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Talking Chop

Winter Meetings Braves-Related Open Thread: Day 1

It seems like just two weeks ago that the Braves had pulled off the biggest deal of the off-season thus far, but that masterful Dan Uggla trade was obliterated yesterday by some less-than-masterful and "ugly" deals. My eyes bulged with the rest of the collective baseball world when it was revealed what Jayson Werth would be making and how long he'd be making it for -- $18 mil a year for 7 years is mind-boggling.

I was interested to see the Adrian Gonzalez to Boston deal, and not surprised that the extension fell through. I fear that after Werth we haven't seen the end of mind-numbingly large contracts. Makes me worry what our own Jason will get when it's time to negotiate his contract. As for Gonzalez, a lot of folks think that makes Jacoby Ellsbury more available, but I don't see it. If it does, fan-tastic, but I'm guessing no. While I'd love to get a more reliable center fielder, I just don't see the Braves spending on one right now without being able to completely rid themselves of Nate McLouth, and I just don't see a team in their right mind taking McLouth.

While I'm sure we'd like the Braves to make some big move to add another major piece, that just isn't going to happen right now. Atlanta is going to wait until Spring Training and see if Chipper Jones can return to a full-time role. Only then will they decide if a move needs to be made.

The best we can hope for from these meetings is addition by subtraction, namely the subtraction of the Ostracized Oriental, Kenshin Kawakami (I'm going to start calling him OO instead of KK; OO also sounds like ut-oh, so that works in more ways than one). My guess is that they'll be some fruitful discussions about OO, but no movement yet. Teams are going to wait until the big name starters sign before moving on any other free agents, and the Braves will have to wait for the bulk of that second tier of free agent starters to go off the board before teams will start getting desperate and calling about OO.

The only way we move him now would be to swap him for another bad contract. I had thought that the Orioles would be a good fit if Koji "Lt. Uhura" Uehara, who emerged as their closer, wasn't a free agent. We could still match up pretty well with bad contracts, sending them OO in exchange for Mike Gonzalez, if they are regretting that Gonzalez contract already.

Anyway, I hope it's an exciting day of Hot Stove action. Use this as an open thread for meeting-related chatter. We'll post any major stories as they happen.

0 recs  |  175 comments

Comments

Man I hope Wren suprises us Braves fans

And makes another big trade! I’d love to have an actual Ace in our rotation! :)

Did something happen to Hudson?!?!
Hudson

He’s a very good pitcher but he’s not an Ace.

I can feel the storm brewing. So if we could all agree to just let him think Huddy is not an Ace and avoid the whole trying to convince him otherwise I’d be ok with that.

Oh!

It was a trick!

4th in the Cy Young voting in the NL. 16 teams in the NL.

It obviously means he’s the best pitcher on a very good team. Or, as most of us would call it…an ACE.

Again

He’s a very good pitcher but he’s not an ACE!

wow

Did you watch him pitch this year?

Dude’s the best pitcher on one of the best pitching staffs in baseball. If you don’t think Tim Hudson’s an ace, I don’t know what to tell you.

Dude just hates Huddy, basically all there is to it.

He would be the #1 pitcher on every team in the NL except for the Giants, Rockies, and Phillies. Or…once again…an ACE.

Why would I hate Huddy

He plays on my favorite team, I’m just realistic he’s not an Ace and all you homers can say what you want but he’s not!

Let's start at the beginning:

What is your definition of an ace?

This is all

From wikipedia

In baseball, a team’s ace is the best starting pitcher on the team and nearly always the first pitcher in the starting rotation. Barring injury or exceptional circumstances, the ace is usually the pitcher that starts on Opening Day. In addition, aces are usually preferred to start crucial playoff games, sometimes on three days rest

Hudson is the Braves ace. You are wrong.

Perhaps you mean to say that you wish we had a better ace?

i think he just wants strikeouts

hudson has a different kind of dominance.. its called mind fuckig haha

he is a master at bending and not breaking.
he is in control out there like few pitchers dream of..

Yea I never thought Maddux was an ace. Just never did strike out enough people. I mean he didn’t throw fast at all.

My definition is:

An ace of the staff is generally the number one starter on each individual pitching staff. He is a team’s best starting pitcher. Therefore, any team on which Hudson would be the number one pitcher would be the number one starter would consider him their ace. This in turn would mean that Hudson would be an ace on most staffs in MLB.

Dude.

Crack kills. Now move along while grown folks who actually know something about baseball have a conversation.

Thank you.

If you say so champ...

f FIP, Hudson was a damn ace last year, and before his injury.

