Meanwhile, the secret to putting up Grateful Dead videos is to ignore any and all concert footage and find something they did for TV, like this from SNL:
Basically, you have Lorne Michaels saying [DR. EVIL] “Guys, noodle all you want, but you have three and a half minutes, and if you’re not done by then you’ll be playing only to the audience, and two minutes after that you better leave because otherwise people won’t be able to hear “Weekend Update”. [/DR. EVIL]
Stark says the Dotel/Davies deal is done, too.
Come on, Arroyo!
Octavio Dotel is now officially a Brave. Huzzah!
Now we need to get Teixeira here to Atlanta on time.
Who are we getting for the fat man Wickman?
I’ll be so disappointed if Teixeira isn’t our starting 1B tonight…it’s like showing a little kid his Christmas presents, but telling him that he can’t play with them until tomorrow.
I second that Tennessee
The BoSox just got rid of Pineiro and added Gagne. I’m sure Jenny is happy, wherever she is.
Whooooo! Arroyo Arroyo Arroyo, no Whammies, no Whammies, no Whammies STOP!!
Weldon beat me to it … but still, great news.
and according to mlbtraderumors.com, some teams have been asking about getting Wickman if the Braves do end up with Dotel.
so no more Wicky?? wow! What next??
This is now officially the most fun trade deadline ever.
Just over an hour left and counting . . . right down to the wire. This is enjoyable to say the least.
I don’t see any reason to trade Wickman unless we get an elite prospect in return. Nothing wrong with having 3 closers.
Well, I guess the deal was done and we were just waiting on Texas then. This is much more like it…heh. Hopefully enclosed in our final fax to Daniels is a photo of JS flipping the camera off, by the way.
Wickman to the Royals for Davies!
In all seriousness, Olney keeps talking about the Dodgers’ aggressive pursuit of Joe Blanton…um, can we get in on that?
Don’t trade Wickman. It’s putting too much stock in Dotel.
They’d better freaking hurry if they’re gonna get Tex here by game time if he’s not already here. I’m guessing it ain’t gonna happen tonight.
Is the Wickman talk because we gave up on Arroyo BTW?
The Mets have reportedly offered their top pitching prospect Phil Humber for Chad Cordero.
hell.. I’ll give up Wickman for Arroyo
I’m not sure Humber’s all that any more. He’s had some injuries.
Jeremy,
They’re morons.
Braves Offering Jo-Jo Reyes, Yunel Escobar For Arroyo
UPDATE: John Fay says the Braves are also offering Yunel Escobar. This could get done. And finally allow Kelly Johnson to play every day again. From MLBTR
Isn’t Pelfrey their top pitching prospect? Still, I’m glad they might give up a potential top-of-the-rotation starter for a reliever that doesn’t scare me at all.
why the hell would the reds take wickman – they obviously aren’t planning on winning this year, and wickman is either going to retire this year or play one more – that makes no sense whatsoever. next…
Yes yes yes…deal Escobar and get KJ back in the lineup every day.
… The Braves are a shoo-in for the playoffs if that deal is done.
What did the BoSox have to give up for Gagne?
Reyes and Escobar for Arroyo
Please do this deal.
hmmm…. I don’t know about sending Escobar like that.
Try to get something more out of Escobar. Arroyo and some pitching prospect for Escobar and JoJo … I’d do that.
Heh. I don’t think I’d mind holding on to Wickman provided he stays in the closer role. It’ll be a nice 2008 draft Wickman, Dotel, and Andruw all end up being Class A FAs. Talk about replenishing the farm system in a hurry!
Who are we rumored to be shopping Wickman to and who would we be getting back? I’ve only seen that we’re shopping Wickman, nothing specific.
If that Arroyo deal gets done, I will be very, very exciting.
The only problem with it: Woodward not only stays on the team but assumes the primary utility role.
Still worth it.
So what are we saying…Dotel will be the new closer? Do we really trust him any more or less than Wickman?
Don’t forget that trading Escobar will allow us to keep Woodward on the roster. Imagine the frenzy it would create if he was DFAed.
Braves offering Jo-Jo Reyes and Yunel Escobar for Arroyo.
http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2007/07/braves-offering.html#comments
It could finally let Kelly Johnson rightfully play everyday. Take that Bobby Cox!
My bad. Pelfrey is their top pitching prospect. I always get he and Humber mixed up.
I really don’t know what to say…Things are moving so quickly right now…The room is spinning. I’m out of the office for an hour, I come back, and read in 2 minutes time: Tex deal done, Dotel deal done, Arroyo moving closer, and Wickman possible gone.
HOLY CRAP!!! Breathe……………….
@32
whenever the rosters get expanded, Braves are calling up Prado and Orr. So don’t knock Woodward just yet.
Okay, so…
Is the Dotel trade a done deal? Is it official? Can I be happy?
YEah its a Done deal thats what they said on ESPN trade Deadline
What could you possibly get for Wickman that’s better than the draft picks?
Or will he retire?
If that happens, here we come Brent Lillibridge – you better be good.
I thought he was planning on retiring after this year, Dan.
Stu you beat me to it.
I wouldn’t trade Wick, barring some prospect offer you just can’t turn down.
What did Ravich just say? Beau Jones is in the Tex deal?
whoa whoa… there was something weird said on espn about a “jones” being in the Teixeira trade..
did we ship Brandon Jones??? nooo!
I say keep Wickman and go after Arroyo with JoJo and Escobar.
“What did Ravich just say? Beau Jones is in the Tex deal?”
Huh?
Ravech says Beau Jones in the Teix deal now…I’m assuming that’s in place of Feliz. Not sure if that’s better or worse for us.
I haven’t been able to keep up with the comments, but according to Peanut, Beau Jones has been added as a fifth player going to Texas.
Brandon Jones is still a Brave? Someone confirm this pleeeease.
Yeah, he just said that Beau Jones is in the deal, I think
http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?n=Beau%20Jones&pos=P&sid=milb&t=p_pbp&pid=475913
Again, that’s as a fifth player; Feliz is still involved.
Wow. Salty and FOUR prospects.
I’ve never even heard of Beau Jones. Yes, Brandon Jones is still a Brave.
So THAT’S the hold up. He doesn’t look that good anyways.
A FIFTH player?! Good GOD, we have better win the World Series this season.
A FIFTH player??? Wow. I have trouble believing/accepting that.
JS is going for broke!!!
No doubt about it: JS is going all out!
Will we still have a low A team next year?
Beau Jones tore it up in Rome, but he’s stinking in Myrtle Beach.
Who cares if it’s 5 as opposed to 4. Beau Jones is nothing. Just got promoted to Myrtle Beach, wasn’t all that awesome in Rome, and sucked ass in Rome last year.
I can’t believe what a nasty little prick Daiels is for holding this deal up for a 5th prospect.
I am going to sense that no GM’s will be dealing with this guy again anytime soon. He clearly pulled the offer at the last minute and made JS panic.
Look, still a great deal but I am more pissed at how Jon Daniels acted.
And yes, if we trade Yunel, Lillibridge BETTER be the real deal.
Maybe JS is just making room for all the draft picks we will have next year. 🙂
And ps… I love JS.
Jones was a supplemental or second round pick two years ago when we took Devine in the first round.
Mac,
I was just relaying what Ravech said. I wasn’t arguing with you.
I hope there’s not something we want from Texas in the next several years, guys. Because until either Daniels or Schuerholz leaves, we’re not dealing with them again.
“Barry Svrluga of the Washington Post is hearing whispers about the Diamondbacks possibly trading 22 year-old outfielder Carlos Gonzalez to the Nationals for Chad Cordero. The right fielder has come alive to hit .326/.396/.616 in Double A this month. He’d instantly become the Nationals’ #1 prospect.” From MLBTR
I thought Cordero was going to the Mets
Beau Jones was probably thrown in to make the Rangers hurry up and accept Harrison. He’s a nothing prospect. Who cares?
