Dan Uggla gets $62 million over five years, and I say, ‘Ugh’
All I'm saying: Remember Game 3. (AJC photo by Curtis Compton)
Were Dan Uggla about to turn 29, as opposed to 31, this might be a good deal. Were the Braves based in the American League, as opposed to the ol’ Senior Circuit, this might be a good deal. But he isn’t and they aren’t.
The Braves have agreed to re-up Uggla, who hasn’t yet played a game for them, for $62 million over five years. That’s not nearly Jayson-Werth-to-Washington money, but it’s a huge outlay by Braves standards. It’s also the biggest contract afforded any second baseman in baseball, and Uggla is a second baseman in name only.
Uggla’s real position is batter, and he’s really good there. And yes, the Braves needed a hitting upgrade, right-handed hitting especially. So that part makes sense. What makes less is this: To accommodate Uggla, the Braves are willing to weaken an already-crummy defense by moving Martin Prado, who’s better at second base than Uggla, to left field.
Defense in baseball is a funny thing: Almost nobody notices it until they see it’s not there. Then the wailing begins. The Braves just lost a playoff series because they couldn’t play D, but much of that was a function of circumstance: Chipper Jones and then Prado had gotten hurt and poor Brooks Conrad had to play someplace. If the Braves are still lousy defensively in 2011 and beyond, it won’t be an accident: It will be because they’ve made the considered decision to acquire and then extend Uggla.
I know what you’re saying: “What’s the big deal? If he drives in two runs a game he’ll make up giving one back.” But that’s not quite true. Bad D has an erosive effect on a team’s psyche. Let’s recall that the first moves made by John Schuerholz when he arrived from Kansas City were to sign Terry Pendleton, Sid Bream and Rafael Belliard — not so much for their hitting (although the Braves reaped the bonus of having Pendleton lead the league in batting average) but for their defense. Schuerholz knew the heart of his inherited team had to be its young pitching, and he wanted above all to give his young pitchers a chance.
Even with Uggla, the Braves going forward figure to be better at pitching than hitting. The presence of Uggla at second base (and, by extension, Prado in left) could undermine that pitching. We just saw the Giants win a World Series without hitting much — the Braves outhit outscored San Francisco over 162 games, FYI — because of an ability to pitch, yes, but also because of the capacity to catch.
I understand why the Braves wanted Uggla. They’ll need a batting-order anchor in case the post-surgical Chipper doesn’t return to his 2008 form, and they’re tired of one year rentals. (See Teixeira, Mark. Also Drew, J.D.) That said, signing a player of Uggla’s age to such a contract knowing he really doesn’t have a position is a real reach.
Pitching and defense are supposed to go hand in glove. Uggla’s glove is for ornamental purposes only. There are better ways to spend $62 million.
By Mark Bradley
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344 comments Add your comment
Bill
January 5th, 2011
9:57 am
Time will tell where this is good are bad..but for now its good………
DV
January 5th, 2011
9:58 am
Defense is overrated. Just keep guys who get the yips at the worst times (Conrad, Brooks) off the field and we’ll be fine.
Puma
January 5th, 2011
9:58 am
$62 million over 5 years is a very fair deal for a 2B who hits 30 HR/year. The only problem is that $12 million / year for the Braves is a heck of a lot more to them than it is to say Philly or the Mets.
However, I think way too much is made of Uggla’s age. He’s going to be 31, not 36. If he takes care of himself, he’ll be fine.
bill
January 5th, 2011
9:59 am
Dam* the Braves are relevant again and i am happy about it. Give them credit if Uggla had played 2nd with one arm we’d have had a good chance at the pennant. Remember its only been 2 years since we were Georgia and living in the past. Bobby could coach UGA to a 6-7 record and he’s available
RomeDawg
January 5th, 2011
10:00 am
I think the issue the readers have is that you play both sides of the fence. It was a great move when we traded for Uggla and now signing him long term, which would be the point of trading a young pitcher for him, has now “hurt the Braves”. I think sometimes journalist write just to stir the pot and this happens to be one of those articles. There are pros and cons to every move, most just don’t require a journalist writing a whole article on it.
JJ
January 5th, 2011
10:01 am
Not to pile on and all, but the Braves are apparently damned if you do and damned if you don’t with some writers. The Braves gave up a utility player and a young, extraneous LHP for an allstar that gives you 30 HRs a year and your are complaining that he isn’t a gold glover?