But don’t like Hudson, how about Hanson? He’s certainly a potential ace. Or Teheran who could be showing ace stuff in Atlanta within the next 6-18 months. Jurrjens has also pitched like an “ace” when he’s been healthy the last two seasons.

So the GMs get to stay at the Swan & Dolphin at disney. Lucky! now how do I become a GM….?

Gonzalez deal goes through

The Gonzales deal was finalized. All reports right now are that everything is completed and he’s a Red Sox now.

Bad teams often have to overpay to get players to go there. It happens in all sports. Some have called it a “loser tax”. Werth has his World Series ring so he was willing to sacrifice getting another one for a big payday when Washington overpaid to get him. Possibly in a few years his deal will look like Soriano’s does now.

I’m still skeptical that KK can be moved, but we’ll see.

Where did you hear the Gonzalez deal was done?

Also

MLBT has the deal finalized as well.

I just heard Peter Gammons on the Dan Patrick show, mention that Zach Grienke could be an option for the Braves. Strange.

I agree, although what’s not strange is that he would want to pitch in ATL. With a smaller market than alot of cities and less media pressure, it would appear that it would suit his fragile psyche.

I could see a JJ and pitching prospect deal done to get him, I’m just not sure why we would want to. His ceiling is pretty high, but I’m afraid the loss of his comfort-zone in KC could bring a relapse in his anxiety disorder.

JJ is a Boras client...

so of course he’s eventually going to ask for 12 years and thanks to the Nats he’ll have the leverage to wait for it as FW is laughing in his face…

Biggest obstacle imo..

aside from the likely large price tag of players/prospects, is his price tag. He’s owed $13.5m this coming season and the next. We don’t have the room to add $13.5m to the payroll unless Liberty Media oks a payroll bump, or we somehow dump Lowe’s deal.

He was a Braves fan growing up

I’d absolutely love for the Braves to trade for him! Minor, Delgado, Marek and Bethancourt for Grienke, man our rotation would be sick! Then immediately extend Grienke and if McLouth could hit like he hit after returning from the Minors we’d be an extremely dangerous team.

But none of them would be an Ace…

That's a bit nuts, no?

We give up Minor, Delgado and Bethancourt for a guy who we can’t afford already and then extend him? Why?

And if you think Greinke would be our “ace” (and if you love him so much, why can’t you spell his name correctly?), remember that he is not significantly better than Hudson.

if Wren made that deal

for anyone other than Tim Lincecum I’d bite his head off.

Switch JJ with Minor and add KK, along with their salaries (~7 + ~4) and it would roughly equal Greinke’s.

That’s the only way I can figure it.

Rotation of:

Hudson
Greinke
Hanson
Lowe
Beachy

With their powers combined, we’d be Captain Planet!

Listening to XM’s MLB channel, they were talking to Dayton Moore. Doesn’t sound like anything imminent on Greinke, and the Royals are likely waiting to see who lands Cliff Lee before they deal him.
 
From what they were speculating, it doesn’t sound likely the Braves are in the mix for him. At least not right now.

I’d love Grienke. Perhaps Wren can pull off another steal of a trade.

With Werth staying in the division, plus Jason Bay maybe playing better than he did last year…would it make more sense to have a staff with 2 Lefty’s on it?

I've been thinking that this would be a good idea.

Maybe Wren and Dayton Moore can make it happen… Although after this year’s Farnsworth/Ankiel trade, I’m starting to re-evaluate Moore. He definitely got the better of us in that deal.

I agree. The KC trade that brought those two guys was a bust (granted Rick hit that monster in SF but still overall bad). I thought Blanco was a solid player that could be the next Prado (meaning having low expectations to succeed then have a solid performance.) There is no telling what KC wants for Grienke.

Maybe FW can slip Moore a roofie and get Blanco back for KK.

Let’s be real. If we slip a roofie, go big by trading KK and McLouth for Soria and Greinke.

How many times do I have to say it...

Moore will be joining our staff soon after being fired for sending Greinke, Myers, Mostakas, Montgomery, and one other prospect for Kawakami, Lowe, Alberto Odreman, and Daniel Falcon.

lol

that would be on the level of using steroids wrong but is there a rule against lopsided trades that taints one team while making another ridiculous?

Keep JJ and ignore Greinke

I am not sure if Greinke is that good of a pitcher in the long term (meaning in cost of money and players to get him). Outside of the 2009 year (ERA 2.16 WHIP 1.073 K/9 9.5 ERA+ 205), his numbers are average to above average (compared to other number 1 or 2 pitchers in the league).

