 |
 |
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
July 30, 2008
McGriff and Teixeira
Casey Kotchman Tuesday, trailing the NL East leader consistently by 6 1/2 to 7 1/2 games over three weeks, the Braves trade a top hitting first baseman away. While Casey Kotchman is no Sid Bream, he's still hitting below average for a major league first baseman.
The Braves have changed. Frank Wren made a trade that turned a strength into a weakness. John Schuerholz did just the opposite during his tenure. He was excellent at identifying a weakness on the Braves, and trading for or signing a player to shore up the position. Wren certainly has a huge hole in the outfield with Jeff Francoeur and needs help in the back of the rotation. By not addressing the real weaknesses of the team, Wren shows that he doesn't understand the model that made the Braves successful for well over a decade. Comments
I don't know how I feel about this trade because I wonder if the Braves would have been better off taking draft picks when Tex leaves in free agency. But to compare this Braves team to the 93 Braves based on how many games back they are is ridiculous. That team was 19 games above .500 and had won 11 of 15 since the All-Star Break. They trailed only one team that couldn't possibly keep up the pace they were on. The current team trails three others in the division. They just lost their best hitter and their best pitcher to the DL. This team clearly doesn't have what it takes. Whether Frank Wren is partially to blame is another story, but to say that trading Tex proves he doesn't get it, is extremely unfair. Posted by: Jay Wright at July 30, 2008 08:56 AMI wouldn't go around ascribing rational thought processes to an organization that thinks Casey Kotchman is more valuable than 2 first round draft picks.* * This is because they are afraid to pay bonuses. Because they don't get it. Posted by: Matt Davis at July 30, 2008 10:37 AMDavid, I think there is one key difference here. In 1993, Ted Turner owned the Braves, and he wanted to win. In 2008, a media conglamerate owns the Braves, and they want to make a profit. I think Wren's hands are tied, and there's only so much he can do. Posted by: John Royal at July 30, 2008 10:38 AMIf this was the best the Braves could get for Tex they should have held on to him for the picks. No kick against Kotchman but he is what he is. He is good defensively but with little power at 1B. Tough to see him being a regular for a contender. Posted by: Bandit at July 30, 2008 11:47 AMWow David, your stock has dropped in my opinion. To say Wren doesn't get it, like someone said above me is extremely unfair. Also I'm pretty sure that JS had to sign off on this deal - so you're basically saying that both Wren and the guy that had Wren's seat just a year ago doesn't get it either. Sad. Posted by: Rain Delay at July 30, 2008 01:34 PM"No kick against Kotchman but he is what he is. He is good defensively but with little power at 1B. Tough to see him being a regular for a contender." Yeah, he certainly doesn't have a history of being a regular for a contender. Posted by: Los Angeles Waterloo of Black Hawk at July 30, 2008 03:18 PMThe difference between Kotchman and Teixeira is not as great as some are saying. Tex is a great player, but Kotchman is no slouch either. He is 25 years old, plays very good defense, will hit close to .300 with 20 -25 homers. When he hits his prime in a year or two he could easily develop into a power hitter. Braves realized it isn't happening this year and decided Kotchman will be a bigger contributer the next couple years than the draft picks. It also works for LAA as Vlad needs protection in the order. Win - win trade. Posted by: largebill at July 30, 2008 05:18 PM"Frank Wren made a trade that turned a strength into a weakness." I think this is an unfair statement. After Teixeira left, the Braves were looking at a huge black hole at 1B next season, and Kotchman at least gives the Braves a semi-decent player without much cost. Also, Kotchman walked twice as often in 2007, so don't be surprised if his OBP improves. Finally, he's young enough that he may develop some more power. Is the author really suggesting that the Braves should have