Considering Javier Vazquez for the Atlanta Braves

by gondeee on Nov 24, 2008 2:05 PM EST in Trade News Comment 20 comments

This was brought up today (hat tip: VictorW) and has been brought up before, but the more I look at it the more we should probably consider encouraging the Atlanta Braves to acquire Javier Vazquez from the Chicago White Sox. One of the early rumored moves for the Sox this off-season was to let Orlando Cabrera walk, move Alexi Ramirez from second to short, and try and acquire a second baseman. I brought up about a month ago that we could dangle our second-sacker, Kelly Johnson, for a power bat like Jermaine Dye; but we could just as easily dangle him for a guy like Javier Vazquez.

Some may be scared off by the line that Vazquez put up last year:

	W-L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	BS	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	K	ERA	WHIP
2008 - Javier Vazquez	12-16	33	33	1	0	0	0	208.1	214	113	108	25	61	200	4.67	1.32

While the ERA is higher than normal, all the other stats are just about in line with his career numbers. While digging through his stats I came across his line at Turner Field:

5W, 4L, 11GS, 2SHO, 70.1IP, 3.45ERA, 59H, 8HR, 18BB, 60SO

Not too shabby. Compare those with Derek Lowe (3.54 ERA at the Ted), A.J. Burnett (5.08), and Jake Peavy (4.38, though it's only 2 games), and Vazquez certainly holds his own in this group (at least at the Ted). Couple this with his track record of throwing 200+ innings eight of the last nine years and still being a strikeout pitcher, and he doesn't seem like such a bad option -- in fact he seems like a very decent option.

The White Sox have already shown a desire to trade players this year by sending Nick Swisher to the Yankees. And the price for him wasn't too high, only a backup third baseman, low-upside bullpen arm, and another aging young arm stuck between double and triple-A. Ceratinly Kelly Johnson would be far and away better than anything the Sox got for Swisher, and the Braves would be able to use fewer pieces than it would take to get Jake Peavy.

Hopefully a move like this is on the Braves radar; not necessarily as an option for a number-one starter, but for that equally as valuable second arm in the rotation -- an arm that can throw a ton of innings.

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Does anyone think it’s a possibility for the Braves to acquire Dye and Vazquez in a deal? I think KJ is the center piece but we have prospects like Blanco, Brandon Jones, Josh Anderson, Jo-Jo Reyes, etc…. that we could throw in. I’m not saying all these guys are the trade but we have some filler type guys that were just as good as the yankees.

If the Braves pull a trade like this we fill two holes and keep our prospects. We sign the best FA pitcher we can and were in good shape. Back fill with Prado or shop for a veteran bargain for insurance.

by Charmin519 on Nov 24, 2008 2:15 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

I certainly hope the Braves would make a deal for those two players along with the signing of an other starting pitcher. My guess is the Braves would have to include way better players then the Yankees send to Chicago. Swisher was not that popular anyway in Chicago. Dye performed very well but he is not the centerpiece of a youth movement the White Sox are envisioning. I actually don’t see why the White Sox would do this deal. Maybe to sign a younger FA Starter? But how would they replace Dye. Hopefully they thrust Fields, Konerko, Thome, Quentin Ramirez and Kelly Johnson to produce enough.

by Dutch Braves Fan on Nov 24, 2008 2:22 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

If the deal is right...

and it very well could be. Vasquez is quite the underrated commodity. His peripheral numbers have always outperformed his ERA, whether that’s the result of luck or something he’s doing, but I’m not going to object to having a pitcher who has a career K/BB ratio over three and makes 30+ starts every year.

by BraveBronco0121 on Nov 24, 2008 2:32 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Two birds with one stone...

Is exactly the kind of deal we need to make if we are going to go about trading folks. After thinking it over, to resign Smoltz (we need to), Hampton (probably a good idea), Glavine (I don’t want to but I bet it happens), Ohman (a good idea), and Norton (a must), plus a free agent starter (assuming just one, like Peavy, comes from a trade) and a free agent bat, we would need more than 40 mil. A deal for a bat and a hurler will be much cheaper. We should see what it would take to get Dye and Vasquez. I bet its around the same as Peavy, but it fills two holes.

by someguy917 on Nov 24, 2008 3:09 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

why do you keep ignoring brad penny?

i’m not saying he’s the best option, but he at least deserves to be mentioned in these things. especially since he’s a FA and low cost, so there won’t be any future mortgaging.

by son.of.sourman on Nov 24, 2008 3:44 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

because theres a 95% chance hes going to have shoulder surgery in the offseason and miss most of the year.

