Addition by subtraction: The Braves trade Yunel Escobar

Love the move, they already have a lot of high OBP guys and the power was a need. The defense doesn’t drop off much and is definitely a WIN NOW move, which is nice to see.

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I hope you’re right.

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What would be the coolest thing is if this Collins kid is as good a pitcher as we got for Edgar.

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great move.

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We was shocked!

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Production and players wins ball games.. not how good you get along. The Braves just made their team worse. There’s no way to justify that. Maybe they should hire a manager who can handle a disruptive player since that is his job.

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Hey Mark,

Wonder what the Blue Jays saw in Escobar that they would be willing to make this trade. Maybe a change in scenery will translate into a change in attitude!

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I wish Yunel the best and hate to see him go. Not only did he carry our team last year, but I had the opportunity to see him working with kids at a local children’s hospital. He’s a sincere guy who I think got a bad rap.

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This might be the drastic move needed to shake Escobar out of his mental coma. He might end up having a fabulous career, but I don’t think he would have done so if he didn’t suffer the indignity of being traded like this. Let’s worry about next year after November and be glad to see Wren making moves to try and improve our team NOW.

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[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Mark Bradley and others. Mark Bradley said: My thoughts on the Braves' trade of Yunel Escobar. (I like the move.) http://bit.ly/dmfgaQ [...]

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Gonzalez doesnt have a history of being a power hitter… i think the braves are taking a chance on this guy continuing his power output when the most homers he has ever had in a year is 23. A CAREER .248 HITTER i’d rather the braves take their chances on esco turnin it around or finding someone else.

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Eat your homework.

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Yunel was a prima donna who died his hair blonde. good riddance

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Escobar for Alex Rodriguez? What a bargain!!

Oh, wait…

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Oh, Adrian Gonzalez.

Wait, what?

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Where is Toronto?

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I’m not concerned about the long term at shortstop, we have Gonzalez for a bit, then when either Salcedo, who from all I’ve read here and Braves news sounds to be a big time bat, and now this new guy, sounds like an awesome trade

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@Kevin: The crime dog hit 30 hr a season……Escobar and his lack of hustle may have been justified if he was hitting at least .275 with a half dozen home runs…..238 and ZERO home runs, along with lack of hustle and his drama queen attitude were hurting the clubhouse. Escobar ALWAYS sat by himself in the dugout bc he only cared about himself.

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Damn Yeah. Do it for Bobby.

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I agree completely Mark – it’s a Francouer 2.0 type of trade. The distractions overshadowed the gifts, and it was time to pull the trigger.

What’s nice about Gonzalez is they can plug him right into Yunel’s spot in the lineup and generate more offense than they got in the first 90 games of the year in the process.

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Seriously…where is Toronto?

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Whatever dude.

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Doesn’t happen all that often, so it needs to be said loud and clear, “MARK BRADLEY NAILED IT.” Escobar had a million chances to grow up, and he chose not to do it. Gonzalez may be a downgrade defensively, but his power will be useful down the stretch. Now we need to find a new SS of the future.

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Maybe Wren can get Alex’s brother Fredi in here next?

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Yunel’s power outage is mysterious….10 HRs, to 14 HRs to 0 HRs in over 300 plate appearances. He has a two cent head. This trade is the Braves M.O. trade away a player to an AL team, reap prospects and get the right guys back to improve your club. Renteria went to Detroit for Jair, Joey Devine to Oakland for Mark and Jamie Kotsay (I miss Jamie).

Hello Atlanta – remember our last trade of a can’t miss guy for a shortstop??? That would be the Andy Marte trade to get Renteria and then get the BoSox to pay for Renteria too…..did that work out for us? Remember those days back in 2005? When the Braves went to the playoffs?

Yunel – Don’t let the door hit you where g-d split you…..

Addition by Subtraction is too simple…I think we added to the Braves club on this one.

Cito Gaston – please help Yunel get straightened out….tell the kid to spend more time on his game and less time on getting the dye job of his hair right..

Go BRAVES!!!!

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I was thinking during the All-Star introductions last night how nice it would be to have Elvis Andrus and Naftali Perez…. Oh the pain of the Texiera trade lingers….

Let’s hope this pans out.

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@DanWeiner I think you’re right about Edward Salcedo being the future. Would you happen to know how he is doing so far in our system?

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This was a good trade in that you’re giving up someone who may never grow up. Sheer talent’s not everything. Ask Michael Vick (OK, sorry to reference). Remember the expression on Escobar’s face when he’d make an error. He always had a pained look as if it was the ball’s fault. Martin Prado, on the other hand, was so upset after striking out the other day with runners on that he threw his batting glove against the dugout wall. He’d fouled a pitch off his shin in the at bat and was in great pain. He was disappointed he’d let the team down. THAT’S the difference.

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Boy it will be nice if Gonzalez can bring 12-15 HR’s. Gonzalez brings playoff experience which will help him be calm in big situations. (See Marlon Byrd’s play last night in the ASG)

I’m a little disapointed we couldn’t make it work with Escobar but on balance, they did make the lineupa and thus the team stronger I think.

Frank Wren has been a fun GM to have. Wheeling and Dealing. I trust our scouts to have brought back a premium value for two players who weren’t going to be it long term.

They still have a bit of wiggle room in the outfield if need be too.

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Can anyone guess how Cito Gaston might handle Yunel. Is Gaston a fire breather?

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[...] Mark Bradley likes the move. [...]

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the real key part of this trade is collins…he is going to be a heck of a pitcher for us sooner rather than later

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You know I liked Yunel but he reminded me of the Daddie’s kid in little league that would throw tantrums. He just didn’t grow up so Like you said we had to trade him. I like the move a lot and thank God we got rid of JoJo Reyes want an eye sore when he pitched!

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I thought Bobby wanted to sit Yunel on the bench after the lollipop throw that almost took out Glaus. He just doesn’t seem to get that you play hard each and every play. You don’t pick when to hustle. I remember when Bobby took out Andrew Jones in the middle of an inning. You have to make your point with any player. I know Freddie was doing the same thing with Hanley Ramirez. And you see how one player calling out another got Tampa Bay charged up. Chipper has spoken to Yunel many times but it doesn’t seem to sink in. I am happy with the trade. I only wish Elvis had not left the building………

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Terrific trade. They get a guy who will hit homers and drive in runs and is not a problem on the field and in the clubhouse. I never thought Yunel would be with the Braves long term because there have been too many instances of him making bone head plays. He may go on to have a great career but it was never going to happen with the Braves. The minor league pitcher the Braves got in the trade seems like a keeper also. Most importantly the Braves didn’t give up any of their prized minor league pitchers. Now they just need to go get a proven centerfielder and this may be a championship team.

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GREAT MOVE!!!! I LOVE IT AND SO WILL THE REST OF “TRUE” BRAVES FANS!!

Everytime I am at Turner Field, I want to go tell Yunel something myself!! No Hustle & Bad Attitude kills a team’s chemistry!!

TOMAHAWKIN’ BABY!

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Great move and the two other prospects are great pick ups as well. We needed a left handed pitching prospect really bad.

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The game that finally showed me that Escobar was immature. Happened about a month ago in a game where he had made some errors. Chipper came over in the dugout put his hands on his head and did his best to explain to Escobar to let it go. Escobar couldn’t even look Chipper in the eye and looked like a 10 yr old that had just been told no ice cream tonight!!!!!

