LIVE: Braves get Michael Bourn, now hope that’s enough
The Braves finally made a catch before the trade deadline: Welcome, Michael Bourn. (AP photo)
(UPDATED: 1:45 p.m. Folks, here’s the updated blog on the trade. I’m read to chat live now about the deal and the game. Sorry couldn’t get to earlier questions and comments but I’ve been kinda busy.)
It was the eve of the trade deadline, and Jordan Schafer was having trouble sleeping.
“I just had a weird feeling,” he said Sunday. “It’s something I hadn’t felt all along. I even sent a text message to my agent. I told him I thought I might be traded. He said, ‘No, there’s no chance.’”
And then he opened his phone to show a reporter the text message: “10:57 p.m. ‘Wonder if I’m going to Houston.’”
Sometimes, it’s not so great to be a prophet.
The Braves dealt Schafer to Houston Sunday. They made the move less because of what they believe Schafer might be one day than what he isn’t now: Michael Bourn. After dealing Schafer and three prospects to Houston for Bourn, the All-Star center fielder and leadoff hitter, Braves general manager Frank Wren said, “Michael is what we hope Jordan will be in three or four years. For a team that’s poised to win, we need a finished product.”
Wren needed the right sound bite. Braves fans have felt antsy, angry, frustrated, discontent and maybe even borderline hopeless after seeing San Francisco (Carlos Beltran) and Philadelphia (Hunter Pence) each spin major deals in recent days. So Wren hit on the right themes. What comes of this deal, we can’t possibly know.
Chipper Jones lauded Bourn’s speed, but when asked if the Braves are better team as a result of the deal, he said: “I don’t know. Talk to me in two months.”
The fact Jones was a big fan of Schafer’s might have fed into his comments. (At one point, he left his locker to walk over to Schafer, who was packing, to give him a hug, and the two spoke privately for a couple of minutes.) But Jones also struck the proper tone. There were some things about this year’s Braves team we projected back in spring training camp that haven’t panned out. So it’s best not to assume anything now.
Still, credit to Wren. He waited until the day of the trading deadline before pushing the button. The trade market had become increasingly difficult and expensive (opponents love desperate buyers). Wren made the best trade he could have possibly made at this point.
Bourn is hitting .303. He leads the majors with 39 stolen bases. He has 28 infield hits. He has won two Gold Gloves. He immediately becomes this team’s best and most established leadoff hitter since Rafael Furcal. So this is no minor acquisition.
“The perfect fit,” Wren called him.
The Braves certainly have World Series potential now. Then again, we thought that they had that in the spring. Championships assume two things: good health and expected production, and the Braves have used their opening day lineup only 11 times.
But consider this potential batting order: Michael Bourne, Martin Prado, Chipper Jones, Brian McCann, Dan Uggla, Freddie Freeman, Jason Heyward, Alex Gonzalez. If everybody’s clicking, there’s no escape. After all the angst, this may work out yet.
Some of what Wren said Sunday carried a trace of draft day spin. He acknowledged the team “inquired” about Pence and had interest in Beltran. But he also suggested the Braves never really wanted either that much.
“We could’ve had Beltran. … Same with Pence,” he said. “We were involved in everything but we weren’t really into everything.” (I’m assuming the comments would’ve been different had they acquired either.)
Wren got his wish: He held onto the organization’s four projected golden arms in the minors. He closed the deal for Bourn just before 9 a.m., then he phoned Schafer.
“I was backing out my driveway,” Schafer said. “As soon as I looked down at the phone and saw who it was, I knew. It sucks. But it’s a business.”
In a perfect world, Schafer goes on to have a good career, the Braves win a championship and Bourn turns out to be a lot better than the last time the team traded for a Gold Glove, All-Star center fielder who could hit leadoff (Nate McLouth).
We’ve learned not to project. But it certainly looks good.
By Jeff Schultz
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794 comments Add your comment
PhilliesFan
July 31st, 2011
7:32 pm
Also UGA is a very good school. I am from Philly but I respect great education no matter what state its in.
Mark in mid-town
July 31st, 2011
7:33 pm
PhilliesFan,
the Phillies attendance is very commendable. The Braves obviously don’t draw nearly as well, anymore. The “anymore” is key. Among the reasons the Braves don’t draw nearly as well anymore is that the traffic situation has become atrocious and there isn’t a viable public transportation option for the vast majority of Braves fans. Let’s not forget that in 1993 when it was slightly easier to get around the Atlanta metro area, the Braves averaged about 48,000 per game and drew about 3,900,000 for the year. And they did that in their old dull cookie cutter stadium. What was the best the Phillies ever drew in their old cookie cutter stadium? Well, the best the Phillies drew in their prior stadium was about 750,000 less than the best the Braves did in their prior stadium. The Phillies best year in their prior stadium was also 1993, yet they drew about 10,000 less per game than the Braves did that year, even though the stadium in Philadelphia had a capacity 11,000 more. Does that mean that Braves fans were far more diehard than Phillies fans back in 1993?
