Atlanta Braves vs. Chicago Cubs – Box Score – July 07, 2009 – ESPN
“Hey, you got your two runs, Javier! Better make them hold up — we wouldn’t want people thinking you didn’t know how to win!”
Vazquez was magnificent again — not an All-Star? I could make a solid argument that he should be starting the game — going seven innings, striking out six, and not walking a man. He allowed five hits, and the Cubs managed to bunch three of them in the second inning to get a run. They didn’t get an extra-base hit, and realistically didn’t threaten after that.
Brian McCann supplied the offense. After McLouth reached on a walk in the first, Slugging Third Baseman Martin Prado (Chipper was out with, as Al Michaels would put it, a groin) bunted him to second, and after the predictable ACHE failure, McCann singled him home. In the third, after the Cubs tied it, McCann doubled with Prado on first, and Prado actually scored. It was weird, you hardly ever see a guy score from first on a two-out double. Well, if you’re watching us.
The Braves had several chances to stretch the lead, but of course they didn’t. In the ninth, they got the first two on (Conrad was bunting after Jeffy hit an infield single, which are the only hits he ever has, and reached thanks to hustle and yet another umpire who wouldn’t call a batter out for running inside the baseline) but Bobby had Diaz, the pinch-hitter, bunt, even though he isn’t really a bunter and was the best hitter on the bench and Blanco and Diory and Jurrjens and Lowe were all available. He failed, McLouth flew out on the next pitch (which would have scored Jeffy) and that was the rally.
Gonzalez gave up a two-out double in the eighth, but Bobby let him face the righthanded hitter Lee, and he got a popup. Rafael Soriano gave up a two-out hit to Alfonso Soriano, and went 3-2 on the next batter, but deflected a grounder to Yunel, who threw the batter out to end the game.
Francoeur sucks. Just wanted to make sure everybody’s clear on that.
Francine shouldnt have been given a hit either. Theriot backed up on the play and made a terrible throw.
Anyways, Hanson is our only starter with a winning record. Thats hard to believe
Hey Mac, just wondering how you could make an argument for Javy to start over Lincecum, Cain, or Haren? Not saying you couldn’t, just wanted to see how you would justify it.
last thread “190 Agreed. As long as he’s getting the most out of his players and maintaining clubhouse chemistry, you’ve just got to turn your head when he makes bad on-field decisions. Because if he is getting the most out of his players, he’s doing the most important part of his job.”
was this sarcasm or do you truly think he’s getting the most out of these guys? gotta be sarcasm, right??
How many games does Chipper miss before you sit him through the all star break?
I say if he’s not ready for the last two game of the Colorado series, sit him.
WOW. Tonight at Rome Zeke Spruill pitched 8 innings allowing 3 hits and no walks while striking out TEN(!). He lowers his season ERA to 3.02. Of course, he left after 8 with the score 0-0 and the bullpen coughed up a run in the bottom of the 9th so he didn’t get a win (hey, it’s the Braves, they prepare them for reality). But what a performance. He’s about earned a promotion to Myrtle Beach.
Is this where I’m supposed to show up for the blogger ethics panel?
Okay, that was a bit too far — it has to be Lincecum or Haren — but Vazquez has probably been the third-best pitcher in the league.
Slugfest tonight in Danville. Beat Pulaski 23-7. Riaan Spanjer-Furstenburg went 3-5 with a double and 2 walks. Puts him at .474/.508/.754. Unbelievable start to his professional career. Derek Wiley gets his 2nd and 3rd hits of the season going 2-6 with 2 HR and is officially on the map. Mycal Jones goes 3-4 with a walk and a homer. Cory Harrilchak goes 5-7, all singles. Robert Hefflinger goes 2-5 with a double, a homer, and two walks and is now hitting .297/.361/.594. The Danville club hit 12 singles, 5 doubles, 5 HR, and drew 7 walks. Every one of Pulaski’s pitchers gave up between 3 and 7 runs. They used 5 pitchers.
