Braves Re-Sign Eric Hinske
by gondeee on Dec 2, 2010 3:05 PM EST
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The Atlanta Braves have re-signed their most valuable pinch hitter from last year's team. Eric Hinske agreed to a one year contract with Atlanta that also includes a club option year. Hinske chose Atlanta over the Brewers, the other team that was interested in signing the veteran pinch hitter.
The dollar figures for the contract are not yet known, but it is believed to include lots of incentives based on plate appearances. This is a good deal by Frank Wren and company to secure one of the best pinch hitters in the business, and a great team player. Hinske also gives us a good power presence to back up Martin Prado in left field and Freddie Freeman at first base.
[UPDATE 7:25pm]
According to David O'Brien of the AJC, Hinske's deal includes a 2011 salary of $1.35 million, and a 2012 club option for $1.5 million with a $100,000 buyout. Several writers had earlier indicated on Twitter that the deal had added incentives based upon plate appearances, but there's been no further mention of that.
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WOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!
If Albert played in the AFL, they’d have to rename it the AZ/NM Fall League, based on where his homers landed.
Jorge Cantu
Why don’t the Braves try to bring him in and play backup to Chipper and if Chipper gets hurt the team will have a legit 3rd base. this guy played decent for the Marlins and could be a huge pickup.
With Prado in left...
…we can just sign an OF for that back-up purpose. Cantu is a horrible fielding thirdbaseman and not that good of a hitter. I would pass.
Thata boy, Frank.
"That guy mvhsbball is really an insufferable schmuck." - FuquaManuel
by Scott Coleman on Dec 2, 2010 3:07 PM EST reply actions 2 recs
Great news!
No wonder nobody likes you, Tuttle... everything's a (Pujols) damn debate.
by royhobbs on Dec 2, 2010 3:08 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
Yes!
"That guy mvhsbball is really an insufferable schmuck." - FuquaManuel
by Scott Coleman on Dec 2, 2010 3:10 PM EST up reply actions
This is perfect.
Now Frank Wren can head into the winter meetings with a clear focus on what the team needs.
J.J. Putz, please.
"That guy mvhsbball is really an insufferable schmuck." - FuquaManuel
by Scott Coleman on Dec 2, 2010 3:11 PM EST up reply actions
Really?
Please explain how he’s worth what he’ll br asking… I’m not disagreeing, I just don’t fully see it
"I wasn’t thinking about it. That’s the worst celebration of all time. I didn’t know what to do. I got lost in the moment." - Brian McCann
by HansonManCrush on Dec 2, 2010 3:13 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Just because he asks for something doesn't mean he's going to get it....
Putz has closing experience incase Kimbrel or Venters can’t do it, has a K/BB ratio of 3/1 and WHIP of 1.18. He’s been very good in every year except for 2009 with the Mets, which was going to be a disaster even before the season started. And he’s only 33, so he still has plenty left in his arm.
"That guy mvhsbball is really an insufferable schmuck." - FuquaManuel
by Scott Coleman on Dec 2, 2010 3:27 PM EST up reply actions
If there is one thing this team does not have a need for, it’s another back of the bullpen arm.
We have so many options right now.
I’d prefer that we just get a CF. If we waste money on a closer, I will be more pissed than when we traded Yunel.
This guy wants to suck all the cubs dick can he not have an unbias some what partition reguards
by RWH2 on Apr 5, 2010 10:20 AM CDT
by justincredubil02 on Dec 2, 2010 3:32 PM EST up reply actions
Did you not watch the team last year?
Why were we so damn good? Our bullpen. And it’s not like Putz is going to cost us $13M like Saito and Wagner did (which turned out to be a hell of an investment). He’ll cost us 3-4M and he would be more than worth it.
"That guy mvhsbball is really an insufferable schmuck." - FuquaManuel
by Scott Coleman on Dec 2, 2010 3:39 PM EST up reply actions
I’m kind of surprised Wickman made it out of Atlanta before Tim Hudson had the chance to murder him.
"That guy mvhsbball is really an insufferable schmuck." - FuquaManuel
by Scott Coleman on Dec 2, 2010 3:43 PM EST up reply actions
I still remember that game in Florida back in ’07.
The birth of Jason Heyward was God’s punishment for the sins of the people in New York and Philly.
The one where he took the chew out of his mouth, threw it to the ground, and then tripped and almost fell over? Good stuff.
