The Braves: Serious about saving $$$, less so about winning
Melky Cabrera: The latest in a series of cost-cutting imports. (AJC photo by Jason Getz)
The Braves just traded the man who might well have been their Opening Day starting pitcher for an outfielder who might not start on Opening Day. Think about that.
Think also about this: The Braves just traded a man who finished fourth in the National League Cy Young voting because he was making too much money. And here’s how much Javier Vazquez is scheduled to make in 2010 — $11.5 million. That’s not even half what CC Sabathia, his new Yankee teammate, will earn. And that tells us all we need know about the Braves.
They keep making noises about contending for division titles, but it’s just noise. They can’t afford to do real business any longer. From the day the 2009 season ended they were looking to dump a starting pitcher, ostensibly to add a power hitter, but Melky Cabrera isn’t a power hitter. He was the eighth-best position player on the Yankees. He might not beat out Nate McLouth in center field here. He might wind up in a platoon. And he’s what the Braves got for the man who was their best pitcher last season.
“A perfect fit,” Frank Wren called Cabrera, speaking on a teleconference Tuesday, but the only thing perfect about this trade was how completely it detonates the Braves’ claim to being serious players. You don’t trade an ace unless you get a big bopper in return. The Braves got a guy who hit 13 home runs with 68 RBIs last season.
Yes, there’s more to the trade than Cabrera. Mike Dunn should help in the bullpen and Arodys Vizcaino is a young power arm, but the cold truth is that the Braves just played what they deemed their trump card — a surplus of starting pitching — without improving their run production one whit. And don’t fool yourselves: That $11.5 million they saved on Vazquez won’t allow them to splurge on Jason Bay or Matt Holliday. Those guys are out of price range, out of sight.
“We’re very fortunate to be able to make a deal like this,” Wren said. Then this: “We’ve been focused on [finding a run producer] all offseason, and we were waiting on the right match. And we’re still waiting.”
But Vazquez is gone. Can’t trade him twice. And the Braves can’t trade Derek Lowe because they’re down to five starters. So the best that can be reasonably hoped is that they find a Marlon Byrd or a Xavier Nady or — knowing as we do that the Braves love recycling old favorites — a Mark DeRosa or a Jermaine Dye. Except none of those players will make them better in the way that losing Vazquez makes them worse.
Loading ...As someone who has defended Wren in the past, I have to say I’m stumped. Obviously the Braves’ salary constraints are worse than we’d been led to believe if they had to make this sort of deal so soon — Santa Claus hasn’t yet come and Javier Vazquez has left the building — but even more puzzling is Wren’s contention that this enabled him “to improve our club.” Maybe it improves it in 2012, when Vizcaino is ready to join Tommy Hanson and Jair Jurrjens. But the way the Braves operate those pitchers will have been sold off by then.
Nothing about this offseason suggests that the new Braves are any better than the ones who finished third in the NL East. Is Billy Wagner an upgrade over Rafael Soriano? No. (But he’s cheaper. And also older.) Is Takashi Saito better than Mike Gonzalez? No. (But he’s cheaper. And also older.) Is the new first baseman … oh, wait. They don’t yet have a new first baseman.
For all this motion — Wren is forever in a hurry — the Braves will enter January 2010 a lesser team than in September 2009. That’s not the way it’s supposed to work. But that is, sad to say, the way it works here, where $11.5 million for a big-time pitcher is considered too much, where the drive to win is trumped by the need to scrimp.
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748 comments Add your comment
JackLackey
December 22nd, 2009
4:47 pm
GREAT job, Mark Bradly!
That’s what I call “telling it like it is!!”
Sonny Clusters
December 22nd, 2009
4:47 pm
We was anticipating a quote from Chipper about this. Mark, do you have the number at the Double Dime Ranch?