If it was Brandon Jones, it’d be different. But it’s not.
Yeah, if we were gonna make the deal before, why would we wring our hands over throwing in a nothing prospect?
Jones is no big loss, but the Daniels move was bush league to eek a little more in his prospect haul.
Apparently, Beau will be used to review players’ medical reports in a more timely manner.
From Jonah Keri’s chat:
“Mike (Atlanta): What is JS trying to do, turn us into the SF Giants by 2009.
SportsNation Jonah Keri: (3:16 PM ET ) This team has a LOT of young talent. Eventually, it can be a good idea to cash some of it in and make a run at it. If the Braves keep drafting and developing as well as they have, they’ll restock soon enough. Plus if I’m a Braves fan, I love the effort to win a championship.”
I think I agree with him – but still, FIVE prospects?
BTW, for those claiming Davies had almost no value, Stark reported, in the midst of the Dotel confirmation, that other teams had begun to inquire about Kyle upon learning the Dotel deal might not happen.
I will be thrilled if Cordero doesn’t end up with the Mets. Personally, I wish JS had gone after Cordero over Dotel.
I’m not complaining at all.
Per Will Carroll of BP:
“The Braves have made a late push for Bronson Arroyo, including Yunel Escobar in the previous offer of Jo-Jo Reyes. The Reds will make a decision quickly and the Braves are said to have “two Plan Bs.” Wouldn’t that be a Plan C?”
But that would cost us at least three wins per year, Alex. It would be like if we had signed Rob Nen back when he was pitching.
I hear how everyone is saying Jones is a nothing prospect and just for clarity let me tell you what I just read on Mlbtrade rumors.
“Jones throws in the low 90s with a sharp curveball; he’s been compared to Kyle Davies.”
So, Carlos Silva and Jose Contreras? Matt Morris? I hope the Braves get Arroyo, because if the other guys are not as good, yikes…
LOL…I rest my case. Stu all of a sudden really hates the deal.
So, is being compared to Kyle Davies a good thing or a bad thing?
LOL.
I love how everyone is calling Luis Castillo a ‘defensive whiz’ and shit like that when he really isn’t. He’s just a slow, slap hitting “base stealer” that can’t steal bases.
JoshQ,
HAHAHA, oh that was good for a laugh.
The official site says:
“…the Rangers get Saltalamacchia, Elvis Andrus, Neftali Feliz, Matt Harrison and Beau Jones.”
Apparently it is officially official.
This is insane! 5 players. Harrison’s arm will fall off. What is the latest on Wickman?
Nick–that is probably true…uh oh…here comes the rain.
Nick,
What? What case? What deal do I all of a sudden hate?
Well if Harrison’s arm falls off, it’s back to four, isn’t it? Come on, people. Let’s not go through this again.
Jones was also a relief pitcher. In high-A. After pitching in the Sally League for 1.5 years at a good-to-shit level. Enjoy!
@myself in 85
Everyone as in reporters. Not you guys.
The Teixeira deal because the nothing prospect we threw in has been compared to Davies.
But relax, I’m just messing with you.
I have a feeling we’re gonna get another starter, whether it’s Arroyo or someone else.
I’d do Reyes & Escobar for Arroyo in a nanosecond.
Well, Nick, I already knew what we were giving up in Jones. I pay attention to prospects.
And I don’t really feel much different about the deal than I did yesterday. Past a certain point, it just becomes “a whole lot of prospects” for one very good player.
Any doubts now that JS knows about increased payroll coming?
Moog…This does seem to indicate that the increased payroll rumors are true. Man, what a fun day to be a fanatic.
Yeah, no shit, Moogination.
We are sending five players their way and they couldn’t include CJ Wilson? Jeez.
Well said, Moogination. yes, clearly Liberty told JS they were willing to pay more for a winner.
Roll over & die, AOL Time Warner, you penny pinching sons of bitches–none of us will miss you whatsoever!
And again, I’ve already said I’ll let my excitement for Teix trump my concerns about the future. But calling Jones a “nothing” says more about your ability to properly value prospects than anything.
I think we’ve already established that they’re assholes, Coz. If Daniels pulled this shit today, we really didn’t have a choice. If we had held out for Wilson, it wouldn’t have gotten done.
It’s worth noting that we should get at least a sandwich pick and maybe a sandwich + another pick when Mahay leaves this off-season.
At least, I hope we get some picks. It’s entirely possible that he and Wicky would accept arbitration if we offered it.
I agree with Coz, No Wilson? Geez, some dirty tactics by the Texas GM.
“This is insane! 5 players.”
So at Saltalamacchia, Harrison, Andrus and Feliz it was good. But now that the Braves threw in a nothing relief pitcher from A-ball, it’s a suddenly bad deal?
So we’re looking at:
Salty
Andrus
Harrison
Feliz
Jones
Davies
Escobar
Reyers
for
Tex
Mahay
Dotel
Arroyo
A (really) high price, but I think I’m happy with these moves.
Nobody has mentioned that we still have Schuerholz Jr. in AAA. Anyone thinking a September call-up?
This article may be subscriber-only, but BP breaks down JS trades over the years:
http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=6528
Verdict: JS is damn good at making deals.
Yeah, Beau Jones was a relief prospect, so it’s not a HUGE concern. But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have a shot to be, say, a 7th or 8th inning guy for a couple of years somewhere.
No question, the Braves are primed for a run. They’ll get some more prospects.
Damn, has JS ever gone this far “all in” at the deadline? I’m glad we have a great GM & don’t have to suffer, (i.e. Astros fans, Mariners fans, Pirates fans, etc…)
If we want Contreras—and I certainly don’t—we can probably wait.
I sure hope Plan A comes to fruition.
He might get a september call up to wash chipper jones cup…..
Thank you, Dan. My sentiments exactly.
I was thinking thinking the same thing bamachum, all of these prospects are just making room for JS,Jr. All part of Sr.’s evil plan to get JS,Jr. up here.
I wasn’t implying the deal was bad. It has just taken forever to come to fruition and it seems they are just throwing in players to get it done quick. I like the trade. I’m just tired of hearing who is in this trade and who isn’t. I just want to see Teixeira playing first and batting fourth tonight.
The intial shock of five players has worn off. I’m fine now.
Beau Jones didn’t make Sickels’ top 20 Braves prospects list this year, but he was one of the others mentioned.
Yeah, five or not I’m still giddy for tonight’s game.
Alright, Sam. Heh. Glad to have you back.
I don’t think I’ve ever been this excited at a trade deadline – it seems the Braves are in the midst of every move – it’s great!
Wake me when it’s over.
I just want to have something more to brag about when I go to Yankee Stadium tonight.
And I’ll be sure to extol the virtues of Wilson Betemit.
So we’re down to half an hour left to get this Arroyo deal done. For those of you who are watching the ESPN trade deadline show, have they said anything else about it?
So at Saltalamacchia, Harrison, Andrus and Feliz it was good. But now that the Braves threw in a nothing relief pitcher from A-ball, it’s a suddenly bad deal?
Dan, it was more like for those four players, it was worth it to get Tex. It’s still worth it with the extra player added, but hurts a bit more that we’ve given up so much for Tex and a reliever who may or may not pitch his age. I’m not saying we shouldn’t have done the deal. Just that it stings a bit more now.
Regardless, I just want to see Tex in the line-up.
Not mentioned it at all in over an hour, Sam.
Nick,
I’m watchig. There hasn’t been anything yet about it.
I sure hope Tex is batting FOURTH tonight, because I will sure be in the stands.
Stu,
*shrugs* Well, you’re right. I was off doing other things, so I got over it earlier.
