Live from the ballyard: The stars keep aligning for the Braves
Six days ago the Braves learned they’d lost their cornerstone for the duration. The trade deadline was already gone, meaning any Braves’ trade target would have to clear waivers. And, these being the Braves, any trade target would need to come cheap.
On Wednesday the Braves traded for Derrek Lee, who’d cleared waivers before Chipper Jones had gotten hurt and therefore couldn’t be blocked by, say, the Phillies. They traded for a first baseman with a great glove who hits in the middle of the lineup and who just happens to be a free agent at season’s end, meaning the Braves are only on the hook for a pittance of his salary before Lee leaves to make room for Freddie Freeman.
All of which leads us to say: This is the Braves’ year.
Said Frank Wren, the general manager: “There have been a lot of things that have happened that have gone well for us. I can’t deny that.”
Chipper Jones gets hurt in mid-August, and that’s one of the worst breaks a team could have. But this particular team had an All-Star second baseman (Martin Prado) about to come off the disabled list and an All-Star utility man (Omar Infante) capable of holding down second while Prado moved to third. And now it gets a true first baseman and a real power hitter for three marginal prospects, and just like that a tattered infield becomes a shiny new creation.
Said Chipper, ambling freely about the clubhouse four days after surgery: “You’ve got to applaud Frank for being pro-active. This was the only A-plus move you could make, and the players really, really appreciate it.”
Smiling, Chipper also offered this: “It kind of makes me upset that it took me getting hurt for this to happen. D-Lee is a guy I’d love to have in the lineup with me.”
Five years ago D-Lee hit 46 homers and flirted with a Triple Crown. He’s no longer that guy, but he’s a clear upgrade on poor creaking Troy Glaus, who’d given this team all he had and now goes on the disabled list and then to Gwinnett to see if he can re-learn third base. (Said Wren, referring to Glaus’ bravura May: “We’re not here in position to make a trade like this if not for Troy Glaus.”)
A clubhouse that has seen 20 victories in the final at-bat has been handed another tangible reason to believe. The deal made at the deadline for Kyle Farnsworth and Rick Ankiel was one of those a GM makes just to show his team he’s trying. The deal for D-Lee is one that could make the difference between a September fizzle and a banner October. If Wren wasn’t already the executive of the year, he is now.
“We’re all competitors, whether we’re in uniform or in the office,” Wren said. “When you’ve got a group of guys who’ve put in the effort these have, you want to do everything you can possibly do … We want to win this thing.”
They just might. The timing of this deal’s development was uncanny. Wren called Jim Hendry, his Cubs’ counterpart, on Sunday to inquire about Lee, who went out and hit two home runs. (Then he tweaked his back and left the game.) Lee, who’d vetoed a trade to Anaheim in July, agreed to this one. And there was nothing the Phillies or anyone else could do to stop it.
Chipper: “If a third baseman comes up on waivers after I get hurt, he’d have been blocked.”
Wren: “That’s why I was vague with you [reporters] last week about what we were looking for. I didn’t want to tip our hand.”
Skill was involved in this maneuver, and so was serendipity. When those two concepts collide … well, that’s what we in the astronomy business call a harmonic convergence.
Said Wren: “Four or five days ago I didn’t know if we could get to this point. You don’t find many 3-4-5 hitters.”
But Wren did. He found one who plays the absolute right position with the absolute perfect contract. When it’s your year, it’s your year. And this year is the Braves’.
And with that, we’ll open the floor — a bit belatedly, but things have been hopping at the ballyard — for your comments, questions and reactions to the D-Lee deal. I thank you in retrospect for your patience, and I thank you in advance for your participation.
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458 comments Add your comment
chattadawg
August 18th, 2010
7:39 pm
Did Chip Carey just say that the special guest was a “butt commander”?
Jeremiah
August 18th, 2010
7:39 pm
“Buck” commander
Mark Bradley
August 18th, 2010
7:39 pm
This is as good a move as the Braves could have configured under the circumstances, Jeremiah. It fills a hole in the here and now and leaves room for Freeman next season.
Dr. Kenneth Noisewater
August 18th, 2010
7:39 pm
if the braves get that far, you could always have glaus/lee as the DH
Jeremiah
August 18th, 2010
7:40 pm
Lol, that did sound bad though.
