All-baseball Bradley’s Buzz: Will DeRo be the Braves’ hero?
A triumphant return for the pride of Vinings Estates?
He played quarterback at Penn. He played everywhere for the Braves. He drove in the winning run in Game 2 of the 2003 NLDS against the Cubs. He lived in my subdivision (and, after leaving for Texas, rented his house first to Chris Reitsma and then to Mike Remlinger). And now Mark DeRosa might be coming back to the ol’ neighborhood.
So speculates Jayson Stark of ESPN.com. DeRo, as he’s known, now plays for Cleveland, and the Indians stink. (Apologies to all my pals in that fine American city.) The Tribe, Stark reports, wants pitching, and that’s the one thing the Braves have. But Frank Wren, Stark also writes, won’t part with any of his top-tier arms, meaning a trade partner would have to settle for Kris Medlen, Jo-Jo Reyes or Charlie Morton.
As for Frenchy: Stark believes the Braves are “mostly listening” to proposals for Jeff Francoeur, “in part because they need to add bats, not subtract them, and in part because no one is too sure of Francoeur’s true value anymore, including the Braves themselves.”
OK, you’re asking: Where might DeRo play if he again became a Brave? Pretty much wherever. He has been deployed at six of the eight non-pitching positions over his big-league career. (The exceptions: Catcher and center field.) And he could always serve as the backup quarterback.
(On a totally extraneous note, I should point out that Mrs. DeRosa was voted most attractive baseball spouse by Fantasy Baseball Dugout.)
The prospect prospectus
You’ll recall Gordon Beckham: Played at Westminster, led Georgia to the finals of the 2008 College World Series, was drafted No. 8 overall by the White Sox. Well, he’s tearing up the pea patch in Class AAA and could be summoned to the majors any minute (link requires registration), according to Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus. Goldstein notes the Pale Hose are so high on Beckham they’ve been giving him looks at third base to expedite the process.
More Goldstein: “[Tom] Glavine is ready for a return to the big leagues, but at what cost to the Braves? He’s a surefire Hall of Famer who absolutely deserves respect, but at this point, he’s no more than a No. 4 or 5 starter. Tommy Hanson is much, much more than that, and adding Glavine to the rotation delays Hanson’s arrival that much longer. It’s a tough position for Atlanta, where wins might go head-to-head with public relations.”
And this from Tom Verducci of SI.com: The annual post-Memorial Day promotions have begun. Writes Verducci: “Generally, if a team waits until after Memorial Day to start the major league service clock of a player, he won’t qualify as a ‘Super Two’ and get into the arbitration system a year earlier than he otherwise would — a tactic that saves millions of dollars for the club. Next up: Tommy Hanson. The Atlanta pitching prospect has been dominating Triple-A hitters.”
Loading ...The wait is over for Wieters
You’ll also recall Matt Wieters: Was a catcher (and a closer!) at Georgia Tech, was draft No. 5 overall by Baltimore in 2007 and was generally regarded as the minor leagues’ best prospect entering this season. He made his big-league debut — he’s now a full-time catcher — Friday night, and he got his first hits (a triple and a double off Justin Verlander) on Saturday. And Tim Kurkjian of ESPN.com quoted one unnamed former catcher as saying of Wieters: “He is Joe Mauer.”
FYI: Kurkjian quotes Don Werner, the Orioles’ minor league catching instructor, as saying Wieters learned to call games by watching Glavine, Greg Maddux and John Smoltz pitch for the Braves. (Wieters is from Goose Creek, S.C., which is near Charleston.)
Oh, and Peter Schmuck of the Baltimore Sun notes that the first opposing batter — Josh Anderson of the Tigers — tested Wieters with a bunt Friday night. Wieters threw him out.
Josh Anderson. Name rings a bell, doesn’t it?
Another name that rings a bell
Jake Peavy is now seen as the solution to the hole in Philadelphia’s rotation that opened with the loss of Brett Myers. But Jim Salisbury of the Philadelphia Inquirer suggests Peavy mightn’t want to play in Philly, either. Why not? Because Citizens Bank Park is a hitters’ paradise.
If you’re keeping score, Peavy has already vetoed a trade to the White Sox, and apparently he did the same regarding a deal with Atlanta in November. It was then widely believed that the Braves pulled out because San Diego GM Kevin Towers was asking too much, but Frank Wren has since admitted the deal fell through because Peavy said no to Atlanta.
OK, so now you’re asking: Will Peavy ever say yes? Kevin Kaduk of Big League Stew is getting impatient. I’ll note that Jake is 15-16 over the past two seasons and leave it at that.
