Vox O’Reason
As of today, here are the moves my gut says will happen over the next 18 days, in the order of how certain I feel they’ll happen…
Ozzie Albans
Brandon Phillips
Brandon Phillips will be traded and Ozzie will be promoted. This one is almost a lock. Ozzie Albies is ready and Brandon’s contract is very friendly. This one is a no-brainer.
Matt Adams
Matt Adams will be traded. First, his breakout early season here put him on the radar, but he has come back to earth a bit recently. The time is right now. He’s controllable for a couple of years and has a team friendly contract, making him easier to move.
Johan Carmarga
Johan Camargo has emerged as a real answer at 3B, where our franchise cornerstone 1B is currently residing like a square peg in a round hole. Adams will be traded and Freddie Freeman will rightfully return to 1B while Johan assumes the primary duties at 3B. All will be right with the world. Sean Rodriguez will then join the team as the super-sub he was intended to be and play all over the field.
Jaime Garcia
Jaime Garcia will be traded. He won’t bring back what we hoped he might a month ago, but we’ll get something, and we’ll like it.
Hard to say what the corresponding pitching move might be.
Kris Medlin
Not sure Kris Medlen is ready, but he seems a possibility. Lucas Sims is also a possibility. Of course, Coppy trading for his elusive “ace” is also a possibility, although a remote one. Regardless, Garcia will be moved since he was only intended as a half season bridge anyway.
Those moves I feel fairly strongly about. Here are some I think could happen, but I’m not as certain…
Jason Motte
Jim Johnson
Jim Johnson could be traded. His value is not very high at the moment, but he happens to be a bullpen arm at a time when bullpen arms are in high demand. If Arodys Vizcaino was healthy, I’d see him as a stronger trade candidate, but since he’s not, JimmyJohn is the guy. Jason Motte is also a possibility here, although a lesser one.
Matt Kemp
Nick Markakis could be traded. Up until very recently I felt the team would keep him through at least the middle of next season. But the fact that Ronald Acuna just got bumped to AAA tells me that the Johns feel The Answer To Everything could contribute very soon. I think that truncates Nick’s timeline. I do not think Matt Kemp will be traded. He just fits here for the time being, both on the field and in the clubhouse.
Anthony Recker
One of Kurt Suzuki or Tyler Flowers could be moved. I don’t feel really strongly about this one, but the demand for catching could make it happen if the right offer came across Coppy’s desk. It could also be hastened if Coppy receives a decent catching prospect in any of the above mentioned deals. The Flowers/Suzuki tandem has been very good, but Anthony Recker proved last year he can be a capable backup if called upon.
That’s it for me. That’s all my gut tells me. Then again, I could just be hungry.
Just great, Vee! Many thanks!! (I take no responsibility for the idior “editor” WordPress makes me use! Sorry I couldn’t get the positioning better.)
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Outstanding opine Vee….
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Good game tonight, I am surprised Arizona did not challenge a close play at first. Walker looked safe.
1-1 in bottom of the 6th.
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Another follower has joined us: happy to welcome blue ice industries| sportswear manufacturer. Blue Ice, feel welcome to chime in any time!
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Whoopee… What an amazing game last night. New nickname for Freddie Freeman… The Chosen One…
Just amazing what he does. Sure looks, acts and hits like an MVP…
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Kind of quite in here today… Folty takes the mound tonight and if he pitches like he has his past few starts, the Bravos will creep ever closer to the magic .500 mark.
Like I said, wear ’em down. The snakes are an indoor club. They will wilt in the heat and humidity.
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Kind of quite in here today
Yeah, too quite…. 😉
I imagine anyone under say, 35 would really scratch their heads if you said that back to them…..
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oh heck, we both misspelled quiet….well, you get what I meant…surely.
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I admit it, after Flowers threw wildly, and the wild pitch, put AZ up a run, I gave up, and put on a film noir I had never heard of before (The Sleeping City (1950), with Richard Conte) I was surprised to see the braves won…
bet F.F. will get walked a ton today and tomorrow….
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The snakes thought because they struck him out in the first inning, he could be had. Freddie is a fast learner though. They started him off with a curve ball every at-bat. he was looking for it after the first inning.
I have to admit, early in the season, I would give up on them. I don’t normally any longer. They are a never say die team. They are like a bunch of zombies, they just keep on coming….
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“They are like a bunch of zombies, they just keep on coming….”
The snakes or the Braves?
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One post on mlbtr makes sense, one…not so much (at least to me)
The Braves, on the hunt for starting pitching, sent a top scout to Detroit this weekend to watch Tigers right-handers Justin Verlander and Michael Fulmer, reports Mark Bowman of MLB.com (on Twitter). Neither Verlander nor Fulmer seems like a realistic trade candidate, however. The Tigers reportedly want a noteworthy haul for Verlander, even though he’s 34, in the throes of a down season and still owed nearly $70MM through 2019. Verlander also has a full no-trade clause, so he could veto a deal even if the Braves do present an offer to the Tigers’ liking. Unlike Verlander, the 24-year-old Fulmer is both cheap and in his prime. Detroit would justifiably demand a ransom in return, then, but there’s no indication it’s interested in parting with him.
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2017/07/nl-news-rumors-braves-brewers-phillies-rockies.html
Fulmer looks 35, but like they say, is only 24(born on my B Day, many years later)…. Better ERA than ANYONE else considered a #1 that has been or might be moved…(20-13 3.11 ERA in 43 career starts)
So, they are going to ask for the farm….and of course pitching. But a real difference maker, IF he stays healthy.
one that doesn’t make as much sense ….
The Braves are among teams with interest in Rangers infielder/outfielder Jurickson Profar, who is seemingly available, reports FanRag’s Jon Heyman. The Rangers are looking for pitching, suggests Heyman, who notes that the Braves have a potentially on-the-move veteran in Jaime Garcia at the big league level and plenty of arms in the minors.
Profar was one of the premier prospects in baseball only a few years ago, but injuries and poor performance have damaged his stock in recent seasons. The 24-year-old has thus far amassed 718 trips to the plate in the majors, and he has hit a weak .229/.309/.329 during that span. Profar has spent most of this year at Triple-A Round Rock, where he has batted .300/.380/.438 in 231 plate appearances. That’s far better than the .172/.294/.207 line he has produced in 70 PAs this season with the Rangers.
More… https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2017/07/braves-among-teams-with-interest-in-jurickson-profar.html
ok, he is still quite young….and if Garcia gets him…sure…but then what? 3rd? 2nd? SS? LF’er, RF’er ????
Though if you trade for Fulmer, Ozzie is as good as gone…hmmm.
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Ber, it appears the Braves have a thing for other clubs 1st rounders who as yet not performed up to expectations. Alex Jackson, Danny Santana. Luis Gohar, et al.
Tis the Bravos who never quit CL. They just keep on keeping on.
Boy, talk about a tight zone, yesterday’s strike zone was minuscule. To be fair, it was tight for both sided. Lots and lots of full counts.
1:30 game time today.
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Another great team performance today. Braves back at .500… Santana and Rodriquez set to join the team Monday, besides Jace, who goes down, Lane Adams? That would be my hunch.
Brandon Phillips making it tough on Coppy to trade him. Or maybe he is making the price higher. Should be interesting to see if the Braves tank when the vets are traded. All I have to say is, get value for value.
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Great post Raisins!
the next few weeks will be interesting for sure. los bravos are currently 9.5 games out of first but only 6 games out of the wild card chase and they will be entering a series against the team just above them in the wild card standings for a three game set. remember, it doesn’t matter what kind of ticket you get to the dance. what’s important is that you get a ticket to the dance!
that being said, is it realistic to think the braves can actually compete for a playoff spot? the magic 8 ball in my head says “doesn’t seem likely” as a LOT has to go right for them over the remainder of the season. but my heart says “go for it”.
that brings up a lot of questions. do they go for it this year? if so, at what cost, in the form of prospects and money? which big leaguers might have to go to actually improve the team? phillips was on fire this weekend. do you trade him now for max value and let peterson handle 2b until rodriguez is ready? or do you ride that horse all the way to october?
what about adams? who needs a mashing first baseman? and johnson? there are days he’s absolutely lights out. other days, well, not so much. what could be obtained in return for either?
i know that’s a lot of questions and i’ve got even more. as none of us work in the braves front office we don’t know what may be in store. my guess is there are a lot of contingency plans. the braves started out this tough stretch with a nice sweep the results of the next few weeks games will ultimately answer those questions. and frankly, the off-the-field stuff is just about as interesting as the on-field play and i look forward to watching it unfold.
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just looked at my icon which has been up for many years now. seems even more fitting now than ever!
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Translation: Keep ’em coming, boys. Not there yet, but you’re getting closer.
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On a related note, Kris Medlen pitched well last night for Gwinnett: 7 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 7 K.
Gee, what a coincidence that both he and Jaime Garcia are on the same rotation slot, huh? Yes. Coincidence. R-i-g-h-t.
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To go with Jaime’s great start yesterday, Brandon Phillips slugged 3 doubles and Matt Adams crushed a no-doubter-dinger.
Yep, it was a good day for the Braves’ trade market, no doubt.
Heck, Lane Adams might even garner a little interest as a throw in with his recent good work off the bench.
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Why did I mention Lane Adams? Well, according the braves beat writers, Danny Santana and Sean Rodriguez are both set to come off the DL today.
That probably means Jace and Lane will both go back to Gwinnett… barring inclusion in a trade somewhere, of course.
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Also, it’s reported that Viz will likely make one rehab appearance, probably today, and then be activated assuming no problems. That’s an easy adjustment as Rex Brothers and Jason Hursh are both easy AAA returns.
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Ber, why would the Braves be interested in Profar? Well, first, I advise to remember that rumors are just that… rumors. And in this age of “journalism”, people often run with speculation with no corroboration.
That said, TEX is one of the teams kicking the tires on Jaime, so it’s entirely possible they’re the ones who brought him up in conversation, not Coppy.
Still, as Gil mentioned, Profar is a former 1st rounder who is still young (24) with plenty of time to realize the great potential that has been evident for a few years. He might just be a classic “change of scenery” guy. And he’s quite capable of manning 3B. Still, with the massive interest that’s been reported over him for the last couple of years, Coppy could look to turn him right around to someone else in a deal for his own pitcher instead of Ozzie, who seems to be at the top of every other team’s wish list.
And at worst, if you do include Ozzie to get Sonny or Gerrit or Marcus, you still would have Profar.
All in all not a bad position to be in.
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V, yeah I kinda/sorta reached that conclusion at the end of my post…
Though if you trade for Fulmer, Ozzie is as good as gone
Speaking of Fulmer….doesn’t matter how much teams want to get a guy, if said guy isn’t available. As I mentioned before, only 24…probably the best pitcher most people don’t know about…didya know he was the ROY last year???? Only had 26 starts last year, but pitched 159 innings. 3.06 ERA. (this year his ERA is 3.06) 123 innings, on pace for 220 innings…so much for the sophomore jinx!
So, while he doesn’t have the pedigree of Chris Archer or Sonny Gray, he has a much better ERA and is much younger….
so in theory…should cost even more.
Do you trade the Untouchables????? Here is the thing. You never know with any pitcher, right? And the braves best of the best guys are soooo young. Kolby Allard, Mike Soroka are both 19 (though to be completely fair, both turn 20 in August) Ian Anderson turned 19 in May. Max Fried is 23, but…is 2 11 , with a 6.69 ERA at AA. May have to be turned into a bullpen guy.
Touki Toussaint is 21, but isn’t doing well either ((A+) 2 9 5.46 ERA) Patrick Weigel is 23, but sadly will miss likely all of 2018….
Lucas Sims is 23 and decent at AAA. Of course Kyle Wright has to be tossed in there as well..
But, Allard, Soroka, and Anderson are basically 4 years away from not being treated with kid gloves in regards to pitch count, innings pitched (2021, 2022???) and what do you do via the playoffs? Will they have them start each season late?
So, do you trade Soroka and Ozzie (and other, lesser prospects) for a true, no doubt about it 24 Y.O. Ace???? He will be cheap too…
and you still have plenty of arms left….
or will the Tigers decide not to trade him, thinking he’s the next Justin Verlander?
Of course, the White Sox still keep trading 1 player for 2 supposedly can’t miss prospects and will be an amazing team if the Tigers don’t rebuild some….
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Speaking of Fulmer….doesn’t matter how much teams want to get a guy, if said guy isn’t available.
But if they want to dump all of Verlander’s salary, they might have to attach value to it. Could be why the Braves scouted both Fulmer and Verlander.
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You know, they have to replace Ian Kinsler too.
What if Coppy sent Jaime to Texas for Profar, then flipped Profar in a deal that sends Julio, Profar, Lucas Sims, Max Fried, and Dustin Peterson for Michael Fulmer and Justin Verlander, taking on all of the $106M remaining on JV’s deal?
Then your rotation becomes Verlander, Fulmer, Folty, Dickey and Newcomb and you really have something now and going forward.
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Wow, didn’t know he had fallen off so much this year (Kinsler) if they’d do that deal, I’d do it in a heartbeat. I might do it even if we kept Profar, and gave them Ozzie….
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Three game set with another team coming off a three game sweep. The Cubs were expected to be there, the Braves NOT. I think the only folks who thought the Braves had any chance to compete this year were the Braves players themselves. Perhaps that is who really counts in the long run.
So, three games, three different heroes… That is what a team is all about methinks…
The gNats have taken some steps to shore up their shaky bullpen. A weakness I don’t see in the current Braves staff. Not that the Braves staff if all shut down guys but I don’t see them blowing a 6 run lead.
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Brandon Phillips may become the poster child for the National Acupuncture Society. He has caught fire in the past week. He is playing like he’s Ronald Acuna….
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Yep, the Braves come in 45-45 while the Cubs come in 46-45. Who in the heck thought we’d see that in the middle of July?
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Almost under the radar…
Has Snit been making all the right calls lately or what? Guy deserves an extension.
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Buster Olney:
Rival executives say that the Braves are very open to offers for Julio Teheran, who is under contract for at least two more seasons beyond this year. He’s earning $6.3 million in 2017, $8 million in 2018, $11 million in ’19 and his contract ends with a $12 million team option for 2020. But Teheran has struggled this season, with an ERA of 4.79. The perception of other teams is that the Braves would like to flip Teheran for prospects, but that in order to do so, Atlanta would need to acquire a comparable front-of-the-rotation starter, which is why the Braves discussed Jose Quintana and have checked in with Oakland about Sonny Gray.
Old news, but another voice reporting it. More smoke, so to speak.
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More from Buster:
Rival executives say the Tigers are very open to discussing Justin Verlander but believe it will be difficult — almost impossible — for Detroit to create an acceptable trade. Verlander is a legacy player for the Tigers, a possible Hall of Fame pitcher, but he makes so much over the next 2 ½ seasons (he’s guaranteed more than $75 million) that rival teams almost certainly would look for Detroit to eat a ton of money while also accepting very little in prospect return.
… which is why attaching Fulmer to the deal to bring back said top prospects, along with an established pitcher like Julio, makes sense for them.
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Tonight’s contest against the Cubbies might well seal Julio’s fate in Atlanta. You just cannot keep a guy on your payroll who gets the yips every time he steps on his home field mound. He has become gun shy with the shortened fences at STP.
One thing I have learned is to not fall in love with a prospect. Their path from the low minors to the show is wrought with peril.
Except for Acuna… DON’T TRADE ACUNA… He is the next great outfielder for ATL.
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It’s always fun when you are playing a team which is directly in your way to where you want to go. Meaningful games? The Braves have a ton of them ahead this month.
I’m sure the block of games against the Dodgers is looming large but I don’t see this team looking past anyone at this point, their position is too tenuous to take anyone for granted. Of course they have no problem with being overlooked themselves. They are perfectly content with being the hunter.
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One more thing on Acuna… When I see and read about Acuna, I am reminded of Brett Butler but with power. When I saw Butler play for Richmond, I kept thinking, Future All-Star. Then he was traded to Cleveland, along with Brooks Jacoby. Both who became all-stars. ACK!
Nick Markakis is in a bit of a slump right now, not sure what the deal is but he just does not look comfortable at the plate. The guy has been money in RBI situations and has played a stellar defense but his timing just looks off to me. It’s one of those things where I see something wrong but I don’t know enough to know what the wrong is I’m seeing.
The three run homer by Matt Kemp was a welcome sight. Time for him to get going again too.
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Of all the prospects, Acuna is the one I am most wanting the braves to hold onto….
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Ronald Acuña in 2017:
28 G at A+ Florida, .287/.336/.478, 3 HR, 21 runs scored
57 G at AA Mississippi, .326/.374/.520, 9 HR, 29 runs scored
4 G at AAA Gwinnett, .294/.429/.588, 1 HR, 5 runs scored
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Any outfield assist to throw into that?
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If you were talking about some 25 year old minor leaguer, those would still be pretty fair but not necessarily spectacular numbers but when you are talking about a 19 year old, they are some eye opening numbers.
Just to give it some perspective, what are Sean Rodriquez’s numbers in his rehab? Just saying, the kid is a keeper and every GM in MLB knows it.
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Coppy has said they were going to push their prospects and challenge them a bit. That is why some of the Braves young pitching prospects have struggled I think. I don’t know if the Braves feel compelled to force the issue to get better sooner than later or if it is just a change in philosophy.
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It’s official, SeanRod is back, and Jace is out.
Also, the Braves are sending Jason Hursh down to activate Danny Santana. Interesting…
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2nite’s lineup:
Ender Inciarte, CF
Brandon Phillips, 2B
Freddie Freeman, 1B
Matt Kemp, LF
Tyler Flowers, C
Nick Markakis, RF
Sean Rodriguez, 3B
Johan Camargo, SS
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Hmmm…
Sean Rodriguez showcase? Are they happy enough with Johan Camargo that they’d see what they can get for SeanRod now that he’s healthy?
Here’s another uncomfortable question. If Dansby is not going to get consistent playing time here in Atlanta, why not let him play everyday in AAA? I’m all for letting him improve on the big league stage, but at least give him the opportunity to do so. He’s not getting better playing 1 out of every 3 days.
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Yep, looks like Dansby is the odd man out right now. Not sure if its Snit calling the shots, mixing and matching or the GM saying play this guy or that or don’t let M Adams get hurt before we can trade him.
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I still think Dansby is the future, not sure if his future is now.
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Not sure if its Snit calling the shots, mixing and matching or the GM saying play this guy or that or don’t let M Adams get hurt before we can trade him.
IMO, with Sean Rodriguez immediately being placed in the lineup when he didn’t exactly tear the cover off the ball in rehab (11 games, 47 plate appearances, 3 hits), Snit is not in complete control. Nothing against SeanRod personally, but his starting at 3B tonight is a BS call.
I think he’s being rushed back to prove his health with a couple weeks left before the trade deadline. Nothing else makes sense to me.
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yeah V, that’s the only thing that makes sense…
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Well, I hope he goes 4-4 with 6 RBI but 1-4 would be pretty satisfactory. We shall see.
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wow, what an ending to a game…that the braves still lost.
Still, had the cubbies on the ropes, and their closer won’t be able to pitch in 3 games here…
Shame Krol gave up a run…I sure understand why he gets run out there , in spite of giving up runs…some hitters look silly against him…still, I’d make him a loogy for a bit (I know, homer to a leftie) till he was really full of confidence…
FYI, I started this, then got distracted…what else…Teheran was pretty decent (from what I see from the stats) against a team that just murdered the Orioles over the weekend, so that has to look go for possibly trading him….
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It’s funny, Peter Gammons was always my favorite baseball…coverer (Blog first!) writing and back in the dark dark days of virtually no baseball coverage during the winter, I lived for his 2 minute voiceover clips on sportscenter (hey, this was a long, long time ago, late 80s’/early 90s?)
anywho…I trust him, yet I forget to check out his blog he still write on in semi-retirement…
while not talking about the braves, he does explain why it’s going to be so hard to pry the #1 Coppy and braves fans want for the team….
Talking about the Cubs and Quintana, but imagine it was the Braves instead of the Cubs…..
They called the Tigers on Michael Fulmer, not available. They checked in on Chris Archer, and were told the Rays think they can make the playoffs and inch closer to a real ballpark. Marcus Stroman would have cost them a player off their major league roster, Gerrit Cole was not available without players off their major league roster. The Athletics talked to them about Sonny Gray, but they preferred Quintana’s consistency, not to mention his contract.
Quintana makes $8.35M in 2018 with options the next two seasons at $10.5M and $11.5M. “Look at the market and look at what’s going to be available and given our need for starting pitching next season, how were we going to build a staff?” said one Cub official. “This is for this season, but it’s for ensuing seasons.”
The Astros badly wanted Quintana, and may now turn to Gray. So could Cleveland. One official from a team in on Quintana said, “He will be a very different pitcher with the Cubs. The White Sox have defensive problems, which they know. Now you give him the Cubs defense, you put him in the National League without the DH and put him in the atmosphere they have and you’ll get a much better pitcher.”
http://www.gammonsdaily.com/peter-gammons-quintana-crosses-town-to-wrigleyville-springers-mvp-shot-and-more/
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He’s so close. Probably ready.
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The good in Gwinnett last night:
Arodys “started” the game, pitching the 1st inning and allowing 0 hits with 1 K.
Lucas Sims came on “in relief” and struck out 11 over his 6.0 IP.
Ronald Acuna unloaded the longest HR in Gwinnett this year to give the team a temporary lead.
The bad:
Chaz Roe blew the game giving up 3 ER in his 1.0 IP. His ERA at Gwinnett is now 27.00.
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Ber, I still have not seen the ball off Acuna’s bat and I have watched the video 5 times.
Bummer ballgame last night. Braves had that game won if not for the add on runs. Oh well, sometimes I get the feeling that Rachel Phelps is calling the shots…
Chaz Roe… should be the first guy off the 40 man roster
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when I watched MLB’s quick pitch…they talked about how Zimmerman passed Vlad Guerrero for most homers by an Expo/National… and they showed highlights of Vlad of course…you know who he reminds me of, or vs versa? Acuna. Acuna isn’t quite as big, but the followthru…man….
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Back in ATL, newly minted 3B Sean Rodriguez went 0-3 with 1 BB and 2 K’s. Hey… couldn’t Dansby have done that? Just sayin’…
Tell ya what. After thinking about it a little, I almost wonder if they haven’t been showcasing Johan Camargo. He’s gotten alot of playing time over the last couple of weeks at both 3B and SS. He’d be awfully valuable to some team somewhere… like BOS or NYY. And with Martin Prado going down again (back on the DL with a knee sprain), the 3B market is mighty slim.
Then you have to wonder with the way they forced Rodriguez back into the lineup so quickly if maybe they haven’t already had preliminary talks with someone and are just trying to prove his health on the field.
I’m beginning to believe that the Braves will trade one of them – Camargo or Rodriguez.
Quite honestly I have no other explanation for why Dansby sits in Atlanta. They need him playing almost every day to continue his development. If they aren’t sending him down to play everyday, there has to be a reason.
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Chaz Roe… should be the first guy off the 40 man roster
He’s already off. Passed cleanly through waivers last week before being outrighted to AAA.