Joe Simpson: “Martin Prado ‘Nosed out’ Matt Diaz for NL player of the week”
Well played Mr. Simpson.
OK, I snorted.
Here’s an argument that Vazquez has been better than Haren. Vazquez’s FIP is 2.55. Haren’s is 2.78. Just sayin… Lincecum, by the way, leads the majors at 1.96 (Greinke is 1.98 and Verlander is 2.77. There’s your top 5).
Well, John Lackey just imploded against the Rangers. Through 4 2/3, he struck out 6, walked nobody, and gave up only 4 hits; he had a shutout. Then he proceeds to let the next 7 guys reach base (5 hits and 2 walks) before getting yanked. What looked like a great start for my fantasy team turned into a possible week-loser. Ugh.
The Braves didn’t want to sign Cameron to a long term deal because they didn’t want to block Schafer. That looked like a good decision for all of spring and the first month of the season. As for this off-season and outfielders, I understand the frustration but the Braves made a reasonable decision to rebuild the rotation this off-season and address the OF/1B next winter.
I want Sam to be my boss, what an easy grader.
The outfield was a disaster that was sucking the life out of the team when Wren was gifted the job. Years have passed. The outfield is still a disaster that is sucking the life out of the team. But all the decisions have been good and sound. Ok then.
Frank Wren took over in 2008. His first off-season he had to rebuild the entire starting rotation and the entire outfield. That is not possible in one winter. Such was the sorry state of the 2008 Atlanta Braves.
Just realized that the Mississippi Braves (with Heyward and Freeman) are playing in B’ham (my place of residence) on Thursday (the day of the week with dollar beers and quarter wings at Barons games) this week.
😯
I know I’d take any of the Juan Rivera/Bobby Abreu/Adam Dunn trio in a cocaine heartbeat right now.
And two of those three were extremely affordable this offseason.
I think you’re being pretty unreasonable, Robert, and it also seems like you’re just trying to start a fight.
First of all, Wren wasn’t “gifted” the job. I think you’re the only person I’ve heard say he didn’t earn the job. In fact, I don’t even see how you’re qualified to make that statement.
Second, re-building a rotation and an outfield in one offseason is incredibly difficult. Yeah, if Wren played everything perfectly, we might have had a shot at being a contender in 2009. It wasn’t reasonable, though, to expect him to make that much improvement with the options on the free agent market and $40M to spend.
It was pretty well agreed upon, at least on this blog, that a lot of things would have to go right for things to happen in 2009, but based on this past offseason, the Braves are in a good position to compete in 2010. It’s the incompetence of the Phillies and Mets that has frustrated us because we feel like we should have a chance. However, we’re a .500 team. We knew that in the offseason, and the heat of a pennant race shouldn’t change that. Unless Wren makes a deal at the deadline, we’re going to be a .500 team. If the Phillies or Mets actually played to their potential, we would accept reality and move on. Instead, we have hope, and that’s just not good for us right now.
I don’t know what the payroll situation is looking like for the 2009/2010 offseason, but I like where Atlanta is at right now, and I sure as heck like what Frank Wren has done so far. Just the fact that he had the balls and thick skin to jettison two future HoFers who were liabilities at this point in their careers says a lot about the guy.
Speaking of incompetence, Atlanta was the only NL East team to win Tuesday night.
What do you think it would take to get Luke Scott from the Orioles? And, yes, I know about the 18 inning game. Their outfield is solid, so it would seem he might be expendable. Just a thought.
Just looked at Scott’s numbers, he is 31 already, late into the league.
DH primarily and another lefty, has some power though, would be a good platoon with Diaz if we lost ACHE, but that is about it.
Mid level pitcher.
Just saw Scott had 7 rbi’s last night, guess his value went up a bit.
Wren acquired four established major league players plus Kawakami last offseason — he pretty clearly (and all too visibly at times) had one of the most active offseasons of any GM. Getting everybody you want isn’t just a matter of willpower — there are 30 teams out there, and all of them are trying to get better.
