Would you pay $60 million to keep Uggla? The Braves might
New manager Fredi Gonzalez asks Dan Uggla for a loan. (AJC photo by Brant Sanderlin)
Dan Uggla brings a reliable bat to a team lacking reliable bats. But he’s a lousy fielder — the 2010 Braves weren’t very good at catching the ball, either — and he turns 31 in March. So now I ask: Is this the guy you want to re-up for $60 million over five seasons?
Nick Cafardo, the fine baseball writer for the Boston Globe, just Tweeted that “Atlanta sources tell me Dan Uggla closing in on a five-year, $60-$61 million extension.” If this is true, I say …
That’s almost Chipper Jones money. For a guy who demonstrably isn’t Chipper Jones.
You can argue that Uggla is a better hitter at 30 than Chipper is at 38 — and Uggla isn’t coming off knee surgery — but still: Twelve million a year for a guy who has driven in 100 runs once in his career and who has never hit .300 and who’s surely going to have to find a new position soon? That’s a lot of money.
If you’re a fan, you wouldn’t mind such an outlay. If you’re a fan, you’re tired of the one-and-dones — J.D. Drew, Mark Teixeira — breezing through town en route to a massive contract elsewhere. And you’d hate to have given away the All-Stat utilitarian Omar Infante and the live young arm of Mike Dunn for another rental. (And besides, it isn’t your money. It’s Liberty Media’s.)
Me, I’m not sure Uggla is a cornerstone player. I think he’s good man to have on a team, but I don’t see him as a man capable of carrying said team. On the one hand, it’d be nice to see the Braves willing to invest so much money again. On the other, I’m not certain this is the man in whom so much should be invested.
You are, as ever, free to disagree. And I know you will.
By Mark Bradley
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241 comments Add your comment
El Bravo
December 16th, 2010
5:10 pm
It’s not necessarily a bad deal when you compare it to what has transpired in the market this off-season. Compared to the deals Werth and Crawford signed this is a bargain. It also depends on how the deal is structured. Remember that the Braves don’t give no-trade clauses, meaning that if the deal is somewhat back-loaded it gives the Braves the option to unload him towards the end of the deal (if we find ourselves out of contention).
Ted M
December 16th, 2010
5:11 pm
The Braves owe him $28 mil…pretty sure
Mitchell
December 16th, 2010
5:12 pm
Mark Bradley
December 16th, 2010
4:41 pm
I really worry about Uggla’s defense. I think the memory of Game 3 of the NLDS will linger long in my mind.
Brad, I don’t think you realize who you’re dealing with. This isn’t a real sports town. These aren’t your average sports fans.
If it were, Bobby Cox would have been booted out of here after the ‘96 World Series… if not after the ‘93 NLCS, or, for that matter, the ‘92 World Series, or, for that matter, the ‘91 World Series.
At least after the ‘99 World Series. Or the 2001 NLCS. Or the 2003 NLDS. Or the 92 loss 2008 season.
If we had real sports fans, you wouldn’t have heard people proclaiming that the only man to lose four World Series was one of the all time greats immediately after he singlehandedly blew yet another post-season series.
If you listened to local sports radio in this town for any period of time in the weeks and months since the gut wrenching defeat to the eventual World Champion San Francisco Giants, you would have discovered that the memory of Game 3 of the NLDS has all but been forgotten.
I, however, have not forgotten. I have also not forgotten that Bobby Cox is solely respsonsible for what transpired.
Hopefully, Fredi Gonzalez is somebody who values discipline and accountability. If not, then we can probably expect to see Dan Uggla’s spotty defense worsen, in which case he’ll be right at home with the Braves.
No need to single him out even if he could be looking at $60 million over the next five years.
The end.
Harry the Hat
December 16th, 2010
5:12 pm
Paying Uggla anything is a freaking joke.
He may be qualified enough for batboy.
Christopher Chance
December 16th, 2010
5:13 pm
Mark Bradley……what do you think of the Braves trading Derek Lowe and his 2 year, $30 mil contract to the Yankees (who obviously need starting pitching with a track record for being mentally tough enough to handle an environment like New York)? Lowe had a great September and pitched 2 good games against San Francisco in he play-offs.
