I don’t like trading pitching, but I’d swap Mike Minor for Beltran
October 2004: Carlos Beltran homers yet again; Jaret Wright surrenders. (AP photo)
The Braves have cause to beware the prospect(s)-for-rental-player trade. They’ve been burned twice this century: Once in December 2003, when they shipped Jason Marquis and Adam Wainwright to St. Louis for a year’s worth of J.D. Drew, and again in July 2007 when they sent the entire farm system — OK, not really — to Texas for 364 days of Mark Teixeira’s services.
And now, another trade deadline close at hand, we here have reason to ponder the merits of another rumored young-for-old swap. The Mets are looking to divest themselves of Carlos Beltran, who will become a free agent at season’s end. (And if you’re thinking the Braves might have a chance to keep Beltran longer-term, forget it. His agent, as was the case with Drew and Teixeira, is Scott Boras.)
Owing to money problems from Bernie Madoff’s Ponzi scheme, the Mets have money problems. They’re not looking for big names. They’re in need of cheap young arms. The Braves have ‘em. It has been reported that the Mets dispatched a scout to watch Mike Minor work for Gwinnett against Louisville on Thursday. (Might not have been the best night to catch him: Six innings, 10 hits, six runs, three earned.)
We ask: Two months plus postseason of Beltran against the next five years of Minor — would you do it?
I would.
As a rule, I hate trading young pitchers. (Mention the names of John Smoltz and Jair Jurrjens to a Tigers fan.) I would under no circumstances — if the Rangers offered Josh Hamilton I might rethink, but only then — part with Julio Teheran or Arodys Vizcaino, and I’m on record as saying I wouldn’t swap Brandon Beachy for Carlos Quentin, the White Sox outfielder who can become a free agent after next season.
But Minor-for-Beltran I’d do, for two reasons. First, Beltran plays center field, which means he’d fill an immediate need. (Quentin is a corner outfielder.) Second, I’m not crazy about Minor.
When the Braves drafted him in Round 1 out of Vanderbilt in 2009, the ESPN analyst Keith Law suggested they’d erred. But not every guy you pick in Round 1 has to wind up in your rotation to have value: If Minor can be turned into Beltran and Beltran hits the winning home run in Game 7 of the World Series, this will go down as the greatest Braves’ No. 1 pick since Chipper Jones.
In two-plus years in the organization, Minor has done well. But he’s not in the majors, and those who justified drafting him did so in the belief he was already close to being big-league ready. He has been lapped by Beachy, who wasn’t drafted at all, and will soon be passed by Teheran. And if Beachy vis-a-vis Minor had been a close call, the Braves would have erred on the side of the lefthander, seeing as how their rotation lacks one. But it’s not close.
Minor isn’t another Wainwright, who clearly projected as a No. 1 starter. Minor might top out as a No. 4 man. He’s the kind of good-but-not-great prospect who’s made to go in a deadline deal. He is, to dip into Braves’ history, a Melvin Nieves.
Melvin Nieves was a promising outfielder in a stacked farm system who became the key name in the Fred McGriff trade of July 1993. The Padres wanted Ryan Klesko, who was the prospect of the moment, but the Braves wouldn’t bite. (Nor was John Schuerholz moved to part with Chipper or Javy Lopez or even Mike Kelly or Tony Tarasco. Like I said: Stacked farm system) They held out and got the guy they needed at the price they wanted.
Loading ...The parallel isn’t exact — McGriff didn’t become a free agent until after the Braves won the World Series in 1995, and they had enough money back then to keep him — but it’s close enough. The Braves were good but not good enough in July 1993. (With no wild card back then, they had to catch San Francisco. They did.) Good as these Braves are, they might be one bat short of winning the World Series.
If the Braves don’t land Beltran, they might have to face him in October: The Phillies, Giants and Red Sox are all believed to have similar interest. The Braves saw him in postseason once before. He hit four home runs, three at Turner Field, against them as a rent-an-Astro in 2004. He signed with the Mets for Joe Johnson money that winter.
The Braves helped make Beltran a rich man. If he helps make the Braves a world champ, we’ll call it even.
By Mark Bradley
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313 comments Add your comment
beone
July 24th, 2011
3:34 pm
Do it
Josh
July 24th, 2011
3:35 pm
good stuff Mark. Hopefully Wren pulls this deal off, it really could put the braves over the top and win it all.
beone
July 24th, 2011
3:35 pm
AND YES, I read the entire article. I find the “you know what” childish.
Mark Bradley
July 24th, 2011
3:38 pm
I know what, beone. I’ll spare you the … well, you know.
topdawg
July 24th, 2011
3:39 pm
Trade McLouth and Minor for Beltran and a AA or AAA left handed arm who is a decent prospect. Pay McLouth’s salary and let the Mets pay Beltrans salary. What could be more even? And, after the season the Braves would be done with Mc and his salary and still have a prospect.
The Real Brave
July 24th, 2011
3:42 pm
Pull the trigger, please!!
Outside Observer
July 24th, 2011
3:43 pm
I’m very skeptical of trading for a rental. You mentioned the Tex trade that saw us trade a lot for a little. JD Drew was even worse. These young pitchers are the future of the organization. Like most other Boras players, we can’t stay in a bidding war to keep Hanson and Jurrjens for the majority of their careers. I would prefer to trade one of them for a top player we can keep around for a few years than giving away the future for a short term rental.
ryan
July 24th, 2011
3:45 pm
I have heard from a couple experts from Buster Onley and Bill Shanks that this trade is not happening Frank Wren just not willing to give up the young pitching arms .
Josh
July 24th, 2011
3:45 pm
Totally agree with your assessment of Minor, Mark. Only question, is Beltran good enough? Or is there anyone out there better? Would the Rays shed BJ Upton for Minor? And would that be a better deal? Basically, do you think Beltran is the most legitimate right handed bat we could get for Minor?
longtimefan
July 24th, 2011
3:46 pm
How much better will Beltran possibly be than the two options we already have? Will those extra few homers and hits for 2 months and hopefully in the postseason be worth years of salary controlled left handed starting pitching? I don’t think so. Lowe is gone after next year. Hudson the year after. Vizcaino is probably bound for the bullpen unless he develops a major league effective third pitch. Injures happen to starting pitching, you can never have enough.
slydog
July 24th, 2011
3:49 pm
The Braves need to stop tip toeing and go after Matt Kemp or Hunter Pence. They are out there to be had. If they want Minor, Delgado and/or Tehran, so be it. Win the World Series and possibly contend for a few more years. What good is all that pitching when we virtually have all of our best hitters in the majors right now? This is the same strategy that has us stuck in the mud since 95′. The Braves have an excellent scouting staff and farm system. It’s called belief
Josh
July 24th, 2011
3:50 pm
But longtimefan, I want to win a World Series now… not just have decent starting pitching for the next few years. I do understand the sentiment of wanting to keep good pitchers… that’s totally reasonable. But when we have a surplus, as we do now, and we have a team that could go deep into the playoffs maybe even win a championship with another helpful bat… dont you have to go for that? I’m just tired of the Braves being nearly good enough. Lets go win one, ya know?
AUGuY
July 24th, 2011
3:51 pm
War Eagle!
ryan
July 24th, 2011
3:51 pm
BJ Upton would not mind getting little younger more athletic but does have some baggage what about Coby Rassmus .
all for one.....
July 24th, 2011
3:54 pm
please GM Wren, Beltran probably gets hurt and doesn’t play for us anyway. Keep Mike Minor and all the rest. To heck with the Mets.
Vino Fino
July 24th, 2011
3:57 pm
I like it, but don’t love it. If it’s truly a straight up Minor for Beltran deal (hard to believe the Mets aren’t asking for more), you almost have to do it. But my concerns are:
1) The Braves need to be spending more energy / trade leverage going after some right handed bullpen help. The pitching has been pretty rough since the last game before the break. Could be that they’ve just come up against a run a good offenses in mostly hitters ballparks. But could be a sign that the staff is starting to wear down. If I see Proctor come in again to put gas on a fire, I’m going to set myself on fire!!! He obviously can’t be on the team much longer (my guess is they cut him tomorrow), but there doesn’t appear to be a lot of major league ready help at Gwinett.
2) No way the Braves resign Beltran. That to me lessens the value of any deal like this.
3) Beltran is OLD (by baseball standards) and WORN OUT. What happens if he breaks down a week after the Braves acquire him? Then you’ve lost a prospect for absolutely nothing. Plus, when you have to reference 7 years ago as a reason to fear the guy, it probably begs the question- What have you don’t latley? Seems like not much.
I could go on, but…
STH
July 24th, 2011
3:58 pm
You cant wash off that Met stinch, let this one go but shop Minor for another proven CF.
Vino Fino
July 24th, 2011
3:59 pm
“done lately”
Nova Scotia Steve
July 24th, 2011
3:59 pm
This deal should go down. I’d be surprised if it doesn’t.
Considering Ken Rosenthal reported yesterday that several Braves veterans have expressed a desire for the team to acquire Beltran.
Hopefully Frank Wren was listening and I’m sure he is/was. I trust and have faith in the entire Braves organization!
It a step above many, if not all, other.
Milt Famey
July 24th, 2011
4:04 pm
MB, I disagree. Minor may turn out to be a great pitcher. If you look at Tom Glavine’s first 3 full seasons, he had losing seasons in 2 of those and ERA over 4.00. In the other year, he was 14-12. The next 3 seasons (91-93) he was a 20-game winner. Minor may develop into such a pitcher. He has a lot of skills, including the mental toughness to succeed.
"Chef" Tim Dix
July 24th, 2011
4:06 pm
Might even throw in the catcher in Rome if necessary to make it happen.
We need a bat.
But ONLY if it is a last resort.
10 Players to Pick Up in Fantasy Baseball before the MLB Trade Deadline | Fantasy Baseball Hot Stove
July 24th, 2011
4:06 pm
[...] A Minor for Beltran deal has been rumored and I’d love to see the young southpaw pitch most of his games in Citi Field. [...]
extremus
July 24th, 2011
4:06 pm
Mr. Bradley,
A simple question: Do you think the Braves could get MORE long-term value for Minor and/or another piece or two than the two months or so Beltran MAY provide if he stays healthy (and doesn’t have an Uggla-like “slow start” in Atlanta)? If so, then is it worth the risk to hold out for that “something more”?
Yes, the Braves are buyers…but they also have a BUNCH of solid pitching (some of which simply have no immediately foreseeable place in the rotation or bullpen at the MLB level) that if they’re smart they can use as GREAT leverage to pry other significant needs away from pitching-needy teams (of which there are MANY). I’d LOVE to see them win the World Series this year, but giving up Minor is a big gamble if there’s ANY chance that he could bring MORE in return. The Braves, from what I’ve read on a few different sites/blogs, seem to agree with my assessment; the Mets would almost have to throw in something extra to make the deal work, NOT the other way around.
Mark Bradley
July 24th, 2011
4:07 pm
Minor might turn out to be a great pitcher. But that’s the risk you take.
Just Me
July 24th, 2011
4:07 pm
Braves have to do something. We were shelled bad last night. The Braves just don’t have a chance to out score other teams if the pitching is giving up hits.
"Chef" Tim Dix
July 24th, 2011
4:08 pm
BTW, just don’t see it in Minor’s eyes like I do in Beachy.
But what do I know?
skiingdawg
July 24th, 2011
4:08 pm
I have followed the Braves since they originally came to Atlanta. Minor is our only left-handed SP that is close to being ready for the majors. I do not see GM Wren trading him for a short-term rental player, unless it is part of a larger deal to net us: (1) a prospect at OF or 3B; or, (2) a solid relief pitcher. FWIW: I would not trade one of our top three right handed starting pitchers (Teheran, Delgado, or Vizcaino). I expect Mr. Wren to really think mortgaging our future starting pitching versus a short-term rental player.
In terms of where we stand dollar wise. Salaries to KK ($7,336,667; FA in 2012); Nate McLouth ($7,000,000 in 2011; $1,250,000 buyout for 2012); Alex Gonzalez ($2,500,000. in 2011; FA after this year) and Scott Linebrink (net $2,000,000 in 2011) will expire at the end of 2011 (total $18,836,667) leaving room for a major FA acquisition for 2012; even after raises to JJ, Prado; Hanson; and a new contract for B.Mac.