Did y’all see where the Blue Jays want to trade Halladay? Rumors are the Phils are the most likely to get him. As bad as that might sound, I think would indirectly help the braves by driving the price for Vasquez through the roof. If Huddy can make it back then the braves might can have their cake and eat it too. Trade Vasquez for a couple of bats and/or prospects, have huddy in the rotation with a wash on the money.
I know no one wants to get rid of Vasquez, but you gotta strike when the iron is hot. Besides, the braves won’t be able to afford him after next year anyway.
Spooneybarger Plotting a Possible Comeback
http://tinyurl.com/lfxg76
I see that Frenchy started. I’m so sure that this 3 game benching will totally fix EVERYTHING that has been wrong with him, just like last year’s 3 game trip to AA totally fixed EVERYTHING that was wrong with him last year. I’m guessing that Frenchy starts the majority of the remaining games and I don’t believe he will be traded. In fact, I’m not sure that can be traded. I think he would bring so little in return that the fans would completely flip out about how he was “given away”, so we’re going to be stuck with this Frankenstein monster for quite a while to come.
frenchy sits three games and the braves lose every one of them, he sucked last night but they won. The Braves arent doing themselves any favors
Vazquez is pitching much better than Hudson is likely to for at least a year. In fact, I’m not sure Hudson was ever as good-even with Oakland-as Vazquez has been this year. Now, maybe this is as well as he can pitch and it might be wise to sell high, but saying you are going to replace Vazquez with Hudson in 2010 is likely to be a big step down.
It amazes me how Francouer seems to have this stature around baseball far in excess of his actual ability. After he swung and, as usual, missed a high fastball, Bob Brenly on WGN said that his aggressiveness “is what makes him good but also leads to lots of misses.” What in the hell has Brenly been smoking to say that Francouer is good? Apparently, he doesn’t look at the stats. (He also said that Brian McCann runs pretty well.) The weird thing is that Francouer is a big name around baseball even though he is a marginal player.
But I guess they can’t get rid of him because he would take his underwear with him and that would doom the Braves.
I love the new site motto!
Better than: “Turkey Pants delenda est.”
@25- Maybe “Pendlestein’s” Monster?
Also good to see that Vazquez finally learned how to win. Francoeur must have taught him. He’s such a winner, he was dealt a winning hand and he’s only got half a deck.
I had not noticed the new motto. Stern and appropriate.
Francoeur started and got 1 hit. This was better than 4 other players that batted and only 2 players on the entire team did better than he did – he also didn’t make an error. Never mind that he hurt us in key situations and struck out once. The other small thing was that his hit was of the infield variety. I think this is the criteria that Cox will use to conclude that his benching worked and he’s good to go for another 18 or so starts in July.
Extremely off topic, but…I was just reading the story about how the White Sox can’t find Bartolo Colon, and in his headshot next to the story, he appears to have multiple chins. I know his weight issues have been much discussed, but I forgot how extreme it was. Do a google image search for “Bartolo Colon rookie” and take a look. He has tripled in size. Wow.
Damn. Maybe they can’t find Bartolo Colon because Bartolo Colon ate him.
td, it should’ve been an error on Theriot. He backed up on the play and made a terrible throw on a grounder hit to him….and yes this will earn him another two months worth of starts
I think the team is better served holding onto Vasquez this season and deciding who to move in the winter. Obviously one of the starters – Vasquez, Medlen or Hudson one would assume – is expendable, but unless the offer is just stupendous I’d hold until the winter.
Moving Hudson this winter, combined with DFA’ing Francoeur, would free up enough money to enter the Jason Bay/Matt Holliday sweepstakes. If you signed one of those guys for a few years and then Heyward and Schafer played themselves into the picture you could move the FA signing to 1B and drop Kotchman.
but unless the offer is just stupendous I’d hold until the winter.
