Apparently the Braves are close to an extension for Dan Uggla. The projections are in the neighborhood of 5yrs/$60M. That would be $12M per year. That would run through the age of 36 for Uggla. That is close to Chipper money (roughly $14M per year). I assume the team anticipates moving Uggla to 3B as soon as Chipper is done, which could be another 3-4 seasons if he is able to come back strong. Uggla turned down 4yrs/$48M from the Marlins. Obviously, the 5th year is important for him. But this a good bit less than the 5yr/$70M he was reportedly asking from the Marlins. I don't have a problem with it, as this kind of power from a RH infielder is rare. But we've got a lot of young guys, specifically pitchers, who will be in line for some extensions in the next couple of years. So, we need to hope that the budget will increase over the next few years if we want to ink some folks like Heyward, Hanson, Jurrjens, Venters, Kimbrel, Minor, Teheran or Prado long-term.
As for Uggla being worth $12M per season, he was already in the neighborhood of $10M for arbitration. His value isn't coming down, given his ability to consistently put up power numbers and in light of the Werth deal. We just have to hope we will sign the .280-hitting Uggla, and not the .220-hitting Uggla who has dotted the map at times in the past few years. If that is the case, it is a good signing. But there is some risk involved.
Showing posts with label Braves. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Braves. Show all posts
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Damn. Phils got Cliff Lee.
Yeah, so... How does Wren even respond to this? Not only did Cliff Lee sign with the Phils, but he took far less money than was offerred from the Yanks/Rangers. People believe that he left around $50M on the table in New York to play with the Phillies. Wow. That reminds me how the Braves used to be - a place where people would take a pay cut just to be part of a great team and great clubhouse.
Anyway, it's sort-of like the Braves and Phillies are in an arms race similar to that of the Yankees and Red Sox. The only difference is that the Braves have about half the payroll of the other three teams mentioned in that previous sentence.
Apparently, the Phils will trade away Blanton. That means this will be their starting five:
1. Cliff Lee
2. Roy Halladay
3. Roy Oswalt
4. Cole Hamels
5. Kyle Kendrick
And don't look down on Kyle Kendrick, Braves fans, because the kid is 4-1 with a 2.28 ERA in 8 career games (7 starts) versus the Braves. We have hit .237 against him.
You remember that era when Maddux, Smoltz, and Glavine all pitched on the same team and it was considered the best pitching staff of all time? And the players all wanted to stay together and maintain the continuity, which caused other guys to want to come be part of what was going on in Atlanta? Well that era has returned, only with the Phils.
Some bloggers/writers want to caution the Braves fans from panicking, saying that Hudson, Hanson, Jurrjens and Lowe can hang with the Phillies "Big 4." I don't see it. There's no way. Jurrjens was bad last year and had recurring injuries. Hudson isn't getting any younger and is on a plane with Oswalt, at best. Hanson has had mixed results. He's young, and solid, but he's got to get his walks and pitch counts lower. Then you've got Lowe - the disappointing $60M man. I don't mean to bad mouth our rotation, because there are positives there, too. Hudson finished Top 5 in Cy Young voting, Lowe's September was the best among all MLB pitchers, Hanson is still very young and has shown flashes of dominance, and Jurrjens was brilliant in 2009 when he was healthy. But relatively speaking, there just isn't the question marks on the Phillies staff that there are with the Braves. And given how the Braves struggled against the Phillies in 2010, it could be a very long 2011 season.
The Braves just don't have the budget to add any more pieces as part of any arms race with Philly. What the Braves have now is pretty much what they've got to run with in 2011. So, we'll see how it turns out.
The silver-lining to all this "great pitching staff" madness in Philly is that the Braves do have the consensus top minor league pitchers. So, to the extent Philly can enjoy it now, it may be the Braves who have the last laugh as they've got at least 3 guys who have not pitched in the majors yet and will probably all be ranked in the Top 50 prospects in all of baseball prior to the next season, which would mean they'd be Top 20-25 pitching prospects for all of baseball. That's incredible. I'm talking about Julio Teheran, Arodys Vizcaino, and Randall Delgado. That doesn't include Mike Minor and Craig Kimbrel, who've already made their debuts and will be on the major league roster next season. They'd probably both be in the Top 50 as well.