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To be fair, Freddie Free made two outstanding plays at first last night. Saved at least 4 runs by my calculations.
One more thing, I thought the Braves played a little flat last night. Just saying.
Okay, got to give the guy a chance, after all, only one game but gee, an o-fer and an error? Could have used a bit more seasoning. Hey, can’t blame the guy, no one really wants to stay in the minors.
I would have let Markakis hit for himself in the ninth and saved M Adams for after the bases were loaded. You know the pitcher is going to load the bases in that situation.
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Okay, I’m over it…. Re-rack….
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Freddie Free made two outstanding plays at first last night. Saved at least 4 runs by my calculations.
Yet another reason why he needs to be over there every night. Now the Yankees are in heavy discussion with OAK over Yonder Alonso. Coppy’s about to lose his best potential suitor for Matt Adams. He may have waited too long.
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Julio didn’t hurt his own value last night. Actually, the fact he didn’t wet the bed at home again may have enhanced it.
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I almost get the sense that Coppy is juggling alot of balls right now, and that if he can pull the trigger on the “big one”, the others will follow in sequence.
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I’m beginning to believe that the Braves will trade one of them – Camargo or Rodriguez.
you may be right V, but I forgot until I saw a story on Rodriguez, that he’s on a 2 year deal (5 mil per year) so….you’d have to eat a lot of moola to trade him, especially with so little time to prove himself.
I wonder if the team pushed him to come up…I’d hate to think they’d do that, but he was seriously injured in a car accident in Feb, so he hasn’t played any baseball since Sept and like I said…was injured so badly they thought he would miss the season. (and I think we have to remember this, it’s a miracle he and his family were able to be there in seemingly very good health for that pre game ceremony)
so 2 weeks after 9 months off and he’s supposed to be sharp??? it is odd…
hindsight being 20/20 the braves don’t really need him now, but.. re-reading this, you can see why they did sign him…. http://m.mlb.com/news/article/209590168/braves-sign-sean-rodriguez/
Camargo on the other hand is young, cheap, plays excellent defense….and now seems to be able to hit, so yeah, he may have to be in any possible trades for starting pitching…
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he may have to be in any possible trades for starting pitching…
Kind of what I’m thinking.
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Likely, a team like Oakland wants a couple of major league players, not just prospects. Trades can be tricky when you have a someone who is willing to overpay for a short-term gain.
I have been the second highest bidder on more than one occasion. Oh, well, no buyers remorse…
I think the Braves with Matt Adams may be the Yankees’ fall back position in case they cannot get a deal with Oakland for Yalonso. Thing is, who are the Braves willing to take for Matt?
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Young and cheap is almost always preferable to old and expensive all other things being equal.
Think Dansby is working on hitting the slider? It appears to be his bane….
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Think Dansby is working on hitting the slider? It appears to be his bane
That was a talking point pushed earlier this season, but not necessarily as dramatic as it is being painted. Look at his strong month of May and you’ll see that he began punishing pitchers for thinking they could fool him with it. Now they’ve adjusted again, so it’s his turn to respond. Nothing unusual.
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As for Rodriguez or Camargo being dangled, published reports say that both OAK and TOR are asking for players off the major league roster as part of any return for Sonny Gray or Marcus Stroman.
Rodriguez’ 2-year contract is not prohibitive. In fact, he’d probably be less desirable as a 3 month rental. The new paradigm for GM’s is “controllable years”. It was “controllable years” that netted the big return for Shelby Miller, and it was “controllable years” that netted the big return for Jose Quintana. The same will be true for Sonny Gray too.
It’s why Julio could be on the move if Coppy is successful in acquiring a top tier arm. He’s got real value in both talent and financial commitment.
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I think Coppy is in a tight spot with Julio, all the talk about trading him has to affect him. We’ll call it the McCutchen effect. Anyway, Julio is a pretty solid number 3 or 4 who would benefit from a big park. That precludes just about every American League team.
He did not pitch badly last night but he did not pitch crisply either. He just was….
Braves need to win tonight to break the mystic of the Cubs. I think they can be had, they are not as good as the media makes them out to be and the Braves not as bad.
Interesting factoid today on MLB, Steven Strasbourg has a losing record when having to pitch when the temp is above 90 degrees. It is why the Braves need to embrace the heat and humidity that is Atlanta. Use it like the Packers embraced the cold.
I still believe Matt Adams will go to the Yankees because the As will hold Cash man hostage for Yalondo.
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Of course if the Yankees trade for Yolondo, the As will need a first baseman and Adams will still be available. All that said, teams are really loath to give up young controllable pitchers. It is why I think Kris Medlen will soon be making an appearance at STP. Either as a fill in or to be showcased. He could net a huge return on the Braves investment. Just as Matt Adams.
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Hard to believe that the trade deadline is less than 2 weeks away. It’s been sooooo slooooow. Everybody seems to be waiting for everybody else to do something. I figured the Quintana trade might loosen things up a little, but that hasn’t happened. The real action will be in the AL where the Yanks, ‘Stros, Mariners, Bosox, Indians and Royals all figure to be buyers. Heck, the Twins could even be buyers. They’re actually trotting out Bartolo for a start tonight. Tell me they couldn’t use a pitcher!
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Jeff Francouer on the radio a few minutes ago:
Q: What do you do with all these infielders (Camargo, Swanson, Phillips, Peterson, Rodriguez, Albies) you have? You can’t play ’em all.
A: That’s easy. Package some of them up and send them to Oakland for Sonny Gray.
I’m with Jeff. 🙂
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Of course if the Yankees trade for Yolondo, the As will need a first baseman and Adams will still be available.
Hmmm… that’s interesting. The A’s don’t have a clear replacement for Yonder Alonso. Suppose the Yanks trade prospects for Yonder, then the Braves include Matt Adams in the prospect loaded package for Sonny Gray. Adams is cheaper than Yonder this year, then has one more year of arb before becoming a FA in 2019. OAK would be in the same position with Matt this time next year and ready to deal him for somebody’s prospects again. Sounds alot like Billy Beane’s kind of game.
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Seriously? Did we have to give them something just to take him?
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They probably made Coppy give them Roe as compensation for the annoyance of him calling about Chris Archer every day. 😉
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Bowman says the Braves traded Chaz Roe to the Rays for cash. Somebody must have gotten stuck with a higher lunch tab than they expected.
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2nite’s lineup:
Ender Inciarte, CF
Brandon Phillips, 2B
Freddie Freeman, 3B
Matt Kemp, LF
Matt Adams, 1B
Nick Markakis, RF
Kurt Suzuki, C
Johan Camargo, SS
Seriously… Free Dansby. Let him play in AAA. Sitting him accomplishes nothing for the future of this franchise. I’m glad Johan is playing well. Maybe he nets you 3 or 4 more wins. Great. Guarantee they still won’t seriously contend in 2017. Meanwhile, Dansby is not progressing. If they aren’t going to play him here, send him down and let him play in Gwinnett. Heck, send him to Danville. I don’t care. Let the guy get some game time.
This is the problem with Snit working on a short deal. He has to win and win now or lose his job. He doesn’t have the luxury of looking long term.
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Traded/sold Chaz Roe for cash… Hope Coppy didn’t take a check. Likely told the Rays, “no take backs” .. Rays have to be truly desperate. Oh well, maybe they can fix him.
I’m thinking Dansby must have called Snit a bad name… Just does not make since to sit him on the bench.
Newk on the mound tonight, he is due for a good game. I think tonight;s game, while not a must win, is still a very important game in the broad scheme of things because they are facing a very tough road trip. One they have come back o-7 or 1-6 from in the past.
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Oh my goodness! This guy (https://twitter.com/MiLB/status/887161757592113152/photo/1) looks SO much like Greg Maddus!
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WELCOME to babesyoga and maxlcrepeau who are now following Braves&Stuff! Join in anytime!
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Wow. Blockbuster deal for the Yankees last night. They get The 3B Todd Frazier, RP David Robertson and RP Tommy Kahnle for OF prospect Blake Rutherford, LHP prospect Ian Clarkin, and OF prospect Tito Polo, along with veteran RP Tyler Clippard.
They pick up serious power for the hot corner, and add 2 excellent relievers. They still, however, need to pickup a starter.
They still have 3B and #8 prospect Miguel Andujar in the fold. Now, with Frazier on board, Andujar could be expendable for a starter… say Julio?
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In the wake of tlast night’s deal, the ChiSox have called up baseball’s #1 prospect Yoan Moncada. Their future is coming to fruition. Meanwhile in ATL, our future sat on the bench.
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I am really beginning to think that the team is showcasing Johan Camargo. Not only is he getting a ton of playing time, the Braves talking heads are building him up like baseball’s next great SS. Last night they related how Joe Maddon is gushing over the kid.
After a cold dose of reality on the west coast, we should swing back to seller mode and get ready for actual contention in 2018.
I think there’s a real possibility that we see all of Dansby, Ozzie and even TATE (The Answer To Everything) in the same lineup this season.
And why not? Acuna seems to be on the same fast track that Andruw Jones was, and Andruw burst on the scene when the team was making a real World Series push. IMO, if Coppy can find a taker for Nick, he’ll move him on out and move Acuna on in. And if it doesn’t happen in the next 2 weeks, it’ll almost surely happen in the offseason.
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Good morning folks, I tried to hang with the game last night but just could not do it. Now we know where all those rain clouds were when the Braves were playing at Turner Field with nary a rain delay.
Early game today. I hope I can stay awake.
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So the Yankees still need a starter and still need a 1B. I think we could help with both of those. Surely Coppy has his people pouring all over their prospects.
Speaking of teams needing a starter, it was reported that the Royals had a scout at STP for Julio’s last start.
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Back in ATL, the team is set to activate Viz from the DL today. I have a feeling that Lane Adams will be making the move back to Gwinnett.
There was talk that Snit would like to keep the 5 man bench, but I’m willing to bet that doesn’t happen… especially heading out for a west coast swing. Old habits die hard. That plus SRod and Johan give him alot of versatility.
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It’s gotta hurt for the Bosox to see the Yanks get their 3B from CHW. All indications early yesterday were that Boston and Chicago were deep in talks for Frazier. Then the Yanks swooped in and dashed their hopes. And in the process, they took one of the better relievers on the market in Robertson too. It was a great day for NYY.
Maybe BOS is calling Coppy this morning about SRod or Camargo. Ya never know…
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I think Houston may be the best matchup for Julio, and I think they have the prospects to get it done. Personally, I’d love to see Julio get a shot on the big stage in October with them. They would instantly become my fave AL team (as if they weren’t already).
They have an interesting young 3B named J.D. Davis that is blocked in HOU by Alex Bregman. Davis is the classic power hitting 3B, too, and from the right side. He’s 24 and close to ready now… just with no place to go.
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Yup. No brainer.
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They still have 3B and #8 prospect Miguel Andujar in the fold. Now, with Frazier on board, Andujar could be expendable for a starter… say Julio?
V, I think they just look at Frazier as a rental… he hit 225 last year (albit with 40 HR’s) and this year, .207 with 16 HRs…but he has been hot of late…I think a lot would depend on his performance in the next 2 weeks…except the Yankees don’t have 2 weeks really, to get a pitcher…it shall be interesting.
Teams are going a bit overboard, IMHO…they don’t want guys 30+ anymore, yet they are the guys with experience, and yes…some skills still….I know this isn’t the year for the braves, but having a Kemp, and BP in the same line-up, I’d like our chances against teams in the playoffs…instead, in 2018,19 it will be some kid swinging wildly at sliders 2 feet outside, and we will never get that runner in from 3rd, with less than 2 outs…old wounds are the slowest to heal 😉
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2day’s lineup:
Ender Inciarte, CF
Johan Camargo, 3B
Freddie Freeman, 1B
Matt Kemp, LF
Tyler Flowers, C
Danny Santana, RF
Sean Rodriguez, 2B
Dansby Swanson, SS
Can’t help but wonder how tight Dansby will be today knowing hat he has to go 4-4 to be back in the lineup tomorrow.
Also, this could be a real everyday lineup in a couple of weeks.
Just sayin’…
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V, I think they just look at Frazier as a rental…
Could be, as this is his walk year. But they also have Gleyber Torres as their #1 prospect whom they had begun transitioning to 3B before he tore his UCL a couple weeks ago. He’s blocked at SS so a move to another position was inevitable. They also still have Chase Headley signed through 2018, who would bridge them to Torres.
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I like Lane Adams…a lot. How often do you see a big dude with game changing speed? He will probably end up in San Fran like Gregor Blanco, with a few W.S. rings on his hands…not this year though. For him, or the Giants…
J.D. Davis…never heard of the guy. Hmm, 24, and playing his 2nd full season in AA. I wonder why? His numbers look quite solid.
There is weirdness in baseball right now. Olney and others have said not much interest in position players (of course 2 big ones have been traded, but basically the 2 biggest ones out there) someone said (Gammons?) that the A’s hadn’t received 1 call for Jed Lowrie, which sure seems odd.
add on top of that teams fearing NL players not hitting in the AL, it makes it hard to trade Matt Adams or BP…and there are other 1st baseman out there.
I sure hoped we could see what a hot FF Adams, and Kemp could do for this lineup….but only FF has been hot.
Kind of surprised how cold the braves bats have been against the Cubbies starters…especially Lackey, he of the 5 + ERA and 38 Y.O. arm….
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I know this isn’t the year for the braves, but having a Kemp, and BP in the same line-up, I’d like our chances against teams in the playoffs…instead, in 2018,19 it will be some kid swinging wildly at sliders 2 feet outside, and we will never get that runner in from 3rd, with less than 2 outs
Ah… a veiled shot at Dansby. Well, he ain’t getting any better picking splinters from his butt. These kids have to sink or swim sometime. And the team has to get younger or you turn into the 2014 Phillies. And if those coming up are Heyward and Francoeur instead of Chipper and Andruw, then you need to know that as well so you can get better another way.
They must stick to the plan, and that means understanding this is NOT the year to contend. Resist the temptation for quick but temporary satisfaction. it will be unfulfilling and leave us feeling empty without making real progress toward the future.
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Yep, another day, another line up… If the Braves hang onto Matt Adams because no one wants him, so be it. Not necessary to just dump him. Same goes for Brandon Phillips. Ozzie will be here in 2018 and playing everyday, count on it. Sometimes the best trades are the ones you don’t make.
BP will be beating the bushes, trying to get some team to take a chance on him. Not fair but it is baseball….
If the Braves don’t make a trade by the deadline, they will be busy in the off season. Vets like Kemp, Markakis, Flowers and Adams will all be dangled. Just thinking out loud.
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Ah… a veiled shot at Dansby.
not too veiled 😉
actually was thinking of Ozzie too…kids need to play, no doubt, but Dansby is in a real funk,(DOB had mentioned .125 over the past…I don’t know, 3 weeks?) and they really should send him to AAA to get his confidence back, but I think once again “they” are hamstrung with the decision to make a kid the face of the franchise, before he had proven himself. It doesn’t on the surface make sense to have him ride the bench, but maybe in a way, like a guy on the DL, he can focus just on hitting, both watching video, in the cage, and seeing what say, FF does on a daily basis…but yeah, he will have to play consistently, somewheres…
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and they really should send him to AAA to get his confidence back
Oft used narrative, but IMO it’s a false one. Players don’t get far in pro ball without confidence. Dansby doesn’t lack confidence. Dansby needs to work on mechanics. If it’s at AAA then great. But it has nothing to do with confidence. It has everything to do with repetition and muscle memory. He needs to work.
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DOB had mentioned .125 over the past…I don’t know, 3 weeks?
Random time period. He was .306/.355/.418 in the month of June. Means about as much.
2017 Dansby Swanson: .220/.297/.321
2017 Ben Zobrist: .215/.306/.373
Does Zobrist need confidence? Does he need to remain out the Cubs lineup? Slumps happen to all players. You can’t get out of one if you can’t get on the field.
As I said, I don’t care if he plays everyday at AAA. But make a decision one way or the other. Are we working for the future, or are we working toward trying to grab the last Wild Card spot in 2017? Because those are 2 very different goals, and have 2 very different effects on the long term outlook of this team.
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Y’all all know where I stand. I want to see this team take a big step to the next level, but 2017 ain’t the year it’ll happen. We can take a baby step forward this season but pull a hammy doing it if we’re not careful. We’re simply not ready for prime time yet.
In order to be able to compete with WAS and LAA and HOU, we need one more consistent power bat and we need a bona fide #1 and #2 starting pitcher. And to go anywhere beyond the gimmicky Wild Card play-in game, we better have something resembling a #1 starting pitcher. Right now, we have a couple of #3’s, a couple of #4’s, and #5. (Which is more than we had last year.)
Want to take the big step forward? Go get Sonny Gray. Go get Marcus Stroman. Be bold and do something forward-minded. Take some of the huge stockpile of prospects and go get an actual ace. Remember, you can have 30 good prospects, but you can only play 9 guys at a time.
And if you think your hitters are all gonna flail away at sliders and not be able to hit ’em, then trade those guys and go get some more. Because the Braves won’t get anywhere trying to plug holes with 35 year old guys on the last year of their contracts.
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The way the team seems to be gushing over Johan Camargo, they might as well dangle Dansby in trade talks anyway. Or failing that, go ahead and include Ozzie. Because Camargo seems to be the new darling. He has become the Chosen One.
Take one of those guys, add Luiz Gohara and Joey Wentz and go get an ace. That’s about the price the Cubs paid for Quintana. That might just get you Gerritt Cole. Should have pulled the trigger on Quintana.
Or trade Camargo before the bottom falls out. Remember Charles Thomas? Yeah… nobody else does either.
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On a brighter note, Bartolo made his Minnesota debut last night and pitched 4.0 innings giving up 4 ER. Pretty much exactly what he was doing in Atlanta.
At least he’s consistent.
Pretty bad when that’s the brighter note.
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The Twitter equivalent to the participation trophy.
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sure is fun watching the Cubs get healthy against the braves, while the braves hitters turn each cubs starter into Cy Young
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sure is fun watching the Cubs get healthy against the braves, while the braves hitters turn each cubs starter into Cy Young
Reality check for the Braves, and hopefully for the front office. Are they a .500 team? Sure the are. Are they a contending team? No way.
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And then we go to LA for 4 games against the Dodgers, who are 30-4 in their last 34 games.
I’ve enjoyed watching the progress of this team this season. They are fun most nights, and entertaining even when not at their best. But they simply aren’t on the same level as the Dodgers or Cubs. And despite the slump Jon Lester has been in, he’s far better than any starting pitcher the Braves send to the mound. And the argument could be made that all 5 Dodgers starters exceed what the Braves roll out on any give night.
Until the prized young arms are seasoned enough to emerge, we better get a hoss to keep us relevant. And even when the prized young arms emerge, we better have a hoss to lead the charge.
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Another depressing game, What is it with Braves pitchers giving up home run balls to opposing pitchers?
Okay, there was a glimmer of hope when it was 4-2 Cubs but Danny B unloaded again and I knew it was a done deal…
Yes, that is what you call a reality check. Pretty sure the west coast trip will nail the coffin lid closed on this season.
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A comment notice from Jon Hyman I think, said the Braves will pretty much hang onto Matt Adams given his relatively low cost and the current poor market for position players. Okay, works for me. While I am sure the Braves feel Sean Rodriquez can play first, I am not sure when hos bat will wake up.
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Gil, as you noted, Olney qualified it was by saying it was due to the market for position players being “lousy”. I’m still willing to bet that he could be traded if the right offer came in.
The only thing most teams are looking for at the moment are “controllable arms”, and that includes the Braves.
So it seems odd they would consider trading Julio, right? Except that I think Julio has reached his ceiling, and it’s not as a #1. IMO, Julio would be a good #2 if you had a solid #1.
So it begs the question, would you trade him if you could flip some of your new (as well as current) prospects for a real #1? Is it worth it to part with some of the “currency” if it means a real upgrade? And if so, who are you willing to part ways with?
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Funny how a streak, winning or losing, can change one’s perspective of a team. Still a lot of baseball to be played but then again, a reality check. The Braves currently are on a three game losing streak but very quickly, that can become a 7 game losing streak.
The Braves are now facing their moment of truth. This trip should put a stake through the heart of their hopes to make the play-off. No, they will not be mathematically eliminated but the cold hard truth will be they are done. Just too much ground to cover.
Maybe if the Braves had a couple of more shut down arms they could make a run but they don’t. Oh well, at least the Braves have prepped us for those 10 PM starts. I don’t think I will lose any sleep over it. There is instant updates available every morning on the web.
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Maybe if the Braves had a couple of more shut down arms they could make a run but they don’t.
Truth.
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can’t speak for Gil, but I wasn’t expecting different types of trades for a playoff hunt…honestly, what could Coppy do differently than trying to get a #1 type??? Hold onto Nick M? Or BP? Perhaps, with Nick, but no one is going to offer anything for him. How many teams have an need for an outfielder? Especially one with little power? Thats going to be a problem.
He is probably having nightmares of giving up the next Adam Wainwright.
Funny, I tend to think it’s crazy to give up 2 top prospects for an arm that might need TJ surgery his first start out there….but I know for a fact if the braves hadn’t traded Wainwright for the most overrated outfielder ever…the braves would have gone deeper in the playoffs, might even gone all the way a 2nd time…but, you just never know….
I saw Verlander give up a run in the 7th last night, 2nd run…fat pitch down the middle…but, it was 97 MPH!!! Amazing, isn’t it, that he can still run it up that high? He was “overused” very early in his career, but luckily for him, he didn’t become Kerry Wood, or Mark Prior. Why didn’t he?
anyways…an aside that really doesn’t mean anything. I don’t think he is the answer…he hasn’t been able to help Detroit in their hunt for the playoffs, has he?
So….Coppy is stuck….he and about 20 other GM’s are looking for young controllable, as you mentioned V…and realistically ,the odds are against him , since other teams are looking at the same folks, and other teams thinking they are 1 player away, are going to be more desperate, and trade guys Coppy doesn’t want to trade….
Gil’s right, perhaps the best trades are the ones you don’t make…
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tired…don’t think I really made my point…
Did I truly expect the braves to sneak in via wildcard, and go deep into the playoffs? No…of course not…honestly, until the Rockies and now the Diamondbacks started to tank, I was thinking we could scare the youknowwhat out of the Nats….there bullpen has been so bad, that if we had swept them, it would have really, really scared them…and other teams were figuring out the same thing…
alas, it was not to be….I just hoped we could have some faint hope, you know, golly, win 5-6 games, and make things interesting…
watching 2 1/2 more months of baseball with no chance of anything except perhaps Ozzie, perhaps Lucas Sims(More likely Medlen)…well…just doesn’t send much of a thrill up my leg.
are we a .500 team? No…not really. They just were for a game…might end up 74-88, slight improvement…another top ten pick in the draft…weee….
hopefully, I will live long enough to see the braves competing for the division again….
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watching 2 1/2 more months of baseball with no chance of anything except perhaps Ozzie, perhaps Lucas Sims(More likely Medlen)…well…just doesn’t send much of a thrill up my leg.