further depleted the farm system in a desperate attempt to make the playoffs this season? If so, I strongly disagree. First, the Braves find themselves behind not one, but three teams. Secondly, the '93 Braves were already a good team before they got McGriff, whereas the '08 Braves are sitting below .500. I don't know anyone who follows the Braves who believes that the Braves were one player away from making a run at the playoffs. Finally, with 3 rounds in the playoffs rather than 2, the odds of winning the World Series is lower even if you do make the playoffs, so it makes less sense to make long-term sacrifices for one shot at a title. Posted by: K-Funk at July 30, 2008 07:03 PMI must add that Chipper and Hudson recently went on the DL, which makes the chances of a playoff run even more remote. Maybe the author wasn't really suggesting that the Braves should have been buyers. But then, what was the point of the McGriff comparison? (And lest you believe that JS had the Midas touch for acquiring players for a post-season run, it was just last season that JS acquired Teixeira, which didn't work out as well as the Braves hoped.) Posted by: K-Funk at July 30, 2008 07:11 PMI don't think this is evidence that Wren doesn't get it; I think this is evidence that, like the Indians, Wren looked at the product on the field and decided it wasn't going to get the job done. With Chipper and Hudson leaving a mediocre team, I can't say I blame him. Had Wren gone the other way and looked to deal for, say, Manny, that would have been hubris on the Minaya/Expos scale from a few years ago. Kotchman's biggest problem is that he hasn't stayed healthy, which means he doesn't stay on the field long enough for his glove to boost his bat. He's an excellent-fielding, average-for-1B bat with some projection/upside left who is under team control for three more years. You can fault him for execution (2 months of Teixeira seems like it's worth more, but apparently not), but saying he doesn't get it just seems wrong. Yeah, he certainly doesn't have a history of being a regular for a contender. Obviously LAAAAAA wouldn't have dumped him if they didn't think they needed an upgrade. Posted by: bandit at July 30, 2008 09:46 PMPost a comment
|
Navigation
EMail
Home About the Author Dedication Baseball Musings Radio Show Sporting News Columns Day by Day Database Lineup Analysis Defensive Charts, Probabilistic Model of Range Syndicate this site:  Full post feed: Robot Podcast Feed Terms of Service Mitchell & Ness Throwback Jerseys
View blog authority
Tickets and Other Links
Buy MLB Baseball tickets online including Boston Red Sox tickets, New York Yankees tickets, Baltimore Orioles tickets, Chicago Cubs tickets, San Francisco Giants tickets, Washington Nationals tickets, Los Angles Dodgers tickets, Florida Marlins tickets. San Diego Padres tickets, Cardinals box seats and premium astros tickets. We also carry concert tickets and theater tickets.
MLB Baseball Baltimore Orioles Tickets Boston Red Sox Tickets Chicago Cubs Tickets Chicago White Sox Tickets Houston Astros Tickets LA Dodgers Tickets New York Yankees Tickets Washington Nationals Tickets and St Louis Cardinals Tickets GET ME IN! is the leading marketplace for: Sports Tickets Football Tickets Rugby Union Tickets Rugby League Tickets Hong Kong Sevens Tickets MotoGP Tickets Grand Prix Tickets NBA Tickets NFL Tickets Theatre Tickets and Concert Tickets Ticketamerica.com MLB Tickets Chicago Cubs Cincinnati Reds Houston Astros Milwaukee Brewers Pittsburgh Pirates St. Louis Cardinals Boston Red Sox New York Yankees Tampa Bay Devil Rays Premiership football tickets FA cup tickets Champions league tickets Football tickets Olympics tickets Super Media Blog CHEAP MLB Baseball Tickets New York Mets Tickets Boston Red Sox Tickets Cheap Yankees Baseball Tickets Chicago White Sox Tickets More Sports Tickets For Sale MLB Baseball Playoff Tickets Broadway Play Tickets Las Vegas Show Tickets Concert Tickets Ninja Tickets indexes top ticket brokers so you can find great prices on Major League Baseball Tickets including World Series Tickets, Super Bowl Tickets, and National Hockey League Tickets. Find better seats at better prices with NinjaTickets.com.
