As a Braves’ trade target, I’d hustle after B.J. Upton
B.J. Upton hustles on occasion. (AJC photo by Curtis Compton)
The Braves’ starting outfield for the first two games against Washington: Eric Hinske in left, Gregor Blanco in center, Melky Cabrera in right. Blanco began the season in the minor leagues, while Hinske was imported primarily as a pinch-hitter and Cabrera as a fourth outfielder.
The Braves’ outfield health: Lousy. Jason Heyward (bum thumb) just went on the disabled list. Matt Diaz (ditto) just exited the DL. Nate McLouth (sore head) is still there.
The good news: The Braves remain in first place.
The reality: They’ll need more outfielders to stay there.
The rumor: Jon Paul Morosi of FoxSports.com reports that the Braves are seeking a right-handed outfield bat before the July 31st trade deadline. Morosi names three names: Josh Willingham of Washington, Corey Hart of Milwaukee and Jose Bautista of Toronto.
The caveat: All three will become free agents after the 2011 season, and we know how well the Braves do at keeping free agents. So any of the three would likely be a 14-month rental and would surely require the Braves to trade one of their minor-league pitching prospects. (Morosi mentions Mike Minor, the club’s No. 1 draftee in 2009.)
The better option (says me): B.J. Upton, Tampa Bay center fielder.
The story so far: Upton is one of the game’s biggest talents, but he’s also among its greatest mysteries. He’s hitting .226, and a guy this skilled should be able to bunt .300. He got into a dugout dust-up with teammate Evan Longoria over Upton’s disinclination to hustle after a ball Sunday, and Tampa manager Joe Maddon didn’t start Upton in Tuesday’s game. (Though not, Maddon said with a straight face, for disciplinary purposes. Just to rest the young man, who apparently wasn’t getting enough rest while playing center field.) But Upton was deployed as a sub, and he legged out an eighth-inning triple. So there.
The downside: Upton might not be manageable. He might continue to swing at everything. (He has more career strikeouts than hits.) He might play no better for the Braves than he has for the Rays.
The upside: He’s 25. He makes only $3 million (but is arbitration-eligible after this season). He’s right-handed. He plays center field. He is, as noted, a talent of the first rank, and we can’t really say that about any Braves outfielder other than Heyward. If/when Upton does figure things out, he’ll be a major star.
The obvious risk: The Braves’ clubhouse, never a boiling cauldron, is utterly harmonious at the moment. Upton could upset the equilibrium.
The potential gain: A first-place team would get a lot more talented in a hurry, and Upton won’t be eligible for free agency until after the 2012 season.
Loading ...The upside for Upton: A change of scenery, which can’t hurt if he’s getting into it with Longoria, who’s the main man in Tampa. And a different managerial voice in Bobby Cox, for whom everyone loves playing. And the promise of an even different managerial voice when Fredi Gonzalez takes over next season. (Wait. Am I getting ahead of things here?)
The potential snag: Fredi Gonzalez doesn’t like guys who don’t hustle. Ask Hanley Ramirez.
The worst-case scenario: Upton comes here and continues to hit .226, which would still be an upgrade over McLouth, who’s hitting .176. The Braves don’t win the division and then, disenchanted, don’t tender Upton over the winter. Which means he walks away and the whole thing is written off as a Teixeira-sized fizzle.
The best-case scenario: Upton gives the Braves their desired right-handed bat, plays the best center field the Braves have seen since Andruw Jones discovered carbohydrates and re-invents himself as the missing piece on a championship team.
The bottom line: Me, I’d do it. Upton is a far more dynamic player than any of the three mentioned by FoxSports. (Hart is the most intriguing of the three — he has 60 RBIs — but he’d also be a mighty expensive quick fix.) Unless you believe Jordan Schafer, who’s hitting .221 at Class AAA Gwinnett, is still the center fielder of the future, the Braves must move to upgrade that essential position at some point. Why not now, I say? Why not upgrade with Upton?