Missing: SS from the Blue Jays
August 18th, 2010
7:40 pm
Has anyone seen me? I was supposed to come to the ATL Braves for my bat??? Reward if found!
Warren Spahn
August 18th, 2010
7:40 pm
You got it, Shawn. I just got a telephone call from an official of the Pelicans who told me about the trade. The genertal consensus is that, as always, Wren gave up far more than anyone else would have given for a broken down one and a half month rental.
Harris (23), Lorick (22), and Lopez (19) were dispatched to Chicago. All appear to be decent prospects. We’ll see what happens. We sure don’t need another Feliz leaving the Braves.
Of course, we all know the politics. We just have to get Bob back to the playoffs in his swan song year- regardless of the cost. Let’s hope they have a bit better luck than they had with the Teixeira trade.
As I said earlier, only a fool would trade two, let alone three, pitching prospects for a dubious (at best) 90 day rental. Of course, we are talking about Wren. Res ipsi loquitor. Case closed.
Daniel Buck
August 18th, 2010
7:41 pm
Question Mark???… Are the Braves done with Lee or is Barmes or Encarnacion someone we can still get for better bench depth???
DHM JR
August 18th, 2010
7:41 pm
all of you guys that try to get in first, need to get a job!!!!
Jeremiah
August 18th, 2010
7:41 pm
Agreed MB, I love the move.
chattadawg
August 18th, 2010
7:41 pm
Ha ok I see Chipper’s hat.
Dr. Kenneth Noisewater
August 18th, 2010
7:42 pm
spahn: giving 3 pitchers up was a lot, but don’t the Braves have a ton of great, quality pitchers in the farm system and gwinnett??
"Chef" Tim Dix
August 18th, 2010
7:43 pm
“Well rounded, well grounded.” says Chipper of Lee.
Mark Bradley
August 18th, 2010
7:43 pm
They’re finished, Daniel Buck. This is the team, not counting September promotions.
Mark Bradley
August 18th, 2010
7:43 pm
Chipper is crazy about Lee. They played together on Team USA in the 2006 World Baseball Classic.
DHM JR
August 18th, 2010
7:44 pm
oops!! You are at work. Money well spent by your employer!!
Dr. Kenneth Noisewater
August 18th, 2010
7:44 pm
is hudson going for the tommy hanson beard look?
Donny Corleone
August 18th, 2010
7:44 pm
Was I deleted? Just making a point about how ridiculous it sounded.
todd grantham
August 18th, 2010
7:45 pm
Mark, if you had your choice of Chipper or Lee in the lineup, who would it be?
John
August 18th, 2010
7:45 pm
Spahn – terrible mis-use of res ipsa loquitor.
todd grantham
August 18th, 2010
7:45 pm
assuming both are healthy, of course
Mark Bradley
August 18th, 2010
7:46 pm
Also talked to Sea Bass about D-Lee. (Alex Gonzalez and Derrek Lee were half the Marlins’ infield when that team won the 2003 World Series.) Alex Gonzalez said: “Everyone was playing together. We were great young guys and never gave up.”
Jeremiah
August 18th, 2010
7:46 pm
I understand the criticism of the 3 pitchers, and I guess only time will tell…But I like the idea of Bobby going out with guns fully loaded and firing away…This is the end of an era, and Bobby deserves one final, remarkable run.
"Chef" Tim Dix
August 18th, 2010
7:47 pm
Coach: Let me asnwer for Mark: Chipper…everyday and twice on Sunday.
Sonny Clusters
August 18th, 2010
7:47 pm
Yes, the Buck Commander himself is in the booth tonight. Form that perch he could probably drop a deer in the bullpen. We was thinking that getting Derrek Lee is going to be a good move. He should spend some time on rundowns with Hinske when he gets here.
Mark Bradley
August 18th, 2010
7:47 pm
Not great baserunning by Bernadina. Makes the second out after trying to go to second on the throw to the plate. Run scores but the Nationals have a man on third with two out, as opposed to first and third with one down.
todd grantham
August 18th, 2010
7:48 pm
Chef, I agree with you. Talent, leadership and team chemistry go with Chipper.
Jeremiah
August 18th, 2010
7:48 pm
I think Chipper will be our future hitting coach.