2010 ERA 4.17 WHIP 1.24 K/9 7.4 ERA+ 100
2008 ERA 3.47 WHIP 1.27 K/9 8.1 ERA+ 126

These numbers are good but not great (In contrast to other elite pitchers). I rather keep JJ over Greinke. JJ numbers over the same span.

2010 ERA 4.64 WHIP 1.39 K/9 6.7 ERA+ 84 (remember injured plague year)
2009 ERA 2.60 WHIP 1.21 K/9 6.4 ERA+ 159
2008 ERA 3.68 WHIP 1.37 K/9 6.6 ERA+ 115

Sure Greinke might be the better pitcher but at what cost? Yeah you can make the argument that ZG will post better numbers in the NL but is that worth it? There might be some intangibles or pitching arsenal that I am missing to prove one pitcher is better than the other but I am convince that giving up 4 players for him is not worth it. Sure his K/9 is sexy but Tim Hudson has proven that it doesn’t matter. To rap things up, keep the guy who has proven to be good (and cheap for now) Jurrjens over ZG.

Brewers are listening on Lorenzo Cain. I think he would round out the team nicely. Incredible defender with some speed. Not a great bat, but we have the arms to get this done

I heard we might be interested in Luis Durango of the Padres, he’s my #1 choice as far as the defensivly talented 4th OF types.

He's a guy that I really like!

He’s very fast and plays great defense. He’s a switch-hitter that has no pop but hit extremely well though.

I think it’s a good move for the Braves myself as well. Not to expensive and young and cost controlled. What’s not to like? Low risk, solid reward.

I don't know if it is low risk.

It depends on who the Brewers want in return. Cain could be a good pickup, but it depends on the cost.

"Ostracized Oriental"

RACIST!

He should have done what Bill Parcells did...

and start his sentence with “No offense to the Orientals out there…”

I’m oriental and I do not find it offensive. LOL. I generally believe that people are pusses when it comes to that kind of stuff.

me too.

people are way too sensitive nowadays.

Did you find the MARTA “yellow” line stuff offensive?

Don’t know, I am not in tune with ATL other than the Braves. I cannot comment based on my ignorance. HAHA.

The Asian community along Buford Hwy demanded that MARTA rename the “Yellow” line (which runs up to Doraville)…now its called the “Gold” line.

Oh, give me a freakin' break.

Everything is taken so personally by everyone. I would’ve let them keep whining about it. Next they’ll have to change the “yellow” card in soccer. HAHA

Ok.

That made me snorfle my Mountain Dew.

P.S. You owe me a new keyboard. };0)

looking forward to good news
or no news

Dodgers are interested in Matt Diaz (per MLBTR). I wish him the best.

Every time I see a report that someone is interested in Diaz I think “Well, he’s ours and you can’t have him!”. Then I remember he’s free to sign wherever he wants. Kind of sad.

go to LA.

not to Phillie, please

Discussion question about 2010 contracts given to Phillies:

Who would you rather have, Ryan Howard through 2016 for $145M… or Jayson Werth through 2017 for $126M?

Werth is about 6 months older and is coming off the better year. His skills also might age a bit better.

Personally, I’m glad that we aren’t on the hook for either of those deals, but I think Werth’s contract is slightly less onerous. Way too many years, of course, but the AAV is somewhat reasonable for a guy who’s averaged 4.2 bWAR the past 3 years. For comparison, Howard has averaged just 3.2 bWAR the past 3 years.

Is that even a question? At least Werth will still be able to play the field by the end of his contract. Howard can barely play the field right now.

Howard will be Jim Thome ver 2.0

in a couple of years, and the Phillies will trade him to an AL team so he can DH until he’s 38.

I don’t think Thome ever striked out as much as Howard does, and who is going to pay him $25mil to DH?

The Yankees

Just because they can just print the 25 million.

They’ll already have a $25mil DH in ARod.

But Howard and A-Rod gives them a LH/RH DH platoon for a measly $50M.

/sarcasm

ehhhhh

tough call i guess.. but i think howard has more upside for a few of those years

Howard draws more ppl interest (meaning coming to the ballpark) than Werth. That alone should be worth 30 percent of Howard’s deal. There will never be a time when I say, “I have to go to the Nats game b/c Werth is playing.” Monetary value for players should be more than just performance alone.

Braves are solid for 2011....