Pretty sure this is exactly what will happen. I don’t think the Braves are looking to move Javy; they’re just willing to be bowled over.
Moving Hudson this winter, combined with DFA’ing Francoeur, would free up enough money to enter the Jason Bay/Matt Holliday sweepstakes.
Only if you assume the budget won’t be shrinking. I’m not making that assumption.
Only if you assume the budget won’t be shrinking. I’m not making that assumption.
The budget had held in the 89-93 million range for the last five years or more, including every year with Liberty as ownership. I don’t see a lot of reason to assume it will shrink unless you’re playing the recession as a general cost-cutting device, and in that case you’d have to factor the same recession into free agent pricing. It should wash out all told.
From a Fox rumor page.
Toronto General Manager J.P. Ricciardi has made public what the Angels have known for weeks, that the Blue Jays are fielding trade offers for Roy Halladay, a right-hander who is among the best pitchers in the game. “Tony has talked to a lot of clubs, and he’s talked to Toronto,” Manager Mike Scioscia said Tuesday, referring to Angels General Manager Tony Reagins. “Obviously, [Halladay] is a name that piques the interest of everyone in baseball.” …. A deal for Halladay would probably cost the Angels pitcher Jered Weaver, a top pitching prospect such as Trevor Reckling or Jordan Walden, top hitting prospect Brandon Wood and a young big leaguer such as Erick Aybar or Howie Kendrick.– LA Times …..Ben’s Take: Halos know to beat the Yankees or Red Sox in the playoffs, they have to get Halladay.
I realize Halladay is more valuable than Vazquez, but IF the Braves can get a package like that, Braves cannot afford to hold onto Vazquez.
I see rotation as Lowe (hopefully as a 2, but right now, oooh), Kawakami (as a good 4) Hanson (as a 2-3), Jurrjens, (as a 2, maybe 1b). A solid 2 in there makes for a good enough rotation to win a divsion. Medlen is the first back up plan. Campillo is the second back up plan. Hudson should be good enough to be a solid 2.
So, if moving Vazquez gets a good package and lets you take on salary of 12 ish (prorated) then it is almost necessary.
Vazquez would, at most, only be a pitcher for one more year unless we lay out the dollars.
37—I hope you’re right, but I’m pretty skeptical.
Isn’t Halladay currently on the DL?
I think we should offer JJ as trade bait. Stu has suggested this before, and I am starting to agree.
I think we could get a corner outfielder and maybe a minor league third baseman for him. I am comfortable with Medlin pitching in the five spot until Hudson is ready.
If Infante hits like he was when he got hurt and we pick up a right fielder or a first baseman, I think we can make up these four games.
We are still in this, but we have to make a move soon to stay in it. We have the best pitching in the division and with another hitter we could really make some noise.
If you could pull that sort of package for Vasquez you have to do the deal. I doubt you could pull that package for Halladay, much less Vasquez. That’s Toronto making a “first offer” via the press. No way Anaheim parts with all of that talent, even for Halladay. Add to that the fact that Vasquez has a no-trade clause that limits trade partners to east coast or central teams. He would veto any deal to the west coast.
Why would we want to trade a young, cheap, good starting pitcher? Isn’t that the single best type of player to have?
“The budget had held in the 89-93 million range for the last five years or more, including every year with Liberty as ownership. I don’t see a lot of reason to assume it will shrink unless you’re playing the recession as a general cost-cutting device, and in that case you’d have to factor the same recession into free agent pricing. It should wash out all told.”
Salaries won’t necessarily drop because the highest bidder sets the price, and in baseball there are several teams that raise players’ salaries for everyone else. That was why many people in 1994 derisively quipped that the players were striking to protect the Yankees’ payroll, and why the MLBPA continues to oppose a salary cap. A LOT of teams will be cutting costs, in part because revenues are down from ticket and merch sales and the like. Plus, we have no idea what Liberty’s finances look like beyond the baseball world. So, considering how the vast majority of American businesses are cutting costs, it’s fair to say that the 2010 payroll is an unknown.
