5 questions about the Braves, a couple involving Soriano
Maybe it's just me, but I think they're going to miss this guy. (AJC photo by Bob Andres)
1. Why pay the same money to an older reliever who hasn’t had a save since undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2008? Billy Wagner is 38 and will make $7 million next season. Rafael Soriano will turn 30 this week and, after agreeing to re-up for a a year after being dealt to Tampa Bay, will earn $7 million in 2009. Soriano had 27 saves last season; Wagner had none. I don’t get this one at all.
2. Why offer arbitration to Soriano, whom they had no intention of keeping, and not offer it to Adam LaRoche, whom they need? I know there are issues of draft-pick compensation and, as ever, money — the Braves don’t want to pay LaRoche what his market value stands to be — but I don’t get this, either. The Braves want LaRoche to stick around for less money and bridge the gap to Freddie Freeman, whom they hope will be ready in 2011. But what if Ol’ Rochy gets a better (read: longer) deal someplace else? Who’s the first baseman then — Martin Prado? And who plays second base if Prado scoots over? (Not Kelly Johnson. He just got non-tendered.)
3. Why the utter desperation to trade Derek Lowe? No, he didn’t have the greatest of seasons, but he did win 15 games. Does one lesser season invalidate everything the Braves believed about Lowe 11 months ago? I understand the Braves need a big bat in the worst way, but is Lowe the only trade lever the Braves have? And doesn’t the appearance of being keen to unload a big-salaried guy serve to diminish the big-salaried guy’s value even more?
4. Doesn’t dumping Ryan Church prove Frank Wren messed up the Jeff Francoeur trade? That transaction wasn’t so much a swap as a divestiture. The Braves needed to cut the cord with Francoeur, who’d become an outsize presence — he didn’t produce much but was the most-discussed man on the roster. Imagine if Matt Diaz had replaced Francoeur as the starter in right field: That would have been the hot-button topic for weeks. When Diaz supplanted Church in right field, nobody said two words. The Braves didn’t really need a player in return; they just needed Francoeur to go somewhere else.
5. Does Wren have the worst instincts in the history of humankind? You know how it’s said that, when in doubt on a multiple-choice test, your first guess is apt to be correct? The Braves’ general manager gives lie to that. Last offseason he tried like crazy to land Jake Peavy, who won only nine games and worked 101 2/3 innings in 2009; tried to sign Rafael Furcal, who hit .269, and tried to sign Ken Griffey Jr., who hit .214. Well, the Braves were better off with Javier Vazquez, Yunel Escobar and Garret Anderson than any of the above. A year from now, we might well be saying, “You know, they should’ve just kept the closer they had.”
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238 comments Add your comment
todd
December 14th, 2009
8:53 am
Everyone needs to calm down and give Wren a chance to do his job. There is plenty of time to put together a team. Fans are only seeing half of the puzzle and already are jumping to conclusions. Let’s have this discussion in March.
raleighbravefan
December 14th, 2009
8:56 am
Age doesn’t mean as much as performance, and each person is different. HOW OLD IS MARIANO R.? I think Wagner is a better bet than “always hurt” Soriano. By the way, many pitchers have returned strong from TJ surgery.
Braves Fan Since 1956
December 14th, 2009
8:57 am
It’s not who the relievers are it’s how Mr Cox will use them. Since Wagner is coming off TJ surgery he’ll get the most use whether he’s still in the healing process or not. Cox doesn’t match up a pitcher’s strength to a batter, he just has relievers that pitch certain innings no matter who the batters are.
Outside Robber
December 14th, 2009
9:00 am
Mark is right on the money with all his points. It sometimes seems that the Braves only want those kind of guys that Cox can rely on not to make waves. (Escobar’s talent alone keeps him around but for how long?)
Bullwinkle
December 14th, 2009
9:00 am
Why not keep Lowe and put him in the bullpen? He was once a heck of a closer. They guy had 42 saves for the Red Sox in 2000.
raleighbravefan
December 14th, 2009
9:03 am
Bullwinkle – 1 reason $$$$$$$$$$
Richard Hamilton
December 14th, 2009
9:13 am
Soriano and Wagner are both injury risks. Wagner probably has a better injury history, and he looked solid after he came back from injury. It’s a one year deal, either it works out great or it blows up in your face.