"That guy mvhsbball is really an insufferable schmuck." - FuquaManuel
by Scott Coleman on Dec 2, 2010 3:51 PM EST up reply actions
It’s the one where Hudson took a 3-0 lead into the 9th and then Wickman threw a wild pitch for the winning run. I don’t know if that’s the same one.
The birth of Jason Heyward was God’s punishment for the sins of the people in New York and Philly.
Our bullpen was good last year – and most of them come back this year. Why do we need to go spend money on big-name “closers” when we can pay less than $1M combined to two guys who can do the job as well as anyone.
If they don’t work out, then we look at our other internal options like Aussie.
We have 3 cheap in-house options for the back of the bp. I fail to see how this necessitates spending ANY more money on that position.
This guy wants to suck all the cubs dick can he not have an unbias some what partition reguards
by RWH2 on Apr 5, 2010 10:20 AM CDT
by justincredubil02 on Dec 2, 2010 11:41 PM EST up reply actions
Most of them are coming back?
Our closer, who was one of the best in baseball last year, is gone. Sure, we can replace him with Kimbrel or Venters, but that takes away from our options in the 7th or 8th innings. Saito is also gone, and when he was healthy, he flat out dominated. We’re also without Dunn, who is a more than capable LOOGY.
If we don’t add anyone via free agency, we’re looking at:
Kimbrel
Venters
Moylan
EOF
Proctor
Martinez
Marek/Gearrin/etc.
That really isn’t all that great. We have no clue how Kimbrel will handle the full time closer’s role, and we have to at least consider that Venters threw a ridiculous amount of innings last year. Will his arm hold up?
Moylan has gotten worse the last 3 years and had serious issues with control in 2010, and we still don’t know if EOF’s vision issues are fixed. If either of those guys go down, we’re in big trouble.
Proctor hasn’t really pitched in the Major Leagues in 4 years, and Martinez and the other in-house guy are total unknowns as well. Sure, we could hope for a Venters 2.0 performance from someone, but that seems awful risky, doesn’t it?
We need to add at least one arm to the bullpen, if not two.
"That guy mvhsbball is really an insufferable schmuck." - FuquaManuel
by Scott Coleman on Dec 3, 2010 1:57 AM EST up reply actions
Venters threw less last year than he normally does. He was a starter, remember?
That bullpen that you just posted is the best in the division, and stil one of the best in baseball.
We have an idea how Kimbel will handle the full-time role since he has been closing full time his entire career, and was beas at the end of as season. It isn’t guaranteed, but it is an idea.
If he fails for some reason, we have Venters and Moylan.
Moylan had issues??? Did you watch him pitch? He was absolutely dominant.
We don’t NEED to add any arms to the BP. We NEED a CF.
This guy wants to suck all the cubs dick can he not have an unbias some what partition reguards
by RWH2 on Apr 5, 2010 10:20 AM CDT
by justincredubil02 on Dec 3, 2010 9:07 AM EST up reply actions
CF will come in the summer
it will give mcllouth a chance to prove himself or loose all faith,
and it will give young or that guy from the indians a chance to prove themselves as the backup CF—both have the chance to turn out awesome—both stole over 35 bases, hit over 310 and had obp around 375 last year in AAA…the guy from the indians is a switch hitter too.. i just wish i could find out minor league splits somewhere? if his numbers are balanced or weighted against left handed pitchers, he is mclouth’s perfect backup.
cone next summer though
we will likely be calling up Teheran or the second of Beachy/Minor and will have a 6th starting pitcher to make a centerpiece of the trade..
Luckily a new centerfielder deals with the CF and likely a potential 3B problem as well, since it would mvoe someone to left, and prado to third if need be.. but still, waiting till the summer will give us a chance to make sure we are filling the right hole
Who has advocated spending big money on a name closer?
I think most suggestions I’ve seen mention going after 1 or 2 guys who’d accept somewhere around $2-3m, and at most $5m, hopefully getting 2 experienced, quality bullpen arms for around that $5m total.
That first paragraph is almost like you’re arguing against a position no one else advocated.
http://sportsandgrits.blogspot.com/
Thats a lot of money to spend considering our remaining budget and needs.
