Worst thing I saw all year? This Vazquez-Cabrera trade!
I guess it’s not a bad a year when it takes until Dec. 22 to happen across something really awful. And that was our lot in Atlanta sports. Even with Willie Martinez and Dave Wommack misdirecting defenses; even with Jason Elam developing a case of the yips; even with Greg Norton whiffing and Paul Hewitt wrangling timeouts … even then, it took until the penultimate week of the calendar year to find something that made you throw a shoe at yonder wall.
And here it is, and here goes said shoe.
Javier Vazquez for Melky Cabrera. The Braves’ best pitcher for the Yankees’ eighth- or ninth-best player. The anchor of a good rotation for a guy who isn’t really a big bopper.
I’ll have more to say on this later and at greater length, but for now I leave you with these words:
Frank Wren = Epic Fail.
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797 comments Add your comment
Dave
December 22nd, 2009
2:39 pm
Everybody calm down, calm down. Wait for the verdict until we see part 2 of this deal… There will be a part 2, right?
Sutton's 'Fro
December 22nd, 2009
2:39 pm
I don’t hate the trade, and I dont hate Wren…his moves have mostly panned out. It’s just that a) he keeps making moves that seem to be setting up something else, and then the “something else” never comes; and b) we STILL DON”T HAVE ANY POWER!! If these 2 things resolve themselves, I’ll nominate Wren for Exec of the Year.
Baba O'Riley
December 22nd, 2009
2:40 pm
OK vivian..what are his MLB numbers? Donnie Elliot was part of the Fred McGrigg trade. How good were Donnie Elliot’s MLB numbers? donnie Elliot was an UNKNOWN just as Vizcaino. I hope Viz turns out to be a stud, but if he’s the centerpiece of the Javy Vazquez trade…that’s not good.
Kasim Reed
December 22nd, 2009
2:40 pm
This city is an absolute DISASTER!!!
Merry Christmas, SUCKERS!!!
jason vivian
December 22nd, 2009
2:40 pm
Do you all think they are going to spring training with the team the way it is?? NOPE … Cox was soo bad last year he won 86 games ….LOL you people are funny !!!
Mark Bradley
December 22nd, 2009
2:40 pm
Speaking of teleconferences … Rick Sund had one after Josh Childress signed with Olympiakos, and there was so much background noise that nobody could hear much of anything, so finally I asked the first question and it came out louder than I meant. And it was: “Rick, how could you let this happen?”
Colleagues still give me grief about it.
Baba O'Riley
December 22nd, 2009
2:40 pm
McGriff
Apache Bob
December 22nd, 2009
2:40 pm
Well, this about rips it!!! Trading your best pitcher for a weak bat outfielder is about as stinking as a full slop bucket on a cold winter morning. If this is the best Wren can do he should start building birdhouses for his breathern.
Run To The Other Blog
December 22nd, 2009
2:40 pm
Mark do you get to ask questions? If so can you ask why he non tendered Church yet traded for Melky? Check Baba O’reilly’s stats!
Baba O’Riley
December 22nd, 2009
1:54 pm
Melky Cabrera’s stats last 4 years 563games/269avg/36HR/228 RBI
Ryan Church’s last 4 years 416games/274 avg/41HR/194RBI
Scoots
December 22nd, 2009
2:41 pm
I guess the silver lining in this cloud is that a couple years ago the trade would have been Freddie Freeman and Heyward for Melky.
Mark Bradley
December 22nd, 2009
2:42 pm
And I have to say that I’ve been a Wren defender in previous matters. Not on this, though.
Ted M
December 22nd, 2009
2:42 pm
Wren is not even going to try and get Bay
Braves fan since '66
December 22nd, 2009
2:42 pm
Let’s give Wren a break and assume that there is another shoe to fall.
jason vivian
December 22nd, 2009
2:42 pm
Im glad none of you haters have a job in baseball !!