Oops. *Nick*
I just got around to announcing it now. 😛
Can’t wait to hear the reaction to this …………
The Rangers received even more than anticipated for first baseman Mark Teixeira and reliever Ron Mahay. We knew they were getting Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Elvis Andrus, Neftali Feliz, and Matt Harrison. But there’s now a fifth prospect going to Texas: southpaw Beau Jones.
http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/
I have a feeling, Mac, you may have to start a new thread before first pitch tonight 😉
Geez…
I don’t know maybe Escobar for Arroyo straight up…but Escobar and Reyes, damn.
Jones throws in the low 90s with a sharp curveball; he’s been compared to Kyle Davies. The 21 year-old Jones was recently promoted to High A Myrtle Beach.
http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/
Flying down to Atlanta this weekend and have tickets to the Fri/Sat games.
I’m so excited it’s unreal.
Wasn’t addressing anything you said, Sam. Just accidentally typed your name instead of Nick’s.
sunbelt, again, is that a compliment or an insult to be compared to Davies.
Personally, I think that’s like calling a young Hollywood starlet a ‘young, Rosie O’Donnell type’.
Stu,
I know. 🙂
I got tickets for Sundays game before all of this. They are right next to first, so I was expecting to see Julio or Thor. Instead, I get to enjoy Tex. Needless to say, I’m a tad excited.
680 the Fan just reported that we’ve sent WIll Startup and Ledesma for relief pitcher Royce Ring.
And Alex wins the Overkill Award.
I don’t think there’s anyone here who doesn’t know how you feel about Davies, Alex.
Royce Ring? hes a lefty right
AlexR the reason why it is funny is because people were saying that Jones was nothing and then he gets compared to Davies who many people also say is nothing. Not as funny when it has to be explained, but anyways.
Spiral,
Hot DAMN, if that’s true, we really are going all out.
Which team is he from?
That Ring deal…ouch…
As usual, the Braves, or le site officiale, are slow to release these things, but here’s the Rangers’ PR:
The Official Site of The Texas Rangers: Official Info: Press Release
Dang. I like Startup more than Ring.
He is a lefty, his numbers are nice, had a WHIP below 0.99 last year, but he hasnt pitched alot of innings….a bit of a head scratcher is Startup is what he is supposed to be
26 year old, lefty, San Diego, only thrown 15 innings this year… lots of walks, lots of K’s, good ERA. Meh.
Gagne deal’s done.
Ring: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?statsId=7529
He is a lefty, from the Padres
Padres lefty reliever I believe, its basically a McBride/Startup for Ring isnt it
I like Escobar/Reyes for Arroyo better than either of the other two trades. Not that I disliked the other two.
Hey but at least Ring was traded for Robby Alomar at one point. That’s gotta count for something.
Who did they get for him, Sam?
16 minutes to go. Come on, where’s Arroyo?
Wait, we traded a prospect (and Ledezma, FWIW) for a guy with 38 career major league innings? That’s hard to believe.
Robby Alomar and sour cream, according to Wikipedia.
Evidently the Braves don’t think much of Startup at all.
Yes, csg. Thanks for rubbing it in.
Anybody else reporting this other than 680 The Fan?
Nick,
Hmmmm… not quite sure. I think one of them is still Kason Gabbard.
Braves PR:
The Official Site of The Atlanta Braves: Official Info: Press Release
This is getting a tad ridiculous. Is anyone safe from JS’ binge?
“Teixeira and Mahay are not expected to be in Atlanta for tonight’s game, when the Braves open a three-game series with the Houston Astros. Teixeira will uniform number 24 for the Braves, while Mahay will wear number 49.”
Umm, JoshQ, I was being sarcastic.
And Stu, you overkill your point all the time…why you always need to take a shot at me–I am just having fun and being silly. Sorry, I am in a really good mood with the arrival of Teixeira, like many others on here. OK?
Stu, look at the other side. Ledezma is dead weight so its now Startup for Ring. With the way our farm relievers are when they come up, i dont hate the deal
Sorry AlexR, things are moving way to fast today. All’s cool!!!
Teixeira and Mahay are not expected to be in Atlanta for tonight’s game, when the Braves open a three-game series with the Houston Astros. Teixeira will uniform number 24 for the Braves, while Mahay will wear number 49.
Stark says Phils just got RP Julio Mateo.
Yeah, I find it hard to believe they would trade Startup straight up for Ring, let alone throwing Ledezma in there. That would be a head scratcher.
My head is spinning…is it 4PM yet!
Royce Ring’s first name is Roger. As in, “The Padres just gave the Braves a real rodgering…”
John Kruk just called Tadahito Iguchi a “proven winner”. HA!
Maybe JS has another book coming out, and he’s like 5 chapters short. Better get plenty of material quick!
Josh—no worries.
And if Kruk says “proven winner” who are we to argue?
Phillips and Kruk are, of course, whaling on the Braves’ starting pitching.
Get this:
Ring with SDP: 15 IP, 14 BB, 17 K, 3.60 ERA, 1.66 WHIP
McBride with ATL: 15 IP, 15 BB, 17 K, 3.60 ERA, 1.933 WHIP
So I guess we traded Startup and McBridge for a .27 better WHIP and 2 years older. /shrug. It’s a push.
I’m not happy about trading Startup
@171
haha, ANOTHER #49 lefty? … jeez, give him another number!! … 60 or something!
“Is anyone safe from JS’ binge?”
Jonathan Schuerholz, Jr.?
I still think our rotation can be improved, but does nobody outisde of Atlanta notice that we have basically 2 #1’s, a VERY solid #3, a patchwork but effective #4-5, and Reyes is a passable #5?
steve phillips bugs. it’s not like he’s choosing a tv career over being a gm…
Steve Phillips probably thinks we should trade for Victor Zambrano. There’s a reason he is on TV and not in a front office.
I’m embarrassed to say with all the posts I missed the Will Startup thing.
Who did we trade Startup for? I liked Startup….
Come on, how reliable is that radio report?
I actually do not believe the Startup for Ring trade. That seems unreasonable. I’ll need another source to believe it.
I bet Steve Phillips still can’t watch a Kazmir start without cringing.
186 — moog… in my head
“haha, ANOTHER #49 lefty?”
Who were the last two #49 left-handed relief pitchers? McBride and Rocker? Now Mahay. Why is it always #49?
No one else has reported it. That trade doesn’t make a lick of sense.
Yeah that Ring-Startup trade better not be right. I didn’t realize how good Startup was in Richmond… but I still trust you JS.
Yeah, I don’t think Startup is getting our closer or setup job, since we have Soriano and Gonzalez, and other bullpen pieces are kind of interchangeable from year to year, to tell you the truth. And if he were all that great, you’d think he’d have been called up at some point in the last couple of years, and we apparently wanted more than one lefty in the bullpen. Seems like an alright deal.
However, if we’re rating today’s three deals, this is the lowest-rated one, in my book. I still think it makes some sense, though.
Dotel trade now up on the official site.
At least the good JS was out today & he didn’t seem to pull a Millwood for Estrada today.
OK, can someone tell me who “Ring” is?
I don’t know why everyone isn’t a Steve Phillips fan. The Mets would be a lot better off right now if he had never worked for them.
Ring’s AAA stats in Portland:
4-0, 1.99 ERA, 31.2 IP, 44 K, 11 BB
I know it’s AAA, but me likey.
is this the most fun day of the season so far? the team started off hot and that was great for optimism, but this is just fun. (even if i don’t have much confidence in dotel)
@192
I meant as in THIS year….
McBride..Ledezma… and now Mahay
all lefties… all #49
As much as I like getting Teixeira, if we don’t get a starter by 4:00, we did not succeed.
“I bet Steve Phillips still can’t watch a Kazmir start without cringing.”
Why? It was Mets’ GM Jim Duquette who traded Kazmir, not Phillips.
Yeah, I’m not sure I believe it until I get another source, either. That’s a very weird source to be the only one.
Startup is only 23! I don’t think there was a rush to call him up. I’ve seen him play in Richmond more than once, and each time he has impressed me.
