The Tampa Bay Rays designated outfielder Pat Burrell for assignment on Saturday, and will likely release the 33-year old slugger. Here's a question for discussion, should the Braves take a flier and sign Burrell as a left fielder/pinch hitter? If Matt Diaz is going to be out for any length of time it might be worth a shot. Just like Javier Vazquez can't pitch in the American League, maybe Pat can't hit in the AL.
There's no magic awesomeness I'm thinking we'd get here. Burrell's a .250 hitter with power who strikes out a lot. Up until his move to Tampa Bay he also walked a lot each year, making him sort of a three true outcomes player or a poor-man's Adam Dunn. I'm not expecting we'd catch too much lightning in a bottle, but we may at least get more power out of a spot on the roster, and if he hit's .250 that's a big improvement over the current state of Matt Diaz, Melky Cabrera, or Nate McLouth. He could be a good platoon partner with Eric Hinske in left. He's historically hit left-handers better than right-handers, although not recently.
Discuss...
0 recs | 91 comments
Not me. I’d rather take on Dye or Sheffield who at least had somewhat good seasons last year.
redwards95 - May 17, 2010
Dye hits lefties the best out of the three. They all suck defensively.
The problem? Dye wants a 10M contract and probably to play everyday. I would be the most tempted with another round of the Sheffmiester…
bwellnjonesco - May 17, 2010
The problem with Shef is that he’s batshit insane and would expect to play everyday.
dutchschultz - May 17, 2010
He took a limited role with the Mets last season…
bwellnjonesco - May 17, 2010
that doesn’t change the batshit insane part though
Rhyno18 - May 17, 2010
its the Mets..how much more batshit insane can you get??
bwellnjonesco - May 17, 2010
He was mostly
sane and reasonable in his previous stint under Bobby Cox, though.
Jacob Peterson - May 17, 2010
very true. He wasn’t a distraction at all when he was in Atlanta previously
Rhyno18 - May 17, 2010
could it have been...
…the PEDs that were keeping him quiet?
apoxonbothyourhouses - May 17, 2010
Has any other team indicated they’re willing to give Dye what he wants?
If not, does anyone think he would consider making a cheap deal to move back to ATL for a fresh start and prove his worth?
NCChopper - May 17, 2010
he's been offered deals for lesser money and declined...
considering his D, his bat in the second half of last year, and our already abundance of (mostly underperforming) OFers, why? I would have liked him back, but the months of “I deserve more money and the only reason I can’t get it is my skin color” ended that desire completely.
Mr. Sanchez - May 17, 2010
I wasn’t say try and get him, I was just more curious if he had any serious offers so far.
Disappointing to know his ego is bigger than his bat or glove.
NCChopper - May 17, 2010
He's had what we'd consider serious offers...
but he apparently felt they were a joke and not deserving of a man of his stature. Or at least that’s how the media is playing it.
Mr. Sanchez - May 17, 2010
Maybe we could work a trade. They pay all of Burrell’s salary, plus take Chavez back. I can get behind that. If we’re going to keep Clevlen up, maybe they would take Melky too, since they’ve had to watch him “play like a champion” all these years.
Rhyno18 - May 17, 2010
Not me either.
We already have 1 outfielder who strikes out too much. With Glaus coming around and Hinske batting over .300, it would be a waste.
BTW, I will be heading down to the “Ted” from Nashville in a little while, for my first game in many moons.
DawgB - May 17, 2010
Section 117, behind 1st base, I think. Anyone know if these are good seats?
DawgB - May 17, 2010
I am sure those...
…are fabulous seats.
cavebird - May 17, 2010
Those should be pretty good. I’ve sat in 115 before, and those were nice, so I’m sure 117 will be good
Rhyno18 - May 17, 2010
Thanks
DawgB - May 17, 2010
I sat there a few weeks ago, they were great.
cbwilk - May 17, 2010
What’s this “Glaus coming around” that you speak of? Dude has been hitting for the past month. I’d say he more than come around. He has come, gone and come back again, and people are just now starting to notice.
justincredubil02 - May 17, 2010
His power finally arrived with him...
before he was hitting, singles. Now he’s actually looking more like the player he was in the pasts.
Mr. Sanchez - May 17, 2010
So, you mean the guy who hasn’t played in nearly 2 years needed a couple of weeks to get warmed up?
I refuse to believe that.
justincredubil02 - May 17, 2010
Wanna play? Let's play...