So... we can't lose hope for the future, although 2011 may be a struggle against the Phils.
Anyway, it's sort-of like the Braves and Phillies are in an arms race similar to that of the Yankees and Red Sox. The only difference is that the Braves have about half the payroll of the other three teams mentioned in that previous sentence.
Apparently, the Phils will trade away Blanton. That means this will be their starting five:
1. Cliff Lee
2. Roy Halladay
3. Roy Oswalt
4. Cole Hamels
5. Kyle Kendrick
And don't look down on Kyle Kendrick, Braves fans, because the kid is 4-1 with a 2.28 ERA in 8 career games (7 starts) versus the Braves. We have hit .237 against him.
You remember that era when Maddux, Smoltz, and Glavine all pitched on the same team and it was considered the best pitching staff of all time? And the players all wanted to stay together and maintain the continuity, which caused other guys to want to come be part of what was going on in Atlanta? Well that era has returned, only with the Phils.
Some bloggers/writers want to caution the Braves fans from panicking, saying that Hudson, Hanson, Jurrjens and Lowe can hang with the Phillies "Big 4." I don't see it. There's no way. Jurrjens was bad last year and had recurring injuries. Hudson isn't getting any younger and is on a plane with Oswalt, at best. Hanson has had mixed results. He's young, and solid, but he's got to get his walks and pitch counts lower. Then you've got Lowe - the disappointing $60M man. I don't mean to bad mouth our rotation, because there are positives there, too. Hudson finished Top 5 in Cy Young voting, Lowe's September was the best among all MLB pitchers, Hanson is still very young and has shown flashes of dominance, and Jurrjens was brilliant in 2009 when he was healthy. But relatively speaking, there just isn't the question marks on the Phillies staff that there are with the Braves. And given how the Braves struggled against the Phillies in 2010, it could be a very long 2011 season.
The Braves just don't have the budget to add any more pieces as part of any arms race with Philly. What the Braves have now is pretty much what they've got to run with in 2011. So, we'll see how it turns out.
The silver-lining to all this "great pitching staff" madness in Philly is that the Braves do have the consensus top minor league pitchers. So, to the extent Philly can enjoy it now, it may be the Braves who have the last laugh as they've got at least 3 guys who have not pitched in the majors yet and will probably all be ranked in the Top 50 prospects in all of baseball prior to the next season, which would mean they'd be Top 20-25 pitching prospects for all of baseball. That's incredible. I'm talking about Julio Teheran, Arodys Vizcaino, and Randall Delgado. That doesn't include Mike Minor and Craig Kimbrel, who've already made their debuts and will be on the major league roster next season. They'd probably both be in the Top 50 as well.
So... we can't lose hope for the future, although 2011 may be a struggle against the Phils.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Braves Update: Winter Meetings, etc.
1. Current Roster - Here is a chart of what the Braves opening day roster looks like right now. This can be found at Capital Avenue Club which is a fantastic Braves blog. Add them to your Google Reader or Braves sites you like to visit (along with Talking Chop, another fantasic Braves blog).
The current roster brings the total budget to approximately $81M. The italicized numbers are the expected amounts the players will get through the arbitration process. Jurrjens and Prado are eligible for arbitration for the first time. Additionally, Uggla is eligible for arbitration for the 2011 season for the last time. The $10M number is what he is expected to get in arbitration. However, word is that he and the Braves are diligently working on a contract extension. If it gets done, this $10M will probably go up a little bit, depending on the salary increments. The Braves may want to start him offer lower toward the beginning of his salary, then have his salary go up as the numbers for Lowe, Hudson and Chipper's salary slowly come off the books in the next few years.