Yeah, Tadahito Iguchi is a great pick up.
I have confidence in Dotel in a 7th or 8th inning role, he’d be fantastic for that….
Wickman-17 saves and 5 blown, equals 77.2 % success.
Dotel-11 saves and 3 blown, equals 78.5 % success.
Let’s not annoint Dotal to a level he does not deserve, here.
It’s still possible we could get another starter. Just wait a little bit.
Here are Roger Royce Ring’s stats: http://thebaseballcube.com/players/R/Royce-Ring.shtml
Speaking of Mariners fans, I just spoke with a friend of mine who is a big one. He said that everyone is just hoping Bavasi doesn’t do anything before the deadline, because any move he makes will almost certainly be a bad one. Even as the Braves have meandered through the past two seasons, I love having JS as my team’s GM.
ububba – I like the Betemit deal for the Yankees. It’s the kind of deal Cashman never could have pulled off if Steinbrenner was meddling with the team’s affairs, as he is wont to do. Wilson’s overall numbers aren’t great, but he’s patient, hits for some power, and has been raking all month. That said, I hate the Yankees.
#203…there aren’t too many starters out there to get, especially since we are getting the sense that we might have actually been able to shop Davies…
Three and a half minutes left.
First, I thought it was Phillip who traded Kazmir? If it was Jim Duquette, my apologies, but I am pretty sure it was Phillips????
Also, this Ring guy…wow on those numbers. I liked Startup but Ring seems pretty damn impressive.
Startup for Ring would not be a good deal for us, IMO.
I didn’t realize Ring rocked that hard in Portland. Hm.
We’re all waiting, Sam. 🙂 I’m getting antsy.
Phils get Mateo, as per Rosenthal.
That bullpen is starting to look good.
Moogination,
Phillips wasn’t at the helm for that Zambrano trade, was he? Wasn’t that Duquette?
Yeah–JS should be given credit on that extra Ring deal.
Maybe Ring helps us net another….Ring? 😉
Alex, Ububba will have a better memory on this than I do, but I seem to remember that the Kazmir deal was largely mandated by the owners.
Royals PR:
The Official Site of The Kansas City Royals: Official Info: Press Release
the gagne to boston deal is sickening. he wouldn’t agree to be dealt unless he’s closing. or selling out apparently. that team is incredibly loaded.
I’m really gonna be glad when all this is over. The suspense of the past week has been too much.
The Phils getting Iguchi is solid and a great way to lessen the impact of losing Utley. Gotta wonder where the Mets are today. My guess is that they are putting a lot into Pedro coming back.
First, I thought it was Phillip who traded Kazmir? If it was Jim Duquette, my apologies, but I am pretty sure it was Phillips????
“Jim Duquette’s tenure as the Mets’ GM is largely remembered for the trade of top pitching prospect Scott Kazmir to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays for the injury-prone and unproductive Victor Zambrano, which may have cost Duquette his job.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Duquette
Stu,
My bad then–I was sure it was Phillips. If it was Duquette, my bad.
I still stand by the fact that Phillips was an idiotic GM!
So if these numbers are right, Startup and Ring are basically equal and Ring has Major League experience. I don’t really see the problem. Although this would be another situation where nobody wants to see “our guy” leave, I guess. Objectively speaking though, I don’t see a problem.
I wonder if the Mets forgot Castillo started sucking the past couple of years.
i agree that phillips is still lame… probably just because he says such obvious stuff on tv. annoying.
Ticking down. No starter.
Ring is 26, Startup is 23. It doesn’t really make much sense. Not to say the trade is bad, but it seems a bit pointless to me. Though, I’m not JS.
can there be extra time added on like in a soccer match?
Deadline over. No Arroyo. No starter period it seems.
Phillips is, however, the guy portrayed in Moneyball as the go-to guy for Billy Beane when he needs cash to acquire a player; Beane would sell Phillips his trash for a few hundred thousand and use the money on real players.
Phillips may not have made that trade, but he is in fact an idiot nonetheless.
Is the trade deadline a slight failure because we didn’t get a starter?
I also didn’t realize Duquette pulled that deal. Phillips was still the aquirer of Mo Vaughn, whom the Muts just recently stopped paying.
It’s over. Did we get a starter?
I guess in JS’s mind, Ring has been in the pros this year and has a better chance of helping NOW than Startup does.
I think we will be glad we didn’t give up Escobar
It hurts to not get a starter. Who knows, we might still get one, or have gotten one.
Well, they could’ve got the deal in by the deadline but not announced it yet.
Are we still waiting for an actual source on that Startup trade?
Rob,
Nope, no starter.
Josh, who says that’s even true?
It’s not over yet…deals can still be announced, and usually are until 7 PM or so.
Yikes.
I think deals have to be reported to MLB by 4:00 pm. In years past, I remember deals that weren’t announced for up to an hour or so after the deadline. So maybe . .
Ill trade for Ring
Anyways how about Gagne and Papelbon back to back for the Red Sox….Ouch
This is the most we’ve ever done at the deadline and you think it’s a “slight failure”? Yeesh. Our starting pitching has been alright recently anyway.
The age difference between Startup and Ring is why I think it is a bad deal for us. Plus, I do not know Ring’s status as regards arb clock and options, but it cannot possibly be better than Startup’s.
csg — seriously… getting gagne is an embarrassment of riches
Just in. Braves have acquired Bronson Arroyo for Yunel Escobar and Jo Jo Reyes.
I’ll wait to sulk about our lack of a starter until tomorrow just to make sure its official.
justin — source?
Justin, wow — source?
You know, I want KJ to play every day, and I don’t love Escobar the way others here do, but I would have felt a bit uncertain about trading for Arroyo, whatever the cost. His k/9 is awful, and his NL honeymoon seems to be over. He’s just nothing more than a #4-5 innings-eater, and while that can still be hard to come by, his 2009 cost would have made that contract something of an albatross.
Stu-
My apologies on here publicly for trying to make a bad joke more than once. I am sorry.
I really am overall just happy that this day has netted the Braves a superstar. This is a good day for all us Braves fans.
What’s your source, Justin?
Murphy, jinx!
ok… nevermind.
I’ll echo them – source?
Justin, you’re playing with my emotions
Justin, you’re being meeeeeeeeeean :'(
260 — does that mean i can’t talk or i can’t type?
I’m so confused…
This isn’t the first time Justin has messed with you guys. He thinks he’s funny?
would anyone be willing to wager that soriano might see a start by the end of august? we picked up a solid lefty and a solid righty who can both be setup guys. i have stated this before, but i think that soriano can go 5 innings. if not this year, i would love to see him starting next spring. the rotation would be phenomenol.
Ugh…not that Soriano starting horseshit again!
Feliz is a 19-year-old right-hander who has registered 70 strikeouts and issued 26 walks in the 55 1/3 innings he’s compiled since the beginning of last season.
that kind of hurts a little, not too much, but a little
Yeah, I’d like to see Soriano start. That would be killer….
Murphy, I said your name, so you can talk again.
I thought Soriano tried starting one year, and failed miserably . . . or am I making that up?
He has two pitches. I really don’t see how he isn’t better off in the bullpen. Plus, he’s slated to be our closer next year. Plus, Dotel will be gone next year. Plus, we still don’t know if that Ring trade is true.
mlb.com has a video of chip caray’s reaction to the tex trade. for some reason my computer refuses the play the file. thank you little lappy for saving me…
Does Soriano have enough pitches in his repertoire to start?
I thought the confusion and frenzy would be over after 4:00. Boy was I wrong.
Soriano started 8 times in 2002 in 10 games total, he was 0-3. Not that I want to grant this idea any creedance.
i noticed that SD picked up ensberg. that’s probably a decent risk for them… trying to get a bat for cheap. granted, he’s been terrible this year… but it seems to be a low-cost risk. i would have rather have had him over woodward.
I think it’s just a terrible idea in all respects.
