L. A., sun will be setting.
Late whooping, the Braves will be getting.
Williams Perez, the southern gent,
taking the Dodgers to task in his stint.
Innings roll, Braves were really in it.
One down, inning 4, Pedro Ciriaco ties it.
Inning 5, Freddie Freeman plates a lead.
Through 6, the pitching tandem’s “like a mighty machine.”
It’s Shakytown, or Weird World,
Or SoCal, or, or, “OH, NO!”
One night in Chavez saw the A Braves tumble,
Into the game came a new Brave Nick Masset,
Three left the yard and the earthquakes rumble,
We weren’t so lucky to be in L. A.
The 8th inning surely ruined our day.
This town’s really like none other,
Certainly this bullpen’s such an awful mother.
It’s a drag, it’s a bore, it’s really such a pity,
To lose in such a “Hollywood” city.
Whaddya mean,
This is one crowded, polluted, stinking town.
Alberto Callaspo might be moving,
Can he bring back bullpen grooving?
On Vine, you’re talking to a tourist.
Where’s the passion for a baseball purist?
We got kicked right in the assline, sunshine.
One night in Chavez saw the A Braves tumble,
This bullpen sucks and it needs a stopper,
After a whipping we know we’re humble,
We weren’t so lucky to be in L. A.
The 8th inning surely ruined our day.
Wow, Cliff. This recap was far better and more poetic than the game deserved. Thank you.
Callaspo must go (and take Cahill and Stunted with him).
Williams Perez are the plural of Jorge Campillo. Seriously, they’re the same pitchers.
“Los” Perez is a great nickname.
Los Perez did a pretty damn good job. Now Avilan and Masset are a different story. How the team has treated Callaspo is strange. He is untradeable so why not just DFA him with CJ coming back? Any word on Kelly Johnson?
Jace Peterson made two fantastic plays last night.
Vin Scully is a delight. But his age was showing last night. His last comment was how the Rockies couldn’t come back against the Dodger’s power.
Andre Eithier is having a good season. Way better than Matt Kemp. Who would have thought.
What is the Rafael Soriano asking price?
Callaspo has been a sub-replacement level player for 3 years now. Signing him for guaranteed money was ridiculous when we had Peterson and Gosselin capable of playing at least as well for nothing. Sure, I guess an obese 32-year-old could possibly regain the form he displayed in his physical prime (28, 29), but I sure wouldn’t bet $3 mil on it.
Rosenthal says it’s Uribe for Callaspo that is being worked on.
Edit: Uribe makes 6.5 million this year FYI
If we acquire Uribe, does that nullify his homer off Carpenter a couple years ago?
Don’t understand what the point of this one would be. More salary, less versatility…
I wonder if the Dodgers will include Darwin Barney in the deal? He’d be a solid backup glove to have.
Nick Masset
No Has It.
Trev Cahill?
To landfill!
E Dub Stults
Has No Pulse.
McDowell
Throws towel.
@8: Yes, but it doesn’t wipe the smirk off his face.
Maybe we move CJ after this deal?
If this trade happens, can we be mean and insensitive and call him Another Fat Juan?
I would imagine that if a team is wanting to trade a player, they don’t broadcast it this visibility and in such a weird way. Something must have happened last night, and they’ve just determined he’s a bad fit. He showed up overweight, and he gets scratched from the lineup right before game time while he’s hitting less than his weight. There’s no other way to explain this abrupt sequence of events.
Juan Uribe hits both RHP and LHP fairly well. He’d be a good partial platoon with CJ/bench bat. The lesser names being discussed really interest me as it’s likely a bullpen arm.
It would appear we have a logjam of 2B/3B who are replacement level (CJ, Callaspo, Ciriaco, Peterson, Gosselin), so if we can turn a superfluous player into a challenge trade that also nets us a bullpen arm, then I guess you have to do it. One could chalk Callaspo’s struggles up to a bad environment that a team could benefit from. Plus, Masset was probably 14th or 15th on the bullpen depth chart when Spring Training started, so we should be able to do better than him.
Why anyone would want to trade for Callaspo is beyond me. It’s not like the Dodgers need the $2 mil they’re gonna save in this trade. I guess Callaspo can play 2nd (badly).
Oh, and if Callaspo gets traded for Uribe, it’s a HUGE trade. Anyway you slice them, it leaves a large cross section. HUGE TRADE.
This sets up a CJ trade. No way we keep both him and Uribe, right?
One fun thing about Juan Uribe is that he is probably an even better example of the problems with overrelying on fWAR. Here’s a comparison of stats from 2013-2014:
Jason Heyward: 253 games, 8.6 fWAR, with 26.5 defensive runs.
