The trade deadline nears. Will Braves GM Wren pay the piper?
Mike Minor could be the key man in a major move. (AJC photo by Hyosub Shin)
Look on the bright side. If you have to put your catcher and your center fielder on the disabled list, better to do it four days before the trading deadline than four days after. Right?
“You didn’t give me the alternative of not putting anybody on the disabled list,” Fredi Gonzalez said, speaking before his Braves played the second leg of their odd Wednesday doubleheader. (The first part ended at 1:50 a.m.) But the DL has become to the Braves as the Downtown Connector is to the Georgia DOT — a place of high occupancy and much consternation.
Among other developments over the course of 19 innings Tuesday-into-Wednesday, the Braves lost their best player. Brian McCann went on the DL with what we like to call Braves Syndrome — a tweaked oblique. Jordan Schafer, who got plunked in the left forearm in the 11th inning, was disabled with a broken left index finger. (”Needs to take the target off his left arm,” Gonzalez said.)
Complicating matters, Chipper Jones remained unavailable to do more than pinch-hit Wednesday night, and Jason Heyward, who was hitting .222, didn’t start because the Pirates were deploying left-hander Paul Maholm. This was the Braves’ starting outfield: Martin Prado, who’d gone 0-for-9 over the 19 innings; Nate McLouth, who was hitting the McLouthian .228, and Wilkin Ramirez, just up from Gwinnett. Batting cleanup for your Atlanta Braves: Dan Uggla, just now nuzzling up to .200.
The belief before those 19 innings was that general manager Frank Wren would make some manner of major trade ahead of the deadline. That belief is now a raging conviction. But doesn’t the knowledge that the Braves are without McCann complicate matters?
“Obviously it changes things a little bit,” Gonzalez said. “I think we were going to try to improve our club no matter what — even if Mac hadn’t gotten hurt. Now maybe the asking price just got a little higher.”
Did it? Said Wren: “It’s not as if he’s out for the year. If that was the case, things might be different. But for what we’re trying to do, the dynamics haven’t changed.”
A day that began with plate umpire Jerry Meals making a lousy call that became the buzz of the sports world remained frazzled throughout. (The Braves would win Wednesday night in a scant 10 innings, amassing two runs on 14 hits.) Colby Rasmus, identified by some as a person of interest to the Braves, was shipped to Toronto by St. Louis. Various reports held that Carlos Beltran, seen as the biggest of available names, was headed to the Giants, who might again play here in the Division Series.
It had been reported by Buster Olney of ESPN that the Braves removed themselves from the Beltran bidding by refusing to part with any of their four top pitching prospects — Julio Teheran, Arodys Vizcaino, Mike Minor, Randall Delgado. Was that indeed the case?
Said Wren: “We’re not going to trade those guys for a short-term fix. That really doesn’t make sense. Those are premium-type prospects.”
Such a hard line makes sense — in theory. Beltran will become a free agent at season’s end and is represented by the dreaded Scott Boras. If the Braves are going to deal a Minor or a Delgado (or both), in a perfect world it would be for a guy like Houston’s Hunter Pence, who fills a need, makes reasonable money and is under contract through 2013. That said …
When you look on this lineup, you see, shall we say, imperfection. The scary part is that Uggla has hit in 18 consecutive games and raised his average, at least for a couple of innings, above the Mendoza Line, and still the Braves are hitting under .240. And that was with McCann having an MVP-type season. What happens these next few weeks?
“We’d like to improve our team,” Wren said, and the proper adjustments could make this club, which is on pace to win 93 games, a world champion. But those adjustments could come at a hefty price. As much as baseball are loath to part with young pitching, sometimes it’s the only way.
We’ll know soon enough if this GM is willing to ante up. The guess here: He’s willing, and he will.
By Mark Bradley
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261 comments Add your comment
Katherine
July 28th, 2011
9:07 am
What is up with comments not showing up? Anyway…I said before…why not go after Hanley Ramirez? There have been rumors about him wanting to leave florida… wouldn’t that be amazing to have a shortstop who doesn’t hurt your team on a nightly basis?