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229 comments Add your comment
crap-wheelie
June 1st, 2009
11:00 am
I would love to see DeRosa back. But will Cox. He used him terribly when he was here.
Bill
June 1st, 2009
11:02 am
DeRosa for Reyes! In a heart beat. But no for Medlen and Morton. Braves have others that could get that deal done. Thanks Mark for info.
Curious George
June 1st, 2009
11:09 am
Do you think Texas will trade us back any of our young “prospects” from the now-infamous Teixeira trade?
:’(
Curious George
June 1st, 2009
11:11 am
Who would’ve thought Andruw Jones would make such a productive “utility” player?
Ninju
June 1st, 2009
11:12 am
If we trade JoJo for DeRosa, he can play second which would allow us to Shop KJ (maybe package him with Morton and ship them to the White Sox for Dye). That way we gain more power in 2 key spots and as a bonus we get rid of JoJo Reyes. Can’t beat that.
Mark Bradley
June 1st, 2009
11:14 am
No, I don’t, Curious George. And I’m pretty sure you don’t, either.
Peadawg
June 1st, 2009
11:17 am
Good to here Gordon Beckham is doing good. Thanks for that update!
George
June 1st, 2009
11:21 am
Please bring Mark back. We really need him either in outfield or at 3rd if Chipper has more down time.
Mark's Bradley
June 1st, 2009
11:23 am
When you say “top tier arms”, are YOU judging who they are, or did someone from the front office say “Morton, Medlen, and Reyes are not our top tier arms”?
JeanE
June 1st, 2009
11:32 am
As the kids say: OMG! OMG! OMG!!! I want DeRo back here where he belongs so badly, although if might mean less playing time for Matty D….he would help the Braves so much, Chipper is always dinged up & he can play anywhere & hit!!!! It’s a no-brainer!!!! Come on Frank, do it!!! Who cares if they want Charlie Morton or whoever like that!!!!
Bravissimo
June 1st, 2009
11:40 am
I forgot what i was reading after I saw the pic of Mrs. DeRosa
Horner's Corner
June 1st, 2009
11:47 am
Straw poll, is Jamie Moyer a HOF pitcher now that he has 250 wins?? No one ever mentions him, but he’s had a great career without having overpowering stuff. He has pitched for a WS Champion and he was the anchor of the Mariners staff during the franchise’s best years. (Mariners won 90+ games each year from 2000-2003 and during those 4 seasons Moyer was twice a 20 game winner)
He currently holds the Mariners franchise record for career wins, IP, games started and Win-Loss % (based on pitchers with 100 or more franchise starts). He also holds the club record for wins in a season with 21.
Just curious what others think.
mesejs
June 1st, 2009
11:49 am
Mark – why aren’t we hearing anything about OF Cody Johnson in the Braves minor leagues – he has 17 homers after yesterday. If I remember he was early draft prospect a couple years ago. Tell us something.
chad
June 1st, 2009
11:54 am
Why in the world would Peavy veto a trade to Atlanta? Makes no sense, Turner Field is a pitchers ball park and it is close to home. He sounds like he might be on the bratish side.
Mark Cuban or Aurther Blank.. Please buy the Braves!
June 1st, 2009
11:58 am
Enter your comments here
chad
June 1st, 2009
12:02 pm
I like what Billball said. He makes a lot of sense.
1eyedJack
June 1st, 2009
12:04 pm
Can we just trade for Mrs. DeRo?
Mark Cuban or Aurther Blank.. Please buy the Braves!
June 1st, 2009
12:04 pm
I really like the idea of putting Dero at second. You can then move KJ to center or use him for trade bait to get a powerhitter. Then when Omar comes back we can put Dero in the OF. But don’t trade Medlen to do it! That one would haunt us for years!
Shoeless Joe
June 1st, 2009
12:06 pm
Mark’s Bradley 11:23
I was wondering the same thing myself.
Mark Bradley
June 1st, 2009
12:11 pm
Mesejs, here’s a Cody Johnson scouting report from Hot-Prospects.net. You’ll note the comparison to Adam Dunn — lots of power, lots of strikeouts. And if you check his stats, you’ll see he has struck out 70 times for Class A Myrtle Beach already this season.
Cameron
June 1st, 2009
12:12 pm
I would do DeRosa for Morton or Reyes. I might even be willing to part ways with Medlen for DeRosa. We need someone to provide the versatility that Ofante had and he provides much needed pop to our lineup. It does look like Garret Anderson is coming to form though. He has always been a slow starter, plus he missed a lot of ST. I will have to say, when everyone is healthy our lineup is good enough to win the wild card, maybe even the division. But, DeRosa can make a healthy lineup better and more versatile. The most value would come when we have an ijury or two, plus he can afford us the opportunity to sit struggling OF’s (Schafer and Frenchy). I like the target, but let’s not mortgage the future for DeRosa.