Juan Uribe: 235 games, 8.6 fWAR, with 39.4 defensive runs.
@Ken_Rosenthal: Sources: Deal between #Dodgers and #Braves would involve six players. Uribe and minor leaguer for Callaspo and three minor leaguers.
Each team must see something in these two players that the other doesn’t. Odd trade.
I do love how the new administration is not screwing around with problem players. A rational person could see that Melvin was going to continue to have problems, and we hung on to him forever only to eventually dump him.
@JonHeymanCBS: Dodgers and braves have deal of uribe for callaspo. Lesser names also in. @Ken_rosenthal 1st, says callaspo could reject
Do it and be done with it.
According to Rosenthal, the Dodgers are looking for pitching. If that is indeed the case, who do the Braves give up?
I certainly hope the minor leaguer we get in return is a productive bat, preferably a right-handed outfielder.
Why would we want Uribe? Would they be paying full freight?
Stults and Cahill?
Is Uribe a good defender?
This is a strange deal. The other players will make it interesting.
@26
They don’t have a lot of those.
http://m.mlb.com/prospects/2015?list=la
Why are we getting Uribe when Chris Johnson is almost ready to come back?
I think you answered your own question when you wrote “when Chris Johnson is almost ready to come back”
@28
I think he’s pretty alright.
@32 Well played.
We just spent an offseason trying to restock our minor league system. If the deal is what Hayman is reporting, strange we’d now trade a few minor leaguers to get rid of Callaspo and get Uribe, unless the minor leaguer we’d get from the Dodgers is one Hart has had his eye on for awhile.
Just when you think you understand what the post-Wren Braves are trying to do, you realize that you really don’t have a clue.
Gotta think Braves are either:
A) Planning to flip Uribe to Giants
B) Planning to trade CJ to Giants
I trust the new administration that they’re still fulfilling their long-term vision regardless of this deal. I wouldn’t be surprised if one of the lesser names is the real reason around this deal. Maybe there’s an over-hyped prospect we’re dealing or we’re picking up a prospect they’re under-valuing. There will be no tears shed if we deal Callaspo and CJ, pick up Uribe and somehow improve our farm system in the process. That’s the fairly standard MO for the last 7 months.
Callaspo rejected the trade.
If the prospects involved are in our top-25, I’m gonna be pissed.
O I C, Callaspo says no. Turns out, he’s in no shape to move right now.
I didn’t think the Braves gave out no-trade clauses. How does Callaspo have the right to reject it?
The Dodgers are contenders, so I’d be curious to know why he rejected it.
CBA says that a free agent who signs in the previous off-season has the right to reject a trade. Callaspo has that right until 6/15.
Callaspo signed as a FA this offseason so he can reject trades until June 15th.
I guess the Braves could DFA him and still make the trade, but Dodgers would have to include salary. This is based on the reports that the Dodgers just wanted pitching and would have released him anyways
High comedy from the Johns today.
I wonder why Callaspo rejected the trade? Is it better for him to be DFA by the Braves than the Dodgers?
I personally would be thrilled if we just released his corpulent posterior. There’s no reason for him to get playing time for any ML team
There’s probably more going on behind the scenes here that we don’t know. Sounds like Callaspo is a little toxic, or at least that’s how he’s being portrayed.
@46, well when a player exhibits rare skills, teams will put up with bad behavior a little longer than they otherwise would. Callaspo has some of the best adipose traits of any infielder in the big leagues.
I have to think we will cut him now.
48 — I agree. I think he is gone when they activate Regression.
Just looked at the stats. Didn’t realize Uribe was that highly regarded defensively. I can see him as an upgrade over Regression then. Johnson is a bit better with the bat, but Uribe is a lot better defensively.
This doesn’t seem like an unsolvable problem. As a free agent signee, he can refuse any trade before June 15. Send Ciriaco down, activate CJ. Explain to Callaspo that he can begin shopping for a new job tomorrow, by being released by the Dodgers, or he can wait two weeks on the bench, and THEN get traded and released by somebody.
Alternatively, go through with the trade with the Dodgers, call Callaspo a PTBNL and then name him on June 15.
Ideally, that is the sort of thing that would have been solved before Fredi told the press that they were looking to trade Callaspo, before the press reported that a Callaspo-Uribe trade had been all but agreed to, and before Callaspo nixed it by saying no.