This guy wants to suck all the cubs dick can he not have an unbias some what partition reguards
by RWH2 on Apr 5, 2010 10:20 AM CDT
by justincredubil02 on Dec 3, 2010 9:08 AM EST up reply actions
Because a backup CF and backup SS will be prohibitively expensive?
and when free up some of KK’s salary in a dump, we’ll have around $10m remaining to spend, which is plenty enough for a couple experienced relievers and some bench depth.
http://sportsandgrits.blogspot.com/
you are the one saying we arnt able to dump KKs salary…there is no reason to think this will change, until some news alludes to such a fact.
I think Justin is right here, albeit drastically overreaching on his position. We don’t need bullpen help as much as we need a capable CF. If we are going to pursue a CF we should do so first and not worry about bullpen. If and when we get the OF sorted out, then we should start looking to fill out the pen if we can.
Our needs in the OF outweigh our bullpen needs, which doesnt mean we don’t have holes in our pen..it just means we have bigger holes that need addressing first.
"No. Lonely people mixing with one another? Breeding? Creating an even lonelier generation? You're not even allowing natural selection do its work. Pssh. You're like the guy who invented the seat belt."
Dwight Schrute
First paragraph is mistaken...
I don’t think we can dump KK’s FULL salary, but the above post said “free up some”. There is a difference between those two assertions. As of yet, we have been unwilling to find a trade partner in MLB willing to take on his full salary. We have reportedly been willing to eat a significant portion of that salary, and still inexplicably have been unable to part with a proven 4/5 caliber starter to another MLB team. But we have been reportedly getting offers from Japanese teams to eat $1-2m I believe was the report, and perhaps over $3m. Add the $2-3m+ to the current $5m+ we’ve got left to spend, that gives us $8m+, if not around $10m, to spend on a relief arm or two, and bench pieces to give depth for CF and SS.
http://sportsandgrits.blogspot.com/
Now that I read the second and third graphs...
I’ll respond to them. I agree, OF is a bigger need than bullpen, although that’s debatable. It depends on how confident you are in Schafer’s rehab and McLouth’s rebirth (neither of which I’m confident in), and how confident you are in the young arms like Kimbrel, Venters, Marek, EOF, Gearrin, Hyde, etc to fill the pen (of which I’m confident they can get it done). But with injuries possible, and almost inevitable, I’d like redundancy in the bullpen to round out the competition for spots.
As for comparing needs and what to fill when, the question comes that while OF may be a “bigger hole” than the bullpen, timing of filling those holes is immaterial imo. Also, filling the OF need is easier said than done. There aren’t the attractive, reasonable cost options for the OF need as there are for the bullpen need. If a trade comes along that is suitable to Wren, and fills the OF, make it. But don’t get desperate for an OF and overpay because of the unlikeliness of McLouth refinding his All Star form and Schafer’s wrist ever getting healthy enough to hit MLB pitching.
The free agent market for relief arms is a lot more attractive than the free agent market for OFs, so unless Wren has a trade partner with an acceptable deals, I don’t see how forgoing bullpen options just to find an OF that may or may not even be out there right now, is a good idea. Timing is irrelevant imo, so why wait to sign a reliever until after an OF is acquired?
http://sportsandgrits.blogspot.com/
it definately arguable, but i think OF is more important for us right now.
the reason timing is important, because it is much easier to fill the pen hole than the OF hole…and you don’t want to spend 5.5 M on a releiver [for arguments sake Scott Linebrink ;) ] and then not have a lot to work with for OF…it doenst matter if the resources are managed properly you are right..but if we have to have one id rather have an OF.
"No. Lonely people mixing with one another? Breeding? Creating an even lonelier generation? You're not even allowing natural selection do its work. Pssh. You're like the guy who invented the seat belt."
Dwight Schrute
why is centerfield a bigger hole?
yeah we all know mclouth is out there, but havent we figured out he is going to get a chance? he cost too much not to, and he will get his chance as a starter.. that is why we have brought in two AAA guys that could back him up, who have tools beyond mclouths even if they cant recreate their AAA batting numbers in the bigs.. they can both steal more bases, and they both play better defense…
i think this move tells us we are sticking iwth nate at least through the start of the season, and giving ourselves a couple decent options to help out… one of them who is a switch hitter could be especially good help against lhp, which mclouth is not so good against
$3-4M on a guy we don’t need is no where near worth it.
This guy wants to suck all the cubs dick can he not have an unbias some what partition reguards
by RWH2 on Apr 5, 2010 10:20 AM CDT
by justincredubil02 on Dec 2, 2010 11:42 PM EST up reply actions
i dont think we need 2 bullpen arms
id spend that money on just one guy
Exactly.