Speaking only for myself, I’d love to see Ozzie and Lucas and see exactly who they are. Oh, and some kid named “Ronald” or something like that. 😉
are we a .500 team? No…not really. They just were for a game…might end up 74-88
I must respectively disagree. I think we are a .500 team. Just not much more. Maybe 82-80… maybe 80-82. But somewhere in that neighborhood. For the last month we’ve flirted with .500, dipped a couple down and picked a couple up off and on. That’s pretty much how I see the rest of the season barring some major roster change.
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And call me crazy, but even though they just got swept at hme by teh Cubs, and even though the Dodgers seem invincible at the moment, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Braves pull out 2 of the 4 games.
Game 1 – Folty vs. Brandon McCarthy – winnable
Game 2 – Jamie vs. Alex Wood – probably not
Game 3 – Julio vs. Rich Hill – Julio on the road is winnable
Game 4 – Newk vs. Clayton Kershaw – chalk is up as education, kid
I think we can truly win game 1, might get another between games 2-3, but get shut down tighter than Oprah’s yoga pants vs. Kershaw.
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Mariners are sending 4 prospects to the Marlins for reliever David Phelps.
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The Fish are getting OF Brayan Hernandez and RHPs Brandon Miller and Lukas Schiraldi. Not sure of the 4th yet.
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Also RHP Pablo Lopez.
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Jon Morosi is reporting that talks between the ‘Stros and A’s for Sonny Gray are “heating up”.
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Looking at that possible deal between the ‘Stros and A’s… would Billy Beane really trade Gray within his own division? If you think about it, adding Gray to what they already have, and with that offense, that would set the ‘Stros up for an extended run.
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On the local front, Mike Soroka fanned 12 in 7.0 innings for AA Mississippi last night, while yielding just 2 H and 2 R. His ERA in 18 starts this season is 2.38, and just 1.94 over his last 12. I believe he’s gotta be moved up to AAA soon. I also think he could push for a rotation spot as early as next year, at least by mid-season.
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Yowser.
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Just looking back at something because I heard a reference on the radio to Aaron Judge being “passed up” by Frank Wren.
In the 2013 draft, we had lost our first round pick due to signing BJ, er Melvin Upton in FA. Our first pick came at #31, which was our own compensation pick for losing Michael Bourn in FA.
So at #31 we took… Jason Hursh, a guy who is a “decent” relief pitcher but can’t seem to stay in the majors for very long.
And who was picked at #32?
Yep, Aaron Judge by the Yankees.
That kinda hurts.
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https://fncd.net/embed?id=kYvHfA1
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That was kind of a blind link, wasn’t it? How about this…
2017 MLB Trade Dealine Countdown Clock: https://fncd.net/embed?id=kYvHfA1
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.. or Deadline. Either one. ;-P
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In the 2013 draft, we had lost our first round pick due to signing BJ, er Melvin Upton in FA. Our first pick came at #31, which was our own compensation pick for losing Michael Bourn in FA.
So at #31 we took… Jason Hursh, a guy who is a “decent” relief pitcher but can’t seem to stay in the majors for very long.So at #31 we took… Jason Hursh, a guy who is a “decent” relief pitcher but can’t seem to stay in the majors for very long.
And who was picked at #32?
Yep, Aaron Judge by the Yankees.
That kinda hurts.
To be fair though, in 2009, Wren drafted Mike Minor #7…and the Angels picked Mike Trout #25
Imagine how much better any team would be with both of those guys on the same team???
Look how bad most of the picks were that year…all those teams that didn’t bother to pic Trout…heck, the Angels picked Randal Grichuk (didn’t even know he was an Angel) before Trout
https://www.baseball-reference.com/draft/?year_ID=2009&draft_round=1&draft_type=junreg&query_type=year_round&from_type_jc=0&from_type_hs=0&from_type_4y=0&from_type_unk=0
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ummm, err….it’s gonna be a good one, right? I mean…thats the best they can get with so many teams needing pitchers?
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2017/07/twins-braves-engaged-in-talks-on-jaime-garcia.html
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The MLB baseball draft reminds me of playing roulette. Sure, there can be big winners, I never was one, but most of the time it is the house that wins. And everyone has a equal opportunity to go broke. Think Ted Van Poppel…
The Braves current most highly rate prospect was not drafted. Just saying folks….
The lesson, in this all I think is, the more eyes you have scouting, the better chance you have a discovering a talent. Look at what happened to the gNats when MLB took over the team and then gutted their minor league system. It has taken them a long time to get to being a respected team.
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Garcia to Minnie is done except for formalities. Don’t know return, but hope it’s AA pitcher Stephen Gonsalves.
On a related note, Aaron Blair was pulled from his start tonight beforehand. He’s either included or on his way to LA.
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So why would they call in Blair to make the start? Doesn’t make sense. Lucas Sims is on track to pitch tomorrow anyway and is seemingly the next man up. Blair? He may give up 20 to the Dodgers.
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V, I hope you are right about Stephen Gonsalves, that would be great! perhaps toss in a relief pitcher too…
as for Blair, if not Sims, why not….Matt Wisler? 3 starts in a row of 7 innings, 7 starts in a row giving up 3 runs or less….
Maybe Blair is going to the Twins? I hear they are paying all of Garcia’s salary….can’t believe the braves would be cheap in that they’d give up an arm to get the salary relief, but a lot of teams do things like this….
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I misread the stats of Blair’s last starts, I though most recent starts were at the top of the chart, but they were at the bottom…
so, he’s been….better. Not great, but 5 innings, 3 runs last start, 7 innings 2 runs earned, the start before that….perhaps …. spitballin’ here…IF he had a decent start perhaps he could be traded with Julio and a few others for a said #1….
http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?sid=milb&player_id=594760#/career/R/pitching/2017/ALL
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As of this morning, an agreement between MIN and ATL has not been reached.
I think they were very close at one point last night because Jaime left the dugout. When he reappeared stil in uniform midway through the game, it was evident a snag had occurred somewhere.
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I felt we had a chance for a win last night with Folty on the mound. I’m really proud of how he has developed, and still has more to go. But he’s a real pitcher now. He has cemented himself as a solid #3 for the moment, with a real chance to be a solid #2.
Way to go, boys. Way to bounce back against baseball’s hottest teams.
And I still believe we can take another of the remaining 3. A split in Dodger Stadium would be huge.
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From DO’B:
Kurt Suzuki hit a big two-run homer for the Braves in Thursday’s win against the Dodgers, then the veteran catcher left the team to attend his grandfather’s funeral this weekend in Hawaii, where Suzuki is from. While Suzuki is on the bereavement list through the weekend, Anthony Recker has been called from Triple-A Gwinnett to back up catcher.
Condolences to Kurt and his family. I will pray for them.
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So here’s the thing…
In order for Recker to be added to the active roster today, he has to first be added to the 40-man, which is full.
Scouring the list, there isn’t any obvious choice to be DFA’d. Then again, maybe EOF is the guy. I doubt anyone would claim him off waivers. Maybe he’s a candidate to be moved to the 60-day DL. I wonder if Adonis can be bumped to the 60-day DL with his finger sprain?
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Then again, if they do finalize the deal to send Jaime to MIN, his 40-man roster spot will open up. Blair is already on, so he’s good. And maybe that’s why he’s the apparent callup for a start tonight. Lucas Sims is not on the 40-man.
An since the team did not know of Suzuki’s bereavement situation when Blair was scratched earlier in the evening, it makes you wonder just what Coppy had planned for Jaime’s 40-man spot.
Hmmm…
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Wait… my fault. Lucas Sims is already on the 40-man. Now I’m scratching my head over Blair again.
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OK… here’s what I think could be the case. They scratched Blair from his start last night because they thought there was a chance they could get this done, but it wasn’t a certainty. So they flew Blair out to the west coast just in case, but want Sims to pitch his normal turn in any case. If the trade of Jaime goes down, Blair makes a spot start tonight, then Sims take over the rotation slot next time through… unless Coppy has something bigger in the cooker waiting on the departure of Jaime. There’s even a chance Blair’s name has come up in discussions and some scout wants to see him against major league bats.
Whew! That was even too convoluted for me!
As the great Joaquin Andujar once said, “There is one word in America that says it all, and that one word is, ‘You never know.'”
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Strange doings eh? I kept waiting to hear who the Braves picked up from the Twins but a snag?
Great game by the good guys last night, never a for sure thing but sure enough.
Matt Adams really took a shot off the catcher, I would have bowled him over. Matt is lucky he didn’t break his leg. Stupid rule cause more injuries that it prevents.
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One last point of speculation, then I’ll leave it alone until we have some definitive news.
One of the players the Braves may be looking at in Minnie’s system is minor league pitcher Lewis Thorpe, who has great upside but is currently recovering from TJ surgery. (The Braves have done this before with Max Fried as you’ll recall.) He’s a 21-year-old at high-A. It could simply be a case of medical evaluations from their own doctors, which don’t always happen instantaneously.
Or maybe he got a better offer as news of MIN began to leak out.
I hope that’s the case.
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Yes Vee, you were/are pretty spot on with your win probability assessment. A split with the Dodger would be a moral victory. Well, more than a moral victory but y’all get the idea.
Perhaps Coppy does not want to start Simms with a loss.
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V, I was spitballin’ above about a team wanting to see Blair in the bigs again…I know…it’s far out there. Might be he was to be packaged with Garcia for a bigger haul (like the guy you mentioned above at AA)
Or, he could be headed out in another deal…or just pitching tonight.
Honestly, I loved the braves got to an early lead and beat the Dodgers, It just didn’t seem all that probable, with the Dodgers being just about the best winning streak ever. Did you hear that the Dodgers are 44-0 in games where they had the lead at any point during the game? Something no one has even heard of before. Well, I guess they heard of it, after doing some research
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2722815-los-angeles-dodgers-break-111-year-old-record-wednesday
They are incredible, yet they don’t feel like the Astros did, at least in last night’s game…
But….I am pretty sure Coppy wanted the deal done BEFORE todays game. Can you imagine if he gave up 7 runs in 2 innings, or something?
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You have to wonder who spilled the beans on the Garcia trade, that is the price you pay for having loose lips in your front office, a deal isn’t a deal until the paperwork is done.
Vee, you may be right in your assessment on a possibly better deal for the Braves but I would not think Coppy would go back on a verbal agreement. Perhaps some hemming and hawing going on.
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Might be he was to be packaged with Garcia for a bigger haul (like the guy you mentioned above at AA)
That’s exactly what I really hope. In fact, if the Braves want to pry Stephen Gonsalves away, it’ll almost certainly take more than 4 months of Jaime Garcia.
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But….I am pretty sure Coppy wanted the deal done BEFORE todays game.
There’s still time. There’s still plenty of time.
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I think the Dodgers players and their fans were shocked that they could actually lose a game, and to the braves of all teams….
Ok wasting some time for no good reason….I was wondering if Blair had a good game against the Dodgers last year…nope, didn’t face them.
Hard to believe he had a 7.59 ERA last year…I mean, I knew he wasn’t good but still…wow..
Here’s the thing. 5 of his 15 starts were quality starts. Not really a good number, but…2 of his last 3 starts were. Last start (against Detroit naturally) 6 innings, 2 runs, 10 strikeouts!
But, teams just see the 7.59, and think, he can’t pitch in the majors…so, perhaps since they don’t want to give up on him yet, since he’s 25 and a former #1 pick, they will give him a few starts (well, he could get in 2 before the deadline, right?) and if he pitches ok, package him in a deal, if he pitches really well, keep him up here. (he had a 4.05 ERA after his first 4 starts, Sean Newcomb has a 4.86 ERA after 7 starts)
It’s part of the reason I wish they had cut bait with Colon earlier….(or not even signed him in the first place) Just like with Dansby, sooner or later, you have to find out what they can do at this level. Wisler is really having a good year at AAA, but he only had 1 start with Atlanta, he’s been a reliever otherwise, and doesn’t seem to be a good one….but they need to find out what they can do here, don’t they? No one is making offers for them, it appears….
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According to Bowman, the hang up in the deal is simply reaching an agreement over players and money. He also notes that both the Astros and the Royals have shown interest in Jsime. This could be nothing more than MIN trying to lowball the return, and Coppy trying to maximize the return. All part of the game.
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If a team (San Fran) is willing to sign the Panda after what he did/didn’t do in Boston, there has to be hope for nearly every ball player in America to play in a big league game.
Colon has made noises that he may retire, unfortunately for the Braves, they are left with fully funding his pension. One can live pretty well in the D.R. on $12 million dollars US.
Isn’t it funny how a win can lift your skew your perspective on a team you had given up for dead just 24 hours ago? I guess we’ll just have to wait for the Braves to play out this string before performing last rites over their collective bodies. Speaking of which, that Freddie Freeman dude plays pretty good for a sick guy.
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…the hang up in the deal is simply reaching an agreement over players and money.
Isn’t that the hang up on every deal?
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Ken Rosenthal still works for Fox Sports (and MLB) but, apparently a month ago Fox Sports.com decided to go all video…so he now has to write stuff on facebook….good grief…
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Pretty sure the Braves had the Quintana deal locked up but for the hang up over “players and money”… One has to wonder about Bowman sometimes….
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Actually, reading his stuff on Facebook is easier because you don’t have to contend with all the ads.
By the way, the guy who made the decision to cut the print stuff, go all video and fired a bunch of staff at Fox Sports got canned himself last week.
Ah, the way of the corporate world, at least they don’t shoot you in the head like some regimes have been known to do in the past (or maybe still do).
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I think Bow’s statement over players and money was in response to someone asking him if medicals were hanging up the deal. Since I had wondered the same, I simply posted Bow’s response without reference. I probably should have provided context.
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Interesting stuff Gil, I did not know that…of course, I didn’t even know they did away with their website (basically) til I went to Rosenthal’s twitter site…I was DYING to know who we were getting…clearly…I had to get over the fact that no info was forthcoming…..I was really surprised to see Tim K, Jayson Stark, Gammons, no one really has even posting much the last few days…weird.
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funny, just a few weeks ago, espn was acting like it was a joke for him to be bumped up a level 😉 https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/2017/07/20/tebow-cites-comfort-reason-recent-surge/491632001/
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Vee, I hope you didn’t think my being a smart ass was directed towards you, it is just sometimes things are so obvious it begs for derision… 🙂
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A really good and thoughtful opine by DOB. Just the truth on so many levels.
http://atlantabraves.blog.ajc.com/2017/07/21/everythings-always-changing-and-camargo-is-moving-up/
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Yes it is.
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Vee, I hope you didn’t think my being a smart ass was directed towards you,
Not at all… but I did leave out all context. My internet has been out all day until about a half hour ago and I was working off my phone, which is nearly impossible to do.
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See ya EOF. He’s been “released” by the Braves today to open up his spot on the 40-man roster for Anthony Recker. The report says “released”, but it seems to me a player has to be put through release waivers (7 days) before he can be officially released, thus the usual DFA tag. I must look deeper.
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Easy-O given his release to make room for Wreck It Ralph.. Looks like you were right on with that one Notre-VOX.
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Well, the official announcement from the Braves says he’s been released. Not sure how that worked, but it did. Perhaps he had already been run through waivers previously and we just didn’t know it? Probably.
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Well, it was pretty hot here today, hit the big 100… Not a record but a heck of an average. Fortunately, AC was invented many years ago. I remember when only an occasional restaurant and movie theaters had AC… Man, he we gotten spoiled or what?
Another 10 PM start, bah… I may record it and watch it tomorrow.
I hope Jamie Garcia pitches a no hitter tonight, boost that package of prospects coming back.
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grand slam jaime garcia? WHAT? and off the guy that’s been the best nl starter this year?
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Holy Toledo! and here I was worrying that Garcia would give up a ton of runs….didn’t expect it to be Alex Wood to give up 9 runs! (first 2 homers he has allowed…all season…to lefties, 1 to Freddie the other to Garcia!!!)
first grand slam by a braves pitcher since….get this…1966!!!
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ber, i was worried about that too. wood has been unhittable this year and with all the rumors surrounding garcia today i didn’t know how he might react.
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Who would have thunk it? 12-3 Braves, gland slam by Garcia…. DUH!
Do we dare hope the Braves pull off and upset and take this series from LA? Possible… Not probable but possible, and here I was worried that the Braves would get swept by the Dodgers. I guess that is why “You never know” .
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*I guess that is why “You never know” *
Indeed it’s why they actually play the game on the field. But wow.
Is Jaime trying to get traded? Is he trying to make a case to stay? Is he just simply a gamer?
And the more important question, which Julio do we get today?
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Wouldn’t you have liked to hear that first post-game phone call to Coppy…
“Hey, we were just talking here in Minnesota and have reconsidered a couple things you said…”
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Of course Coppy’s response was, “Yeah, I’ve reconsidered a couple things too.”
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Perhaps the most surprising thing is the sudden outburst of offense, especially after getting smoked by the Cubs. So, the dream is still alive. Not really part of the national conversation but still relevant to any team that has to play them.
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Welcome to THISDOGHASSTYLE who has joined the great folks who are following Braves & Stuff! Hope you’ll join in the conversation!
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While I’m thinking about it, I guess that the more important thing is for the Braves themselves to feel they are still relevant. They sure are playing like it. Sort of like when they went on a tear at the end of last season.
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SATURDAY 1:32pm: Righty Nick Burdi was involved in the deal, Rosenthal tweets. Burdi had Tommy John surgery in late May and will be out until next season. The Braves already obviously would have been aware of that, and they haven’t shied away from acquiring injured pitchers in the past (such as Max Fried, who they got when they traded Justin Upton to the Padres in the 2014-15 offseason). So perhaps the player whose medicals they took issue with was someone else. It’s still possible, though, that they saw less than they hoped for in Burdi’s medical reports. The 24-year-old Burdi had an 0.53 ERA, 10.6 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9 in 17 relief innings with Double-A Chattanooga before the injury.
11:30am: Talks between the Braves and Twins came to an impasse due to a medical issue the Braves had with a prospect they would have received from the Twins, FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal tweets. The two sides are currently considering other options, though they could return to the table at some point.
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2017/07/twins-braves-engaged-in-talks-on-jaime-garcia.html
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Yup. But now there are up to 8 teams calling according to published reports. Coppy is probably grinning.
Reminds me of how all the old A-Team episodes used to end, with their leader lighting a cigar and saying, “I love it when s plan comes together.”
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I was trying to remember the name of the hot shot, can’t miss reliever the Braves signed away from the Yankees last winter, was it Jacob Lindgren? Had Tommy John in August surgery and I think the Yanks were trying to sneak him thru waivers or something and non-tendered him. If it is the same guy, I think the Braves signed him for a million bucks and have stashed him for next season.
The Braves have a history of taking chances with rehabbing guys since they have altered their timeline for return from 12 months back to 18 months.
I think the Braves might be able to do a little better than Burdi but it may really be how much the Twins are willing to pick up in salary too. I would imagine there are a lot of teams which won’t get Sonny Grey who would be pretty happy with Garcia. Heck, I’m pretty happy with Garcia. I think it is a really damned if I do, damned if I don’t situation for Coppy.
I don’t think the team would feel all that confident with replacing Jamie with Aaron Blair. they already have a number 5 with Newk.
Tough assignment by the way for him against Kershaw but sometimes tough competition can bring out the best in a player. Plus, he will be playing close to home. Just keep it close, be aggressive and don’t be walking players. It is what changes solo homers into 3 run homers PDQ.
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For a place that has a reputation of being tough to hit home-runs in, Dodger Stadium sure is playing small. A couple of streaks that continues last night uninterrupted. The Dodgers are now 45-0 when leading in a game at any point. That is pretty mind boggling. Julio continues to give up gofer balls at an alarming rate. 25 in 23 games… Last season he gave up 22 in 30 games.
One streak that fell was Julio’s perfect record away from STP… Pretty tough to keep every streak intact. No ties in baseball….
The turning point last night however was the ball dropped at home by Flowers allowing the third run to score by the Dodgers. It changed the entire tenner of the game.
So, tough assignment today against Kershaw but like they say, “You never know”
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Gil, I kept hearing from…well, either Joe/Skip/Jerome (Mind like a steel trap I have 😉 ) that Flowers dropped the ball, but wouldn’t it be more accurate to say it was knocked out, after the runner ran into his glove?
scoring 2 runs makes it hard to win….amazing how the Dodgers are now 45-0 once they have a lead, eh?
Jaime is better at keeping the ball in the park than Julio…too bad Julio doesn’t try to develop a sinker of some sort….
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OJT
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Uh oh. Well, that’s one way to get to Kershaw. Seriously, I hope he’s not hurt. Nobody wants to win that way.
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True Ber, the ball was knocked loose, maybe…
Tough assignment for the Bravos today, can we really be disappointed if the Braves get out of town with a split? Sure we can but considering the chances we were giving them coming in, I’ll take it.
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No it isn’t VOX, my guess is lower back. Just had that sort of vibe to it.
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WHEW! Thought that was gone…. Keep it in the park Newk…
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use guys notice Newcomb has another gear today? I swear I hadn’t seen higher than 93 MPH ,and I have seen 94-95 with at least one 96 MPH. And throwing high fastballs is getting him some much needed strikeouts….
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I swear he looks a bit different, more upright on the mound? Can’t tell exactly.
And man, take BP out already Snit! He’s hurtin’
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BP is deathly afraid he will be Wally Pipped if he goes on the DL…
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Funny, Joe and Chip talking about Newks ball & strike ratio, I don’t know if he is missing a lot or just not getting calls. This Dodger team is one your really don’t want to just throw down the middle to. Just keep getting outs kid…
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and Joe was thinking after their catcher (something Barnes) hit the 3 run homer how Flowers was motioning for a high pitch (high and in) and how he doesn’t have much command in the strike zone, so to expect him to go high wasn’t likely to happen…Chip chimed in with pitchers are told to keep it down, and how Glavine said some guys can’t pitch high….did they both sleep thru the 2-3 high fastball swinging strikeouts earlier in the game???(more high and outside to righties)
And Matt Adams and FF seem to want to swing at everything thrown over the plate today…odd…
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D***! 3 run homer ties it up for the Braves in the ninth…
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Okay, it wasn’t win but pretty close, can’t feel too bad about how things turned out. Now, need to get at least a split in Arizona. It’s all good…
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gotta say i’m pretty impressed by the way they played this weekend. manhandling one of the best teams in the league for two games and going toe-to-toe in the second two is pretty impressive. i’m still resigned to the fact that this season is a lost cause but pretty excited about some of the play i’ve seen. still not consistently great of course, but you can see flashes of it, not unlike what we saw at the end of last year.
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Prophet star to Gil who said of Newk before the game:
Just keep it close, be aggressive and don’t be walking players. It is what changes solo homers into 3 run homers PDQ.
… and that was the turning point the game.
I had to laugh a little at Joe Simpson though, who before that blast was remarking about Newk’s aggressiveness, or lack thereof. He spoke of him NOT attacking the strike zone as he walked 2 in a row, which prompted a mound visit from Chuck Hernandez. Newk responded to the meeting by getting ahead of Austin Barnes 0-2.