Gotta love Mallex Smith:
http://www.milb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20150526&content_id=126510268&fext=.jsp&vkey=news_milb&sid=milb
Loose Traps Sink Callaps
@52
I wonder if Fredi talking to the media hurt the deal. I would have been pissed too if I were Callapso.
Callaspo is playing it smart. He will get DFA which puts us on the hook for the 3 million. Then, someone will likely sign him for league minimum prorated to his service time with them.
By all accounts the Dodgers were going to release him anyway, so I don’t see why it matters to him whether we or the Dodgers, or some combination, are on the hook for it.
I doubt Callaspo gets DFA’ed. Like jjschiller said, the Braves can buy time until the 15th and then trade him. Callaspo doesn’t have much leverage.
I would understand the June 15th rule is to prevent sign-and-trade deals, right? I’d imagine there’s not a lot of teams that sign a player fully intending to use him and then give up on him within 2 months.
Good gosh, Mallex Smith looks like the real deal. There’s a real possibility Mallex Smith could be a more valuable player than Jason Heyward by 2017 (especially when you account for salary).
Different trades, but yeah, he looks wonderful. Justin Upton netted us a haul.
Yeah, I had to look that up again. Every single one of those trades looks like a winner right now.
Right. It gets confusing, but the net of it to date…
To SDP: Justin Upton (1 year)
To ATL: Max Fried*, Jace Peterson, Dustin Peterson, Mallex Smith
Fried, who is still recovering from TJ surgery, was the #1 piece touted as return in that deal. He’s yet to play. As of right now, it’s probable that six years of Jace Peterson alone will be more valuable than one year of Justin. Dustin Peterson and Mallex Smith were considered sweeteners; lottery tickets really.
To STL: Jason Heyward, Jordan Walden
To ATL: Shelby Miller, Tyrell Jenkins
This one has been done to death already.
To HOU: Evan Gattis, James Hoyt
To ATL: Mike Foltynewicz, Rio Ruiz, Andrew Thurman
To SDP: Craig Kimbrel, Melvin Upton Jr
To ATL: Cameron Maybin, Carlos Quentin, Matt Wisler, Jordan Pauroubeck
Both of those look like long term winners as well.
A month ago, Martin Gandy ranked the trades here: http://www.gondeee.com/2015/04/20/ranking-braves-offseason-trades-from-best-to-worst/
He basically ranks them thusly:
Great:
• Gattis
• Kimbrel
• Heyward
Good:
• Jupton
• Spare parts for Trevor Cahill and a draft pick
Okay:
• Tommy La Stella for Arodys Vizcaino and international bonus pool money
• Edward Salcedo for some guy
Not-that-great:
• Kubitza for Ricardo Sanchez, a teenage lottery ticket
• Carpenter and Shreve for Banuelos
Bad:
• Hale and Schlosser for Jose Briceno and Chris O’Dowd
• Kyle Wren for some guy
• Varvaro for Aaron Kurcz
At this point, I think the Cahill trade would go from the “good” pile to the “okay” or “not-that-great” pile, though it’s the kind of trade that I think they should be eager to make: in a rebuilding year, the Braves should be happy to take on high-upside reclamation projects.
Similarly, I think you could move the Banuelos trade from not-that-great to good, given how good Manny has looked and how mediocre Carpenter has looked. And considering that Varvaro is no longer with the Red Sox, it’s hard to complain that much about that particular trade — though Kurcz can’t find the strike zone in Gwinnett, so it’s not like he’s much of a prize right now.
Chris O’Dowd was hitting .480 for a while and then he remembered he was Chris O’Dowd
62 — Hell, those are winners this year.
Maybin has more value than Kimbrel right now. Folty probably has been more valuable than Gattis.
So does this mean that they can make the same trade on June 15th?
Yunel being Yunel.
He just got picked off trying to steal third with 2outs in the top of the 9th. On a full count.
#66 – yep
@66 – Yes, in theory.
One obstacle is the Braves carrying dead-weight for 2 weeks. With KJ and Gosselin both on the DL, and needing a roster spot for Chris Johnson to return, they’d have to send down Ciriaco, and then have only CJ and the dead-weight player capable of playing 3rd.
If I’m not mistaken, they could theoritically DFA him 7 days before the 15th, which would remove him from the roster immediately but retain his rights for 7 days. But then you’re putting alot of faith in your ability to move him on that last day of control.
Another obvious obstacle is, if the Dodgers were trying to make the move for reasons pertaining to their Major League roster, they might not wait until the 15th to make their upgrades; they might just turn their sights elsewhere.
Ken Rosenthal
✔ @Ken_Rosenthal
Sources: Callaspo trade between #Braves and #Dodgers back on. Braves pulled Callaspo from lineup. Six-player deal. Uribe would go to ATL.