"That guy mvhsbball is really an insufferable schmuck." - FuquaManuel
by Scott Coleman on Dec 2, 2010 3:54 PM EST up reply actions
This
"If you were going to make a Mount Rushmore of managers, Bobby's one of them."
-Mike Scioscia
by The Keith Lockhart Era on Dec 2, 2010 4:57 PM EST up reply actions
No, but you can have too much money tied up in bullpen arms.
Not saying the Braves are there, but they do have a budget, so they can’t just acquire all the talent at every position that they can.
I spilled spot remover on my dog... now he's gone.
Well
Kimbrel, Venters, Gearrin, Marek are all at league minimum basically
Proctor at $750,000
Moylan and EOF getting raises
That’s a pretty damn cheap pen
Free Matt Young!
That's good.
That means more money to spend elsewhere. It’s not like the payroll has to be split at every position equally.
I spilled spot remover on my dog... now he's gone.
Agreed, and currently, we have more than we can field on the MLB team, and we have needs elsewhere on the field. The BP is a strength of this team right now, not something that needs to have more money spent on it.
This guy wants to suck all the cubs dick can he not have an unbias some what partition reguards
by RWH2 on Apr 5, 2010 10:20 AM CDT
by justincredubil02 on Dec 2, 2010 11:43 PM EST up reply actions
Such as?
We have plenty of options, but like with Cold War American/Russian nuclear policy, redundancy of resources is a good idea here.
http://sportsandgrits.blogspot.com/
We already have redundancy of resourses in the pen.
I’m just glad we all want to throw money at one of our strengths while ignoring our needs in the OF.
This guy wants to suck all the cubs dick can he not have an unbias some what partition reguards
by RWH2 on Apr 5, 2010 10:20 AM CDT
by justincredubil02 on Dec 3, 2010 9:09 AM EST up reply actions
Such as?...
feel free to list names, because everyone has reasons to doubt.
http://sportsandgrits.blogspot.com/
Do you seriously want me to list the names of all of our players who can fill a bullpen spot?
This guy wants to suck all the cubs dick can he not have an unbias some what partition reguards
by RWH2 on Apr 5, 2010 10:20 AM CDT
by justincredubil02 on Dec 4, 2010 4:27 AM EST up reply actions
Sure, I love lists of names
and I know there’s a lot, but adding one more name to the list, one with a somewhat lengthy, proven background of success at this level in a late inning role, at a pricetag of $2m is a good idea.
http://sportsandgrits.blogspot.com/
I disagree for the following reasons:
1. He costs way too much to fill a role that we already have internal options for.
2. His poven background of success has not been so successful recently.
3. $2 is anywhere from 50—67% of our remaining budget, leaving little cash to spend on bigger, more imporant needs.
4. Our bullpen is already crowded. Either he takes qualiy time away from Venters, Kimbrel and Moylan, or he doesn’t get the time that the highest-paid player in the pen should get.
This guy wants to suck all the cubs dick can he not have an unbias some what partition reguards
by RWH2 on Apr 5, 2010 10:20 AM CDT
by justincredubil02 on Dec 5, 2010 5:12 AM EST up reply actions
4-So you want a Bobby style, use 3 guys every day until their arms fall off bullpen usage?
http://sportsandgrits.blogspot.com/
No, but do want the better pitchers to pitch more often. Either Linebrink takes innings away from better pitchers, or he plays a filler role.
Either way, it isn’t worth 2M of our precious budget.
This guy wants to suck all the cubs dick can he not have an unbias some what partition reguards
by RWH2 on Apr 5, 2010 10:20 AM CDT
by justincredubil02 on Dec 6, 2010 2:02 PM EST up reply actions
Or he's a much better pitcher than you're giving him credit for...
I’m going with option C.
http://sportsandgrits.blogspot.com/
disagree mightily heres why
While Kimbrell and Venters are both looking awesome, another back of the pen arm with experience could simultaneously help them perform, be there when they start getting tired at some points in the season, and really transform our bullpen into a weapon..just one guy like that and i see our bullpen as a weapon like last year.. without it it everything seems less.
This is the biggest last move we should make in the off season. It would likely mean not signing diaz unless we can trade KK. (Trade KK we have money for Diaz)
the other option is not doing this and letting someone compete for the spot, and letting someone compete for centerfield and resign matt diaz and i am a huge diaz fan
I think the move for centerfield is a mid season move ive been saying this for a while..