Joe, of course, quickly pointed it out, and then said (and I’m paraphrasing), “He needs to not be fancy. Just continue to attack the strike zone. Even if the batter hits the ball, 7 times out of 10 he’ll will make an out.” And Barnes did hit the ball. Hard. Line drive. Over the left field wall. I was envisioning Joe like this:
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i’m still resigned to the fact that this season is a lost cause but pretty excited about some of the play i’ve seen
My sentiment too, except that instead of it being a “lost cause” per se, I see it more as a step toward where we want to be… which is why we need to stay the course and make the trades necessary to set us up for the next steps. Jaime, BP, Adams… get what you can now and let those with a future in the franchise continue their acclimation. Those who are being counted on to anchor the franchise going forward need to sink or swim now. Next year is the year to contend, not to develop.
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The Brewers and Yanks are the latest 2 teams to be connected to Jaime Garcia. And as far as I can tell, NYY still needs a 1B too. Can’t we help them out with both? Who doesn’t love a good multi-player deal?
The guy who probably will not be traded is BP. The combination of there being a slow (nearly non-existent) market for 2B combined with his nagging hammy will probably crush those chances. Too bad, too. As much as I live the guy, and he’s been better than expected, we need to loosen our middle IF logjam. And we need a place for Ozzie to play.
I don’t see BP as a very good August trade candidate either. With Cincy paying most of his 2017 salary, he’ll never make it through trade waivers.
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Oh…
I’ve all but abandoned the notion that Coppy will land one of the top controllable starters. The market price is just too high right now.
But you can just about bet the mortgage he’ll address it in the off-season.
(Bet the mortgage? Where does that phrase even come from? I’d love to lose a bet involving my mortgage. You can have it! As long as I get to keep the house, of course.)
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Bet the mortgage? An amalgamation (blog first?) of mortgage the farm and bet the house maybe? Never heard it before…
Newk certainly kicked it into another gear after giving up the 3 run homer. Maybe Snit should give him a swift kick in the pants before each start to make sure he stays focused. It was night and day different in his approach. Sort of like the difference we have seen in Folty. A coming of age moment I hope for the young lefty.
Okay, Jim Johnson… Looks like he is hitting the wall out there. I like the guy, think he can be money some nights but not worth two cents on other occasions. I guess that is why we have not heard his name mentioned in trade rumors.
When do we see Minter in a big Braves uni?
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Looks like Jaime’s next start is scheduled for the Wednesday afternoon getaway game at 3:40pm in Phoenix. If he should make that start, it will surely be his last in a Braves uni in 2017 as his next turn would fall on Aug. 1. But quite honestly, I’ll be surprised if he makes that start. I think he’ll be moved before then. Coppy walked a tightrope with Jaime’s start in LA and it paid off with a stellar outing. Jaime’s value probably cannot be any more enhanced by repeating it, but it can sure be diminished if he Bartolos. I hope Coppy doesn’t take that chance.
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Jim Johnson… Looks like he is hitting the wall out there.
Yep. Sure looks that way.
When do we see Minter in a big Braves uni?
Minter is now in his 2nd season following TJ surgery, And as we’ve seen many times, that’s usually the season that is a bit of a struggle. It’s no different for Minter.
If you’ll recall, he had his TJ while still at Texas A&M, and was drafted with that knowledge. He had his first pro season last year, and did pretty well piling up 47 K’s in 34.2 IP and finishing with a 1.30 ERA across 3 levels (both A’s and AA). But the Braves were cautious with his rehab and gave him at least 2 games rest between appearances.
Then he got off to a rough start in spring this year and started the season on the DL with “radial tunnel syndrome”, or inflamed nerves in his forearm. They treated him with anti-inflammatories and rest which caused him to start 2017 late.
He appeared in his first game in Gwinnett on April 11, but he did not pitch again until June 12 because of an adductor strain. He currently has a 4.70 ERA in 17 appearances. He does have 21 K’s in those 15.1 IP showing the stuff that got him drafted. The good news is that his arm looks healthy and he appears to be getting stronger with each appearance.
From what I’ve read, he could easily be a second half callup at some point.
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Kinda wonder if after Kershaw went down with a back injury if the Dodgers thought about the guy across the diamond that beat them Friday night. Jaime’s still out west. He could be back in LA in no time.
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BTW… the trade deadline is 1 week from today at 4pm. Getting down to brass tacks.
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Here’s something to consider. According to Jon Heyman, the A’s have “set the price” on Sonny Gray, and it’s a whopper. And according to Rosenthal, the Astros have turned away from pursuing Gray and are now looking hard at Jaime. Seems a good match to me.
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I’m sure Coppy’s phone has been busy this weekend. I have to believe that the Jamie Garcia sweepstakes is somewhat dependent on if and when Sonny Grey, Justin Verlander or Yu Darvish are traded. You also get the feeling that there is something of a bidding war taking place on Garcia.
No doubt, Jamie is a rental. You hate to pay the full purchase price for a temp but depends on your needs and how deep your pockets are. It also appears things are very fluid right now as far as who is still in and who is out. There is still a lot of games to be played and like the Pirates suddenly getting hot and inversely, the Brew Crew nose diving.
So, my predictions… Brandon Phillips will remain with the Braves this season. As Vee said, the market is just not there for an aging 2nd baseman who is dinged up. The only reason for the Braves to move him is to allow Ozzie to move up and I don’t think that is going to happen until September when the rosters expand.
Matt Adams just does not get enough love… I would just a soon hold onto him and play him against right handers and have his bat available on days he doesn’t start.
I think everyone other than the most rabid fans know that Braves team can get better but like every other major league team, it is the pitching staff that offers the greatest potential for improvement.
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Alan Carpenter at Tomahawk Take reports that the Dodgers had scouts looking at Lucas Sims on Saturday. That’s kind of intriguing.
BTW – Sims dominated against the Indianapolis Indians striking out 9 over 7 IP and giving up only 3 singles and 1 BB. (And for what it’s worth, in the same game Ozzie smashed a 403-foot HR to tie him for the team lead in HR’s with 9. Have I mentioned he’s ready?)
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…the A’s have “set the price” on Sonny Gray, and it’s a whopper.
Well, Sonny grey, in addition to being a very good pitcher, still has controllable years left on his contract. He is the kind of player you trade good prospects for. Think Huddy…
of course if Sonny grey’s asking price is a whopper, one has to think Garcia’s asking price is now a Whopper Junior… Every time a pitcher is taken off the table, Jamie’s price likely goes up.
IMO, Garcia staying with the Braves for the duration would not be a totally bad thing.
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On a different note, looks like “The answer to Everything” has finally found a place where his inexperience has become evident. He’s hitting .240ish. The better the slider, the tougher the at-bat. Ask Dansby. The young shortstop is so bumfuzzleed right now, he has no idea of when to swing and when to take. He is swinging at balls outside the zone and taking fastballs down the middle. Add the fact he is getting absolutely no benefit of the doubt on close pitches from umps either. Only adds to the frustration.
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I believe Kurt Suzuki should return from the bereavement list today. I think Julio may have missed him Saturday.
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Okay, time to get some chores done.. Later guys…
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IMO, Garcia staying with the Braves for the duration would not be a totally bad thing.
Hmmm… maybe. He’s fun to watch, but even if he gives us a few more wins this season, we’ll still miss the playoffs and he’ll still sign somewhere else in FA at season’s end and the Braves will have nothing to show for it.
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The young shortstop is so bumfuzzleed right now
Joe Simpson pointed out some very evident flaws in his mechanics Saturday. His timing is completely off. And of course… how do you fix those mechanics and regain timing? Right… by getting consistent AB’s.
If he isn’t going to play here, then demote him and let him play there. I’ve said (typed) it over and over until I’m blue in the fingers. The guy has to play every day. Sitting on the pine only compounds the problems. In fact, we’re getting past the point of it being awkward and getting closer to it being detrimental.
Free Dansby!
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I think Dansby, unlike Francouer, would probably welcome the opportunity to get his mind right and work some things out. Sure, no one like being demoted but face the facts, he has been supplanted by Carmargo and he is not helping the team or himself.
It is not without precedence and I fear it won’t be long before the boo birds will begin to exercise their vocal cords. When the cheers turn to jeers, it is time to hit the reset. Atlanta fans are nice to a fault. If Dansby was in New York, he would have to wear ear plugs just to go outside.
So, perhaps Coppy is planning to make all his moves at once. Not good for continuity but maybe more like ripping off the old band aid all at once.
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The other night, Joe Simpson noted that J-Hey twisted his top hand just prior to swinging the bat. I did a little experiment and notice it was nearly impossible to get a smooth swing when doing it. The twist causes one to inversely swing down on the ball. Okay, if you hit the ball just right, it will cause back spin, mostly however you drive the ball into the ground.
I don’t know how one could fix that, especially when it is involuntary.
So many little things can mess up a player’s mechanics. It is a wonder anyone can ever hit a baseball.
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Personally, I think this continued dance in limbo only increases the pressure he’s feeling. His absence speaks much more loudly than his problems.
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Here’s a very relevant article on Dansby that I just ran across, published yesterday and written by Tommy Stokke at Fanrag Sports. It’s a really good read and worth the time required.
https://www.fanragsports.com/mlb/braves/dansby-swansons-makeup-passing-ultimate-test/
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Gil, that’s interesting aboug JHey…I wonder if he did that here????
I remember posting something Peter Gammons posted about JHey’s swing last year…showing the old vs the new…you wonder why you can’t just go back to what you used to do???
Funny thing is, his swing looks better to me know than it has in a few years. At least once in awhile he hit’s it hard.
Gil, you know I Love Matt Adams…in a non..well, you know the way!
It’s funny, my Dad wasn’t feeling well yesterday, so I didn’t keep the game on, put a movie on for him (He will watch a little baseball, but when the braves are losing, just didn’t see the point of making him watch it for the last 2 innings)
So, you could have knocked me over with a feather that Adams, who looked to be swinging at everything earlier in the game, to be the guy to hit a 3 run homer off of Jansen, who hadn’t blown a save to this point!
I do get V’s point…to a point. I don’t think I could ever change his mind on keeping him, but I just think like Justin Bour (29) Justin Smoak (30- looks to be a good year for Justins) and Logan Morrison (30 in august) some guys develop later than others, some get with the right hitting coaches, etc. Matt Adams will be 29 in a month. he had a very good half season with the Cards last year. (12 Hr’s 54 RBi’s in 297 AB’s—I may have pointed this out a few times 😉 )
I think everything depends on FF at 3rd. Have I missed him diving to his left or right? Seems I am forever seeing him make the routine plays (no mean feat as we know for some guys) but he’s been like a good umpire, in that nothing is being called to your attention by his actions…
It sure hasn’t hurt his hitting a bit…
time will tell…the Yankees, as I am sure other teams in the AL, are a bit wary of an NL guy coming over in he middle of a playoff race. I am sure AL guys like the guy from Oakland, are higher up on their want list…might be able to get more for him in the off season, but if there isn’t a real demand/need for 1st basemen….
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V, I agree something needs to be done with Dansby…honestly, AAA is the only thing that makes sense now. Can’t bench Camargo right? BP when in the lineup has been raking (.429 since the all start break)
so…why not send him down while they are on the road? Don’t get it…unless they fear the marketing hit…and honestly, how can it? Send him down for 2 weeks, see what happens with BP and Adams, or Camargo(though honestly, I could be wrong….it happened once in 79 and again in 93 , but Camargo looks like a real everyday player) but he’s terrible right now, and like you said, how is he going to get better playing 3-4 games a week?
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I keep forgetting this, but…the Nats may very well need another arm too.
and trading interleague would be less painful for a rental, at least from our standpoint…
Stephen Strasburg left today’s game between the Nationals and Diamondbacks after just two innings. Manager Dusty Baker told MLB.com’s Jamal Collier (Twitter links) and other reporters that the star right-hander was removed as a precautionary measure after Strasburg couldn’t get loose. No tests are scheduled for Strasburg when the team returns to Washington, though he will be examined by team doctors. “An achy forearm [and] general tightness” is how Strasburg described his injury to the media (including Collier), and the righty said that he preferred to leave the game when he did before the problem turned into something serious.
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2017/07/nl-east-notes-strasburg-rizzo-hill-marlins-neshek.html
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I do get V’s point…to a point. I don’t think I could ever change his mind on keeping him
… because we already have a 1B. If the NL were to suddenly adopt the DH, then I’m Matt Adams’ biggest fan. But Freddie Freeman is our 1B. Matt Adams is in the way.
Let me put it this way…
Who is a better fielder at 1B, Freddie or Adams? No contest. It’s Freddie.
Who is a better fielder at 3B, Freddie or Camargo? No contest. It’s Camargo.
So in order to keep Matt Adams in the lineup, you are compromising the defense at both corners of the infield.
Not me. Matt Adams has 4 opportunities to affect the game at the plate, 5 at most. But MAdams and Freddie have countless chances to foul it up defensively. It’s unbalanced. And I hate… no, loathe unbalanced. It’s disorder. It’s chaos.
Trade Adams, restore order, and move forward with The Plan.
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V, I agree something needs to be done with Dansby…honestly, AAA is the only thing that makes sense now. Can’t bench Camargo right?
That is something I do NOT disagree with. Dansby needs to work out his kinks. He needs to go down.
Camargo looks like a real everyday player
He absolutely does… for now. Wanna see something interesting?
Johan Camargo in 2017 thus far has 147 ML plate appearances. He is slashing .314/.336/.471. It’s legit. He’s on a hot streak.
Dansby was called up late last year and finished 2016 with 145 ML plate appearances. He slashed .302/.361/.442. It was legit too.
I say that only to pivot to this: We should not be any quicker to anoint Johan in 2017 as we were to anoint Dansby in 2016. Things can change so quickly. In fact, the “book” on Johan will be out soon enough and all teams will have a better idea how to pitch him… just like they did with Dansby.
Now don’t misunderstand… I hope he continues to rake. In fact, I hope Johan finishes the whole season with those impressive numbers. And I hope he plays every day to do it… at 3B. I just think we all need to “pump the brakes” (a phrase that is becoming overused and annoying, thus you won’t see it from me ever again) when it comes to Johan. I love him, but I don’t think he will turn into the next Carlos Correa.
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Okay, let’s tap the breaks… He he..
Camargo could well grow into a thirdbasemen’s body. He is a little light right now to be a 3rd sacker but he is still pretty young. He has a strong arm and quick feet. And yeah, opposing pitchers will look at the video and discover not to make a mistake to this guy. he is not a home run hitting third baseman, no uppercut.. but he dose hit the ball hard.
Matt Adams is a role player who is being pressed into everyday service because unlike the Astros, the Braves don’t have an All-star at every position. Pitching and defense are cornerstones of the game but unless you have an offense that can overcome 4 runs a game, the current Braves edition isn’t going to win many ballgames.
Having Dansby batting eight means an opposing pitcher can see two potential “outs” on the line up card from the get go. How many times have we as Braves fans bemoaned the fact the Braves could load the bases but not get any runs across the plate?
Adams has said he wants to play everyday but having him available to come off the bench is not a bad thing. Sure beats having a bench made up of Chase d’Arnaud, Jace Peterson and Emilio Bonifacio. Wow, that is gnarly just thinking about it.
Think about this, how many teams, not named the Dodgers could lose a first baseman like Adrian Gonzalaz and actually get better? How many of the Dodgers player yesterday did we recognize their names other than Kershaw? That is depth and winning teams need depth to get through 162 games just for the privilege to play in the post season which is a completely different game.
So, I am not opposed to keeping Adams around, especially since no one appears to be beating down the door. I think he is good for a couple of more wins.
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Why is Aaron Blair the go to guy to replace Garcia? Last chance for him before he too is traded maybe? Already on the 40 man roster? All of the above?
Should be a fun spring training next March…
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One last inane thought? Do people realize that with today’s Anti Lock breaking systems that pumping the breaks is counter productive?
Ber, you can keep on pumping on those classics you own but every one else.. well, y’all know… 🙂
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Okay, I lied… another thought popped into my head.
RA Dicky said his knuckle-ball does not work all that well in Colorado, dose that go for Arizona as well? Pretty high altitude in Phoenix. Just wondering?
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Why is Aaron Blair the go to guy to replace Garcia? Last chance for him before he too is traded maybe? Already on the 40 man roster?
I believe it’s nothing more complicated than his turn in the rotation lines up perfectly with Jaime’s. And it doesn’t hurt that he’s already on the 40-man roster.
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And there ya go.
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Jamie Garcia and Anthony Recker and cash considerations traded to the Twins for a 19 YO right handed minor league pitcher, Huascar Ynoa out of the D.R… I have no idea of how to pronounce his name…. I guess the Braves cleared two 40 man roster spots with that trade.
Matt Wisler recalled to take Garcia’s spot.
I have been trying to find out if RA Dickey has ever pitched in Arizona. Just wondering how the high altitude would effect his knuckle ball. I guess I will find out along with everyone else tonight.
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Huascar Ynoa is a 19-yr-old in Rookie league… good stuff long way to go. 6’2″, 220 lbs. RH. He was their #22 prospect.
The poop:
Ynoa offers an interesting three-pitch mix, with an advanced feel for how to use it for his age, coming from a strong and durable body. He touched 94-95 mph with his fastball at times and he could get there more consistently as he gets stronger. He throws a slurvy breaking ball around 80 mph, with some thinking it might eventually evolve into a solid slider. His changeup is ahead of his breaking ball and he has a pretty good feel for it. Considering his delivery is still raw and he’s trying to get to a point where he repeats it consistently, Ynoa throws a lot of strikes.
With his pitchability, solid stuff and good pitcher’s frame, Ynoa has all of the ingredients to be a starting pitcher. There are refinements to be made, in both command and breaking stuff, but if his progress from one summer to the next a year ago was any indication, there’s more to come from this young right-hander.
I would have liked to see a little better prospect in return, but MIN is paying all of Jaime’s remaining salary.
The move obviously now opens 2 spots on the 40-man.
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Why is it significant that MIN took all of the remaining $$ ?
Bowman:
The approximate $4.7M saved from Garcia’s salary gives the Braves more flexibility as they pursue controllable frontline SPs
The Braves are still in on Sonny Gray and other controllable frontline starting pitchers
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Reading between the lines… sounds like this is the first shoe to drop. Stay tuned.
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Cash amount was $100K, just enough to cover bus fare and meal money for Recker.
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wow…all the teams in desperate need of a good starter, and all the braves could get is a 19 y.o. in his 3rd year in….Rookie ball????
methinks they are hurting more financially than they are letting on
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Garcia trade was half salary dump, half getting anything in return. I wish Jamie success in Twinkie land. I know Jamie will like the cooler weather.
Well, maybe not in October but he will have an honest shot of playing in October…
Now, time for Matt Wisler to step up and make Coppy happy with his acquisition. Just don’t walk people and keep it in the park Matt.
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Ber, It is a very difficult thing to show a profit with a sports franchise not located in LA, NY or Boston. Unlike Ted Turner who had two sets of books and was a privately held entity. The Braves did not make money but it turned TBS into a cash cow of epic proportions.
If a struggling money pit like the Marlins can be sold for an amount in excess of one billion dollars, I imagine the stock holders will clamor for Liberty to sell the Braves, still a very popular franchise nationally.
So, while I thought Garcia would net a return greater that what was acquired. I guess rentals do return what they once did.
Not to worry however, I am sure equilibrium will be return when the Athletics get a haul for Sonny Grey.
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Okay, I get why the Braves brought up Wisler, gives them an addition relief pitcher and will swap out Wisler for Blair Wednesday and I would not be surprised to see sent down after the game and another reliever brought up and a different pitcher (Simms) take a turn in Philly.
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Delta’s going to be pretty busy this week.
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Yes. Wislwr for the bullpen now, Blair for the Wednesday start, and Sims for the rotation spot. That’s the chatter.
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And the word is not so much salary “dump”, as salary “reallocation”. There is a really effort to acquire a bona fide top starter, either now or failing rhat in the offseason.
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Blogging from my phone is always a typong challenge.
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*typing
See what I mean?
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Thinking back to the days when the Braves managed to assemble Glavine, Smoltz, Avery, and Maddux. Wasn’t an easy task (and they had a lot of money to spend thanks to Ted). Be interesting to see what comes out of all this.
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V. Doing same thing here as i am in e.r. again. Not for me bit for my Dad.(some breathing issues)
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Guess yamkees cub astros just didnt want jaime. Cant just be salaru woth those teams.
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Blogging from my phone is always a typong challenge.
And amusing..
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Unlike Jeopardy, we do not take off for spelling or typos… It’s all good.
Prayers for your dad Ber.
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At first, I was a bit disappointed that we didn’t pick up a better prospect in the deal too. But upon further reflection, I think this was probably about right. Let’s face it, they’re only getting a 4 month rental.
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Plus, most of our big pitching studs are now at A-ball and above. The int’l youngsters we signed were mostly position players, and this year’s draft was highlighted with college players. Adding a young arm at that level keeps balance in the pipeline.
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Thanks Gil
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For a little perspective, our #26 prospect is Akeel Morris. I wouldn’t trade him for a full year of Jaime.
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My sentiment too, except that instead of it being a “lost cause” per se, I see it more as a step toward where we want to be…
i totally get that. while the recent play of this team has often been exciting (and other times like watching the bad news bears) it’s important to look at the bigger picture. they aren’t really contending this year, it just looks kind of like it lately. i do hope they send adams and phillips (maybe others too) out for some prospects or figure out a package to get some controllable pitching back with them.
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For a little perspective, our #26 prospect is Akeel Morris. I wouldn’t trade him for a full year of Jaime.
but our system has more prospects, correct?
Plus, we got Akeel for Kelly Johnson of all people…crazy. Of course, I had to look up KJ to see how smokin’ hot he was before the 2016 trade…121 AB’s, 26 hits, 1 Hr 10 RBI’s, .215 BA…well, no wonder they had to have him back. (It is funny though, 200 + Ab’s, 9 HR’s, 24 RBIs .268 BA in NY, go figure!)
Of course, KJ can play all over the diamond (not well, but he could)
but BP has no trade value.
V, you have to admit…it felt like Coppy had teams where he wanted them, in a bidding war for Garcia. You must have thought too that with some reliever tossed in, a decent prospect was going to come back…
I mean, last year 5 decent starts from Lucas Hurrell gained Travis Demeritte (Just hitting .214 in AA, but is still only 22) and a left handed starter who had just kept the Dodgers in check over 7 innings, was only worth a 3 year in a row Rookie league pitcher?????
oh, and of course, the most exciting words in baseball, a player gets traded away for salary relief…yay….
4.68 ERA last year, braves thought he was worth 12 Mil risk. Ok, pitched some better than last year, but now they want to save a 3rd of his salary cuz, you know…might just get some controllable asset , down the road…
I might be just a tinge more bitter than usual having been in he E.R. then a hospital room all night and early morning…
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RA Dicky said his knuckle-ball does not work all that well in Colorado, dose that go for Arizona as well? Pretty high altitude in Phoenix. Just wondering?
Well, I think I got my answer last night….