Richard Hamilton
December 22nd, 2009
4:48 pm
I totally agree with you about this being a cost cutting type move, but the Braves didn’t have to reup with Hudson. They could have let him walk and kept Vazquez. I don’t understand why we would want Cabrera, more young talent would have been preferable than adding another loser outfielder.
They gave up the #3 prospect in their system for a one year rental, so we didn’t exactly get screwed. But your right, this type of trade show the fans in Atlanta that management is much more concerned with the bottom line than winning. Can you blame them though, they are run by a corporation. They have a bottom line and they are supposed to make money for their investors; not appease the fans desire for a metal trophy.
saywhat?
December 22nd, 2009
4:48 pm
by the way am I the only one thinking Frank Wren is sounding like the motivational speaker to help the team win in the movie “The Natural”.. losing is a disease!!!!,,,, yes those of us that have ridden this ride with the Braves and Falcons since the 60’s,,,know its a disease and ITS KILLING US!! THANK YOU ARTHUR BLANK,,the Falcons are on a path similar to what the Braves did in the 90’s… PLEASE CONSIDER BUYING THE BRAVES!!
Smack
December 22nd, 2009
4:48 pm
Mark, are you trying to say that between Dunn, Vizcaino, Medlen, Freeman, either Delgado, Rohrbough, Cody Johnson, Adam Milligan, the pitching staff for Danville last year that we have nothing of value to trade? If we get a return of an Adrian Gonzalez or similar statured player that a package of 4 of those guys wouldn’t be enough to gte something else done. The cupboards just got a little fuller today for a trade either now or all the way until a few years from now after some of these guys develop more.
Steve
December 22nd, 2009
4:49 pm
Great article Mark. I hope it makes the print column and I hope Frank Wren reads this. What a poor move. This team is falling into the ‘mid-market’ category. You need offense to win and i don’t see any on the Braves. I think their idea that we’ll have 5-6 guys who could hit 15-20 home runs failed miserably last year.
Mark Bradley
December 22nd, 2009
4:49 pm
I believe this will see the light of print, Steve. Thanks.
Jim
December 22nd, 2009
4:49 pm
I can’t believe I’m even taking the time to respond to your lousy article. Mark, you are an idiot. You are a disgrace to the whole journalism profession and to the state of GA. Please go retire or become the editor of a high school newspaper.
This was not a bad trade for the Braves. Sure, if you just look at just last year, one would prefer to keep Javy over Lowe. If you look at their whole careers, you have to think the Lowe is going to bounce back to his old self next year. Also, Javy might have had the best year he’ll ever have next year. The Braves wouldn’t have been able to get anything at all for Lowe. At least they got something for Javy. Also, this is about SALARY DUMP. Not about landing a big time player. That will come later. Only a true dumb ass would judge this trade before seeing the whole picture.
Then again, now that I think about it a little more. If Mark Bradley thinks this is a bad trade, then Frank Wren is a genius! What a HACK!
Kane337
December 22nd, 2009
4:49 pm
Don’t worry Mark, we are going to trade Matt Diaz for Albert Pujols. The Yankees can do it. So can we.
JB
December 22nd, 2009
4:50 pm
Anyone know of some good steroid pharmacists to help these guys? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller?
O'Brien
December 22nd, 2009
4:50 pm
Well, Vizcaino (sp?)was rated 3rd best in Yankees organization recently by Baseball America. Wren also has Medlen, Melky, Schafer, along with pitching depth in the minors. Would he/could he make a run at Adrian Gonzales?
I am trying very hard to be patient and give Wren the benefit of the doubt. After all, this is Bobby’s last year, so I cant imagine Wren not doing all he can to send Bobby out a winner.
Jack
December 22nd, 2009
4:50 pm
The Phillies must be laughing their collective a**es off at the Braves! We just dropped to 4th place in the division and the Nats are not far behind!
No chop left in the braves
December 22nd, 2009
4:50 pm
What a joke, we need Ted to buy back the braves… to think we used to be champs and get the pick of free agents…reminds me of my youth when the braves were 20 games out by the allstar break.