I'd rather...
Entice Billy Wagner to join the team in spring training as an consultant to help Venters and Kimbrel. Who knows, it may talk him into giving it one more shot. I those two have what it takes to carry the back of the ’pen.
What manager John Russell thought when Morton hit J-Hey with a pitch, "Would you mind not shooting at the thermonuclear weapons!"
by I Saw Buzz Beaned on Dec 2, 2010 4:40 PM EST up reply actions
shit id say sign him at the allstar break next year out of retirement
let him rejuvinate the pen and be there when venters and kimbrells rookie arms are getting tired
We have that other back of the bullpen arm with experience, and he comes from the land Down Under.
This guy wants to suck all the cubs dick can he not have an unbias some what partition reguards
by RWH2 on Apr 5, 2010 10:20 AM CDT
by justincredubil02 on Dec 2, 2010 11:44 PM EST up reply actions
And...
he has gotten steadily worse the last few years. Bullpen arms are a fickle beast, so if we can bring in a couple cheap, quality arms (and under $5m, if not under $3m is relatively cheap) having an excess amount of quality relievers is a good idea since a kid or two probably fail, an old guy or two probably get hurt, etc. The current crop could be good, but hoping that every kid pans out and everyone stays healthy is hoping against reality.
http://sportsandgrits.blogspot.com/
By “Steadily worse” do you mean “one of the best in the game”?
This guy wants to suck all the cubs dick can he not have an unbias some what partition reguards
by RWH2 on Apr 5, 2010 10:20 AM CDT
by justincredubil02 on Dec 3, 2010 9:10 AM EST up reply actions
Let's not kid ourselves
I would like to suggest that everyone throw the notion that Peter Moylan could be a closer, out the window. I like Moylan a lot, but I wouldn’t necessarily considering him one of the best in the game. Pre-TJS, when he was capable of hitting 93-94 on his fastball with movement, he could have been perceived as a potential closer, while he was enjoying the luxury of his rookie unfamiliarity, but what we’ve seen over the last two years is probably closer to the real Moylan, and even that is a little skewed by the benefits of the first real drastic adjustment he’s made to his game since ditching 3/4 delivery in favor of sidearm 100% of the time.
He’s still an effective bullpen arm, and an important cog to a successful bullpen, but still prone to volatility more than the supposed bests in the game, but I don’t seem him as anything but a 7th inning guy, and maybe situational outs in the 8th or later. The increased walk-rate and contact rate, while strikeouts going down aren’t what you want out of a reliever as the leverage increases.
No wonder nobody likes you, Tuttle... everything's a (Pujols) damn debate.
It depends on how you define closer and what that role should really be.
Personally, I hate the idea of having a designated person to get the last 3 outs of a game, just because it’s the 9th inning and that’s what you are supposed to do.
I prefer to have a guy you can throw in during a high-leverage situation and put the fire out.
Many many games are saved in the 7th inning, not the 9th.
This guy wants to suck all the cubs dick can he not have an unbias some what partition reguards
by RWH2 on Apr 5, 2010 10:20 AM CDT
by justincredubil02 on Dec 4, 2010 4:30 AM EST up reply actions
No douchington...
I mean his numbers have regressed since his great opening season in 08, and his numbers this year were worse than last year, his BB/9, K/9, FIP, etc are on a downward trend.
http://sportsandgrits.blogspot.com/
I think we need to start a new fanpost that gets automatically rec’d so it stays at the top (a la the rosterbation thread). It’ll be Called “Justin vs Mr. Sanchez.” You guys can go in there and duke out any topic you want.
"If I have asthma, they won't let me scuba. And if I can’t scuba, then what’s this all been about?? What am I working toward??"
"You look like you should be married to one of the San Diego Padres."
LOL
Awesome. And bonus points for the first guy to use the douch- prefix creatively in a sentence.
If Albert played in the AFL, they’d have to rename it the AZ/NM Fall League, based on where his homers landed.
it would have been better with a captain, Mr. , of something of the like but i do like Douchington….perhaps…J.R. Douchington
"No. Lonely people mixing with one another? Breeding? Creating an even lonelier generation? You're not even allowing natural selection do its work. Pssh. You're like the guy who invented the seat belt."