Trading Lowe (either to acquire a player in return who fills a legit need……or for nothing (a bag of balls type prospect) if the Yankees were to also take McLouth’s or Kawakami’s contract off our hands)…..would free up considerable money for the Braves to spend towards improving the team (the Braves have the prospects to trade for Zach Greinke, if Lowe’s contract was gone).
Stinky
December 16th, 2010
5:15 pm
Concerning Uggly: Who else are we gonna get for 12mil / year who might be able to launch 30 HR?
Herschel Talker
December 16th, 2010
5:16 pm
Ted M:
What should UGA do? They should do the 2-step program to improving the football program.
1. Fire Mark Richt
2. Hire one of the following gentlemen:
Gary Patterson
Kirby Smart
Jim Harbaugh
Chip Kelly
Chris Peterson
Guz Malzahn
HT
Herschel Talker
December 16th, 2010
5:18 pm
“Mark Bradley……what do you think of the Braves trading Derek Lowe and his 2 year, $30 mil contract to the Yankees (who obviously need starting pitching with a track record for being mentally tough enough to handle an environment like New York)? Lowe had a great September and pitched 2 good games against San Francisco in he play-offs.
Trading Lowe (either to acquire a player in return who fills a legit need……or for nothing (a bag of balls type prospect) if the Yankees were to also take McLouth’s or Kawakami’s contract off our hands)…..would free up considerable money for the Braves to spend towards improving the team (the Braves have the prospects to trade for Zach Greinke, if Lowe’s contract was gone).”
While you’re at it, why not throw in trade for Albert Pujols? This is one of the dumbest comments ever written on a blog. The chances of the Yankees taking Lowe and one of McLouth/Kawakami are about as good as McLouth and Kawakami winning the MVP and Cy Young this year.
Stinky
December 16th, 2010
5:19 pm
That Michelle sure is a drama queen.
Todd
December 16th, 2010
5:25 pm
And exactly where would you get the 30 home runs that Uggla is doing to hit – at any price Bradley? Last time I checked the only other 30 HR free agent was an even worse fielder and plays first base (Dunn). 12 mil per year just does not go very far these days. We got a great deal – history will shine favorably on the Braves for this signing.
Stinky
December 16th, 2010
5:29 pm
Enter your comments here
Rockdale Brave
December 16th, 2010
5:30 pm
Mark: I agree with you. Uggla is not the player the Braves should pay $12 million per year. A much better
investment for $60 million over 5 years would be for
a power hitting outfielder. A second baseman should
not be the position player to depend on as the major power hitter in your lineup. One may argue that it does not matter what position provides the power; however any outfielder worth 12M/year must provide big power numbers. You can get a good defensive .280 hitting 2B for much less.
stevie zero
December 16th, 2010
5:32 pm
Enter your comments here
Christopher Chance
December 16th, 2010
5:36 pm
Herschel Talker………Dude, have you even been following the Yankees struggles for starting pitching? Right now, their rotation consists of C.C. Sabathia, Phil Hughes and A.J. Burnett (whose a mental case right now on the mound)……..that’s it.
The Yankees are not about to pay the next best starting pitcher (Carl Pavano) on a very weak market because Pavano couldnt make it work his first time in N.Y. (injuries, dude basically sucked, lol)….nor are they going to risk acquiring another Ed Whitson (Zach Greinke is a good pitcher, who has never pitched well in N.Y. AND has a social anxiety disorder that he takes meds for).
So knowing that all….the Yankees need for starting pitching ISNT GOING AWAY. And considering that most teams arent exactly in a mood to just give away starting pitching (AND given the Yankees need for quality starting pitching who has the “intangibles” to flourish in an environment like N.Y. isnt going away)……I do not see that it is far fetched at all that the Yankees would “at least” be interested in acquiring Derek Lowe from the Braves.
Assuming that the Yankees have a legit interest in Lowe….the next question becomes “how does Frank Wren handle this”? Does he try to obtain a legit prospect or player off the Yankees roster in exchange for Lowe…..OR…….does he say to the Yankees, “you dont have to give us anything back for Lowe, AS LONG as you’re willing to take either McLouth’s or Kawakami’s contract off our hands”.
Sure, it may sound far fetched. However, the Braves are dealing from a position of strength…….along with knowing that the Yankees are desperate for quality starting pitching who is mentally tough enough to handle pitching well in N.Y.