“2 years”? Really. He played 151 games in 2008, and got back on the field in late 09. He didn’t miss a single season. One year, maybe since the 09 bit wasn’t much. But he played in all of 2008, worked back up to the bigs + his rehab assignment in 09, and was working with no limitations in spring of this year. What two years are you referring to sir? I see a large chunk of a single season missing from his recent resume and no where close to the “nearly 2 years” you claim.
And did the man not rip hits all spring? So I guess spring training doesn’t count, his time at the end of last year doesn’t count either, and the only chance he had “to get warmed up” was once the season began? What was spring training for, his short stint last season for, if it wasn’t to get him reaccustomed to major league pitching?
The man showed Casey Kotchman like power for the first month of the season, and has finally gotten back into things. Make all the excuses you want, but reality doesn’t agree with most of what you just said. Maybe he needed to refind his swing to produce the power instead of just contact, maybe he was pulling a Tex/LaRoche and needed a little warmer weather to make the ball fly far. But the fact remains that until the past week or so, he had no power. Now, he’s seemingly back to normal. Facts is facts, whether you want to believe them or not, or make a bunch of lame excuses that have no bearing in reality like the “2 years” bullsh.
Mr. Sanchez - May 17, 2010
Just…wow.
There is a word we use called “facetious”. It means to exaggerate.
Of course, you like to find any little thing and argue about it. I am not playing this time though. Sorry to disappoint.
justincredubil02 - May 17, 2010
You said "nearly 2 years"...
and it wasn’t even one. Nice try though. You conveniently leave out any work he did in spring training (lots of hits, none of the extra base kind) which carried over into the first month of the season, and there’s also that forgotten bit of time getting back on the field last year (14 games with the Cardinals, another 24 in their minors on rehab), then you add an extra year on top of that mess just for kicks. But whatever floats your boat I guess.
Mr. Sanchez - May 17, 2010
I meant in the power department.
I have been a Glaus supporter all along and was happy with all the singles in spring training. I meant that with him hitting for power now, putting Heyward in the 3rd spot makes a lot more sense. You could have Chipper and his .400 OBP bat 2nd, Heyward 3rd and Glaus/McCann bating 4/5
DawgB - May 17, 2010
You two are priceless. Made my day!
poormrtoad - May 17, 2010
Talk about the pot calling the kettle black. You took 4 words from DawgB’s post and went on about how Glaus has been hitting for the past month (which I agree, he has). But man, you just LOVE debating…
dunnytwogloves - May 17, 2010
I would rather have people just realize that Glaus has not “not been hitting” this year, as was the implied comment. Trust me, I would love to never have to debate this, but some people still don;t get it.
justincredubil02 - May 17, 2010
On a lighter note...
has anybody noticed the level of suckiness that our old RF has gone through?? Man, he’s approaching his 2008 with us! And I love it!
dunnytwogloves - May 17, 2010
Seriously, this.
Mets and Braves fans who thought TP was his problem and that he would somehow magically learn how to hit in NY were delusional.
justincredubil02 - May 17, 2010
See, I knew we could agree on something!!!
Man, for the month of May, his slash stats are .100/.145/.100 with 16 K’s and 1 BB. haha. Keep it up Jeff, keep it up.
dunnytwogloves - May 17, 2010
ugh…that’s rough
Smoltz's Beard - May 17, 2010
Come on Omar...
offer him arb again. He had that blistering hot April!
Mr. Sanchez - May 17, 2010
Thaaaaat’s
Frenchy!justincredubil02 - May 17, 2010
Damn “STRIKE” fail…ruined a good thing!
justincredubil02 - May 17, 2010
indeed you did
Smoltz's Beard - May 17, 2010
I try to keep an eye and ear on the Mutts
And they (Gary Cohen and Sleepy Hernandez, in particular) spent the first month or so crowing about The New Jeff Francoeur and how he was emerging as a centerpiece for their team.
His reversion to the hump he demonstrated himself to be here has been really gratifying and satisfying.
Sam Jethroe - May 17, 2010
I keep an eye on the Mets. I keep the TV muted. FML for having to listen to them
GoBravesNY - May 17, 2010
You miss lots of unintentional comedy.
Their enthusiastic, straight faced reporting about how Francoeur said that the Mets instructional approach (advising him to be more patient at the plate) was far superior to what they told him in Atlanta (to take more walks) was priceless.
Sam Jethroe - May 17, 2010
I liked his base-stealing comments at the beginning of the season.
justincredubil02 - May 17, 2010
By the way, the word “facetious” means to be sarcastic or flippant.
“you like to find any little thing and argue about it” Talk about the pot calling the kettle black. Just wow! Do you go to work or school? You seem to have 50+ comments on every thread. That’s exaggerating by the way.