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Looks like Matt Wisler will not be staying long in the Bigs, why cannot folks figure it out? Don’t walk people, keep it in the park…?
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We are not privy to all things baseball, even if you have T-Mobil… Who knows how good this kid from P.R. can be? I’m sure some scout somewhere has seen him pitch and though he was worth it and the kid who had T.J. wasn’t. I also suspect the deal was a lot further along than we were led to believe.
And about last night… UGGLEEEEE!
And Freddie with a 425′ double… ridiculous.
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V, you have to admit…it felt like Coppy had teams where he wanted them, in a bidding war for Garcia. You must have thought too that with some reliever tossed in, a decent prospect was going to come back
It all comes down to money. The more money that Coppy was willing to pay on Jaime’s remaining $4M+, the better prospect he would have gotten back. That went for any team in negotiations.
It actually shows a marked shift in Coppy’s methods. Look back at many of the deals he made previously, and he was the one willing to send $$, or take on a bad contact (Bronson Arroyo anyone?) in order to get back a premium prospect. This time it was more a balance of getting a decent prospect while clearing all of Jaime’s remaining contract.
I tend to read alot of pundits, both local and national, and the prevailing though on Jaime among the national writers was that he would not bring back a Top 100 prospect, regardless of his last start with ATL. It was all a combination of his history on the field as well as in the training room, and the expectation that he would be no more than a back of the rotation pitcher for whomever took him on, coupled with the fact that the prevailing trend among GM’s now is to acquire controllable arms. Jaime is the very definition of a rental and the exact opposite of a controllable arm.
So given his “rental” status and his back end rotation expectation, he wasn’t going to bring back a whole lot.
IMO, Coppy got a pretty decent “high ceiling” arm that may or may not pan out to anything. Again, it fits his methods. He’s piled up a ton of “high ceiling/high risk” arms in the knowledge that all won’t pan out, but if you have a greater number to begin with, you’ll have a greater number prevail.
And in the process, he cleared $4M+ that can now be applied to what the local writers say is his #1 priority, which is the “controllable” top starter… whether he manages the acquisition before July 31 or in the offseason.
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https://www.talkingchop.com/2017/7/24/16022378/introducing-new-atlanta-brave-huascar-ynoa-twins-trade-jaime-garcia
A bit of enlightenment from the man in the chair…
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And about last night… UGGLEEEEE!
You talking about the game or those horrid D’backs uniforms?
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And Freddie with a 425′ double… ridiculous.
Well, the fact that they approved those uniforms tells you the ARI front office doesn’t have alot of good sense. It stands to reason they’d have some ridiculous ground rule as well.
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Gil, I like that assessment of Ynoa. Again, it’s all about having that high ceiling. It simply places the responsibility on the Braves coaches to now develop it. And like the writer Matt Powers, I’m also much more optimistic that the Braves can develop a hard throwing arm than I am that the Twins can.
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So, are we happy with Akeel Morris? I think so.. Trades for any prospect is a crap shoot, after all, you are trading for a guy the other team has given up on, so to speak.
It is almost like trading in your used car, we always think it is worth more than we get.
One more parting shot… remember Jonny Venters? Well, I saw him pitch in Richmond several times, as a starter, I thought he was awful… Shows how much I knew, was lights out as a set up man until Bobby ruined his arm.
While I am trashing the sainted one, I may as well go all in… If Bobby Cox had been a bit better at bull pen management instead of only picking on the same guys every night, the Braves may well have won more than one World Series…
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Gil, I love Akeel Morris. Great arm and great stuff. He’ll be a very valuable late reliever for years to come.
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remember Jonny Venters? Well, I saw him pitch in Richmond several times, as a starter, I thought he was awful
The classic example of a pitcher with just 2 pitches. You can dominate with 2 pitches for 1 inning, but not for 7… no matter how good they are.
Some of these vaunted starting prospects the Braves have accumulated will end up in our bullpen for that very reason.
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Joel Sherman of the NY Post echoed yesterday afternoon what we’ve been hearing other places…
The Yankees and Brewers are viewed as the strongest contenders for Gray, but the Braves have also joined the fray
All the chatter seems to suggest that Coppy isn’t working any other front – no Matt Adams, no Brandon Phillips, etc. – other than pursuing the pitcher he wants. Simply put, any pitcher he might be in pursuit of would be better than any pitcher currently on the roster. And you can almost bet that Ozzie is square on the middle of any talks between Coppy and the A’s, or whomever else he may be talking to.
The chatter suggests the A’s are asking for an “elite level CF” in any return package. Well, we all know that won’t be Ronald Acuna. And Christian Pache is probably too young and too far away to entice Billy Beane. But maybe Ozzie would still interest him.
All of the things going on around the team recently seem too weird to continue…. Freddie at 3B, Dansby on the bench, etc.
What if… and humor me here… what if the team is holding its collective breath through the trade deadline in the event that Ozzie is actually included on some kid of deal. And what if after said trade were made that Dansby was sent back to AAA to learn 2B for the rest of 2017 while BP keeps the spot warm? And what if the long term middle IF in Atlanta actually turns out to be Johan at SS and Dansby at 2B?
You know… I can actually kind of see something like that taking place.
So… as you continue to humor me… picture this to open next season:
Lineup:
Ender, CF (L)
Johan, SS (S)
Freddie, 1B (L)
MattyK, LF (R)
Mike Moustakis, 3B (L) via FA
Nick Markakis, RF (L) Ronald Acuna (R) after mid-season
free agent, C (?)
Dansby, 2B (R)
Rotation:
Sonny Gray (R)
Julio Teheran (R)
Folty (R)
Sean Newcomb (L)
RAD (R) Mike Soroka (R) after mid-season
Bench:
free agent – BUC (?)
Matt Adams (L)
Sean Rodriguez (R)
Danny Santana (S)
Bullpen:
AJ Minter (R) – CL
Viz (R)
Akeel Morris (R)
Jose Ramirez (R)
Sam Freeman (L)
Luke Jackson (R)
Dan Winkler (R)
Armando Rivero (R)
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We have all heard so much about Ozzie, we have a vested interest but so be it, it will take quality to get quality. Besides, the Braves still have Kevin Maitan in the pipeline. I would suspect it would take at least 4 prospects to snag Sonny Grey away from Oakland.
The Braves have a lot of prime beef down on the farm, but, they are still prospects. Blair, Wisler, Jenkins and Chris Ellis… Weren’t we told they were all on the fast track to become number ones?
They may still be, someday. but I doubt it.
Hey, I would be surprises to see Ynoa flipped. Oakland already has his brother in their system.
So, to get a controllable arm like Grey is not going to be cheap. I know Ber is not enamored with him but he reminds me much of Hudson. Who knows when the next Verlander or Smoltz or even a Tom Glavin will come along, and sadly, pitchers just have a very short shelf life. Even shorter than in the past.
I would not be surprised to see a vet like Medlen thrown in the mix as part of a trade package. Stranger things have happened.
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Joel Sherman is reporting that the A’s are interested in Ronald Acuna. Well, I guess so… them and every other team too. Certainly doesn’t mean the Braves would ever consider dealing him. And I’m certain they won’t.
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Pretty sure if Coppy wouldn’t include him for Quintana, he won’t for Sonny Grey.
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I have always liked David Price, seemed like…a nice guy….felt terrible for him for his failures in the playoffs…I think we know why he has been a failure, and likely will continue to be one…he’s an idiot. a soft little snowflake, with skin as thick as tissue paper
http://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/redsox/2017/07/23/shaughnessy/LFEh4ADdxNLjW2B7UWEVrJ/story.html
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Nice game once again by Folty. I believe I read somewhere the Braves have not lost one of his starts in like his last 13 or something like that. The kid has most definitely turned the corner.
And Kurt Suzuki? it’s not a topic we’ve talked about too much around these parts, but both of our catchers are FA’s at season’s end. And they way they’ve both performed, they’ll not sign cheaply anywhere. I wonder if one or both will be back?
Truth is, I could have seen Suzuki being traded before Monday until Recker was sent away. Now we don’t really have anybody behind them with any ML experience. I suppose David Freitas is the next guy up, but he’s 28 and has not yet established himself after being a one time top prospect. For what it’s worth, he’s currently slashing .266/.343/.353 at Gwinnett, which is much better than Recker was performing – .223/.301/.381.
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Our friend Salty is grieving the loss of a loved one.
Salty, please know I have prayed for you and for your family.
Psalm 147:3 – He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.
Psalm 3:3 – But you, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head.
Salty, I pray for you and your family the comfort that only God can bring.
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Getaway game today from Phoenix… a 3:40pm start. Looks like Aaron Blair will indeed get today’s start, but I’ll be very surprised if he gets another. In the event Coppy succeeds in his bid to acquire a top starter, then the spot gets filled. Otherwise, it’ll be either Lucas Sims or Kris Medlen on August 1 and going forward.
My crystal ball very easily sees Matt Wisler going back to AAA to make room for Blair. And Blair himself will go back after the start with another reliever coming back on board for the 4 game tilt in Philly. Jason Hursh maybe? Or maybe OF Lane Adams. That’s possible.
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Chances of Ronald Acuña being included in any trade:
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About last night… The thunder sticks were booming. Folty is finally making me say, El Orso who?
I don’t know why I thought the Braves were playing a 4 game set with the snakes, okie dokie then, let’s do this thing Braves…
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Speaking of El Oso Blanco…
Hard to believe that Kurt Suzuki has as many HR’s (10) as Gattis, and in 73 fewer AB’s. He’s a guy I’m looking to keep here in ATL if I’m Coppy.
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2day’s lineup:
Ender Inciarte, CF
Brandon Phillips, 2B
Freddie Freeman, 1B
Matt Kemp, LF
Tyler Flowers, C
Sean Rodriguez, RF
Johan Camargo, 3B
Dansby Swanson, SS
Aaron Blair, P
Who’s feeling more pressure to perform… Aaron or Dansby?
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For what it’s worth, Blair has yet to be officially recalled… just 2 hours before the game’s first pitch.
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… of course right after I posted the above blurb, they made it official.
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Vee. they were just waiting for you to broach the subject… 🙂
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Optioning Wisler to recall Blair gives credibility to the word “worser”… as in, “Which one is worser?” because both are beyond bad.
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So, another lefty? Actually improves the Braves defense..
Camargo actually gave up on a play up the middle last night where in BP made a heck of a play and tossed behind his back to the 2nd base bag. Johan was late getting to the bag and the runner was safe. Think maybe Camargo learned a valuable lesson. Never give up on a play….
Braves will get to spend 5 days in fabulous Philly. I know they are ecstatic over that development… I would say it’s like being trap in hell but hell would be an upgrade. The only positive thing about Philadelphia encompasses about 3 square blocks.
It is one of the few places that make you feel that Baltimore is an upgrade.
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My guess is the Braves are trying to encourage free souvenirs for fans in the bleachers.
Should be a fun filled afternoon of gofer balls…
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Fun game so far, lots of stuff happening.
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I’m beginning to think Tyler needs to apply some pine tar to his chest protector. Keep those short hop balls close at hand.
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While Aaron Blair hasn’t been exactly turning any heads, he hasn’t been awful either. He’s “managed” the game halfway decently. In fact, the only runner to score against him thus far should have been out in a botched rundown.
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Too many opportunities being given to a good ball club.
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Good rule of thumb: don’t walk a guy in front of Paul Goldschmidt.
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You just feel like they are playing Russian roulette with 5 bullets in the gun.
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Better rule of thumb: don’t walk the first 2 batters of the inning.
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and BOOM!
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Can’t walk on thin ice every inning without going sploosh at some point.
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watch out for the splatter…
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and the wet feet.. 🙂
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No use hitting the guy because you can’t throw strikes Blair..
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Meeting at the mound…
Chuck Hernandez: Dude. You’re killing us.
Aaron Blair: Yeah, I know.
Chuck Hernandez: You know the idea is to get these guys out, right?
Aaron Blair: Yeah, I know.
Chuck Hernandez: Then how about doing it?.
Aaron Blair: Yeah, I know… er, I mean OK coach.
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Looking at some of the haircuts people have today, there are going to be some really strange looking people in nursing homes 30 years from now…
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Boy this is a battle… of bad pitching. Now if we can just cash in.
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No cash for Kemp, who looks silly on 3 pitches. He needs a rest. Time for him to “pull something” and take a 10 day sabbatical.
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And just like that, the Braves waste a chance to climb back in. Well, they’re only down by 3, so they’re not really out. And Corbin certainly isn’t shutting anybody down. But neither is Blair.
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And now down by 5 again…
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For a guy who is supposed to be long relief, Jackson does not look to go long… but Martinez did…
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It’s all about Arizona cashing in on their opportunities and the Braves failing to do so.
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Hard to believe that Kurt Suzuki has as many HR’s (10) as Gattis, and in 73 fewer AB’s. He’s a guy I’m looking to keep here in ATL if I’m Coppy.
but, but…how is his pitch framing, and other new stats that are total…you know what…
Funny, I will hear pretend serious new age statworshipers acting like a catcher is good at pitch framing one year, then not the next…really? How would a catcher get stupid at that?
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wish I had caught this game earlier, you guys and Chip and Joe are in rare form! 😉
So, we can now trade Aaron Blair straight up for Sonny Gray I can now assume?
I heard Chip say Yuck about the pitching today, and then Joe said hope David didn’t hear that…seems that David Price is a precious lil snowflake who will never be a winner, has some legs….
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The funniest exchange occurred when the Braves were down by six runs and Joe started talking about an attack cactus. Said something like, if you were in the dessert, you had to worry about the heat, being bitten by a rattle snake or the cactus: your best hope was to be bitten by the rattler… Rare form…. Hey, the game was done so why not entertain the audience.
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I am glad they’re finally gonna let Dansby go back and work on his mechanics out from under the microscope. We all need to keep in mind that he still doesn’t have 162 ML games under his belt. and only 260 professional games. He’ll be fine.
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And the good news is that Aaron Blair will have company on the flight back to Atlanta. 🙂
So I expect a reliever and a replacement for Dansby to head up to the City of Brotherly Shove.
It should be noted that Micah Johnson was inexplicably out of the Gwinnett lineup last night. In 11 games there, he is slashing .378/.452/.568 w/ 2 doubles and 3 triples. Dude is playing lights out. He’s been playing in both CF and LF, but his natural position is 2B. Given Sean Rodriguez’ ability to backup Johan at SS, Micah seems poised to make his ATL debut.
The early speculation was that Jace would return… but should he? He’s been passed in the organization by Ozzie and Johan, and possibly now by Micah as well. Jace might be the position equivalent of Matt Wisler and Aaron Blair. Organizational filler who might just be better off with a fresh start somewhere else.
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Speaking of Aaron Blair, I wonder if his plane ticket was taped to the shower wall?
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I know that was harsh, but at least they gave him one last chance to make an impression at the ML level. And he made an impression alright.
I’ll be surprised if he ever makes another ML start for the Braves.
Matt Wisler is in a little different boat. Matt has shown flashes of potential, but his problems seem to be between the ears. He pitches with a “deer in the headlights” look every time out. He needs his own Dr. Jack Llewellyn. That might be his only hope.
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While I’m on a roll…
Luke Jackson needs to be on the cross country flight back to Atlanta also. I like the kid’s potential, but he’s not quite there yet. As the team takes a much needed day off in Philly, the front office needs to reshuffle the bullpen deck. They need to add one for the 4 game series to take Blair’s place, and they need to replace Jackson. They need a long man not named Wisler.
What may play in Jackson’s favor is the 40-man roster. The Johns may want to keep their flexibility (currently just 38) through the trade deadline. And the only real candidate already on the 40MR is Jason Hursh, who is likely the guy to replace Blair until that rotation spot rolls back around.
From where I sit, I don’t see another long man candidate already on the roster.
Then again, maybe the operative term there is “already on the roster”. It is that time of year.
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I also think Wisler is more of a starter only…he may just not have a feel for how to work out of the pen (should I through as hard as I can, no, they usually put me in hoping to go a few innings) I would like to see him get 2-3 starts in a row…no patience for him…perhaps he should change his name to Colon, then no matter what, they will keep running you out there 😛
perhaps if Blair can’t cut it as a starter, try him as a bullpen arm. I mean, who would have ever guessed Mike Minor would turn into a solid late inning guy????
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I would like to see him get 2-3 starts in a row…no patience for him…perhaps he should change his name to Colon
If he was making $12M, they’d have alot more patience with him. But he is giving up homers at a Colon-ial rate.
perhaps if Blair can’t cut it as a starter, try him as a bullpen arm
Until he stops walking people, he might ought to try pinch hitting. And that’s especially true as a reliever. Relievers who consistently walk the first batter of the inning don’t stick around long.
Truth is, neither are in the long term plans of the team. Neither has the talent of Sean Newcomb, Kolby Allard, Mike Soroka, Kyle Wright, Luiz Gohara, Ian Anderson, Joey Wentz, Max Fried, etc.
I didn’t even mention Lucas Sims, Kyle Muller, Touki Toussant, Patrick Weigel, Andrew Albers, or Bryce Wilson.
In other words, they each should hope they get passed on to another organization.
But you make a valid point on Blair. If he could actually stop walking the world and concentrate on spotting his fastball, he could possess a decent fastball/slider combo to profile into a late inning guy.
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Speaking of Mike Soroka, here’s his line from last night: 7 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 6 K.
His ERA is now down to 2.32. Certainly they’ll promote him to AAA soon. I expect alot of adjustment once July 31 passes, depending on whom is still on the team and whom is a new arrival.
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So the Braves take a day to breathe and reflect on their 19 game gauntlet against the ‘Stros, Cubs, Nats, Dodgers and Snakes. They went 8-11 in that stretch, and quite honestly could have gone 11-8 if the ball had bounced their way a few times (or if Jim Johnson hadn’t given up the late leads, but that’s another discussion for another time).
They ought to feel pretty good about the results. And they ought to feel really good about 4 games against Philly. Should feel a little like a vaca.
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I just read a blurb from Bowman that Blair was indeed optioned after yesterday’s game. So there will be 2 corresponding moves to be made, but neither is likely to be announced before tomorrow.
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Funny, they send down Dansby after his last two at bats netted a single and a double… Leads one to believe it was pre-determined for him to go down.
Camago can use the day of today, him seemed unfocused yesterday.
Okay, maybe the whole team was a bit unfocused…
Akeel Morris did a good job until they extended him out an inning too long.
Funny thing about a 25 year old pitcher, you hate to give up on them before their arm falls off, no one wants to say they missed.
Kris Medlen didn’t fool anyone yesterday either in his Triple A start. I don’t know if the G-Braves are still in PA or not but I imagine whoever the Braves are adding will catch a bus to Philly to meet the team there.
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Nice observation, Gil. The Gwinnett Braves are just an hour or so from Philly in Allentown for one more game tonight.
So that means the lame duck Dansby and Aaron got to make the cross-country flight with the team to Philly after all. They just had to grab an Uber going north instead of the team charter bus. And whomever it is coming up gets to grab an Uber south after their game tonight.
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Actually, since the Gwinnett team probably has to fly out of Philly, the team bus can just drop the replacements off at the team hotel on the way… because, you know, buses like to make side trips. 😉
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Nope… check that. The Gwinnett team goes to Syracuse for their next series, so that likely means a 3+ hour bus trip north from Allentown. Back to the Uber plan. 😀
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There’s still some chatter that the Braves are trying to be creative in their pursuit of a top pitcher, and that they are looking hard at DET’s Michael Fulmer. Apparently the notion has been floated from their GM that Fulmer might be had if the trading partner can also take on a bad contract as well. From what I read, they are over the luxury tax limit, so simply shedding one bad contract will net them a $21.1M savings on top of the bad contract savings. That could add up quickly and be quite significant so you can see their motivation. That’s a similar scenario to the way the Braves traded Craig Kimbrell to SD… so that the Fathers would take on Melvin’s bad deal.
That seems at least a plausible notion to me. They have a several big contracts to choose from… among them Justin Upton whom Coppy tried to sign in FA prior to 2016. Granted, we don’t exactly have much OF space at the moment, and we also have a young stud poised to insert himself in the mix too. But this is the time of year to be creative, so anything could happen.
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From a purely philosophical standpoint, I’d prefer Justin Upton in LF and batting behind Freddie over Matt Kemp.
Just sayin’…
Kemp has been fantastic. better than expected. But his wheels are grinding hard, and it shows.
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At 9:18am I said I expect alot of adjustment once July 31 passes. Of course, they could start right away…
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So Gohara goes to AAA, having last pitched last Saturday. That would line him up to start… tonight. So he should make his AAA debut tonight for Gwinnett. Hmmm.. and who was schedued to make tonight’s start? Oh, why it’s Lucas Sims, who will probably instead make his 2017 ML debut on Aug. 1 back in ATL vs. the Dodgers.
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Ya know… for some reason I was thinking Lucas Sims made 1 appearance last year for like an inning or something, but he’s yet to make his ML debut. Well, I’m betting he makes it on Aug. 1 vs. the Dodgers. Ouch. Good luck, kid.
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What’s the adage? If you are going to be the best, you have to beat the best… Sort of like the situation Newk has been thrown into. No real offense behind you to pad your win/loss record.
As the new kids move in, those who have not cut it are moved out. Lots of changes in the lower minors we never really hear about. The best some can hope for is to be placed on the DL…
I think a real tell would be for Simms to pitch an inning or two, most times teams don’t like to have long intervals of time between starts.
Interesting that Kade Scivicque was promoted to Triple A to replace Recker. Kade was a little bit older when drafted and the knock on him was he had not really faced tough competition. He played in the Arizona Fall League last October. He has batted a respectable .269 in 234 at bats with 11 doubles and one home run. He has a .682 OPS. Defensively, this season there have been 27 caught stealing and 65 stolen bases or 29% success rate and 8 passed balls. What does all this mean? I have no idea…
So, with Coppy still trying to acquire a controllable starting pitcher, he is either going to have to trade someone he does not want to or pay more than he wants. Unless you hit upon the magic trifecta and draft an ace, have them perform up to expectations and have them available when you need them, you have to pay through the nose. Like the difference in the price of an umbrella on rainy days.
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I think a real tell would be for Simms to pitch an inning or two
Yes, great point. Given today’s off day, he could pitch an inning or 2 tonight and still be in line for the Aug. 1 start.
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That did not come out as clear as I thunk it. Let me try that again…
Given today’s off day for ATL, he could pitch an inning or 2 tonight for Gwinnett and still be in line for the Aug. 1 start at SunTrust Park.
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On Scivicque, this from the Mississippi news release announcing his promotion:
Scivicque, 24, was hitting .269 with 11 doubles, a triple, three home runs and 25 RBI through 68 games with the M-Braves this season. The catcher posted .314 and .300 batting averages in the months of April and May, respectively, and was selected as a 2017 Southern League All-Star.
It’s time to see what we have here. If he continues to produce at AAA, we may have an internal option. Or, we may have a trade chip. In Coppy’s world, alot of players are on both sides of that coin.
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http://www.sportsonearth.com/article/244696946/5-trade-deadline-surprises?partnerId=ed-11750714-658620023
Some interesting thoughts on possible trades. Maybe trades? Wishful thinking?
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Of course, it also stokes a little bit of intrigue in my mind. But then again, I’m always trying to connect dots that are totally unrelated. 😀
It makes me wonder if Coppy may be listening on Kurt Suzuki, moving Scivicque up as a precursor to promoting David Freitas to ATL as TFlow’s backup.
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CL, I just cannot see Baltimore trading Machado to the Red Sox.
So many moving parts to any trade, it is a miracle any ever get done.
Kade was part of the Eric (chicken bone) Aybar trade with Detroit. He has made steady progress through the minors which I think is all you can ask of a prospect. You keep moving them up until you find their level for failure. He does not come with the pedigree of say Christan Bethancourt but perhaps he has a better work ethic. Like I said, keep making progress…
On more of a big league level, remember when I said I would be pretty happy if the Braves could make it through July with a .500 record? Well, I am not as happy as I could be but coming from the left coast with a 3-4 record is much better than we have seen in the past. Easily they could have gone 0-7. Realistically, they had a shot at 4-4. Once they traded away Garcia, Wednesday’s game was just what the Braves could have expected.
So, taking 3 of 4 from the Phillies should be a realistic goal. The Braves have had their troubles with the Phils but the ‘Fightn’s have had their troubles of late. Just get some solid pitching and let the offense win a game or two for you….
I’m not putting any money on this series but 3 out of 4 will give the Braves a .500 road trip and that in itself would be a gold star effort.
The Dodgers will greet the Bravos in their return to STP but the Braves have already shown they can play with them and no Clayton Kershaw looming on the horizon. But first, they need to take care of business against Philly. On the positive side, They should be able to get plenty of rest in the City of Brotherly Love.
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All signs point to Lucas Sims joining the big Braves next week. Another good start toning against the Iron Pigs… 5 innings, 2ER, 8Ks…
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As expected, Jason Hursh was called back up to replace Aaron Blair on the roster. No corresponding move announced for Dansby yet, but Micah Johnson did not appear in last night’s game for Gwinnett. I think we can probably connect those dots fairly confidently.
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And for those keeping up with such things, Ozzie was 3-5 with 2 doubles and 2 runs scored out of the leadoff spot last night. He will be our version of Jose Altuve if he’s not dealt elsewhere.
Kade Scivicque was 1-4 in his AAA debut. I have to come up with a recognizable name for him because typing Scivicque repeatedly is only asking for trouble.
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Well… isn’t this tweet intriguing?
Perhaps the Braves promoted Touki to AA and are converting him to a late inning guy? Closer? Might be a great thing right there.
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Touki has a mid-90’s fastball that can reach 98 at times, perhaps at more times if he’s only asked to pitch 1 inning at a time. He also has a knee buckling curve, and a decent change. Could be a devastating late inning combination for guys seeing him just once a game.
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No doubt, having a starting staff which can hurl 6 or 7 innings of baseball while giving up fewer than 3 runs is critical for a winning ball team, so is having a stable of relievers who can put out fires. Ask the gNats about that conundrum.
I think it is important that the Braves develop 3 good starters out of the horde they have coming through the system but some of those two pitch pitchers will become relievers just for that fact. You can get by with two pitches short term but not 3 times through the order.
Micah Johnson plays which positions?
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I think it is important that the Braves develop 3 good starters out of the horde they have coming through the system
Kolby Allard, Mike Soroka, and Kyle Wright… with other real possibilities like Luiz Gohara, Max Fried, Ian Anderson, and Joe Wentz.
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Micah Johnson plays which positions?
2B, CF, and LF
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Seems a bit odd to convert Touki right now, after he had basically his best starts of the year .7 innings (1 run, 10 strikeouts) then 8 innings, (1 run, 11 strikeouts) last start, 5 innings, 2 runs, 8 strikeouts…
any time someone can go 8 innings…you keep them as a starter! 😉
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any time someone can go 8 innings…you keep them as a starter
I agree to a point. But…
If you look at whom the Braves have coming through the system, especially the guys who are older and farther in their development, becoming a reliever may be the best track for Touki to reach the majors and the best option for the Braves. Let’s face it… Mauricio is having an extremely disappointing season, and AJ Minter has been set back by injuries (although I still think he’s on track to see The Show this season). Viz is inconsistent, and JimmyJohn may be in another uniform in 4 more days.
The simple example of shuttling Jason Hursh back and forth between Gwinnett and Cobb Counties stands as the reason we need a more dominant arm coming up to shut down teams late in the game. Hursh is serviceable, but if he were the answer, he’d stay longer than 10 days at a time.
Also, what we’re seeing now in baseball is the emergence of the reliever as a weapon… highlighted by Aroldis Chapman and Andrew Miller in the 2016 World Series. Those guys, along with Bryan Shaw underscore the new prevailing winds in the game. No longer are the relievers the guys who couldn’t cut it as starters. They’re now specialists, regardless of whether it’s the 7th, 8th or 9th inning. So it behooves teams now to develop their own late inning specialists. To me, Touki profiles into that role as well as anyone.
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By the way… while Jose Quintana and Sonny Gray seem to have dominated the headlines, look at where all the trade activity is at the moment. It’s in the bullpen.
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MLBTR: The Twins have outrighted veteran catcher Anthony Recker off of the team’s 40-man roster. As he has previously been outrighted (including once this year), Recker can elect free agency rather than taking the assignment. His priority will surely be finding a place where he can obtain another opportunity in the majors.
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As expected, Micah has been recalled…
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Ah yes. The slow transition begins.
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For those keeping an eye on such things, Jason Motte has been sent for a rehab assignment to low-A Rome.
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Yes, the old “let’s talk about the BIG TRADE while GMs scramle to shore up their teams with bullpen arms and role players. Happens a lot, everyone want to be the reporter to break the big one and forget the hard work it takes to root out story behind the scenes.
I remember reading super scout, Syd Thrift’s, book about how important it is to recognize talent early because by the time it becomes obvious to everyone else, it’s too late. I think Ronald Acuna is a great example… It is why it is so important for ball clubs to have deep pockets when it come to scouting and development. How many of the kids drafted will make it to the big leagues? Even fewer will be impact players.
Keeping the line moving is important in lot of ways in baseball, not just hitting.
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Very happy to welcome DevBlog to Braves & Stuff! Join in anytime, DevBlog!
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hmm, would Julio T, Wisler, Blair, and JJ, would that ya Sonny Gray???? 😛
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Wow, talk about an epic melt down…. I’m trying to think of an analogy that fits. Anyway… bad bad bad….
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Matt Kemp to the 10 (or more) day DL. Lane Adams returns. Newk starts today…
Funny how Julio managed to make the woeful Phillies look like the 27 Yankees last night in the 5th inning.
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Pretty sure the Braves pitching staff will want to forget this road trip. They are making scores look like beer league soft ball clashes.
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Gil, I don’t have the stats, but someone said the Phils after being terrible for so much of the season, has been much better of late. Perhaps like the braves were last year….
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Decent outing for the kid tonight. He just needs to be more efficient. 96 pitches in 5 innings ain’t gonna cut it.
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you know what else won’t cut it? Jim Johnson as a closer….7 blown saves. yuck. I hope JJ doesn’t look to beat me up for saying yuck…but seriously , yuck
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Snit made a pretty good point that the other 2 guys he’d consider being closers also gave up runs…but…I bet they haven’t been this bad of late…
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Another tough loss if you ask me. Too many men left on base (where have we seen this before) and a pen that leaks runs like a sieve. This was suppose to be the easier part of this trip….
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Phils are 11-12 for July, 7-3 their last 10 games.(actually, baseball-reference.com doesn’t show last night’s game so likely 12-12 for July) I recall Stanton being particularly bitter after a loss the other day against them, since as he said they were the worst team in baseball. Funny, Phils are playing much better, and the Marlins have won 4 in a row, and now they are in 2nd place….
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So…the Twins traded Jaime Garcia after a week. Odd. Hope he didn’t buy a house there!
Twins got 2 Minor leaguers 1, that actually looks to be a decent prospect at AA, Zack Littell (Mark Littell’s Son? Grandson? I am old! 😉 ) https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=littel000zac&utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-
Meanwhile, we got the guy who keeps repeating the same grade over and over….
not that I am bitter or anything 😛
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2017/07/twins-trade-jaime-garcia-yankees.html
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I bet there are some mighty bitter Yankee fans! https://yanksgoyard.com/2017/06/28/yankees-prospect-zack-littell-ace-making/
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I think the Twins are paying most of Garcia’s salary (not all) so that should guarantee a little better prospects.
So, Braves still getting guys on but not in, this is where they miss Kemp….
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man, Phils look like world beaters against the braves now…Freddy Galvis looks like an amazing SS, which I didn’t recall before, but 2 awesome plays today…plus every call goes the Phils way.
But, typical non clutch hitting with runners on….
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And down the rabbit hole we go……
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man, Phils look like world beaters against the braves now
Hopefully the illusion of the Braves being pseudo-contenders for a Wild Card spot are fading along with the time left to make deals. We’ve said all along that the Braves aren’t close this year and need to be focusing on next year and beyond.
Again, that’s the problem with having a lame duck manager with a rebuilding team. He’s worried about keeping his job and winning now. And I can’t blame him. But I’m more concerned with the long term health of the organization during a transition year in which our playoff chances are about as good as getting Congress to agree on anything good for the citizenry.
Why, please tell me, when Kemp goes down for 10 days do we play Danny Santana and Sean Rodriguez? It’s a perfect opportunity to see what Dustin Peterson is. Why are we even entertaining pitching Kris Medlen in Jaime’s old rotation spot? We need to see what Lucas Sims is.
The idealist says we must try to win every game possible. (Why? So we can finish 3rd instead of 4th?) The realist says 2017 should be a brick in the foundation to 2018 and beyond.
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https://www.timeanddate.com/countdown/generic?iso=20170731T16&p0=25&msg=2017+MLB+Trade+Deadline+Countdown+Clock&font=serif&csz=1
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12:35pm game today folks. It’ll be interesting to monitor any movement in the dugout during the game in the event any mid-game trade activity happens. Just 7 hours and 21 minutes left to the deadline…
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V, I too am just frustrated by this team in general…I think you and I differ some on what should be done at this point (no, really? ) 😉 ) but not all that much.
I also want to see the kids…but…I remember how last year was so bad for so long I was wanting to see Dansby and Ozzie…well, we saw Dansby, he was great at SS and at the plate in 2016. Not sure what happened to him this year, besides the world realizing he can’t hit a slider…I don’t think he is hitting fastballs all that well either, and really odd to see the defense falter as well. Confidence I guess? first time he has really failed at baseball.
I LOVE how he has carried himself, and of course I want to see him succeed.
But…He looked ready, and clearly wasn’t. And I think that is at least part of the reason dragging their heels on the seemingly ready Ozzie. is just a kid, do we want to see him fail? He too might do a Dansby, hit well then not next year. Of course, no way to truly know, some guys just hit (heck Trout wasn’t good for his first call-up, believe it or not)
and while it sounds great to think of Ozzie as the next José Altuve, that’s not fair, just like I think folks thought Dansby was going to be Chipper.
José Altuve is probably one of the 3-4 hitters in the game. Heck, as a pure hitter, maybe #2 to Trout. barring injury, he will lead the A.L. in hits for a 4th straight year. He’s on his way to his 3rd batting title in 4 years. He has lead the league in Stolen bases twice. Now he’s hitting for some power. Drives in runs. Doesn’t strike out much. Great defender. Just the complete player.
So, perhaps the hype should be ignored/stopped with certain braves players.
They are doomed to fail(at least in comparison) if compared to HOF’ers and likely HOF’ers
I mean, who is Dansby? A 10-15 HR 70+ RBI guy that hit’s .270 every year? Nice , solid stats, but not even BP in his prime. or will he turn into a 20 + HR guy who hits .290? So hard to tell….
so I am all for Ozzie being the SS or 2nd baseman…at the start of next year. Let him play another month, play in the fall league, or some winter ball, then if he has a good spring training…
I much as I want to see Ozzie…it doesn’t matter what I want, does it? or any other fans…let him come up, and stay up
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as for Medlen…well, this goes back to the new homeboy upstairs being a bit delusional…he flat out made a mistake on Colon(I know an expensive one) and just couldn’t see it, or face up to the fact. It hurt the team, the manager, and development of players.
Why not bring Medlen up earlier, to see if he could get guys out? Then think about trading him? Clearly he thought he was going to get more for Garcia than he did, you might as well have jettisoned him for a rookie ball pitcher in June, and had Meds up here.
Now, what is the point of Medlen starting? I don’t truly don’t know. Can’t trade him now, deadline is almost over.
As for Sims, bring him up! I wonder if they have some fear that he’s not as good as the numbers are at AAA and would be willing to trade him in some package….but for whom?
I am so confused about Sonny Gray. As much as I don’t see him as a true #1, he’s a solid pitcher when healthy., a #2.
White Sox get crazy prospects back on every trade, especially Quintana, now…no one wants to give up any top prospects for Gray? Yankees won’t give up any of their top 3-4 it appears. This is where the braves could make a real deal. Would you consider Ozzie and Sims for him?
I think 2nd base /ss is a fairly easy position to replace….Now, if Ozzie is indeed the next Altuve, it will suck, but you have to take some chances , right?
Honestly, I don’t know who, short of Matt Adams might get moved(and I know how V feels, but we see what happens to the offensive when Kemp is not right , take Adams away, for some rookie league guy, team is weaker) Right now, remove a bullpen arm or 2, and the team will lose a lot more games, and just makes games more painful to watch.
Perhaps thats what Coppy wants, then it will be easy to get rid of the old manager, and get some young stathead in there for next year….
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ok…negative Nelly is done for a bit…
I had a thought…Yu Darvish…no, no, not to trade for him…but next year.
Can the 2018 braves afford him????? What will he ask for?
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V, I too am just frustrated by this team in general
Honestly, I’m not really frustrated by the team. My expectations for 2017 are pretty much what we’ve seen. They’re better, but inconsistent. They’re streaky. They’ll drop 7 in a row but turn around and win 7 in a row. There are times when they look like they could beat anyone, and times when they look like they should have stayed in bed. It’s just the qualities of a team in transition. Half of the guys that start this season on this year’s 25 man roster might not even be here in 2018.
The one thing that has been a disappointment to me has been the starting pitching. The Bartolo experiment was a complete failure, but I don’t think you can blame anyone but Father Time on that one. Jaime was a little better than expected at times, but inconsistent. RAD has been about what I hoped… but I didn’t expect him to be the guy in 2017 that can’t get any runs scored for him. (How is there one guy every year that never gets any run support? Weird…) And Julio… I have no words.
But Folty, on the other hand, has emerged as the team’s ace. That is absolutely a positive. But he had to go through his own times of trial and being questioned before that happened. Dansby is facing that now. It’s the same thing just from a hitter’s perspective. Folty had to mature as a major leaguer, and so does Dansby. It just takes time, and we all need to give him that time. I think it’s wrong to label him as not being able to do this or not being able to do that. We don’t have enough sample size to make any absolute judgements on anything. And I won’t regurgitate the limited number of professional AB’s the kid has had… its been said too often and we all should know it.
What might we have in Ozzie? Well, we won’t know until we see him. And that might not be until next year unless Coppy can find a buyer for BP in the next 6.5 hours. Same can be said for Dustin Peterson. Last year’s Minor League player of the year probably won’t even get a sniff at the OF in STP because we’re clogged with old veterans.
One last comment and I’ll fold this tent. We need to have patience with our youngsters. Maybe not so much with the veterans, but for sure with our youngsters. If we didn’t trust the eyes of our scouts and weren’t willing to let a youngster work through his early struggles, HOF’er John Smoltz might never have made it as a ML pitcher. Can you imagine the things we would say about him today on our blogs and on our social media? He’d be trashed six ways to Sunday.
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Honestly, I don’t know who, short of Matt Adams might get moved(and I know how V feels
Because I felt Adams we performing too far ahead of the back of his baseball card for us for those 10 weeks. And I was just as happy about that as anybody, but I never expected it to continue. I trumpeted over and over again to get what you can get while his stock is soaring.
But now…
Matt Adams in June = .314.377.657, 10 HR, 25 RBI
Matt Adams in July = .261/.293/.478, 3 HR, 11 RBI
Matt Adams career = .272/.317/.469
He has now come back to about what his career numbers suggest he is, and his value has dropped accordingly. I don’t expect him to be moved at the deadline now because he won’t push any contender over the top and they all know it. Want evidence? Just last week Tampa went after Lucas Duda for their 1B help. Lucas Duda. Think about that.
No, we missed the window of opportunity when Freddie returned. The Adams buzz was still pretty loud, and his value was about as high as it would ever be. The ridiculous experiment of playing our cornerstone 1B at 3B destroyed the chance to maximize Adams’ value. It was done in part under the false illusion that we could push for a playoff spot in 2017, and in part to placate a suddenly energized fan base. But in my opinion it was a miscalculation to which we must now pay.
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V, I haven’t slept well in …well, weeks…back when I had to go to the E.R. for strangely high BP, they thought it may have been caused by lack of sleep. then my Dad being in the hospital last week, getting a pacemaker…still not sleeping enough….
so, I have thoughts, I am about to express them, then new “improved” ideas pop up, and wipe out what I was going to say originally. Then new ideas don’t seem to have made my point…
my point is, my brain is mostly toasty toast.
I was going to add outside of Sims, and now Newcomb, most of the kids are so darned young, they can’t be counted on to give you 180 + innings.
So, a Sonny Gray, of next year, Yu-know-who, would be a big help…but, everyone wants young controllable guys, you know…the kind of guys teams mostly don’t trade away….now people don’t seem to want to give up anyone for Gray (of course it could be bluster) and I wouldn’t blame Oakland for not trading him…wait til the off season…
anyway, the point I was going to make….there seems to be no trade market for Nick M (Royals traded instead for Melky, probably because of his power, Nick has to be a better outfielder) B.P, I am sure you could give him away….I could see him being such a help to say the Dodgers (in the playoffs, don’t need him to get there) or maybe even the Rays, Diamondbacks (they are missing most of their infield) but it seems teams just aren’t adding (or playing coy, but most years we think there are going to be tons of deals, then we feel disappointed after the deadline ends)
So, you can give Adams away to the Yankees, which will make V happy…and a reliever…but unless they can swing a Sonny Gray deal, it may be a very dull trade deadline for the 2nd division Bravos….
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If I’m frustrated about anything it’s that we were sold on the fact that this team had to rebuild from the foundation up… and I do believe we absolutely had to do that. The Johns implemented a plan to reconstruct our horrible farm system, and they did it by selling off all the valuable assets we had. They sold us, the fans, on the fact that this was the only way to ensure the long term health of the franchise. And as a fan, I bought in… and still believe they were correct. And as a fan, I accepted that we had to go through some very lean years to get to where we want to be. I accepted it because I trusted The Plan.
Now it looks like as we are getting close to completing The Plan, our Front Office is calling an audible to try to gain some sort of instant and premature gratification. And it makes me a little angry.
This hardcore fan among many bought into The Plan. The least our Front Office can do is see it to fruition without getting their collective head turned by temptation like Eve in the Garden of Eden. I think they owe that to us.
Have they lost trust in their own plan? Because if they’ve lost trust, how can they expect us to continue to trust?
That’s the least acceptable inconsistency of all.
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I was going to add outside of Sims, and now Newcomb, most of the kids are so darned young, they can’t be counted on to give you 180 + innings.
So, a Sonny Gray, of next year, Yu-know-who, would be a big help…but, everyone wants young controllable guys
On this we agree 100%. And to get value you have to give value. The problem with Sonny Gray is that there’s only 2 years of control left. So when they ask for 4 premium prospects in return, you have to weigh 6 years of 4 high ceiling youngsters vs. 2 years of a guy who is a very good – certainly better than anything we currently have – but questionable as a #1.
For me, the price is too high. I think it may be for the baseball people too as he’s still wearing green and yellow.
The Cubs paid dearly for even less time on Jose Quintana, but they have a stacked and young lineup and their top prospects were blocked anyway. They most certainly overpaid for him, but they could afford to. And they are ready to seriously contend right now.
And that’s why the Yankees will probably be the team to overpay for Gray… because they’re young and talented and can afford to.
The Braves really can’t afford to over pay for anyone. Our top prospects aren’t blocked past this year… or at least by 2019. We can’t afford to part with Ozzie unless it brings a true #1, or potential #1, and for more than 2 years. There aren’t many pitchers who fit that bill and certainly aren’t many at all that might be had via trade. DET’s Michael Fulmer is the only guy I can see that might be available, but only in conjunction with taking on a player with a bad contract to make it possible. And then you really only buy you’re way into paying a premium for Fulmer.
IMO, Coppy will have a slightly clearer path to obtaining that guy in the offseason when more are available. it doesn’t hurt that almost $50M will come off the books for 20
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OOPS. Accidentally hit “post” slightly too early. The last para should have read:
IMO, Coppy will have a slightly clearer path to obtaining that guy in the offseason when more are available. And it doesn’t hurt that almost $50M will come off the books for 2018.
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V, I know I can never convince you on Adams, but…if you could get 25 HR’s and had FF or others hit against lefties.
The Nats, after Harper leaves (I mean, I still can’t imagine anyone paying 40 mil a year, can you? ) they will not be the same team, but…they still have a stout offensive. I just don’t see the braves having much power, as of 2017. FF, Kemp (and is he on the way down, or is it trying to play thru injuries making him look old?) and then who? The Cubs traded their spare 3rd baseman to the Tigers, Frasier is a low B.A. kind of guy, plus maybe the Yanks keep him if he helps them in the playoffs…
I guess one of the fuzzy points I was trying to make…
I just don’t know what this team will look like in 2018, 2019…rotation, barring injuries, young and very good. But 3rd, 2nd, SS, Left, Right…Acuna is very young too, don’t ya know…he may be next year’s Cody Bellinger…but the track record for 20-21 year olds hitting the ground running is not great…do they need to sign a free agent? Who is out there?
too many questions….
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Thoughtful and deep opines this morning, being on the verge of being swept by the worse team in baseball will do that for you.
At least the Braves come up with new if not entertaining ways of losing ball games.
And Sean Rodriquez… woof….
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Have they lost trust in their own plan? Because if they’ve lost trust, how can they expect us to continue to trust?
We may not hear til after the season (if ever) but we know the tv contract is terrible, moneywise…I don’t know if the new park is bringing in what they thought…to give up a left handed starter for a rookie league wild thing, instead of you know, a real prospect or two… so they can save 4 mil…hasn’t been the modus operandi of the team has it?
they may be fearing selling of of relievers, Kemp/Nick M, etc, causing the team to go into freefall, and fans not showing up (I know, going against the Coppy wants the team to tank to get someone new for Snit, better draft pick, I’m tired! 😉 )
what exactly is it that you think they have done wrong, besides holding onto Matt Adams?
I honestly don’t think they could have gotten much for him at any time as teams would say, well, it’s only a month. Oakland has that guy that’s had an excellent year, and played in the AL, and still hasn’t been able to trade him either…it’s a really odd year.