bravos007
July 31st, 2011
7:35 pm
@mark in midtown- it’s all about attendance with them. for some reason, they believe they love their team more than we do. it’s a waste of your time to provide a thoughtful response. they completely discount the fact that the braves are loved across the country and the phillies are loved for the most part only in philly
PhilliesFan
July 31st, 2011
7:36 pm
Mark in mid-town…at the time the braves fans were better fans. The Phillies were an awful franchise and caught lighting in the bottle. THe philly fans refused to support a franchise who wouldn’t spend. Now the Phillies are actually challenging the Eagles for Number 1 in our town which was unthinkable 10 years ago.
cutty
July 31st, 2011
7:37 pm
“On whether getting Chipper Jones back in the line-up makes the Braves a better club?” Check with me in two months,assuming he can stay in there that long.
MartinezFred
July 31st, 2011
7:38 pm
I just paid $22.87 for an iPad2-64GB and my girlfriend loves her Panasonic Lumix GF 1 Camera that we got for $38.76 there arriving tomorrow by UPS. I will never pay such expensive retail prices in stores again. Especially when I also sold a 40 inch LED TV to my boss for $675 which only cost me $62.81 to buy. Here is the website we use to get it all from, FineCent. c om
PhilliesFan
July 31st, 2011
7:38 pm
bravos007… You act the Braves are the Yankees. Love across the country. You do bring up a good point however. I LOVE the fact being a Philly fan is synonymous with being from Philly. They represent us. I am a true believe in you only root for teams in your home town. Unless you have no team in your home town.
Runnin With The Dawgs
July 31st, 2011
7:40 pm
I’m happy to see the Braves take a major step in the right direction. I hope they take a few more. Phillies Suck! “GO BRAVES”!
chief pitchanono
July 31st, 2011
7:41 pm
Totally agree philliesFan, we also crushed the mets for years and it was awesome, but they never really proved to be a real threat. It is a little different with you guys now that you have been on top for a few years. There is no hatred, but its more of a david vs. goliath thing with u guys now, we won’t to knock of goliath and do what people say can’t be done. Hopefully its a great race untill the end. Go Braves!!
kerryb
July 31st, 2011
7:41 pm
Phils fans. I love to banter with you but you do have a good team. Makes me sick. I really believe the NLCS is going to be the Braves and the Phils. We will all have good fun with that won’t we?
bravos007
July 31st, 2011
7:41 pm
@philliesfan- congratulations and glad your team has finally been able to win. every fan should have that at some point i guess.
heartofdarkness
July 31st, 2011
7:43 pm
Congratulations to the GM. Got an upgrade to the offense and showed discipline. Measured today, the Braves gave up less than the Mets or Astros were seeking (for Pence). Each of the young players the Braves sent to Houston has the potential to be a good major leaguer. Other than Shafer, none were going to help this year. So we got some here and now, and we surrendered future promise. Only time and the clairvoyants of this world will tell whether we paid too much. Cardplayers would say the hand dealt the Braves was well played.
PhilliesFan
July 31st, 2011
7:44 pm
chief pitchanono and kerryb… I agree the NL East is very fun right now. I also think the we are both destine for the NLCS which would be great.
PhilliesFan
July 31st, 2011
7:45 pm
I think we can all agree the Ed Wade sucks. Thanks for Pence and Bourn
kerryb
July 31st, 2011
7:45 pm
Is everyone as shocked as I am that the Yankees did nothing? You think they may finally be tapped out?
bravos007
July 31st, 2011
7:46 pm
@heartodarkness – exactly. the braves played their hand VERY smartly…..out pitching all but guarantees us another 5-10 years of competitive baseball teams in atlanta.
PhilliesFan
July 31st, 2011
7:47 pm
kerryb… I am most shocked that Heath Bell went no where
bravos007
July 31st, 2011
7:48 pm
http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/news/2011/07/11/harris-braves-third-most-popular.html
right behind yankees and red sox….our rating and attendance are down but our overall popularity remains strong
bravos007
July 31st, 2011
7:48 pm
ratings that is
kerryb
July 31st, 2011
7:49 pm
I’m shocked at that too.
bravosfan11
July 31st, 2011
8:13 pm
say what you want about Schafer, but the kid played with heart and played hard every time out there. He got hit in the face and wanted to play the next day. good luck schaf. hope your troubles are behind you, and you do well in houstin. with that said, great trade franky. I’m excited to see the lineup as mac and chip get back and healthy… which it’s probably a good sign that brian caught the first pitch today… i know that’s much different then really catching and swinging, but at least he can get down without pain. LET’S GO BRAVES!