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This is to the two posts at 12:44 p.m. who disapprove of this trade: what is WRONG with it? Escobar is not the .300 hitter with power we saw last year — that was obviosly a fluke. More often than not, he makes a mistake in the field or on the bases because his head is not always in it. And Jo-Jo never impressed me — sorry, I like both guys, but they were not going to help us win big.

Gonzalez is a PROVEN major league veteran who has POWER and can hit in the CLUTCH. I see this as a GREAT MOVE! We got rid of two fringe players, not any core guys, and didn’t have to give up any highly-regarded prospects… in return, we got an instant starter with more power than Yunel and two minor leaguers who COULD turn out to be great.

What’s not to love? Great trade… GO BRAVES!!!

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Great comment about Gonzalez’s lower OBP not being an issue, this team has no problem getting runners on base. Gonzalez sounds like a good fit for this year and next. Cheap at 2.5mil for 2011.

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We Will Take The Home Runs and Runs Batted In ALLLLLL DAAAYYYYYY!!

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bank on it – Escobar will have a better second half than Gonzalez. The Braves just got a whole lot worse. This Gonzalez guy is having a lucky first half.

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i do not like this at all!!!!!!

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I hope Pastornicky fulfills his promise eventually. His name would sound great as a sandwich.
“The Pastornicky.” Goldberg’s Deli, take note.

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this is subtraction by subtraction!!!! What was wren thinking?

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Anyone wish we hadn’t traded Elvis Andrus?

Who were those people who kept saying “where would he play?” ?

Escobar was “great play, dumb play, great play, dumb play, etc., etc…….”

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Bad for Yunel, but good for the Braves. When you are with a winning organization and have a chance to go to the post-season, you can’t take that likely. Yunel was just mailing it in too often. He was a good SS and had the potential to be really good, but potential isn’t worth much if the attitude and work ethic can’t propel it. We get a step up at the position, but still need a legit power threat in the OF. We have a lot of good platoon outfielders, but we need a strong # 5 or #6 hitter.

If we do make that kind of deal, your lineup could be: Prado, Heyward, Gonzalez, McCann, Chipper, Glaus, (unnamed power hitter), Cabrera / Infante / Hinske, pitcher. That, together with our excellent bullpen and starters, would get us deep in to the post-season.

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pastornicky is a piece, not a long-term answer at shortstop. the braves have replenished their infield depth a bit in trades, the draft, and international signings over the past couple years. the future left side of the infield will likely comprise some combination of edward salcedo, matt lipka, joe leonard, andrelton simmons, mycal jones, or a free agent signing. the thrust of the braves’ recent moves has been to bolster the farm system, and the organization’s stockpile of arms is the envy of mlb. the braves are looking at a very bright future if a handful of these guys develop the way they’re expected to do.

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How exactly is Gonzalez a ‘Proven’ power hitter? The has hit over 20 HR’s only once in his entire career and it was in Cincinnati – come on now any major leaguer could hit 20 HR’s in that park.

His career OPS is .696 which is not good for a ‘proven’ power hitter. The guy sucks and will not in any way make the Braves a better team. You idiots jumping all over this trade see the 17 HR’s and think ‘wow this guy has some power’ – look at his 12 year career and you’ll notice he has only hit over 17 HR’s twice! How in the F$#@! does that make him a proven power hitter. He sucks!!!! This trade is garbage.

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TheTruthHurts — amen brother. While I was always a Yunel and Jo-Jo fan (saw them play many games at Class A Rome), they never bloomed into true stars for Atlanta… some good games, but a lot of sub-par games, too. For a playoff team, we can’t have that… we need a CONSISTENT starter at every position. This instantly makes our SS position better.

Good luck Yunel — maybe you’ll still become a star and reach that potential, but you gotta work at it and hustle every time. That is EXACTLY what made Omar Infante an All-Star… think about that.

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Ted M – you sir, are an idiot. You think he will hit 10 more HR’s…based on what…exactly…your gut???

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So Kris no HR and loafing in the field is what you wanted to keep? Plus we got two prospects.

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Kris — man, what are you, Yunel’s agent? LOOK AT ESCOBAR’S CAREER NUMBERS!!! He had one good year, and more often than not, he doesn’t hustle and doesn’t come through in teh clutch. And what’s wrong with getting rid of Reyes? With is ERA he was never gonna crack our rotation anyway.

This is a GREAT trade Kris… even if Gonzalez only hits .275 and hits 10 more homers this year and goes .270-12-80 next year, that is STILL MORE PRODUCTION THAN WE GOT FROM ESCOBAR.

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I’m so so on this move right now. On the one hand, Escobar has not lived up to his potential (especially this season). Every time it has seemed Escobar was waking up, he’d go on another 3-25 stretch. I mean, he’s only batting .178 in his last 16 games, during which he started at .254 he dropped to .238.

On the other hand, Escobar can go on tears wear absolutely rakes the ball. In July and August of 2009 he batted .329 (56-170) with 6 HR and 32 RBI. When he gets going, Escobar can go to town.

I think that, short term anyway, this is a going to be a good move. But sometimes, it’s better to not only look at the short term, but the long.

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If this guy is such a ‘proven’ power hitter at SS, then why is it he couldn’t even find a job this off-season until late February? You would think a proven power-hitting SS, being that there are like 5 in all of baseball, would be a hot comodity.

News Flash – he ain’t a power hitter and he ain’t a hot commodity. He is at best a meidocre SS having a lucky year in a hitters park.

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Nice move. I always liked Escobar for his defensive plays, but he wasn’t the consistent player at the plate that I was hoping he would be. He was lazy, and to flamboyant in Atlanta. I wish him well in Toronto, but lets face it, he wasn’t going to help this team anymore.

Gonzalez is a nice answer at SS for us as we make a run for the division title, and he already leads the team in HR’s when he starts tomorrow. If he works out this year, sign him for next year as well and we all know that Edward Salcedo was being groomed to be our starting SS in a few years. I like this trade and it confirms (for me anyways) that the Braves are going to do the things they need to, in order to make this team a contender again.

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Ted M, well like I said – you sir are an idiot.

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I thought we were grooming Elvis Andrus to be our shortstop of the future. Why don’t we call him up? Oh yeah, we gave him away too. These desperation July trades are ridiculous for the long term stability of the team. Now we’ll have to replace 3/4 of the infield within the next two years.

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Kris — you said “He is at best a meidocre SS having a lucky year in a hitters park.”

Couldn’t people have said the same last year about Yunel?

Kris, I ask you again: what is the upside of keeping Escobar and Reyes??????? Were they going to help us win the World Series? NO!!!

The fact that Wren even MADE a trade might spark this team… they might say “Hey, Frank is really making a move to help push us over the top… let’s go win the whole thing!!!”

And once again Kris — WHAT IS YOUR REASONING FOR KEEPING A MEDIOCRE, INCONSISTENT .238 STARTING SHORTSTOP????? Could Atlanta have made ANY trades to make you happy? Quit complaining and see how it pans out!!!

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for those of us that watch the Braves every day, it’s not really a surprise that they traded Yunel. It appeared to me, that he was almost giving up out there. when he would pop up a ball he would just look like: “o well, it’s just not my year”. I think that’s how he, we, and the braves organization felt. I think it was joe simpson that said he would get really upset when he was charged with an error when he thought it should be a hit…I mean what kind of kid dwells on that kinda stuff? he had a great year last year and he did carry us for a big part of that, but look at his numbers, they are not that great. A-Gon already has more HRs this season than yunel has ever had in a season. This is obviously a good trade for this year and imo, doesn’t really hurt our future. Pastronicky has a lot of speed and is a pretty good hitter (Edward Salcedo is probably our future @ SS) and this Collins kid has a good arm, so I really like it. I think Yunel’s potential is overrated. A-Gon is not a great hitter, but a good RH power bat they we desperately need at a cheap price.