And are you REALLY suggesting that he’s going to play like Brooks at 2b? Give me a break.
Andy
January 5th, 2011
10:02 am
To get good players in this day and age you have to overpay. I agree that his age is a concern but it’s not like his contract runs through age 40. I am going to take a wait and see approach on this one. I’m not jumping up and down but at the same time I don’t think it’s the worst thing that could happen.
JR
January 5th, 2011
10:02 am
has he ever played the outfield? it might be worth trying as a different set of defensive skills are required.
JDawg
January 5th, 2011
10:03 am
Typical from the AJC Hacks…praise the acquisition and then when we decide to pay him to keep him, your going to find something wrong with him. I don’t recall you having any concerns with the original contract!I know it’s your job to write, but how about writing something that is factual, not speculative, like how Georgia’s AD is gonna fix Richt; or maybe how Tech’s AD is gonna fix the Basketball program; or even how Georgia Southern rebounded from disaster to make it to the semi-finals and sits in prime position to be Champions once again.
Chopper
January 5th, 2011
10:04 am
Mark Bradley,
The problem with your logic is that you assume Dan Uggla will play 2B for the duration of this contract. Plans always change because circumstances change. Dan Uggla will be playing LF by 2013 and the Braves will have brought up some young middle infielders to take over SS and 2B (Matt Lipka and Tyler Pastornicky) because they certainly don’t have any OF prospects to expect to make the big leagues as starters any time soon. So a 33 year old Uggla would make sense to slide out to LF as Prado slides back to 3B as Chipper retires.
But let’s not be confused…the Braves are not signing Uggla to a $62 million contract for his glove. It’s for his bat. And according to the market place that deal is below what he would get as a free agent. So the Braves made a good deal to get a guy who would have led the Braves in all their power categories last year but still won’t be the highest paid player on the roster (that goes to Derek Lowe and Chipper Jones).
Your evaluation of this deal is flawed. Uggla has been a more productive power player than either Jayson Werth or Carl Crawford and yet he’s getting half the deal. The Braves made a shrewd move and you need to recognize that.
jerry
January 5th, 2011
10:04 am
Uggla is very good at striking out–760 times in 5 years.
Toyt Like A Tiger
January 5th, 2011
10:06 am
I dont get why everybody hates Dan Uggla. Why do you Mark? You clearly must if you’re questioning this BARGAIN. His offense is better than Utleys because Utley plays at a baby ballpark.
Mark
January 5th, 2011
10:06 am
I don’t mind this move that much, although I agree that part of the Braves’ past success has been due to their defense and I think we should continue to make it a priority. I just think Uggla will suffice at second, and it seems Prado has adapted fairly well wherever we’ve played him.
Isn’t there a decent chance Prado is going to be filling in at third this season anyway, depending on Chipper’s status? Is there another back up at third?
fla dawg
January 5th, 2011
10:06 am
if DV is serious with his thoughts on defense then he is without a doubt the winner for the stupidest comment on this blog.
Dan
January 5th, 2011
10:07 am
I understand the concerns over Uggla’s defense, but I don’t think they’re nearly as drastic as has been documented. If you look at his stats, he has been very middle of the pack with other 2b around the league, not below average. Plus, Fredi Gonzalez (no offense, but someone who knows Uggla’s defense MUCH better than you) says he thinks Uggla’s defense is very underrated.
What?!?
January 5th, 2011
10:07 am
Uggla had a -1 WAR last year. One win. In 162 games. That’s what his defense “costs” you. Give me a break.
Considering the offensive dimension he gives the Braves that they haven’t had since Teix left, he’s a great fit. The money’s not great, but that’s what you’re gonna pay for a 30-homer 2b.
justin1
January 5th, 2011
10:08 am
Uggla will have warning track power at best within 2 years. Bad move. Hitting 30 HRs a year for a right handed pull hitter at sunlife doesnt impress me too much. If he was puttin out 40-45 it would be more promising. His numbers are not going to get better hitting in a bigger, less hitter friendly park. I predict a 25 HR year from him in 2011 and by 2015, less than 15.
Dan
January 5th, 2011
10:08 am
Jerry- about 100 of those strike outs came against the Braves. Switch the Braves pitching with that of the Marlins, and that will help cut down on his wiffs.
collegeballfan
January 5th, 2011
10:09 am
I like the Uggla deal. He is a better defensive player when he is away from that joke of a field in Miami the Marlins have.