Milt Famey
July 24th, 2011
4:08 pm
Beltran would be a PURE RENTAL. His contract precludes being offered arbitration at season’s end which means there will be no draft picks to the team unlucky enough to hold the contract at year’s end.
luvthosedawgs68
July 24th, 2011
4:09 pm
I hear both arguments, and I usually hate to make trades to acquire rentals, But i do believe that this opportunity may be too good to pass up. Especially if Minor is the one being traded. I believe the Braves should go for it!!!
Just Me
July 24th, 2011
4:09 pm
The Braves have to do something. We can’t out hit other teams if our pitching isn’t great. We have to get some bats.
Milt Famey
July 24th, 2011
4:09 pm
For that much rent, I would rather have Bourne or Upton who would be with us next year also and bring compensation picks when they leave.
"Chef" Tim Dix
July 24th, 2011
4:10 pm
With a bat in the wings, I don’t make the move. Clearly in the off season the kid’s value increases.
"Chef" Tim Dix
July 24th, 2011
4:13 pm
A legit bat takes a great deal of pressure off of our 7,8,9 bullpen proven.
"Chef" Tim Dix
July 24th, 2011
4:14 pm
Upton, Upton, Upton….WHY?
Jack in Macon
July 24th, 2011
4:15 pm
I understand Beltran’s batting avg. is not very good from the right side; so not sure we’ll be gaining much. I do think Minor is another Jo Jo Reyes; maybe a little better, but will never amount to much.
I think our biggest need is pitching help in the bullpen more than anything.
I know the Braves will never do this, for many reasons such as money, but a bold move would be to put Lowe (if they can’t trade him and dump his salary) in the bullpen and bring up first Minor, if he doesn’t work out in two starts, switch to Teheran. If this doesn’t work out we can always bring Lowe back into the rotation.
country boy
July 24th, 2011
4:15 pm
Wasn’t Mike Minor a FIRST ROUND draft choice just a couple of years ago? Is the Braves scouting/drafting so bad that we trade the first player we take in a once a year draft that lasts about 100 rounds for an older, ailing 2 month stinking rental? Let’s hope Wren is smart enough to just be blowing smoke about this trade in order to have to make the Phillies pay more for Beltran. Minor may develop.
skiingdawg
July 24th, 2011
4:17 pm
Let me throw a new name into the mix: Chris Heisey (26 yrs old) – LF at Cincinnati. I’ve been watching him this summer – fairly solid player. Might be worth trading Beachy.
Tim L.
July 24th, 2011
4:18 pm
I’d rather see us get Marlon Byrd from the Cubs. He’s signed through 2012.
Kenshin Kawakami
July 24th, 2011
4:18 pm
Trade me, Jackson, Mississippi is no Atlanta or even Birmingham. Surely the Mets will take me.
bravos007
July 24th, 2011
4:19 pm
@Mark Bradley- absolutely disagree. minor is the only lefty starter we have. looking at our recent pitching, we might need him sooner than later. we’ve been down this road before and it simply doesn’t work out.
JC Boscan III
July 24th, 2011
4:20 pm
IF the Braves can acquire Beltran for Minor, it would be nice for the Mets to include an good A or AA prospect in return for one of the Braves’ mid-rank AAA prospects who might be more major-league ready for the Mets in 2012. We seem to have no interest in our own AAA outfielder Stefan Gartrell, for example.
But, even if Wren pulls this off, he should ALSO try to acquire the “hits lefties” corner outfielder to platoon with Heyward, who is hitting .169 against lefties this year. It’s going to be quite difficult to hide that bad of an average against good or mediocre lefties during the stretch run and playoffs! It’s just disturbing to have a key component of our lineup be THIS weak if the opponents shoves a lefty out onto the mound!!! Schafer, McLouth and Hinske are terrible vs. lefties, too, which magnifies the problem. A platoon guy like this could also be the pinch-hitter to send up against lefties late in the game. It can be someone as uninspiring as Gomes, SINCE Gomes crushes lefty pitching, and would only be needed for those situations IF we also acquire Beltran.
Then, for a 3rd and final step, find that additional reliever to reduce the load on O’Ventrell, and the Braves will be a much tougher team to beat from here until late October. He doesn’t have to be great —– just more reliable than Proctor! …Then, if Moylan also returns and pitches well, there is no longer a problem with the back-end of our bullpen smelling like a back-end of a farm animal…..
Nova Scotia Steve
July 24th, 2011
4:20 pm
I don’t understand some of the opinions on here. Isn’t the goal is WIN THE WORLD SERIES.
Or is the goal simply to make the play-offs???
I’ve been a Braves fan for 17 years. I feel privileged the team I follow is competitive almost every year…that is an excellent goal to have as an organization but ultimately the goal is and should be to WIN THE WORLD SERIES.
The Braves have some great young talent and will be competitive for years to come…but I think this could be a special year for the Braves. Why not take the chance and go for it…instead of waiting 3 years to see IF a pitcher might turn into a 3 or 4 rotation guy.
This hee’ing and haw’ing Braves fans put out eveyr year when the front office tries to make the team better for the stretch run makes me sick.
Remember Beltran goes to the Red Sox, Giants, Phillies or Rangers we will have to get past almost all of those teams in the playoffs. Can’t wait to see the reaction on here should Philly land Carlos.
That would be entertaining.
bravos007
July 24th, 2011
4:21 pm
let me get this straight- the braves groom Minor for years then trade him to the Mets where we would face him 18 times a season in the Eastern Division. All this for 70 games with an injury-proned 34yo outfielder? NO THANKS
Mark Bradley
July 24th, 2011
4:21 pm
The aim is to lose in the first round, Nova Scotia.
I’m kidding!
Lowcountry Bulldawg
July 24th, 2011
4:21 pm
Great arguments Bradley on why you make the move. I think you can’t not make the move out of fear of screwing up again. Beltran is raking it and would fit nicely into the lineup in the three hole especially.
BJ Upton is hitting .232 folks. Where is this crush on Upton coming from? The Braves need to make the move.
I hate the Mets
July 24th, 2011
4:21 pm
While the allure of Beltran is there is he is a sMET, And the only person that could have a worse Smet’s scent is of course Jose Reyes. Like the others my concern is the pitching. The guys in the rotation havent looked good… lets hope its Cinncy and Denver.
bravos007
July 24th, 2011
4:22 pm
this team is looking like the Wild Card might be a challenge too. They are 5-4 since the break and are in the bottom 3 of major league pitching since the break. maybe trading our future for Beltran isn’t the answer after all.
Nova Scotia Steve
July 24th, 2011
4:25 pm
BTW Minor had a 5.35 ERA IN 15 MLB games and his ERA is over 3.00 in AAA.
IMO he’s a middle to back end starter in the MLB at best. I don’t think he’s anywhere near that status as of yet.
Everyone thought he was a lock to be our 5th starter this season…and where is he??? You don’t even hear much about him for the G-Braves so its not like he’s exactly lights out down there.
Nathan
July 24th, 2011
4:26 pm
Mark Bradley there just one thing i would to for beltran to play any field postion if someone one was injured a need at CF we already have our now and future in Jordan Schafer.
country boy
July 24th, 2011
4:26 pm
Nova Scotia Steve – I would like to see the Braves win the World Series EVERY year not just this year. thanks.
Jfreak13713
July 24th, 2011
4:27 pm
You don’t win the World Series without taking chances that may improve your team TODAY. Minor might turn out to be a really good pitcher but we know Beltran can fill a need for this team now. I would make the move because we Already have two young pitchers (Hanson, Jurjens) in rotation and a couple more that will be ready in a year or two.
However, I don’t think the Braves will land Beltran because I think the Phillies or Red Sox will overpay to get him and the Braves won’t. But with Uggla starting to look like UGGLA and Heyward may also be coming out of a season slump their offense is in better shape today than it was a few weeks ago. If they do nothing they still have a good chance to make playoffs and world series run. Add a nice bat and maybe another arm out of the bullpen and they will be a really hard out!
Go Braves!
joe
July 24th, 2011
4:29 pm
if FG puts Proctor in any meaningful game the rest of this year he should be fired on the spot……..
bravos007
July 24th, 2011
4:29 pm
but, ya know, why would Minor even really want to be a Brave anymore? Maybe it’s best for him to go. It’s clear that all the media and radio folks are so eager for a “big deal”. i am sure he feels expendable to the organization. def not good for him or his confidence. i am starting to support the idea of him leaving b/c he deserves better than this.
bravos007
July 24th, 2011
4:34 pm
@joe- you nailed it. where is the headline on the AJC about Scott Proctor?
and i mean this respectfully to Mark B, but why is everyone so obsessed with Beltran and ignoring the most obvious problem? (i.e.our lack of middle-relief help in the pen) maybe i have missed it, but i haven’t seen a single person ask Fredi or Wren directly- why is scott proctor still pitching? (maybe not that direct, but his name is never specifically mentioned) believe you me, if we were in NYC or Boston, it would be a whoooooole different ballgame because they are vicious about winning.
dap01
July 24th, 2011
4:37 pm
We should not trade a no. 1 pick for a rental with bad health. If that no. 1 is not that good then the scouting department should be blamed.
ryan
July 24th, 2011
4:40 pm
I agree if we are going to make a run at the Phillie’s all we had to give up was Minor i would say do it .
JASon
July 24th, 2011
4:42 pm
“I don’t like trading pitching, but I’d swap Mike Minor for Beltran”
Are you out of your mind? As paramount as pitching has become in this league? The Phillies are the only team in the NL with a better record than us. If it weren’t for a poor start to the season, we would have a better record than them.
DaveinNEPA
July 24th, 2011
4:44 pm
MINOR FOR BELTRAN???????? NO…..NO…..NO…..AND HELL NO!!!!!!!!!!!!
I disagreed with Jeff Schultz and now I’m going to disagree with you too, Mr Bradley.
It’s insanity to give up our only LH ML ready prospect for a 2 month rental with health and durability issues.I couldn’t care less who gets Beltran but not us at that cost. AND…..Beltran is certainly no Fred McGriff. If Philly wants to give up one of their blue chip prospects for him, more power to them.
We already know that Minor can pitch in the MLs. He may not be a top of the rotation guy but he’s certainly good enough to be in somebody’s rotation.
The Braves have a wealth of prospects, not so much as in 93 but we’re stacked in the pitching department. Hudson and Lowe will be gone within a year or two. We’re going to need these young guys at some point. I’m not in favor of trading off any of these guys when the 2012-2015 Braves could very well be better than the 2011 Braves.
If the Braves were to trade Minor for Pence or B.J. Upton, younger guys with some upside and under team control for a longer time than 2 months I might go for that.
bravos007
July 24th, 2011
4:44 pm
do any of you REALLY believe that Beltran is capable o pushing us past the phillies? if you do, you have checked your brain at the door.
johnny bravo
July 24th, 2011
4:52 pm
The braves have a ton of pitching, make a deal with minor included just don’t know about beltran, I hate the mets and wouldn’t want a deal with them, they are other options besides beltran, what’s the latest on pence?
ryan
July 24th, 2011
4:52 pm
I think Beltran is bating around .300 he may not have much speed anymore but the dude can hit i am not saying we will get past Phillies with Beltran but you can try to make a run at them do what ever takes .
bravos007
July 24th, 2011
4:57 pm
keep Minor and play good baseball with what you have
don
July 24th, 2011
4:57 pm
“Minor might turn out to be a great pitcher. But that’s the chance you take.”
The record of the Braves in these rental deals shows a distinct pattern. They have been terrible mistakes. The percentages are high that a Beltran trade would produce a similar result.
The near three-fourths of the voters in the poll who want the trade are the same bunch of lemmings who followed the Braves off the cliff in the Drew and Teixeira trades.
Stinger2
July 24th, 2011
4:58 pm
Bradley: You are getting in late on this particular trade
talk. Nevertheless, some of your dedicated blog pals will
be excited because you have o.k`. this trade. Your opinion is highly respected by some. Thank you for your blog.
Meantime I disagree.
Skeezix
July 24th, 2011
4:59 pm
Our problems going into August/Sept. and the postseason is the same as it has been all year–lack of offense and the bullpen (long and mid relief). I am in 100% agreement with you on this Mark as Beltran will fill a big hole we have in this offense.