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Thanks Braves! Let’s see, the Braves had the best record in the league with Yunel, and now they’ll have a more peaceful clubhouse and be less of a team. Oh yeah, nice priorities.

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What’s our magic number to clinch??!!

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I think this is a good move and it does improve the club right now, but I don’t think Wren did this as a solution to our power shortage. This was done to simply address the Escobar situation. They wanted to move him as soon as the opportunity came along. I think it is very likely we could see a power bat added for the outfield soon, but probably depending on Heyward and McClouth’s performance over the next 10 days or so.

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Mark, you’re forgiven. How about some player quotes now while DOB is still in route?

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Cito — The Braves had the best record in the league DESPITE YUNEL ESCOBAR, not BECAUSE of him.

Geez people, where is all this Esco-love coming from? THE GUY NEVER HUSTLED!!! He made bone-headed mistakes, gave away runs by not hitting in the clutch, and never seemed very interested. And he has hit as many homers this year as ME!!!

This is a great move. We have away two mediocre, average guys who were not going to be around in a couple of years anyway (Braves SS: see Salcedo). So this is a small gamble, but with a lot of upside.

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I can’t believe how anyone can find fault with this deal. Sure, Escobar definitely could reclaim his form and produce numbers like he did last year (.299,14,76) but’s not all about the stats. He has constantly underperformed and tends to let offensive slides disrupt his enormous defensive potential. Plus, his overall antics in the field could not be tolerated anymore (see last weeks defensive lapses against the Mets to name one).

If you look at the trade in it’s entirety, Wren did a great job of improving this club for the immediacy of this year with a big right handed bat, and two prospects (shortstop & pitcher). You also have to consider the experience the Gonzalez has had on two winning ball clubs (Marlins ‘03 & Red Soxs). He has the maturity that Esco lacks, and even if he produces a notch below his current stats, it’s still an improvement.

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well now escobar will have to learn to spek canadian too

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Ouch. I really liked Yunel despite the obvious criticisms. I really wanted him to be wearing a tomahawk when / if the light came on. It’s really unfortunate. Hopefully Gonzalez continues his good play for the rest of the season and one of these prospects works out.

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Great move for the Braves. What were the Blue Jays thinking?

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@Mark
How did the Jays fall for this and do you recent articles calling for Escobar’s removal deserve any credit?

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Wow thats funny I didn’t here Wren or Cox complaing about attitude last year when he carried this ballclub finishing 20th in the MVP voting last season. Why the sudden change of heart, yes his bat is a little cold. They should have just sat him down, because with youth comes ignorance. We will need that youth in a couple of years if the prospect doesn’t pan out .

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I put it on DOB’s blog, I’ll put it here. I love this trade. Escobar was given many chances to play the game the right way and he didn’t. No use having him under control for three more seasons if he wasn’t going to hustle. Gonzalez is a solid veteran presence and the Braves get one more year relatively cheaply. I may have to come up with a new screen name…

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Guys….there is only so long a team can like talent….the ONLY reason we did not trade him before this was because he has power potential and could rake with RISP….NOW he has no power whatsoever and is horrid with RISP. Time to cut him loose I for one wish him the best and hope he reaches his great potential

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Yunel hustled less than G. Anderson. There, I said it.

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I have to add, Frank did a good job picking up two minor league players for a pitcher that was never going to pan out for the Braves. I liked Jo-Jo, but he had his chances, too.

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Not hustling, making bad throws on normal plays, not tagging at 3rd….wait, is this little league??? Oh, I’m sorry, it’s the Major Leagues.

Last week when he hit the ball to the left side of the field with Runners on 2nd and 3rd with 0 outs…that was the worst possible place he could have hit it. His nonverbal facial expressions in the dugout all scream that he is not into the game.

I say he doesn’t need to be on THIS team, and maybe he will find his offensive groove back in the AL….but for this year, him being gone actually improves chemistry…assuming alex is an improvement over escobar.

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A terrible trade. Gonzalez is playing far over his head, and he’s 33. In all likelihood, he will be worse than Yunel *offensively* for the rest of this season, and that’s to say nothing of going forward.

Frank, I don’t care if Bobby didn’t like Yunel’s attitude. You don’t sell low on a young SS with a great glove and plenty of offensive upside. Stupid, execrable business decision which puts us further away from the playoffs this season and poorer in talent going forward.

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Britany, last years team sucked!

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I sure will miss Escobar’s cannon of an arm. Let’s hope the Braves don’t miss it. We’ll see how it goes, but I think Gonzalez will do fine here.

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FEWW(A), you might have to consider changing that handle….

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You kind of knew something would happen. Yunel’s body language was not good. You very seldom saw him talking to his teammates in the dugout or on the field. Bobby Cox has never kept a player with an attitude. Ask Justice, Marquis and there were others. I think it will be good for him and hopefully for the Braves.

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This year Gonzalez is better than Esco both offensively and defensively. A good move for the second half and post-season.

One more RH power bat, then the team looks set.

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Anon21 said “You don’t sell low on a young SS with a great glove and plenty of offensive upside.”

Exactly what is the upside of an immature SS who doesn’t hustle, can’t hit in the clutch, can’t hit for power, can’t move runners over, can’t remember how many outs there are, makes baserunning mistakes and a few ill-timed errors for a first place team that is FIGHTING HARD to get to the playoffs?

Yunel is 27, Anon, not 18… he has HAD his chance to prove himself, and other than some power numbers last year, he hasn’t done it.

Gonzalez is a proven winner and a veteran of World Series teams… that will help Atlanta MUCH more than Yunel’s “potential”. And I’ll take 17 HR from a one-legged 90-year-old instead of zero HR from Yunel.

GO BRAVES!

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Wren did what he had to do on this one. He rid the team of a club house cancer in Escobar and they added Gonzalez who will be here this year and next. Don’t kid yourselves, this move was made to win now. They have a real shot at the World Series and trading Escobar was necessary. I have always liked Gonzalez. He is flashy at times in the field and a professional. He also had post season experience.

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Sounds kind of like win now situation. I just remember a Drew for Wainwright deal which I think is the worst deal the Braves have ever made.

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ReddJonn, if you never heard about escobar’s lackadaisicality(?) before this year, you haven’t been paying attention. it’s been an issue ever since he came up. it’s just that it was more tolerable when he was 24 and had plenty of time to grow up and out of it. now he’s 27, having a terrible offensive year when he should be performing near his peak, and he hasn’t grown up a bit. he has a ton of natural ability, but he hasn’t shown the psychological fortitude to make the most of it.

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JF McNamara: “Production and players wins ball games.. not how good you get along. The Braves just made their team worse. There’s no way to justify that”. .259BA, 17HR, 53RBI versus .230, ZEROHR and 19RBI. Ummm…which part of ‘production’ does this NOT justify???

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FYI, Escobar is 28 years old people, he isn’t a ‘young’ short stop. He’s just 5 years younger the Gonzalez, that’s not a huge difference when you factor in everything else.

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How can anybody say this is a good move? Escobar is only a few months removed from being out team’s MVP. Have we already forgotten about that? Alex Gonzalez is 33, and check out his career norms compared to Yunel’s

Yunel – .291 AVG, .368 OBP, .403 SLG, .771 OPS
Gonzalez – .248 AVG, .294 OBP, .402 SLG, .696 OPS

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Very well said Mark.