Katherine
July 28th, 2011
9:07 am
ok i give up….my comments are not showing up at all
MATT ATLANTA
July 28th, 2011
9:16 am
The Braves are not trying to win a championship they don’t have the money like the other contenders, and trying to hold onto Mike Minor for low pay , what are they going to do have a 8 man rotation it doesn’t make since, this team is good they don’t have the record as the phillies but head to head they are even and now they have to worry about San Fran the team that beat them last year….
Atlanta87
July 28th, 2011
9:44 am
Let’s trade McCann, Heyward, and Freeman for three more pitchers. Can’t have enough of those pitchers, that you can only use one at a time. Wren is the man. I just love the job he’s doing soooo much!
DMAN
July 28th, 2011
9:45 am
Unless FG starts managing better,none of these moves will help!
Teddy Granthem
July 28th, 2011
9:55 am
Enter your comments here
Dawgdad (The Original)
July 28th, 2011
10:03 am
I say go BIG, and do something long term that will help the club. Put JJ and Hanson out there, both Boras clients destined to leave. JJ is the better long term pitcher, Trade Hanson preferably, before he throws one too many of his middle school curve balls and hurts his elbow. Maybe Hanson for Curtis Granderson, or put them both out there for Ryan Braun. These mickey mouse type trades like the Franceour and McClouth are just swapping one average player for another, doesn’t improve the team long term. And, don’t give me this trade D Lowe for Albert Pujouls crap, D. Lowe is untradeable unless we absorb most of his salary.
Bama Aaron
July 28th, 2011
10:09 am
Don’t trade the young pitchers. Lowe is old and pretty much done as a Brave after this season. As much as I hate to say it Huddy is getting old and not the same pitcher he used to be. Those young arms will be needed in another season or two.
Coach (2011 Fredi G. a go!)
July 28th, 2011
10:12 am
Our Braves need depth, bullpen pitching, one big bat, help in the outfield, help in the infield, help at the top of the order, an improved bench etc. etc. etc.
Frank Wren’s a smart guy, so he already knows this to be true. I’m gonna put my two cents in for one last time, hopefully somebody in the Braves organization reads what I have been working on for days.
How to meet all the team needs without breaking the budget, stripping most of the pitching depth in our farm system and fitting it all into the 40 and 25 man roster’s. I keep coming back to the Marlins and I know those guys like to retool due to their small payroll. Here is what I came up with. The Fish will want pitching. I’m giving it too them without hurting our crop of young starting pitchers.
Trading Arodys Vizcaino, Brett Oberholtzer, Paul Clemens (all pitchers) plus Brandon Hicks, Nate McLouth and Julio Lugo if the Marlins want him. In exchange: Logan Morrison, Omar Infante, Emilio Bonifacio, Edward Mujica, and minor league outfielder Marcell Ozuna.
That’s three pitchers, two infielders, one outfielder in exchange for one outfielder, two utility players, one middle relief pitcher and an OF prospect. Six for five. Even up it’s a solid, fair, smart baseball trade. Plus we pick up the tab, all of it. Our Braves pay the remaining 2011 salaries for everyone. But here’s the beautiful part. It all adds up to under 3.5 million total. Even more exciting, all these guys are young. They can all be part of the equation for years to come.
We get our big bat, outfield and infield help plus a bullpen arm. The Marlins get three young arms, two infielders, one outfielder and payroll relief. It’s doable, it really is.
Infante and Bonifacio would impact our offense, defense, bench, depth, infield, outfield plus clean out the kitchen sink. The two would give Fredi Gonzalez all kinds options for his batting order. Both can hit at the top and bottom of the order, both play six positions, both can start, come off the bench, pinch hit, pinch run….basically everything we need. Morrison is the big bat everybody craves.
There is my two cents. Can Frank Wren come up with a better mouse trap? I sure hope so but it’s highly doubtful.
Furman Bitcher
July 28th, 2011
10:14 am
WE NEED QUINTION FROM THE WHITE SOX. IF FRANK WREN LETS THE PHILLIES GET HIM HE SHOULD BE FIRED.
KB
July 28th, 2011
10:19 am
Upton has some raw talent but is unpolished and has an attitude that is…shall we say…not compatible with our clubhouse. Given his stats on the year, he’s not worth the risk.