Mark's Bradley
June 1st, 2009
12:12 pm
Mark,
When you say “top tier arms”, are YOU judging who they are, or did someone from the front office say “Morton, Medlen, and Reyes are not some of our top tier arms”?
PMC
June 1st, 2009
12:17 pm
Peavy is further evidence why no team should EVER EVER EVER allow a no trade clause be given to a player.
Mark Bradley
June 1st, 2009
12:17 pm
Nobody from the Braves’ front office said that to Jayson Stark, I’m guessing, but someone (or several someones) from other front offices did.
And by top-tier young arms, I’m thinking the Braves have two of those — Jair Jurrgens and Tommy Hanson.
Hoosier Aaron
June 1st, 2009
12:18 pm
I have to agree with the Hitting Coach comments. It appears to me that we’re trying to clone all of our hitters into being one type. Frenchy was a swing from the heals hacker who drove in 100 runs two years in a row – but he struck out 130 times….who cares how many times he strikes out….Ryan Howard strikes out 199 times per year…big deal.
As far as getting another bat – I hope we don’t do something silly. We have Heyward coming and Cody Johnson is mashing the ball…btw…he swings and misses a few times too. If Schafer doesn’t work out…Gorkys looks like a good CF prospect. If we must get another outfielder – let’s target someone like Hunter Pence or Luke Scott…pay the price and get a good one.
johnny bravo
June 1st, 2009
12:18 pm
I’m a regular fan and I reported this over a week ago,
tale of woe
June 1st, 2009
12:32 pm
After yesterday’s performance I would take Medlen over Glavine any day of the week. I think he needs to stay and we can not think about trading him. Jo Jo can go go to Cleveland, but I would like to know how much longer DeRo is signed for. I don’t like giving up young pitching for a one year rental.
No More Bobby
June 1st, 2009
12:42 pm
This is the big deal we have been waiting for? Cmon!! There has to be players out there that wasnt once a Brave already!!! Im a bit embarrassed to be a fan. Its becoming Spinal Tap like the way this team is handled.
wawel78
June 1st, 2009
12:43 pm
Hoosier – the more stikeouts you have, the less you put the ball into play = less chance of getting a hit/causing an error/getting on base. Strikeouts are a very telling stat. Personally, I never wanted them to get Dunn because of this reason. It looks like he is working on this aspect of his game, though.
Chief Noc-a-homa
June 1st, 2009
12:46 pm
I know an OF who we could have had for very cheap. DH for TEX, hitting .282 with 5 HRs in just 25 games. Hindsight’s 20/20 but it would it have hurt to have given him a shot?
Mark Bradley
June 1st, 2009
12:48 pm
Oddly enough, the Spinal Tap comparison arose in a previous Buzz installment. (I believe I likened Garret Anderson’s mobility in left field to, er, Stonehenge.)
BRAVES BULL........pen
June 1st, 2009
12:52 pm
i’m a braves fan and live in milwaukee and today’s news were saying that vasquez could come here to milwaukee may be for corey hart.
brewers outfield is amaizing, braun(35 to 40 homers), cameroon(20 to 25), hart(15 to 20) you are talking 70 to 75 homers just from the outfield. WOW thats is production.
WREN
June 1st, 2009
12:54 pm
if we deal, deal for some body that will stay at least for 2 years. not just for 3 months.
wawel78
June 1st, 2009
1:04 pm
Yeah, I’m also reading on mlbtraderumors.com that Vazquez might be available.
Jeff R
June 1st, 2009
1:10 pm
Why would Wren surrender Medlen, with all his upside for DeRosa? Reyes or Morton, maybe. But Medlen is bulldog competitive and showed what he’s capable of in yesterday’s win against Arizona.
DeRosa has proved to be a better player than he showed in his stint with the Braves, but he’s older now. And Infante will be back in 5 weeks.
Could the Braves want to acquire DeRosa in anticipation of another move?
Spud Webb
June 1st, 2009
1:12 pm
It’s starting to slip away Wren. Not sure why Derosa? Unless he’s an everyday outfielder that can hit for power and drive in runs??? Which I Love Dero, but he isn’t. So I don’t really care about this chatter. WREN MAKE A MOVE. You have got to get the OF situation fixed ASAP.