I am tired of seeing all those signature Esobar bonehead plays – for example almost seriously injuring Glasus with that lollipop throw the other day.

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Jeff you said it best. The best part of this trade is we didnt give up much to make it. If we feel we still we need to do something we still have prospects to go get some one else. And personally I dont think this will be the last move

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Slide Yunel, run hard Yunel, use your glove Yunel, hustle Yunel and this is my 4 year old nephew.

What a joke some of these Braves fans are they would rather Whine than WIN. Bad attitudes don’t make you better they slowly destroy you from within. And then at the most vuneralbe moment it snacthes the life out of you.

GET OVER IT

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Reality – Derek Jeter isn’t a young shortstop, but I would take him anyday.

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Go Braves! Only time will tell if the trade was good but give FWren credit for proactive moves.

I wish Yunel the best. Maybe he will blossom in a different setting, like Francouer. BTW MB – are you trying to suck up after dissing FWren’s off-season moves?

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Not sure why defecting from Cuba make Esco any younger??

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u know…everyone may be right that this is a short-term move. but if this takes us closer to a title, then i’m all for it. let’s worry about next year. we all know, there are a number of situations that could happen after 2010 and i think those will be addressed when the time comes. until then…bring that title back to atlanta!

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jeffreyd; you make some good points…IF this was a move that was intended to be a long term fix. This was obviously a move because of the opportunity the Braves have THIS year to compete. Pretty sure they DON’T make this move if Yunel is producing this year or if the Braves were not competitive this year. So although your numbers are accurate, not really relevant to this conversation.

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First, bad attitude or not, the Marlins are going to keep Hanley Ramirez. You can put up with bad attitude if the guy is an all-star.

Second, it seems there is a trend of young Braves starting off really good and then running into rough times. When Escobar started, he was good and viewed as the future. Certainly no one criticizes Jeff Francouer for a bad attitude, yet he went through a similar pattern. I think Kelly Johnson also started off good. Is this a pattern? If so, why?

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Great trade! Wren, Cox, etc understand that this team has a real shot at the series. I hope to see A. Gonz in the lineup this weekend.

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And if the offense doesn’t improve “instantly” the same crowd cheering this trade will just blame TP.

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good riddance to both of them! If Yunel is so talented why can’t he put it all together, and who cares if Alex G is a true power hitter, this year he has a higher avg 17 more home runs and 30 more rbi’s and doesn’t have lapses where he doesn’t hustle or not catch an easy grounder. Yunel still hasn’t learned to hustle or be a team player and is not producing. Why not trade him? Dont understand why some would hate the trade so much, Escobar is/was the weakest part of our lineup period

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Love the move. A+ for Wren on this deal. Don’t forget about the minor leaguers. Gonzalez gives us pop and a 20 point higher BA.

Next up: Corey Hart

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Ray Charles can see that this is a good move, for now. My whole thing with this organization is why wait so long. I hope this move is just not one last hurrah for Bobby, because Chipper’s departure is not far behind. None of the guys on this roster are getting any younger. Everybody wants a ring, but if not this year we better think about keeping a good core around J-Hey not just at SS but everywhere. The point I’m making it seems some of these moves happen at the last minute. We should have dumped Yunel earlier & maybe gotten some youth & power.

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You think Yunel was unhappy in Funlanta, just wait ‘tell he moves to Canada. If you think that change of atmosphere is going to foster Yunell into the top echelon of the AL then I have some GT season tickets that will get you to the BCS championship game as well.

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It’s good to see so many people being okay with trade…since that’s a sign of the Braves getting some love.

However, here are the numbers that is disturbing for the argument that Alex Gonzalez is an upgrade over Yunel Escobar for the remainder of the season.

OBP for this year:
A-Gon: 0.296
Yunel: 0.334

Career OBP
A-Gon: 0.294
Yunel: 0.368

For reference, in Jeff Francoeur’s bad 2008 seasons, his OBP is 0.294 and Jeff’s career OBP is 0.310.

At least UZR says that Alex Gonzalez is a solid fielder…except that Yunel outshines him for the first half of this year…

I really, really hope that the Braves can win it all this year despite of this move.

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Forget this “clubhouse cancer” and “bad attitude” nonsense, all of which is more than a little influenced by Yunel’s ethnicity. These people are all professionals; if Yunel’s attitude is perceived as poor, it will be ignored by his teammates, and they will continue to play their best. If Yunel wasn’t playing his best in the field, then his best would make him the best fielding shortstop in the majors by a wide margin. The numbers tell us he’s been an amazing fielder.

And as to his offense, obviously it’s been awful this year, but that isn’t going to last. Yunel’s been flashing too much talent to say definitively that now, at 27, his productive years are behind him. And no, his power outage this year isn’t due to “attitude” or “effort” or any of the other things that you guys like to throw around to keep from having to think critically. There’s definitely some bad luck to it, and possibly some problems with his conditioning, but either way there’s no reason to believe it couldn’t be corrected sometime in the THREE YEARS of team control we still had on Yunel.

The fact that Gonzalez had a career first half says very little about his second half. My prediction: it will be bad, and you guys will be wondering by the end of the year why we ever picked him up. Gonzo’s OBP is a complete joke, and the power he’s flashing isn’t sustainable.

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are you for real with that lede? SMH

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I have defended Wren repeatedly while others who post here haven’t including those who think this is a good deal. I, for one, don’t get it. This is a typical example of how the Braves get rid of a better talent because he is in Cox’s doghouse. The problem is Cox will be gone next year so they better win now. I also agree with some other posters who point out that Cox seems to have much more patience with other non-Latin and in this case Cuban players (e.g. Kelly Johnson).

For those who claim Escobar is a clubhouse cancer, how do you know since you spent the same amount of time in the clubhouse as I have which is NONE. Besides, all I heard was how this team has had great chemistry so far this year and last I checked Escobar was on the team until today.

Finally, for those who think that Gonzalez is a lock to hit 10 or more homers for the rest of the year since he has hit 17 so far, consider the following:

(1) The Ted is not a home run friendly park;
(2) Gonzalez will be adjusting to new pitchers the second half since he is changing leagues;
(3) Before this season, the most homers he hit for a full season is 23 in 2004; since then his homers per season and number of games played each year is as follows

(a) 5 homers in 2005 in 130 games;
(b) 9 homers in 2006 in 111 games;
(c) 16 homers in 2007 in 110 games;
(d) no homers in no games in 2008 since he missed the season with a knee injury;
(e) 8 homers n 2009 in 112 games; and
(4) Escobar is a career .291 hitter (including hitting .238 so far this year while Gonzalez is a career .248 hitter; and
(5) Even with his mental lapses, Escobar is a superior defender.

Time will tell, of course, and I have been wrong before (ask my wife) but I for one am not sure that Escobar won’t outperform Gonzalez offensively for the remainder of this season.

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Bad move, will come back to bite us. Thanks to the good ole boys for acting quick on a down half season by Timely, nut giving Franceour all those years. Things never change.

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Yunel*

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Jesse Stone: Actually, you can take the change in win probability from those said plays (the bad base running in NYC the first trip and the two bad plays in last Saturday’s win) and they will probably still be dwarved by the difference in WAR (Wins Above Replacement) of the two players for the projected second half.

Of course, if you want to insist that Yunel’s bad throw caused some longer term injury to someone else such as Troy Glaus…

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@ ABravesFan Amen . Finally someone sees the bigger picture. Yes we are half way there, so if we make it to the NLCS & lose, bring in a new manager who struggles to find a solid starting lineup for the next 4 years, it was all worth it.