Ginger
July 24th, 2011
5:03 pm
Agree with you Mark…I so hate trading good pitching for a 2 month player….great examples in the article…….the key to this trade is how good can Minor become—-if the odds are that he will just be mediocore to ok..then why not trade for Beltran….we need the bat…wish that we could find a good hitter who would be around more that 2 mos….With Beltran it is really like paying rent……Is there a young hitter out there that we could trade a young pitcher–Minor for ????????
rainman
July 24th, 2011
5:03 pm
When you have a valid chance at a World Series — ya gotta go for it!!
Beltran could be the piece we need to insure that our offense at the very least ‘would have the potential’ of being formidable.
If our luck runs good — Chipper will be healthy for the stretch and playoffs and Heyward and Uggla will gain consistensy. Also, adding Beltran would make the DH decision easy if we made it to the Series.
slydog
July 24th, 2011
5:11 pm
Folks, we need hitting in a major way. But certainly not Beltran. Brendan Boesch (Detroit) Hunter Pence (Houston), or Matt Kemp (LA). None of those clubs can afford these players. But we can after this season. Trade Minor and Delgado or Tehran. Medlen or Beachy are both possibilities. We need to start thinking big in this town. We will not win a world series without a significant upgrade to our batting line-up. Jose Reyes is the only game-changer the Mets have. What about him? It won’t happen because of the Braves false belief in stacking pitchers. We need to outhit Philadelphia in the post-season. At best, we can duel them pitching-wise to a draw. Real Talk!!!
waterstim
July 24th, 2011
5:12 pm
WAR DAMN CHEATERS
But it’s ok. Judgement day is right around the corner
Manny
July 24th, 2011
5:13 pm
What about me Braves fans?
DogLoverUGAmuttHater
July 24th, 2011
5:22 pm
life could be worse. Richt could be coaching the Braves.
jojo
July 24th, 2011
5:24 pm
I DON’T KNOW IF ITS BELTRAN,BUT THEY BETTER DO SOMETHING. THEY HAVE FALLEN 5 GAMES OUT AND THEY ARE HITTING UNDER 250 AS A TEAM. THE EVERYDAY OUTFIELDERS COULD NOT A BARN DOOR WITH A CAR.
Roper
July 24th, 2011
5:26 pm
Carlos Beltran isn’t a center fielder.
Carlos Beltran isn’t a center fielder.
Carlos Beltran isn’t a center fielder.
Carlos Beltran isn’t a center fielder.
Carlos Beltran isn’t a center fielder.
JJ
July 24th, 2011
5:36 pm
Someone must be on drugs to actually think the Mets would make this trade straight up. The Mets can do alot better than that. I am sure other teams can offer better and probably already have.
Dawg A
July 24th, 2011
5:39 pm
Mark… what would we have to give up to get Hunter Pence. I have followed him closely the last two years and love the way he plays. He would fit in nicely with the Braves and would help them a lot. And he would not be a rental and is not prone to injury! Please tell me it is possible without giving away our entire minor league prospects!
Peter
July 24th, 2011
5:47 pm
There is one thing that makes me a little uneasy about trading for Beltran. It’s not giving up Minor. It’s not so much losing him this offseason. If we do this, he HAS to be able to play CF. I believe our scouts are down in Miami this weekend checking this exact issue. If he proves he can still play CF on a regular basis, I say do it.
brein128
July 24th, 2011
5:47 pm
The Mets are on record saying that they will pay all of Beltran’s remaining salary, so they get a better prospect in return. Beltran also hasn’t played CF all season and has stated that he’d prefer to stay in a corner OF position.
Milt Famey
July 24th, 2011
5:51 pm
Beltran is not the player he was in 2004. Some folks seem to think he can carry us thru the WS. Maybe he could have back in 2004 but he is no longer a superstar, IMO.
Smoove Criminal
July 24th, 2011
5:53 pm
Nathan
July 24th, 2011
4:26 pm
Mark Bradley there just one thing i would to for beltran to play any field postion if someone one was injured a need at CF we already have our now and future in Jordan Schafer.
————————————–
You need to go get a CAT scan for possible brain damage if you think Jordan Schafer is the Braves’ future in CF. The only reason he is even playing is because the Braves have nobody else in the entire organization that is halfway decent at the position, he’s gotten playing time by default because he’s the best of the worst. I’d be willing to bet my mortgage and 401k that he won’t even be in the organization this time next year.
Peter
July 24th, 2011
5:53 pm
Beltran says that he is willing to discuss moving back to CF but prefers RF. Before we part with a prospect like Minor this is something we have to discuss.
bravobravefan
July 24th, 2011
5:53 pm
Why not offer derek lowe staright up for beltran? Each team pays the salary of the player received. lowe has a sub .500 recoed so we are not giving up a lot and we free up some $$ for next year. We need to start working on long term deals for JJ and TH soon. We could bring up Minor to fill the nr5 hole in the rotation. Next year beltran is gone freeing up $$ for fa shopping.
tmc
July 24th, 2011
5:54 pm
Haven’t we learned?
Haven’t we been burned enough?
YOU DON’T GIVE AWAY TOP PROSPECTS FOR A RENT-A-PLAYER!
Beltran will be somewhere else in 2 months. I don’t want Minor to be the same.
Peter
July 24th, 2011
5:55 pm
bravobravefan, why in the hell would the Mets want Lowe?
Darryl Blackberry
July 24th, 2011
5:55 pm
Would still rather have Hunter Pence. Beltran’s numbers against lefties aren’t all that great.
brein128
July 24th, 2011
5:57 pm
hahah you really think the Mets would do a Lowe for Beltran trade? ESPN is saying that the Mets will get a high rated prospect and at least one mid-level prospect for Beltran after they pay his remaining salary. Minor for Beltran straight up will probably not be enough.
Randy J.
July 24th, 2011
5:57 pm
Well said country boy
Luv 2 Hate Me
July 24th, 2011
5:57 pm
Beltran is having a unusual year and he may go down with another injury. I say go after Kemp and your sure to get a winner not just only now but for the future.
ted williams head
July 24th, 2011
5:57 pm
same take Bill Shanks on 1670 Macon radio had back on Fri. you must listen to him
TM
July 24th, 2011
5:58 pm
NO-NO-NO!
If Beltran were under contract for 2 or 3 years, maybe.
But, he is a free agent in 2 months and will not be here…
Don’t do it!
Whatever happened to Chip Towers?
July 24th, 2011
5:59 pm
What are Beltrans numbers this year and last year? Thanks
Scooter
July 24th, 2011
5:59 pm
longtimefan
July 24th, 2011
3:46 pm
How much better will Beltran possibly be than the two options we already have? Will those extra few homers and hits for 2 months and hopefully in the postseason be worth years of salary controlled left handed starting pitching?
…Not to pick on you but ARE YOU SERIOUS? You wonder if Beltran would be better than McLouth or Schafer? REALLY? I understand the “lets hold on to everybody” but I want to win a World Series and we have a surplus of young talented pitchers. Now is the time to make a trade.
For the record, I still would rather get Coco Crisp but I haven’t heard any talks about that in a while.
Stanley Crowe
July 24th, 2011
5:59 pm
I like Carlos Beltran, but I think he’s on the downside of his career — which isn’t to deny that he could be effective in the short term. BUT — we need pitching more. Minor is a viable lefty, and I think he’s going to be good. In fact, we could use him later this year. What we need now is a replacement for Scott Proctor (the current filler of what I think of as the Moylan slot) — a reliable, late-inning companion for Linebrink. As for the outfield — Nate’s and Jordan’s numbers aren’t great, but I think they’ll get better, and both are a heck of a lot better defensively than Carlos in his current state, which isn’t terrible but isn’t what it was in his great days.
TommyP
July 24th, 2011
6:01 pm
He hasn’t played 1 inning in CF since returning from injury.
He’s a RF, Bradley.
Manny Sanguillen Was Not A Korean
July 24th, 2011
6:01 pm
No, no, no, no and NO.
Package Minor together with a position player and make this deal in the off-season. Beltran is simply not worth the risk. If we trade, do it with gusto. Go after a Bourne or Pence, throw in a name or two, and improve the team over the long haul. This deal reeks of desperation. We are not desperate.
Honest Ingine
July 24th, 2011
6:02 pm
Beltran is washed up… No more action from this guy…dont need him, but we will need Minor’s arm in Sept – October.
BoriBrave!
July 24th, 2011
6:04 pm
Hell Yes!!! Make the deal!!!
Joe Jackson
July 24th, 2011
6:05 pm
Say it ain’t so… We will need him in a couple of years, if not in Sept….
Scooter
July 24th, 2011
6:05 pm
Beltran’s Profile and Stats
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/6132
Dano
July 24th, 2011
6:05 pm
Trading one of your best pitching prospects for an injury-prone outfielder who won’t even be on the team next is about the dumbest thing I ever heard. You have two aging picthers in the rotation now who will need to be replaced in the near future. We need him. If we could get some production from these high-priced free agents we already have we would be more than fine. We have the 2nd best record in the NL. STAY THE COURSE!!!!!!!!!
Scooter
July 24th, 2011
6:09 pm
Beltran’s Stats so those of you who are making random “he’s too old” claims will look at stats and not personal feelings.
Beltran Batting Last 3 years
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB K SB CS AVG OBP SLG OPS
2009 NYM 81 308 50 100 22 1 10 48 47 43 11 1 .325 .415 .500 .915
2010 NYM 64 220 21 56 11 3 7 27 30 39 3 1 .255 .341 .427 .768
2011 NYM 95 344 57 100 30 2 15 63 57 60 3 0 .291 .393 .520 .913
Bama Brave
July 24th, 2011
6:12 pm
I say make the trade. Its not like where low on Pitchers?!
G'Vegas Dawg
July 24th, 2011
6:13 pm
“If Minor can be turned into Beltran and Beltran hits the winning home run in Game 7 of the World Series, this will go down as the greatest Braves’ No. 1 pick since Chipper Jones.”
If aunts had balls they’d be uncles….
tim
July 24th, 2011
6:14 pm
do not trade the future have we not learned our lesson. if you can get a kemp or pence or even upton someone in their age range with more than 2 months on the contract then and only then do you pull the trigger. two words kill the beltran idea scott boras
BHMBrave
July 24th, 2011
6:15 pm
Slydog has it right. Please, please no rentals. Not Beltran who has already indicated he is willing to sign back with the Mets in offseason. If we are going to make a move for a bat, make a move with impact beyond this year. Get pence or kemp. We have the talent to spare if we get the right piece in return.
UGA the Cubs of the south.
July 24th, 2011
6:15 pm
“but I’d swap Mike Minor for Beltran”
I bet you also like the Tex deal a few years back. How’d that work out?
Tomas
July 24th, 2011
6:16 pm
I agree Mark, but heard the Mets asked foR Minor and Vizcaino
Matt
July 24th, 2011
6:18 pm
Mark: I totally agree with your analysis of Minor. Keith Law was way too high on him during the beginning of the year and even said Fredi is destroying the Braves by choosing Beachy over him. They should “sell high” on him while they can. Eventually when Lowe’s and Huddy’s time is up, imagine a rotation of Jurrjens, Hanson, Teheran, Beachy, and Vizcaino with Kimbrel, Venters, O’Flaherty, Delgado, and others coming out of the pen.
Whatever happened to Chip Towers?
July 24th, 2011
6:19 pm
Thanks for the info Scooter
hahaha
July 24th, 2011
6:23 pm
Bama Brave – glad to see that “Bama” education is working for you!!!
“Its not like where low on Pitchers?!” –> “It’s not like we’re low on pitchers.”
War Eagle!
boog
July 24th, 2011
6:24 pm
I think you underestimate MInor. However, that being said, I am not opposed to trading Minor but not for Beltran. What you have failed to recognize Bradley is a much better strategy would be to keep Minor and package him for players that could help us both now and in the future. If you trade Minor for two months I think we lose big time. If you hold out I think you could pkg. him with othe players to get a Pence or someone who we could get several yrs. from. By trading him we vastly weaken our leverage to make further deals that could help now and long term.
Pittsburgh Al
July 24th, 2011
6:25 pm
Beltran would be too expensive and could easily prove to be a bust. And you are giving a team in your Division a player that could haunt you for years. The Braves can live with a defensive CF if they get the production expected from Heyward, Uggla and even Gonzales, (how good would Yunel look at SS now). They are 17 games over 500 without much production from these guys. What they really need, other than that offensive production, is relief pitching. You can’t pitch Venters, Kimbrell & O’Flaherty every night.
jt
July 24th, 2011
6:27 pm
Boog makes more sense than you Mark.
what of it?
