McCann’s on the DL. Do the Braves HAVE to land a big bat?
Rule of thumb: It's never good when your best player gets hurt. (AJC photo by Curtis Compton)
OK, so they probably shouldn’t run out and hire Johnny Bench. He retired in 1983. But the game that wouldn’t end — and by rights should have kept going — could well influence what the Braves do the rest of the week.
The trade deadline is Sunday. Brian McCann, the Braves’ MVP, will miss the next two or three weeks with a strained oblique. (By the way, there’s a move afoot to change the team nickname to the “Obliques.” Why is it no other club seems to have such trouble with that particular body part?) He’s the biggest bat on a team that has no other big bats.
It has been reported by ESPN’s Buster Olney that the Braves have said no to the Mets’ insistence that any trade for the two-month rental Carlos Beltran would have to include one of the organization’s four top pitching prospects — Julio Teheran, Arodys Vizcaino, Mike Minor, Randall Delgado. Does this injury change Frank Wren’s thinking?
On the plus side, the Braves still lead the wild-card chase by 3 1/2 games over Arizona. On the minus, they’re only 6-6 since the All-Star break and they’ve slipped six games behind the Phillies in the National League East. And they’re still not hitting much: They’ve scored five runs in 28 innings against the Pirates, and one of those came by way of umpire Jerry Meals’ sense of charity.
The Braves can get by for a bit with David Ross as the everyday catcher. He’s a good No. 2. But it’s becoming less clear if they can win a World Series with this batting order, and with the batting order having suffered another loss it’s no longer a given that this club will make it to October. I think it will. (The Braves can still pitch, even if the team ERA has taken a hit in recent days.) But current events do not fill me with the same sense of certainty I had two weeks ago.
By Mark Bradley
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
558 comments Add your comment
DawgDad
July 27th, 2011
12:31 pm
Yes, McCann injury changes the thinking. We no longer need a Willingham-type, we need an everyday big bat for the middle of the order. Current lineup:
Schafer/McLouth
Prado
Chipper
Freeman
Uggla
Heyward
Ross
Gonzalez
Now, Wren has to consider the following:
1. Chipper’s availability CANNOT be counted on
2. Ross will not play every day. His replacement will likely be a near-sure out.
3. Schafer, Heyward, McLouth, and Gonzo are not exactly tearing up opposing pitching
4. We still need a bullpen arm
Bold move is in order, like Beltan-Reyes-Relief pitcher from the Mets, or some combination involving Pence from Houston. Wren will need to shop for an experienced MLB catcher to back up Ross, too, though that shouldn’t cost a lot. I would definitely trade ONE or TWO top pitching prospects, and I’d have a preference for getting players back who can bridge the gap to the next corner outfielder (on the horizon when Chipper retires). There is still a way to do this without mortgaging the future, but if nothing substantial is done they can pack it in for the year because this team is not going to make the playoffs.
FEAR
July 27th, 2011
12:32 pm
Heyward is not a disappointment…….yet. If this “rolling over the ball right to the 2B” continues into ‘12 and the little wimpy injuries also. Then we can start looking at that angle.
A Brave in Minnesota
July 27th, 2011
12:32 pm
@ Never Trade Young Pitching……..I live in the Twin Cities (St. Paul) area….I was born and raised in Athens, GA (where B Mac was born), but moved up here two years ago for my job.
Anyways……..I wish the Braves the best of luck for the rest of the season and I hope that they can get thru this mess and still make it to the playoffs……..hell, at least they are doing better than the Twins up here!! LOL!
meh
July 27th, 2011
12:33 pm
it’s not worth giving up a top prospect for two months of Beltran.
Another GM
July 27th, 2011
12:35 pm
RollTide…….funny you Bammers talk about cheating…….looks like the NCAA is about to ROLL into t-town to lets say a local clothier?
Yes of course the Braves need a bat like Beltran…….for all of the woonderful dominate pitching we have had over the last 20 years……we have a total of 1 world series wins!