If Baltimore had stayed in the hunt, they might have wanted Nick back, Royals were only team I can think of he would have made sense, but they didn’t do it…
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Gil, true…and what do you do with him? (I guess this was one of V’s issues, S.R. playing) I think they were hoping he’d hit like B.P. was hitting and trade him away. There really isn’t a place for him right now, is there? And to build up trade value…guess what? he is going to keep playing….
Trade value next year, cuz it was a 2 year deal, right???
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Hmmm, other reason to not draft so heavily with pitchers…
Sonny Gray Trade Rumors: Deadline Day
By Tim Dierkes | July 31, 2017 at 9:40am CDT
With about five hours remaining until the trade deadline, multiple teams are in the mix for Athletics ace Sonny Gray. Gray comes with a 3.43 ERA on the season and club control through 2019. The latest:
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2017/07/sonny-gray-trade-rumors-deadline-day.html
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what exactly is it that you think they have done wrong, besides holding onto Matt Adams?
To clarify… holding onto Matt Adams too long. The mistake to me is moving your All-Star franchise cornerstone off his position to accommodate a guy who was hot temporarily but is somewhat average typically. Swayed by emotion? Maybe. And it’s understandable for us, the fans. But those who actually run these clubs have to be devoid of emotional reactions.
Is Freddie the long term 3B? Of course not. So why is he there now in a transition year when you need to be making long term assessments? It absolutely boggles my mind. It’s inconceivable, and I do know the meaning of that word.
Here are a couple of things that have altered The Plan that were not under anyone’s control:
Sean Rodriguez’ wreck, which resulted in adding another temporary IF.
Johan Camargo’s emergence, which resulted in him forcing his way into the lineup (deservedly) but changing the way other players were being handled.
The first event resulted in us picking up Brandon Phillips, who has been fantastic. That alone would not be a problem, but SRod’s early return has now clogged the lineup with an additional short term veteran IF.
IMO, Sean Rodriguez was activated too early. He clearly needed more AB’s in the minors as evidenced by his only managing 4 H in 38 PA’s.
The second event, while a positive development, threw another warm body into the infield mix. Ber, you mentioned that Jaimer Candelario is no longer available because CHI traded him to DET. But we may already have our own Jaimer Candelario in Johan Camargo. Johan convincingly surpassed Rio Ruiz at 3B and won the everyday job. He can easily handle the position defensively, and is still developing his power. That in and of itself was a bonus and a really nice surprise.
BUT… Matt Adams’ temporary hot streak caused them to move Johan off 3B and replace him with our perennial All-Star 1B. Now the whole IF is out of whack and our rookie SS is out of Atlanta because the IF is clogged with veterans.
The net result is that we gave Dansby irregular playing time and AB’s as a direct result of keeping an extra 1B. In the process, the IF defense has been compromised and the guy who could be developing as the long term 3B is playing SS while the guy who should be developing as the long term SS got squeezed off the roster.
So do we need to address 3B as a long term need? Who knows?!? We keep throwing temporary fill-ins over there. We seemingly don’t have the time to assess our long term needs because we’ve inexplicably prioritized finishing 10 games behind WAS instead of 15. I guess it’s important to finish 3rd in the division standings instead of 4th. Again, it absolutely boggles my mind.
If we’re catering to the prevailing winds of public opinion, then we’re setting the precedent that the fans run the team and not the Front Office. That’s dangerous waters to sail, and dangerous winds to navigate. And it’s not a way to success because the winds are always shifting and the course is always changing.
What would I do?
I’d trade Matt Adams for whatever I could get, and I’d trade Brandon Philips for whatever I could get. I’m not concerned with “winning” any trades. I’m concerned with making room for Johan, Ozzie and Dansby… guys whom we say we are going to build around but whom we can’t seem to get on the field to start cementing the foundation.
Also, while I’m on a roll, I’d give Dustin Peterson a look in LF while Matt Kemp is mending. And I sure wouldn’t rush him back. I’d like to see him come back in 20-25 days at 80% instead of in 10 days at 50%. I would never wish an injury on anybody, and we will most certainly miss his bat in the lineup behind Freddie. But if it has to happen, utilize it for the best long term needs of the team and see what you have in Dustin Peterson. It’s a perfect opportunity to give him his “cup of coffee” and send him back after Kemp returns with a little experience and a more solid idea of his future.
My lineup would be:
Ender, CF (L)
Johan, 3B (S)
Freddie, 1B (L)
[Kemp/Peterson, LF (R) Peterson 5th
[TFlow, C (R)
Markakis, RF (L)
Dansby, SS (R)
Ozzie, 2B (S)
My bench would be:
Suzuki, C (R)
Rodriguez, UT (R)
Santana, OF (S)
Micah Johnson, U (L)
And I’d live and die with it knowing that the youngsters will be growing together and be better next year and beyond.
And if they aren’t going to get any better… then we need to know now so that we can make adjustments as necessary going forward.
Any consideration of keeping Matt Adams for the bench has to be squashed with the team’s insistence on keeping an extra bullpen arm. It forces the need to have versatility among the 4 remaining bench guys. Matt Adams might get a big pinch hit once and a while, but he’s not going to be a late inning defensive replacement or a pinch runner. He’s a one-trick pony. And we can’t afford that on a 4 man bench.
but the track record for 20-21 year olds hitting the ground running is not great
For some it is, for some it’s not. We’ll never know until they are tossed into the fray. I’d rather do that in a transition year than in a year that we expect to take the big step forward.
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All this deep thinking is making my head hurt…. So here is the reality of it all… Yep, the infield is not right. I loved having Camargo at third, at SS, not so much.
Remember when I said I would be pretty tickled if the Braves could get through this stretch playing .500 ball? Well, the Phillies are smashing that all to heck…
Truth is, the Braves are back to their old ways, getting guys on base but not coming up with the big hits…. #frustrating…
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I have a bad feeling that at the end of the day, the Braves will have come home with both a bad taste in their mouths from a rough road trip, and with too many roster clogging veterans.
Trust my gut? It’s saying right now that the Braves made their entire trade deadline splash sending Jaime Garcia to MIN.
I see them doing NOTHING before 4pm unless they just simply tell teams “You can have them for a bag of batting practice balls, and we’ll pay all their remaining salary.”
That goes for BP, Adams and Jim Johnson. Roster clogging veterans blocking the path of emerging youngsters who actually are a part of the team’s future.
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2day’s lineup:
Ender, CF
BP, 2B
All-Star 1B, 3B (L)
Adams, 1B (L)
Nick, RF (L)
Suzuki, C
Santana, LF
GoGo, SS
Folty, RHP
3 LH in a row in the middle of the order. Let’s make it easy for Pete MacKanin to manage his bullpen later in the game…
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All appears quiet for the Braves in the 1st inning, too.
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Oh good Lord. What was Adams thinking?!? Runners on 1st and2nd with nobosy out. Both get moved over on a log fly. Then Adams runs into an out by 50′ at home on a bouncer to the SS. Will we fail to score with runners in scoring position and less than 2 outs again?
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Gotta stop typing on y phone…
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No score. Ugh!
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Ugly E5 for the guy who should be over at 1B.
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The Braves look like a team that just wants to come home.
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Santana on 3rd with just 1 out. Can we get him across the plate?
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Well, since their IF was playing back with a 5 run lead, a weak ground ball plates a run. I suppose we should be grateful for something.
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Hmmm. Is replay really getting it right? Questionable.
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Freddie Freeman in 45 games at 1B in 2017: .327/.441/.704
Freddie Freeman in 15 games at 3B in 2017: .288/.354/.492
Has the drastic move to a position he hasn’t played since HS affected his hitting? It’s not for me to decide… only to opine.
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Another reason for the recent cold snap of the Braves bats…
Johan Camargo’s last 16 G: .241/.267/.397, not counting 0-2 thus far today.
Pitchers adjust after “the book” gets out on a rookie’s tendencies. That’s how the game works. Will Johan adjust back? That’s the key.
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Braves are making a game of it after all. 6-4 in the 7th.
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Sonny Gray goes to the Yankees. Very predictable.
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Was 7-4, now 7-5 after Freddie blasts one to LF. Still hanging in, but time is running short. Can the Braves new 1B match the Braves old 1B?
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He did not… but it looked a little like he tried to flex his right elbow after his first swing and miss. Then the camera showed him go down the tunnel after popping out to 3B. Hope I’m reading into something that isn’t there.
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This was the price for 2 years and 2 months of Sonny Gray. For the Braves, the equivalent would have been RHP Kyle Wright, LHP Luiz Gohara, and OF Christian Pache.
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And now the moment of truth in this game…
Braves have the bases loaded with 2 outs in the top of the 8th inning. The tying run is in scoring position. Can they get the hit?
TFlow comes off the bench. Stay tuned…
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And the bases are loaded. The runners will start the ol’ merry-go-round.
Here we go…
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K
Inning done.
Braves wasted a great opportunity.
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That will be the story of this game, and of the road trip. A complete inability to get a hit with runners in scoring position.
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Half hour left to make a deal. Braves are quieter than a Benghazi investigation team.
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Top of the 9th; top of the order.
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2 on; 1 out. The Braves new 1B has a chance to be a hero. Let’s go boy!
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Pop up. Braves down to their last out in the person of Nick Markakis.
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Base hit Nick! BP scores. Tying run on 3rd. Kurt Suzuki is the man of the moment.
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… down to his last strike…
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Fly out; Braves are swept in a 4 game series.
Yowser.
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Braves were 3-14 with RISP. They left 9 on base.
And there’s your recap.
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And with just 7 minutes to go before today’s non-waiver trade deadline, it appears that Coppy will also go hitless.
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And there it goes.
So the Braves, who appeared to approach this July trading period like this:
Actually went out like this:
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This was the price for 2 years and 2 months of Sonny Gray. For the Braves, the equivalent would have been RHP Kyle Wright, LHP Luiz Gohara, and OF Christian Pache.
Would you do that trade? I mean, Gohara or Wright could blow out their “Tommy John” and miss almost 2 years. Of course, so could Gray.
Thing is 2 of the guys the A’s traded for, are on the DL. That poor outfielder that smashed his knee into the wall before he had an at bat, and a pitcher who had T.J. in April. So…the A’s will suck for quite some time….
if I were the A’s, I might have held onto him.
trade him in the off season, when folks don’t want to pay what Yu Darvish will warrant (buy the way, I know I am early, but would you sign him this off season? )
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yeah, but when a cats ears are back like that, they are ready to pounce!!!!!
😆
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And the Braves springboard into 2018 like this:
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I don’t know Ber, could be he is making himself really, really small… All in the eyes… like the Braves right now.. Deer in the headlights…
So, while I though sweeping the Phillies would be a tall order, I really didn’t think the Braves would be swept. Silly me…
Coppy says: Hey, we’re saving 4.7 million dollars. Plus, now we can jettison Snit and replace him with Washington like we wanted to do in the spring but did not want to look like the bad guys… Just saying guys…
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And Yu Darvish did actually get traded, after it looked like it wasn’t happening…to the Dodgers. Smart move
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Would you do that trade?
Well, technically you can’t trade Wright within 1 year of his being drafted. But from a purely philosophical standpoint aside, no I wouldn’t. Not Wright and Gohara. Now Wright or Gohara, Pache and maybe… Patrick Weigel? I’d do it. And Weigel’s a good comp in that he’s recovering from TJ like Kaprielian.
For me, if both of those guys are involved, it would have to be for someone a notch above Gray, and under control longer.
For Michael Fulmer? Yes.
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I’m a little burnt out on baseball today, folks. I get bummed after so many wasted opportunities. That goes for both the team and for Coppy.
Plenty of disappointment to go around this afternoon.
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this should cheer you up a bit V…..
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Meh. Not today. Maybe tomorrow.
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If Lucas Sims was starting in front of…
Ender, CF
Johan, 3B
Freddie, 1B
Suzuki, C
Dustin Peterson, LF
Markakis, RF
Dansby, SS
Ozzie Albies, 2B
… then I’d be happy. I’m not gonna be very excited about watching the expiring contract of Brandon Phillips and the batter with no position pushing our All-Star 1B across the diamond. Can’t do it.
2017 is turning into a wasted year. Coppy seemed to get distracted.
Yay 3rd place!!
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I agree 100%.
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Funny how when you look at trades of how many turn out to be complete duds. It’s the old, “I’ll gladly pay you on Tuesdays for a hamburger today” spiel.. Of course with charge cards, a lot of that takes place no a days… but I digress, Very few Wainwrights are traded away but when they are….. Oh MY!
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So on the morning after nothing happens, do I feel any better?
Let me see if I can articulate why I am “less than happy” about how this trade season went down…
Last season is a perfect example of what I wanted to see this year.
Coppy traded a veteran at the very peak of his value (RHP Lucas Harrell) threw in a minor leaguer nobody had heard of (LHP Dario Alvarez) and got back a really good prospect (Travis Demeritte).
Then he got rid of someone that was a drag on the roster (Hector Olivera) and got back someone that sparked the team on the field (Matt Kemp) for the last 2 months of the season.
Were they earth shattering blockbuster trades? No… but they made the team better both in 2016 and going forward.
I really wanted to see something similar this year. I wasn’t expecting a blockbuster (Sonny Gray), but I was expecting to see someone who can be seen as surplus go for someone that can be seen as future. And I wanted something to occur that would spark the team for the last 2 months.
3 moves that I really wanted to see:
I wanted to see Matt Adams traded for a prospect, feeding the future and ending the ridiculous Freddie on 3B sideshow.
I wanted to see Brandon Phillips traded for anything, clearing the path for Ozzie, whom I hoped might provide some excitement for the rest of the season.
I wanted to see Jim Johnson traded for anything. Viz deserves a shot at the closer job full-time, if for no other reason than to see if he can actually handle it. And JimmyJohn hasn’t exactly been handling it himself.
As for the notion of bringing in a top controllable arm, that market got too inflated for this period. This offseason will be a much better time to make that deal when there are more available both via trade and FA.
We’ve already received the company spin that veterans are often moved in August. And that’s true… BUT, those are veterans with contracts that a potential claiming team will not want to be stuck with. Matt Adams and Brandon Phillips do not fit that scenario. Matt is still in arb and BP’s deal is mostly paid by Cincy. NO contender will be able to pick up neither of those guys without a waiver claim being made. Then again, I suppose a deal might be worked out with the claiming team, but it won’t favor the Braves because they will have zero leverage.
It’s possible that Jim Johnson might be dealt still. It’s even possible that a guy like Nick Markakis could be dealt, although there’s no real reason to do that before the offseason.
No, the reality is that the time period passed to make the most effective adjustments to this team. We aren’t any better for 2017, and we aren’t any better going forward. It seems like wasted opportunity to me, and it certainly makes the last 2 months of this season less exciting.
I guess trading Jaime Garcia did pave the way for Lucas Sims. That’s something to look forward to… every 5 days. I hope.
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V, other than Matt Adams, I agree with much of what you said above…a few thoughts that recently pooped…err popped into my for once this month rested mind…
Travis Demeritte, I looked him up the other day(wondering how much value he had as a trade…”piece” (yuck, I hate that word…don’t beat me up David Price!) …have you seen his stats of late? he’s not having a good year. 13 HR’s 38 RBI’s .213. And looking deeper, he’s having a Julio T. season as hitter, except he misses home cooking. .250 at home, .172 on the road!!! And a very prolonged slump. .161 in June, .169 in July. Yikes!
He’s only 22, so it’s far too early to say he is a bust, but man…terrible numbers at AA after hitting ok for the first 2 months of the year.
I have a point here, I promise! (not necessary a good one, or one you would agree with 😉 )
Coppy had what the Rangers needed badly, another arm for the rotation, and a bullpen arm…Clearly, some scout said he looked good, but clearly he wasn’t, as he had like a 7 ERA over there (was he hurt too?)
So, Coppy was smart, Texas not so smart, plus they probably looked at Demeritte as tainted by the 80 Game PED suspension, they were overloaded with mid infield guys (just read that Profar is unhappy that he wasn’t traded cuz he has nowhere to play in Texas, and stuck in AAA)
Pads Gm, well he has made a lot of moves, but hasn’t proved to be too smart
either yet…he’s a young stathead kinda guy and bought into Kemp being a minus 1 WAR guy or whatever the b.s. was so, get rid of him cuz he’s old, (I always wonder if this guys notice the opposing teams feared guys like Kemp cuz Kemp tended to get hits that drove in runs, and often switched pitchers because they didn’t want Kemp to drive in runs, even though as we all know, RBI’s are a worthless stat…) they’d rather pay someone else who couldn’t/wouldn’t even play for the Pads than keep Kemp and trade him in the offseason and eat 2/3rds of his salary, and get a prospect. Whatever…
Coppy can fleece dumb/desperate Gms, for sure
Pt 1
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So, the Lucas Sims era begins tonight. I hope he has a decent game. I do not expect miracles after all, they are playing the Dodgers and looks of good pitchers have gotten shelled in their debuts. More important for him to have the defense play well behind him to let him know he does not have to strike out every opposing hitter.
I am incline to believe that Demerit is A: dealing with an injury or B: the Braves are trying to adjust his swing in some way. Of course it could be C: He sucks but too early to tell and he will get passed soon enough if it’s C.
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Jim Johnson is going through his annual (mid season and he is tired phase) look it up.
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since I suffer from verbal you know what of the mouth, it naturally happens to my fingers too…guess it’s not all lack of sleep that keeps me from being pithily on point…(I KNOW that is a blog first!)
what ties into all of the stuff above, that made Coppy have a rough job?
a domino effect of fangraphs/statheads ruling the baseball world.
I even heard Buster Olney say on the Baseball tonight deadline show say how Fangraphs has the Astros as 100% to make the playoffs, so why should they trade for a starter? (others were saying they really needed a Sonny Gray, and had the prospects to get him easily)
and that’s whats wrong with baseball. Do the statheads not know after the election last year how very wrong polls/predictions can be? (I know, in their fantasy world, President Bernie Sanders has just made school and pot free for everyone! Wonder if there is a fantasy president league they are all involved in?)
So, teams that thought there odds were 8% or 12% didn’t bother trading for BP, Adams, or Nick M. Of course, one of those teams could win 5 in a row and be 3 out next week, but they went with what Fangraphs said 🙄
As for the playoffs, the prevailing wind of thought seems to be get 4-5 innings out of a guy and then the bullpen…well, if that starter gives up 5 runs, then you are …you know what…
so, I am guessing all people really wanted were bullpen arms.
Doesn’t completely explain the lack of braves moves…I do wonder if they are just going to leave Ozzie in AAA. Imagine if he bombed here, then everyone and their brother is saying the braves are rushing players, and ultimately hurting their progress…we don’t know what the higher ups are saying…and it’s not impossible that if money is not rolling in like thought, that Coppy and Hart could be on the hot seat if the team isn’t noticeably better sooner, rather than later…
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I do wonder if they are just going to leave Ozzie in AAA
Not much to wonder about. They are because there’s no place for him on the ML roster. At best we’ll see him in September, and that’s probably after the AAA playoffs. It won’t be much and it won’t have much value. I’d rather have an extended look.
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Jim Johnson is going through his annual (mid season and he is tired phase) look it up.
It’s all about the legs. When they’re strong, he’s strong.
That said, his “numbers” suggest that his pitches are there, he’s just “unlucky”.
Now for a new rant…
The more I hear the stat-heads talk about a pitcher being “unlucky”, or about a batter being “lucky”, it makes me throw up in my own mouth a little.
It’s soooo typical of the snowflake generation to assign blame elsewhere. It’s not Jim’s fault! He’s just unlucky!
And when I read that Hitter X is not really very good, it’s just that he’s “lucky” because his “BABIP is really high”, and that it will come back down to “normal”, I wan to choke the computer. You know… the last I checked, if Hitter X is driving in runs and scoring runs, and those runs amount to more than the other team’s runs, the resulti is that his team gets a Win in the standings.
What’s next? Are we going to adjust the standings at the end of the season to compensate for “unlucky” and “high BABIP”?
Why not just give all 30 teams a participation trophy and send them all home so that nobody’s feelings get hurt in a playoff series…
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I think I’m turning into a crotchety old coot.
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earlier in the year, I think Chipper said on the air that Ozzie’s bat just wasn’t there…but didn’t he work on his hitting a few months ago? He has played in many more games in the minors, that Dansby but is his truly ready? How many 20 year old 2nd baseman have there been? I know, 1 way to find out…but have we really heard that? Plus, sadly just like trading BJ with Kimbrel to save money, money plays such a big part of the game.
from a business standpoint, Ozzie should come up next June 1st to save a year of arb, and free agency, and all that sexy stuff fans love to hear about…
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testify brother V!!!!! 🙂
We hear ya! FIP, VORP, WAR (how some stat about a phantom average player in the minors would do is taken seriously, grrr!!!!)
Yeah, player X’s ERA is 5.50, but it really should be lower cuz…we say so!
They can’t take into account if a hitter has found a flaw in his swing, or has changed his stance and can now pick up a pitch’s rotation better…or, something just clicked.
Same with a pitcher, that change-up he’s been working on for 5 years, finally he has mastered it…
I have been a grouchy old man for more than a decade….perhaps I can identify as a 90 year old man…why not? I could pretend I am a 6 year old girl tomorrow and people would get into trouble if they said I wasn’t a 6 year old girl….
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What the..?
OK… I was dead wrong about him lingering too long in AAA.
No word on the corresponding move, and no word on if he gets the start. But I wouldn’t think they’d promote him to sit him.
This day just got a whole lot better for this Vox. 😀
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I have to say… there is not a clear candidate to leave the 25-man roster. Seriously, there may be a hard decision being made right now, and the reason we didn’t get the corresponding move announced with the promotion news is that a veteran is being dealt with accordingly.
Also, they wouldn’t promote Ozzie to sit him. So unless BP is being DL’d, he seems to be the one most likely to lose playing time and be relegated to the bench. And he’s not going to be happy with that. You can bank on that.
Or…. they promote him to play SS? In that case, what does it mean for Camargo? Back to 3B? Matt Adams to the bench? An ineffective bullpen arm going away in favor of a 5 man bench? Maybe this day could get even better than ice cream.
Sitting on the edge of my seat for this one.
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And if Ozzie moves into SS, then what we heard about Dansby getting time at 2B becomes a more clear reality. Maybe that’s the best place for him when all is said and done.
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Now that I think about this…
If they start Ozzie at SS, move Camargo back to 3B and Freddie back where he belongs, then bump an ineffective arm (Luke Jackson or Ian Krol) in favor of an extra bat for the bench (Matt Adams), then I’m really a happy guy.
And in the process, BP sticks around through the end of the season and yields to Dansby next year after gaining some AAA seasoning he never got to have.
It all begins to fit together a little cleaner at that point.
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We really needed Ozzie to receive this promotion this year to keep the dance line moving without interruption. Dansby in 2016, Ozzie in 2017, Acuna in 2018. (I know Dansby has to come back, but he’s had enough time to not be considered “green” when he does return.)