We had a chance to have a good team this year if the tight wads would resign Laroach and quit trading quality players for part time chumps.
Mark Bradley
December 22nd, 2009
4:50 pm
I don’t have the number at the Double Dime, Sonny. But I bet Adam LaRoche does.
Scoots
December 22nd, 2009
4:51 pm
Interested to see what Chipper says, since he’s usually not afraid to speak his mind, and since he’s said 2010 might be his last season if it’s not a good one.
Ted M
December 22nd, 2009
4:51 pm
Mark, we can only hope that Melky will not be starting but sadly he likely will.
Baba O'Riley
December 22nd, 2009
4:52 pm
Chipper’s probably in Macon anyway, drowning his sorrows at Whiskey River like he did in the old days.
Baba O'Riley
December 22nd, 2009
4:52 pm
Rowland Office> Melky
Scoots
December 22nd, 2009
4:53 pm
I think there’s probably a high correlation between people typing ‘first!’ on a blog with living in their mom’s basement. Just a hunch.
The Abs Man
December 22nd, 2009
4:53 pm
Have more respect for Frank Wren if he just admitted he had too much to drink or something or was hung over when he made this debacle, er, trade….
Sonny Clusters
December 22nd, 2009
4:53 pm
We was thinking Chipper might say something like this . . . “uh, Melky, huh? and we gave up WHO?”
Nick
December 22nd, 2009
4:53 pm
That’s how I reacted when I first read the news too, but I realized this wasn’t supposed to be an even player swap – they were just adding some depth, but mainly freeing up money so they can go out and sign a bat. At least that’s what I hope they’re planning on doing.
NCBRAVE
December 22nd, 2009
4:54 pm
Nice article Mark. I really think that Wren is over matched when it comes to his pears. The whole arbitratin mess with Soriano and Gonzo has made me wonder if he knows what he is doing. Hopefully he can pull something else off to help the club but this trade alone is not the answer.
Dawgs2009
December 22nd, 2009
4:54 pm
The best thing for the Braves would be for Frank Wren to drop dead in his office.
Snoozin'
December 22nd, 2009
4:54 pm
MB, did you consider that the upcoming move could be something like Schafer, Vizcaino, and Dunn for a good young hitter from another team? I think you are being too reactionary, like many of the other fans on this board.
saywhat?
December 22nd, 2009
4:54 pm
The mind is a strange thing, men.
We must begin by asking it…
…What is losing?
Losing is a disease…
…as contagious as polio.
Losing is a disease…
…as contagious as syphilis.
Losing is a disease…
…as contagious as bubonic plague…
… attacking one…
… but infecting all.
But curable.”
Please somebody buy the Braves and FIRE WREN
Andrew
December 22nd, 2009
4:54 pm
Everyone freaking out because they think we got jobbed are idiots. This is only the first move. We couldnt trade lowe because no one wanted him. We overpaid for him last year, but we had too. He won 15 games last year. Where would we have been without him. Remember Hudson only came back for the last month. We will make another move. If you are freaking out now, then you really have no idea what you’re talking about. This includes you Bradley. You sound like an uninformed fan. I really can’t believe that you wrote this column.
ArkyTech
December 22nd, 2009
4:54 pm
Why does everyone care what Chipper thinks? I love Chipper, but he needs to do his talking on the field next year. If he had done as expected last season this team may have made the playoffs. He will have as much or more say in how far the team goes next year as anyone brought in during the off-season.
Baba O'Riley
December 22nd, 2009
4:55 pm
saywhat? possibly my favorite sports movie of all time. Either that or Hoosiers
Ken Shelton
December 22nd, 2009
4:55 pm
Unless there’s a trump card yet-to-be-played up the sleeve of Frank Wren the fact of trading a front-line starting picture for a player with the stat’s of Melky (that’s likely are bumped even higher playing one-half of his 2009 games in the new Yankee Stadium (A.K.A. no-tougher to go-yard than say a high school field) some heads should fall in the Braves front office as of all the brainless bad trades over the history of Braves baseball this could potentially rank among the worst of all-time? Let’s just hope the Santa sleigh hasn’t arrived yet and there’s another bigger bat to be hailed a “legit” Christmas gift to Braves fans, or myself and countless other fans of the Tomahawk chop may be forced to find another team that truly cares about fielding a winning product?