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417 comments Add your comment
nobody
June 30th, 2010
1:17 pm
Melky or Schaefer and Dunn for Willingham?
thickfreakness
June 30th, 2010
1:18 pm
In my opinion, you wait for Cody Johnson to hit free agency and you go after him to play CF.
dpelfrey
June 30th, 2010
1:18 pm
You’re daydreaming Bradley. I love watching baseball during July, but I’m growing increasingly tired of the incessant rumors leading up to the trade deadline each year. Rosenthal & Morosi on Fox are the worst, they dream up what they think might be a good fit and somehow it gains momentum and we all waste our time and energy discussing/arguing over it. Just tell me when there’s an actual deal in the works.
Greg
June 30th, 2010
1:19 pm
Mark, you’re right on. we have the clubhouse to nurture and calm Upton. It’s all upside. Did you mention his speed?
Jeremy
June 30th, 2010
1:19 pm
I would go with Brian Asselstine or Rowland Office
dpelfrey
June 30th, 2010
1:19 pm
Sorry, I’m a little grumpy today.
Tilli
June 30th, 2010
1:20 pm
Is Milton Bradley available?
jhughes
June 30th, 2010
1:20 pm
We do need Upton but not BJ we need Justin Upton.. Arizona is out of it maybe we could get that Upton if we are going to trade away good young pitching i would rather have the better of the 2 Uptons
meh
June 30th, 2010
1:21 pm
I’d rather get his brother Justin from AZ.
JKP
June 30th, 2010
1:21 pm
Did I miss something in your article, or did you give an actual indication that Upton is available? This is something a commenter would post. Why don’t the Braves try and trade for Vernon Wells, or Vlad Guerrero while they’re at it?
nobody
June 30th, 2010
1:21 pm
Cody Ross? Is he available?
thickfreakness
June 30th, 2010
1:22 pm
Melky has more value in the AL because of the DH (his best fit was NY), maybe he’s just a pass through in a Willingham deal.
JDA
June 30th, 2010
1:22 pm
@Time:
Outside of Wainwright???? Wow selective memory at its finest…i do try to blot out the Teixeira trade too though
Smack
June 30th, 2010
1:22 pm
This guy is a waste and sitting by the TB dugout during the series last week he is as big a thug as Mike Vick…..pass….
BamaBrave
June 30th, 2010
1:22 pm
Has Schafer’s stock dropped so dramatically that he’s barely in this discussion?
Patience, MB…patience…
thickfreakness
June 30th, 2010
1:24 pm
nobody-
He is not available but will be after 2011 and the Marlins took him to arbitration over 200,000 dollars this year. The guy drove in 90 runs 2 years in a row and has 43 so far this year. I’m quessing he may like to play for Freddi in the ATL.
JDA
June 30th, 2010
1:25 pm
@bamabrave
Schafer is worth zero…the Brad Komminsk of the 2000’s
thickfreakness
June 30th, 2010
1:26 pm
Shafer went 1 for 4 last night and was caught stealing twice.
Brave4life-1995 all over again
June 30th, 2010
1:27 pm
Just to let everybody know that Freeman is starting to heat up in AAA, his BA has reached .280 and he has hit a HR in each of the past 2 games making that 8 for the year. Finally some good news offensive wise in the farm.
gtg437w
June 30th, 2010
1:28 pm
If we’re going to do this, just bring back Frenchy instead- he’s hitting better anyways and talk about being able to have chemistry with the team again…
ATLCJ10
June 30th, 2010
1:28 pm
I heard Bob Uker say Hart was the best Brewers base runner since Robin Yount. He’s a hard nose, always getting the uniform dirty player. He would fit in great with this team!
JaxDawg
June 30th, 2010
1:29 pm
Nope. We want a right-handed POWER-HITTING outfielder. With all the base runners we get (we lead the league) we need someone who can hit homers (we’re near the bottom of the league) or at least drive the ball in the deep gaps consistently. Plus, Upton, while being a talented player, is not a good fit for the current Braves clubhouse. I love the dynamic they got going right now, and Upton is a little too “me” oriented for my taste.