BravesFan - May 17, 2010
justincredubil02 - May 17, 2010
funny, considering how frequently you've thrown out that...
“nearly 2 years” remark in the past on this subject.
Mr. Sanchez - May 17, 2010
I think the answer to that is “once”, and that occurance was just a few comments up…
justincredubil02 - May 17, 2010
And yes, I do have a job – a very good job. It’s called multi-tasking: that means that I can do more than one thing at a time – like my job and TC.
No, I do not go to school, because I already have a degree that I went to school for 4 years to get. Since I am working on my Masters, I guess you could say that I am enrolled in a school, but it doesn’t take up too much time, and I don’t literally have to go to class during the day.
Finally, 50+ comments would probably not be an exaggeration. I post on here way too much.
justincredubil02 - May 17, 2010
wordly wise
Facetious is more like sarcasm isn’t it
granman29 - May 17, 2010 via mobile
Yes. Exaggerate was a poor choice on my part.
I was sarcastically exaggerating the time that he had not played to make a joke/funny that was taken way too seriously.
The whole “I refuse to believe that” part of my post should have made the sarcasm font unecessary.
justincredubil02 - May 17, 2010
It never gets old
Watching Glaus hit home runs!!!
Nova Scotia Steve - May 17, 2010
Those are great seats—behind the Bravos! If it’s an afternoon game, I think you will be in the sun, if that matters.
rawleigh - May 17, 2010
2 words
Eric Hinske
GoBravesNY - May 17, 2010
5 words
doesn’t hit lefties very well
I’m just sayin’
Rhyno18 - May 17, 2010
True, but if we signed him we’d drop someone that wouldn’t be optimal (ie. not Melky)
btw, nice new signature
GoBravesNY - May 17, 2010
4 words for you
neither does anyone else.
apoxonbothyourhouses - May 17, 2010
The problem with Burrell...
…is that he is Adam Dunn very light. The bat isn’t there right now and the defense while not Dunn bad is FUGA bad. Honestly, looking at all three players mentioned in the comments (Burrell, Dye, Sheffield), I say pass on all three. Aging sluggers who can barely play defense at all and who have questions with the bat are not going to help here.
cavebird - May 17, 2010
Also he is no longer good at baseball. The comparison that keeps flashing in my head is our big bopper from last season but I haven’t looked at any numbers
granman29 - May 17, 2010 via mobile
I say pass on Burrell. The odds are much higher that he’s simply got nothing left in the tank than that he can’t hit AL pitching.
Zontar - May 17, 2010
Meh
We’ve already got bats that can be maddeningly inconsistent, and I don’t see picking him up as any sort of a win or advantage. Hinske is working out just fine, so I say leave this one for someone else.
skymuse - May 17, 2010
Mitch Jones? Cody Johnson?
I mean, if we are going to go for a 2-result kind of guy, why waste millions on an over the hill former slugger?
justincredubil02 - May 17, 2010
My thoughts on it...
unless the stars aligned, pass. But if you look at his splits with the Phils, he was horrible against the AL, and that just showed again with the Rays. As said above, maybe he is just an NL guy. His D seems to say differently, but his bat has never worked against AL pitchers. The only reason I’d consider him is if a) he was willing to accept minimum or a minor league deal, and b) Diaz’s thumb injury is going to sideline him for 2 months or more. If both of those things were true, I don’t see the harm in letting him spend some time in AAA getting his swing back, and then he could be a late season addition once he proved worth it.
I wouldn’t want him, but I wouldn’t turn him down either if the right situation fell into place (i.e. Diaz out for a long stretch and he’d be cheap and willing to accept a trip to the minors to prove himself). He might be Mitch Jones, or he could become the 30 HR guy he was in the NL.
Mr. Sanchez - May 17, 2010
Mitch Jones would likely outproduce Pat Burrell, in my opinion.
fandave - May 17, 2010
Mitch Jones ~ Outproducing anyone ?
No way that Mitch Jones could outproduce anyone in MLB today; he strikes out a ton and has never produced at the MLB level unlike Burell who once was one of the only threats in the Phils lineup.
However I agree w/ Mr. Sanchez ~
If he was willing to take a AAA-contract or spend time in AAA to regain his swing and if Diaz injury keeps him out for a longer period of time then sure I would take a run at Burrell but only after he has been officially released.
Now way I would pickup any portion of his current contract status b/c I don’t know how much it is but it is way to high.
Go Braves.