I really don’t understand your point with #1 because there is a higher risk of injury with both these guys. It’s a take your pick scenario in my opinion.
Don
December 14th, 2009
9:18 am
As always (for some unexplained reason) like the other AJC Writers, you fail to ask the most significant question to the success of the Braves. — Why is Bobby Cox still here? It seems obvious that Frank Wren does not have the authority to fire him. Cox’s incompetency is obvious beyond words. You question Frank Wren but ignore the incompetency and blunders of Bobby Cox game after game after game. This is not to say that your questions relating to Wren are not valid; but compared to Bobby Cox, he is a model GM; and his negative effects on the team are nothing compared to Cox.
Bravedawg
December 14th, 2009
9:23 am
Mark–I’m thoroughly confused. This column sounds like someone else wrote it and put your name on it. You usually seem to be measured in your opinions. This sounds like a grumpy old man (which maybe you are, I don’t know).
1. Soriano has a horrible injury history. That’s part of the reason why it was necessary for us to have Gonzalez as a backup closer. The Braves weren’t sure how much Soriano would get in arbitration, or sign for in a new deal (many, including DOB, thought it would be much more than $7mill–closer to $9mill). So, revisionist history here, Mark. You’re better than that.
2. Yeah, they need a 1B, but LaRoche did his usual second-half surge, which they were afraid would price him out of their plans through arbitration. Someone above said Laroche had proven that he’s much improved; this is not the case at all. There’s a reason why we got him straight up for Casey Kotchman, people. He did in ‘09 exactly what he’s done in the last 3-4 years: stink it up in the first half, tear it up in the second half. If he does end up signing with us again, I’ll be sure to get on the blog comments to see how many of you are ripping him in May when he’s hitting .230 with 3 HRs.
3. Someone already stated above, but they have 6 starters, Mark. 4 of which are not going anywhere, the fifth of which no one has any interest in. Lowe is a durable guy who has pitched successfully in the past – proven track record that shows (hopefully) that last season was an aberration. And “he won 15 games????” Really, Mark? We know how dumb it is to judge a pitcher solely by games. Again, you’re better than that.
4. This one REALLY confuses me. For someone who should send Francoeur a Heavenly Ham for giving him 300 football fields worth of material to write about, now you’re defending him? HE WAS THE WORST HITTING POSITION PLAYER IN THE MAJORS FOR AN ENTIRE SEASON. And I see that above, you commented that Wren was just lucky to get anyone. So, what, exactly, is your point, then???
5. Everyone thought Peavy was the next (insert superstar pitcher here) last year. DOB was practically salivating over him, and so was everyone else. If I had the energy to look up your past columns, I would probably find you salivating as well. He didn’t have a great year. My guess is he does have a good year this year. Furcal was a mess. Glad we didn’t get him. But Griffey Jr was much closer to Garret Anderson than you might think. Because Jr. walks a ton, and GA doesn’t (hardly at all), their OPSs were much closer to each other than one would think. Again, you’re better than that, Mark.
Dap01
December 14th, 2009
9:25 am
If a basketball player averages 6 points in the first half and 14 in the 2nd half of each game, he is an 20 ppg player. A valuable commodity.
If LaRoche averages .280 and 25 hrs for a year, is not valuable.
Brian
December 14th, 2009
9:29 am
First, I don’t think Soriano would have signed for just 7 million with the Braves…he would have submitted a number higher than that in arbitration and they would have had to meet in the middle. He signed with TB for that to make sure the trade happened, because he definitely wanted to be traded and pitch in the 9th inning.
Wagner showed no ill effects from his surgery last year and I don’t see any reason to think he will be worse than Soriano next year. If I had to project, I would say Wagner will have a superior season.
Finally, I don’t think the Braves particularly liked Soriano, and vice versa. He did not seem to be a very good clubhouse presence. Of course, I also don’t think Soriano’s the type to really like any team he’s on, or anybody for that matter. Just the way he is.
Rich Hoodenpyle
December 14th, 2009
9:29 am
Trade Wren. Wouldn’t it be interesting to allow Bobby Cox to put a team together before he retires as manager and starts his “consulting” role. MB …..all of your questions are “right on”.
raleighbravefan
December 14th, 2009
9:30 am
Don – I realize you know more than all the baseball players, managers, and experts, and are smarter than members of the braves organization.