US Cellular Field
Red Sox Tickets Boston Bruins Tickets Boston Celtics Tickets New England Patriots Tickets Boston Concerts and Theater Events Cricket Tickets Football Tickets Ashes Tickets Corporate Hospitality Wimbledon Tickets Grand Prix Tickets British Grand Prix Tickets London Theatre Tickets Concert Tickets AC Milan Tickets WWE Tickets Real Madrid Tickets Barcelona Tickets Football Tickets Premiership Tickets Manchester United Tickets Arsenal Tickets Chelsea Tickets Liverpool Tickets FA Cup Tickets Champions League Tickets Ticket Solutions Premium World Series Tickets MLB All-Star Game Online Concert Tickets Superbowl Football Tickets MLB Tickets New York Yankees Tickets Cubs Tickets Red Sox Tickets White Sox Tickets Cardinals Tickets JustGreatTickets.com Chicago Cubs Tickets Chicago White Sox Tickets Ohio State Football Tickets Notre Dame Football Tickets Wicked Tickets New York Yankees Tickets New York Giants Tickets Philadelphia Eagles Tickets Super Bowl Tickets World Series Tickets MLB Tickets Detroit Tigers Tickets Chicago White Sox Tickets Houston Astros Tickets NFL Tickets NCAA Football Tickets Dave Matthews Band Tickets American Idols Live Tickets Theater Tickets Sold Out Entertainments Football Tickets Premiership Tickets Arsenal Tickets Chelsea Tickets Liverpool Tickets Manchester United Tickets Champions League Tickets Rugby Tickets Concert Tickets You Can Buy MLB Baseball Tickets Online, Boston Red Sox Baseball Tickets. We Also Provide Los Angeles Angels Baseball Tickets, Premuim Dodgers Tickets & Cheap Chicago Cubs Tickets. Minnesota Twins Tickets Twins Baseball Tickets Buy Twins Tickets Cheap Twins Tickets wood bats wood baseball bats maple wood bats maple bats baseball bats wood baseball bats custom wood bats maple baseball bats pro maple bats professional wood bats White Sox vs. Cubs Tickets Dodgers vs. Angels Tickets Red Sox vs. Yankees Tickets Red Sox Tickets Yankees Tickets Throwback jerseys 
Calendar
Recent Entries
New RSS Feed
New Look Coming Team Offense, Arizona Diamondbacks Lastings Impression Pledge Drive Update Long Term Lester Stadium Pictures Lugo and Lowrie Pledge Drive Update Team Offense, Pittsburgh Pirates
Search
Archives
By Category:
Advertising (10) Agents (12) All-Star Game (173) All-Time Greats (239) Army Strong (8) Attendance (174) Authors (3) Awards (169) Base Running (78) Baseball (1581) Baseball Jerks (219) Blogs (759) Books (129) Broadcasts (568) Charity (49) Cheating (665) Collectibles (15) College (1) Colleges (3) Commissioner (40) Conditioning (1) Contests (10) Crime (100) Cuba (1) Deaths (169) Defense (372) Demographics (8) Discipline (12) Division Races (724) Draft (63) Equipment (25) Fan Rant (46) Fan Violence (10) Fans (58) Fantasy Baseball (38) Feats (3) Films (3) Free Agents (782) Games (5549) History (102) Hit Streaks (22) Humor (64) Ice Cream (4) Illnesses (135) Independent Leagues (16) Infrastructure (3) Injuries (1122) International (76) Interviews (168) League Championship Series (1170) League Division Series (923) Little League (2) Management (1281) Mascots (4) Matchups (698) Mechandising (46) Minor Leagues (12) Movies (9) News Media (96) Oddities (1) Offense (216) Old Timers (4) On Base (18) Opening Day (210) Opening Day Impressions (19) Other (321) Owners (73) Pennant Races (32) Pitchers (2911) Players (1524) Podcasts (185) Post Season (59) Power Hitting (5) Pranks (1) Predictions (145) Probabilistic Model of Range (108) Public Relations (8) Records (153) Rivals (2) Rookies (44) Rules (25) Salaries (12) Scheduling (22) Science (1) Scoring (5) Series (61) Simulations (5) Sluggers (752) Spring Training (117) Stadiums (279) Standings (25) Statistics (996) steroids (1) Strategy (171) Streaks (14) Superstitions (16) Team Evaluation (937) Team Movements (58) Tickets (56) Trades (700) Transactions (321) Umpires (53) Uniforms (17) Union (22) Welcome! (3) women (4) World Cup (170) World Series (657) By Month: March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 November 2005 October 2005 September 2005 August 2005 July 2005 June 2005 May 2005 April 2005 March 2005 February 2005 January 2005 December 2004 November 2004 October 2004 September 2004 August 2004 July 2004 June 2004 May 2004 April 2004 March 2004 February 2004 January 2004 December 2003 November 2003 October 2003 September 2003 August 2003 July 2003 June 2003 May 2003 April 2003 March 2003 February 2003 January 2003 December 2002 November 2002 October 2002 September 2002 August 2002 July 2002 June 2002 May 2002 April 2002 March 2002
Credits
  
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Advertise on the Baseball Blogosphere!