Mel
December 22nd, 2009
2:43 pm
Two years ago I read in one of the blogs how great it was to get Tex for a handful of prospects that might not pan out. Tex did not bring us a World Series, let alone get us into the playoffs. He now plays for the Yanks and we can only read about those now playing in Texas. I loved Javy, but he only had value now and even with him next year does anyone think we would have made the playoffs with so little money to spend? I am concerned about the trade, but will look to see how the rest of it plays out. (P.S. I remember last year the signing of Lowe made a lot of people happy because at least Wren was doing SOMETHING. Give him a chance to make all of us IDIOTS smile before you castrate him).
Ray Pugh
December 22nd, 2009
2:43 pm
Baba,
The reason Wren didn’t succeed in Baltimore was he had Peter Angelo meddling in his decisions… he’s made enough deft moves in his still-short tenure as GM to earn our trust, if you’ve been paying attention that is…
BigTimeTECHFan
December 22nd, 2009
2:43 pm
Vazquez is avg pitcher who had a good year last year, I se last year as more of fluke then norm for him, career W 142 L 139 with a 4.02 ERA does not make a great pitcher. I’ll take Lowe over him next year. So would Yankee fans.
Santa
December 22nd, 2009
2:43 pm
NUTS
Phil
December 22nd, 2009
2:43 pm
And I’m sure Cox had no input on this deal, right Bradley? You will defend Cox to your last dying breath of air.
Marvin Mangrum
December 22nd, 2009
2:45 pm
I am soon to be 62, my first game at the old atlanta stadium was to see the rochester ny international team play the crackers, it was the summer of 65. The second game was to see Sandy Koufax lose to Felipe Alou, the rain and the Braves 2-1. I have them all, I have seen too many, it will be awhile before I see again. Mr Vazques for anyone other than Mantle Ruth or Dimaggio is retarted. Retarded! I am sorry, did I say retarded? You idiots have ruined the freaking season before it even started. In damn near 62 years the dumbest thing I have ever seen! I would suggest to every single person to ever go to a Braves game, never go again. Yeah, bypass the $30 seats, the $7 beer, the $6 dogs, the $5 cookies, the $5 popcorn, the $5 cokes. The #1 pitcher, to me for a freaking #8 hitter, not the #1 Braves pitcher the best in the majors. Now we get a LOUSEY pinch hitter, and it is said he is a starter. God help the town, the Braves and the idiots that will pay to see them flounder. God, theres a team name, the flounders, or is it flounderers! This is about the dumbest thing I have ever read or heard.
catfish31015
December 22nd, 2009
2:45 pm
I’ve got a solution: Lets get rid of Escobar, apply for a bailout, buy the NY Yankees….then let the governments health-care take care of us in the insane asylum.
bob warram
December 22nd, 2009
2:45 pm
Enter your comments here
maybe now wren can trade melky for jeff francoeur
John
December 22nd, 2009
2:45 pm
The verdict is still out on this deal. It’s shortsighted to see this as Vasquez for Cabrera. More like Vasquez for Cabrera and $9 million dollars. $9 million can still buy a good hitter these days. I’d be speaking to the Nationals about Adam Dunn ($8 million)and putting him at first base. I hate to lose Vasquez, but we’ve got pitching and need offense.
Larry
December 22nd, 2009
2:47 pm
Ditto ditto ditto. Same ol Braves
jason vivian
December 22nd, 2009
2:47 pm
how do you compare outfield stats??? Because Turner field is BIG …soo really Melky fits the Braves very well.. YES they did give up their best pitcher. But saying that I believe that he would have got rocked this year. He sneaked up on the NL east cuz it was his first year .. Next year with all the scouting reports on him theres no way a flyball HR pitcher shuts down the NL east again … Give me Lowe …He won the same amount of games did he not????
Mableton
December 22nd, 2009
2:48 pm
Who is going to start the firefrankwren.com website…….. I’m now finally ready to join the club!!