However, you are always saying that the talent should have been enough to win. Why haven’t the Yankees won every year? You also give Bobby no credit for the fact that many of those talented players CAME to the Braves because of him (for example, Greg Maddox) or STAYED because of him (For example, Smoltz, Chipper). At any rate, he will be gone after 2010, and he’s not leaving before then, so why don’t you give it a rest????
Ted
December 14th, 2009
9:32 am
1) Soriano has been hurt 3 times in the last 6 years. Wagner once. Wagner may be older, but he’s as likely, if not more likely, to actually be healthy in 2010. Chronically injured players do NOT suddenly start staying healthy for extended periods of time. And if health is app. equal, to pretend Soriano is anywhere close to Wagner as a closer is delusional. 3/4 of one season does not make Soriano somehow better than a guy with almost 400 saves in his career and who showed app. the same fastball post-surgery as pre-surgery.
2) Money. Braves have app. $4-5MM (if payroll is at $95MM) + salary of traded away SP to find a 1B and an OF. LaRoche at $9MM severely limits options. And if Soriano was 50-50 to accept arb based on how few top tier closers on the market, LaRoche would be even higher based on how many mid-tier 1B options are on the market.
3) Money. See 2). Moving Lowe gives more flexibility in 2010 and beyond. If Braves have to eat more than $3MM this year, they’re better off trading Vazquez (and they get a greater return). Doesn’t help in 2011-2, but if Lowe bounces back at all, his contract is less of a hinderence as well.
4) Without the trade, Francoeur is the one who was non-tendered, not Church. The deal was a nothing for a possible something. That the something also turned into nothing was no loss.
Sonny Clusters
December 14th, 2009
9:35 am
We was glad to see you back Mark. Hope the batteries are recharged and you are ready for some serious bowl blogging. As for the statement, “The Braves didn’t really need a player in return; they just needed Francoeur to go somewhere else.” Sending a Dairy Queen man to a city that has no Dairy Queens was especially cruel.
im4ball
December 14th, 2009
9:35 am
I like the Wagner deal but given his age and the surgery I do have some concern about his capability to last and be effective over a complete season. I was hoping that he would share the closing job with Soriano. Now, who will that be? Maybe Chavez?
I think you can never have too many pitchers and am not sold on Kawakami as a starter. That said, the Braves need a bat more right now and it appears that moving Lowe is the least of evils.
Vasquez is exactly what we thought he would be; an innings eater who gives you a chance to win and allows you to use your pen less. Based on this, I would not trade him.
By moving Lowe (or any other starter) the Braves are banking on Hudson being strong enough to last a season; an unknown given his surgery.
The Braves are also hoping Kawakami can become the starter he was supposed to be. Maybe being a fifth starter will give him the time to develop.
Brian
December 14th, 2009
9:35 am
Herschel Talker, I think one reason they signed Wagner and Saito so quickly was to further encourage Soriano and Gonzalez to reject arbitration by filling up their potential 8th and 9th inning jobs.
I think you’ll find after all the closers find their homes that Wagner’s deal will not be overmarket. And you gotta expect the guy to perform. He has a cumulative 2.21 ERA over the last 9 YEARS. Soriano only had one single season where his ERA was that low, and that was in Seattle.
raleighbravefan
December 14th, 2009
9:39 am
We did not get “nothing” for Frenchy. We got some performance out of Church. YOU COULD NOT PREDICT THAT HE WOULD BE HURT. AT LEAST HE WAS NOT LAST IN THE LEAGUE IN BATTING AVERAGE. What we really gained is what we would be paying Frenchy if he was still on the team. If we non-tendered him, we would be in the same place we are now. He may make a great comeback, but that wasn’t happening with us.
Sonny Clusters
December 14th, 2009
9:41 am
We was at the Dairy Queen once and Warren Buffet came in and ordered a Dilly Bar. We was wondering what the super rich ordered at DQ. Warren Buffet told us everything on the menu was good. He owns Dairy Queen. He bought me and Jeff some Dilly Bars before he left. Nice man.