The opening day payroll is expected to be about $88M. That means there really isn't much room to add any more salary, despite there obviously being a few more gaps to fill. This is because right now Kenshin Kawakami's $7M salary is still on the Braves' books. However, the Braves are actively trying to move Kawakami and some of his salary, though the team will still probably have to eat half of the salary and maybe a bit more.
If the Braves can move Kawakami, then they'll have roughly $3M to spend on the 4th OF spot and utility player that can play SS. (HT: CapitalAveClub)
2. Uggla Extension - This has been a topic discussed at Winter Meetings. It was said that, in his negotiations with the Marlins, Uggla was not budging off of his demand of 5yr/$71M ($14.2M per year). However, it was reported earlier that he was wanting something in the neighborhood of 5yr/$55M ($11M per year). The latter demand is probably more reasonable and something the Braves would be interested in. Given Atlanta is close to his family and Nashville home, he reportedly loves the Braves, and he also loves playing for Fredi Gonzalez, many think the Braves will get more of a discount than the Marlins. Uggla has already gone on the record in saying he wants to sign long-term with the Braves.
The Marlins are reported to have offered him 4yr/$48M ($12M per year). It sounds like the 5th year is important to him. I would bet the Braves give it to him as he is only 30 years old, especially in light of the Werth signing, so long as it is in the neighborhood of $10M-$12M per season. I wouldn't be surprised if something got done soon, so the Braves could have a better idea of their budget for next season and beyond.
3. Hinske re-signed - The Braves re-signed their best pinch hitter and clubhouse leader last week by penning Hinske to a 1yr/$1.45M contract with an option for a 2nd year. This gives him about a $450K raise from last season. I think he is well worth it. He was a clubhouse favorite and is a clutch pinch-hitter. He chose the Braves over a similar offer from his hometown team - Milwaukee.
4. Diaz non-tendered - In an expected move, clubhouse favorite and all-around great guy Matt Diaz was not tendered a contract. This made him a free agent and means he will not be with Atlanta next season. Some were disappointed with the move, but it is understandable. From a business standpoint, he would have demanded too much in arbitration that the Braves could afford. It is also well-known that the Braves covet a better defensive OF for their final spot. Diaz wasn't bitter about the deal, and understood. He is quoted as saying to Wren, before leaving, "keep me in mind down the road." This is another testament to the Braves organization. The beat writers and guys who constantly came in contact with Diaz had nothing but great things to say about him, especially in his departure. He will be missed, but it was the right decision. But keeping either him or Hinske for clubhouse purposes was a priority for the Braves.
5. Linebrink trade - Scott Linebrink is a guy the Braves had coveted for a long time. He was the set-up man in San Diego for Trevor Hoffman for a time and considered to be the next closer for the Padres. This is when the Braves were gunning for him, as - at the time - the Braves did not have an established closer. But he was traded to the White Sox with the emergence of Heath Bell and the Braves got Gonzalez/Soriano around the same time. But they obviously still kept him on their radar. The White Sox had one of the best bullpens for the past couple of years and Linebrink was a big part of that. He has signed to stay there and was originally owed $5.5M for this next season. But given the number of arms in the Sox 'pen, they were willing to trade him to dump some salary. They didn't dump much. The Braves were able to acquire him WITH $3.5M in cash, which means the Braves only have to pay him $2M this season. Not sure about whether his contract is beyond 2011, but we only had to give up a middling prospect to acquire him. He will take the place of Saito as a veteran 7th/8th inning guy. He will also mentor the young guys, a la Billy Wagner. He and Venters are expected to share the 8th inning role. This was another solid move to shore up the loss of veterans Saito and Wagner in the 'pen.
6. Winter Meetings rumors - Right now, all the MLB executives are in Florida for the Winter Meetings. This is when a lot of trade action takes place. They started yesterday and will last until December 9th. The priority for the Braves at the WM was to add a back-up IF and 4th OF. Additionally, they are looking to possibly add one more LH bullpen arm (which would theoretically send Marek back to the minors). The other priority is to move Kenshin Kawakami. Here are the Braves rumblings thus far:
Kenshin Kawakami - There is reportedly some MLB interest in Kawakami, even though it was initially believed he may have to be sent back to Japan. However, make no mistake about it, no matter where he ends up, the Braves will probably have to pay half his salary for 2011 (final year of contract). The Pirates are rumored to be the most interested.