Lucas Wilson
December 22nd, 2009
2:48 pm
Disgusting. I’ve been checking the baseball news several times a day, sure I’d see something worth getting excited about for the Braves. Today I see this. I’m not a baseball GM, but I have no clue what is going on inside Frank Wren’s pea-sized brain. I have watched him trade away talent and continue to make the Braves nothing more than a side-note in baseball news since taking over.
Frank Wren is an idiot and I “boo” this move by the team. Now will someone get LaRoche on the phone and at least offer him a 1 yr deal, please?
At least we’ve got Chip Caray back. (smothered in sarcasm…)
Floyd
December 22nd, 2009
2:49 pm
Unless Frank Wren has something else up his sleeve – and it better be something big – then this will go down in Atlanta history as the worst trade since we shipped Butler and Jacoby to the Indians for Len Barker.
Every team in MLB is starving for starting pitching and the best Wren could do with a guy who finished third in the Cy Young balloting and comes with a reasonable price tag is a mediocre outfielder and two prospects, one of whom is playing A ball?
In addition to being a horrid trade, it also illustrates that Wren GROSSLY overpaid for both Lowe and Kawakami.
Wren’s days in Atlanta are numbered unless this works out far, far better than anybody expects. He just got taken to the cleaners.
Mark Bradley
December 22nd, 2009
2:49 pm
Well, yes. Obviously the verdict is still out on the deal. But I would say the opening arguments have gone to the prosecution.
Savannah Seer
December 22nd, 2009
2:49 pm
Mark-
Can we agree that the Mets and Phillies are laughing their collective butts off today???
Alton
December 22nd, 2009
2:49 pm
Wren has earned the benefit of the doubt here. He has made some good moves, see what happens first before its lambasted…
Baba O'Riley
December 22nd, 2009
2:50 pm
By “deft” moves, do you mean overpaying for Derek Lowe? Or do you mean Wren getting lucky that Furcal spurned our $10M dollars, or Wren getting lucky that Peavy didn’t want to play in Atlanta? “Deft” indeed.
Ray Pugh
December 22nd, 2009
2:50 pm
Jason,
Most of these people are the type that watch a few games a year and maybe make it to one–they’re not intimately familiar w/ the team, much less the fact that Frank Wren is one of the better GMs in baseball…
Mel,
He’ll make idiots out of most of the people on here, but not out of me…
Fed Up With Wren (Again)
December 22nd, 2009
2:51 pm
What an idiot. Enough said.
Phil
December 22nd, 2009
2:52 pm
Signing LaRoche would be a smart move. Therefore Wren WON’T do that. However, the idiot will let him sign with another team and then decide to trade for him in mid-season like he did before. Wren is bumbling fool.
Rusty
December 22nd, 2009
2:53 pm
Just a desperate salary dump on Wren’s part. He obtained a good prospect in Vizcaino (#2 in the Yankees’ system I believe). Wren freed up about $9.5 million to spend. Not so bad.
Baba O'Riley
December 22nd, 2009
2:53 pm
vivian- Are you saying Lowe and Javy were comparable last year because of WINS TOTALS? Wins credited to a pitcher is the most misleading stat in baseball. Where did Lowe finish in the Cy Young race? What was Lowe’s run support compared to Javy’s? Strikeouts? “He sneaked up on the NL because that was his first year”. Are you serious? He played for Montreal and Arizona.
Mark Bradley
December 22nd, 2009
2:54 pm
Other teams usually don’t laugh, Savannah. And I can’t see the Mets, after what happened to them in 2009, laughing at anything.
jason vivian
December 22nd, 2009
2:54 pm
None of you are GM’s None of you have a clue …Maybe some… But all of you will be voting Wren GM of the year after this year. ONE pitcher doesnt change the outcome of a season !!!! what were you all hoping for ?? Lowe,Vasques for a 30+ homer guy BE MORE REALISTIC !!!! Dont you think it would have happend sooner.. They had to wait for the pitching market to get antsy soo they could get something near what they want.