Baba O'Riley
December 22nd, 2009
4:56 pm
Andrew- Did you really just ask where we would have been without Lowe last year?
iowabrave
December 22nd, 2009
4:56 pm
Wow, that was a harsh article. Do you really believe all that? I would say FW couldn’t get a taker for Lowe without throwning a bunch of money in with it, so Vazquez was expendable. We are not the Yanks, so we have to make payroll room. $9 million can still get alot, maybe not Bay or Holliday, but it sure can fill some holes. Man alive, a little patience, a little faith. After last season, FW isn’t letting anyone know anything. We do still have some nice pieces that can be used as trade bait(Schafer), so the man ain’t done. Let’s let him get the club put together before we burn him at the stake, shall we?
ArkyTech
December 22nd, 2009
4:56 pm
Ask the Tigers if Wren is overmatched. Ask the Cubs. And how did he mess up the Soriano situation? He actually got something for him rather than let him go for nothing – which was the only other option.
David Granger
December 22nd, 2009
4:57 pm
Sadly, Mark…this is just the nature of just about all professional sports, but especially so for baseball. To have a winning team, you’ve to spend MORE money than the team will legitimately take in, which means that you’ve got to have other business interests and just use the sports team as a tax write-off. The value of the team will increase, because there’s always another multi-millionaire who wants the vicarious glory…but that’s just about the only way to make money. Ted Turner was willing to take a loss on the Braves because he’d make it back through telecasting the games on one of his stations. (And he’d also spent more than he had to because he wanted Atlanta to have a good team.) Took him awhile to do it right…look at some of the money he threw around foolishly in the 70’s and 80’s.
Just the nature of the beast the professional sports has become.
JB
December 22nd, 2009
4:57 pm
This reminds me of fantasy baseball…where you accidentally hit the “Accept Trade” button instead of the “Decline Trade” button.
It also reminds me of fantasy baseball because Frank Wren lives in a fantasy about baseball.
chuck
December 22nd, 2009
4:57 pm
To people complaining about how cheap the Braves are… GO TO THE GAMES!
Brian
December 22nd, 2009
4:57 pm
Andrew, that’s the main thing I’m disappointed about with the column. It sounds like an bitter fan sounding off instead of a journalist who should take the time to think through the details and establish the context of the trade. I’m not going to call anyone an idiot because their opinion is different from mine, but I would expect a journalist like Mr. Bradley to understand this trade on a deeper level.
Fed Up With Wren (Again)
December 22nd, 2009
4:58 pm
All of you who say this is a prelude to another move and wait and see how the others players develop just don’t get it. The Braves will not seriously contend in 2010. Our bullpen is worse, not better. We need at least one huge impact bat in the outfield which we won’t get because the money is not there. We just traded our best pitcher from last year for a center/left field that has stats very similar to another outfielder we gave up on last year and traded away for another player is no longer on the roster. Oh, and we don’t have a first baseman right now. Mark is dead on here.
Baba O'Riley
December 22nd, 2009
4:58 pm
Andrew…of course we didn’t get jobbed. We got a 4th outfielder and a Low A pitcher for a pitcher that finished top 5 in the Cy Young race. Whatever gave you the idea we got jobbed?
Jack
December 22nd, 2009
4:58 pm
I’m 62 but still have my bat, cleats and glove. Maybe I will head on down to Orlando in February. Mark, I’ll play outfield if you play first!!
chris
December 22nd, 2009
4:58 pm
would your opinion change if they take the Vazquez money and put it toward signing Holliday or Bay?