4th OF - Many bloggers wanted the Braves to sign former San Diego player Tony Gwynn Jr., who was non-tendered. He apparently has speed, defense and can hit for average. However, he was signed today by the Dodgers. There were also rumors yesterday that the Braves were talking to Milwaukee about Valdosta-native Lorenzo Cain. Cain is another speedy and defensively gifted CF who hit for some pop in the minors and a career minor league average of around .290. Last season in 45 games in the bigs, he hit over .300 and had 7 SBs. However, he is said to have more upside than Gwynn and could be a good prospect. So, the Brewers are reportedly asking for too much for him. But, no doubt, he would make an excellent 4th OF and could also be a solid started in the event the McLouth experiment fails yet again.
Utility Man - I haven't heard anything on this front. No idea where the Braves are headed.
Zach Greinke - There were some rumors Sunday and Monday about Zach Greinke getting shopped and the Braves being among the suitors. The Braves are thought to have always coveted the young Cy Young winner. But due to his contract extension with KC, he will make $11.5M in 2011 and $13.5M in 2012. He absolutely does not fit into the Braves budget without moving Lowe or Hudson. The Braves won't move Hudson and can't move Lowe. The rumors were quickly shot down late Monday. I think this is one of those deals where the Braves were included in the conversation only because they've had interest in the kid for several years.
Frenchy and Diaz - Though neither player will be with the Braves next season, they are both rumored to be drawing lots of interest, especially Diaz. The Phillies are a team attached to both their names.
7. Big contracts - It is worth mentioning here when some of the Braves big contracts will roll off the books. The biggest contracts are Derek Lowe, Tim Hudson, and Chipper.
Hudson has a 3yr/$27M contract that runs through the 2012 season. There is a club option for a 4th season at $9M. He will be 37 yo at the end of 2012. The last time he entered into an option year, the Braves worked out a lower yearly salary to keep him on board. He did the hometown discount thing to secure it. I imagine the same thing will happen in 2012, depending on his health and abilities. But this is a great contract for the Braves and he won't be a financial burden.
Derek Lowe has a 4yr/$45M contract that runs through 2012. This is a big contract. Because he is already 37 and has been disappointing (until late 2010), will never be able to trade him. So, we will have to ride this out through 2012.
Chipper has a very tricky contract that is laden with incentives based on games played. Essentially, he is guaranteed a base salary of $14M for seasons 2010-2012. He can get up to $15.5M in each season depending on how much he plays. Moreover, assuming he plays enough in those years, he gets an option for 2013 of up to $14.5M. If he doesn't play enough, then the Braves will hold a $7M club option for 2013. So, he has two more seasons (same as Lowe and Huddy) of guaranteed contract money.
McLouth is at $6.5M for this season, and has an option for 2012 that the Braves likely won't pick up. Combined, you could be looking at 4 players and $44.5M less on the payroll after 2012. That's over half. That will be around the time will be extending guys like McCann, Heyward, Hanson, Prado and/or Jurrjens, or at least be able to start shopping around for some decent free agents depending on which of our young guys we extend/sign (including Uggla). Hopefully, by this time we will be free of the clutches of Liberty Media, and safely in the warm, rich arms of Arthur Blank.
That's it for now, stay tuned...
The current roster brings the total budget to approximately $81M. The italicized numbers are the expected amounts the players will get through the arbitration process. Jurrjens and Prado are eligible for arbitration for the first time. Additionally, Uggla is eligible for arbitration for the 2011 season for the last time. The $10M number is what he is expected to get in arbitration. However, word is that he and the Braves are diligently working on a contract extension. If it gets done, this $10M will probably go up a little bit, depending on the salary increments. The Braves may want to start him offer lower toward the beginning of his salary, then have his salary go up as the numbers for Lowe, Hudson and Chipper's salary slowly come off the books in the next few years.