Get Over the the Tex Trade Already
June 30th, 2010
1:31 pm
Trades work sometimes, and sometimes they don’t. The JD trade worked for the Braves for a year, it cost them Wainwright (sp?) who’s excelling. Some of the prospects with the Tex trade may be doing well. Big deal. These was no room for Elvis and the pitchers were a flip of the coin. I don’t hear anyone complaining about the prospects traded for McGriff? (The only diff is McGriff stayed a while). Or how about the Doyle Alexander trade for some kid name Smoltz, how did that work out. I’ll repeat, sometimes trades work, sometimes they don’t. You don’t know how these “prospects” are going to do, some may walk to the hall, some may quietly disappear in the night. The Tex trade and the Wainwright trade are trades that, in the long run, worked out better for the other tearms. So what, good for them, and now the Braves haven’t burned a bridge with a potential trading partner. The trades happened and are things of the past. Get over it.
Roy Hobbs
June 30th, 2010
1:31 pm
Tampa has also traded away young outfielders for young pitchers. Delmon Young for Matt Garza.
Please dont trade a legit middle of the order prospect for a guy who might not even upgrade the OF. Upton does have upside, but you might also end up with a .220 hitter who is a distraction and strikes out all the time.
Brave 1
June 30th, 2010
1:32 pm
Life is pretty normal. Completely disagree with MB. We can find a .225 hitter a AAA and move them back and forth at minium salary and it will not cost the club a player, draft choice or additional money.
Will admit that the three players mentioned are not worth it.
anothertampadog
June 30th, 2010
1:32 pm
please take this a@@hole
Ted M
June 30th, 2010
1:34 pm
The biggest upside to Upton is, he is only making 3 mil and you think he really has to want a huge contract in a couple of years and he’s got to know that what he has done in the last couple of years in not going to get him crap.
Mike S
June 30th, 2010
1:34 pm
I say not just NO but HELL NO to BJ Upton.
I am a Montgomery Biscuits (Rays AA) season ticket holder and saw upton when he played here. He was playing SS then and his modus operandi was to make one spectacular play and then follow it by butchering normal plays. He just does not keep his head in the game. Every swing he took was a HR cut, he never purposely tried to place the ball and god forbid he bunt (unless he decided he wanted to lay one down.). the coaches were constantly on him for missing (or ignoring) signs at the plate and on the bases.
Basically he free-lanced every play and did what he wanted. He got away with it because his talent level allowed him to dominate AA players, but it was clear back then he was nothing but trouble.
Additionally, when othe players like Evan Longoria, Scott Kasmir, etc would stand around after the game signing autographs for anyone who wanted one, BJ immediately bolted from the field and would never stop to even acknowledge the fans.
Dick Doss
June 30th, 2010
1:35 pm
what about nelson cruz
Mark Bradley
June 30th, 2010
1:35 pm
I do stand corrected. Hart, Willingham and Bautista are eligible for free agency in 2011, not after this season. The above post has been amended to reflect as much.
wawel78
June 30th, 2010
1:35 pm
Schaffer is nowhere near what Brad Komminsk was.
NEW CARS
June 30th, 2010
1:37 pm
I don’t know if anyone caught it, but I believe the three guys you mentioned are actually committed through 2011…Hart is the only one of those 3 that I would be interested in…But if you’re going to give up a big-time prospect pitcher, I’m with you Mark, either Upton or Matt Kemp…I think either one of those guys would shine in the mature clubhouse the Braves seem to run..You don’t get talent in trades without taking a chance…Maybe Vizcaino and Cabrera for Upton, although I’m sure they might want more
Mike S
June 30th, 2010
1:39 pm
Actually Mark that makes them even more comparable to the Tex trade debacle as the Braves would be tempted knowing they would have them next year.