SadDawg
December 14th, 2009
9:41 am
Mark, I think we’ll be seeng less and less of what Cox wants (KJ, Norton) and more of what the team needs now that the retirement is set.. I know you love Bobby, but even you saw the idiocy of Norton…. I think Wren has done a remarkable job since JS retired beginning with getting usout of a bad JS deal by getting something (Kotchman) for Tex and later turning that into a trade for for a red-hot LaRoche. He also got us a good, young CF, and a 3 excellent starting pitchers. With a little more hitting, all of our starters would have had 15-plus wins. If Chipper had hit a lick, we win the wild card race…
collegeballfan
December 14th, 2009
9:42 am
The Braves should have kept Soriano and told the wallet to free up more payroll money. Wagner, Siato & Soriano and neither may be worth a plug nickel. You just never know.
What’s in your wallet?
Don
December 14th, 2009
9:43 am
IF you are going to deal Pitching, and that in itself is a big IF; but if you are going to deal Pitching, why in the world are the Braves in such a hurry, why are they creaating the impression that they will deal it for decrease value? Did Pitching all of a sudden become no longer the most valuable and most sought after thing in baseball? With Soriano and Lowe being considered expencable (by them), they were sitting in a great, great position to get exceptional value from other teams. All they had to do was wait and play hard to get. The pressing need for these two Pitchers would develop quickly by one or more teams before of soon after the season begins, probably sighificantly before. Instead they have given Soranio away and have created the impression that Lowe can be had for next to nothing and without paying his full salary. Do you really think that there would not have been a significant demand for a closer or set up man of Soriano’s ability or that no team will be in a position of jumping to take a chance on a Pitcher of Lowe’s background. The way this has been and is being dealt with is unbelievable. The only thing worse has been the decision to keep Booby Cox – but Wren probably did not have the authority to fire him.
Hillbilly Deluxe
December 14th, 2009
9:45 am
Mark, good to see you back. Several people asked Schultz where you were but I don’t think he ever answered the question. We was afraid something bad had happened to you.
Anybody who thinks this team has always focused on pitching over hitting, wasn’t around for the glorious 70’s.
On your points:
1: Agreed
2: I think they are gambling with LaRoche for budget reasons and it’s a gamble they are likely to lose.
3: I’ve always thought the guy was over-rated but I wouldn’t give him away either.
4: The Francouer deal had to be done for all parties concerned.
5: Wren has made some good moves on occasion but he’s made some bad ones too. After this year we should know for sure whether he has “the Right Stuff” or not.
Sonny Clusters
December 14th, 2009
9:45 am
Say you was raised on Dairy Queen and you was a star at every level and then you was Major League and struggling and on the road and away from good Dairy Queen treats and then . . . Bang! You are a New York Mets player and they is no Dairy Queen anywhere close to Citi Field. What do you do? You call old friend Warren Buffet and ask him to build a DQ close by. We are waiting to see what happens.
AndyC
December 14th, 2009
9:50 am
Mark,
I tend to agree with you somewhat on the Soriano/Wagner issue. I think only time will tell if this was a good move. It was a gamble to be sure but I have a feeling this one will work out for the Braves.
The Braves didn’t want to take a chance going to arb with LaRoche with the possibility that he might accept. I don’t think the Braves thought there was any chance that Soriano would accept arb so that’s why they offered to him. Now LaRoche is asking for a 3 year deal worth $30+ million from Seattle so I don’t think there is any chance he is coming back to the Braves.
Lowe has to go to get a hitter for the lineup. He is the most expensive starter on a staff of 6. He has to go to free up money.
Frenchy had to go. Period. It didn’t matter if he got a box of baseballs for him, it was a good move.
Wren had good instincts with Vazquez and LaRoche at the trading deadline. It’s not fair to only point out the deals that didn’t work out.