The opening day payroll is expected to be about $88M. That means there really isn't much room to add any more salary, despite there obviously being a few more gaps to fill. This is because right now Kenshin Kawakami's $7M salary is still on the Braves' books. However, the Braves are actively trying to move Kawakami and some of his salary, though the team will still probably have to eat half of the salary and maybe a bit more.
If the Braves can move Kawakami, then they'll have roughly $3M to spend on the 4th OF spot and utility player that can play SS. (HT: CapitalAveClub)
2. Uggla Extension - This has been a topic discussed at Winter Meetings. It was said that, in his negotiations with the Marlins, Uggla was not budging off of his demand of 5yr/$71M ($14.2M per year). However, it was reported earlier that he was wanting something in the neighborhood of 5yr/$55M ($11M per year). The latter demand is probably more reasonable and something the Braves would be interested in. Given Atlanta is close to his family and Nashville home, he reportedly loves the Braves, and he also loves playing for Fredi Gonzalez, many think the Braves will get more of a discount than the Marlins. Uggla has already gone on the record in saying he wants to sign long-term with the Braves.
The Marlins are reported to have offered him 4yr/$48M ($12M per year). It sounds like the 5th year is important to him. I would bet the Braves give it to him as he is only 30 years old, especially in light of the Werth signing, so long as it is in the neighborhood of $10M-$12M per season. I wouldn't be surprised if something got done soon, so the Braves could have a better idea of their budget for next season and beyond.
3. Hinske re-signed - The Braves re-signed their best pinch hitter and clubhouse leader last week by penning Hinske to a 1yr/$1.45M contract with an option for a 2nd year. This gives him about a $450K raise from last season. I think he is well worth it. He was a clubhouse favorite and is a clutch pinch-hitter. He chose the Braves over a similar offer from his hometown team - Milwaukee.
4. Diaz non-tendered - In an expected move, clubhouse favorite and all-around great guy Matt Diaz was not tendered a contract. This made him a free agent and means he will not be with Atlanta next season. Some were disappointed with the move, but it is understandable. From a business standpoint, he would have demanded too much in arbitration that the Braves could afford. It is also well-known that the Braves covet a better defensive OF for their final spot. Diaz wasn't bitter about the deal, and understood. He is quoted as saying to Wren, before leaving, "keep me in mind down the road." This is another testament to the Braves organization. The beat writers and guys who constantly came in contact with Diaz had nothing but great things to say about him, especially in his departure. He will be missed, but it was the right decision. But keeping either him or Hinske for clubhouse purposes was a priority for the Braves.
5. Linebrink trade - Scott Linebrink is a guy the Braves had coveted for a long time. He was the set-up man in San Diego for Trevor Hoffman for a time and considered to be the next closer for the Padres. This is when the Braves were gunning for him, as - at the time - the Braves did not have an established closer. But he was traded to the White Sox with the emergence of Heath Bell and the Braves got Gonzalez/Soriano around the same time. But they obviously still kept him on their radar. The White Sox had one of the best bullpens for the past couple of years and Linebrink was a big part of that. He has signed to stay there and was originally owed $5.5M for this next season. But given the number of arms in the Sox 'pen, they were willing to trade him to dump some salary. They didn't dump much. The Braves were able to acquire him WITH $3.5M in cash, which means the Braves only have to pay him $2M this season. Not sure about whether his contract is beyond 2011, but we only had to give up a middling prospect to acquire him. He will take the place of Saito as a veteran 7th/8th inning guy. He will also mentor the young guys, a la Billy Wagner. He and Venters are expected to share the 8th inning role. This was another solid move to shore up the loss of veterans Saito and Wagner in the 'pen.