Talking about Soriano starting, not Ensberg.
I guess my thinking is that Soriano would get more worn out starting, as opposed to relieving…then again, he’s shown he’s not great pitching back to back nights so maybe getting Dotel means Soriano, starter.
Could this Ring guy be called up right away? his numbers are great and he is already 26.
Forget the Arroyo thing then.
Soriano will not be moved into the rotation. You don’t move a setup guy into your rotation in August.
Ring is already in the majors isnt he
Man, why is everyone so eager to accept this Ring trade? I don’t believe it for a second.
Oh God no, not you too, Alex. Such a horrible idea. Dotel means we’re back to having three good relievers, which is when all this silliness started back when we had Gonzo. Why would we not want to go back to three shutdown relievers?
As far as Ring goes, if we actually traded for him, I would say yes he could.
I dont think the Arroyo deal or the Ring deal went through
ESPNews just showed video of Betemit teeing off of Davies. That was good for my healing process.
Bill Shanks announced the Ring deal as done on 680 the Fan
Well, that’s no good. Two lefties, both iffy and still no starter. There’s one piece missing!
Nick,
Oh no, I am not necessarily saying we should, more thinking out loud–I don’t really know the correct answer and I would like to trust the Braves to make that call.
I would prefer we could have gotten Arroyo and just loaded the ‘pen up. Still, adding Mahay and Dotel is a huge boost.
My question is which relievers are dropped out?
Official site has Corky Miller called up.
one thing i forgot to mention earlier… moving so many prospects today, besides netting us good and useful players now does have another upside to it — we all have a better chance of making the low A team in the spring. heh heh.
Probably Paronto and Yates. But if Ring is true, where does he go?
well, if this is the case then we got
Ring, Mahay, and Dotel also Pena has to be called up for tonights game so there will be a lot of roster moves. our pen was shot so maybe we’ll dl a few guys and give them rest
With this many relievers I could see Reyes sent down and Villareal as the 5th
What channel is the game on tonight? SS or FSN? And what about tomorrow night?
Official site has Corky Miller called up.
You’re shitting me.
Corky Miller? Whats the deal with Pena
we could have had some other deals go through that havent been reported
I think of Will Startup came up and posted a 3.60 ERA. We would all be pretty happy. Well we are basically minimizing our risk by getting someone who has already shown he can do that in the majors. What we give up is the chance that Startup turns into something better than a LOOGY which is unlikely, I think.
We can still have deals announced for the next hour or two even, folks. The Arroyo deal could still have gotten done, as could the Ring deal (which I’m not believing until somebody other than a local sports-talk radio station reports it).
However, if we did run out of time on Arroyo and the reason is that we spent too much of today wrapped up in Daniels’ horseshit, I propose Schuerholz kill him at the next winter meetings.
Mac’s blurb on Corky Miller:
http://bravesjournal.us/?p=2925
csg,
I sure hope so, because we need another starter like a fish needs water.
Corky Miller? What about Pena?
Gotta love a guy who posts a 320 SLG in AAA. And by ‘gotta love’ I mean hate.
“Official site has Corky Miller called up.”
Okay, what the hell? Is this that “veteran presence” BS again? Why would you call up that loser when you have a faster, younger, better hitting catcher in Brayan Pena who was with the team until he got hit on the head?
Either we traded Pena or that is one of the most mind-blowing moves I’ve ever seen.
Apparently we’re bored with Brayan Pena..heh. Have to admit, from a curiosity standpoint, I’m kind of glad that we get to see what Miller’s like. It’s only the backup catcher and it’s not like Pena’s all that great.
Maybe they want Pena to play every day…?
Did I see a different Brayan Pena then everybody else the last couple of years? I must have.
They might like Pena in LF now. He has been playing that the last couple of times I went to a RBraves game. Corky is good defensively and working with the pitchers, but he hits like a TRex.
Shanty Hogan anyone?
Corky Miller played in chattanooga for a few years and was a big fan favorite. Great guy, Plus he knows how to play the game. Im glad to see he’s getting a shot in the bigs.
Startup only a LOOGY?
What are his splits?
Tom Hicks is saying that he offered Mark Teixeira an eight-year, $140 million contract two weeks ago.
The problem with backup catchers, or backup anything really, is that Bobby will find them playing time – a lot of playing time, if Woodward is any indication.
but we just went “all-in” for 2007, meaning you do whatever you can to win now, which to me includes putting the best 2nd string catcher you have available on the team that you can, especially since at catcher, you expect to play that guy a decent amount.
really…???
whatever else happens today i’m just excited that tbs is showing 17 hours of everybody loves raymond instead of the game.
Pena played in a game in toledo earlier today.
Maybe that has something to do with him not being called up.
On Miller v. Pena:
Do you think they give any credence to what’s going on in the minor league season? Richmond is in first in their division and fighting for the playoffs. Obviously, losing Pena would cost them a lot more than losing Miller.
Boras wants 23 million per year for Teixera, so Hicks was way short. ARod may bust the market this off-season.
Jeremy,
It’s possible either Hicks is trying to save face or Teixeira just really didn’t want to be in Texas anymore.
Guys, having Corky Miller as our BACKUP catcher is not going to tank our season. Dont worry
I guess so.
http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2007/07/rangers-offered.html
Teixeira was offered 8YRS/140M and he turned it down. And then he was traded to the Braves.
I can’t imagine the Braves or JS would care what happens to Richmond’s team? Could they?
Corky Miller? Why would we ever give a spot to someone named Corky? I’d rather see Eddie Perez behind the plate than Corky Miller. Get this clown out of here. He needs to be coaching some broke ass highschool team. Boo!
320, 325 — flags fly forever… but i don’t think it counts in the minors. i don’t think the franchise could care less about the standings on the farm as long as the players are being developed properly
questions about corky miller that are too stupid or tactless to put up here (which is why i’m putting him up here):
how often does he have his bat checked? probably not much since he doesn’t seem to have much power… but worth asking, right?
was he the guy on life goes on?
I confess that I really wanted Arroyo.
Still no answer on what channel the game will be on tonight and tomorrow?
What the hell, people? It’s the backup freaking catcher! Brayan Pena sucks, Corky Miller sucks! They both suck! Who gives a shit? They’re both Triple-A catchers. Pena was probably the worst backup catcher we’ve had since I can remember (although I guess Eddie’s last year was pretty awful). If you were so worried about the backup catcher, we should’ve just not traded Salty and then you would have your precious decent backup catcher.
Murph,
That may be the reason for Miller being called up instead of Pena. Pena will get a lot more playing time in Richmond than in ATL. Miller’s a career back-up used to sitting and probably not in ATL long term plans.
Game’s on SportSouth.
Ring for Ledezma and Startup is on the official site. I don’t get it. I really don’t.
I would bet they do care what happens to Richmond, as they own the team. It’s still a business venture. They may just be keeping him down there until the end of Richmond’s season, and when they bring up the 40 man roster.
Check out the Braves’ day:
“Acquired 1B Mark Teixeira and LHP Ron Mahay from the Rangers for C Jarrod Saltalamacchia and four nonroster players: SS Elvis Andrus, RHP Neftali Feliz, LHP Matt Harrison and LHP Beau Jones; Acquired RHP Octavio Dotel from the Royals in exchange for RHP Kyle Davies; Purchased the contract of C Corky Miller from Triple-A Richmond; Acquired LHP Royce Ring from the Padres in exchange for LHP Wil Ledezma and nonroster LHP Will Startup.”
I don’t like the Startup deal, but at least JS has been active.
JoeyT-
Ring does have some pretty sick numbers and at 26, he could come up and pitch immediately?
Thanks, Nick.
Me either, JoeyT.
334 – i see your point, but when i’ve been to R-braves games it didn’t much matter to me where they were in the standings. i guess i’m not the only fan they’re catering to though.
So… Arroyo didn’t actually happen?