Don
December 14th, 2009
9:52 am
However, the question about what they got for Soriano and what they seem to be willing to take for Lowe really misses the point. As badly as they seem to be dealing with this, the point is that they sould not be dealing with it at all. They must not trade away Pitching. One or more of their potential Starters will end up being injured and/or proving to be ineffective. But even more significantly, this is the only slim chance they have of winning the Division with Bobby Cox managing — Have Pitching so far, far superior to the other teams that it overcomes his management procedures and lack thereof and his blunders and enables you to win over the long 162 game regular season schedule in spite of him. This is the way it has always been with him managing. Of course, this great, great pitching did not overcome having Cox as a manager in the short series, as evidenced by his winning only one WS in 14 opportuniites.
raleighbravefan
December 14th, 2009
9:55 am
Sonny Clusters – What in the Hell are you talking about? In fact, what are you EVER talking about? Are you able to speak English? Are you able to have a rational thought? Just wondering.
jdawg
December 14th, 2009
9:59 am
mark, i agree with you about norton. Man, that guy was clutch. I wonder how, every time, the braves were in a clutch situation old man norton was up to bat.
jdawg
December 14th, 2009
10:01 am
how much did they give Hudson?
raleighbravefan
December 14th, 2009
10:01 am
Don – They would love to keep all the pitching if they had the $$$. How are YOU going to put together a team with the current budget if you spend it all on pitching? We do have 6 starters. If one goes down, we have options for 5th starter, including Medlin and minor leaguers. I believe KK will be better than many think, now that he is accustomed to the US and Braves.
jdawg
December 14th, 2009
10:02 am
MB Do you remember chipper saying that he would take a pay cut to get Hudson from Oakland? I wonder if he still felt that way to keep hudson
Javy Vazquez/Lopez
December 14th, 2009
10:04 am
Why is it the Braves always pursue guys that are at the end of their careers, Wagner & Saito(never heard of him) are pushing 40, who would you rather have as your closer combo, Wagner & Saito, or Soriano & Gonzo??? All are injury prone, but I’ll take the younger guys, guarantee we have bullpen problems again this year, some things never change, maybe next year when Booby is gone to the farm!
Sonny Clusters
December 14th, 2009
10:04 am
We was at the store and looked up . . . and there was Bobby Cox! He was buying some steaks and was waiting in line with us. We was going to shake hands but we remembered Bobby is a nose picker so we thought better of it. Instead, we waved and said hello. Bobby was very nice to us and then we asked about ol’ Jeff and mentioned the Dairy Queen. We think we saw a tear in Bobby’s eye about then. Jeff was a favorite of Bobby’s, right up there with Greg Norton and Keith Lockhart. We don’t know how Lockhart’s name “popped up” but it sure was appropriate to come up that way. We was always running into famous ballplayers and billionaires.
ccrider
December 14th, 2009
10:04 am
Mark.( I.) Wagner is a lefty that throws Strikes and rarely walks batters, he really replaces Gonzalez who walked too many batters. Saito effectively replaces Soriano because Wagner and Soriano will work in tandem just like Soriano and Gonzalez. Why? Look at Wagner’s Stats against the lefthanders bashers in our division. Utley, Howard, Dunn, Ibanez, Beltran and there is your answer.
(2) What if Wren offered Arbitration to Laroche, he accepted and the arbitrator ruled he was worth $8 million dollars(by the way Laroche is asking for a 3 yr. $31.5 mill contract in free agency, he wasn’t going to stay anyway) and unlike you and me Frank Wren does have to worry about the money. What if he commits to arbitration and can’t clear enough payroll. Does it turn into another Greg Maddox/ Kevin Millwood situation where we have to trade Vazquez to make budget?
(3) Simple: Lowe, while still very good, is 37 years old, makes the most money by far of the pitchers, was the 5th best starter last year and would be the 6th coming into to this season. Most of all, his salary opens up the most money to add hitters which we sorely need with the Phillies in our division. Do you really think the GM’s don’t understand the reason’s why this would be Wren’s most logical play?
(4) Diaz didn’t replace Church in rightfield, until Church got hurt.They were in a platoon situation from the get go, as was The Braves plan when they traded for him. The Trade was made for the benefit of Francoeur and team chemistry. The endless focus on Francoeur’s struggles became a distraction to the whole team. Francoeur had no trade value at the time, his stats and been bad for 2 seasons. Most pundits were amazed the Braves got anything of value for him and his contract.
(5) The Braves decisions don’t take place in a vacumn. Wren, Schuerholz, Bobby Cox and multiple scouts would be consulted before a player was traded for. Most any team in baseball would have liked Jake Peavy, the Braves made a play for him, but backed out when the price was too high. Furcal had come off a very good season(Contract Year) and was only considered, due to the inclusion of Escobar in the Peavy deal and the need for a leadoff hitter. Griffey was not the Griffey of old, but he did play better defense than Anderson, had more Home Runs, a higher OBP and only 2 less RBI’s in 100+ less at bats, so that pair would be a wash at worse.