I know what’s been said about Houston wanting to retain Hunter Pence but I bet they might change their tune if we dangled a few pitching prospects in front of them. Given his contract would run through 2013, I’d be content with that deal.
Since Rasmus and Beltran are off the block so early, my gut is Wren is working hard to make this happen. At least I hope…
Taco
July 28th, 2011
10:20 am
I love the Marlins big move scenario. I also like idea of Matt Kemp for one of our big prospects if we get him for more than 1.5 seasons. That guy is a stud. Just not a whole lot of great players available on sucky teams. Maybe we could get the judge from the Casey Anthony trial to rule that we deserve Matt Kemp because the Dodgers are broke.
Golddawg
July 28th, 2011
10:33 am
We will end up with Josh Willingham and an eight man rotation next year. Bet on that…
Golddawg
July 28th, 2011
10:35 am
I can’t believe Wren won’t give up Minor for an OF upgrade.
JoeS
July 28th, 2011
10:48 am
With the way that this club is hitting, one new hitter will not assure them the title or even a playoff spot. You just cannot give up a major pitching prospect for a short term possible fix.
Robert
July 28th, 2011
10:57 am
Adam Jones from Baltimore would be a huge upgrade. Trade Minor for him.
Bill
July 28th, 2011
11:01 am
agree Robert on Adam Jones and CQ does have another arbitration year on his contract. Sorry Robert I was wrong before.
Golddawg
July 28th, 2011
11:13 am
I would say a Minor package for Pence is not a short term fix.
PMC
July 28th, 2011
11:16 am
Why would Baltimore trade a great young player for a maybe pitcher?
Pitchers pitch ONCE every 5 days and anyone we trade would get shredded in that division especially with no CF.
Yeah, we’d love to have Adam Jones and Curtis Granderson too, those guys aren’t available for a reason.
Frank Wren is more worried about guys that pitch once every 5 days than the guys that play everyday.
noseknows
July 28th, 2011
11:34 am
As long as Schuerholz is around and looking over Wren’s shoulder, the Braves won’t pull the trigger. Schuerholz only cost the Braves 3 to 4 WS rings when the Braves HAD the money.
don
July 28th, 2011
11:36 am
When Wren pays the piper he funds it with an overpayment of prospects. His unwillingness to trade one of the four pitching prospects offers hope. Unfortunately, shortsighted sportswriters and fans who have unrealistic expectations will probably force him to pull another Teixeira type fiasco.
Mitchell
July 28th, 2011
11:51 am
If Dan Uggla wasn’t such an unbelievable disappointment, we wouldn’t have to trade for a bat.
If we didn’t have the worst hitting coach in baseball maybe Jason Heyward wouldn’t be in the tank right with Uggla, McLouth and Gonzalez.
Trading a young pitcher like Minor, who, granted, probably has little chance of becoming the next Adam Wainwright, just would have been pointless for a guy who will only be here for two months.
You simply have to get more than that to part with a top prospect, especially when it’s to a division rival who you face 18 times a year for five years or however many it was to be.
All Carlos Beltran does is make the Giants now the 25th best offensive team in the majors as opposed to the 27th or 28th.
Their line-up is still weak. They just manage to grind it out and win by holding onto leads with their pitching and bullpen.
I still like our chances against them especially with Chipper and Martin in the line-up this time around.
If Brian is healthy, he could be our MVP when it comes down to it. They don’t have anybody like him in their line-up.
I say BRING IT.
PMC
July 28th, 2011
11:58 am
Teixeria wasn’t a fiasco Don. JD Drew was a fiasco mostly because he simply wasn’t worth Wainwright and he’s a freaking flake mentally. One or two of those 5 prospects would have worked out here and the Braves got a year and a half out of Tex. Of course Tex only plays for half a season, and due to a variety of issues related to a transition in starting pitching (poor relief pitching) and just not scoring enough (what else is new?)
Prospects count nothing towards a team winning. Teams that win championships don’t give two craps about who is in the minors. We shouldn’t either if we want to win championships anyway. The only thing good prospects are for is keeping the costs down and being fairly relevant. Our position players especially in the outfield and at Shortstop are incredibly lacking.
