about him and he was putting the Rockies in his shoulders. Three years in the Majors and Pence is being close to .300 plus more than 20 HR’s. So Why not? If not you have players like BJ Upton, Ludwick and Quentin who have playoff experience. I see Quentin the most to make an impact right away. BJ Upton is hot and cold but can get in base and steal some bases. Ludwick is not being the same since he leaves St. Louis. Maybe a change can help him. HJosh Willinghan is being also a very consistent middle of the order hitter. But wren I don’t know what he is expecting to move one of his youn players, he has a bunch of them!

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Braves Win! Braves Win! Ooops.. A shot? Just like the fabulous Hawks have a shot at an ECF…

Thanks to “Mr. Clutch” David Justice or Bobby looses another big one..

Philly picks up Pence! It figures Brave Fans

Frank=Sund……

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