John OTC
December 14th, 2009
10:04 am
Mark. Sometimes I agree with you 100%.
This is one of those times. People say Wren makes the right moves but has a tin ear with how to communicate. I think his plan C is usually better than his plans A abd B. I hope we keep all six starters for now. Couldn’t we always move Lowe to the bullpen and have him close if he isn’t effective as a starter? I think he will bounce back BTW. Yes, he would be an expensive closer. However, if we make the post season, who cares?
Sonny Clusters
December 14th, 2009
10:05 am
raleighbravefan, we was sad to read what you said. Are you constipated this morning?
jdawg
December 14th, 2009
10:06 am
we all know what jj kk lowe vazquez and huddy are capable of. so lets trade hanson for a hitter and lets play ball
Brian
December 14th, 2009
10:11 am
Don, the Braves needed to trade Soriano as quickly as possible so they wouldn’t have an 8 million dollar question mark over their heads while they’re trying to put together a team for next year. And I’ve got news for ya, no matter how long the Braves would have waited, they were not going to get much for him, because they had no leverage. It’s still better than not offering him arbitration, in which case they would have gotten absolutely nothing.
Lowe is a different story…I would be surprised if he was traded before Lackey signs somewhere, because Lackey runners-up will be the teams the Braves may be dealing with.
fordcobra
December 14th, 2009
10:12 am
What we needed as a closer was consistency, don’t know if Wagner will provide this or not but it was for certain the other 2 did not, when they were good they were very good but when they were’t they were awful. It is very easy to take pot shots at Wren when you have no money, job security, or anything else involved with the decisions, Monday quarterbacks…. well you know. Thanks for stirring the pot MB the hot stove is kinda cold.
jdawg
December 14th, 2009
10:14 am
a friend of mine was traded to pittsburgh in the “laroche to boston” trade. The next week in AA he threw a no hitter. Boston is gonna get a slap in the face for that move one day
jdawg
December 14th, 2009
10:16 am
david justice for right field
Brian
December 14th, 2009
10:18 am
It boggles my mind that so many people seem to be nervous about the back of the bullpen next year. Wagner has a career 2.39 ERA! Saito has a career 2.05 ERA! Soriano’s (2.92) and Gonzalez’s (2.57) ERA’s don’t compare. Yes, they’re both getting older, but where is the decline? Wagner had a 1.72 ERA and struck out 14.9 batters per nine innings after coming back last year. Saito had a 2.43 ERA, which just so happens to be much lower than Gonzalez or Soriano last year.
Both have one year deals, so it’s not like we have to worry about how they decline over the next couple of years. I guess I understand if you’re concerned about how much they’re being payed, because I think all relievers are overpaid, but I don’t see where the concern about their ability and performance comes in.
GA- The State of Mediocrity
December 14th, 2009
10:21 am
Soriano throws a 92-94 mph fastball with absolutely no movement and an average slider. There is absolutely no way you can have a closer or late innings reliever with this type “stuff.” Wagner being left handed already brings something to the table that Soriano doesn’t have plus he throws harder and has a wicked hook.
Gonzo is just too inconsistent. He has great stuff, but he’s a mental head case. A closer is not only about having dominating “stuff”, its also a mentality. Either you have it or you don’t. Gonzo doesn’t have the mentality for it. Soriano might have the mentality, but his stuff isn’t good enough for the job. I’d be very suprised to see Soriano or Gonzo closing for someone next season.
Yes its a gamble signing Wagner when he hasn’t closed a game in a while, but you also have Moylan as a back-up plan, who has closer stuff, if Wagner gets hurt again. Judging by the way he looked at the end of last season, I think he will be just fine. Just ask some of the Braves hitters that faced him up in New York before he went to Boston.
kreedham
December 14th, 2009
10:23 am
It wouldn’t be all bad to keep all 6 starters. As someone mentioned there could be an injury. I have an idea that had been mentioned by another long ago. Take Hudson or Lowe and let them start their regular start and pitch only 5 innings no matter how good they’re doing. Then let Kawakami pitch the last 4. Doesn’t build up the innings on 1 of the starters who as a result could be stronger at the end of the season. Just hoping Chipper is working out and will come back with a better year and we get somebody theat can hit.