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Enter your comments here

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I don’t think half of the people on this blog actually watch the games. Yunel has been a little baby in the clubhouse all season. I saw Chipper smacking him around one game because Yunel was having a tantrum after he got called out on what should have been a double. This guy was a cancer.

And, to the poster to commented that it has something to do with his ethnicity, you’re an idiot. The Braves have a long-standing reputation as a very international team with players from throughout Latin America and elsewhere having good success in Atlanta. Many of those players, retired, traded, etc, still call Atlanta home. This move had EVERYTHING to do with Yunel’s attitude and his performance and NOTHING to do with his race. Get a clue.

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You people don’t like Yunel? RAYCESS! RAYCESS!

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To the poster to commented that it has something to do with his ethnicity, you’re an idiot. The Braves have a long-standing reputation as a very international team with players from throughout Latin America and elsewhere having good success in Atlanta. Many of those players, retired, traded, etc, still call Atlanta home. This move had EVERYTHING to do with Yunel’s attitude and his performance and NOTHING to do with his race. Get a clue.

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I think he may have ADD. Remember LaRoche had some of the same problems and it turned out he was not taking his medicine. I am sure he will get jolted out of his stupor, especially when he finds out its a lot colder in Toronto in September.

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I’ll miss him because he is the best-looking Brave!

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Anon21–it’s not just the stats. in fact, even if gonzalez had 3 HRs and was hitting .230 it’d be a good trade. yunel was a drain on that team. but let’s say he does only hit 10 HRs the rest of the year….still 10 more than yunel was on pace for. that seems like an improvement to me.

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kurula–It IS just the stats. You can’t quantify the “drain” that Yunel supposedly was on the team, which means that for purposes of a transaction, it does not exist. There is no way Frank Wren should have been factoring someone subjective perceptions about Yunel’s attitude or hustle into what was a business decision about how best to improve this team this year and moving forward. If Wren felt that Yunel’s presence in the clubhouse was unsustainable long term, then what he needed to do was wait for Yunel’s offensive numbers to rebound (which they will–in Toronto) and then sell high(er) on him. The way Wren played this weakened the team both short-term and long-term.

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those statements by WREN make it obvious that the Braves WILL pick up Gonzales’s 2.5m dollare option for next season

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I think the trade haters would feel more comfortable if they knew more about Alex Gonzalez (too early to call him A-Gone Jr.?) as a person and a player. Personally, I think his average will improve, since he’ll be coming to a better team and will be more motivated to play hard. Don’t recall much about his defense, but at least he’ll make the plays he OUGHT to make, unlike Yunel.

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I’ve learned not to second guess Cox and Schuerholz (I mean Wren) with personnel decisions. Combined, these guys know more baseball than and other managers and execs in the majors. I suspect that their might be another roster move before the deadline. But I’m really liking what they’ve put together this season.

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Sounds like a good move for TODAY. Hope it does payoff this season.

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Gonzo is a decent hitter and an above avg. glove but most importantly he plays likes he gives a darn about the game and his team.

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A great friggin’ trade for the Braves.

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let see. your in first place. escobar was not a problem when not winning, but now is a problem. get real. dont fix it if its not broken. another young brave that will end up playing in a world series with someone else, ala jermaine dye and mark texeira. did i mention we were in first place.

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[...] to …USA TodayBlue Jays acquire Escobar for GonzalezMLB.comBraves get Gonzalez; Escobar to JaysESPNAtlanta Journal Constitution (blog) -msnbc.com -Rotowireall 185 news articles » Share and [...]

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Teams like the Braves, or any team for that matter, can take a player with an attitude as long as he produces. (see Floria Marlins and Hanley Ramirez). Escobar was not producing consistently, and therefore the team felt like a move had to be made now in order to make a playoff run. Good teams worry about the future. Great teams worry, but understand that the window to win a championship is short, and you have to go for it win you can. Who knows what 2011 will bring. All we can control is 2010 and that’s what the Braves are doing. Let’s hope Gonzalez can come right in and give us another weapon offensively and mesh with Prado to continue the good defense up the middle and turning the double play. Let’s make it happen!

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as much as i think this was a good trade…is it THE trade?

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The only reason Chipper Jones is still here is because he sucks-up to Bobby Bush League Cox, always sits next to him in the dugout, best buds. Bobby is the worst manager in baseball. No imagination, conservative play, holds the runners at third where they usually die and don’t score. I’m glad its his last year. The Braves won only ONE world series with all the talent Cox had during his tenure here—-ONLY ONE in, what,15 consecutive seasons winning the Division title?

If anyone needed to be traded this year it was Chipper Jones but no matter how badly he played at third this year (errors and dubious efforts at nearby grounders) he was still Bobby’s boy. I agree with one comment here that Cox was inept at handling troubled players but that’s part of the job. He should have worked more with Escobar but, evidently, that was not part of his skill set. All he was capable of is getting thrown out of ball games—that’s his legacy. One world series win with all the talent he was given….

Last year Escobar hit .299 and hit 19 homers. How quickly we forget. Every one goes through a slump now and then. Chipper was so bad at the start of this season, HE came close to quiting. I think Escobar is the best fielding SS in baseball today and a proven hitter and only 27 years old. If his batting was the problem (Who would trade Escobar if he were batting .325 and had 55 RBI’s and 18 HR’s), blame it on Terry Pendleton, ANOTHER lame “favorite” from Bobby’s past who obviously can’t coach batters in a slump. He needs to go, too. BTW, notice HR production in the majors is way down since the steroid busts—-imagine that.

Its a shame that the Braves are blaming Escobar for the “terrible” season they are having. WE’RE 4 GAMES AHEAD IN 1ST PLACE, for crying out loud. This move is going to unsteady a lot of players, especially clubhouse morale. I love the guy and I think the Braves are making a big mistake. If attitude is an issue, do something about Troy Glaus and his temper throwing the bat when he strikes out.

Too bad Escobar has to pay the price so “BOBBY” can have a chance to win the world series one more time which would make it twice (maybe) in 16 chances…..

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I don’t mind getting rid of the attitude and lack of hustle, but I do think we made a poor deal. We gave away Furcal and Andrus (shortstops in last night’sAll-Star game) for players who had contracts ready to expire, who ended up not being around the following year. I see this happening again. I don’t need to hear, and I will not believe, the “shortstop” of the future talk. We had those players in Furcal and Andrus. Players who hit well, fielded above average, had strong arms, and stole bases. We get a guy who struggled last year, and is playing on a re-habbed knee. Forget range and speed with this guy, which is what the Braves really need.

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Ron May–

How much do you watch the games???

I don’t watch all that often, but I can recall at least two squeeze plays that successfully brought in a run from 3rd.

So do yourself a favor – if you are going to bash someone (Cox) at least get your facts straight, otherwise you look like a complete jerk who doesn’t have a clue as to what he’s talking about (and when you type a 5 paragraph book – you REALLY over did it).

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[...] different — Omar Infante, Kris Medlen, Brooks Conrad — delivering when deployed. (And the subtraction of Yunel Escobar should only enhance the [...]

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I said last year he plays lazy and use’s a bat to big for him.One of the best moves by the Braves. he just did not fit the braves needs.way to get rid of the lead braves.