The Braves can find pitchers, they have no freaking clue how to scout outfielders if the results are any indication.
PMC
July 28th, 2011
12:00 pm
Trading for a player doesn’t have to mean Beltran, but seriously, who is the offense in this outfield? Who can you count on?
The Giants weak lineup just won the WS, why? Because we trotted out Raw Dog at 2nd and Rick Freaking ANKIEL was our answer in Center.
RICK ANKIEL. ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME? The team with the largest radio network that has fans all over America… felt they could fix the massive black hole in center….with RICK ANKIEL….Awesome.
LawDawg
July 28th, 2011
12:05 pm
Has everyone already forgotten what the JD Drew and Tex rentals cost us?
I, for one, would hate to have Beltran for 2 months and then watch as the pitcher we trade for him becomes another Adam Wainwright.
Michael
July 28th, 2011
12:09 pm
I’ve repeated this on every article questioning the wisdom of not signing Beltran – smart move Braves. He missed 100 games in 2010, and half a season in 2009. In 2009-2010 he hit a combined 17 home runs. This guy has gotten far too much mileage off of what he did for the Astros…SEVEN years ago! Yet some sportswriters here seem to think trading a young gun for this injury prone, power long gone hitter was the thing to do. WRONG. Beltran is one foul ball off his foot away from finishing his only season with the Giants on the bench – and you want to face one of our top talents for FIVE years for this guy? Thank God Frank Wren calls the shots and not Bradley or Schultz. Funnier still? Read what the Giants sports guys thought about this move before the trade went through…http://bleacherreport.com/articles/782186-carlos-beltran-short-term-rental-of-injury-prone-star-would-be-idiotic-move
LawDawg
July 28th, 2011
12:11 pm
“The only thing good prospects are for is keeping the costs down and being fairly relevant.”
PMC, what does this mean? Every major star was a prospect at some point. The reason you do not trade prospects is because sometimes they become Wainwright. If the Cards had traded Pujols out of their minor league system for some rental player to get them to the playoffs in the late 90s, early 00s, do you think they would be saying “who cares, he was only a prospect?”
LawDawg
July 28th, 2011
12:13 pm
Michael – you are exactly right; Beltran is being way overrated based on a good half year this year, which means he is on pace to play only about another 4 games this season.
hanley ramirez
July 28th, 2011
12:14 pm
What about me? I solve your RH bat problem and your SS problem. Continue to platoon the outfield. I promise I will get along with Fredi.
PMC
July 28th, 2011
12:25 pm
For every Pujols there are 5000 Todd Van Poppel’s.
We are going to sit through close playoff loss after close playoff loss waiting for pitchers to develop while the everyday lineup continues to lose games becuase they can’t produce runs.
don
July 28th, 2011
12:36 pm
You are correct, PMC, the Teixeira trade was not merely a fiasco. It was one of the absolute worst trades in the history of baseball. The old standby that prospects wouldn’t make it with the Braves although they made it with other, better teams is ridiculous. If Andrus, Harrison, and Feliz wouldn’t make it with the Braves, it says a lot about the ineptness of the Braves management- both on and off the field.
The Teixeira trade will always stand as a textbook example of a panic move by a GM that produced nothing positive for the Braves and a treasure trove for the Rangers.
On the other hand, I agree with you about the Drew trade. It was another panic move that garnered nothing. Wainwright was far too much to give up for a rental. Some seem to forget that the Braves also gave up Marquis. Like him or not, Marquis is a decent starting pitcher. His sin with the Braves was that he was not particularly impressed with Mazzone. Of course, a lot of people were not impressed with Mazzone. A head of lettuce would have looked good with the rotation Mazzone had at his disposal all those years.
K. Conley
July 28th, 2011
12:47 pm
Pence is the only answer as I see it. I don’t want Willingham or Quentin. I want the spark-plug, tough, young baseball player that goes hard 24-7. If I’m giving up young pitching talent, I can live with myself making the trade for Pence. I’m not sure I could with the other 2. Anyone who knows anything about baseball knows what I mean. Give up Minor and some lesser prospects and get it done. I just would not trade Vizcaino or Teheran.