I can see how you may not agree with my post. But to call it “the stupidest post you’ve ever seen”….well, shows how stupid you are.
stevie zero
December 16th, 2010
5:38 pm
mark, had the braves balked at the oppurtunity to sign a middle infielder, with more homeruns than any brave has come close to sniffing over the last four years, and at a relatively reasonable 12 mil a year, you would all be pi$$ing and moaning. defense? mediocre at best, but the braves have zero power, zero speed, zero defense, and wont play smallball to manufacture runs, i agree about the defense but you gotta start somewhere. wren is kind of a cowboy but he had to do it
Supes
December 16th, 2010
5:44 pm
That’s a fair market value considering what other FA are getting out there in the open market. 60 Million…or about 12 million per season…We are paying Chipper what close to 15 million right now (and for 2 more seasons looks like unless he retires after 2011). Consider that ….Uggla’s is a fair contract.
Dawgdad (The Original)
December 16th, 2010
5:47 pm
Mark good article, I agree totally. Much rather have spent the money acquiring Mr Willingham from the Nationals instead of letting the A’s get him. There are better ways to spend their limited money. I like Uggla, but like you question his range and defense and age. Maybe three years for $24 M or so, and if he was not willing to accept, trade him at the deadline for some prospects.
Mike
December 16th, 2010
5:47 pm
Mark, what your looking at is the rise in cost of players. If Chipper Jones was the same age now that he was when he signed that big contract with the Braves, they would have to pay him $20+ million per year. That is the going price for the big time free agents.
$12 million per year could sign a top free agent 10 years ago. Now it signs a second tier guy like Uggla. Its basically today’s equivalent of paying $7-8 million for a player 10 years ago. That’s why the GM’s were pissed at the Werth contract. Contracts like that just keep driving the free agent price up for all levels of players. At the end of 5 years, I think the Braves will be happy to have kept Uggla.
dawgfan
December 16th, 2010
5:48 pm
nobody cares about baseball anyway. let’s get back to talking about the Georgia Bulldogs. Go Dawgs! woof woof woof
Dawgdad (The Original)
December 16th, 2010
5:50 pm
Just a general question. The Braves are constantly talking about wanting a middle infielder, who can back up at shortstop. Why don’t they invite Nick Greene to ST and see if he can make the team. Not much to lose with an invite and league minimum.
"Chef" Tim Dix
December 16th, 2010
5:50 pm
12 large is the old 6.
Good move.
Whopper Dawg
December 16th, 2010
5:50 pm
Mark, I think you are right. It is a good sign that the Braves are willing to spend this much money, just wrong guy.
TS
December 16th, 2010
5:52 pm
Chipper hasn’t been worth Chipper money in nearly a decade. Uggla is worth it.
SF Braves Fan
December 16th, 2010
5:56 pm
12 million dollars a year honestly doesn’t seem that much to me in modern baseball terms, especially in an era where even Jeff Francoeur can sign a multi-million dollar deal after putting up a .300 OBP. The Braves organization is overflowing with young pitching talent, and it looks like they will have a potent, affordable pitching staff for a long time. That’s a good thing, but it does mean the Braves have to open the checkbook a bit for position players and offer than more than one or two years. The alternative is to build a lineup of AAAA players and rejects whom they can sign to one or two year contracts. If the Braves can get three years of 30 hr from Uggla and another 2 years where he hits at least 20 it will have been a good move, and 12 million isn’t going to seem like that much once Chipper, Lowe, KK, and McLouth come off the books.
Also– who cares how many RBI the guy has driven in with the Marlins? We know he’s a good hitter.
Reality Check
December 16th, 2010
6:00 pm
Twelve million per season for a player who will eventually be the Braves left fielder?
OVERPAID. But so are most major league players, I’m just glad it’s not my money.
Franky Fingers
December 16th, 2010
6:01 pm
“almost Chipper money”
The market is changing. Try and keep up.
Mark (a different one)
December 16th, 2010
6:02 pm
I think this is a good deal if it happens. The Braves have some contracts around their neck but this won’t be one of them unless he gets injured. RBIs are not a very good comparison. Uggla will do well with runners ahead of him. Let Prado and Heyward and possibly Chipper fill the bases, and then see how many RBIs Uggla hits. I see something like:
McLouth/Shafer CF
Prado LF
Heyward RF
Chipper 3rd
Uggla 2nd
McCann C
Gonzales SS
Freeman 1b
If Shafer and McLouth struggle (hey, it could happen), move CF to hit 8 and move everyone else up.