6. Winter Meetings rumors - Right now, all the MLB executives are in Florida for the Winter Meetings. This is when a lot of trade action takes place. They started yesterday and will last until December 9th. The priority for the Braves at the WM was to add a back-up IF and 4th OF. Additionally, they are looking to possibly add one more LH bullpen arm (which would theoretically send Marek back to the minors). The other priority is to move Kenshin Kawakami. Here are the Braves rumblings thus far:
Kenshin Kawakami - There is reportedly some MLB interest in Kawakami, even though it was initially believed he may have to be sent back to Japan. However, make no mistake about it, no matter where he ends up, the Braves will probably have to pay half his salary for 2011 (final year of contract). The Pirates are rumored to be the most interested.
4th OF - Many bloggers wanted the Braves to sign former San Diego player Tony Gwynn Jr., who was non-tendered. He apparently has speed, defense and can hit for average. However, he was signed today by the Dodgers. There were also rumors yesterday that the Braves were talking to Milwaukee about Valdosta-native Lorenzo Cain. Cain is another speedy and defensively gifted CF who hit for some pop in the minors and a career minor league average of around .290. Last season in 45 games in the bigs, he hit over .300 and had 7 SBs. However, he is said to have more upside than Gwynn and could be a good prospect. So, the Brewers are reportedly asking for too much for him. But, no doubt, he would make an excellent 4th OF and could also be a solid started in the event the McLouth experiment fails yet again.
Utility Man - I haven't heard anything on this front. No idea where the Braves are headed.
Zach Greinke - There were some rumors Sunday and Monday about Zach Greinke getting shopped and the Braves being among the suitors. The Braves are thought to have always coveted the young Cy Young winner. But due to his contract extension with KC, he will make $11.5M in 2011 and $13.5M in 2012. He absolutely does not fit into the Braves budget without moving Lowe or Hudson. The Braves won't move Hudson and can't move Lowe. The rumors were quickly shot down late Monday. I think this is one of those deals where the Braves were included in the conversation only because they've had interest in the kid for several years.
Frenchy and Diaz - Though neither player will be with the Braves next season, they are both rumored to be drawing lots of interest, especially Diaz. The Phillies are a team attached to both their names.
7. Big contracts - It is worth mentioning here when some of the Braves big contracts will roll off the books. The biggest contracts are Derek Lowe, Tim Hudson, and Chipper.
Hudson has a 3yr/$27M contract that runs through the 2012 season. There is a club option for a 4th season at $9M. He will be 37 yo at the end of 2012. The last time he entered into an option year, the Braves worked out a lower yearly salary to keep him on board. He did the hometown discount thing to secure it. I imagine the same thing will happen in 2012, depending on his health and abilities. But this is a great contract for the Braves and he won't be a financial burden.
Derek Lowe has a 4yr/$45M contract that runs through 2012. This is a big contract. Because he is already 37 and has been disappointing (until late 2010), will never be able to trade him. So, we will have to ride this out through 2012.
Chipper has a very tricky contract that is laden with incentives based on games played. Essentially, he is guaranteed a base salary of $14M for seasons 2010-2012. He can get up to $15.5M in each season depending on how much he plays. Moreover, assuming he plays enough in those years, he gets an option for 2013 of up to $14.5M. If he doesn't play enough, then the Braves will hold a $7M club option for 2013. So, he has two more seasons (same as Lowe and Huddy) of guaranteed contract money.
McLouth is at $6.5M for this season, and has an option for 2012 that the Braves likely won't pick up. Combined, you could be looking at 4 players and $44.5M less on the payroll after 2012. That's over half. That will be around the time will be extending guys like McCann, Heyward, Hanson, Prado and/or Jurrjens, or at least be able to start shopping around for some decent free agents depending on which of our young guys we extend/sign (including Uggla). Hopefully, by this time we will be free of the clutches of Liberty Media, and safely in the warm, rich arms of Arthur Blank.
That's it for now, stay tuned...
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Braves acquire Uggla...