Paul Lentz
June 1st, 2009
1:13 pm
Mark DeRosa is not the long term answer for the Braves offensive woes. However, for this year’s purpose, he is a right handed bat with some pop in his bat, he hits for a decent average, and he can play some defense. The Braves will not have to give up that much to get him.
I’ve said this in other threads. I really hope the Braves do not bring up Tom Glavine. Paying him $3.5 mil to solidfy what is already a strength (particularly when a much cheaper Kris Medlen has the ability to do the job), is not the move to make. Signing Glavine in Spring Training made sense because the Braves did not know how the health of the starters would hold up. Now that Medlen has demonstrated that he can make the necessary adjustments (plus Tommy Hanson is waiting in the wings should one of the others get injured), the move is to graciously let Glavine go.
Trading Franceour now, (his $2 mil remaining salary for this year) and not paying Glavine the $3.5 mil that he would get if he stayed on the roster for the rest of the season, would give the Braves $5.5 mil to go towards acquiring a right handed bat with some pop in it.
DFARASDFG
June 1st, 2009
1:14 pm
If the Braves trade Vazquez, they are completely out of touch with reality and destined to fail…just my opinion. Vazquez is good…a solid starter.
Jesse
June 1st, 2009
1:16 pm
seems like a Josh Willingham would be a better fit (check out his OPS this year) and probably wouldn’t require as much talent back.
what do you think mark?
Born2Buzz
June 1st, 2009
1:18 pm
Please don’t trade Medlen. The kid showed me something after the 4 run inning in SF. Whats he given up, 1 run in the last 10 innings since. Medlen and Hanson are going to be the cornerstones for this franchise for the next 8-10 years.
Now about Frenchy, I think his grace period is up. We will see more and more of Diaz in RF from now on. And if we get another bat, be it DeRosa or anyone else, we might just see Jeff shipped to the minors. He still has options, right?
Lazy Dawg
June 1st, 2009
1:21 pm
Where in the world would you insert Delro and why would you trade back for someone you already gave up on.
the truth...
June 1st, 2009
1:25 pm
I have posed the idea on Dave’s blog but have seen no response…why not get Jack Llewelyn to help Frenchy work on the mental aspect of his game?
Who’s Jack Llewelyn?
He’s the dude that sat behind the backstop wearing a red shirt so Smoltzie could be reminded of what they had worked on. Lest anyone forget, Smoltzie had a huge mental block back in those days…I think it is worth a shot to see if Mr. Llewelyn could help the kid?
What thinkest you?
Mark Bradley
June 1st, 2009
1:25 pm
Oddly enough, I floated the Vazquez possibility a couple of weeks ago. And got hooted down on here, as I recall.
Just me
June 1st, 2009
1:26 pm
If the Braves don’t want to play Diaz on a full time basis then trade him to some team that will. He could be a super star if given the chance.
Noah
June 1st, 2009
1:27 pm
Mark – do you EVER hear Bonds’ name come up with any team? I don’t think I’ve seen anyone with such production fall off the earth like he did.
Obviously Bonds situation is unique because of Steroids but he isn’t alone. Kenny Lofton was productive and no one wanted to bring him back in 08. Frank Thomas hit 26 HR’s in his last full season. There is a trend towards younger and cheaper over experience. Ivan Rodriguez had to play well in the WBC to get a job and I believe Pedro Martinez is still at home, although its because of his demand for top dollar.
Mark Bradley
June 1st, 2009
1:28 pm
I know Dr. Jack has been ill. (I believe Ms. Carroll Rogers wrote about it.) I haven’t seen him around the ballpark in a while.
MatthewH
June 1st, 2009
1:38 pm
I know you gave your apologies to Cleveland on this blog, but you really are trying to get invited on Cleveland TV again-aren’t you?
steve
June 1st, 2009
1:38 pm
Can we just trade for Mrs. Derosa?
P-Town Brave
June 1st, 2009
1:41 pm
Obviously Jordan has gotten his chance and should be sent down to Triple A at this point…Blanco’s face is shown under the word mediocre in the dictionary…
At this point, I think there’s really only 1 option, and that is to bring the kid, Gorkys up from Double A…I understand its quite a gamble, but according to most, the Braves more than likely won’t be keeping both Jordan and himself at some point anyways…
This kills two birds w/ one stone, getting a new leadoff hitter, and getting Kelly back to a more comfortable spot in the lower half of the order.
Also, I do agree that a DeRo for Reyes trade, I would pull the trigger on in 2.5 seconds!
WREN
June 1st, 2009
1:44 pm
jo-jo for eric byrnes??