We don’t know for sure, yet, AAR. That Startup trade was just posted a second ago, so there could still be information trickling out.
Yeah, I have to admit I haven’t seen the Startup trade on atlantabraves.com?
I would say if it’s not announced by game time, we can be sure that it didn’t actually happen.
“So… Arroyo didn’t actually happen?”
No, we ran out of prospects to trade.
Murph:
Well the RBraves actually have a pretty good chance to win the “championship” this year. They also have been discussing a new stadium here in Richmond, I believe they have agreed to terms. My guess is a championship may increase fan interest that they can parlay into excitement about the stadium.
I just got off the phone with my cousin in Alpharetta, and he told me he is hearing conflicting reports on the radio about Arroyo. So I wouldn’t rule it out just yet.
You haven’t seen it on atlantabraves.com? Did you try going to News->Transactions? That’s where it is on mlb.com.
Is Pena actually a centerpiece of Richmond’s lineup?
Is anyone else as pessimistic about Mahay as I am? His K/BB numbers and past track record suck ass.
The official site says Ring will be assigned to Richmond so there’s no need to make room for him now. I guess he’s just insurance in case Mahay doesn’t work out.
If we’re doing that rating thing we did in the poll for Teixeira, I say the Dotel deal is a 5 and the Ring deal is a 3. And I still say the Tex deal is a 4.
Pirates got Matt Morris.
I’m not excited about Mahay but I’m optimistic that he can be an average LOOGY.
Until Lillibridge got called up, Pena was the only R-Brave younger than 30. Seriously, that is one odd roster of players.
Report on Official Braves site – Ring acquired and assigned to Richmond.
http://atlanta.braves.mlb.com/news/press_releases/press_release.jsp?ymd=20070731&content_id=2120354&vkey=pr_atl&fext=.jsp&c_id=atl
Tex turned down $140 million? I know he wanted to get out of Texas but geez. That doesn’t make me feel too warm and fuzzy about signing him after 2008. Tom Hicks’ pockets must be bottomless pits.
JS has probably not given his free agent signing a second thought so neither should I. Its all about running down the Mets right now.
He may have turned it down but remember that Boras clients don’t negotiate in-season. So Texas would have had to have made an outrageous offer for him to accept.
I’m pretty sure he’s not a strikeout pitcher, Josh. His numbers looked OK when I looked at them yesterday. Better than Ledezma, anyway. He’s at least good at getting lefties out, which is what we want him for, anyway.
I don’t know if I would call Pena a “centerpiece,” but is important. They generally having him batting 3rd or 5th I believe. So maybe that is a centerpiece, they don’t really have any big hitters. I did see that Brandon Jones batted third today, that’s new.
Mahay isn’t worth much. Anything good he gives us will be a pleasant surprise to me. I expect Ring will be up pretty soon.
It’s also about running down the Phillies, I would add.
I’m telling you, if ARod gets what I think he is going to get (28-30 million a year), Teixera at 18 million a year is going to look like a bargain. And you know Baltimore or Boston will pay it (as will the Yankees, if they haven’t found a 1B by the end of next season).
Shawn Green and Carlos Delgado are 1 for 19 against Mahay !!!!!
Everyone is pretty naive if they think no one will deal with Daniels. If he has the players, they will deal with him. As far as his antics, this is business fellas; this is the way the game is played by big boys. JS is no virgin, he knows how these things work. Daniels is under no obligation to make things easy for the Braves.
Well, we will see what happens. I still think Davies might amount to something, but, hopefully, Soriano is starting to come around again and the bullpen might solidify with Dotel around. If nothing else, there is a lot more depth. Arroyo didn’t excite me. The Braves are better off stengthening the bullpen and trying to shorten the games like the original plan was with Gonzalez.
Just because this is the so-called trade deadline doesn’t mean things can’t and won’t happen later. Waiver deals are more than possible.
Why the hell would the Pirates want Morris?
I have the Tex trade as a strong 5, the Dotel deal as a 3, and the Startup deal as a 2. I really don’t know what they’re thinking with Ring/Startup, but it’s not totally destructive.
I’m still not sure about trading off a young SP for a two month rental of a 33 year old decent RP. It’s a 3 because Mac’s evidence about pitchers as bad as Davies as been rarely being successful is somewhat convincing.
Okay, just Arroyo is left and then the re-stocking of our farm system can begin in the offseason.
I agree with Marc – it’s not that Arroyo isn’t great, it’s that he’s just not that good. The Braves will be no worse off for not having acquired him, if that is in fact what happened.
But the Braves still need a starter in order to make a real run.
Hicks has pretty deep pockets but right now he’s more worried with buying players and building a state-of-the-art soccer stadium for Liverpool. Which makes me a very happy supporter.
Man, the Pirates sure are stupid…
Look at Arroyo’s away-from-Cincy stats—he’d be a real asset.
This has to be one of the great opening lines in all of journalistic history:
“The Phillies are attempting to corner the market on scumbags. Today, they acquired 28 year-old reliever and wife beater/biter Julio Mateo from the Mariners”.
http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/
Arroyo would really solidify an uncertain staff and I think the Braves would be much better of with him.
Holy shit why would the Pirates want Morris. Amazing.
Arroyo: Great trade that never happened or the greatest trade that never happened?
I’m happy that Reyes is still on the team.
(of course, watch it be posted 20 seconds from now)
I don’t think they need a starter; I think they could use one. A #4 or 5 starter who eats innings, which is what Arroyo would do, can be had on the waiver wire too.
I’m still scratching my head about this Ring deal. Startup was having a really good year at Richmond and he’s three years young than Ring.
What does it mean to stock the farm season in the off-season? It is not as if the draft is then.
we just need to offer AJ and teixera arbitration before they walk out (Boras clients are not going to take a year deal), so we can get some sandwich picks-that is what will re-stock the farm system.
sunbelt, I cracked up when I read that MLBTR earlier. I have to say I agree with him though.
The more I think about that Morris thing, the more dumbfounded I get. I think the three Pirates fans that are left just jumped into the Allegheny River.
I was just saying something for the sake of it.
I like the Royce Ring deal ALOT.
Ring’s AAA #’s this year
4-0 1.99ERA 27G 31IP 22H 11bb 40K
Jeremy, I agree…I was looking forward to the day Startup got called up…I guess JS is trying to get rid of the “local-boy” image by dealing away McBride and now Davies and Startup. Perhaps Dayton Moore will trade us KC’s talent before we hire him to replace JS.
I’m not sure how necessary it was but I’m by no means against the Ring deal. He’s more of a sure thing than Startup.
Could somebody get a stamp that reads “dumbass” and plant one on tbe Pirates’ GM’s forehead? Who the hell did he give up in this farce? This should be good for a laugh.
Rajai Davis and a PTBNL
July 16th 2007: Pulled out of the 1st inning before recording an out, 2 hits, 3 walks, 2 runs. What a sorry way to end your career as an Atlanta Brave Kyle.
I don’t understand the Matt Morris thing either. That’s weird.
nick, your posts sound very “assholish”. maybe you should try some tact and vocabulary rather than dogging everyone’s ideas with creative cursing. soriano to the starting role is not stupid. with gonzalez set to retuen next year, who’s to say that soriano will automatically be the braves closer? not you. i know it’s a stretch, but who else can solidify the 5th spot? villareal and moylan have pitched well as long relievers. mahay and dotel could do setup, and wickman could close. it probably wont happen, but it’s fun to speculate. soriano has expressed interest in either closing or starting, and the latter is not happening this year. my point is, with all of these acquisitions of relievers, someone has to go; whether its to the starting role, to richmond, or dfa’d.
Dotel will not be back next year, and Wickman will be gone, leaving us with Gonzalez and Soriano. It would make precisely zero sense to move Soriano to the rotation when we’ll just have to bring him back next year, anyway. I’m sorry I don’t see it and I do think it’s a stupid idea.