Ryan
July 31st, 2011
8:15 pm
Now, the only real weakness in this team is at short. I love Gonzalez’s defense, but it doesn’t make up for his bat. Besides, like today, he has been known to bobble on dives.
Billy Mccawley
July 31st, 2011
8:18 pm
I like Jordan, but it’s a great deal for the braves. It fills a need and with nate and kenshins contracts coming off the books, they can work on locking down Hansen and jairs contracts.
bigbrave
July 31st, 2011
8:48 pm
Does anyone besides me wonder why the braves play at home with their red shirts on hot sunny days and their white shirts at night when it’s cooler? Shouldn’t it be the other way around? Just sayin. Is there a rule they can only wear those awesome looking red shirts on day games?
Braves Homer
July 31st, 2011
8:55 pm
PhilliesFan, you are wrong, the organization has been accused (and righfully so) in the past of avoiding and even getting rid of African American Players. This trade is monumental in the process of correcting the organizations wrongs, take it for what it is worth, its not just another trade
Dennis Reynolds
July 31st, 2011
8:58 pm
Great move. Ive gained a lot of respect for Wren over this years trade deadline. He really has a plan for this organization and he’s executing it.
Thanks, Wren.
Sounds like Fredi will use Constanza in LF some. I guess I like that idea? I mean, it would be nice to keep his speed and ability to make contact in the lineup while Chipper is still down. He would be an ideal 8 hole hitter now that Bourn is a Braves. Too bad Gonzo cant hit for s#it. I hope Wren re-aquires Omar. You would lose on some defense, but you cant have Gonzo hitting like this and expect this lineup to turn over like it should be. He’s killing rallies everyday. Im not saying Omar would be a full-time SS for us, but somewhat of a platoon situation.
Ill sit back and relax though now that I know our team is in good hands. Ive questioned Wrens plans and ideas for this team for some time now, but like I said, I really feel good with the team in his hands.
1.Bourn
2.Prado
3.Freeman
4.Uggla
5.Heyward
6.Ross
7.Constanza
8.Gonzo
Dennis Reynolds
July 31st, 2011
9:00 pm
Kind of multi-tasking. Last post kind of sounded stupid but you get the main idea.
braveheart11
July 31st, 2011
9:04 pm
What’s the deal on Stefan Gartrell at AAA Gwinnett? The guy is 27 years old, OF 6-3 230 right handed with power, 4 time minor league all star, with a .304 BA this year and 27 HR but has never played in the majors since he started in 2006?? Seems like he would be more of a threat than Wilkin Ramirez? Also, wouldn’t the future 3B current Gwinnett Brandon Hicks be a better solution at 3rd and leave Prado in LF instead of McLouth in LF?
Bravo Fan
July 31st, 2011
9:05 pm
Just reading through all of these comments really hurts me about what some of the Braves faithful are saying about Jordan Schafer. The kid had heart and lots of it how many of the other Braves players would have played through broken fingers and broken noses…….. none they would have all sat on the bench. Now I know heart alone wont let you hit .300 but that kid is special. He came in on the fly and was told by Chipper look we don’t need you to hit 30 homers we need you to just be on base and thats what he tried to do. I know Michael Bourn will be welcomed in Atlanta but we all could send Jordan Schafer out on a better note than this!
Optimistic Brave
July 31st, 2011
9:05 pm
Speaking of attendance, Atlanta is different than most clubs. Atlanta has many transplant residents, so the draw will be significantly less than the existing ball clubs like Philly, New York, L.A., Chicago, etc. The demographics in Atlanta suggest a broader audience in that many of its residents are from various locations that include loyal fans from their respective cities.
Smiling Jack
July 31st, 2011
9:18 pm
Please change you name from Saefer is a loser to Saefer is an idiot. You would not know a winner looking straight into his face.
Smiling Jack
July 31st, 2011
9:19 pm
Jordan will go on to have an outstanding career! Good for him!
KME
July 31st, 2011
9:20 pm
We have two months to find out if this was all worth it. It is ironic…no one has even mentioned about Jose Costanza. That kid is one helluva hitter and runner. With Bourn, he could be a big threat for the Braves…as an OB runner/stealer…
Time will tell…
and I am last! Yippeee!
TeheranTime
July 31st, 2011
9:23 pm
It is an immature fan that calls players who are traded a loser. Jordan Schafer did not and would not have chosen to be traded. Schafer is a young player who many feel will go on to a fine MLB career. In any trade, someone has to go. Schafer went in this one. I am glad that Frank Wren did not sacrifice the future for someone like a Carlos Beltran. That would be stupid.
dawg150
July 31st, 2011
9:25 pm
Sounds and looks like Wren pulled off a good one……unless Heyward continues on his current path. He had a couple of nice swings today, but really, really needs some Uggla assistance. Dan please explain to him how to take outside pitches to left, left-ctr, or up the middle……not to 2nd baseman on 35 hoppers. The guy needs just a minor adjustment to get the barrel on the ball. Tough loss today, but they were out there too many times……..somebody please fax a copy of playbook page involving “squeeze play” to Freddie.