My thoughts:
1. I Heart Omar - Yeah, I hate to see Omar go. I love him. He's a team player and was one of our MVPs last season. But this was the right move. Omar was a super-utility guy. He was not an every day player. He also only had one more year in Atlanta, as we picked up a $2.5M option for one more season recently. So, we could trade him now while his value was WAY over-stated instead of losing him for nothing at the end of the season.
UPDATE: The Marlins wanted Prado initially, but the Braves said "no." Interesting. (HT: Jerry Crasnick, ESPN).
2. Uggla is Perfect - Uggla comes with a few issues, but given we had to give up no prospects to acquire him, and feasible options available for a RH power bat were slim pickens, he is perfect for what the Braves are looking for. I posted his numbers from last season earlier: 100 R, 33 HR, 105 RBI, 4 SB, .287 BA, .877 OPS, with 78 BB and 149 Ks. That is some major power, folks. We're talking 1B/LF/RF power from the 2B position. If he hits close to that, this will be well worth the deal. Uggla is the only 2B to start his career with 5 straight 20+ HR seasons. (HT: Talking Chop). He also hit .354 w/ 12 HR and a 1.051 OPS in Atlanta. (HT: Mark Bowman, MLB.com).
UPDATE: Uggla on coming to Atlanta: "While I am saddened to leave the Marlins family and thankful for all they did for me in my career, I am even MORE excited to join the Braves organization." (HT: Ken Rosenthal, Fox Sports).
UPDATE 2: Apparently Uggla would not budge from 5yrs/$71M during negotiations with Florida. Florida started at 4yrs/$48M and then went up. We better hope that he will come down for Atlanta, because the Braves aren't going to pay him $71M over 5 years, nor should they.
3. Financial Impact and Contract Info - Uggla is arbitration eligible for 2011 and a free agent in one year. The Marlins were trying to sign him before they traded him. Apparently, 4yrs/$48M was turned down by Uggla. The Braves had to know this going into this trade. Therefore, they have to have a plan in place to keep this from becoming a rental, OR they were completely okay with the fact that this may be a rental. I am okay if the Braves were acting under the latter assumption given we traded a 3rd-string lefty RP and another player who only had one year left on his contract for Uggla. But, they could be operating with confidence, based on inside information, that they could get a long-term deal done. He made $7.8M this past season, and he is arbitration eligible for next season. This means that Uggla and the Braves will trade numbers and try to determine what he should get paid in 2011 based on last season's salary and his performance, or - if they can't agree on numbers - an arbitrator will decide it. This, of course, will happen if a long-term deal cannot get done. The Braves may work out a one-year deal with him to avoid arbitration, then work on signing him long term. I don't know. But I would find it hard to believe that the Braves wouldn't at least feel like they could get a long term deal worked out, unless this was just too good a deal to pass up - even for a rental.
UPDATE: Frank Wren has stated that they want to engage Uggla about a long-term extension. (HT: Talking Chop). He also stated in a conference call that now they wanted more bullpen stability and possibly "a bench guy or two." (HT: Talking Chop). Based on these comments, the Braves may be done improving their every day batting lineup, though I'd still like to see us add a CF since we did not give up prospects and have them by the bunches (though it may be a pipe dream). The fact that Wren said he wanted to add a bench "guy or two" could mean Diaz and Hinske are done as Braves, unless he was referring to them.
UPDATE 2: Uggla calls Nashville TN his home. The proximity of Nashville to Atlanta may help in getting a long-term deal done. (HT: Ken Rosenthal, Fox Sports).
4. The Fredi Factor - Another thing that makes me feel good about this deal: Fredi is our manager and he managed Uggla for a few years in Florida. Given Fredi's well-known stance on not liking or putting up with lazy or loafing players, I think it speaks volumes to Uggla's character that Fredi probably encouraged the Braves to pursue him.
UPDATE: Fredi on Uggla: "I'm excited. Big bat. Tremendous clubhouse guy. Blue-collar. Our fans will love him." Love hearing this. (HT: Dave O'Brien, AJC)
5. Uggla Defensively - He's not as good as Infante, but he's better than Conrad. He won't win gold gloves, but probably won't lose games for you either.