July 24th, 2011
6:32 pm
so given the last two “big bats” traded for the farm didn’t work, you just assume he’ll hit the game winning home run in the world series.
You’re assuming all 5 starters will stay healthy the remainder of the year despite already having had JJ on the DL. You also completely neglect the fact that we have no bullpen beyond our 3 studs. this is another knee jerk trade that will disrupt the lineup just like Carlos Lee and Rick Ankiel
bravos007
July 24th, 2011
6:36 pm
Looks there is a CLEAR MAJORITY on here that trading Minor or Beltran is NOT A GOOD IDEA.
now, what that means is that the Braves, being dumb as they are with trades, will in fact trade him.
smallmouth6
July 24th, 2011
6:37 pm
Keep Minor. I wish nothing but the best for Beachy, but I don’t think he has performed any better than Minor would have. We need a lefty.
so al brave fan,
July 24th, 2011
6:38 pm
no no no beltran==== keep minor.
A Brave in Minnesota
July 24th, 2011
6:38 pm
Imagine this Lineup…..
1-Prado (LF)
2-Heyward (RF)
3-Jones (3B
4-McCann (C)
5-Uggla (2B)
6-Freeman (1B)
7-BELTRAN (LF)
8-Gonzalez (SS)
9-(Pitchers Spot or DH)
On The Bench…..
McClouth, Hinske, Schafer, Conrad, Lugo, Ross, Ramirez
…..Now I don’t like renting players as much as the next person, but with a pitching staff, a lineup and bench like that……..sorry Minor, but I hope that you become an outstanding pitcher someday and maybe return to Atlanta someday……but we CANNOT let the Phillies or Giants get Beltran if we plan on winning this thing and we all know it. Minor will be missed, but we gotta go get that bat!!!
David O'Brien
July 24th, 2011
6:42 pm
Mark Bradley is so retarded.
Jake
July 24th, 2011
6:43 pm
You make a good point about Minor, but Beltran’s no bargain, either. He’s brittle, he’s 34 and he’s expensive. Even as a two-month rental, he’s more likely to get hurt than to be a difference maker. I say look elsewhere. Or, for that matter, give Wilkin Ramirez a shot.
cav
July 24th, 2011
6:44 pm
WHAT A IDIOT BELTRAN WOULD NOT BE BATTING 7TH,R U 12 OR 13??
cav
July 24th, 2011
6:44 pm
DAVID OBRIEN CAN SUCK THIS
Wil
July 24th, 2011
6:45 pm
Sorry this would be a terrible trade. Two months of Beltran for Minor? You may not think Minor is good, but if he figures out his third pitch he will be a solid starter. If Beltran could be offered arbitration than you obviously go for it. But since he can’t and the Braves are almost assured not to resign him, you are trading Minor for two months of Beltran. It just isn’t worth it considering the other options out there who are more controllable(Pence/Rasmus etc) and Minor could be a centerpiece of the deal.
Beltran has been just average in RF (his UZR/UZR150 is .3 and .2. If that’s the case in RF, you can only imagine that he would actually be below average in CF. Now I’m not saying stick with Schafer, but Beltran isn’t the answer in CF.
bravos007
July 24th, 2011
6:45 pm
so frank wren if you are thinking the fans want Beltran….no, most of them want MINOR
cav
July 24th, 2011
6:46 pm
AND YES I HAVE TOLD DOB THAT,I CAN SEE WHY HE IS DIVORCED,WORSE WRITER AJC EVER HAS PIECE OF ###
cav
July 24th, 2011
6:47 pm
Beltran is not coming to atl.wren is going dumpster diving expect gomes to sign here
brein128
July 24th, 2011
6:48 pm
Mets have stated that they will pay all of his remaining salary. They also reportedly gave about $5 million to Milwaukee as part of the K-rod deal and they received a favorable ruling in the Madoff proceedings this week that makes it likely that the suit will eventually be decreased from $1 billion to $300 million, so the Mets are not nearly as cash strapped as people are saying.
CHITWOOD
July 24th, 2011
6:48 pm
It’s simple, go get him Braves because if you don’t…the Phillies will!
cave
July 24th, 2011
6:49 pm
i say make the trade,minor is worthless,he is no8 on starters,rem he lost the rotation in spring training,everytime minor pitches,its 3-4 runs every game get rid of this loser now.
5150 UOAD
July 24th, 2011
6:50 pm
Keep Minor and find another bat for less money for a longer time.
bart
July 24th, 2011
6:51 pm
The espn talking heads are drooling at the mouth propping up rumors that might get their beloved muts a real starting pitcher. Consider the source. We need bullpen help worse that another average hitter.
Glenn
July 24th, 2011
6:51 pm
No way, no how. Beltran has already made a comment about his knees holding up the rest of the long season and the playoffs, which is a red flag. Also, why trade a decent pitcher that you won’t even get any future compensation on once Beltran becomes a Free Agent (no Compensatory Picks)?
It seems like since we lost Don Baylor as our Batting Coach, when we make these trade deadline deals, the guys recently who were hitting well before they came to Atlanta pretty much looked like Dan Uggla the first half of this season (Lee & Gonzalez from last season, for example, maybe add in Ankiel).
No, I’ll pass unless you can get someone with more than a two month rental.
Sonny Clusters
July 24th, 2011
6:53 pm
Can Lowe bat again today? Looks like the Braves need him in the lineup to drive in runs. We was disturbed that a certain young Atlanta Brave doesn’t always run hard to first base. With the Reds infielders bobbling the ball all the time a little speed going to first might pay off in a base hit. Running down there like Aunt Alice is a sure way to get thrown out. We was wondering if Proctor is related to the toothpaste people? If so, he should go to work for them.
CHITWOOD
July 24th, 2011
6:53 pm
Let me correct the lineup for you:
1-Prado (LF)
2-Beltran (CF)
3-Chipper (3B)
4-McCann (C)
5-Uggla (2B)
6-Freeman (1B)
7-Heyward (RF)
8-Gonzalez (SS)
9-(Pitchers Spot or DH)
The 5-6-7 spots are flexible and should remain static depending on how each bat is swinging..
cave
July 24th, 2011
6:53 pm
since i know more than most here,yes i do have inside info.,the braves are not going to get beltran.I think the writers at ajc,along with fox sports want higher ratings.Yes the braves were interested in beltran,but are not now.The frontrunner is the giants,then the rangers,and phillies.The astros are asking for 2-3 players and major league ready players at that.I WILL KEEP SAYING THIS OVER AND OVER.FRANK WREN WANTS A RH BAT OFF THE BENCH,WHEN WILL YOU GUYS WAKE UP AND LISTEN??
bravos007
July 24th, 2011
6:54 pm
what is Gonzo not batting 8th in every single lineup
cave
July 24th, 2011
6:56 pm
This is how the braves are now…..
a middle reliever is there top priority
beltran,not
upton not
a rh bat off the bench….YES
Keep dreaming folks with your fantasy lineups cause it aint gonna happen
Jay Dubu
July 24th, 2011
6:58 pm
Beltran has played exactly zero, as 0, games in CF this season. Your rationale is flawed from that aspect.
If he can’t play CF for a team that is not making the playoffs, how will he be able to do it for a team that is tied for the 3rd most wins in all of MLB?
Right now Minor is the next guy up to the majors if the Braves experience a major injury of one of the starters. If he’s gone, who do they bring up? Teheran is not ready yet, and the Braves are already looking to limit his innings pitched.
bravos007
July 24th, 2011
6:59 pm
@cave i hope you are right. i can’t believe they would put this on the front page of the braves page. makes me kinda sick to see Minor’s picture up there JUST to get attention. poor kid. no wonder his confidence is down. his team doesn’t even believe in him.
cave
July 24th, 2011
6:59 pm
braves were interested in beltran when mets said 1 prospect,and they eat the salary.
update……mets want a top prospect,like minor,and a mid level prospect,but also expect team to eat most of the salary,therefore putting braves a slim chance.
frontrunner is sf,texas,phillies.
next topic
Rogie
July 24th, 2011
7:00 pm
The trade looks good on paper but if you look at the Braves roster and the top pitching prospects in their system, Minor is the only left-hander. I wouldn’t trade him, I’d consider someone else. I think if you trade pitching, you trade Beachy. He’s a 5th starter and wouldn’t even be starting in the playoffs. That way, you keep your young arms, Vizcaino, Teheran, and Minor. Also, Kris Medlen comes back next year. The Braves have plenty of talented starting pitching, just not from the left side. Keep Minor.
20 out
July 24th, 2011
7:00 pm
I wouldn’t pull this trade and I don’t think the Mets will anyways. Do you really think they want Minor so bad that they will help the Braves win it all. Also, won’t they have to eat money on this deal? I just don’t think inter-divisional trades of this magnitude are good enough for both teams.
Regarding Braves drafting, well, Keith Law said he about fell out of his chair when he heard that the Braves drafted Gilmartin recently. Another poor pick. Let’s hope they get lucky with something in the later rounds.
On Beachy, I think he’s going to blow up in the second half. Just a hunch, but I don’t see that he fools people enough for him to get past their scouting reports. Is it just me or his pitches just seem targeted, straight and predictable.
bravos007
July 24th, 2011
7:02 pm
let me entertain the delusional people who think Beltran will be a Brave. he has clearly stated that HE WILL NOT BE TRADED AND PLAY CENTER-FIELD. so……to you that think he will take Schafer’s spot you are wrong….it’s Heyward that will be benched. imagine the outcry in atlanta when the beloved Heyward (AKA worst hitter on the team) is benched.
aceinthehole
July 24th, 2011
7:02 pm
I would not do this trade, I think MInor jcould be a good pitcher, he just hasn’t been given a chance to work things out in the Majors. The trade that keeps popping up in my mind was the Jason Schmit for Denny Neagle trade. Neagle did ok for the Braves but he wasn’t Schmit. I think someone said Minor has made 15 starts, that is only a half of season. Tom Glavine and Greg Maddox looked horrible after their first year. I think given the chance Minor could win 15 games a year and have an ERA in the 3s and I would rather he do that for the Braves than for the Mets.
Furman Bitcher
July 24th, 2011
7:02 pm
No to Beltran but yes to trading Minor. Go get a bat and a rh bullpen guy
cave
July 24th, 2011
7:03 pm
braves007
mark did this,braves official website are not even into serious discussions.same thing about lowe last week,all about the ratings.gee wonder what happened to that rumor?lol
Najeh Davenpoop
July 24th, 2011
7:04 pm
I agree that this is a good trade for the Braves, but you didn’t mention the most important reason, which is that the Braves actually have a chance to win a World Series this year if they get another bat. That wasn’t even close to being the case when they made the Teixeira trade.
Largo
July 24th, 2011
7:04 pm
Whatever the braves are going to do, do it. Just keep in mind we NEED someone who can hit left handers and we need a righy out of the bullpin who can give us a GOOD inning or two.
cave
July 24th, 2011
7:05 pm
what?????
5150 UOAD
July 24th, 2011
7:07 pm
We just need to WIN tonight.
cave
July 24th, 2011
7:08 pm
another bat like beltran?ok lets say we accquire beltran,pitch around him to get to the other 5 starters that are battingunder 200 vs lh pitching
whats your excuse then?
5150 UOAD
July 24th, 2011
7:08 pm
We just need to Win tonight and hit the ball.
5150 UOAD
July 24th, 2011
7:09 pm
what?
cave
July 24th, 2011
7:09 pm
dont worry i come on here next week to tell you i told you so.BTW,my tickets to braves games are free,have a good one.
mark bradley is a joke
July 24th, 2011
7:12 pm
you are the worst writer and are always wrong about everything. add this to your list
cave
July 24th, 2011
7:14 pm
and to those who wonder why we did not bunt last night i tell you….
prado was up hits to all fields didnt happen
gap is like coors,2 runs is not enough in the ball park
unless you are in sd,or watch baseball,no team is bunting unless its the pitcher
and going against say halidayor lee where runs are a premium.
THATS WHY
cave
July 24th, 2011
7:15 pm
I love to hear you tell him that to his face
cave
July 24th, 2011
7:17 pm
i agree with the comment about dob he is the wose writer ajc has ever hired.Dob and proctor have the best jobs available.
jazzyK
July 24th, 2011
7:17 pm
I’ve heard all the talk about the need for a right handed bat. but I’d rather see the Braves trade for speed, average and defense than power. Power comes and goes, but speed never slumps.
