Well, this game was a perfect example of why you can’t have your best starter leave after four
innings and expect to win.
The Braves jumped out to a 1-0 lead, when Freddie Freeman tripled and scored on a Nick Markakos
single that looks like a line drive in my box score at least.
Julio Teheran pitched four innings of shutout ball, but left after the first pitch of the fifth, when Mark
Reynolds hit a little dribbler in No Man’s Land between the mound, third, and short. Jukio lunged for
the ball, but missed. After summoning the trainer, Julio took one practice pitch and left the game.
Reports indicate he has some tightness in his right lat. He is currently listed as day-to-day.
Joel De La Cruz came on to relieve Julio, and managed to escape the fifth without further damage,
thanks to a pick off of Reynolds, the second of the game for Atlanta, with Teheran nabbing Charlie
Blackmon in the first. However, a lead off walk to DJ LeMahieu was follwed by a Nolan Arrenado
homer. That brought in Dario Alvarez, who surrended a Coors Field bloop single because Ender
Inciarte is only human and couldn’t run it down, follwed by a Trevor Story jack. And, that was all
Colorado starter John Gray needed.
Gray went 7 innings, and continued his dominance of Atlanta, striking out 8 while giving up just 1
walk and six hits. Jace Peterson hit a two run homer of his own in the 8th for the final margin.
Pollyanaish though it may be, if Julios injury (that I assume is a pull rather than structural)keeps him from being tradeable, I’m okay with it.
I also, Bledsoe. Thanks, Mr. Painter.
Having almost no homerun power in Coors Field is like bringing a knife to a gun fight.
Did Aybar increase his trade value last night?
@4 – Hmm. Well, there’s one day less left on his contract.
@5, +1
Astros are inquiring about Hunter Cervenka, finally answering the question of which pitcher will be traded for Evan Gattis.
If your plan is to get hitting by trading pitching, and you only want to acquire high-minors low-service-time big leaguers (IE, immediate help), you can:
A) Trade established top-end pitching (Teheran, to a lesser extent Folty) for high end MLB-ready prospects (Bregman, Moncada)
B) Trade unproven high-ceiling prospects (Newcomb, Sims, Blair) for lower-ceiling MLB-ready prospects (think Rio Ruiz)
C) Trade proven, young, controllable lower-ceiling MLB pitching for those same lower-ceiling MLB-ready prospects.
Options A and B we can do right now, today. Option C would mean 2017 I’d basically a rerun of 2016 except with Swanson and Albies to look at, because Gant, Perez, Jenkins, Whalen etc need to pitch more big league innings to improve their value.
ESPN is doing an all-time top 100.
John Smoltz comes in at #86, right behind…Bryce Harper!
http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/page/mlbrank100_90-81/all-mlbrank-nos-90-81
Harper is hilariously ranked just ahead of Paul Molitor and Robin Yount, they of 75 and 77 career WAR, respectively, as well as the transcendent Ozzie Smith.
@7
I’m not sure that’s all of the options. Varying degrees of pitching quality are not the only resources that we have. We have position player talent that may not fit into our long-term plans (Inciarte/Mallex, d’Arnaud, Beckham, Garcia, Peterson, Francoeur, and even Olivera have some level of quantitative value), position player prospects that don’t fit into our plans (if you get a LF bat, you don’t need Peterson; if you get a 3B, you don’t need Ruiz; etc.), and CASH. If the right situation came along, you could trade a combination of major league position players, lower-ceiling pitching prospects, and hitting prospects to get back high-minors, low-service-time big leaguers and bad contracts (therefore putting your cash to use). I think that’s a much less risky use of resources, and really opens a lot more doors to getting high end hitting prospects without having to give up established top-end pitching. Might be difficult to find the trade partner that simultaneously needs all of those resources, but there are 30 teams and you only need a few different types of deals.
Really, that was similar to the anatomy of the Olivera trade, but we just didn’t get the right player back. Considering Tim Hudson’s impending free agency (meaning cash was at the A’s disadvantage), that is almost exactly Hudson’s trade.
I don’t think we’ll make any moves that materially change the trajectory of the rebuild. My guess is that it’ll be several things that clear the decks for 2017. There’s no reason for AJP, Francouer, Beckham, JJ, et al to finish the season with the Braves. One of Mallex/Inciarte is trade bait. So is Jace. I don’t see returns from any of these that would move the needle, but hey you never know. We could get lucky.
And then DOB tweets this:
#Braves have been interested in Chris Sale for several years, and yes, there have been at least preliminary discussions.
What would that even take? Swanson + Albies + pitching prospect?
According to MLBTR, the Sox have asked for 5 top prospects for Sale. So…. I don’t think we’ll be acquiring him.
Sale for Wisler, Inciarte, Manny, Viz, and Touki.
Get it done Coppy
Every team in the league is interested in Chris Sale. I realize it probably doesn’t need to be said but trading top position prospects for veteran pitching is crazy. It is also tenuous to trade pitching prospects for Sale because he may only overlap with our contention window for one season (2019).
So Sale apparently cut up today’s throwback uniforms? How strange is that?
Imagine Sale’s reaction if the Sox revived their Bermuda shorts look.
“Tommy Stokke of FanRag Sports reports Chris Sale was sent home from U.S. Cellular Field on Saturday after cutting up throwback jerseys that he did not want to wear.
…This story takes another fascinating turn. Via FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal: “Sale asked that they not wear (throwbacks) on his day because they are uncomfortable. Things escalated when they wouldn’t relent.” Sale went after the jerseys with a knife during pregame batting practice, and then apparently exchanged some words with members of the White Sox front office for putting merchandise sales ahead of winning. He could be traded before the August 1 deadline, though that wouldn’t really have anything to do with this odd incident. Matt Albers is starting in Sale’s place on Saturday night against the Tigers.”
I don’t know if I’d want this guy on my team, or not want this guy on my team!
He wants to leave. He is only using that as an excuse. Not the type of personality you want to be in your team to be honest.
None of this would’ve happened under Drake LaRoche’s watch.
Well played, krussell.
Someone over at ESPN posted this. Funny.
LOL krussell.
Like I said, not a lot of role models to be found in your average clubhouse.
As I recall, also, Sale was the most vocal Drake fan in the brouhaha.
I thought Matt had put it together tonight. I may have been mistaken.
9 straight losses at Coors Field (most likely). I hate this place.
The Rockies have won more playoff series and been to the World Series more times than the Braves this millineum.
I don’t hold a crappy start at Coors against any visiting pitcher.
I’d take a couple of resin bags for Johnson at this point.
Look, we’re not going to make the playoffs at this rate. Let’s just admit it.
recapped