TeheranTime
July 31st, 2011
9:25 pm
I don’t even live in Atlanta and made the three hour drive to a Braves game and thoroughly enjoyed myself. I think a lot of Atlanta area Braves fans are just making excuses as to why they don’t get off of their behinds and support their team. It’s easy to stay at home when most of the games are on TV.
Optimistic Brave
July 31st, 2011
9:25 pm
Ralphie, what does walking around the Ted have to do with baseball?
Horner's Corner
July 31st, 2011
9:26 pm
Chipper’s becoming a clubhouse cancer. I hope that dude either retires or asks to join Schafer in Houston next year.
Hit A Single
July 31st, 2011
9:26 pm
What is Bourn’s contract status. I sure don’t want to see another J.D. Drew or Mark Texeira deal.
cbgb
July 31st, 2011
9:28 pm
Good trade. Schafer was about as far as I was willing to go for trade bait. Good prospect, we still keep all our pitching and get the leadoff guy we’ve needed and a good center fielder. Good trade, Bravos!
Josh Smith for 3
July 31st, 2011
9:42 pm
I’d guess that Wren gets a RH bat, kinda like how we picked up Derrek Lee last year, sometime in the next month. I think this is a great trade. While Quentin has the big right-handed power we would’ve loved, I’m personally tired of trading for power instead of speed. A strong leadoff hitter is hard to come by these days and the Braves have lacked leadoff speed for years.
Also, I don’t get the big deal about Schafer. I don’t care how much Chipper likes him, he simply isn’t the same caliber CF as Bourn now and certainly won’t surpass Bourn enough to make us regret this trade. I like the guy and wish him luck, but I’ll super-size my order of crow if Schafer ever comes back to haunt the Braves.
UGAFAN13
July 31st, 2011
9:50 pm
I hope so but with this team and the spruts they go through with RISP I just don’t know. How many RISP did we have today with no outs and how many scored? So even if Bourn gets on we have to advance and score him. I wish I could say this was a recent development but sadly it is not. When a pitcher can’t bunt a runner over there is something wrong and we do that over and over with the same players…what corrective measures are we taking to cure this? I hope the new man’s speed helps spark a turn around in this area. And while I am at it would somebody please tell Hanso when he gets two strikes on a hitter to throw them a pitch that they can’t hit…twice today he thre too gooda apitch when he has the hitter at a disadvantage with 2 strikes. And he is killing me with the approach he used today to nibble @ the corners…for pete’s sake challenge the hitters. All he did today was jack up his pitch count.
jim 11
July 31st, 2011
10:04 pm
Now that we have Bourn in center can we win 70% of our remaining games? Running the numbers for the games remaining, the Braves will need that kind of production to have a chance of winning the division. We are currently 7 back in the loss column right now. If we get less than that we stay the wildcard and probably play the Giants in the first round. What do you think?
aj
July 31st, 2011
10:06 pm
Needed a change in cernterfield.
Kind of reminds me of a younger
Otis Nixon. Hope Bourn brings the
Braves the success that Nixon
brought.
UGAFAN13
July 31st, 2011
10:07 pm
I think it is a stretch that win 70% based on RISP performance all year. I agree we have a good shot @ the WC.
yogi2
July 31st, 2011
10:19 pm
A very good trade. I’m glad Schafer is gone.He was a third or fourth best at Gwinnett. Behind Constanza, Wilkin Ramerez,and Gartrell and possibly Matt Young. Now what do the Braves do with
Nate McLouth?
Claudell Washington
July 31st, 2011
10:20 pm
Great trade. Getting anything more than a bag of ball for a punk like Shafer is positive. Haven’t seen who the minor leaguers who were sent with him.
Mike
July 31st, 2011
10:34 pm
i agree that having bourn is awesome and is a major upgrade but these anti-schafer remarks…wow. he still posted a .300 OBP, stole 15 bases of 18 attempts and scored 32 runs in about 50 games played. he wasn’t that bad…not good…but not that bad.
on another note, in order to be competitive in the post season, we need to get a RH bat that can play multiple positions. a bullpen arm would be great, as well. let’s see what wren can do with waivers.
BravesfaninWis
July 31st, 2011
10:39 pm
Lets say that the Braves aren’t able to extend Bourn after next year and Schafer really starts to become a great player in the next 3-4 years or so. The Braves could always bring him back at that point and all will be fine. It could happen, one never knows.
Seriously
July 31st, 2011
10:44 pm
aj, otis nixon never hit that well in his life.