The Braves will have errors from 2nd and Short next season. More than they want. But that is just the way it is will the players they have on the roster.
TB
January 5th, 2011
10:09 am
Martin Prado is a better fielder? Martin’s fielding % is .981. Ugga’s is .980. I expect lame comments from fans, but not professional sports writers. Get your facts straight, Bradley.
CT
January 5th, 2011
10:10 am
Mark,
I say Ugh! to your articles that never look at all the points. How much of a defensive upgrade will Prado be in left of Diaz/Infante/Cabrera? Did you think of that? And all you Chipper haters, have you ever gone through a knee rehab. Your whole body gets in the best shape its ever been in. If he is to be ready by opening day with a blown ACL, Chipper will be in the best shape he has been in in 6-7 years. This team just became balanced with a 5yr/62mil right-handed power hitter with better numbers than the guy in washington that just got 7yr/126mil. So give Wren a break.
Larry
January 5th, 2011
10:10 am
OK, I’ll admit it right up front. Feeling a bit cynical this morning…but…
I love sports just as much as the next guy and believe in the free market, capitalism, etc.. However, does anyone other than me sometimes feel a bit stupid to be funding a bunch of poorly or non educated, crotch scratching, spitting, and mostly immature 20 and 30 year olds 5, 10, 15, 20 and even 25 MILLION DOLLARS to throw, catch and hit a little round white ball for 8-9 months out of the year?
That State Trouper who worked nights, weekends and holidays 50 of 52 weeks every year that just got shot in the face and died probably made about 45-50K a year!
Or, is it just me?
Whew!
justin1
January 5th, 2011
10:10 am
I may be being generous for the 2011 season actually. More like 20…………………
CT
January 5th, 2011
10:10 am
I meant Diaz/Hinske/Cabrera
JoeFan
January 5th, 2011
10:11 am
This contract just shows that the Braves have money to spend. So lets see them spend some more and close the other holes in their lineup.
Sid Bream's Legs
January 5th, 2011
10:11 am
Mark,
Given how terrible your predictions are, I’m very excited by this column. Uggla may win a Gold Glove this year.
Here are a few more suggestions for the coming year:
“Heyward won’t hit 10 home runs all year.”
“Braves to finish fourth in division.”
“Pitching to fall off cliff after All-Star break.”
Tweets that mention Dan Uggla gets $62 million over five years, and I say, ‘Ugh’ | Mark Bradley -- Topsy.com
January 5th, 2011
10:11 am
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Mark Bradley. Mark Bradley said: The #Braves hand Dan Uggla $62 million over five years, and I say, "Ugh." http://bit.ly/gFmbEL [...]
spider
January 5th, 2011
10:12 am
this really only affects the dummies who buy tickets to pro sports rather than buying tickets to great college and h.s. sports
TONE
January 5th, 2011
10:14 am
isnt that about the same money Grantham is making , and i hear grantham cant hit a curveball.
Dumbo
January 5th, 2011
10:15 am
Ugly……I mean Uggla
should've traded for rasmus
January 5th, 2011
10:16 am
bradley makes a good point and is a way better writer than DOB. bradley is a realist…the braves might have gotten themselves into trouble here with such a big contract to a guy who plays less than average defense and who strikes out more than almost anyone in baseball. some of you are asking “how could the braves spend this money better?” well here’s how: because we got uggla wren stopped pursuing players we actually need (like outfielders), justin upton, colby rasmus, matt kemp, and jacoby ellsbury were all options, but because we got a hitter at a position we didn’t need, we stopped pursuing players we could actually use (and now we have a second baseman playing left). had we not signed uggla we could’ve traded for any one of those dynamic players (all of whom are well under 30) and had them for years to come. so now we are settled with a good power-hitting 2nd baseman who strikes out too much and can’t play defense instead of having a power hitting outfielder or speedy outfielder like rasmus or upton. plus i don’t see the how the excuse of “well chipper gets paid more than that” helps anything. who cares? chipper is clearly getting overpaid as it is, so how do you justify uggla’s overpaying by simply saying, “well chipper gets paid more.” now we are overpaying two players. anyways stop hating on mark bradley
T-Bone
January 5th, 2011
10:16 am
Bark Madley (it is really hard to resist that), usually I agree with your opinions, but here I must depart. Though I agree with your premise completely, I think the Braves really didn’t have much of a choice. They absolutely had to have a bat. You can agree with that, I’m sure. They would have loved to have had right-handed hitting left fielder, but there just wasn’t one available. And they didn’t really give up much to get him.