Ramblin Wrecker
December 14th, 2009
10:26 am
All of these questions are ridiculous.
1) Soriano was expected to seek a multiyear deal. His accepting of arbitration is seen as unusual. Wagner signed a one year $7 million deal that was seen as taking less money/deal to sign where he wanted to go (to the Braves). You can’t tell me that if he had held a bidding war that he couldn’t have gotten a guaranteed two year deal somewhere. Soriano, for all the reasons you mention, should have declined arbitration and signed a multiyear deal. He just didn’t let the market develop. What Wren did was smart and calculated. What Soriano did was erratic and stupid.
2) LaRoche would have defintely taken arbitration. He could have stayed where he wanted another year (and under Cox one last time) and then taken his services on the market in 2011. But Wren didn’t want to risk having all three (Gonzalez, Soriano, and LaRoche) accept arbitration. LaRoche was the least tradeable piece of the three.
3) The desire to trade Derek Lowe has nothing to do with performance. It’s all about payroll flexibility and remaking the roster to have more offensive power.
4) The only person who deserves blame in the Jeff Francoeur situation is Jeff Francoeur. He is a hard headed kid, who refuses to adjust the way he needs to to be great. Funny that Chipper Jones once called him Andruw Jones as a jab at his stubborness. If anything the Braves kept him too long out of loyalty to the hometown kid. He basically had no value in a trade market. Francoeur will fade into obscurity after he has struggles in NY, which he will, bet on it.
5) I think Wren has done very well in his two years as GM. Afterall WREN (not Schuerholtz) acquired 4 of the 6 starting pitchers on their roster. He got Jair Jurrjens and Gorkys Hernandez for Edgar Renteria. He then acquired Javy Vasquez for a late blooming catcher prospect (who would be blocked by Brian McCann) and the aforementioned Gorkys Hernandez. He signed Lowe and Kawakami, whom both were good last year, despite their final stats. He signed Garret Anderson, who if you look at his work after May turned out to be what they hoped for, if not for that spring training calf injury might have been what they expected all year. And for goodness sake, he was able to trade the no-power Casey Kotchman for the awesome power of Adam LaRoche…straight up!!! Wren has yet to put his stamp on the offense of this team, but that’s because he had so much work to do with the pitching staff before last season. Now he’s got surplus of a commodity that is in short supply if you look around the league. So this is his offseason to remake the offense and I’d bet he’s got a few winners up his sleeve for this too.
Bill
December 14th, 2009
10:32 am
Welcome back Mark. Now why did you leave that Vick Falcon post up all damn week? Man you know how to hurt your fans.
Some good questions , Sometimes the best Trades are the ones not made.That said I still put my faith in Frank Wren doing whats best for Braves to win.
Frenchy, I’m glad he’s gone.
raleighbravefan
December 14th, 2009
10:33 am
Brian – I agree 100%
kreedham – How do we PAY 6 starters?
MitchC
December 14th, 2009
10:42 am
If it wasnt for the payroll issue, and the fact Wagner is cheaper, and we need to free up money to sign a hitter, we really could have made either Lowe or Vazquez the closer, and kept everyone we currently have. Remember, Derek did have a 40 save season at Boston. I dont know what kind of a closer Vazquez would have been, but John Smoltz had been a starter for 14 years, before he turned into a pretty good closer from 2001-2004.
If Wagner stinks, and the Braves do end up trading Lowe, FW might well regret his decisons come next July or August.
Branch Rickey
December 14th, 2009
10:53 am
Considering how Bobby Cox burns out his bullpen by July, turning the reins of the bullpen over to a 38 & 40 year-old makes zero sense to me. Good point comparing Soriano to Wagner. I’ll take the younger guy any day.
Kelly's Johnson
December 14th, 2009
10:58 am
The Braves are stuck with Derek Lowe’s contract. Nobody in their right mind will take on $45 million owed to an average pitcher at best on the downside of his career. Only Frank Wren rewards the old, over-the-hill players with the big bucks while complaining he has no money to spend on much-needed offense. BRILLIANT !