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Fun fact:
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Interesting timing on a couple of items, I believe.
Although widely speculated, Lucas Sims was not officially announced as tonight’s starter until after 4pm yesterday. Coincidence?
Ozzie promoted the day after the unrestricted trade deadline. Coincidence?
Speculate among yourselves…
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Could be V, they might have been part of a trade package….I think Tigers are foolish not to trade Fulmer, he’s a #1 type, but you might get 3 MLB ready or near ready prospects for him…
V, let’s say BP or Adams were DOF’ed…how is that different than the waiver wire? Some order? Worst teams get to pick first?
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In order to trade BP, they simply need to pass him through waivers. If he passes through, he can be traded same as before July 31. Given his meager salary hit, he could easily be claimed by a team. If so, all the Braves have to do is say, “Take him; he’s yours” and he’s gone. They don’t have to negotiate anything unless they’re intent on receiving something in return. If they’re just trying to dump him, they can do it.
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V, let’s say BP or Adams were DOF’ed…how is that different than the waiver wire? Some order? Worst teams get to pick first?
To make a trade after the July 31 deadline, players must pass through “revocable” waivers, which is different from “release” waivers. But the claiming order is the same – NL worst record to best, then AL worst record to best.
Teams regularly pass most of their players through that process just to give themselves flexibility after the July trading period ends. Once they’ve passed cleanly, they’re clear to go at any time.
If a player gets claimed, his old team can pull him back, thus the “revocable” part. So being passed through revocable waivers doesn’t mean he’s going to be traded, just clears the path. Alot of players pass through and are never even mentioned in trade talks.
Anyway, if a player gets claimed, then the claiming team has an exclusive 48 hour period to work out a deal. And of course, the old team can simply let him go for nothing, and the claiming team has to take him and his whole contract.
So it can be done, it’s just a little trickier to consummate.
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Well, no intrigue in the end.
P Akeel Morris has been optioned to clear the spot for Lucas, and OF/IF Micah Johnson has been optioned to clear the path for Ozzie.
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2nite’s lineup:
Ender, CF
Danny Santana, 3B
Freddie, 1B
Matt Adams, LF
TFlow, C
Markakis, RF
Ozzie Albies, 2B
Johan, SS
Lucas Sims, RHP
What the heck is Snit doing with this lineup? Santana at 3B? Matt Adams in LF?
Well, OK then. I can sort of see Adams in LF, which I’d rather see than Freddie at 3B. But Santana at 3B?
And I wonder how cool BP is with sitting tonight…
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Hopefully after watching Freddie rolling his shoulder repeatedly in apparent pain after making a throw from 3B yesterday afternoon, better sense has prevailed and he’s going back to where he should. Hopefully the sideshow is over.
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In parts of 4 ML seasons, Danny Santana has logged exactly 29.2 innings at 3B over 5 games. He has made 1 E there. He also has 32.2 innings at 2B without E, which is somewhat relative. He has even less experience at 3B in the minors, however he logged as many innings at 2B as he did in the OF.
I think he’ll be OK. Hey, in comparison, he’s got a ton more experience than Freddie Freeman. 😉
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Perhaps the Braves have shifted their focus now on seeing what they have so as to clarify what they’ll need to address. What can Ozzie do at the ML level? Is Danny Santana, who can clearly hit, a candidate for the 3B mix? Can Matt Adams cover any more ground than a Leyland Cypress in LF?
Those are all questions that need to be answered to continue drawing the path to the future.
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I wonder if the FOT’s made this callup tonight in an effort to take some of the pressure off Lucas Sims in his ML debut? Don’t know if that was the primary intent, but it should help serve that purpose. In fact, there will be attention given to Matt Adams in LF and Danny Santana at 3B as well.
Covertly spreading the pressure… pro move.
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Nah. Just bring him with you. 😀
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Praise the Lord!!!
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Well… there ya go.
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I’m getting 2 of my wishes after all. I’m getting Freddie back at 1B permanently, and I’m getting Ozzie in my lineup regularly.
Order has been semi-restored.
But now 3B? Danny? BP? Rio? Kurt Suzuki? (Just kidding. Wondered if you were still paying attention. 😉 )
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I’m really intrigued by Danny Santana at 3B. I’m equally frightened by Matt Adams in LF.
Can we petition the league office to mandate the DH for the NL right away, like tomorrow?
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V, I think Comargo needs a day off ….
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And now for something completely different…
2017’s #1 draft pick Kyle Wright was just promoted from Rookie GCL Braves past low-A straight to high-A Florida. He started 3 games down there to a 1.59 ERA. Remember, though, that the Braves are limiting his innings since he’s just come off a full college season. He’s only getting 2-3 innings per start. He really won’t ramp up before next season. But the fact that they’re moving him on up to high-A now might indicate that they’re targeting him for AA when he starts his first full season in 2018.
They also promoted LHRP Philip Pfeifer from AA Mississippi to AAA Gwinnett. This is a kid nobody knows about but that might get a shot to contribute to the ML bullpen if he can harness his command. (Sounds familiar, right?) In 44.1 IP at AA this year, he racked up 68 K’s. But he also walked 33. Yowser. He’s 25, so AAA could be his ceiling. I hope he can gain some command and bring those K’s to ATL.
One other promotion of note is this year’s 11th round pick C Drew Lugbauer, the kid from U of Michigan. He slashed .243/.366/.573 w/ 10 HR’s in just 124 PA’s at Rookie Danville and was moved on up to low-A Rome. He doesn’t show up on the team’s Top 30 prospect list yet, but if he continues to hit like he has, he’ll bust on up the list next time it’s updated. He went to UM as a catcher, but played more corner IF than catcher. The Braves told him when they drafted him they wanted him to catch, and he says he prefers to catch… so there ya go. He’s a catcher.
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V, I think Comargo needs a day off
Well, he won’t get one because there isn’t another SS on the team. SeanRod is technically the backup, but I don’t know that I want him there if I can help it.
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By the way… just was reminded something I had forgotten.
Brandon Phillips retained some limited no-trade power when he was traded here from Cincy. He can block a deal to 12 teams. That was certainly an obstacle to Coppy in trying to deal him.
Now that Ozzie has been installed as the everyday starter, BP may have greater motivation to consent to trade. In fact, Ozzie’s promotion could be Coppy’s way of playing hardball.
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Former closer John Axford was just released by the A’s. Alot of K’s this season, but alot of BB’s too. Sounds like a candidate for Coppy to sign as all of his contract but a prorated portion of the league minimum will be paid by OAK.
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Gee, a lot of things happen when I take an afternoon nap…
Vee, they have a back up SS, Ozzie…
Yep, Acuna will show up soon enough.
Lots of moving parts still, Brandon Phillips is guaranteed a $500,000 bonus if he is traded, that was part of the deal for him to accept the trade to Atlanta.
I’v seen Santana play third a couple of times and I thought he looked pretty good there. I did not particularly like him in center field. One thing about him, the more he plays, the better he hits.
On Adams playing left field, I’m sure if given his druthers, he would rather play left everyday than sit on the bench. I expect it ill be a regular thing if he can make the normal plays. He said he thought he was getting better at it the more he played but it was not his natural position.
Don’t be surprised to see Ozzie get some looks at short too. However, he is short… Not Altuva short but 5′-9″ in heels….
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Given all the new things taking place, it does give me a good reason to watch the game tonight. I have only missed a couple but I was losing heart. Coppy has restored my will to live for baseball….
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One more thing, BP knew this day was coming. I hope he takes the opportunity to let his body heal and helps the Braves make a late push.
It is a business after all…. that said, I will have a special memory of him playing in Atlanta this season. I hope he has put away some of that millions of dollars he has earned over his career. He won’t ever see a big contract like that again no matter where he goes.
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One final parting shot, Kyle Wright. I expect he will move up to AA next season because he did play three years of college ball so he is a little older. He might even make it to Triple A depending on his progress. You can have too many outfielders, too many catchers, too many infielders but you can never have too many pitchers. Okay, maybe all on the same team but nature and tendons have a way of sorting that out.
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Okay, still early, only two innings but I am liking what I am seeing from this kid Lucas Sims.
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Okay, now 2 zip LA but the first run should be charge to Santana for the ole of a ball hit by Prig. So to me, Sims has given up one earned run.
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One of the things about control (walks) I seem to recall reading somewhere that loss of control often signaled shoulder problems.
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Okay, I am impress with Sims, I expect he will win a few, maybe not tonight but I like his mound presence.
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Lucas Sims did quite well for himself. I hate he was saddled with the “L”, but he impressed and has surely earned the spot for the time being.
Ozzie similarly did not seemed phased by the promotion. He seemed right at home. Like you, Gil, I have a new reason to watch now. Of course, I was going to watch anyway… 😉
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Vee, they have a back up SS, Ozzie…
Yes… yes they do.
3B is now the place of concern. With Johan playing SS full time, 3B is left to Danny Santana (1 E last night) and Sean Rodriguez (1 E last night).
Maybe Johan can go to 3B, Ozzie to SS, and BP back in the lineup. Then everyone is happy and we have IF defense again. Pretty good IF defense, too.
Now LF… that’s a horse of a different color.
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Holy cow. I don’t know what Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria has done to anger the baseball gods – other than being baseball’s worst owner – but the Marlins have been riddled (pun that you’ll pick up in a minute) with injuries.
Just in the last couple of days, they lost P Edinson Volquez to TJ, SS J.T. Riddle (see?) to a torn labrum, and 1B Justin Bour to a strained oblique. Bour is the only one that will be back this season, but not until September.
And they still can’t lock in on a buyer.
Sux to be them.
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I think it is because Loria angered the art gods with that hideous circus attraction in centerfield. It reminds me of a bad coo-coo clock… Funny how he can manage to squeeze a profit out of a franchise which draws so few people, Two sets of books? More likely having his hands in MLB’s pocket as well as the City of Miami. Given the right management team, the Marlins could pack the joint… but maybe his real purpose it to be able to relocate the team to Cleveland…
Now the Braves… I was telling Josie last night that the Braves should move Camargo back to third. Santana plays a decent left field and at short, well, there are lots of options. Ozzie is one of many but maybe the Braves don’t want him to succeed there and block Dansby.
The Answer to everything will be in the Braves outfield next year.
Officially, Sims gave up three earned runs last night but in my score book, I only charged him with the homer.
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The Answer to everything will be in the Braves outfield next year.
Yep. And it will be quite a dynamic group. BTW- he had another 3 hits for Gwinnett last night. Just another day at the office.
I was telling Josie last night that the Braves should move Camargo back to third. Santana plays a decent left field and at short, well, there are lots of options. Ozzie is one of many but maybe the Braves don’t want him to succeed there and block Dansby.
Yes… Camargo to 3B. I believe we have found our future 3B without having to pay Mike Moustakis $12M a year for 4 years. We can give that $48M Alex Cobb instead. (Google that one. You’ll agree with me.) Camargo could be to us what Anthony Rendon is to the Nats.
Maybe the future has Ozzie at SS and Dansby at 2B. Reminiscent of Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley. I can see it. In fact, I think I made the same statement when the Braves heisted… er, I mean traded for Dansby. But I went with the flow (another pun, get it?) and got on board with moving Ozzie off of SS. After witnessing both at their craft, I believe we may have called it right the first time.
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Officially, Sims gave up three earned runs last night but in my score book, I only charged him with the homer.
The key to Lucas’ game last night was that he attacked the hitters and walked zero. Sean Newcomb would do well to school on that start. As long as Sims continues to throw strikes, he’ll be successful and a major leaguer. He certainly has the stuff. His long trek to reach The Show was often mired in control issues. His turnaround in 2017 is directly related to his finally commanding the plate. It’s not rocket surgery.
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Just so that we can keep the microscope warm, Dansby got a hit and RBI last night.
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I believe we have found our future 3B without having to pay Mike Moustakis $12M a year for 4 years. We can give that $48M Alex Cobb instead. (Google that one. You’ll agree with me.)
I bet ya Moose will get more than that….
Cobb has good numbers, except he has never made more than 27 starts, or pitched 166 innings. Why exactly is that? Looks like he’s on target to blow past those numbers this year.
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That’s why he’s on the “untouchable” list.
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Rendon is a good comp… I like Tony from the first time I saw him, especially at third but he will be a thorn in the Braves side for several more years.
Yes, Dansby was 1-5 with and RBI and Acuna was 3-5. It’s a tell….
Last night Camago hit his home run left handed, it was his first from the left side, his other two have come right handed.
The kid (Acuna) has hit at every level, I think the Braves will try to move either Kemp or Markakis this winter. Would have to eat contract on either one so Markakis is the more likely to go. Would have to eat more money on Kemp. I like Kemp but he has short, tight hamstrings, something I myself am cursed with. No matter how much stretching I did, they would both twang as soon as I tried to run too hard. For a guy who is already slow, it made me glacial.
I expect the Braves will try to deal for an ace next year, maybe even a free agent if they can get one to sign with them. Lots of pitchers will look at STP and say no thank you. Braves are pretty much going to have to rely on their draft picks methinks…
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Lots of pitchers will look at STP and say no thank you.
… and then look at all the 000,000’s and reconsider. 😉
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While revocable waivers are supposed to be private, not public knowledge, that notion went away with the advent of Twitter and other social media.
So today it’s reported that RAD and JimmyJohn have been “placed on revocable waivers”. Heck, teams routinely place most of their team on revocable waivers after Aug. 1. It’s not news. In fact, it’d be news if they didn’t.
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He said it a little more clearly than I did.
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From the beat writers:
McAlpin: BP will make his first career start at 3B tonight. For those curious: Brandon Phillips has appeared in one game at third base with Double-A Harrisburg in 2001.
Bowman: Snit says he plans to use Phillips as his primary third baseman.
DO’B: Brandon Phillips declined to talk about moving to third base.
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2nite’s lineup:
Ender, CF
BP, 3B
Freddie, 1B
Suzi, C
Markakis, RF
Danny Santana, LF
Ozzie Albies, 2B
Johan, SS
Julio, RHP
Not a bad lineup right there. Not bad at all. But who shows up tonight… good Julio or bad Julio? Let’s hope he goes against the trend.
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BP worked with Wash at 3B this afternoon. Maybe the best thing that could happen to him at this stage of his career. Versatility is required more and more, and especially of an aging veteran looking for another contract.
And it helps the Braves immensely as well since the don’t have an obvious fit there with Johan at SS.
As to the thought (mine, admittedly) that he might not be so good with the move, DO’B said: Snitker says he is. That’s all we have to go by since Phillips declined to speak to us about it for 2 days. He got here early to work at 3B.
I suppose Snit will say what he has to, but I’m hoping there’s truth in it.
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Pretty sure BP feels slighted but he is being given a chance to play and contribute to the team, if he fails to do so, he will find himself out of baseball for the rest of the season. I hope he looks at it as an opportunity, he had to know the Braves were going to bring up Ozzie at some point this season.
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Probably a good idea for BP to not speak with the media, people get into much less trouble just keeping their mouth shut.
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This is pretty funny
https://twitter.com/hashtag/duckandrun?src=hash&lang=en
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Which makes this hilarious…
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Did I mention I like that Danny Santana kid playing left field?
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Bowman:
Brandon Phillips wasn’t ready to provide an immediate response when the Braves asked him if he was willing to spend time playing third base. He was still dealing with the immediate disappointment he felt Tuesday afternoon, when he walked in the clubhouse, looked at the lineup and immediately realized he was no longer the Braves’ starting second baseman.
But after having some time to digest the fact he was being unseated by freshly promoted top prospect Ozzie Albies, Phillips informed the Braves he was willing to switch to a position with which he has little familiarity. This was enough for manager Brian Snitker to utilize the 36-year-old veteran as his starting third baseman in Wednesday night’s game against the Dodgers at SunTrust Park.
“He wants to play,” Snitker said. “The guy is a ballplayer and he wants to play. I’m glad. He’ll do a great job for us. It will be good for us to have him over there. … It was a lot to process yesterday, and I get that.”
Maturity prevails. Good to hear, especially in an age in which that’s rare.
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Yes, Vee, and common sense too. Given a choice of moving or not playing, I think he made a wise decision.
Baseball is really a funny game isn’t it. Brave get swept by the Phillies a yet, play the Dodgers tough…
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Us too.
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Did I mention I like that Danny Santana kid playing left field?
and in my head, a week or so ago, I was wondering why he was still here, except for his diversity, so to speak 😉
still hitting .214 for the year 🙂
7 for his last 22 AB’s for a .318 BA
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still hitting .214 for the year 🙂 7 for his last 22 AB’s for a .318 BA
Getting his feet up under him. He’s a keeper.
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My Dad was back in the E.R. last night, so naturally I missed the game…very glad the braves once again beat the “best” team in baseball (I think most of you would agree with me that at least from an offensive standpoint, the Astros are miles ahead of the Dodgers —look at the Dodgers CF’er and 2nd basemen stats, then compare to Astros) and they finally snapped the Dodgers incredible once they had a lead, they never lost a game record…I have to admit, that was pretty incredible. Thought Matt Adams homer off Jansen was going to end it out there…
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as for Dad, I was very worried as he was feeling worse than the time before he went in to the E.R. (and got a pacemaker, as his heart was only beating 30-40 beats a minute!) was praying big time….thank God he turns out to have Vertigo! I know that can be bad, but he feels better today, and not related to the heart or pacemaker…
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Ber, prayers going out for your dad. It can be a scary thing dealing with an ailing parent, even when nothing is actually seriously wrong. Better safe than sorry.
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Well, that didn’t work…
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Here’s a couple of interesting answers to questions on the MLBTR chat yesterday:
Q: What’s up with no moves by the Braves? Asking too much or nobody buying what they were selling?
A: Their farm system is so deep, so it’s probably not worth it to get a fringy prospect for Johnson/Dickey just to clear some salary.
Lemme add to that -> While the Jaime deal seems counter to that thought, I believe it was intentional to clear a spot for Lucas Sims.
Q: Does Ronald Acuna get a taste of the bihs when rosters expand in September?
A: The most important thing to keep in mind is that 40-man roster spots are valuable after the season because each team will have to protect certain minor leaguers from the Rule 5 draft by adding them to the 40-man roster. I’m not sure which notable players the Braves will need to add, but I’m guessing they could have a hard time protecting everyone they want to keep. Acuna does not need to be protected so adding him to the 40-man now would take up one of those spots. I’d expect him in early 2018.
That’s an excellent point also noted by DO’B yesterday. Acuna isn’t on the 40-man and isn’t required to be yet. And with some very difficult decisions to be made as to whom is protected this year out of an increasingly valuable group, it would actually be counter-productive to add Acuna before next year.
Q: So since the Braves stood pat at the deadline, who do they look at in the offseason?!
A: I think they’re going to be a big player for one of the top starting pitchers ([Jake] Arrieta, [Yu] Darvish) and they have the trade chips to acquire an impact bat (Machado) and reliever.
i think he’s spot on in that they will most certainly look to add the unicorn “controllable top arm”, either by trade or FA. And there will be great arms available in FA, including the 2 he mentioned, that won’t cost 4 top prospects. And with the team clearing over $50M from the books after 2017, they will have money to throw around in the FA market if they choose to do so.
And holding onto those top prospects in the pursuit of a starting pitcher would allow them to use them elsewhere, either for another starting pitcher or for a reliable reliever… something that is obviously needed.
Now… he touched on the subject of an impact bat. We have of course mentioned the name Mike Moustakis here a time or two as a guy who will be available on the FA market. But have we considered the trade market? It is widely speculated that the O’s will enter into their own rebuilding phase this offseason, and that one of their top trade pieces will be 3B Manny Machado. He’s a stud both at the plate and in the field. He would certainly be an impact bat and a marquee name… something we haven’t imported since the glory years. BUT… the problem is he’s only signed through 2018.
If they won’t trade youngsters for 2 1/2 years of Sonny Gray, they certainly wont trade them for 1 year of Machado. You can pretty much bank on that.
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Prayers up for your Dad, Ber. You can bank on that too.
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Anyone listening to John Hart last night should have caught the (while we are really high on Ronald Acuna, we are not going to throw away a year of control and another prospect just to see him for a couple of weeks in September). Or, if you want to see him so badly, take a trip to Cool Ray…
Depending on who the Braves trade for and away, I don’t expect Acuna will show up in an Atlanta uniform before June 1st.
While Ozzie has gone Zero for the big leagues in his at bats, he has not really looked bad at the plate. He is making decent contact. Funny how different players can put up the same BA and one appears to be struggling while another looks locked in.
Look for Nick Markakis to get his 2000th hit tonight.
I hope Newk heard all the positive things said about Lucas Sims and understands that mound presence is an actual thing. Yes, you are going to give up some homers but don’t compound it by walking people.
I wonder if the Dodger front office looks at the Olivera for Alex Woods, Luis Avilan trade the same way we look at the Shelby Miller for a bunch? Pretty one sided that one turned out to be I would say.
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Wisler is no starter. Tru dat.
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Relief pitchers have become much more important to the success of any ball club with the reduction of the number of pitches allow to be thrown by starters. I hope the kid is successful.
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actually, Wisler seems terrible as a relief pitcher…he had 4 starts in a row of 7 innings…then to the bullpen and he goes 1 inning, and gives up a run, just like he does in the majors…
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maybe he just throws as hard he can , and sees if he can get it over the plate fairly often….that’s the relief pitchers way these days.
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Unforgivable sin for Lane Adams. Potential big inning does a whimpering death. Might see Micah back tomorrow.
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… dies a whimpering death.
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I have a hard time with the official scorer for Atlanta. Wild pitch by Hurst sure looked like a passed ball to me.
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Amazing what happens when you get hits with runners on base.
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“For a guy who is already slow, it made me glacial.”
Gil, Bruce Benedict use say they could time him with a calendar.
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berigan at 10:59 PM, Ozzie is 0 for the majors, too young, send him back….11 PM, OZZIE, I HAVE ALWAYS HAD FAITH IN YOU BUDDY! :p
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berigan at 10:59 PM, Ozzie is 0 for the majors, too young, send him back….11 PM, OZZIE, I HAVE ALWAYS HAD FAITH IN YOU BUDDY!
Maybe only 1 hit, but just look at that OBP! It’s blazing! 😉
.125/.364/.500
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Changed the game. Completely.
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I have to say, in Ozzie’s last at-bat, he was hosed by a called third strike. My guess is the umps were ready to get out of town and saw no point in prolonging the match. The pitch was two inches outside.
Well, I guess the Dodgers showed the Braves who the better team was by crackie… Never a doubt. 🙂
Newk can expect to face line ups made up on 90% right handers going forward. He has been exposed for whatever reason, he has a mental block against throwing strikes to them. Is Dr. Lewellyen still practicing? Look for a red sweater…
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Okay, see what happens when you fall asleep before the game is over? Last Albies at-bat I saw was a strike out on a curve ball outside. Congratulation to him on the dinger. Pretty nasty collision in the outfield on that play. Hope they are okay.
CL, the game will be live tonight on MLB’s facebook page..
https://www.facebook.com/mlb
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That folks was a major league home run!
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What a treat to be able to actually see the Braves in action – and with a win!
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