Does this move have risks? Absolutely. Do we wish Uggla was younger and fielded better? You bet. But given the world that Frank Wren lives in, this is a pretty good option.
Navigator
January 5th, 2011
10:17 am
So they over paid for another moderately talented player (last was aging Chipper), so what’s new. This is the place they are with Wren, who is only average in picking personnel and then over pays for them. They are afraid to build a team through their minor leagues like the 1990’s when most of their position players came from the organization. I don’t think Uggla will improve their chances at all, plus they’ve given away at least one allstar from that team.
OPISO » D12: Huzzah! Hall of Fame season mercifully drawing to an end
January 5th, 2011
10:20 am
[...] 7. This offseason is officially starting to seem long, because I could have sworn that Dan Uggla and the Atlanta Braves had already reached a contract extension. But apparently not, as the two sides just came to a five-year agreement worth $62 million. [AJC] [...]
nemov
January 5th, 2011
10:21 am
Navigator. Prado, McCann, Freeman, and Heyward came from the minors. That’s half the line-up. That’s not even counting the pitching staff. What are you talking about?
BravesfaninVR
January 5th, 2011
10:22 am
Whew!!!!!!! first Bradley thinks the Falcons will not make the Super Bowl and now he frowns on this move. I hope the Bradley curse carries over from 2010.
Derek
January 5th, 2011
10:22 am
So what are the better ways to spend $62M, Mark? Yes, you’re just doing your job by publishing ridiculous articles (that I enjoy reading) like this, but you can’t believe what you’re saying. For a team that is paying $7M in 2011 to a minor-league player (Kawakami) and almost $8M for a CF (McLouth) that hasn’t locked down the starting job, I’d say spending $12.4M (avg) on Uggla for the next 5 years for a person that has put up numbers better than Werth’s, offensively, while saving $6M per year, is pretty good. You really think Werth’s defense is that much better than Uggla’s? And if worse comes to worse, Freeman needs to lock down the 1B job, if he doesn’t, you could see Uggla easily transition to 1B or possibly OF. Not the best scenario, but one that could keep Uggla’s bat in the lineup and downplay his glove, if it got any worse. Can’t be worse than Conrad’s.
DV
January 5th, 2011
10:23 am
@fla dawg. I assure you you’re not as smart as you think. The difference from one player to the next in terms of defense is 1 game a year at most. You won’t get far with a team of defensive specialists.
OleBravesFan
January 5th, 2011
10:23 am
Alex Gonzolaz made 1 more error (19) than Dan Uggla (18) in 2010; Yunel Escobar (18). Not saying he is good defensively but it is more of a good deal than a bad deal. I wish he was as good as Brandon Phillips but how many people are defensively? He did hit 15 more HRs than B. Phillips did. Can’t teach the kind of pop Uggla has and he can still work on his fielding and get better (even at 31 years of age)
haney
January 5th, 2011
10:23 am
First of all, as others have mentioned, that field down there in Miami/Ft Lauderdale is horrible. Second, I have never heard of Uggla being a HORRIBLE defensive player. Sure, he might not be at the top of the list as defensive 2B’s go, but I can assure you he is better that Kelly Johnson or Brooks Conrad. His bat is really going to help this lineup-having a right handed power bat has been missing for the Braves for years now. You have McCann, Heyward, switch hitting Chipper, Freddie Freeman is a lefty, McClouth is lefty, it will be nice to have a right handed power guy in the middle of this lineup.
You think about how many close games the Braves lost last year because of lack of offense, with this pitching staff, adding Uggla’s bat is HUGE. Consider the mammoth contracts that most power hitters are getting these days, I view this contract as a very good one. It is about time Liberty Mutual stepped up and forked out some dough for a quality player, gives me hope that maybe they will spend a little more that most of us ever thought.
Goldenglove002
January 5th, 2011
10:24 am
Uggla’s contract isn’t amazing, but considering the 2 through 6 spots in our lineup are solidified for the next 3-5 years as Prado, Heyward, McCann, Uggla and Freeman (Heck maybe we’ll see a miracle and Chipper plays like Chipper for the next 2 years).