The team we have now with Uggla in the lineup is a vast improvement compared to last year. We don’t really need to add anymore players to the team. Uggla brings us the right handed power bat we needed since 2007. Heyward will be a year older (21 lol!!!!!!!) thus will grow as a player (meaning he can recognize pitchers tendencies, know the grind of a full year of MLB season, and relax b/c there will be no more huge hype for him like last year). Prado and Heap should have solid years as above average position players. Our pitching staff is going to be as good as before (even better if Hanson makes another jump up to become elite). Plus (and biggest reason for Optimism), the Phillies, Mets, Nats, and Marlins have not gotten better over the off season. 94 wins (+/- 3) for the Braves next year.

Mike Gonzalez is less than ideal

i know its all just speculation but the thought of dumping KK for MG makes me a little sick in my stomach. i would rather have KK sit on the farm for the whole season rather than watch Gonzalez come in and blow a save or fail to hold a game 20 times.

No worries not going to happen...

We already have a decent lefty in the pen plus O’s are not going to want KK just b/c they are desperate for a SP.

Besides...

…the Orioles aren’t desperate for a starter. They already have three young SP’s slated for the rotation in 2011 (Matusz, Tillman, Arrietta) and Guthrie returning, plus Zach Britton waiting in the wings.

I'm not sold on Matusz...yet

but I see where you’re coming from.

I am guessing KK is going to have more appeal playing for a West Coast team?

when Gonzo puts on the Braves cap, his stuff is better, actually.

too bad that does not work for Nasty Nate. It worked for Vazquez, Kotsay, Andruw Jones, JD Drew, Marcus Giles, Furcal, Russ Ortiz (for a second), Tom Glavine, and John Smoltz just to name a few.

Nate was playing so bad, it’s like he was throwing games. And this was before Heyward knocked his ass out. That was almost, like, good news at the time.

Random silly comment

Pirates are going to offer Pujols 10 years 390 million dollars based on the decision of the Jayson Werth deal criteria (small market team willing to make a splash thus overpaying).

and he'll turn it down, lol
I wonder if having the meetings in the club's backyard...

with their training grounds on the same spot as the GM meetings might help someone get a look at one of our younger guys, or rehabbing players, helping Wren facilitate a deal.

Everyone should watch where they park, I hear some of those bombs Heyward was hitting in ST are still falling out there.

I think the book on each player is put together long before the Winter meetings. I mean, if going to Disney was what determined the value of each Braves player…Jason Heyward would be preparing his Hall of Fame speech based on the parking lot destruction he caused in ST last year.

“When I heard they were putting nets in the outfield to protect the cars, I knew I was bound for Cooperstown free of charge,” words from Heyward after workout in Orlando.

Go to the Royals and get Greinke and Alex Gordon in one trade

Gordon could take over at 3B for Chipper after next season, and with Moustakas and others coming up, he’s about to get pinched out in KC.

Think they'll take KK for both of them?

Of course, they’d have to pay his salary, too.

No

I’d rather keep JJ and the prospects instead of having Greinke. Also, Gordon got moved to the OF this past year and has fallen very short of reaching what potential he may have. Also, our next 3B is already on the roster. Nitram Odarp, heard of him?

Have you seen Gordon's stats from AAA last year, and his minor league stats in general?

Dudes Albert Pujols down there. Makes Heywards/Freemans numbers look pedestrian.

At some point it has to translate up.

I might, it might not.

History is littered with players who could torch AAA pitching but couldn’t hit in the majors.

Barbaro Canizares anyone?

No, it doesn't...

see Reyes, Jojo.

Ask CW

I hear he wrote a book or something. LOL

I'm still meaning to get that...

has it been discontinued from print yet? I’m surprised the lazy bastard ever wrote a book, probably more like a long short story.

There are a LOT of pictures in it.

Can't make up my mind....

would I rather see Frenchy play for the Phillies or the Royals…..

lol. give me a minute.

Phillies. mhmm. Frenchy is the answer. haha

I would so love Frenchy playing for the Phillies. That would be hilarious.

I’m always “joking around” that the Phillies have lost a big step (compared to say, 08) but if they sign Frenchy, they really are phucked more than I thought.

Hopefully Diaz goes to LA (because I see him pwning us for the Phils) and Frenchy goes to his 4th team in, what, 2 years? Royals OR Phillies works. Hell, how about the Nats?

That would be awesome. Frenchy to the Phillies would be yet another gift of the Werth signing.

more than a gift…..

more like the Phillies getting nut-checked.

You’d think they had the opportunity to see enough of FAILcoeur with all of his games within the division. Putting the Rube in Reuben.

obviously the Mets learned nothing, either. They traded for him, straight-up.

let the Phillies learn the hard way, too

Eh, Church wasn’t but so much either.

Nope. He wasn't.