Baseball Musings Fantasy Games
Sports Books
Fan Store
Baseball Info Solutions The publisher of the Bill James Handbook and a great source of stats.
ESPN.com's baseball page.
STATS, Inc. You'll find great baseball books and fantasy games here.
Baseball Direct Scoreboard This is powered by STATS, Inc. Good box scores, and good situational stats.
Baseball Reference.com It's like having Total Baseball and the Big Mac online!
Baseball Trade Rumors Thoughts on wheeling and dealing.
Baseball Prospectus.com Wonderful commentary and analysis.
Baseball Primer Baseball for the Thinking Fan.
The Hardball Times Baseball. Insight. Daily.
Minor League Spilts Database Up-to-date minor league statistics, broken down by situation.
Inside The Book A blog by the authors of The Book.
Baseboogle A search engine for baseball research sites.
Win Shares From Major League Baseball Graphs.
The Transaction Guy A baseball transactions blog.
Japan Baseball Daily An English language site for Japanese baseball news and stats.
Doug's Business of Baseball Weblog A blog with a focus on the economics of the game.
Why I Like Baseball A Yankee fan writes about her favorite team.
Skilton's Baseball Links Links to numerous baseball sources.
Dan Lewis A blog about all sports.
Birds in the Belfry A site about the Orioles. Articles and research.
Only Baseball Matters A baseball blog by a John J. Perricone.
Jocksalot Lots of sports links.
Al's Ramblings A Brewer's blog.
Futility Infielder Jay Jaffe's baseball site. More than just a blog.
Mike's Baseball Rants Mike Carminati's baseball blog.
Aaron's Baseball Blog A general interest baseball blog.
Boy of Summer Travis Nelson on baseball.
Baseball Crank Dan McLaughlin's blog on baseball, the war and politics.
Bambino's Curse Edward Cossette's blog about the Red Sox.
Oakland Athletics Blog David Levens writes about the A's.
Ducksnorts Articles and Blog by Geoff.
Boston Sports Media Bruce Allen's roundup of the Boston Sports Media.
The Diamond Angle An online baseball magazine.
The Cub Reporter A Chicago Cubs blog.
Bronx Banter A baseball blog by Al Belth.
At Home Plate Articles by Jonathan Leshanski.
Dodger Thoughts Jon Weisman on the Dodgers.
The Clark & Addison Chronicle A Chicago Cubs web log.
Baseball Writing Joe Zibell's essays on baseball.
The Eddie Kranepool Society A Mets blog.
Mariners Weblog The Seattle Post-Intelligencer's weblog written by Shannon Fears
PortlandSoxFan.com A Red Sox blog from Portland, CT.
The Detroit Tigers Weblog Two Tigers fans and their take on the Motor City team.
A Rookie's Life The blog of Cleveland Indians' rookie Jody Gerut.
The Baseball Desert An Englishman living in France writes about the American game.
ChiSox Daily Mike Lubuda writes about the White Sox.
Shallow Center A blog mostly about the Phillies.
The House that Dewey Built Jeff Kuhn writes about the Red Sox.
SethSpeaks.net A blog by a Twins fan.