I hear Chad Paronto was sent down instead of Yates. Doesn’t Tyler Yates suck or am I wrong on that?
Im guessing Reyes is sent down and Villareal gets the #5 role. Its better than just dropping Paronto or Yates
Chad Paronto sucks too.
paronto is out of options right?
yates has shown periods of dominance, and his stuff can be filthy. i’m not saying i like having the guy there now, i just think he has more upside.
I see that he’s still on the official roster, though. Maybe we’ll see it by the end of tonight.
Yates is out of options also I thought
I don’t like the idea of sending Reyes down–since he didn’t get traded, and he’s been solid at the #5, plus a lefty, we should consider keeping him up.
Villareal has earned my trust of late. I say keep Oscar and Jo Jo up & send both Yates and Paronto down.
Official on Arroyo:
http://frontier.cincinnati.com/blogs/redsinsider/2007/07/no-deals.asp
From Talkingchop.com:
[i]”The Braves purchased the contract of catcher Corky Miller from triple-A Richmond and optioned RHP Chad Paronto to Richmond. Why does Brayan Pena get no love? The Corkster was hitting a robust .210 at triple-A – huh!?”[/i]
I did hear a rumor that Atlanta is sending Wickman to Indians for Cliff Lee (just demoted to AAA for conduct detrimental), and then turned around to the white sox with Jo-Jo and Escobar for Vasquez.
Just a rumor though.
Veteran leadership, of course.
We’re still one piece short… although I firmly believe we can easily take the Wild Card.
its not going to be easy, we still have 5 teams that we have to get ahead of
We still have Tommy Hanson!!! Sweet!
Wait, we still have Tommy Hanson, right?
Maybe it’s not such a dumb move for the Pirates. No GM, for all the talk, is a total idiot. Not Littlefield. Not Bavasi. Not Steve Phillips.
Maybe they’re hoping he puts up a couple of good starts and they trade him in mid or late August for something better? Maybe they plan to contend next year and see Morris as a nice #3 or #4? Who knows. But Littlefield didn’t do it just for the sake of doing it.
“The gap between Teixeira and Franco can’t be measured with existing technology.”
By Joe Sheehan, BaseballProspectus.com
We’re not out of both races, really, all the Braves need to do is win and win a lot.
The Braves purchased the contract of catcher Corky Miller from triple-A Richmond and optioned RHP Chad Paronto to Richmond. Why does Brayan Pena get no love? The Corkster was hitting a robust .210 at triple-A – huh!?
Seriously, what drunk picked Corky Miller over Pena?
How likely is it for the Braves to get Arroyo, Vazquez or someone worth having in a waiver-deal? I think it would be hard to get Escobar or Reyes through waivers, unless there is an ‘understanding’ that no one will interefer.
One thing to consider while we are behind the Mets and Phils…we have a crack at the waiver wire before them in August.
Little disappointed we didn’t haul in a starter, but the overall additions and subtractions to the team we had looks pretty good. I am comfortable with the guys we’ll be seeing for the final third of the season. We have a great chance to move back into 1st place and if James can keep it together (and God willing, the boys put the damn ball in play), we can contend in the playoffs against any team in baseball.
Can I just say I really love my facebook status?
I am “searching for my lost shaker of Salt. Some people claim that there’s Teixeira to blame but I know it’s nobody’s fault.”
I really feel pretty comfortable with the current rotation. It’s not amazing, but it’s solid and it can compete–especially now with a stronger offense & bullpen behind it.
By the way, my brother–classic DELUSIONAL Mets fan 😉 He told me how happy he was at the deadline for the Mets getting Luis Castillo and that getting “Pedro Martinez back” is like adding a free agent pitcher.
My response to him was that Pedro is not going to be the same pitcher. I firmly believe if the Mets roll him out soon, our offense will be able to tee off on him. His fastball HAS to have lost something on it. Shouldn’t be able to have the same movement.
I really wished it hadnt of been published that Tex turned down the 17 mil per year offer. My hopes for 2009 are crushed however he unlike Andruw can always be moved if need be
We’re only ahead in the waiver wire for as long as we’re behind in the standings.
And we’d be dealing with the Reds or ChiSox, who have terrible records. There would only be a couple of teams who could get in the way of Escobar or Reyes.
Still, I don’t think either is likely. Maybe Contreras, who I wouldn’t want, anyway.
Weren’t the Braves the last team Pedro faced before he went on the DL?
The way I see it, adding two fresh arms to the ‘pen shores up the rotation by removing a bit of pressure for them to go long. And lord knows I’m not going to complain if we ride Mahay and Dotel’s arms into the ground. 🙂
With no Paronto, who will be our non strikeout reliever that we bring in w/ the bases loaded an no outs praying for a DP?
Pedro ain’t coming back until September (or late August) anyway. And with only a month of live pitching, he’d basically be an April pitcher in October…one with a great track record, but coming off his rehab…
Moylan. Wickman, even.
Mr Swings-
You forget…we still have Oscar.
Yeah, Moylan probably
Geez, think of the conversations that Mateo and Brett Myers could have…women beware.
jeeez,
400 some od comments in 3 or so hours…do you guys not have jobs? can someone bring me up to speed before i spend the next 20 to 30 minutes reading posts?
Beedee,
Teixeira deal done with Harrison and Beau Jones added on.
Dotel for Davies deal happened
We also traded Will Startup and Will Ledezma to San Diego for left-handed specialist Royce Ring
Funny thing beedee, many of us are at work.
beedee-
We got Teixeira, Mahay and Dotel and a minor league lefty named Royce Ring from the Pods.
Teixeira et all arrive tomorrow. Your up to speed 😉
This is kind of a random question, but do you think the Royals will start Davies in Kansas City or Omaha?
So, this looks like the team we have now (give or take a player or two)
Line-Up:
Johnson 2B
Renteria SS
Jones 3B
Teixeira 1B
Jones CF
McCann C
Francouer RF
Diaz/Harris LF
Pitcher
Rotation:
Smoltz, Hudson, James, Carlyle, Reyes
Bench:
Franco, Escobar, Thorman, Miller, Diaz/Harris
Bullpen:
Wickman
Soriano
Dotel
Moylon
Yates
Mahay
Villareal
and we still have woodward, thorman, JS jr & franco? royce ring sounds like a porn name, hope he get’s it up. any word if Tex will be in ATL tonight?
Wickman: Can only start an inning. Does fit the fat ground ball pitcher mold though.
Villareal: Strikes out too many guys. Not fat enough.
Moylan: I like Moylan. I don’t want to compare him with Paronto and Gryboski.
and we still have woodward, thorman, JS jr & franco?
royce ring sounds like a porn name, hope he get’s it up. any word if Tex will be in ATL tonight?
Yes, the age old question…what to do with Woodward. 😉
Dan, sorry to disappoint you, but Dave Littlefield is in fact a moron. He’s just absolutely awful. For every good trade, like Brian Giles for Jason Bay and Oliver Perez, there are three bad ones, like the Aramis Ramirez trade. Why they haven’t fired him is beyond me, except that he’s marginally better than Cam Bonifay.
thanx to all ,
see ya game time
Beedee, believe me, Bravesjournal is what makes my job a lot more enjoyable.
The Braves obviously hate Brayan Pena.
“New” poll up.
To those that know the Braves minor leagues better than I – what pitchers do the Braves now have ready for a call up if necessary (somehow)? I’m wondering starters primarily (outside of Cormier)…though I am guessing Ring counts here too (and lest we forget, Tanyon Sturtze is perpetually “almost ready”…ugh)
Cormier is probably ready like you said. I think Dan Smith would be the next prospect called up.
I hear Chad Paronto is being sent down after tonight. I thought he was out of options?
coz,
there ain’t a lot left. sturzes is no where close to coming back, he’s been held out of a number of games and game simulations. i wouldn’t expect to see him for any meaningful ammount of time this year.
aar,
i feel you man, but you guys blew it up today!