Reality Check
December 16th, 2010
6:03 pm
Twelve million for five years to a player who will eventually be the Braves left fielder?
OVERPAID. But so are most major league players. I’m just glad it’s not my money go to waste.
Reality Check
December 16th, 2010
6:05 pm
Twelve million for five years to a player who will eventually be the Braves left fielder?
OVERPAID. But so are most major league players. I’m just glad it’s not my money going to waste.
Ryan
December 16th, 2010
6:06 pm
Uggla’s immediately the best offensive player on this team so I say give him the deal. The fact that he was able to drive in 100 runs once with the MARLINS is amazing. Give him deal.
Gman
December 16th, 2010
6:07 pm
It’s a good deal compared to other guys who have similar numbers. Yes. He has hit in 100 rbis only once, but he consistently hits between 80 and 90 rbis in his career. In 2010, no Braves player had more than 80 rbis. Dan had 105! No Braves player had over 21 home runs either. Dan had 33! He was the silver slugger award winner for 2nd base in 2010 and is a two-time All-Star! I agree with the posters that say this is not Chipper Jones money. Chipper would have made more elsewhere. Also consider inflation! Regarding fielding, Dan Uggla made more errors than other 2nd baseman (18) in the NL because he played the 2nd most games at 2nd base last year (158 games out of 162!). Only Weeks of Milwaukee played more games (159) at second base and he made 15 errors. On the flip side, Dan had the second most putouts (312) and assists (415) at second base in the National League. Brandon Phillips of the Reds and the 2010 Gold Glove winner had 281 putouts (21 less!) and 419 assists (only 4 more!). Phillips did, however, only have 3 errors all year. But Phillips is not as strong as an offensive presence,hitting only 18 home runs and 59 rbis. David Wright, former gold glover, had 20 errors at 3B this year! But he also had the most put outs and assists too and played in 158 games too! Wright hit 29 homers and 103 Rbi’s. I’ll take the extra rbi’s and home runs over the errors. But Maybe he can bring the errors down some in Atlanta! Remembering another 2nd baseman for the Braves, yes Brooks had many prominent errors in the playoffs, but without Brooks late game heroics during the regular season, we don’t make it to the playoffs!
tdog
December 16th, 2010
6:10 pm
It works for me. Now a free agent outfielder. Johnny Damon maybe? Magglio Ordonez?
tdog
December 16th, 2010
6:11 pm
I wonder if Prado could play center field.
Judy
December 16th, 2010
6:18 pm
I agree with MB, Wren has overreacted again, Uggla is a good fit, but we need to see how he works out in the short term. All last winter all we hear is the Braves could not make moves because most of the budget was tied up on a few players. Now we tie up 5yr an $61M on a 31 year old bad fielder. The Marlins had him for a number of years and would not sign him long term. He has pop, but in a year or so will be only usuable as DH, he will make our secondbaseman in the playoffs last year look like a gold glover. If Braves wanted pop they could of signed Dunn for 2 years. Its like KK and Lowe, next year at this time Braves will be trying to unload Uggla and will not have any takers with that contract tied to him.
Tired of nonsense
December 16th, 2010
6:22 pm
Sportswriter is stealing paychecks all day long writing this garbage. Please spend five minutes on your column next time .
Puma
December 16th, 2010
6:25 pm
Its a good deal for a guy who will hit 30 hrs/year for at least the next 2-3 years. His defense really is not that bad, I think people are overemphasizing that aspect of his game…its not that poor, its just average.
And BTW – Marlins tried to resign him four roughly the same money over 4 years..I think he wanted out of FL and who can blame him.
braveshoo
December 16th, 2010
6:28 pm
The Braves have young pitching but other than Heyward, McCann, and possibly Freeman, they have no young position players to build the team around. Uggla has averaged 30 HRs over the last 5 years, and is the only one of the above who hits RHed. He will take Chippers place, and is definitely worth 60 milllion for 5 years on todays market. I think its a very good move.
nene
December 16th, 2010
6:29 pm
60 million? wow no wonder the Ga mascot “uggla” left football for baseball
Fred Savage
December 16th, 2010
6:32 pm
Dan Uggla looks like the older brother from the Wonder Years
extremus
December 16th, 2010
6:33 pm
How about locking down Jason Heyward before he skips town? If he improves his offensive consistency and matures into a truly complete hitter over the next couple of seasons, the Braves will find it extremely difficult to keep him around for long.