Frank's Field of Dreams News about Asian players in the United States.
Jay's Giants Blog William Jay blogging about the Giants.
Baseball Savant Cutting edge baseball news and analysis updated everyday from all aspects of the greatest show on dirt!
Athletics Nation Blogging about the A's.
Red Reporter JD Arney writes about the Reds.
Dominican Players Raul Tavares writes about players from his home country.
The Pearly Gates An Anaheim Angels Blog.
Red Sox Haven Randy Booth on baseball.
Tigers Weblog The Detroit News weblog on the Tigers, written by Tom Gage.
Management by Baseball Jeff Angus writes on how business can learn from baseball.
The View From the Bleachers A Chicago Cubs blog.
Cubs Now! Brian Hipp on the Cubs.
Honest Wagner A Pittsburgh Pirates weblog.
All-Baseball.com A collection of excellent baseball weblogs.
Soxaholix A comic strip blog about the Red Sox.
Most Valuable Network Blogging all 30 teams.
Baseball, Etcetera Andrew Godfrey's baseball blog.
Most Valuable Network, Astros Lisa Gray and others write about the Astros.
fenwayfanatics.com A Boston Red Sox blog.
Balls, Sticks & Stuff A sports blog with an emphasis on baseball.
Phillies Nation Brian Michael writes about the Phillies.
Batgirl Less stats, more sass.
Sabernomics Economic thinking about baseball.
Fire Brand of the American League A blog about the Red Sox.
Ivy Chat Chicago Cubs and other rants.
Baseball Evolution A group website writing about baseball.
The Cubdom.com Byron Clarke blogs about the Cubs.
Red Sox Stats Sabermetric numbers for the Red Sox system.
DRays Bay A blog devoted to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.
Baseball Analysts Rich Lederer and Bryan Smith combine their baseball expertise into a single site.
Over the Monster A Red Sox blog by Randy Booth.
Viva el Birdos Ghosts of the St. Louis Cardinals past, present, and future.
Black Sox Blog A look at the current and historical teams of the South Side of Chicago.
Redleg Nation A group blog about the Cincinnati Reds.
Barry's Journal Barry Bonds' web log.
Hardball Dollars Keeping track of major league salaries.
Clem's Baseball and it's "Green Cathedrals" The resource for baseball stadiums on the web.
The Baseball Zealot Looking at the game of baseball from all sides of the spectrum .
Was Watching Laconic commentary from a Yankeeland zealot.
Bleed Cubbie Blue A Chicago Cubs blog.
Beaneball A's baseball from the heart of New York City.
The Writers A collection of sports writers express their opinions.
Yard Work What the Baseball Tonight crew would write if it could.
United States of Baseball Peter Handrinos' baseball columns.
Beer Leaguer Alternative veiwpoints on the Philadelphia Phillies.
Red Sox Connection Links to everything Red Sox.
Baseball Pilgrimages Stories of visits to baseball parks.
Fangraphs Multi-year charts of player stats.
Roto Authority Unique fantasy baseball information.
Yanksfan vs. Soxfan A Yankees fan and a Red Sox fan battle it out in the blogosphere.
Sawxblog.com A Red Sox fan writes about the home town team.
Oriole Magic An MVN blog about the Orioles.
The Baltimore Chop Joseph Jackson on the Orioles.
Lookout Landing A Seattle Mariners blog.
Sons of Bart Brush A blog about the Harvard baseball team.
Base Blogging A resource for sports and baseball bloggers.
Three True Outcomes A group blog by on major league baseball.
Cardinals Diaspora A blog for Cardinals fans living away from St. Louis.
Where Have You Gone, Andy Van Slyke? A Pittsburgh fan chronicles life in the Grand Canyon.
Brew Crew Ball A blog about the Milwaukee Brewers.
Getting Paid to Watch Posts by a former trainer for the NY Mets.
The Gas House Gang An historical St. Louis Cardinals Blog.
6-4-2 An Angels/Dodgers double play blog.
El Guapo's Ghost Rambles on about the Red Sox Baseball and the Red Sox.