What about Michael Bourn of the Astros? 30 stolen bases so far, .298 average and one of the best defensive center fielders in the league.
Cheesehead
July 24th, 2011
7:19 pm
i say go for it cuz we all know……..WHITEY CANT F HIT
CRACKERS
Manny Sanguillen Was Not A Korean
July 24th, 2011
7:21 pm
Screw this ridiculous trade. If we trade anyone at this point it ought to be Lowe, and even Lowe has greater value to us during a stretch run than any extra bat might net us.
I hope Wren holds his cards unless someone is willing to give up value for AA prospects.
Cheesehead
July 24th, 2011
7:21 pm
HARD TO BELIEVE A CHOC CITY LIKE ATLANTA HS ONLY 1 AFRICAN AMERICAN ON THE WHOLE DAM TEAM.IF I WAS HEYWARD I WOULD FILE A LAWSUIT AND THEN TRADE ME.I COULD FIT IN WELL WITH PHILLY,FER SUR
timboy6
July 24th, 2011
7:22 pm
Cave, I buy your idea of a right handed bat off the bench. Who’s out there that fits?
bobbymahlon
July 24th, 2011
7:25 pm
If you want somebody who can steal bases get Franceour, he has 16 at the present time, how about that . Of course that is more than any Brave on the current roster. Oh by the way he is hitting 40 points higher than Upton and has 60 RBIs.
cave
July 24th, 2011
7:26 pm
gomes,wallingham,ludwick
there are a couple more,but i cannot reveal the names as of yet.
bravos007
July 24th, 2011
7:27 pm
cheesehead- go take an english class
bob
July 24th, 2011
7:28 pm
Sure, after all if we get Beltran for 60 days, I expect he probably will be healthy enough to play at least 20 of those days. Are we serious?
cave
July 24th, 2011
7:30 pm
i can tell you that former braves are not coming here
franceur,bettermint
omar
i know i mispelled but u get the picture
also beltran deal would get done by july 30@4pm
he has 24 hours to approve a trade therefore making the deadline,july 31@4pm
DHD
July 24th, 2011
7:33 pm
Sure glad you’re not our GM. This is like the Wainwright deal and we got JD drew longer than 2 months. Not only NO, but HELL NO.
scfan
July 24th, 2011
7:35 pm
do braves ever learn. every time do just finish up season it does not work very well. get it right guys lot players have hard time adjusting to another team. this could cost them play off to get past first round. there few other pitchers who need go. middle group on down not that dependable. use farm people give them chance to come up now see if they help somewhat gamble that way and leave trades till end of season
skeptomania
July 24th, 2011
7:35 pm
Almost every trade the Braves have made this time of year except Fred McGriff has been a loser. Beltran is an injury waiting to happen. He has not played much for the Mets and they got screwed with his contract. Yunel Escobar is rated higher than Brian McCann in the ESPN rating system right now. Think of where the braves might be with the players they lost in the Teixeira trade. One of the worst in baseball history.
bravos007
July 24th, 2011
7:36 pm
JUST OUT ON ESPN.COM
Carlos Beltran told reporters after Sunday’s game that his strong preference is to remain in the National League, but he did not fully rule out switching leagues. He has been more forceful in saying he would not go to the American League when discussing his status with confidants, according to Jayson Stark at ESPN’s Rumor Central.
Writes Stark:
Carlos Beltran told a friend this weekend that despite his public statements that he would approve a trade to Texas or Boston, he has told the Mets he only wants to be traded to one of seven National League contenders, according to a source familiar with that conversation. The source, who was not present for the conversation, said Beltran doesn’t want to approve a deal to Texas because the Rangers would want him to play center field and because he’s not familiar with the AL West. Texas has been described by multiple sources to have ramped up its pursuit of Beltran over the weekend.
so…..what this means is he will not be a Brave b/c the braves are not going to bench Schafer and his speed for Heyward’s epic slump. (and save the “hit he good in that game the other day comments”)
Bobby Bobby
July 24th, 2011
7:40 pm
Never going to happen.
NorCalBrave
July 24th, 2011
7:43 pm
I wouldn’t worry about Beltran becoming a Brave. His stock has risen considerably in the past week and there’s no way the Mets will take just Minor in trade. If the Giants are willing to part with young talent (including a pitcher named Zach Wheeler), I see him going there. The Phillies’ interest has reportedly cooled, which makes sense since they’re steamrolling everybody without him.
Tex
July 24th, 2011
7:46 pm
Here’s someone worse than Madoff. Read then forward this link to everyone you know, so they don’t get scammed: http://texsquixtarblog.blogspot.com/2009/04/who-is-worse-bernie-madoff-or-rich.html
Really?
July 24th, 2011
7:46 pm
Really…. we have some prejudice against African American baseball players? Really? Do you think this is a purposeful thing? Do you think they would pass over a black player for a white or Latin American player who was not as good just because of the color of his skin? Really? What world do you live in? This is a business. The administration of the Braves don’t care about the color of the skin or any other non-baseball related phenotype someone might have. Really? You really think this? Not only is the English class suggested by others needed but a business class wouldn’t hurt. It’s all about money. A successful African American player in a city with a sizable African American population would draw more people to the park. You think they are so prejudice that they would miss out on this? Really?
Chipper's ACL
July 24th, 2011
7:51 pm
I stated the other day, and will again on this blog, I had rather see Frenchy return. The need is a RH bat to spell Shafer and Heyward. If a young pitcher is traded it should be for a player we will have the ability to retain. A Boras player will not stay in Atl. The biggest issue with Beltran is not receiving draft picks when he walks at season’s end. If that were the case Minor for him and two draft picks is a great deal. Also if he were the only hitter available then sure, make the trade. Right now I think the pressure of making this move will drive Wren to do it without exploring all options. If we’re looking for an addition that will benefit the team for years to come then I would have to add Bourn. Bourn hits lefties at a .278 clip and his speed at the top of the order, in front of Prado, would be a huge improvement. Also Frenchy is hitting over .300 the past month and lefties at .309. Those two, with a couple of RH arms for the pen, and taking Philly may be a possibility.
rarebreed
July 24th, 2011
7:53 pm
Rumor has it the Giants have the inside track on Beltran. Phils are interested in Pence and is likely Dom Brown will be included to Houston with an unnamed pitcher
Gizmo
July 24th, 2011
7:58 pm
Before we rush into trading young pitchers remember that Hanson, Lowe, and JJ plus a couple more players won’t be here much longer. Look past this year as you plan. We have seen that pitching without bats won’t get it done. Will bats without pitching be any different?
Barons
July 24th, 2011
7:59 pm
Beltran plays RF for the Mets, not center, and word has it he prefers to continue doing that. So, in Beltran, we could be getting a rental and a guy who also is unhappy playing center for us.
dave
July 24th, 2011
8:02 pm
That really makes a lot of sense. Trade a left handed picher(not to mention that we can’t hit bad left handed pitching)to a division rival that we’ll have to face for the next 5 to 7 years for an “over the hill, outfielder who might make a difference in two or three games. Give me a break!
fla dawg
July 24th, 2011
8:07 pm
please tell me that “cave” is trying to be funny. no one can be really as stupid as he is acting!
Gizmo
July 24th, 2011
8:08 pm
I wonder if Beltran, knowing he is a two month rental and then will move on, be very interested in giving his best to the Braves. Boras has probably already been in negotiations with other teams for next season.
don
July 24th, 2011
8:08 pm
Can I assume that Mr. Bradley also supported the Drew Debacle and the Teixeira Tragedy? With such a large percentage of “voters” supporting the trade, I also assume that the fans of the Braves never learn. When you have been bitten twice by a viper, I would think you would learn to keep away from obvious danger.
If the trade is made, will it be limited to Minor and Beltran (certainly bad enough in and of itself) or will the inept Wren add to the stupidity by including more? Remember the Teixeira trade when the Braves added a fifth player (Beau Jones- a relief pitcher for Round Rock in AAA) because Harrison’s may have had some health questions? But, then, it isn’t by accident that many have characterized the Teixeira trade as one of the four or five worst in baseball history.
For those who support this fiasco, please explain what you expect the Braves to gain by the trade. The wild card? They should easily win that with no changes in the roster. The division? Surely no one realistically believes that the Braves will catch the Phillies. The WS? Now there is a real pipe dream.
"Chef" Tim Dix
July 24th, 2011
8:09 pm
Mark, check me out but best trade deadline since ‘78 and maybe ever due to the plethera of teams in the market.
LakeDawg
July 24th, 2011
8:12 pm
If it gets a World Series championship it would be well worth it. No matter how good Minor turns out to be. The Braves only got 1 championship out of 15 years of Smoltz, Glavine, and Maddux. If they could match that, it would be a steal.
bravos007
July 24th, 2011
8:13 pm
FYI FRANK WREN: these blow-outs from your favorite pitcher Scott Proctor do affect your team’s confidence…GET THE BUM OUT OF THERE ASAP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
WDE
July 24th, 2011
8:15 pm
Waar D Eagle!
IlliniBrave
July 24th, 2011
8:17 pm
Here;s a brief excerpt from Jim Bowden’s assessment of several potential trades:
“I asked a rival evaluator — whose team is not involved in the Beltran trade talks, and isn’t in the same division as the Braves — to rank the four prospects in his eyes. His feeling:
1. Teheran
2. Vizcaino
3. Minor
4. Delgado”
“‘To me,’ the evaluator said, ‘you could flip-flop the top two’ — Teheran and Vizcaino — ‘or the bottom two.’ Minor and Delgado, the evaluator said, are ‘third-starter type of guys.’
I asked the evaluator if he thought that the price tag of one of those four pitchers was too high for a two-month rental, and he paused. ‘Yes, probably,’ he said. ‘I don’t know what [the Braves'] other options are, but I can’t see Frank [Wren] trading one of them.’”
Interesting perspective. I would be surprised and disappointed if we traded even a mid-rotation prospect for a two-month, injury-prone rental.
Ray
July 24th, 2011
8:18 pm
Beltran doesn’t want to play CF. his knee is still a potential problem. we need a right handed hitter more than a switch hitter who will mostly bat left handed. Beltran is not going to make that much difference.
Giving up on a #1 pick in 2yrs after paying $2.4 mill and being a cheap team is a bad idea. Minor wil likely be at least a #3 starter for many yrs. Beltran will be gone in 2 mos.
Only way is to expand deal as was suggested. Mets add Matt Harvey and we add a lesser prospect.
Better to trade with an AL team than one in division-to be safe. other options are available.
Mike
July 24th, 2011
8:24 pm
I would think that MB would be up on the latest…Beltran came out and stated that he does NOT want to go back to center field again…Also, he is NOT the same player he was 7 years ago…This would be a STUPID deal…Why…Why would you do anything to help the Mets?
Rob
July 24th, 2011
8:30 pm
It would be stupid to not make a deal for a big bat. Beltrans #s vs lefties are not great but he does draw walks and is having a GREAT season. The guys around him in the order will also see more fastballs with him being in the middle of the order. It will create matchup problems for managers going to their bullpen late in games. If you assume next years rotation has Hudson, JJ, Hanson, Beachy, Lowe and Teheran competing for 5 spots. That puts Minor as number 7 on the list. Add the fact that Vizcaino and Delgado are getting close and Minor is even more expendable. When there is a chance to compete for a world series you have to take it. Make the move.
Dawgs Man
July 24th, 2011
8:39 pm
Trade Beachy and Gonzalez for a bag of balls.
brein128
July 24th, 2011
8:39 pm
Ray, why would the Mets add Matt Harvey (who is likely to be a Top 3 prospect of the Mets when the next rankings come out) to a deal? That makes zero sense from the Mets perspective. The Mets will wind up receiving a team’s Top 6 or 7 prospect and a prospect around the team’s 15ish prospect in a trade.
bravos007
July 24th, 2011
8:40 pm
i just love how the Braves are so good at taking mediocre teams and making them look good. no killer instinct at all. this game is about to get out of control. good-bye wildcard hello 2012
IlliniBrave
July 24th, 2011
8:41 pm
Beachy struggling in his third straight start – and we still want to trade a 3-4 starter prospect for a two month, injury-prone rental? I cannot believe that FW will make this trade.