6. Conspiracy Theory - I still don't know if the Braves would actively be considering adding another outfielder now that Uggla has been acquired. Wren's comments suggest "no." But, I stand by the fact that considering the Braves did not trade away prospects, and they have highly conveted pitching prospects, we could still add another outfielder. Of course, because Uggla will be rather expensive, our addition to the OF will have to be cheap, which would mean a little-known player or a young prospect type. I'm thinking of a young prospect type like Justin Upton or Colby Rasmus. Rasmus would be more likely because he is a CF.
Hear this: The Cardinals are interested in getting an everyday second baseman. So, the conspiracy theorist in me wonders if the Braves would send Prado and a pitching prospect to St. Louis for Colby Rasmus, a guy whose talents are mentioned in the same breath as Justin Upton and Jason Heyward. He'd be getting rookie pay for a while and he's also had some issues with the management in St. Louis (which means they may trade him). Oh, and Rasmus is from Columbus, GA. Just sayin...
But regardless of whether we make any more moves, I like this upgrade. We are a better team with Uggla on board.
Monday, November 15, 2010
Braves Notes: Weeks 1 and 2... (UPDATED)
The first two weeks of the offseason are complete (as the World Series ended on November 1). Here are some Braves notes:
1. Rookie of the Year - Heyward finished in second place for Rookie of the Year behind winner Buster Posey. Posey had 20 first place votes while Heyward had 9 first place votes. This is not surprising. Keep in mind that all votes were submitted PRIOR to the post-season. So, the playoffs had nothing to do with the award. I still think Heyward should have won because he played an entire season. Posey started two months later and he put up (first year) Francouer-like numbers in the beginning. He batted in the .340's for a while. However, he finished at .305 and was fading fast. If he had to play another two months in the regular season, I think his average may have settled closer to Heyward's. Heyward won 2Bs, 3Bs, SBs, and especially Rs by a pretty wide margin. He also had three times as many walks as Posey. When you factor in his stellar defense in RF, I think it all enough to make him the outright Rookie of the Year. But, I think Posey deserved it as well, and it's really a close call. Kudos to both.
UPDATE:
The Arizona GM has confirmed that Justin Upton is available and teams are inquiring. Jon Morosi of Fox Sports has stated the Braves would be at the front of the line given their slew of controllable young arms. It'd probably take trading away Jurrjens or Vizcaino to land him. But he is a right-handed hitter, which the Braves need, and he is young & cheap. This happening, however, has become less likely in light of the Braves acquisition of Dan Uggla.
UPDATE 2:
See the entry above on the Dan Uggla acquisition.
More after the jump, including other potential candidates for the Braves outfield.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Braves: Free Agent Period
Now that the world series has concluded, and congratulations to the Giants, the teams have five days (through Sunday) of exclusive negotiation time with their team free agents. Thus, the teams get a 5-day window in which to talk their players into staying with the club and not becoming free agents. The Braves have 3 guys: Derrek Lee, Troy Glaus and Eric Hinske.
It is plainly obvious that Lee and Glaus will not be retained as Freddie Freeman is ready to takeover the first base job. That leaves Eric Hinske. One problem with Hinske is that he is a left handed hitter, and he is limited to outfield (where he has a decent arm and low mobility) or first base (and could play emergency 3B). We really need more right-handed hitters on the team, so the team may not be as interested in retaining him as they would Matt Diaz (who is a righty and plays similar defense). However, everyone loved having Hinske in the clubhouse, and he was clutch as a pinch-hitter. Last year we got him for one year at $1M. If we can re-sign him for anything close to that, I say we do it. It's nice having a LH pinch-hitting specialist on the team, especially one who can play LF, RF and spell Freeman at 1B on occasion. I say we keep him, though I've heard it's unlikely we'll sign him in the 5-day window.
More to come on the Braves offseason later.
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