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MB,

I am often critical of what you write but I’ll give credit where it is due!
You nailed the situation right on target. Your blog tells the truth about
what has gone on here with Yunel for his 3 seasons or so. Very well
written and accurate…all good points! I do think however that AG will
help provide more offense than the Braves were getting. For this year
AG is a better offensive threat. One thing missed in my opinion by everyone…
Yunel was struggling in my opinion because the Braves tried to reign him in.
I think they should have but he is like a bucking bronco…he didn’t want anyone
to tell him how to play and playing their way was squelching his flamboyance.

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His arrogance and lack of hustle was obvious. Wonder why it took so long to say bye-bye.

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I don’t understand the comments about racism against Latino players. Many of our players are Latino or speak Spanish fluently. You can’t isolate Escobar in that regard. And using the argument that Kelly Johnson was treated differently is quite strange, especially when you consider he was benched last year for a Latino player (Prado), who obviously was superior. Do I even need to mention our other great Latino players (like Infante and Blanco) getting significant playing time over starters this year?

Furthermore we’re trading Escobar for Alex Gonzalez, who just happens to be Cuban as well.

Escobar didn’t fit into this club because of reasons other than ethnicity or language.

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[...] TodayBlue Jays acquire Escobar for GonzalezMLB.comBraves get Gonzalez; Escobar to JaysESPNAtlanta Journal Constitution (blog) -msnbc.com -Rotowireall 208 news [...]

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[...] TodayBlue Jays acquire Escobar for GonzalezMLB.comBraves get Gonzalez; Escobar to JaysESPNAtlanta Journal Constitution (blog) -msnbc.com -Rotowireall 209 news [...]

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we can always put Omar Infante at ss we have no risk as long as we have him for any position,power and defense.

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[...] to …USA TodayBlue Jays acquire Escobar for GonzalezMLB.comBraves get Gonzalez; Escobar to JaysESPNAtlanta Journal Constitution (blog) -msnbc.com -Rotowireall 211 news [...]

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I yelled at my TV every time Yunel came to bat. He hasn’t produced, doesn’t fit, and though excellent defensively, that alone is not enough. He is a flake and any place else is a good place, hope it works for him, but won’t hold my breath.

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would prefer to have Elvis Andrus at short, but he is long gone.

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We just traded away an ill-focused bushleaguer with raw talent for a PROFESSIONAL player. If you’ve been around baseball, you like this trade.

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Bill Martin has it right – check his special note about Infante. What planet is Ron May on?

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I watch live or DVR every televised game on Dish Network which is basically every game the Braves play. I also support the Gwinnett Braves—11 games last season and 6 games so far this season. I feel pretty qualified to comment on the Braves organization from the point of view of a fan. I attended several games during their worst to first season and even got to go to their last game in that World Series. I only follow the Braves, could care less about any other team and don’t watch any games for the sake of becoming the local sports expert at local sports bars.

You can find fault with ANY baseball player from time to time but the Braves organization itself is flawed. Bobby Cox is riding the coat tails of an organization that has been blessed with great players but has been badly mismanaged by Bobby. I’m sure Cox was influential in the Escobar “firing”. Only recently has the club started playing aggressively—-taking extra bases, stealing bases, squeeze plays (fire McCann for a stupid play on the squeeze play that he allowed a run to score on when all he had to do was walk the runner back to 3rd). Fire McCann for his poor throws to 2nd, for not blocking the plate (afraid to get hurt?), for his “eye”problem related batting slump.

I was privleged to attend the last Gwinnett Braves game he played in this year ending his rehab assignment just before he returned to the Braves. Me and the Braves Nation will miss him. Sorry, Yunel, but at least you won’t have to put up with an incompetant Bobby Cox anymore—-16 Championship years and ONE world Series Championship……

And another thing, the Kelly Johnson trade………

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ron-
What’s your point, are you just wearing a sign that sez I’m a freaking idiot.

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Sporting News thinks its a pretty good move for the Braves.

http://www.sportingnews.com/blog/the_sporting_blog/entry/view/71466

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[...] for GonzalezMLB.comEscobar trade raises divisional, cultural issues »New York Daily News (blog)Addition by subtraction: The Braves trade Yunel EscobarAtlanta Journal Constitution (blog)msnbc.com -Rotowire -SportingNews.comall 346 news [...]

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Ron at 4:56:

Whatchoo talking about Willis? You are rambling like a fool.

HT

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jeffrey d:

While I think anyone with half a brain would agree that over their careers to date, Yunel is better than Alex, would you not say that Alex gives us the best chance to win this whole thing this year? I am not sure about the depth in our farm system and who would be starting in 2012, but this is the type of year to make this move. The Tex trade in 2007 was a disaster not just because of what we gave up, but more importantly because we had no freaking shot, so it was a waste. As for this year, what we don’t need is Yunel’s dead weight in the lineup. If we can win the title this year, then I am more than happy to worry about the SS position some time later in the future. Yunel’s brain farts and McLouthesque stats would be an albatross for a team with world series aspirations.

HT

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Folks, this has SMART written all over it:
1) GM trying to do everything now to win it all now in Cox’s last year
2) Experience- Gonzalez has been there … he’s a pro … knows what it takes to win it all. Escobar may get there, but Braves unwilling to wait at this time.
3) If you want to play for the Braves … hopefully a wake up call for a promising young shortstop.

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Biff Pocoroba…………..why would the Braves employ an interpreter for Yunel when they have several players and coaches who speak Spanish? No one on the Braves speak Japanese. Big difference.

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At 27, you’re no longer “immature” because “immature” implies that your attitude may improve with age. Players who perform this way at 22 are immature….guys who do so at Yunel’s age are just lazy. A great move by Wren…Gonzalez is talented, professional and affordable.

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Don’t forget that Infante and Conrad can both play short, that could be in the thinking if Alex does not resign next year. Not bad choices in my mind, also the kid at Gwinnett has already major league defense but his hitting must get better. It is a good trade for us even though JoJo might do well in different setting!

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BE GONE! Bad vibrations.

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As a former athlete theres nothing more irritating than some punk who gets paid millions of dollars to play basesball and won’t husltle. So you don’t want to learn English Escky? Well then go learn to speak French CHUMP!

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**referencing

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Great move whenever Escobar got his ass on his shoulders after a questionable error he quit and never came back (in his head & heart) 19 RBI’s and NO homers does not turn around mid-way. Perhaps he will get his act together or become another Andruw Jones, great move Mr. Wren to have the forethought while we’re in 1st to keep the momentum going as I did not see it happening with Yunel. 446 games is plenty of opportunity to get his act together… and he NEVER did.

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all you braves fans are gonna get very interested in Tim Collins quickly, he flew through the jays system and now at age 20 he’s at double A with 15k/9. at only 5′7(if that) 150 lbs he dials up the heat to 94 with a hammer curve (best in the jays system) although only a reliever he’s to good to overlook. pastornicky will swipe tones of bags, a solid eye at the plate and good/great defence.

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Yunel was a clearly a cancer in the dug out. He always had a miserable look on his face and it seemed like it was uncomfortable to be around him. Yes his arm is good, but he doesn’t hustle and half the time his head’s not in the game. Bottom line – we’ll be fine without him and probably have even better chemistry.

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I was hoping that it would never come to this. My first thought was terrible move however
i’m tired of trying to act like I know better than Frank Wren. Maybe they know more about what was wrong with yunel?

Anyway I’m tired of putting my foot in my mouth and critisizing Wren. He’s done a fine job. I just hope this guy can hit. As memory serves me he wasn’t much of a hitter with florida and cinncinatti? Anybody know his stats?

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[...] — Omar Infante, Kris Medlen, Brooks Conrad — delivering when deployed. (And the subtraction of Yunel Escobar should only enhance the [...]