DetroitBraves
July 24th, 2011
8:47 pm
I think a lot of teams are concerned about Beltran’s ability to play center after his leg problems. Obviously the bat plays anywhere, but maybe not the glove. Ignoring that, yes Minor and Beachy are expendable. There’s not much reason to this point to project them as more than back-end starters. Value? Yes. More value to the Braves than a bat, even a half-year bat? Probably not. And for those that think the Braves should deal Lowe for Beltran, why on Earth would the Mets make that deal? The best trade chip for an aging pitcher with a fat contract? This does not exactly further their cause.
EWilliams
July 24th, 2011
8:51 pm
WTF 7 pitches from a had been pitcher in the 1st inning and they(reds) score 2 runs. Game over with these bats currently in the braves lineup!
Reality
July 24th, 2011
8:52 pm
Let’s face it folks. These Braves will not get to the WS without buying tickets. They won’t get past the Phillies for the division title and the chance for a wild card is fading. See what’s available in the FA market that could help them long term and only then go fishing. They are just too inconsistent to envision them reaching the post season this year. Don’t panic Mr. Wren into making unsound moves. They should take their motto, “Wait till next year” seriously right now.
dap01
July 24th, 2011
8:54 pm
If we trade a top pitcher, let’s make sure that we have atleast a player that can help us next year as well. The Braves have had the worst OF in the majors for years and Wren has not gotten 1 outfielder that can help.
JP
July 24th, 2011
8:54 pm
I vote NO! The whole “rental player” idea is overblown and a waste of good young talent. The Braves are going to make the playoffs with the current roster intact. No need to bring someone in for 2 months and trade a good young starter.
It’s not like Beltran is going to win the World Series for the Braves. Be real. You could never have enough good pitching.
Angus
July 24th, 2011
9:01 pm
Downward spiral about to happen – don’t do it. Wait til next year.
DetroitBraves
July 24th, 2011
9:02 pm
You can never have enough good pitching is very cliche. There are two sides to the run differential equation. It’s fairly obvious which side is more challenging to the Braves, not just at the major league level but across the organization. Neither Minor nor Beachy were considered more than back-end starters by scouts at any point, Minor considered a major reach at the Braves position in that draft. While I certainly wouldn’t be excited about any deal where the featured player coming back is Ryan Ludwick, or someone similar, the Teixeira and Drew experiences shouldn’t be allowed to bring paralysis to an organization with legitimate postseason aspirations..
ugafan13
July 24th, 2011
9:02 pm
Our offense is stinking the place up…let’s bring Proctor in and get this thing over with early!
Art
July 24th, 2011
9:04 pm
Why not trade Minor to the Rays and get him out of the NL and acquire Upton. He has issues but I think the Braves can get him squared away and can play center and be that right handed bat. Add Schafer or McLouth and also get a another player or 2 from the Rays.
SAL
July 24th, 2011
9:08 pm
Do NOT do it. Take chances with Uggla, Chipper,& Heyward getting it together. Beltran does not guarantee post season, much less a WS appearance. Got to learn from past rather than repeat it. Wan to trade, then get pitching. Haven’t you seen post break performances?
BehindEnemyLines
July 24th, 2011
9:10 pm
If it was the 2004 Beltran in the picture, sure. The 2011 model? Not a chance.
WahWah
July 24th, 2011
9:10 pm
As numerous people have noted, Beltran is no longer a CF. Anywhere. For 30 games in Turner Field? The idea is utterly laughable.
However, you can see from both his numbers and the eyeball test that he has his legs underneath him at the plate again.
How’d you like your righty starters to face the following lineup for a series in October:
Rollins
Polanco
Utley
Howard
Beltran
Victorino
Brown
Ruiz
Good luck with that
jerry
July 24th, 2011
9:11 pm
Does Wren have a coup de main up his sleeve.
Mountain Braves Fan
July 24th, 2011
9:11 pm
A FEW REASONS WHY TRADING MINOR FOR BELTRAN MAKES SENSE
1. Acquiring Beltran keeps the Giants and Phillies from getting him. Both lineups have holes that Beltran would fill nicely. Both are likely playoff opponents.
2. Beltran is the best bat available. He is a switch hitter with pop from both sides of the plate. He is a legit 3/4 hitter who would make any team’s lineup deeper. There is a reason Braves players have told media folks they would love for Beltran to be a Brave: they know he would be a difference maker.
3. Beltran crushes LHP, something the Braves need desperately. This season, Beltran has as many home runs vs. LHP (8 in 95 at bats) as McLouth, Schaefer, Prado, Heyward, Jones, and Uggla COMBINED (8 in 483 at bats). Beltran also has more RBIs vs. LHP (21 in 95 at bats) than our entire outfield quartet of McLouth, Schaefer, Prado, and Heyward COMBINED (17 in 283 at bats).
4. Beltran provides a valuable insurance policy against injuries to other Braves players in the playoff run or the playoffs. Prado, Heyward, and Jones have all missed games this year due to injury. I keep thinking that if the Braves had had one more healthy bat in their lineup in the playoff series last year vs. San Francisco that the outcome might have been different. For those who say that Beltran is injury prone, he has played in more games this year (96) than Prado (70), Heyward (76), or Jones (77). Could Beltran get hurt the day after we trade for him? Absolutely, but so could Minor if we kept him and didn’t trade for Beltran. And Beltran, while he is no spring chicken, is five years younger than Chipper.
5. Beltran has lots of personal incentives to want to continue his good play as a Brave. He would be playing on a contending team with a chance to win a championship ring, and he would be playing for a contract for next year and beyond.
6. Minor’s trade value will never be higher. The Braves have a surplus of starting pitching, allowing them to trade from a position of strength. If the Braves front office considered Minor a potential 1/2 starter he would not be available. The Braves have other, better starting prospects lined up behind Minor. The Braves have the opportunity to trade a AAA pitcher (who was not good enough to crack the starting rotation this year, and is likely blocked next year as well with all five current starters under contract, Medlen coming back and other prospects potentially moving up) for a proven professional hitter who can help the Braves not just get to the playoffs but be a factor once they get there.
7. Trading for Beltran gives the Braves lineup flexibility and the ability to rest key players. If I were the Braves I would use Beltran in all three outfield positions. He would play right field occasionally to give Heyward a day off against a tough lefty starter. He would play left field to give Prado a day off or when Prado needs to play third to give Jones a day off. He would also play some center field.
8. A two-month rental of Beltran can actually have its advantages in term of roster creativity in 2012 and beyond, because the Braves would have no financial obligation going forward. What if the Braves trade for Beltran and he is a flop, or gets hurt? We wish him the best in free agency and move on, knowing that we gave winning a championship our best shot and it didn’t work out. What if the Braves trade for Beltran and the team thrives, goes far in the playoffs, or even, God forbid, wins the World Series? We thank our lucky stars that Frank Wren had the guts to make this deal. Who knows, maybe Beltran, even though Boras is his agent, likes the winning atmosphere in Atlanta and wants to sign with the Braves as a free agent. If the Braves were to win the World Series, Beltran would be a hot and very expensive commodity. Wouldn’t that be a great problem to have! But at some point the Braves are going to have to deal with Mr. Boras, because both Jurrjens and Hanson are clients of his as well.
9. The potential reward is worth the risk. The Braves have the opportunity to try to win it all THIS YEAR without damaging their future success for MANY YEARS TO COME. Isn’t that what major league teams are supposed to do?
TP
July 24th, 2011
9:14 pm
The Braves do have a sort of consistency. Their batters are all on at the same time or all off at the same time. Unfortunately their being off far exceeds their being on. In either situation they get a few runners on base but don’t have the ability to get them home.
WahWah
July 24th, 2011
9:25 pm
Also, Minor is just another guy, the round he was drafted in is irrelevant. The MLB draft is more about how much money you are willing to spend in a slot. In drafting Minor the Braves were taking a college pitcher because 1) he was signable 2) closer to the majors i.e. lower risk, lower reward.
Look at his stats, there is nothing special there 3.5/1 K/BB ratio, meh.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?id=minor-001mik
People get way too carried away with back of the rotation guys who have a little early success in the majors. In Atlanta it is Beachy and Minor, in Philly Worley, and in prior years J.A. Happ.
I would be surprised if the Mets would trade Beltran for Minor AND Beachy. They are more likely looking for a major league ready back of the rotation guy + a higher upside A ball player
NV 049
July 24th, 2011
9:31 pm
Bad deal ,NO Rental quick fix …
We honestly dont know if Minor will get Beltran its only a Rumor
…. Keep our pitching might need it … Plus winter deals need to be made for permanent CF & SS maybe 3B if Chipper retires..Winter prices are cheaper ..
.If anything Reed Johnson & a relief pitcher price will not be as high
NV 049
July 24th, 2011
9:33 pm
bad deal
Justafan
July 24th, 2011
9:37 pm
I’d rather have BJ and Peralta from Rays but I dont believe Wren will make a big trade deal.
Minor for Beltran to me is not a big trade, just a rental player but a good one if it means we get in play-off and Schafer is on the bench.
We will still need a pitcher…
NV 049
July 24th, 2011
9:37 pm
keep Minor ,pass on Beltran …. Reed Johnson be cheaper , plus relief pitcher
Justafan
July 24th, 2011
9:38 pm
I would not give two pitchers for Beltran…hell no!
braveshoo
July 24th, 2011
9:42 pm
i dont like giving up a LH picher who will be pitching against us in the division for years. Now I would trade Minor and Delgado for Justin Upton from Arizona. He can play CF, hits HRs and steals bases, and is signed through 2015. No rentals please.
Jack Lill
July 24th, 2011
9:44 pm
I don’t think they should trade Minor. Make him part of the rotation and trade Beachy
Pete
July 24th, 2011
9:46 pm
Trade Heyward. He is awful. He will never ever hit 30 HR or drive in 100 RBI. Swing is way too long. If he cannot play a full season at 20 or 21 why do you think he can at 30
DetroitBraves
July 24th, 2011
9:47 pm
Mountain Braves and Wahwah, great points. I read that Schuerholtz is now sitting on some sort of draft reform committee of Bud Selig’s doing. As a result, the Braves are very unlikely to rock Selig’s boat and go overslot. As unfortunate as that is, it will be even worse if the Braves truly over-estimate their value based on some very suspect correlation with draft position. If you can, as a contending team, get half a year of Beltran for an over-valued, back end starter you have to strongly consider it. And Mountain Brave makes a very good point that having that player walk at the end of the year (though it’s my understanding he doesn’t bring back type A compensation) is not necessarily the worst thing in the world.
dlind87
July 24th, 2011
9:48 pm
I would not trade a pitcher but if they did how about Minor, McClouth for the Reds centerfielder. the Braves need more speed.
Pete
July 24th, 2011
9:52 pm
Since the end of May last year, Heyward has 19 HR, and 61 RBI in 617 At Bats
DetroitBraves
July 24th, 2011
9:56 pm
Why would the contending D’backs trade Upton? Why would the contending Reds take on McLouth’s salary? Why would the non-contending Mets want Lowe’s contract? Why would the Rays want McLouth’s contract?
If only real life baseball were as easy as fantasy league baseball.
Come to think of it, why would any fantasy league player make any of those deals (from the opposing perspective)?
DetroitBraves
July 24th, 2011
9:58 pm
Pete, how are the other 21 year olds, making peanuts in terms of major league dollars, doing relative to Heyward?
Do people really still use RBI to convey value?
fredi gonzales
July 24th, 2011
9:59 pm
Helluva article. I’d like to tip my cap.
DetroitBraves
July 24th, 2011
10:01 pm
Hey Fredi, get back to work. Aren’t you supposed to be calling down for Scott Proctor right about now?
fredi gonzalez
July 24th, 2011
10:01 pm
I’d like to tip Larry Parrish’s cap too. That’s two caps tipped for a helluva article
Pete
July 24th, 2011
10:03 pm
Detroit, you don’t compare him to other 21 year olds, you compare him to other right fielders. I don’t care if he is 50. RBI is still a relative stat. Do you want to go by slugging? OPS+, WAR, OBP? He is lacking in every single one of those. OPS+ this year of 103, OBP of .316, SLG .420. Which stat do you want to go by?
DetroitBraves
July 24th, 2011
10:04 pm
Pete, so as to not appear to be too much the contrarian, I should add that you’ve got a good point about Heyward’s health. Too soon to label him as injury prone but his inability to this point to stay on the field is much more of a concern that anything he’s done while in the lineup. Still, not nearly enough to trade such a cheap commodity with tremendous upside, but it is a concern.
all for one.....