Holty_Panthers_Fan - May 17, 2010
Rec’d.
justincredubil02 - May 17, 2010
For this statement alone:
Have you ever bothered to see why he hasn’t been an MLB-regular? I think “Never given the chance” is the correct answer. CB did a nice little post on the hard-luck that MJ has had in his career, and ability has never been the issue.
justincredubil02 - May 17, 2010
Why didn't the FO call up Mitch Jones when Diaz went down?
Braves24 - May 17, 2010
they preferred Brent Clevlen obviously
Mr. Sanchez - May 17, 2010
No way
I’ve been watching Burrell here in Tampa, for the last year +…he was a .250 hitter, now he’s just done. He hasn’t hit lefties at all, which is the main reason that the Rays dumped him.
His power is mostly gone, he has horrible at-bats and has no speed, and defensively he makes Johnny Damon look like Willie Mays.
Blue or CONKZILLA - May 17, 2010
No
As you said, Pat is a 3 true outcomes guy. Those guys don’t age well (generally speaking). I don’t see him faring well anywhere at this poing. His defense is atrocious. Just no.
Andy Braves Fan - May 17, 2010
If we were going to pick up a platoon partner for Hinske
wouldn’t we want someone who’s actually been able to hit lefties lately? And someone who could actually play the field without making us throw things at the TV?
And if we’re going to sacrifice defense, isn’t that scenario exactly why we signed Mitch Jones? Isn’t he likely to be better than Burrell (or Dye or Sheffield) at this point? Not that he’d be good, just less terrible.
Jacob Peterson - May 17, 2010
I’d be up for seeing Jones get a chance
Rhyno18 - May 17, 2010
This picture....
does NOT have any bearing on my opinion on this matter.
sddbaker - May 17, 2010
Forgot about that one.
Smoltz's Beard - May 17, 2010
oh my.
………………..
i should go.
10-4 - May 17, 2010
wow
greatest.pic.ever.
Doghnut - May 17, 2010
Truthfully, that looks like some wierd cross between FYF and Justin Timberlake
GoBravesNY - May 17, 2010
Ew, I think you’re right.
Lizziebeth - May 18, 2010
No, no, please NO!!
MBL1 - May 17, 2010
Maybe
on a cheap minor league deal but the advancing age combined with the need to play defense is probably going to outweigh any advantages gained by moving to the NL. I really can’t see him being anything above replacement level (i.e. Mitch Jones)
DeadlyWalrus - May 17, 2010
I'm thinking if the club actually thought Mitch Jones...
was worth it, he’d be up now instead of Clevlen. Maybe it’s more being squeezed, but the decision to call up BC instead of MJ makes me doubt he gets a chance here, and is likely just passing through before joining another team’s AAA club next year.
Mr. Sanchez - May 17, 2010
Yeah
I don’t have any particular affinity for MJ; just the first replacement level OF who came to mind when I was posting. BC would work just as well in the “probably just as valuable as Pat Burrell” role.
DeadlyWalrus - May 17, 2010
Isn’t Clevlen considered better defensively?
fandave - May 17, 2010
I’m a no for Pat Burrell. He offers us absolutely nothing whatsoever.
UMDBHIK - May 17, 2010
No.
drumzalicious - May 17, 2010
I'm probably not covering any new ground here, but no...
He’s a defensive liability who appears to have fallen off a cliff offensively. Some things can be attributable to changing leagues I guess, but it can’t entirely explain a 200+ point drop in OPS.
Biggus Rickus - May 17, 2010
He is much better then milky way and better then a hurt Diaz. He has had a lot of big hits this year for the Rays. I say take a chance on him.
coachg3 - May 17, 2010
Really?...
Clutch stats.
Now those are all small sample sizes, some uselessly so. He’s weirdly 4/10 with two of his seven total XBH with two outs and RISP. He’s also 4/20 overall with RISP. The rest are pretty much what you’d expect given his overall slash line.
Biggus Rickus - May 17, 2010
still better then the guys I mentioned..how many Rays game have you seen this year...
those numbers don’t tell you how many times he was up with the game on the line. two outs and risp down by or up by 5 runs is not a big situation. look at his stats when the game is tied or down by a run in the eight or ninth inning..then I will listen to you
coachg3 - May 20, 2010
No. No. No.
Scott Coleman - May 17, 2010
Some slash lines
Burrell 09: .221/.315/.367
M. Jones 09 MLE: .225/.283/.468
Jones could play LF and 1B. Burrell could play LF. And by play I mean both could kinda stand there and look like they might know what to do.
TheBravestWay To Block A Decent Prospect - May 17, 2010
Oof. That projected OBP is downright Francoeurian.
Biggus Rickus - May 17, 2010
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