Reality Check
July 28th, 2011
1:06 pm
K. Conley – Completely agree.
Reality Check
July 28th, 2011
1:07 pm
K. Conley – completely agree
HAL
July 28th, 2011
2:11 pm
i laughed out loud reading the post above about mclouth overtherowing cutoff men not being too bright etc right discription wrong player that would be the big dumb jerk usually to the left of nate in the outfield lol
Larry
July 28th, 2011
2:50 pm
this team is a joke who gives a shyt?
Larry
July 28th, 2011
2:51 pm
BRAVES JUST TRADED FOR PENCE
Brave Mike
July 28th, 2011
3:12 pm
All of the players mentioned in trade talks suck! Why even make a trade if this is all there is on the trade block?
Brave Mike
July 28th, 2011
3:13 pm
I have a part time home in Houston & go to an occasional Astro game. Let me say this…Hunter Pence sucks out loud! LOL
case
July 28th, 2011
3:17 pm
here’s my position. the bravos NEED to make a deal. they’re hurting. bad. as far as BJ Upton goes, he could be in the same situation that frenchy was in: in need of a new place. jeff went to the mets and thrived. my ideal guy would be pence or bourn. you have to give up talent to get talent. trade minor because he has let us down for the most part.
Braves20
July 28th, 2011
3:25 pm
Any way to permanently block someone who puts up a piece of crap like the post at 2:51?
urban redneck
July 28th, 2011
3:32 pm
pence is not going to leave the lone star state.
and anyone who questions an author’s grammar……………….should know there is no “e” in grammar.
Really?
July 28th, 2011
6:13 pm
How about trading Jason Heyward and a lower pitching prospect for a proven bat????
luvthosedawgs68
July 28th, 2011
6:23 pm
I love FW’s stance at the moment. He’s not gonna give up the top arms in the farm system unless a high production name comes our way. I don’t really think that there is a whole lot out there, so we will see if some of the prices come down between now and the deadline.
John A.
July 28th, 2011
7:19 pm
Frank could pull a coup with Baltimore, and put plenty of zing in the lineup…..trade AGON, McLouth, Proctor, Beachy, and a player to be named later for JJ Hardy, Vald Guerrero, and Nick Markakis (the player to be named later)…in other word borrow Markakis…things like that have been done in the past.
Hardy, Markakis and Guerrero add hitting power to the lineup, plus Baltimore needs pitching. Frank still has ties in Baltimore, and hould be able to pull off such a deal.
treyingeorgia
July 28th, 2011
9:36 pm
I am so tired of blaming the hitting coach… everybody was railing on Pendleton for the Brave’s lack of hitting… he might be the hitting coach; but, honestly guys it is in name only. He can only suggest and be a sounding board for the players. The point I am trying to make is the players currently on the roster save for 1 or 2 are just not very good hitters… and it has been like that for years… they don’t hit and run, bunt hit to the opposite field… they fail to make adjustments– Heyward sorry I just don’t see it… you are so far off the play that you have to lunge to get the outside pitch… if they do in fact go after QJackson from the White Soxx that will be first professional hitter they have acquired in age’s… if they get him maybe his mindset will rub off on the rest of the players…
treyingeorgia
July 28th, 2011
9:37 pm
and now this year people are asking for the Braves to get rid of Larry Parish this years hitting coach…
K Conleyh
July 28th, 2011
10:17 pm
@ John A. that’s about as dumb as it gets. Where in the hell would Guerrero play? He can barely walk, much less play a position. The Orioles just locked Hardy up with a new contract, so that makes zero sense.
jgral
July 29th, 2011
12:00 am
Don’t force anything, you can always check, the Phils look real good anyhow.
–
Atlanta Insight: Top 5 Moments in ATL Sports History – http://bit.ly/atlblog
Keith
July 29th, 2011
12:58 am
Mark,
YOu see the updated story on ESPN about how the Braves have made an offer for PENCE? I’m sure you have.
I guess the GM is pitting Wren against the Phillies’ GM. Classic.
GO BRAVES! We need offense.