Theo Williams
July 27th, 2011
12:36 pm
You can’t count a 21 year old out after 1 1/2 years in the majors. His ceiling is insane, he just needs to tweak his stance and change his approach. We do need a new hitting coach or something… it’s incredible to think that the coaching staff just sits there and allow Gonzo and Heyward to struggle so mightily without trying to change anything. Heyward’s stance needs to be changed and Gonzo’s actual swing needs an adjustment.
Theo Williams
July 27th, 2011
12:36 pm
You don’t have to give up a top prospect for Beltran…
Go for 2
July 27th, 2011
12:38 pm
Pete:
OK, so the Braves record since 2005 has nothing to do with the poor attendance? 15 years was the magic number?
Again, who’s the idiot?
GF2
Hoosier Aaron
July 27th, 2011
12:39 pm
Rasmus might be heading to the Jays.
Yeah, we could use a hitter. However, I’d take someone hitting a slow roller to short with a runner at third, no outs and the infield back…instead of striking out, popping out on the infield and flying out to left center to end the inning.
Theo Williams
July 27th, 2011
12:40 pm
Dang Rasmus would be nice…
dcp
July 27th, 2011
12:41 pm
The Braves need to do what is best to get the Wild Card, because that is all they are going to likely see this year. At six games back of Philly, if the Phils go 35 and 25, the Braves need to go 41 and 18 to pass them. Odds are gainst that. Like a lot of people on this board, I am unclear why they are so hung up on dealing Minor. There is reason you have prospects – for moments like this one – you never know if they will pan out, but you do know what Beltran has done for 10+ years.
henry from TN
July 27th, 2011
12:44 pm
San Diego is where our best bet is at get Ludwick and adams for miner
Theo Williams
July 27th, 2011
12:44 pm
They’re hung up an dealing him because he’s a lefty. JJ, Hanson, Beachy, Teheran, Delgado, and Vizcaino are all righties. He’s not elite, but a lefty in the back of the rotation would be nice.
Marteen is a Ballplayer
July 27th, 2011
12:45 pm
I can not believe all of the talk of don’t trade the farm…we are not trading the farm. We are going to trade one of our big four prospects, not Teheran, and likely Minor. My gawd people, we are in the thick of it right now. As mentioned in an earlier post, we have no idea about injuries or productivity out of guys in future years. McCann is out indefinitely and we needed a big bat before that. We are not trading the farm…we are trading one of our many, many prospects. More than one of these guys is going to go in the next couple of years regardless. Trade them now. I would love Pence, but it isn’t realistic. We can get Beltran for a whole lot less. A two-month rental? I say yes. This isn’t the Tex trade…no where near it. This guy fills are need for an outfield bat, a right’ handed bat, another power bat, playoff experience, and most importantly, keeps him away from the Phillies and Giants.
I hate to use the word dense, but how can someone be so adamant to simply stand pat. This team is a sleeping lion and has one of the best records in baseball. Beltran improves us immediately and if we have just a little luck with injuries, we are going to be a favorite to win it all or a coin-toss against Philly. The Giants do not beat us this year. It is all about Philly in the playoffs. I like our chances in the World Series…it is the Phillies who worry me and the Phillies who you build your team to beat.
This is our best shot in the last 10 years. Our team is only going to get stronger even without Minor and Shaefer.
FEAR
July 27th, 2011
12:46 pm
I would not be upset to see minor traded. He is good but not great and we have plenty of other pitchers coming up.
Don Green
July 27th, 2011
12:46 pm
I really wanted to make a deal for CF-Colby Rasmus from the Cardinals. Even though he is left handed, he hits left handed pitching very well and will be under contract until 2014. But looks like the Blue Jays may have won out on him if the rumors are correct.
FEAR
July 27th, 2011
12:48 pm
Hoosier Aaron – HAHA agreed!
kreedham
July 27th, 2011
12:49 pm
So who’s the back up catcher they’re bringing up!
Theo Williams
July 27th, 2011
12:49 pm
Personally, I’m totally fine with trading either Delgado or Vizcaino. I can’t see either one of them developing into much of anything. Once Huddy and Lowe are gone, it will be nice to stick the lefty Minor in the back of the rotation. If we have to give up Delgado and/or Vizcaino to get a big bat(s), then I say we do it.
FEAR
July 27th, 2011
12:49 pm
Darren dalton ha
Dawg'88
July 27th, 2011
12:53 pm
Agree with ESPN or not…this sums it up pretty good about why the Braves need to do the Beltran deal and the truth about the future of Mike Minor:
McCann injury paves way for Beltran deal
July, 27, 2011 Buster Olney ESPN
The Atlanta Braves survived 19 innings and won Tuesday night, aided at the end by a terrible call. But in the big picture, the night was not good for the Braves, because they lost All-Star catcher Brian McCann — an MVP candidate in the National League — to an oblique strain.
For the Braves, then, the question of whether they should give up pitching prospect Mike Minor in a deal for Carlos Beltran might have a different context. Atlanta already needed a middle-of-the-order hitter before McCann got hurt, because of Chipper Jones’ knee and muscle issues and the struggles of Alex Gonzalez, Nate McLouth and Jason Heyward.
As of this morning, sources say, the Mets are making progress in trade talks with the Rangers and Giants; they are not making progress with the Braves.
These days, teams are reluctant to give up their better prospects, and in the eyes of rival evaluators about Minor, the young left-hander is viewed as a middle-of-the-rotation starter — either a No. 3 or a No. 4. He’s not regarded as a No. 1-type talent, like Julio Teheran; Minor is regarded as a very good prospect. And if I were sitting in the Atlanta front office, I’d make the deal.
cave
July 27th, 2011
12:54 pm
rumors are not correct rasmus is still available,even if we traded for beltran we are still playing from last night….1 player does not matter pitch around to him,as of now….
prado has mama problems,who else went 0/9 in a game like that?
agon he is here for defense
nate ..
ryan
July 27th, 2011
12:54 pm
Buster Onley is reporting that Beltran to the Braves could happen after all with the injury’s to McCann and Shaffer .
The Ghost of Rick Camp
July 27th, 2011
12:54 pm
In a sad way, last night’s game shows exactly why the Braves need to make moves for the offense. They couldn’t hit anyone that the Pirates threw out there. It took a blind ump, a face-planting relief pitcher and a backup infielder rescued off of the free agent scrap heap a couple of months ago for the Braves to manufacture ONE run in the last 16 innings of that game! Another reason we need to make a move or TWO — against lefties:
Hinske .107, Schafer .190, McLouth .177, Heyward .167, Uggla .148.
That’s terrible…… We need someone to platoon with Heyward against lefties, and a CF who can CONSISTENTLY hit lefties and righties, get on base and steal.
No matter how good our pitching is, we have to be able to score runs against playoff-caliber pitching. That’s a big reason that we only won 1 World Series in spite of 14 straight division championships.
rogerash
July 27th, 2011
12:54 pm
the braves need several bats they need a good hitting right fielder also need a shortstop and need a center fielder and move prado to third and of course need a left fielder and relief pitching mr. wren has a lot of work ahead of him to fix this slumping team im a big braves fan but they have alot of weakness
cave
July 27th, 2011
12:55 pm
Enter your comments here
Bilbo
July 27th, 2011
12:55 pm
What’s wrong with calling up Stefan Gartrell from Gwinnett ? He has been terrorizing IL pitching much like Freeman did last year.
Fols
July 27th, 2011
12:55 pm
Can Wren pull a trade for some situational baseball? …because unless we’re replacing about 4 guys in the line-up…the RBI situations will continue to find the Gonzo’s of the 2011 Braves.
sports fan
July 27th, 2011
12:56 pm
Please do not mention Prado and Heyward in the same sentence when talking about their hitting.
FalconFiend
July 27th, 2011
12:56 pm
Mark,
Any thoughts on Cuddyer (spelling?) or Rasmus/Upton? I think adding the twins outfielder would give us more flexibility than would Beltran, it would also be CHEAPER and he may even be willing to sign next year. ***Any darkhorses the Braves might trade for???***
ChillyMutt
July 27th, 2011
12:58 pm
I am now convinced that we need a big bat …. but would rather pay the price to get Pence than buy a 2 month rental.