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Gonzalez 17 home runs, Escobar 0. Enough said

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YOUTH AND PROMISE FOR AGE AND FOOLISHNESS (WREN’S)

I’ts a good thing Frank was able to make a trade like this and still have a young shortstop like Elvis Andrus in our farm system!*

*(Is my frustration showing? We all know where Elvis is.)

This is another Smoltz for Alexander type of trade — with the Braves on the short and foolish end of the stick!

In spite of his rough first half (by his standards), I truly believe Escobar was the best young SS in the National League!

What a shame! What a loss of talent!

Terrible trade!

Terrible GM!

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of

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What are they gonna do with Omar Infante? He has been tearing it up as of late. I love the trade due to Escobars lack of huslte. I just hope they dont waste Infantes bat just yet.

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I take a different view here, Yunel got what he wanted and got away from this lame duck manager that is stuck in the ideals of the 1960’s. Yunel did it the wrong way, but he did it nonetheless. Here’s betting that this will have haunt the Braves when the be cool dude attitude is gone with the Cox and Jones.

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Gonzalez is a good player who should help the Braves this year, but I enjoyed watching Escobar play defense. Wren has made some good moves that have benefited the Braves. I supported him when almost everyone was bashing him for the John Smoltz deal, but he proved then that he is not afraid to make a bold move to better the team, whether or not that move is popular. He later traded the Golden Boy Jeff Francoeur. My only gripe was how Tom Glavine’s situation was handled, not the decision itself. Escobar is not a problem as yu’all are making him out to be. Frank saw the potential to better the team now, and at the same time looking at the long term and what they have at the position in the minor leagues. He is looking to win now but not at the expense of the future. It is said that the Shortstop position is a position of strength in the Braves organisation and this season they drafted another Shortstop. Escobar would likely be out in the next 2-3 years unless his numbers were as they were last year, therefore Gonzalez will bridge the arrival of the future Shortstop in a couple of years.

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Jim Powell, will you be happy now that Escobar has been traded?
Who will you now take shots at? You are a Commentator tell us about the game and don’t bring out your dislike for any player like you did with regards to Escobar. Try and be like Sutton.

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RON APRIL – You are an idiot and your comments represent a bad attitude about the Braves! Go crawl back into your hole!!!

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[...] name different — Omar Infante, Kris Medlen, Brooks Conrad — delivering wh&#1077n deployed. (And th&#1077 subtraction &#959f Yunel Escobar &#1109h&#959&#965ld &#959nl&#1091 enhance th&#1077 [...]

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Oh, and to Ron April, it should work the same in baseball the same way it works in my job. You get the money when you prove you deserve it.

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I think everyone here is overrating Gonazalez`s power. Guys don`t discover a power stroke at 33. If you have ever watched one of his home runs, they barely make it out of the park. Many of his Toronto home runs would be long outs in Atlanta.

Going to miss Collins though. Would be real interesting to see if a guy that short (he probably only 5`5 – even though he is listed as taller) could make it at the major league level, or if hitters could figure out his tricky delivery.

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[...] someone different — Omar Infante, Kris Medlen, Brooks Conrad — delivering when deployed. (And the subtraction of Yunel Escobar should only enhance the [...]

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Lebo—-I suppose you didn’t consider Deon Sanders a prima donna……

As far as earning your pay before you get it, Younel earned it last year. Unfortunately, he got screwed by the Braves. Maybe he’s playin’ what they’re payin’………

And TOM—–before you call me an idiot, do some research and try writing more than 10 or 15 words. You don’t give me anything to work with……but that just may be your plan, you sly fox, you.

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Yunel was just a kid. Who wasn’t a little stubborn and cocky at the age of 27? I hope all the best for Yunel. Prove them wrong again my brother!!! Good luck in Toronto!!

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Bobby doesn’t need to pull diva-duty anymore! Woohoo! Glad Yunel’s outta Atlanta. Don’t get me wrong..thank you Yunel but everyone was tired of the antics.

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Since I’ve gone ahead and defended Frank today and lauded the trade, J.P. Ricciardi of ESPN loves said the Braves got the better end of this trade. He ought to know, he is the former Toronto GM. He especially likes Collins. Nice work, Frank. If you pull another move like this, I will definitely consider changing my handle.

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Strike the word loves in my previous post. J.P. didn’t say he loved this trade, I said that earlier.

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What, is he going to hit another World Series game winning homerun this year?

Bad trade. I don’t like it. We traded the most dynamic defensive short stop in the game for a 33 year old batting .259 because he doesn’t tow Bobby Cox’s line?

Fine, Bobby and Chipper hate his guts. They’re gone in three and a half months. So is Gonzalez.

Who’s our short stop next year? And the year after that?

When is TP going to be held responsible for the offensive failures of countless Braves players in recent years? What does he even do?

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I for one am glad he is gone. He was not a professional, he in fact was childlike. I think he is a lot smaller this year than he has been. No home runs, makes you wonder.

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Nice article. Good move Wren. Braves all the way

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Language barrier is a BS excuse. There are plenty of Braves in the past four seasons who speak Spanish. What about Kenshin Kawakami? He came to a Braves team who probably did not have a single person in the organization who spoke his language. He is having a rough season but you cannot tell me he does not try his best every minute he is on the payroll.

Escobar just moped around all the time and was not good for the locker room.

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Attitude is everything. I too championed Yunel.Knucklehead seems to be the Braves mantra at short the last two decades.Reference Rafi the Dodger,all star starter.Buck gives ten, I take Yuni over Rafi. Sad. Some people never “Get It”.Anybody notice Texas’ All stars’? Andrus and Neftali? Last seen as Braves up and comers ’till Tex ruined a damn good long term plan.Come on John!

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Interesting point about Gonzales mentioned by a Bluejay fan. His homers barely cleared the wall in Toronto. He said here in Atlanta, they’d probably just be long outs. Wonder if Wren took that into consideration…..

Maybe someone here knows: Is any Braves player making less than Escobar ($435,000)? That’s pretty pathetic for a regular starting SS in the Majors…

I just can’t wait until clueless Bobby Cox leaves and takes Terry Pendleton and Chipper Jones with him. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: 16 straight division championships with a boatload of great ball players and only ONE World Series Championship to show for it. All the Braves accomplished during Cox’s reign was to stop the Mets, Phillies, and Marlins from going to the playoffs for all those years——-and then usually getting knocked out in the first round.

What an embarrassment…..

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And is that THE Al Hrabosky who has joined the discussion?

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[...] and Jays tradeNew York TimesNew York Daily News (blog) -San Francisco Chronicle -Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog)all 531 news [...]

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Ron- that would be 14 straight division titles.

Yunel isn’t even worth what he was making. He has joined Francouer in the “Believe what you read about yourself” club. Also became Americanised in a hurry.

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FIRST! on the last page!

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hey mark, just read your july 9 article on the heat……really funny last sentence given the all star game 9th inning. Your predictions are more accurate when you don’t even realize you are making one.

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cito will be a great mentor for him

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This is a bad trade. Eunel was hurt earlier in the year, but played through it. His offense suffered, but he was one of the best defensive SS in the game. His hitting had started to come around( around ,300 the last month). Yes he made a few mistakes that made people mad. For example, on the throw to Glaus, he was on the 2nd base side of the Infield and moving towards ist. My guess is he tried to take a little off the throw to not throw it past Glaus, and took too much off-not that he was being lazy. Yunel was going to hit better in the 2nd half, and his superb fielding will be missed by our pitching staff who will not be as good as a result. You dont change starters on a ist place club. If you think you have an attitude problem, handle it in the clubhouse. Thats what good managers do.