Chief pitchanono
June 30th, 2010
1:39 pm
Lets face it folks its been a great first half, but we need another good bat in the outfield. We will have to give up some pitching to get it, but its OK. If you think the Mets and Phills are gonna stand pat before the trade deadline your crazy. The Phills are scared, and the Mets are like us, smelling the postseason for the first time in a while. The will both improve their teams. If we don’t make a move its very unlikely that we will will be able to win this division and maybe not even the wildcard. With the current status of Heyward & Mclouth their is too much uncertainty with the offense. Most of this is centered on Heyward, but there is a possibility that Mclouth could comeback and improve, but not likely. With Heyward’s injury we have noway of knowing what to expect for the second half from him which pretty much forces the Braves to make a move. A month ago I would have said don’t change a thing, but after whats happend with Heyward, and Shaffer’s slow recovery and the Mclouth situation, I think they really have no choice now. Wren has to perpare for the worst. I don’t think Upton is the answer, even without the attitude problem, his numbers just don’t cut it. I think any of the other three are decent options, and should not be anything close to what the Texiera trade cost us. Sure in a perfect world Heyward comes back healthy and picks up where he left off in May, McClouth improves and Shaffer comes back strong in the second half, but what if they don’t. You risk the best chance at making the postseason that we have had in several years. I think Wren and Shuerholtz will make the right move.
Bravomasochist
June 30th, 2010
1:41 pm
Saw Schafer play last week in Gwinnett and he struck out 3 times and was thrown out of the game for throwing a temper tantrum on a called strike 3. Seems to be the anti-Heyward in temperament and maturity. His production the last couple of years doesn’t suggest he’s ready to be a major leaguer either. Don’t want to write the kid off but things don’t seem to be going well there.
Kashi
June 30th, 2010
1:42 pm
Can CONRAD play left field? He is the guy I did like to see play everyday.
Mark Bradley
June 30th, 2010
1:43 pm
As mentioned, the Rays are always interested in young cheap guys, NEW CARS, pitchers especially. And they’re not afraid to dump a talented guy. They sent Delmon Young to Minnesota for Matt Garza and Jason Barlett in 2007.
thickfreakness
June 30th, 2010
1:45 pm
New Cars-
That is the point, to acquire Willingham, Wren does not have to offer any of the big 4 minor league pitchers or Freeman. The Nats need help in their bullpen. Moylan may even be available with the emergence of OFla, Venters and Kimbrel.
Mike S
June 30th, 2010
1:46 pm
if push comes to shove, the Braves have two options down at Gwinnett that I think could shine if given the chance:
Power – Mitch Jones : 45 HR last season, 13 HR already in Gwinnett, but Ave is a little low at .264
Speed – Matt Young – hitting .307 and well on his way to 30-40 steals.
jack
June 30th, 2010
1:47 pm
UPTON???? My Response and hopefully the Braves would be HTTN(Hell TO The NO)
thickfreakness
June 30th, 2010
1:47 pm
Mark-
Upton is not the outfielder we need, sorry to disagree, but he does not make the 2010 Braves any better.
DollarDawg43
June 30th, 2010
1:48 pm
Speed never slumps; Upton is intriguing for that alone. However, he is a bad couple of weeks from the Mendoza Line, has a questionable attitude at times, and uses that speed (read: hustles)inconsistently. Looks like another Kenny Lofton to me; we’ve been down that road once, I see no need to travel it again.
thickfreakness
June 30th, 2010
1:49 pm
Mike S-
Did you notice that the Braves have started playing the pint-sized Young at second base. Maybe they are trying to create another uber-utility man since Omar is only under control for 1 more year.
Zach J
June 30th, 2010
1:50 pm
I can see one two things happening if we get Upton: First, he and Hewyard bond with Upton folloing Iron Head’s lead and becoming a team guy while finding his groove so to speak. Or, Upton becomes a clubhouse cancer, distracts the rest of the team, causes resentment and rubs off on Heyward. I say he’s a no go.