July 24th, 2011
10:06 pm
GM Wren, please remember it is the trades you do not make that end up making GM’s great. Just say no to any pitcher over A ball. Keep building our farm system just one more year. Also with our pitching and bullpen building strength, Freeman 1B, McCann C, Schafer CF, Heyward RF, Uggla 2B, Prado 3B pretty young and solid. We need young studs at SS and in LF to start another dynasty like 90’s and early 2000’s. Schafer can learn how to hit leadoff and use his speed. Heyward needs to work on his swing to be more consistent. If the two players we need in LF and SS can hit and have speed and can play defense. We should have power enough. If Freddi Gonzalez manages to manufacture more runs we can be awesome. Do not trade away our future when we are very, very close. BE PATIENT!
Pete
July 24th, 2011
10:07 pm
Detroit, I agree that he is cheap and it is too soon to panic. But for some reason he reminds me of Cliff Floyd. Super talented but was always injured
DetroitBraves
July 24th, 2011
10:07 pm
Pete, are you arguing that he isn’t ready to play or that he never will be? I think it is very appropriate to compare him to other 21 year olds.
I do find his declining walk rate a bit disconcerting. More so, I find the Braves hacktastic organizational approach disconcerting.
Pete
July 24th, 2011
10:08 pm
PLease stop bringing up Schafer. He has proven he cannot hit in the minors or the majors
Tim
July 24th, 2011
10:10 pm
Beltran isn’t going to be the difference between us winning a WS or not. Not worth it.
DetroitBraves
July 24th, 2011
10:10 pm
Totally agree on Schafer. He simply cannot hit. While between Heyward’s track record and age he is still a very good bet to produce, Schafer has only shown over a fairly substantial number of at-bats that he cannot. And his defense is even a bit overrated – while saying he is superior to McLouth with the glove is setting the bar extemely low.
gcs
July 24th, 2011
10:10 pm
These ESPN announcers are in LOVE with Dontrelle Willis. According to them, he is Albert Pujols at the plate, Roy Halladay on the mound and Chris Rock in the locker room.
Good grief, so tired of listening to them kiss his rump, I am glad he got taken out!
Pete
July 24th, 2011
10:11 pm
We are not going to win it without making a deal. What should we do Tim?
all for one.....
July 24th, 2011
10:11 pm
Our bench is strong and always will be strong. When you have good pitching and we do, bench players want to play for your team. One, they don’t have to hit against our staff, two, we use them late in games that have meaning to pinchhit for our pitchers. BE PATIENT!
fredi gonzalez
July 24th, 2011
10:13 pm
I’d like to tip my cap to Dontrelle. Helluva job.
Pete
July 24th, 2011
10:14 pm
The only year Schafer hit in the minors he got popped for HGH the following spring
Pete
July 24th, 2011
10:16 pm
Thank you Heyward
JC Boscan III
July 24th, 2011
10:23 pm
To use a Brian Jordan “Milky”ism, “Jason HayWOOD hit it hard (nahhhh, he didn’t), but the Reds turn the double play. Heywood just missed hitting it out……” Now, Jason’s batting near .165 vs. lefties.
So, I say, let’s trade for a CF AND a backup outfielder who can platoon with Jason in RF against lefties. This .160ish thing will KILL us in the playoffs!!!!
Pete
July 24th, 2011
10:26 pm
Heyward hitting a cool .160 versus lefties. His swing is way way too long
Ayron
July 24th, 2011
10:27 pm
Agree w/ both sides but I like Kemp for Minor much better. I think that it’d be a pretty even deal
jack bull
July 24th, 2011
10:30 pm
no, i remember Wainwright for JD Drew way to much to do that again..plus, Beltran is hurt more than Chipper is.
katherine
July 24th, 2011
10:34 pm
is it just me or are the espn announcers almost rooting for the braves to lose?
Joe
July 24th, 2011
10:36 pm
I say do it. With Minor, we’re using words like “could,” “might,” and “possibly.” Well, Beltran “is.” If the Braves don’t go for it all now, will they ever?
jack bull
July 24th, 2011
10:42 pm
yes, Kat, Valentine has openly said he doesn’t like the Braves.
JC Boscan III
July 24th, 2011
10:47 pm
Well, if Gonzalez actually gets a hit in the 9th, the Braves are DESTINED to win this one!!!
(I hope)……
Omar
July 24th, 2011
10:54 pm
For Upton I would do it for sure, but not Beltran. To many injuries and he is a rental.
JC Boscan III
July 24th, 2011
10:55 pm
.or maybe not…….
Art
July 24th, 2011
11:02 pm
Well maybe the Braves need to build the rest of the bullpen as they need to get rid of Proctor, Linebrink, Gearin, Martinez – whos left oh yes the only 3 that are pitching O;Flaherty, Venters and Kimbrell.
GT-97
July 24th, 2011
11:04 pm
Bradley is the best.
PLEASE COVER MORE GT;
positive or negative.
I love reading your takes.
DetroitBraves
July 24th, 2011
11:07 pm
It’s a tough situation. If you keep throwing O’Flaherty, Venters, and Kimbrell their arms will fall off. If you send in one of the other guys it’s almost like giving up.
It doesn’t help that Fredi still thinks you can’t use your closer unless it’s a save situation. Bad personnel, bad bullpen management.
Ah well, I’m out. Hopefully they get it going against the first place (!) Pirates tomorrow.
CHUCK UGA
July 24th, 2011
11:12 pm
DUMP LINEBRINK AND THE AWFUL SCOTT PROCTOR. DO IT NOW!
Fan of the Game
July 24th, 2011
11:12 pm
Heyward is terrible. I hate to say it but I agree with Valentine (and I can’t stand him) that his swing has got to change. It is all or nothing and we are getting nothing pretty consistently.
Worst to First
July 24th, 2011
11:47 pm
what is with people on here? Do yall think we are gonna have Tehran, Vizciano, Delgado and minor on the same rotation one day or something? that will not ever happen. young pitching is a bargaining chip and the only one the braves have. Minor has shown little in his starts above AAA. this would be a great trade even if minor becomes a 25 game winner (unlikely). We will not go anywhere this year if we dont make this move. we are not giving up multiple prospects we are giving up one who has had his chance to win a job and hasnt.
don
July 24th, 2011
11:59 pm
Joe, you sound just like the nitwits who said that the Braves were only sending “could bes” to Texas for that sure thing- “Big Tex”. Well, BT was a waste, the new Rangers have excelled, and Texas is far superior to the Braves.
needforspeed
July 25th, 2011
12:13 am
You need to look at the whole picture and do a little home work. Beltran would just be a patch. And you would be giving away too much to get him. A much better trade would could be delt for Jacoby Ellsbury from the Redsox, they are hurting with Jon lester being out and the Braves could have a golden chance to move Lowe. Another trade move could be made for Jeff Francoure (13 HR/60 rbi, 15 SB) …for Mclouth. Melky Cabaera would be another (switch hitter, 12/57) The Royals are ribe for changes right now and who would blame them. But dont trade the house for a mouse.
Thomas
July 25th, 2011
12:30 am
Chipper was a very loud voice crying out for the Mark Texeira trade some years ago and we all see how one sided that trade turned out to be. I say we need help in the bullpen and from the right side of the plate. Beltran is better from the left side where we have abundance, and the asking price is too much for two months and the uncertainty that he will get off like he did for Houston some years ago.
Thomas
July 25th, 2011
12:33 am
I would advise Wren not to make this trade, I would rather Marlon Byrd or B.J. Upton. To trade a pitching prospect for Beltran at this stage of his career and for two months is too expensive.
Mitchell
July 25th, 2011
12:33 am
The Braves are nothing without their pitching.
In fact, they’re not even all that great with it at the moment.
But what happens if Tommy, Beachy or any of the starters goes down at any point in the next two months? Who’s going to step up if we trade Minor?
Teheran? Delgado? What about in the playoffs? We want them starting?
I don’t think so.
Mike Minor is here now. He can pitch. We need all we can get.
And somebody please explain what Carlos Beltran would have done to alter the outcome of the three easily winnable games that we lost on this roadtrip because Freddie, McCann, Uggla, Heyward, Ross, D-Lowe and Brooks Conrad all looked pretty good with the bat at times?
Certainly, if they could all get hot at the same time a line-up with Prado, Heyward, Chipper, McCann, Uggla and Freeman would be pretty hard to beat. One extra bat there wouldn’t make that much difference.
I mean, would it?
The problem isn’t that they can’t all hit home runs if the ball is thrown right over the plate. They can.
It’s that in almost every game they’ve played this year there is that one at-bat that can swing the game heavily in their favor or keep the outcome in qustion and more often than not it seems they can’t get it done.
We know Dan Uggla can hit home runs. In fairness, without his home run Friday night we might have got swept.
But when he’s up with runners at second and third and nobody out with the Braves trailing by a run, what does he do? Swings at the first pitch and grounds it to the short-stop.
And when the bases are loaded with one out and a one run lead against the Reds, what do Jason and Brian do? Leave ‘em loaded.
Forget Beltran. Fire Larry Parrish.
Jeff
July 25th, 2011
1:03 am
Nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, a THOUSAND TIMES, NO.
Do NOT make this deal.
Beltran is old and he’s too expensive and he will be gone by Halloween. And we’re going to strengthen a division rival’s pitching staff for THAT?
I am as big a Braves fan as anybody, but Atlanta is NOT going to win the World Series this year. Period. We are not GOING to the World Series. Period. In a 7-game series (NLCS or WS), we do NOT match up well with a Philly or a Boston… heck, I’m worried about getting past Milwaukee or San Francisco! And in recent weeks, have we not lost series to the Rangers, the Diamondbacks, the Mets, and now the Reds?
This is a slightly-better-than-average team. One player, albeit a center fielder, will NOT win us a division or an NL pennant. It just won’t happen. A Josh Hamilton, maybe… an Albert Pujols, maybe… an A-Rod or a Jose Bautista, maybe… but NOT Carlos Beltran.
In two months, he might hit 10 home runs, drive in 25 or 30, and be an adequate everyday center fielder. But the way I see it, you keep good young cheap pitching AT ALL COSTS. This year is shot… Uggla’s ineptness at the plate, Heyward’s injury problems, Chipper’s age, and the devastating lost injury time to Prado and Moylan made sure of that. If Uggla hit just .260 this year, if J-Hey doesn’t miss so many dang games, if Chipper & Prado only miss a week or two on the DL, and if Moylan is solid in the bullpen (so we never have to put Linebrink or Proctor out there EVER), then the Braves would be winning the East and have the best record in baseball… but as it is, we are an above-average team that has it’s moments, but it’s strength is DEFINITELY it’s pitching depth…. why give up that advantage AND give a piece to the Mets???
I don’t do this deal. I go to bat with who i’ve got, and I tell the guys in the locker room “You are paid a king’s ransom to play baseball on the Major League level… so suck it up and act like a professional!” You put the onus on the obscenely paid stars who were SUPPOSED to carry this offense — Uggla and Heyward — and you sink or swim with them.
2012 and 2013 and 2014 are the Braves years… with a nucleus of McCann, Freeman, Heyward, Prado and Schafer, and with arms like Jurrjens, Hanson, Venters and Kimbrell, AND with young guys still developing like Beachy, Minor, Delgado, Teheran and Vizciano… well, the future looks bright. Don’t screw this up in a desperate move to win a potential October series that we’re not even guaranteed to BE in. Don’t mortgage a piece of our future for a Boras-represented rental. And for God’s sake, look around… the Phillies are OLD, the Yankees are OLD, the Red Sox are OLD, the Cardinals are OLD, the Giants are OLD… the teams with good young talent in baseball right now are the Braves, Brewers, Rangers, Reds, and Pirates. THOSE are the up-and-coming teams, and I think the Braves are the best of that bunch. So don’t trade what could be a 8-or-10 year piece of your pitching rotation for 10 weeks of Carlos Beltran… it’s NOT WORTH IT.
Brother John
July 25th, 2011
1:19 am
I agree. But no Beltran. Get a solid right handed bat and the puzzle is completed! I’m not sure how we can have the 2nd best record in the NL with almost everybody on the team batting below .230!! Maybe it’s our year or the play-offs will expose us…..