Scoots
December 22nd, 2009
2:54 pm
Mark,
What would you have said if someone came up to you 3 or 4 years ago and told you that in 2009:
-Mike Vick would score two touchdowns in one game at the GA Dome, AGAINST the Falcons?
-The Hawks would be the best team in town and you’d call for a Mike Woodson contract extension?
-The Braves would trade Francouer straight up for a b-league outfielder just to get him out of town?
-The Braves would kick John Smoltz and Tom Glavine to the curb like last week’s garbage?
-Georgia Tech would win the ACC regular season and ACC championship game with Navy’s head coach?
-Georgia fans would be calling for Mark Richt’s head?
-Andruw Jones’ career as a starting center fielder was all but over?
-Tiger Woods would quit golf indefinitely after he was found involved in somewhere between 6-12 extramarital affairs?
Jim
December 22nd, 2009
2:55 pm
MB,
Another good one by Wren, you trade the best pitcher on the staff for a player the Yankees wanted to unload. A guy with a bad attitude that has skills similar to Nate McLouth (but not as good). You could have signed Vasquez to 3 year deal instead of your buddy Hudson, when clearly Vasquez has a brighter future over the next 3 years. One of the top pitchers in the league last year and all you get Milkey. The Yankees would have released him in a couple of weeks and you could have picked him up. What happened to the power hitter you wanted? Wren your way over your head.
JT
December 22nd, 2009
2:55 pm
Everyone needs to slow down the criticism on this Vazquez for Cabrera trade. It is not just a player for a player. Fact is, we needed to move a pitcher. Yes, first choice was probably not Vazquez but I’m sure other teams first choice was not Derrick Lowe. We had to move a pitcher to free up money to get an outfielder and 1st baseman. Cabrera will probably make a little over 2 million this year versus Vazquez’s 11.5 million. Again, it is not just Vazquez for Cabrera the player – it is the player, the less money, the young pitching prospect we get in return, etc. You take the money we save from the difference in payroll and now apply it to a 1st baseman / bigger bat and this makes much more sense. This is not over. Look at the overall trade and how this may allow us to complete the rest of our team.
Mark Bradley
December 22nd, 2009
2:55 pm
I probably would have said, “No way.”
Braves73
December 22nd, 2009
2:56 pm
Now that I’ve had a few hours to digest this trade and see all sides, I believe this is truly the worst move that Wren has made. No matter what follows this move, this was a horrible decision!!!! The reason I say this is that Frank could have gotten A LOT more value out of Vazquez than Melky and prospects. There are NO Guarantees that the Braves will be able to sign/attract a “power hitter” that they sorely need. Again, I repeat, no matter what move follows this one, this was a POOR decision by Frank!
Baba O'Riley
December 22nd, 2009
2:56 pm
Ray Pugh @ 2:50. “Frank Wren is one of the better GM’s in baseball”. bwahahahahaha
Hawk n the Ham
December 22nd, 2009
2:56 pm
Mark…
When you pose your question to Wren, can you say, “Hawk n the Ham would like to know why (yada yada yada)”?
JB
December 22nd, 2009
2:56 pm
Jason Vivian
aka
Mrs. Frank Wren
jason vivian
December 22nd, 2009
2:56 pm
What about Loses ??? are they misleading as well ? Or that a guy gives up two HR;s agame compared to a guy that give up half of one …
jason vivian
December 22nd, 2009
2:56 pm
find a new team then JB
Ray Pugh
December 22nd, 2009
2:57 pm
Baba,
Because you foresaw that Vazquez would perform excellently, Hanson would emerge as an ace, Jurrjens wouldn’t regress, and that Kawakami would be a solid #5? If you say you did, you’re a liar. That’s too many questions marks to have in your rotation, so Wren had to make that deal…