Mark Bradley
August 18th, 2010
7:48 pm
Lee has been a fine player, Coach, but Chipper is going to Cooperstown.
gadawgs
August 18th, 2010
7:49 pm
I absolutely love this deal. Great job Mr. Wren!!!
Jeremiah
August 18th, 2010
7:49 pm
Remember the last couple of years when we’d get down early and just know the game was over? Nice that this year has been the exact opposite.
Jeremiah
August 18th, 2010
7:50 pm
It’s gotta be neat for Chipper to be seeing the game from the pressbox for a change.
"Chef" Tim Dix
August 18th, 2010
7:51 pm
1st ballot, sure fire, can’t miss, lock of ALL locks.
todd grantham
August 18th, 2010
7:51 pm
Mark, if Fredie Gonzalaz does succeed Bobby, do you think that enhances or dimishes Chipper’s attitude about coming back next year?
Mark Bradley
August 18th, 2010
7:51 pm
None of the three pitchers was considered a plum prospect, Jeremiah.
Dr. Kenneth Noisewater
August 18th, 2010
7:52 pm
c’mon huddy, let’s get out of this inning
Christopher Chance
August 18th, 2010
7:52 pm
Great trade by Frank Wren. I would have discussed my take on this possibility earlier……however, after Lee vetoed the earlier trade in July to the Angels (when the Angels were much closer to the Rangers), I just figured that Lee wanted to stay in Chicago until the end of the season.
Regardless, Frank Wren pulled a Houdini with this trade. We gave up 3 bag of balls type prospects that was on no one’s radar as far as having a future making the ML roster for the Braves. All it’s going to cost us is $3.4 miil the rest of the season.
What we get in return is a big, agile first baseman who can play some great defense at first. Troy Glaus was not going to get it done at first…….especially during playoff time when errors in the field are magnified.
Also, Lee hits for power from the right side of the plate, which is what we desperately need.
One more benefit, if Lee leaves at the end of the season as a free agent, then he’ll fetch the Braves a couple of high draft picks because he’ll be a Type A free agent. I’m sure that Frank Wren will offer him arbitration (Lee will surely entice a long term offer from a team if the Braves dont want to re-sign him).
So unless Lee gets hurt and cant play this season…….I see no downside from this move.
Dr. Kenneth Noisewater
August 18th, 2010
7:52 pm
crap, end this inning!!!!!
todd grantham
August 18th, 2010
7:52 pm
Tommy’s getting batted around by the Nats??
Ashley
August 18th, 2010
7:53 pm
Chipper can go sit in the dugout please. He brings better luck from their than in the pressbox.
Ashley
August 18th, 2010
7:53 pm
there, not their. Sorry.
todd grantham
August 18th, 2010
7:53 pm
Timmy sp.
NCBravesFan
August 18th, 2010
7:55 pm
Huddy needs to shave. He gives up runs with stubble.
I Hate Liberty Media (Though Not as Much Today)
August 18th, 2010
7:55 pm
Great move! Something had to be done to upgrade 1B. Glaus is done.
Dennis
August 18th, 2010
7:55 pm
For Warren above: The likelihood of one of those three ever making the Braves roster was very small. The Braves are loaded with many,many better prospects. Every major league team makes moves to solidify their major league roster by trading lower level prospects. The proof in the pudding will be in October if Lee hits and fields well enough to assist the Braves in reaching the World Series. Go back and take a refresher course in GM 101 before you make the kind of comment you made. In my mind (and apparently the overwhelming majority of fans) this is a sound trade.
lady j 80
August 18th, 2010
7:56 pm
Great accquistion Frank Wren. Hey are you available to be GM for the Atlanta Hawks. They could really use you right now.
"Chef" Tim Dix
August 18th, 2010
7:56 pm
I’m lazy.
Will someone please fetch the Chef Lee’s career numbers at the Ted?
Jeremiah
August 18th, 2010
7:57 pm
MB, If that’s the case, this could be a GREAT trade by Wren…Just the way he pulled it off was pretty darn slick.
David
August 18th, 2010
7:57 pm
Do you think it is possible we could see DLee in the lineup for tomorrow’s game, or will he almost certainly debut for the weekend series?
Bat Masterson
August 18th, 2010
8:00 pm
The baseball gods are drinking their mead from Braves mugs this year Mark.