Ted M
June 30th, 2010
1:50 pm
If the Braves can get Upton cheap then do it but don’t give up the farm.
JDA
June 30th, 2010
1:50 pm
@wawel78
Actually, you are right. Komminsk’s number were slightly better.
Komminsk Career net AB 986 K’s 258 AVG.218
Schaffer MLB Braves AB 167 K’s 63 AVG .204
2010 with Gwinnett AAA ATL AB 150 136 K’s 35 AVG .221
Did They Call
June 30th, 2010
1:52 pm
I think the risk outweighs the reward on Upton, in this case. The Braves don’t really run a lot, so we would minimize Upton’s biggest asset. Upton doesn’t really hustle a lot, so he would minimize the Braves’ biggest asset!
I think Corey Hart would probably be the best option for us. I can’t believe how many RBIs he has up in Milwaukee since no one ahead of him in that lineup has been getting on base at a consistent clip.
StingerSplash
June 30th, 2010
1:52 pm
Mark, you’ve been writing without a helmet again, haven’t you?
Joe Smoe
June 30th, 2010
1:52 pm
Do we really need to trade away our young pitching for another slumping player? We have plenty of those. We need a potential difference maker. Upton is a troublemaker.
Jeff
June 30th, 2010
1:52 pm
Let’s see, how do I feel about this possibility: no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no and no.
Why give up a star of the future (like Minor) for some non-hustling hothead who is batting .226? You gotta be crazy Mark… and I’m one of the people who LIKES you.
Here’s the thing: once you are in the majors for 2 or 3 years, you are who you are. Rarely does any player re-invent himself dramatically. You are who you are by the time you get to the big leagues — if something major needed fixing, it woulda/shoulda been done in the minors.
Upton is a talent but he’s inconsistent and presents chemistry problems. I wouldn’t touch him unless he were free, and even then I’d hesitate. Unless you can get a guy with the character of Dale Murphy, the defense of mid-90s Andruw Jones and the power numbers of David Justice, don’t bother.
My question to you, Mark, is this: what the crap is wrong with the outfield we’ve got??? Geez, this is a team we thought was just spare parts in mid-April, and now we’ll be in first place on July 1. We have 4 guys who should be All-Stars, a couple of guys who are MVP candidates, and we are winning game after game after game DESPITE our veteran Braves (Chipper, McCann, Escobar) having sub-par seasons.
When Diaz is healthy, he hits .300… keep him. Heyward is a future All-Star and team centerpiece for a decade… keep him. Blanco, despite starting the year in the minors (ONLY because McLouth is “supposedly” an MLB vet) is a quality player who does all the little things right… keep him. Omar Infante is a fast, hard-nosed, fundamentally strong, versatile guy… keep him. Melky hasn’t been overwhelming, but he gets clutch hits, plays decent defense and has championship experience… keep him. Hinske has proven he can play and he gets big RBI hits every week… keep him. What’s not to like???
Just because a team doesn’t have any marquee names in the outfield doesn’t mean it can win titles. Truth be told, I can’t name you one dang position player from last year’s Yankees other than Jeter, ARod and Posada… who were the other 5 or 6 starters? who cares?? THEY WON!
The Braves are JUST FINE as constructed… with a rotation of Huddy, Medlen, Lowe, Hanson and Jurrjens, we’re strong on the mound. Moylan and Venters and Wagner are quality bullpen arms. Glaus is having an MVP type year. Chipper is starting to heat up. Prado is an All-Star. Heyward, when healthy, is a young stud. THIS TEAM CAN WIN AS IT IS — DON’T RISK TRADING THE FUTURE OR DISRUPTING CHEMISTRY FOR WHAT ‘MIGHT’ HAPPEN IN SEPTEMBER!
We gave up too much for Tex a few years ago… let’s not make the same mistake for a hothead like Upton.