Kane337
December 22nd, 2009
4:58 pm
Hey, let’s trade Melky for Ken Griffey Jr or Rafeal Furcal. We can get one of those guys back we missed on last year!!!!!
saywhat?
December 22nd, 2009
4:58 pm
Baba O’Riley (one of my favorite Who songs as well), Hoosiers is great. I think that speech fits here and the people thinking people are over reaching on this are killing me… this is vintage mediocre Braves , Falcons, Hawks,, 60’s , 70’s, 80’s,,,, yes abracadabra Frank Wren will sign ,,, NO ONE,,,, he IS MR HANEY (no offense to Pat Buttram, since HE was an actor, Frank is a for real junk peddler)
Tide Fan
December 22nd, 2009
4:59 pm
On one hand this could be a good move, assuming the $9MM is well invested. On the other hand, you have to believe that Vazquez could have fetched more if offered on the open market. Of course, most of the teams looking for pitching seem to be on the West Coast and Javy has said he wouldn’t waive to go there. Maybe the Yanks and Mets were the only eastern teams who could afford him.
Mark Bradley
December 22nd, 2009
4:59 pm
It’s going to take more than $11.5 million to sway Holliday or Bay.
Scoots
December 22nd, 2009
4:59 pm
The trade seems rushed. I have to think that Wren could have waited and scored a bigger deal as teams became desperate. I guess he wanted to be able to type ‘First!’
The Abs Man
December 22nd, 2009
5:00 pm
Only logical scenario is this: Wren comitting a violent crime in the near future (today he’s guilty of fraud imitating a MLB general manager) and he wants this trade on the record so his public defender can claim “insanity” to the court…
saywhat?
December 22nd, 2009
5:00 pm
Chuck that is the best line yet,, brings back memories like going to the games in Fulton County Stadium,, to see LOSERS… (with one great talent or two but never enough to win) ,,, YOGI its like Deja Vu all over again!!
Krishna
December 22nd, 2009
5:01 pm
from Josh Levitt at bleacherreport:
“While this trade does not give the Braves the power bat they were looking for, it does free them of the $11 million owed to Vazquez this season and allows them to become players on the free agent market should they choose too.
It remains to be seen if they will be able to pursue Matt Holliday or Jason Bay, but given how poorly both of their markets have developed, the Braves would seem to have a good chance to land either player, especially Bay. At the very least, the Braves should have the funds to re-sign Adam LaRoche or go after Dan Uggla.
It’s also important to note that the Braves did not just get rid of Vazquez’s contract, but also got more in return than I thought. Melky Cabrera should be a very useful fourth outfielder/platoon partner for the Braves who can hit for some power and play solid defense.
In addition, Cabrera is not projected to be a free agent until after the 2012 season, which is yet another plus for the Braves.
Also, Mike Dunn could be a realistic option for the Braves bullpen this season, and let me tell you this, I watched Arodys Vizcaino pitch several times for the Staten Island Yankees last season, and that dude has phenomenal stuff. Sure, he is still a ways away from the majors, but the raw talent is certainly there.”
i have to agree with him…i know it’s not the big name bat we were looking for in a trade for Vazquez…but we are sure to get someone else very soon. and Vizcaino is a stud…no doubt about it. we’ll be raving about him pretty darn soon.
i was initially pissed about this trade, but if u take time to consider it, it’s a decent trade…on the hopes that Wren will be able to grab that big bat (at the least, a Nady/Uggla/Byrd, and possibly a Bay/Gonzalez).
give it a few more days guys…think Wren knows what he’s doing on this one.
Mark Bradley
December 22nd, 2009
5:01 pm
And about this prelude-to-another-move line of reasoning: Do you give away your most reliable pitcher in 2009 on the off-chance there’ll be another deal waiting? I mean, what’s the windfall package the Braves can offer now? Schafer and Cabrera and Medlen?