“Moving Hudson this winter, combined with DFA’ing Francoeur, would free up enough money to enter the Jason Bay/Matt Holliday sweepstakes. ”
when you say moving Hudson, do you mean just not picking up his option or trying to trade him. Seems like trading him coming off TJ surgery would be a vary difficult task.
Smitty,
A guy over at ChopNChange (Brent, I think) actually suggested it first. I don’t know, even with all the arguing I did, that I even convinced myself it was a good idea, though.
Trading Jurrjens sounds terrible to me. He’s team controlled for several more years. You can’t get a talent return good enough to justify that deal.
@45
That really depends on what Hudson provides on his comeback. If he struggles then you probably just cut him and reinvest the money (all the more reason not to trade one of your other starters before you know what he has in the tank.) If he comes back and pitches quality innings for you down the stretch you have to at least consider the notion of picking up his option and flipping one of the other guys.
@41
If someone blew me away I’d move Jurrjens, but they would have to blow me away. On the one hand he is young, cost controlled and extremely talented. You don’t give up pitchers like that cheaply. On the other, moving him doesn’t move your bottom line the way a trade of Vasquez ($11 mil) or Hudson ($12 mil) would. You should move the guy that is expensive and reinvest the savings in a corner outfielder/1B.
I like Jurjens and would love to keep him, but I think if we want to win, he might be the best guy to move.
He is not really over powering and that might start to come back and bite him sometime in the next few years. His value is at an all time high and I think we could fill a lot of holes with him.
Just a thought.
Trading Jurrjens, Hanson, or McCann is simply not going to happen. It would be insane to trade young, cheap players of that quality. After what the Braves went through with Hampton, I can’t see them relying on Hudson returning from TJ surgery and pitching like he used to. The only way Vasquez gets traded is if the team falls way out of it by the end of the month and they can get a very good outfielder or first baseman for him. Then they maybe pull the trigger and let Medlen or Hudson take the rotation spot and see what happens.
JJ is exactly the kind of guy you gotta keep. Of course, that’s why he’s so valuable to others.
I’d hate to deal Javy, but we gotta listen.
Halladay pitched on Saturday. I’d just as soon see him in an Angels uniform, considering the alternatives.
I agree that there’s no telling what our budget will be next year. (Attendance is down. That can’t be good.) I also wonder how the general economic downturn will affect trades & other teams taking on salaries.
I’d just as soon see him in an Angels uniform, considering the alternatives.
Amen.
no way the Mets or Phils could match up with an Angels offer is there?
Seems to me that at the time we signed D. Lowe, we didn’t really know how good the rest of the staff was going to be.
Assuming Hudson comes back, wouldn’t we be better off to trade Lowe for even purely economic reasons?
It’s not so much who we could get for him in a trade as it is who we could get with his salary “slot”.
Am I off-base here?
@54
The question is always “what does it get you in return.” Lowe was the big PR signing this off-season. He’s the guy up on the billboards in Atlanta (besides Chipper and McCann.) Moving him impacts team marketing more than anyone other than Tommy Hanson (who isn’t going anywhere, period.) But if you get an offer that helps you become a better team, you take it. The big issue with trading Lowe is the same issue that makes us want to keep Vasquez: his contract is longer, he is older, he is more of a risk. As such, he would likely return less than Vasquez or a healthy Hudson.
Does anyone have a link to confirm that Schafer went onto the DL with a broken wrist? I hear rumors but I can’t find comfirmation…
csg,
I heard SI’s Jon Heyman on WFAN the other day discussing Halladay & the Phils and he said that the Phils have been talking a long time to them and it’s not clear that they have enough for Toronto. Of course, the Jays could be holding out for something better.
I mean, the Yankees don’t need him, but I could see them getting into the sweepstakes.
Met could definitely use him (for next year, really), but I’m not sure they have enough to Toronto either. Their farm’s a little barren & F-Mart doesn’t look ready either.