Jim
July 25th, 2011
1:34 am
Ia am tired of seeing Alex Gonzalez jog to 1B on a groundball, when is the manager going to call him out on this? As many hits as Uggla has taken for his lack of performance, even at his lowest he would bust it to 1B on every ball.
fredde
July 25th, 2011
1:56 am
how much is nate mcloud making and how long is his contract
clay
July 25th, 2011
2:39 am
sometime guys you just have to take a risk. sometimes they fail sometimes they work. this is a risk worth taking.
superiorblogman
July 25th, 2011
5:21 am
Beltran is a name that is about it. He struggled for a large portion of this year. It is just as likely that the guy will come here and struggle as it is that he will come here and be the key right handed bat. I am not a fan of Minor and neither am I a fan of Beltran.
Ron E.
July 25th, 2011
6:20 am
Good article, Mark Bradley. There’s no such thing as a 9 man starting rotation, so the Braves don’t need to keep every last one of their pitching prospects. There won’t be room for all of them in the major league rotation. Minor is not the same caliber prospect as Tehran, Delgado, Vizcaino. Trading him for Beltran + cash would be fine by me.
Msd
July 25th, 2011
6:53 am
Beltran has made it clear that he wants to play right field. Going to bench or move Heyward?
dawghater1
July 25th, 2011
7:00 am
it really dosent matter what you think bradley, your a sports so called writter, no professional sports team would let you within a mile of there decession making, thats why you work for a liberial washed up news paper.
Kelly
July 25th, 2011
7:04 am
Beltran is a joke. This is a bad move all the way around. If you can’t find someone other than Beltran, who has essentially made a living off of one good postseason performance, then don’t make a move. The Braves have solidly maintained the lead for the wild card thus far with what they have. I think they can continue that pace. Weigh that against the probability that Beltran goes down for 15 or so days due to one of those injuries. Please. Beltran? No.
steve
July 25th, 2011
7:05 am
I hope the Braves trade for bullpen help Linebrink,Proctor,Gearin and Martinez are terrible and when they pitch the braves have little chance to win.
TampaDAWG
July 25th, 2011
7:13 am
Michael Bourn. Beltran doesn’t play CF anymore. He plays RF. Not cause Pagan is some super speed freak because Beltran has had multiple knee injuries and a corner outfielder doesn’t have to cover as much ground. Bourn is one of the fastest guys in all of baseball, the best base stealer in all of baseball and can run down more fly balls than Shafer, Mcclouth or Beltran in CF. Beltran is a switch hitter with a good average and more power but Bourn is a perfect lead off hitter and a very good CF wihich is more of a need than Beltrans offense. A good lead off hitter with Chipper in the lineup makes our lineup very difficult to deal with.
Around The Horn
July 25th, 2011
7:19 am
The Cards need pitching. I’d much rather see a long term solution in trading for a player like Colby Rasmus.
Justafan
July 25th, 2011
7:45 am
BJ Upton Can Play CF..3B…2B…He would help more than others because he would free up Chipper for rest..Prado for rest and Uggla plus play a hell of a CF ….would love Reed Johnson,Bourn, Byrd , Jones from O’s.are Coco Crip.
Bet we don’t get anyone……
Go
Walker, Texas Ranger
July 25th, 2011
7:57 am
Mark I agree. I have seen Minor pitch at Gwinnett about 3 times now and I am just all that impressed. He may end up being a “crafty” lefthander one day but no time soon where as Teheran blows you away. I would more interested in a long term fix like Pence or Upton.
Walker, Texas Ranger
July 25th, 2011
7:59 am
Mark I think if we are not impressed then chances are some other teams won’t be either.
Pete
July 25th, 2011
8:03 am
This will be the 9th time Beltran has driven in 100 runs, but you morons would rather keep a lefty that will never win 15 games in a season. You always try to win NOW because you never know about next year. Heyward is one of the major problems. He is hitting .160 against lefties.
Fan of the Game
July 25th, 2011
8:12 am
I agree, Gonzalez’s body language kills me. He looks like a pouter and he is playing like it.
meh
July 25th, 2011
8:26 am
I’d make a play for BJ Upton first. then maybe come back to Beltran if Upton didn’t pan out.
Pete
July 25th, 2011
8:30 am
Upton is hitting a cool .225. He shows ZERO patience at the plate. Terrible idea
ArkyTech
July 25th, 2011
8:35 am
Not for a rental, and not within the division. Why give one of your division rivals a main tool to rebuild their staff for a two month rental?
And Beltran doesn’t play center field any more. And has said he doesn’t want to play center field any more.
coachx
July 25th, 2011
8:35 am
Enter your comments here
Pete
July 25th, 2011
8:37 am
Look at Minor in the minors. He does not dominate there, what makes you think he is going to even be an average pitcher in the majors?
ArkyTech
July 25th, 2011
8:38 am
CHUCK UGA, Linebrink’s ERA was lower than Hanson’s before last night’s game. But I agree with you about Proctor.
coachx
July 25th, 2011
8:38 am
I like the idea of Marlon Byrd if he is available. He could play vs. left handed pitching and be lethal. I think you could get him and keep Minor.
Plus CF can play CF and be a better bat then Schafer or spell Heyward vs. lefties.
BAMA dude
July 25th, 2011
8:43 am
Kelly
July 25th, 2011
7:04 am
Beltran is a joke. This is a bad move all the way around. If you can’t find someone other than Beltran, who has essentially made a living off of one good postseason performance
That’s some pretty uninformed drivel. Beltran is a career .900 OPS guy and is performing at about his career averages this year.
BAMA dude
July 25th, 2011
8:46 am
Mike Minor isn’t any good folks. Not sure why people think he is. Remember Bruce Chen? Same deal.
Bob
July 25th, 2011
8:47 am
Ugh, how was it we got Smoltz?
afan
July 25th, 2011
9:03 am
Two of a kind:
Schafer 235 BA~~301 OBP
Wayward 224 BA~~312 OBP
Thats our winning Combinatin..holy cow we better pray hard and often…..
afan
July 25th, 2011
9:07 am
9:08 Beltran trade take on espn now….
Bernard
July 25th, 2011
9:12 am
…you’ve changed my mind! Lets get Beltran…PPPPPLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!
MustangSalley
July 25th, 2011
9:13 am
I would love to see the Braves make a good horsetrade and improve their ballclub. Since Carlos Beltran is available, how about the Braves trading Kensheen Kawakami straight up for Beltran. I dont think we’ll ever start Kawakami again, since last year he started something like 0-12 and Beltran is a future hall of famer. That trade would make a lot of sense to me.
Walker, Texas Ranger
July 25th, 2011
9:15 am
I would only trade Minor along with a couple others for a younger, basestealing threat for CF. Anyway, Beltran can’t play CF anymore.
no hope
July 25th, 2011
9:25 am
Braves Brass Fiddles while Braves Burn…….
Braves have no plan A..B..C.. to put out fire. damn get help!!!!!!!!!
no hope
July 25th, 2011
9:27 am
Stang Sally..u couldn’t get a bag of crap for KK…..
no hope
July 25th, 2011
9:32 am
Pete..Upton 16 hrs, 65 rbi,.. 48 runs.. 23sb..Better than JS, J-who, & Nate, put together friend..Know what u talking about.
BAMA dude
July 25th, 2011
9:35 am
no hope, you and Pete are discussing different Uptons. Justin isn’t available.
gcs
July 25th, 2011
9:35 am
2004 was SEVEN YEARS AGO. You cannot compare what he did then to what he MIGHT do today.
Beltran is an injury waiting to happen.
Do you really want to give the Mets a lefty who will pitch against you for the next 10 years?
kdk3
July 25th, 2011
9:40 am
if they trade for beltran, im done for a while
VolGuy
July 25th, 2011
9:49 am
Have the Braves considered sending Heyward down long enough to get his swing straightened out? He is starting to remind me of Francouer. Over-hyped in year one and too stubborn to make adjustments now that all the pichers know his weaknesses. He seems determined to stand a mile away from the plate. As Orel Hershiser pointed out last night, that makes it easier for a pitcher to pound him inside. There is also something that looks a little choppy about his swing. It’s definitely not as fluid as McCann’s swing.
Bernard
July 25th, 2011
9:56 am
Mustang Salley!!!…ur my kinda girl…that is…lady. but. You can’t GIVE Kawakami away…he really SSSSUCKS!!!…you know what?…naaa…he REALLY SSSucks…we could probably get Charlie Leibrandt though…hee hee hee
tom varacalli
July 25th, 2011
10:44 am
The fact is the Braves need a little more than a good right hand bat. They are in real need of strong middle relief. Both of these shortages must be addressed to get them into a playoff spot. Hopefully this will happen. Giving up young talent is part of the game. Somebody is always coming up behind them.
ryanBrave
July 25th, 2011
11:01 am
NO DICE! Dont need another to lose another Wainwright, Elvis or Felize for a rental. Beltran has said he wants to play right, not center. So then ur going to move Hey to center in which he has not played in a couple of years? Plus if u ship Minor to the Mets u just gave them another lefty that the braves cant hit for at least the next five years. Two years in the system and he is on the brink on being in the show is pretty darn good. Once he can command his fastball a little better and throw that curve for a strike he is gonna be set. Remember the cubs last year when the boy struck out 11 or 12? plus u are about to lose lowe at end of next year and hudson the following, plus u got jj and tommy boras clients and they will be due their share, KEEP HIM. What is really needed is another arm, bc linbrink,sherril and proctor are AWFUL! and u cant throw jv and O’fl
JoeS
July 25th, 2011
11:50 am
Absolutely not! You don’t give up a good lefthanded prospect for a rent-a-hitter who may get a few hits. Beltran would only be here for two months and this team needs more than one hitter to get to the world series. Think Texeira and Drew – in neither case did we get a title from them after destroying our minor league system. The Cards have said a silent thank you to the Braves everytime that Wainwright took to the mound. We are supposed to learn from our mistakes, we cannot allow history to repeat itself.
Ronaldinho
July 25th, 2011
12:06 pm
PLEASE! Especially after last night!!!
71 Dawg
July 25th, 2011
4:16 pm
Would they take Linebrink and Proctor for him?
MustangSalley
July 26th, 2011
11:23 am
How about Kensheen Kawakami for Charlie Liebrandt. NOW THAT’S A HECK OF A TRADE!!! One pile of crap for another. CHARLIE LIEBRANDT AND BOBBY COX RUINED OUR ‘91 WORLD SERIES. IF BOBBY WASNT SO STUBBORN, WE WOULD HAVE WON THAT GAME. But Cox was loyal to a fault and even if a guy had an era of 10.0 (Charlie Liebrandt), Cox will stay with that guy to the bitter end, provided he is still on the roster. Had we had Tommy Lasorda has our manager instead of Cox for all of those years, the Braves would have won at least six world championships instead of only one. COX IS A TERRIBLE MANAGER AND IM GLAD HES GONE FOREVER.
RowlandOffice
July 26th, 2011
1:54 pm
I hope the Braves go out and get “Carlos” the BELT TRAIN. When his train is moving, he is belting prolific home runs out of stadiums across the country. Yes, we need the BELT TRAIN in a Braves uniform. Yes, Carlos Belt-Train(Beltran) would be a welcome addition to the Braves. We would hate to see him belting home runs for someone else, SO WHY NOT ACQUIRE HIM AND HAVE HIM BELT HOME RUNS FOR US (Braves).
LucilleReinhart
July 26th, 2011
3:30 pm
Carlos Beltran will soon be signed to a Braves contract. I remember years ago when the Braves were putting together their 14-year run of division titles. There were 4 occasions where the Braves went out and signed the BEST free agent available; #1:Greg Maddox, #2:Fred McGriff, #3:Gary Sheffield and #4:Mark Texiera. Then there were other occasions when we traded away good players, that turned out to be great players for other teams. J.D. Drew, Damon Berryhill, Edger Renteria, Yunel Escobar, Kevin Millwood, Wilson Bettement, Brett Butler, Brook Jacoby and Adam Weinright.
CarlosBeltran
July 27th, 2011
3:32 pm
Now that Brian McCann is LOST for the season, the Braves MUST acquire Carlos Beltran and sign him to a contract. Without doing so, the Braves will NOT make the playoffs, AND their hopes and dreams of making it to the world series this year and winning it will become just a fantasy.
brein128
July 27th, 2011
4:46 pm
You guys were a little off on the give the Mets Lowe for Beltran or Kensheen Kawakami for Beltran or Minor for Beltran and Matt Harvey. Enjoy facing Beltran in the playoffs.