The trade was a wash. The Mets lost when they tendered Franceour a contract for 2010. We knew what we were doing with Church.

I was giddy to get Church for Frenchy.

Hell. I would’ve been giddy to get a $20 Waffle House gift certificate for Frenchy. That we got anything for him was a winner for FW.

Hello friends.
i'm not your friend, buddy.
I'm not your buddy, pal!
I'm not your pal, guy!
I'm not your guy, oh, well...wait. I'm confused.
Jim Nance tag lines...dear Lord

Too much rosterbation for you, sir!

It’s been a while, how’s it going? Tough break for the Arizona football season. Too bad basketball will be the same for you guys as well. lol. (Payback for those links)

Why would we want MiGo?

Our pen looks good as is, no need to bring him back, especially with his contract. Im more than sure that someone would take a look at him if we eat 3mil. But if we are eating salary there’s no point in taking a bad contract back.

People are talking about Lorenzo Cain of the Brewers for you guys

Seems like a good move if you have enough pitching to sell. Is KK a guy that would work for the Brewers? Do you have other pitching? Are the Braves interested or willing to move JJ?

Our pitching depth...

is a little weak…

More like...

our pitching depth is a little week…as in we have enough starters to fill in an entire week of games.

Not in the minors, correct? Brewers probably want MLB talent, though.

Disregard what TBuzz said; we have seven major league ready starters, and Jurrjens, Lowe, Kawakami, Minor and Beachy are all available. In the minors, we have two top-25 pitchers in Julio Teheran and Randal Delgado.

If someone wants pitching, they need to call up the Braves.

My goodness, does sarcasm not play on a Monday?

I missed it. My apologies.

I’ve been punk’d plenty…

That’s what I thought. Something of that for a chance to address CF seems appropriate.

I’d be all for Cain, assuming it doesn’t cost too much. Him and Jordan Schafer would give us a great replacement for McLouth.

I just wonder what combination of pitching prospects and salary eating would need to happen?

I wonder...

what Cain’s 2011 salary number is…and if he’s arbitration eligible? I guess we’d have to eat $3MM-$4MM of McLouth’s salary plus a second tier pitching prospect…

We couldn’t deal McLouth right now. They want pitchers.

Let them have Vizcaino and his gimpy arm then…

DONOTWANT

Health aside, he’s at the Delgado level, from all indications.

-C

Yeah, we don't even have an ace.

Everything is relative. Just look at your DC relatives to the north in 2011.

I’m pretty sure it was a joke.

I got it. Just an observation.

(whoosh)

Was the post above sarcasm? If it was, I totally missed it.

KK could work in lots of places. The Braves seemed to jinx themselves on getting him run support. KK did out-dule Doc Halladay, once.

I can see the marketing opportunities now…

Evander Kane
Lorenzo Cain

It’s got a shot!

Evander Holyfield vs. Evander Kane vs. Lorenzo Cain in a cage match!

The Macho Man agrees

OOOOHHH YEEEAAHHH BRUUTTHHAA!!

I hear Holyfield will take advantage of any opportunity to make a bucK to support his 20 kids…

He’s a great fighter and a helluva guy, but I don’t LIKE him.

Mark Reynolds to Baltimore?

That dude’s gonna hit 50 bombs per year in that bandbox, along with 250 K’s.

that's a good get for them

after missing out on some of the other FAs they were looking at.

Not according to mvhs

Pretty sure he hates him…LOL

I guess

Minor move to help them out. Wonder how he’ll like playing for Buck

seems to me like they bought pretty low

especially considering they can plug him into the middle of their lineup, and he’s not too expensive for 30+ homers

Sure.

Little risk for them. Similar move to Pena going to the Nats from my perspective. How many years are they on the hook for him?

Didn't he just sign an extension?
per MLBTR

Reynolds is owed $5MM in ’11 and $7.5MM in ’12 with an $11MM club option for ’13.

Not too bad. Also, Arizona just signed Melvin Mora, I guess as a replacement for Reynolds.

Ugh.

Arizona just seems to be shedding salary in so many ways.

It'll be interesting to see

if they really do trade Upton this off-season. I know Toronto wants him pretty bad, but the package AZ asked for is insane.

I doubt Reynolds hits more HR's in Baltimore than in Arizona.

Camden Yards is no more of a bandbox than whatever they call the park in Arizona now. And the pitching is likely to be tougher in the AL East.

So he will have 300 K's instead of 250?

I guess that’s one way to get into the record books.

Question: If we trade McLouth, who would play center field?

I called dibs on it.

Someone who is actually a competent defender in CF?

Depends on who we trade Nate for.

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