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So why didn’t they trade chipper when he fell asleep & let a grounder pass by his foot? Oh well…once Esco has a competent hitting coach, he’ll do much better in the 2nd half.

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[...] Mark Bradley of the Atlanta Journal Constitution believes that the deal was addition by subtraction, as it wasn’t an equal exchange of talent in return. Escobar has been given any and every chance by the Braves, but always failed to be professional. Bradley implies that the Braves probably would have continued taking the risk on Escobar, if he had been hitting like he was last season. Regardless of the Braves standing in the National League, this was the right move, at the right time. [...]

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Braves fans, get ready for a shortstop who is having a career year at the plate, has an amazing glove and who hustles every play, every day.

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The Braves have given up on two young shortstops(Andrus and Escobar) over the past three years. Guys of their calibre do not grow on trees. Defense is always overlooked. I have seen some of the 14 errors and some of them were bad scoring in my opinion. They now have a older guy up for free agency in 2011. If they win the pennant and the World Series, then it was a good short term deal. If they do not, then it is dumb move.

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[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Dustin Valencia, Shi Davidi. Shi Davidi said: No love for Yunel in the ATL! http://tinyurl.com/35uoace [...]

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To call it addition by subtraction sums it up well. However, I’m not inclined to give Wren/Schuerholz any credit. Ttrade merely adds to the overwhelming evidence that the Teixeira trade was one of the worst moves in major league history.

At the time of the trade and thereafter, many of you posters scoffed at my position that Andrus would be a far superior shortstop to Escobar. Many said that Andrus was merely a raw prospect and Escobar was the “future of the Braves”. Well, you were obviously wrong and this trade further illustrates it in bold letters.

The Braves are better off without Escobar regardless of who takes his place. Still, wouldn’t it have been nice to stick Andrus, the very youthful .300 hitting all-star with the great range and limited upside at shortstop, in the lineup? Feliz wouldn’t look too bad in the bullpen either.

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Wren said we were two years from figuring out who will take over shortstop. I guess that means picking up Gonzalez’s option for next year is already a done deal.

http://www.rhinorant.com

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Kris – actually, you sir, are the idiot. Teams can’t base decisions always on what might be but what they can actually see and measure. Based on observable facts, this trade has the greater potential to improve the Braves rather than doing nothing. You are totally clueless if you can’t recognize that fact.

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I missed the ESPYS last night…did LeJoke win for ‘Diva of the Year’?

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While Escobar is younger, I still like this trade. I’d rate it a “solid single”. It gives us another power bat in the lineup, and a bat with a bit better average than Escobar. For this team, four games in first place, that wants to win now, and win a World Series in Bobby’s last year, I think it was the right move.

I just hope we can come out of the All Star Break with as much intensity as we had going into it. We baseball vets know that a four game lead with seventy five games to go is nothing, but, it is a good starting point to have teams like the Mets and Phillies chasing us, instead of us chasing them.

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It amazes me, as to the high percentage of morons that think the Esco and Reyes for Gonzo, and two minor league prospects is a bad trade.

Braves vs. Blue Jays trade=======Braves win! Braves win! Braves win!

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You know why Gonzales is a great addition? Not only attitude and some power, but also because the Braves get on base so much. They lead the league in walks so to get someone who swings away in the lower part of the line up can help. I know some of you guys aren’t going to like these comments (walks are everything!). But at some point you have to hit the ball right?

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[...] Mark Bradley of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution implicitly calls out Escobar for his lack of hustle. Consider reading Bradley’s full article: Escobar got thrown out because he watched the flight of the ball and admired his work, as opposed to running hard. The Braves noticed. The Braves always noticed. As one man in the clubhouse said afterward, exasperation in his voice: “He has been told time and time again.” [...]

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As a Jays fan, it is interesting to see the wide range of opinions about Escobar; obviously we hope that he will be able to capitalize on his talent, and shake his prima-dona image – we already got rid of Alex Rios, so we don’t need another one. In Gonzalez you are getting back a player who might just be playing the best short stop in the AL this season, and has seen his power come back in a big way. More importantly, it seems he is a real positive influence in the lockeroom and is great in the clutch – you got a real good player coming back. Hopefully this is a deal that will help both teams…good luck the rest of the way Brave fans.

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My favorite player of all time is Pete Rose. Why? My response is what was his nickname? – Charlie Hussle. He played the game the way you are supposed to. Escobar gave half effort. It infuriated me to watch him play.

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Tom:
I’m definately not a Vick supporter….

BTW, in tonight’s game vs. Milwaukee, couldn’t help but notice…..

1.) Chipper booting another “shoulda’ had” play at 3rd (charged an error)
2.) Chipper lolly-gagging towards 1st on a ground out (What if the fielder bobbled the ball?)
3.) Chipper swooping in front of Gonzalez three times to take the easy grounders away from him.

Also, BTW, the fly ball Gonzalez hit tonite probably would have been a homer in Toronto. Here it’s just another flyout………….OK, hold on a second……let me take a few deep breaths……..there, I feel a little better…….I’m REALLY having a hard time with this Escobar thing….. I know it…..but the whole deal stinks to me and I can’t help it. I had the same issues with JP Losman and the Buffalo Bills after Losman took a cheap shot from Patriots’ Wilfork effectively ending a promising career at QB. Losman got screwed by the Bills during re-hab….

Sometimes you get the bear, sometimes the bear gets you…..that’s life, I guess———–but only ONE World Series Championship after 14 or 15 or 16 (whatever) division titles???? Bobby, Bobby, Bobby…..Why, why, WHY didn’t you quit last year like you promised us you would.

Younel would still be our SS…..

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Tom—Definately not “Vick Supporter”. No fan in ANY which way…..

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Don’t get your expectations too high relating to Gonzalez. He hit 17 Home Runs in the first half. My guess is that his Home Run total for the second half will be closer to 5 than to 17. In the 11 seasons before this year, he has averaged less than 10 Home Runs per year. His career BA is less than .250 and his OBA less than .300. He will seldom take a walk, walking only about every 20 times at bat. Also, according to some, he is a dead pull hitter – which probably means that he can be pitched to effectively.

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Having been deafened at the age of ten, I lost not only my heairing and balance but also my sporting ability, which ends, with loss of balance.
Between the years 1970 and 1972, I went from being a star to a flop, but I think even I could have outplayed Escobar.

Maybe he’ll grow up, after having been shipped to a lower team. Maybe he’ll wake up and realize that, in this business, he has to perform to stay…Otherwise, he’ll be traded again and again, until he is thrown out of baseball as another would-be talent, who never grew (up) into his potential.

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Tons of physical talent with absolutely nothing between his ears. A typical Latin bonehead.

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Yunel has always been an issue in the clubhouse…too bad the ownership couldn’t realize it a couple of years ago and not traded away our real SS of the future in Elvis Andrus for a “flash in the pan/grass is always greener” player like Tex. That was one of the worst trades in Braves history, hopefully Collins and the other SS in this deal will pan out, but we would be fine at SS now, if these guys had made a good decision a couple years ago.

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Look at the player that Fucal has become since he left Atlanta. The same thing will happen for Escobar.

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[...] He “was slow to learn to be a professional,” someone who drew the ire of his manager and “infuriate[d] some members of the organization” with his approach. No, we’re not talking about Matt Kemp, though similar things have certainly been said about him this season. Various reporters used those words to describe Yunel Escobar before and after the Braves traded him to the Blue Jays last month. [...]

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