Baseball Etc
Tiger Tales A Detroit Tigers web log.
The Baseball Card Blog A blog about baseball cards.
Sox1Fan A Red Sox blog.
Out of Left Field Another Red Sox blog.
New York Yankees Update A Yankees blog with lots of photos.
Liberty Ball A current and historical Phillies blog.
Crawfish Boxes A Houston Astros blog.
MLB Rumors Clearinghouse News from around the majors.
Roar From 34 A group blog about the Orioles.
Blogging Baseball All-time baseball highlights and real-time commentary.
Rubber Arm A group blog about major league baseball.
Fenway Nation More news about the Red Sox.
Rays of Light A Devil Rays blog.
Fantasy Baseball Chronicle Information for fantasy players.
American Legends A sports blog.
Duffy's Cliff An interactive Red Sox site, featuring a lexicon of the Red Sox.
Oriole Post - The World of Baseball and Beyond An Orioles blog.
DRays Bay A Devil Rays blog.
Mets Heads A blog about the New York Mets.
The Soul of Baseball Joe Posnanski promotes his book on Buck O'Neil and blogs about baseball.
My Baseball Bias A blog about East Coast baseball.
Sports Business Radio Articles and talk about the business of sports.
The Game of Baseball A blog about Major League Baseball.
Baseball Hot Corner Opinionated observations for the thinking fan.
FantasyDope.com Fantasy baseball news.
Peter's Red Sox Forever A Red Sox blog.
Sox Nest Commentary on the Red Sox.
The Big Oz A Florida Marlins blog.
Baseball Reflections Where old school baseball meets sabermetrics.
The Sommer Frieze A Yankees blog.
Fenway Nation A Red Sox fan site.
In-Between Hops A Milwaukee Brewers blog.
Right Field Bleachers Another Milwaukee Brewers blog.
On Baseball and the Reds Another Cincinnati Reds blog.
Crooked Pitch A fantasy baseball blog.
Bless You Boys A Detroit Tigers blog.
Cubs f/x Pitch f/x and the Chicago Cubs.
The Hot Corner
Eephus Pitch Tossing pure junk about New York baseball since 2006.
It Is High, It Is Far, It Is Caught A tribute to John Sterling.
Baseball GB Baseball from a British perspective.
Nick and Nick's Twins Blog A couple of Nicks write on the Twins.
SkyKing162 Baseball with a hint of lime.
Center Field A Red Sox blog.
Empyreal Environs Writing about the Red Sox.
Trophy League Planet Aggregating the baseball blogosphere.
Cardinals Best News Links Aggregating St. Louis Cardinals news.
Zell's Pinstripe Blog A Yankees Blog.
HSAC Blog Official Musings of the Harvard College Sports Analysis Collective.
The Baseball Fix A general baseball blog.
MLB Roundup A baseball video blog.
Fantasy Dope Fantasy Baseball News.
The Cubs Brickyard Hilarious fake news.
Spitting Seeds A blog about Major League baseball.
Infield Chatter A blog covering all aspects of baseball.
The Bronx View A blog and podcast about the Yankees.
Jorge Says No A blog about the Yankees.
Ivy League to MLB Shawn Haviland blogs about his efforts to rise through the Oakland Athletics system.
This Purist Bleeds Pinstripes Blog of a girl who somehow has found a way to balance being a baseball purist with being a New York Yankees fan.
Baseball from Wrigley A Chicago Cubs blog.
Sliding into Home A Yankees blog.
Boras Blog Blogging about Scott Boras.
Injury Tool Fantasy Pitch F/X offers complete information on injuries.
Instapundit Politics and the law. This site inspired me to start blogging.
Rookie Cards Baseball Card grading.
Wild Treasure Treasure hunts through the blogosphere.
San Diego Ticket Finder San Diego Ticket Information.
Prize Sports.net Baseball Collectibles.
Fantasy Sports R Us The #1 Fantasy Baseball Leagues site on the web.
RotoRank - Fantasy Baseball Draft Guides Customized For Any Fantasy Baseball League.