$10K, huh? I should’ve made more of stink over Kate Smith.
http://tinyurl.com/nwdmw7
Went to see the M-Braves last night. They are struggling even worse than the A-Braves to score runs these days.
Heyward looks like a stud and hit a solid double in the first inning. Showed a good eye at the plate taking a 3-2 count walk on a very close pitch. Also showed a strong throwing arm and and did a good job of not overrunning the ball in the field and playing the bounce off the wall well. So far at double AA (small sample size only 4 games) he’s hitting .400 with .800 slugging and a .526 on base percent.
Brandon Hicks could potentially be the slowest middle infielder I’ve ever seen. Got thrown out at home by multiple steps on a deep single to right when Wellman sent him from second. Based on the hit I didn’t even think there would be a play and then looked over to see him lumbering down the third base line.
@50 – Couldn’t agree with you more with the first part of your post about trading the young guys, but you beging to lose me at the end.
@25 – Vasquez is having a great year, better than most, but honestly he hasn’t been that much better than Hudson before Tim got hurt.
2007- Hudson 16-10 3.33 era 1.22 Whip 132 K 224 IP
2008- Hudson 11-7 3.17 era 1.16 Whip 85 K 142 IP
2009- Vasquez 6-7 2.95 era 1.05 Whip 136K 119 IP
Other than the K’s the lines are comparable, granted slightly in Vasquez’s favor. However Since 2004, Vasquez’s ERAs and Whips and Ks for the years
2004 4.91, 1.29, 150 K
2005 4.42, 1.25, 192 K
2006 4.84, 1.29, 184 K
2007 3.74, 1.14, 213 K
2008 4.67, 1.32, 200 K
(Over that time, Huddy, one year with and ERA over 4 (2006, 4.86, only two with a Whip over 1.3 (2005, 1.39 2006 1.44)
That said, I don’t care if Hudson isn’t quite as good as Vasquez, the braves with a healthy Hudson, and 2 more hitters are better than the braves with Vasquez and the punch and judy offense we have, but:
Two things have to happen before a Vasquez deal gets done
1. Halladay has to drive the market up
2. Hudson returns healthy.
Look, Vasquez should be an All Star, and has all the talent in the world. I disagree with the general consensous on this board that Vasquez is not replaceable. He is having a career year, but since no one is going to touch Lowe, Huddy, KK, Frenchy, or KJ, and it would be financially irresponsible to trade Hanson, Jurgens, or McCann, Vasquez is our best chip to help the organization, (just in front of Gonzo and Soriano, (sell high on Soriano too).
Bottom line: If you can get a ransom, do the deal, but if you can’t get full value, keep him.
I think Lowe is unmoveable. No one wants to take on his contract.
Stupup,
I agree about waiting if we are going to sell and see if the market goes up.
Let’s presume we’re willing to trade a starter because Hudson is coming back and we control the destiny of 6 (or 7 if you include Medlen) major league starters next year.
Based on the fact that JJ hasn’t reached arbitration yet, whoever we replace him with will cost more money, or even money. You can’t save money on his slot in the rotation. You’ll be swapping out JJ’s meager half-million dollar salary, and replacing him with a $12 million Hudson.
If he brings two legit corner outfielders who are ALSO cost controlled, you will save money and get better. Or one corner and a first baseman.
But if you trade KK (Hasn’t shown much; return likely one major league player, not a star) or Lowe (tough to trade because of his salary, return two legit players) or Vazquez (easy to trade because he’s relatively affordable, and has been the third or fourth best pitcher in the NL this season) you get a return, AND salary relief.
If you’re going to trade a pitcher, it makes zero sense to trade Jurrjens, unless the return is A) Ryan Braun, B) Evan Longoria, C) Justin Upton, D) Three ML-ready, projected-to-be-stars, one a corner outfield, one a first baseman, and one a pitcher.
Which means it isn’t happening.