9:45 PM – 26 May 2015
Yep, Callaspo waived his portion. Deal is done.
Should be interesting to follow the names involved and what happens to CJ
@Ken_Rosenthal: Again, as reported previously, #Dodgers getting major-league pitching in deal. Would expect that Cahill and/or Stults is involved.
I want to see them walk across between the dugouts and put on new uniforms.
@70: Somehow I’m reminded of The Untouchables. “Enthusiasms.”
74- Well, this game is that which brings us joy.
Peterson is really good.
So is Bethancourt.
Wouldn’t put Bethancourt in a really good category
If we trade Callaspo and Cahill (or Stults) for anything of value I will do backflips
It would be so awesome if this game went to extra innings and both teams needed the players that were traded.
It could get there, if Good Julio has shown up.
@80 for what, ballast?
If the Braves can get a hit against Kershaw tonight they should count their lucky stars.
JC, Ozhaino Albies
Have yourself a day
Beautiful pickoff by Teheran.
I’m not sure I’ve ever noticed someone’s tagging ability, but Simmons has that in spades.
@DOBrienAJC: #Braves believed to be getting a young power arm in addition to Uribe in the trade. A pitcher they could be up in big leagues by 2016.
Teheran deserves a GG.
@88 In addition to Joc Pederson?
Just walk everybody and throw them out on the bases.
That might be game.
That didn’t take long to deteriorate.
This inning escalated quickly.
This team is unwatchable when they get matched up against an actually good team.
I hate sports
G’night all. .500 was fun for two days.
geez I go to make a snack….
Braves got a hit! Moral victory!
A hit! I can go to bed happy now that we won’t be no-hit/perfect gamed.
Stults is warming, so I guess he’s not in the Callaspo deal. Sadly.
In advance of the inevitable “can’t throw my stuff in dry heat” excuse from Teheran:
“Winners make commitments; losers make excuses.” — John Schuerholz
And ESPN’s announcers apparently have no awareness of Teheran’s gopher-ball issues this year. But they did let us know Aaron Boone left Game 1 of the 1988 World Series early because Bret Boone, his ride, had to get back to USC for a frat kegger.
#101
Not necessarily. Uribe pinch hit last night. I thought I saw Cahill milling around the bullpen earlier in the game.
I’m starting to think we aren’t the best team in the league
If Kersh ran half that fast on the bunt attempt he wouldn’t have bunted in to a double-play
Tough sports night. Facing Lebron & Kershaw, rarely fun.
And if anyone doubts Lebron’s greatness now, I don’t know what to tell you. The guy basically dragged this bunch to the Finals.
According to Rosenthal, the Braves are getting another pitcher recovering from Tommy John surgery:
Sources: RHP Chris Withrow, recovering from TJ surgery, expected to go from #Dodgers to #Braves in trade. Projected to be back second half.
I’ve never been a fan of Uribe, although he has played on several good teams. I don’t see how he fits into what the Braves are trying to do with the rebuild. Maybe he’s a trade candidate at the deadline. Callaspo took some heat for his weight, but Uribe cannot be considered slender by any means.
@101 – sounds like your paryers were answered after all:
“If Major League Baseball provides approval after reviewing the trade on Wednesday morning, the Braves will receive right-handed reliever Chris Withrow and veteran third baseman Juan Uribe in exchange for Callaspo, Eric Stults, Ian Thomas and Juan Jaime.”
@108 Neither has done much this year, but Uribe seems more likely to be a productive hitter going forward, and is better with the glove. Improves the bench if nothing else, and depending on what we get from Regression possibly 3B. If the Johns think the team can sneak into a wildcard spot it makes sense, and if not we still got rid of some shitty players for another TJ lottery ticket.
So we got rid of three crappy players for a decent bench bat and a pretty good reliever that can help us late this season and next year? Sounds like a good deal to me
Pundits were sure that the Dodgers had accepted our bad, somewhat-pricey players only as a means to acquire some actual higher-upside prospects…no dice! We’re apparently not idiots.
Not sure why the Dodgers want our crap, but ok.
Genius. Getting rid of Callaspo AND freakin Stults. Tip of the cap to the Johns.
trading a bunch of players we had already released or were soon to release for something of potential value is a coup
it is a curious swap. I think we win but it is bizarre.
Is Uribe really as fat as his pic on baseball ref?
With Thomas and Stults gone, does that leave Avilan as the only LHP in the pen?
Nice showcase by Stults last night.
recap up