As important as defense is, Uggla might not win a Gold Glove but he won’t be a butcher in the field. He’ll get done what he needs to get done, and he’s going to have slick fielders around him in Freeman, Heyward and Gonzalez.
tdmorgan
January 5th, 2011
10:30 am
should’ve traded for rasmus, what do you think we would have had to give up to get the players you are talking about? Certainly not Infante and Dunn. We would have probably have had to give up Prado and at least one of our young pitchers in the minors, I’m pretty sure people would have been asking for Tehran, Delgado or Vizcaino. You also forget that Prado has played LF in Winter Ball essentially every year that he has played down there. He didn’t play this winter because well he is guaranteed a spot and was an All-Star last year. So needless to say we had a guy who could play 1B, 2B, 3B, and LF on our roster and we could plug him where needed. I seem to remember when Chipper moved to LF to accommodate the team so that they could sign Castillo and that worked out fine. Prado is one of the ultimate team players in the game, I am sure he would like to have one definite position as he gets older but he also knows that his skills allow the Braves to be a lot more flexible with their team.
boog
January 5th, 2011
10:31 am
Man, Bradley… the Braves can’t do anything to please you. Thank goodness that’s not their objective. I am quite sure they couldn’t care less about your mindless ramblings. If they would not have signed him you would have cranked out one of your “why aren’t the braves trying to keep up with the phillies” nonsense articles. Damned if you do…damned if don’t.
Mark
January 5th, 2011
10:31 am
MB
Here’s the rub. I’m certainly no stat geek but there is one worth its weight, UZR. For the last 3 seasons, Uggs has avg a UZR/150 of -5.5 (this represents the amount of runs above/below the avg fielder the defender will produce for the team). Now compare that to Prado, who over the past two seasons at second has left a UZR of -2.95. Overall the fact is simple…the Uggs replacing Prado is nearly a clean switch. Their bats change the order and the team; both are necessary for the long haul. Good move for the Braves.
Warren Haynes For President
January 5th, 2011
10:31 am
It has been obvious from the day we traded for him that a deal very close to this was going to happen. It’s not like this is a surprise. Maybe I missed it but I don’t remember you criticizing the deal prior to today.
It obviously remains to be seen how he pans out but if you look at what he has done so far in his career and assume he will at least maintain similar numbers for the next 4-5 years he could down as one of the greatest hitting second baseman in the history of the game. This contract is a reasonable risk with the potential for a very high return.
Georgia Sam
January 5th, 2011
10:32 am
It seems to me that the Braves made the best deal that their limited resourses allowed. We gave up no prospects to get him for years 2-5 of his contract. I think the Braves can find plenty of teams willing to take a 30 homer guy off of their hands should his defense become a problem in Atlanta. He would be a prefect fit for an American league team as a DH.
should've traded for rasmus
January 5th, 2011
10:34 am
its not that im even that upset that we got uggla (even though i think we signed him for way too long given his age), its that we aren’t going after the players we actually need. we are going to once again be stuck with a makeshift outfield instead of having a true outfield with everyone playing their natural positions. also, chipper will not return to form. im sorry, but he is too beat up, and simply too old. the only thing chipper will be good for is maybe slapping some singles that narrowly escape an infielder’s glove. i love the guy, but chipper’s contract is killing us. speaking of contracts that are killing us: derek lowe…the guy should not have like the 28th highest contract in baseball to be our 4th best pitcher on the team, and while he is good in the playoffs, he’s just pretty bad during the regular season
monty
January 5th, 2011
10:37 am
Braves didn’t score runs(not many by comparison)but had very good pitching. While the pitching should be very good again, hitting should be improved significantly if everyone stays healthy, yad yada, yada. Phillies hitting may not improve much if any, but their pitching if they all stay healthy will improve significantly. We did what makes since. Uggla improves everyone else, wait and see.
Jim
January 5th, 2011
10:37 am
Its a ballsy move. I for one am impressed that the Braves finally made a long-term commitment to someone other than Chipper or a pitcher. Even if he winds up sucking, you cant blame them for trying to stabilize offensive production for the next half-decade.
Dominic
January 5th, 2011
10:41 am
I agree completely with Mark. I’m a big time braves fan, and don’t understand why people are mad at Mark for writing the truth. He’s not a cheerleader, he’s paid to provide analysis and insight.
Letting Uggla go at the end of the year would have been the right move. We have a real shot this year, and didn’t have to anchor ourselves with another huge contract to an old dude just when we are in a position to get out of some bad contracts.
Build from within. Hewyard, McCann, Prado – focus on extending those guys, because they will provide more bang for the buck and then develop young players or trade for them.