This team can’t add salary without cutting salary. You can’t trade Jurrjens for a star who’s getting paid star money, unless you’re going to make another move. And if you’re going to shed salary in another move, why not just make that move and hang on to Jurrjens?
What JJ said @ 62. If you can get Ryan Braun, all bets are off. Hanson’s touchable at that point. But outside of that impossibility you keep the cost controlled studs and trade the expensive studs.
Stupup I agree with you 100% at 59.
BTW, I haven’t heard anyone discuss it, but has anyone considered that the Braves might NEED to shed one of Hudson, Vazquez, KK, or Lowe?
I mean, isn’t it fairly plausible that we only had the payroll flexibility to trade for Vazquez in the first place due to an insurance payout on Hudson’s salary?
Perhaps trading JJ and going with Hudson, Lowe, KK, Vazquez, and Hanson isn’t even an option next year.
i cant even wrap my mind around trying to trade JJ.
Difference between Halladay & Vazquez (aside from talent) is that Halladay has 2 yrs of team control whereas Vazquez just has next year’s option, I believe.
No, they’re both under contract through next season. FWIW, Vazquez earns $11.5M each year, and Halladay makes $14.25M this year and $15.75M next.
This is outside the box a little, but what about Lowe for Vernon Wells straight up. The Jays are looking to shed his salary and he’s owed about $99.5 over the next 5.5 years. Lowe is owed about $52.5 over the next 3.5 years. Wells isn’t worth that contract but he’s a legit OF. Moving him let’s them play Lind, Snider and Rios and replace their ace should they trade Halladay.
I think the Jays would do it, the question is would we? Maybe if we got a young pitching prospect thrown in?
Or how abour Rios who is owed about $59 mil over the next 5.5 years?
Rios, sure. (They wouldn’t do it.) Wells, no way.
Game thread is up.
I would rather have an overpriced Pitcher than an overpriced OF.
I think it depends on what you expect to get back. In recent years, teams trading at the deadline have not gotten as much as expected (except, ahem, the Texas Rangers?). I doubt that any team would give up their best prospect for Vazquez, for example. And, who out there is worth trading Jurrjens. It’s nice to talk about getting bowled over but, in reality, I don’t think that happens much anymore. Teams decide they want or need to trade someone and they make the best deal they can. It’s usually not as good a deal as they would like. I’m very skeptical about counting on Hudson in the short run.
71 — You’ve got the best of both worlds with Francoeur!
BTW, trading Lowe right after he signed with the Braves probably wouldn’t be helpful to swaying free agents to sign here in the future.
Also JoJo pitched 2 perfect innings for Gwinnett yesterday with 2Ks, FWIW.
jjschiller,
Great point on Hudson’s insurance. Most estimates are around $6 million.
But, that might be why the Braves paid more to Kenshin in year 1. I think he is 8.5 this year, plus 7, plus 7.
He’s 9.66 this year, 6.67 in years two and three, I believe.
Among problems with pitching are increased injury problems and additional predictability problems.
Jair just doesn’t look like (in peripherals, etc.) a near elite pitcher. yet, for 1.5 years, he has been. He could either (1) get injured (but any pitcher can) or (2) drop to a lower performance level.
Vasquez has a track record of producing good to great peripherals, but sometimes they don’t translate for Vasquez.
There is a good chance that neither will ever be worth as much in the future as they are now. Probability may be calling.
I’d trade Lowe for Rios + a middle reliever, or an average middle infield prospect.
I think over the course of those two contracts, Rios will age more gracefully than Lowe.
But if the Jays are trading Halladay what do they want with a pitcher who makes more and isn’t as good?
Per DOB:
LINEUP for Braves vs. Cubs today
McLouth CF
Prado 3B
Anderson LF
McCann C
Escobar SS
Kotchman 1B
Francoeur RF
Conrad 2B
Kawakami RHP
7.6 then 6.6 6.6 for K.K.
2 mill bonus upfront too.
Cots baseball contracts is a good source of info for this.