JDMaker1 Says:
“Well the RBraves actually have a pretty good chance to win the “championship” this year. They also have been discussing a new stadium here in Richmond, I believe they have agreed to terms. My guess is a championship may increase fan interest that they can parlay into excitement about the stadium.”
that’s awesome! replace the diamond? wow. good memories. i’ll actually be in richmond in a couple of weeks… don’t know if i’ll make it to a game though (floated the idea with my wife and she didn’t see too enthused).
Is Arroyo a no-go at this point? Any word?
yeah look @401
Pena was pretty good as a back-up this year before he got hurt. He started in Richmond at 1st the last time I saw him play, and Miller started at catcher.
However, the difference between the batting averages is amazing. I totally don’t understand why Pena wasn’t called up. Someone must really not like him.
Thanks, Ethan. Bummer.
I hope James, Carlyle, and Reyes can hold up. I’m very surprised and disappointed that JS couldn’t work out something.
‘Rissa,
Expect McCann to catch 90-95% of the games the rest of the way. Keeping Pena in AAA the rest of the year keeps his development going and keeps him playing everyday. On top of that it helps his trade value during offseason and next year.
The trades were alright, I guess.
I still have a feeling though that we gave up too much, as far as the deal with the Rangers.
I like Davies for Dotel. Davies seems like a perfect fit with the Royals. Doesn’t Dotel have like an injury riddled past? I can’t shake the feeling that like in his forth or fifth outing, his right arm is going to fly completely off.
And no starting pitcher?
I don’t like giving up Startup for Ring – but otherwise a very good day.
Perhaps they don’t want to start his clock considering the back-up catcher isn’t playing much since McCann’s healthy. Maybe they think that his service time at the major league level is better spent if he’s on the roster when he’s playing more? It would make him more valuable in a trade if he’s farther away from arbitration. I dunno, but that’s the only thing I can think of.
Excuse me, not start his clock, but start running it again.
Dustin,
Is the glass always half empty with you? When you sit down and gamble in vegas do you feel like your going to lose before you even start?
We gave up a catcher(when we already have an allstar at that position), 18 year old who’s behind three other prospects at his position, and two pitchers who aren’t close to being ready yet for a top five 1B. Whats not to like?
Rob,
Your actually right, read my post above, I heard that from very good sources.
Wasn’t there a report that said JS had “two Plan B’s” if Arroyo (or was it Silva?) didn’t go through?
@ 454
Not really, but I’m very bummed about no starting pitcher.
Instead we added a guy that could hopefully produce a few more runs that will make up for the ones James, Buddy, and Jo-Jo give up and a few arms in the bullpen that we can overuse when Smoltz and Hudson aren’t pitching.
It’s just a band-aid, but what can you do?
@ 454 again
And for the record, I’m not half bad at Texas Hold ‘Em, I’ve never been to Vegas, and if there was such a thing, I could be a professional dominoes player.
That and maybe throwing changeups and drinking beer are the only things I’m truly good at.
Okay, so our available team for tonight looks like this.
LF Harris
SS Renteria
3B Chipper
CF Andruw
C McCann
RF Francoeur
2B Johnson
1B Franco
P James
bench
OF Diaz
IF Escobar
1B Thorman
IF Woodward
C Miller
Bullpen
RHP Wickman
RHP Soriano
RHP Moylan
RHP Villarreal
RHP Yates
RHP Paronto
RHP Ascanio
Please oh please do not let McCann get hurt.
That means yet another roster move will have to be made to fix the bench, along with 2 relievers going down when Teixeira, Dotel, and Mahay get here.
Well, quite a day.
Personally, I’m not too surprised that nothing happened with a starting pitcher and frankly, I don’t mind all that much. I mean, you only really need 3-4 starters in the playoffs. ;-D
And I think Jo Jo can become something good over the next few years. If he struggles, we’ll let him take on AAA for real next year with Hampton’s return and count on him for a call-up mid-season. And if he does well, we can install him at the back of the rotation. I mean, most teams don’t like carying 3 LH starters, but in the NL East, that might not be such a bad plan.
I’m also glad we kept Escobar for the remainder of the season. Losing Escobar would hurt our bench quite a bit, as it would necessitate bring up Super Teammate, Pete Orr. After this year, we’ll probably move either him or Renty, and maybe Lillibridge will be able to play super-sub next year.
Wait, not Tex tonight? 🙁
No biggie for me, actually, since I’m not going to be able to listen to most of the game anyways. I’m going to be all over his debut tomorrow night, though! 😀
When those three arrive…DL Yates, option Ascaino to AAA and release Woodward. Let Yates get some rest and then demote Paranto assuming he isn’t out of options.
I’d agree, bamachum.
Let’s hope Mac can stay out of danger at home plate, then.
Dustin, I’m with you on the subject of the starting pitcher. I thought that was much more important than the bullpen and just as important as first base. Hopefully JoJo will prove me wrong and excel the rest of the year.
Tonight’s starting lineup is the same one I posted above.
BA on the Startup/Ledezma for Ring trade:
Ledezma didn’t work out as the Braves had envisioned, and Ring has been a lot tougher on lefthanders in Triple-A this season (.135 average) than has Startup (.262), giving the Braves another big league lefty candidate to go with the recently acquired Ron Mahay.
here’s a clip of this Ring guy, for those like me who have no idea who he is:
nice rehab
I’ll be the voice in the wilderness and say that not only are we not getting rid of Woodward, but that it would be a bad idea to do so. Yes, he’s terrible, but so is Thorman, the difference being that we will have zero bench options without Woodward the next time Chipper needs three games off. And it will happen.
SKIP CARAY! Thank you jeebus.
Yeah… this is gonna be another morning recap. Sorry. I’ll put up a postgame thread to load around midnight ET.
Game lost?
😛
Willie Harris could play 3B.
He wouldn’t be any worse than Woodward.
So can Yunel.
That’s a good point, but he’d be the only utility infielder. Would Martin Prado be better than Woodward?
Eh, Chipper’s not going to win the batting title at this rate.
I’m not saying we couldn’t field a team, just that carrying 1) 12 pitchers, and 2) two backup 1Bs limits our in-game options too severely, and we need to give Chipper and Edgar enough rest to keep them fresh. That’s the value of Woodward (and the only value of Woodward).
Well, that’s the situation right now. I guess Thorman is the next person to go, then.
McCann!
Saltala-who?
Damn, we shouldn’t have traded Salty 🙂
Who needs that Salty guy anyway? 😉
Frenchy hit. 🙂
we’ve got 3 utility infielders right now between Escobar, Harris, and Woodward. I’d rather have a little bit of pop off the bench. Honestly, Kelly Johnson could probably still play SS in a pinch.
Joe just said Thorman was out of options.
Sac Fly for JULIO, 2-1.
i heard someone mention poker and i had to tell of my claim to fame….i am the #2 ranked poker player in the city of new orleans….hopefully, after friday i will be #1.
http://www.pokernola.com/rankings.php
Will we get a Tex sighting tonight? He’s activated…
Maybe. I think the AJC said that he’ll get here during the game.
No, Woodward is our only utility infielder. Harris is starting in LF 2/3 of the time, and Escobar is in a platoon at 2B. Either of them could be utility infielders, but they already have other responsibilities.
I wanna see him announced on the loudspeaker “Atlanta welcomes Mark Texeira!” and he takes the mic like Clemens did
Tex had a 7:45 flight to Atlanta b/c the physical took so long. It’s possible he will be able to PH this game. Doubt we will see him tonight. Can’t wait to go to game tomorrow, should be fun!
Rehab,
I hope he performs better then Clemens has. 🙂
I don’t see how the fact that we’re currently misusing two players would prevent them from being used more effectively in the future. ???
Sac Fly for Andruw, 3-1.
JS just said that Teixeira should be available at some point tonight.