The flip side of this is that I don’t like guaranteed contracts in sports; they’re risky and they’ve ruined pro sports as a whole but baseball especially is ridiculous with its player/agent avarice. If a guy lands a huge contract and then either gets hurt or just fails to deliver, the team and its fans are left in the cold. But as long as the system in baseball is what it is, the Braves should lock down as many of their young stars as possible before they hit arbitration.
Fred Savage
December 16th, 2010
6:34 pm
tdog- Magglio Ordonez just signed a 1 year deal for 10mil with the Tigers
Skeezix
December 16th, 2010
6:39 pm
All these guys are overpaid-but I’m glad the Braves have signed him to multi-years. I’m sick of the ‘one and dones’. Now if FW will ever get CF fixed. Please, not another season of watching McOut and his uppercut swing.
Duck Fan
December 16th, 2010
6:42 pm
Have you seen what guys are signing for these days. 30 homers seems like not bad by today’s standards. Trade Lowe! That is the blown money.
Ricky Pitino
December 16th, 2010
6:43 pm
Just because I’m out tom catting every night is no reason to blame me for getting embarrased by Drexel.
SF Braves Fan
December 16th, 2010
6:44 pm
Judy, in regards to: “If Braves wanted pop they could of signed Dunn for 2 years.”
Why would Dunn have accepted 2 years with the Braves when he got 4 with the White Sox? That doesn’t make any sense. Look at the contracts for Dunn, Werth, Crawford, etc– if you want to fill the holes on your team with good players from outside your organization, you have to be willing to offer them money and years, often more than you may think they are worth. The alternative is to sign reclamation projects and rejects.
And Uggla is nothing like KK– he is a proven major league talent. He has a career .349 OBP and .488 SLG. That isn’t going to disappear in a couple of years.
Najeh Davenpoop
December 16th, 2010
6:50 pm
Uggla may or may not be worth the money the Braves are offering him, but I’d rather see a trade acquisition stay here for more than one year for a change. And considering that the owners don’t seem likely to put up the cash necessary to bring in better players than him, might as well keep him around.
TheAntiMe
December 16th, 2010
6:51 pm
You know, Mark, I’m glad to see that you are branching out and writing comedy these days. it suits you well.
Christopher Chance
December 16th, 2010
6:53 pm
I think that that MOST IMPORTANT decision that Fredo will HAVE TO MAKE (if he wants to do the right thing, instead of catering to the insatiable desire of so-called Braves fans)……is where to bat The Dipper in the batting order.
There is NO FREAKING WAY that The Dipper should be batting in the #3 slot of the order. The Dipper should be batting #6 or #7 in the order. Jason Heyward provides MUCH MORE SPEED and POWER than The Dipper does at this point in whatever career he has left.
This is what Fredo’s projected batting order should be (if based on expected production alone….along with whether a lefty or righty is on the mound):
1. Nate McLouth/Jordon Schafer
2. Martin Prado
3. Jason Heyward
4. Brian McCann/Dan Uggla
5. Dan Uggla/Brian Mccann
6. The Dipper/Alex Gonzalez
7. Alex Gonzalez/The Dipper
8. Freddie Freeman
In that line-up, The Dipper should not be batting any higher than 6th. However, if Fredo caves in to fan pressure, then expect to see The Dipper batting in his “welfare” spot in the order…..because The Dipper will be the most expensive “punch and judy” #3 hitter in baseball.
WTF!
December 16th, 2010
6:55 pm
What exactly has this guy done for the Braves to earn this?
jfreak13713
December 16th, 2010
6:58 pm
Nothing will please some of you people. Complian that the Brave don’t do enough then complain when you think they do too much. Jason Werth got over 100 million so I think 60 million is a fair deal for a RIGHT HANDED POWER HITTER. Is it the best deal the Braves could have gotten who knows but 60 million over five years for a guy who will hit 25+ homers a year sounds ok to me.