Following the Braves...one long hard drink at a time.

by bigjoe on Nov 24, 2008 4:04 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Dye and Vazquez

I think Wren should target both Dye and Vazquez and it will definitely take KJ plus maybe Gorkys and two or three young pitchers. Those will be two very servicable pieces of the puzzle though and would leave enough money to sign a guy like Burnett. It would also give us more leverage in the Peavey situation.

by JFP on Nov 24, 2008 4:04 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Perfect.

We should definitely be interested in Vazquez and, considering his offseason last year and his falling from grace with Guillen, I think he could be a solid bargain.

Here we go again: http://thefulldeck.blogspot.com/

by ejruiz on Nov 24, 2008 4:11 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Dunn vs. Dye

Vazquez would be a solid pickup. It’ something I hadn’t thought about, and now I kind of hope it happens.

But given a choice between Adam Dunn and Jermaine Dye, I’d rather have Dunn. Dunn will probably be around $1-2 mill/yr more expensive, but he’s almost 6 years younger than Dye. Dunn is in his power prime right now and is an on-base machine (despite striking out a lot), whereas Dye’s best has come and gone.

by coldriver10 on Nov 24, 2008 4:16 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

I agree with you on Dunn, but Wren seems to be reluctant to a LH. I personally don’t understand why Dunn doens’t get that much attention in this offseason. Off course he is athletic limited and he strikes out a lot, but he also hit the past 3 seasons 40 homers. Too bad for the rbi’s but he had no Chipper, Johnson Escobar etc. in front of him (read on base).

by Dutch Braves Fan on Nov 24, 2008 5:08 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Vasquez

Could the Sox be looking for salary relief? I don’t know about his deal, but we might get off light in terms of talent if we pick up his tab.

by niekromurphy on Nov 24, 2008 4:44 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

I like Vazquez a lot. I guess at some point you say shame on me for continuing to be fooled by Vazquez’s solid peripherals, but I buy him as a #2/#3 starter if you get him out of the AL. He still misses a ton of bats, keeps the walks down and keeps the ball in the park. What’s not to like?

by tgthree on Nov 24, 2008 5:53 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

I like it!

I like the idea of getting these two guys. Jermaine Dye fits nicely in LF and provides that pop we need between B-Mac and Chip. JV is the type of pitcher we need. He’s a solid#2 eats alot of innings, he’s 31 or 32 years old and rarely gets hurt. I think we make this deal and get Peavy we are golden. But>>>

I really hate to see KJ go and Escobar, I really do.I think Prado can fill in very nicely at 2nd base but I am not to sure who our SS whould be. Furcal seems to be headed either to the A’s or Giants so thats a big concern. Orlando Cab, or Edgar Rentaria are options. If this happens our lineup will look something like this:

Batting Order: Pitching Rotation:
1.Anderson CF Jake Peavy
2.Prado 2B Javier Vasquez
3.Chipper 3B Jair Jurrgens
4.Dye LF Mike Hampton
5.B-Mac C Jorge Campillo/Hanson
6.Jeff RF
7.Kotchman 1B
8.SS(unless its a legitamate leadoff hitter, bat 1st, if not ,he’ll bat last)

by AlRoBraves95 on Nov 24, 2008 6:01 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Renteria signed with the Giants today.

by coldriver10 on Nov 24, 2008 6:12 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

False. Renteria’s agent says that Renteria is in Colombia, and no deal is close.

by tgthree on Nov 24, 2008 6:19 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah I just saw that. Man, false info bothers me. Like when we all heard the story “Padres expected to ask Peavy to waive no trade clause for trade to Atlanta.”

by coldriver10 on Nov 24, 2008 7:45 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs