Rasmus gone. Beltran going. And the Braves get … Nieves?
It was a painful night/early morning: Jordan Schafer after getting plunked. (AP photo)
Busy afternoon, eh? Colby Rasmus, often listed as a Braves’ target, has been traded to Toronto for Edwin Jackson, who’d just been traded from the White Sox and is now a Cardinal. ESPN is reporting that Carlos Beltran, listed as a target for every decent team, is all but ticketed for San Francisco.
And the Braves themselves? Well, they just bought catcher Wil Nieves from Milwaukee. For cash.
About Nieves: He’s 33. He’d made the Brewers’ opening day roster but got sent to Class AAA after hittting .140 in the bigs. He then hit .170 for Nashville. Which means he might wind up batting cleanup tomorrow night at Turner Field.
OK, I exaggerate. Actually, the Braves will send Nieves to Gwinnett. But this is getting grim.
Today the Braves placed both Brian McCann and Jordan Schafer on the disabled list, and Chipper Jones is again available only to pinch-hit. Tonight’s outfield: Martin Prado in left, Nate McLouth in center, Wilkin Ramirez (summoned to take Schafer’s roster spot) in right. Jason Heyward isn’t starting because the Pirates are throwing lefthander Paul Maholm.
Nieves is cheap insurance in case David Ross and/or J.C. Boscan can’t catch every inning these next two or three weeks. And there now seems little doubt that Frank Wren will indeed make some sort of big(ger) move before Sunday’s deadline. This roster in July 2011 is starting to bear the look of last season’s team in October, which isn’t what you’d want.
There’s a buzz around the clubhouse as we speak, and it’s not just because of the 19-inning game only recently concluded on a terrible call. All the Braves aren’t even here yet, manager Fredi Gonzalez having told them they didn’t need to report until 5:30 p.m. (Usual time is before 4.) Nobody’s taking batting practice. A few guys are playing catch. Everybody else on hand is sitting around wondering what can happen next.
Stay tuned, won’t you? Back soon.
By Mark Bradley
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168 comments Add your comment
Dawg'88
July 27th, 2011
7:42 pm
Don’t know about you guys but I feel great that we still have Minor and Delgado and Tehren in the minors. It will help us win the WC or the division or maybe even the WS this year. SF or Philly will be scared stiff that we have those guys for the future if we face either one in the playoffs.
Beltran couldn’t possibly help SF beat us in this year’s postseason with those guys waiting in the wings. We had a better offense than them anyway before this deal. We couldn’t give away our future to win a WS or at least make it to it. We have to able to be in the same position two or three years from now when those young pitchers are in the rotation with no offense to support them. Then we have no chance of winning the WS then either or the WC but at least we’ll be competitive. Don’t want to be more than that…better to watch other teams celebrate big victories than those wonderful regular season 2-1, 3-2 games that those pitchers will give us.
See how stupid it sounds….it should always be win now! Not wait around for years to come.
The organization has shown that the only thing they want is a product to make a little profit by winning marginally but don’t expect to have any offense to help us win anything major. The organization is stagnant in its approach.
Don’t look for any championships in ATL anymore. We have to accept the joy that 2nd place brings with regular season winning records. Anything else is not the priority. Sad. ATL fans don’t warm up to this team more because of the front office acceptance of being a fringe team with no serious ideas or strategy to do more.
2 Messages from Beltran going to SF:
1) Other MLB teams want to win a WS for their organization and their fans now. They’re not willing to sacrifice winning today and making lasting memories for keeping prospects to win regular season games tomorrow.
2) Expectations for the Braves each season should be low from here on out. And tthat should make plenty here and in the stands angry and stay away from Turner Field until the philosophy changes!
Breaking News |Breaking News
July 27th, 2011
7:51 pm
[...] they have, although they'd like to upgrade the Raul Ibanez-John Mayberry Jr.- Brown …Rasmus gone. Beltran going. And the Braves get … Nieves?Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog)Beltran, Upton tops among trade rumorsVirginia Tech Collegiate [...]
Matt from MN
July 27th, 2011
7:53 pm
Dear Liberty Media:
Please, please, PLEASE sell this team. Your ownership is in danger of reaching ASG levels of ineptness.
Thanks.
Atlanta Braves Fans
gcs
July 27th, 2011
8:01 pm
WATCH OUT PHILLIES! The Braves have Wil Nieves! BOOM!
.
longtimefan
July 27th, 2011
8:19 pm
I believe many of you Wren haters are confused about his trades or lack thereof. It was Scherholz who pulled the trigger on the ill-fated Teixeira trade, but it was Wren who fleeced Detroit in the J Jurrgens for Renteria/Hernandez. Wren is building the team for the long haul without literally mortgaging the farm. The trade deadline has not passed. Have some faith in those that actually do this for a living. The fans of most teams would take 15 playoff appearances in the last 20 years. I do.
jonny
July 27th, 2011
8:32 pm
yay braves and trades
tucker
July 27th, 2011
8:39 pm
anyone who believes the Braves are going anywhere needs to wakeup and smell the coffee. First of all Fredi Gonzales is not a great manager and Frank Wren is about as sorry GM as there is. All the Braves fan were talking about what a great trade last year when they got Gonzales and sent Escabar to the Blue Jays who do you think got the better deal, not even close.
Mark Bradley
July 27th, 2011
8:39 pm
Here’s a little guess as to what might happen these next four days.
Mets Are Best
July 27th, 2011
8:41 pm
Atlanta Hillbillies: Geezz….where did the southern hospitality go? I think I’ll take my comments to the New York papers where the people are more sophisticated.
Hoosier Aaron
July 27th, 2011
8:43 pm
Some have posted that Carlos Quentin will be a free agent after the season.
Are we sure about that?
I thought he had one more arbitration year????
Mark Bradley
July 27th, 2011
8:44 pm
Quentin will be a free agent after the 2012 season
Omar
July 27th, 2011
8:48 pm
How about a move for Coco Crisp and Josh Willingham, I think it could help two needs on offense.
Brad
July 27th, 2011
9:33 pm
I wonder if those idiots who voted unc over gt still fill the same way with butch getting booted
murf4hof
July 27th, 2011
9:37 pm
there will not be a significant trade wren said twice we have the pieces already
no go
July 27th, 2011
10:22 pm
the braves ownership is too cheap to spend big money for a star. They’ll go out easy in the first round of the playoffs–another failed season.
Another GM
July 28th, 2011
11:18 am
No go……..
Looks that way………….kinda like the Hawks.
Magoo
July 28th, 2011
6:16 pm
Man, I’d love to see the front office pull a rabbit out the hat… Andre Ethier or something of that caliber… not sure if it’s payroll we could afford anyway but as long as I’m dreaming… I dread the thought of another low cost/low risk/minimal reward type of trade (like last year’s Ankiel/Farnsworth pickup),
The team is definitely being tested right now… some of these guys have got to step up whether help arrives or not.
jgral
July 29th, 2011
12:01 am
Braves first should ‘GET’ Lugo off the roster.
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