On the game ending play last night. Obviously the ball beat the runner by a country mile, but that swipe tag …. that actually may have missed Lugo. There is nothing in any replay that I can see that indicates a tag was applied to the runner. The glove doesn’t change directions at all … there is no crease on Lugo’s pant leg.
FalconFiend
July 27th, 2011
1:00 pm
Mark, are the Michael Bourn talks dead? That speed would look much better in a Braves uni
count_schemula
July 27th, 2011
1:00 pm
Edwin Jackon and Octavio Dotel for Colby Rasmus is going down as we speak?
Theo Williams
July 27th, 2011
1:00 pm
I say the Braves pass up on Beltran and make a smarter deal for someone younger who they can control for longer. Beltran is good, but he’s not going to help us make the jump from the wild card to the NL East champs. We do need to make a deal to maintain our lead in the wild card, but we don’t need a rental for a guy like Minor. If was our only option then fine, but it’s clearly not with all these teams having to cut payroll.
FEAR
July 27th, 2011
1:01 pm
agreed…..lets trade our 4 prospects for an injection of fundamental baseball..haha
banned_schemula
July 27th, 2011
1:02 pm
Rasmus for Jackson and Dotel? That did not take much.
FalconFiend
July 27th, 2011
1:02 pm
Theo, MICHAEL CUDDYER
Not Impressed
July 27th, 2011
1:03 pm
WIth the lousy year and wimpy playing attitued that Heyward has, it would not bother me at all seeing what kind of interest he could bring on the trading market – right now he is absolutely worthless and is a WIMP!
banned_schemula
July 27th, 2011
1:03 pm
I’d better break the news, since Mark Bradley is at the spa getting a mani/pedi.
http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/07/27/report-blue-jays-get-colby-rasmus-from-cardinals-for-edwin-jackson-octavio-dotel-and-marc-rzepczynski/
D-Ball
July 27th, 2011
1:04 pm
YES, the Braves need a Batter!! Anybody who can HIT consistently with a BIG bat, LITTLE bat, ANY bat.
Theo Williams
July 27th, 2011
1:06 pm
I’ve gathered from several sources that the likelihood of the Braves landing Bourn are slim to none.
Fols
July 27th, 2011
1:06 pm
I was screaming at the TV this week for missed bunt opportunities.
Then it hit me, why put runners in scoring position when it still requires a hit?
Yes, bring in a bat. Chipper has maybe 30 games left this season, we need to replace B-Mac all while hoping Uggla will continue his recent hitting and reclaim what he was brought in to do.
JS
Prado
Uggla
Freeman
Ross
Hinske
Heyward
Gonzo
Pitcher
Pete
July 27th, 2011
1:06 pm
Braves attendance had gone down way way before 2005.
Theo Williams
July 27th, 2011
1:07 pm
Wow, nice trade by the Jays…
FalconFiend
July 27th, 2011
1:07 pm
Rasmus doesnt listen to his coaches according to LaRussa. We dont need to trade prospects for a cancerous player like that.
Fols
July 27th, 2011
1:09 pm
The Jays aren’t even involved in a race as long as they remain in the AL East….and they steal a potential player we should have been insterested in. Interesting.
Fols
July 27th, 2011
1:10 pm
Meh….Rasmus wasn’t going to put us over the edge…..NEXT!!!!!
Theo Williams
July 27th, 2011
1:10 pm
Maybe they’ll swing a deal to send him here… or maybe they actually want him… but it is a very interesting move…
Fols
July 27th, 2011
1:12 pm
Jays would love to swing a deal with us……Yunel is hitting over .300……they should be calling us weekly for trades!
FalconFiend
July 27th, 2011
1:14 pm
Marlon Byrd would be a cheap trade prospect and switch hits while playing all three OF positions. Alfonso Soriano may be available too but a player like Jeff Francouer or Juan Rivera would be cheaper with similar upside.