Dwight Schrute
And yet, they were still among the best numbers for RPs…hmmmm
This guy wants to suck all the cubs dick can he not have an unbias some what partition reguards
by RWH2 on Apr 5, 2010 10:20 AM CDT
by justincredubil02 on Dec 4, 2010 4:28 AM EST up reply actions
Really?...
5.2 BB/9 is “among the best numbers for RPs”? Interesting, considering our new bullpen acquisition posted a better WHIP, K/9 and BB/9 than Moylan did just last year. He posted the same WAR as Linebrink too (-0.1).
http://sportsandgrits.blogspot.com/
More of "the best numbers for RPs"...
against lefties last year, Moylan allowed a slash line of ..308/.507/.481. I’m sure the best relievers let every other left handed hitter they faced reach base.
But hey, this guy, he should be our closer, (just like Matt Diaz shoulda been our leadoff hitter, right?).
http://sportsandgrits.blogspot.com/
Ya know, if I had ever said that Moylan should be our closer, you would be on to something.
Sadly, I never said that. Keep trying to make straw arguments though. It’s fun to see you floundering.
This guy wants to suck all the cubs dick can he not have an unbias some what partition reguards
by RWH2 on Apr 5, 2010 10:20 AM CDT
by justincredubil02 on Dec 5, 2010 5:13 AM EST up reply actions
Your words...
“We have an idea how Kimbel will handle the full-time role since he has been closing full time his entire career, and was beas at the end of as season. It isn’t guaranteed, but it is an idea.
If he fails for some reason, we have Venters and Moylan."
See that last line there, it suggests Moylan as our closer should a rookie with noted control issues fail, gets injured, etc.
http://sportsandgrits.blogspot.com/
As a 3rd option, yes.
This guy wants to suck all the cubs dick can he not have an unbias some what partition reguards
by RWH2 on Apr 5, 2010 10:20 AM CDT
by justincredubil02 on Dec 6, 2010 2:03 PM EST up reply actions
“If there is one thing this team does not have a need for, it’s another back of the bullpen arm.”
Wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong. In point of fact, that’s one of the things this team still needs. One of the reasons why the Braves’ bullpen was so good last year was due to its depth. Once you relegate Kimbrel to the 9th and Venters primarily to the 8th, you’ve lost a whole lot of bullpen flexibility. Venters was so valuable to the Braves last season because he was a guy who could came in and get big outs anywhere between the 6th and 9th innings.
by 2Brave2Bscared on Dec 2, 2010 5:26 PM EST up reply actions
No matter how many times you want to say “wrong” it doesn’t change the fact that I am not wrong here.
Until we have a good backup plan for Chipper and Freeman, and until we have someone like Gutierrez or Ellsbury in CF, we do not need to be spending any more money on the bullpen.
Once both of those things happen, and if we have some cash left over, I’m all for bolstering the ’pen.
Signing a “closer” right now is equal to building the most massive, strong, armored gate to your city – but not having a wall on the back side.
This guy wants to suck all the cubs dick can he not have an unbias some what partition reguards
by RWH2 on Apr 5, 2010 10:20 AM CDT
by justincredubil02 on Dec 2, 2010 11:48 PM EST up reply actions
I agree, we need a contingency plan for if/when Chipper misses some time. As of now, we put Prado there, but then who plays LF? Mather? If anyone in our infield misses extended amounts of time, our offense doesn’t look nearly as good. We need to find some sort of backup plan for this. I’m sorry to say, I don’t think we are going to have a CF like Gutierrez or Ellsbury in CF, though I’ve seen crazy things happen.
mclouth gets his shot
as do the CF’s comming to spring training (both of whom i am kindof excited about)
and if none of them prove productive, we will trade for a centerfielder in late spring or early summer.. using what will be a 6th starter at that point as the centerpiece of a trade..
I wonder what’s easier: Trading for a CF or picking up chicks?
This guy wants to suck all the cubs dick can he not have an unbias some what partition reguards
by RWH2 on Apr 5, 2010 10:20 AM CDT
by justincredubil02 on Dec 4, 2010 4:31 AM EST up reply actions
I'm going with trading for a CF
Picking up chicks is hard.
Don't kiss an ass if it's in the process of shitting on you.
"…aren’t worthy enough to hold his (Pujols) ass cheeks apart while Playboy models wipe him with thousand dollar bills after he craps out the cure to whatever previously-incurable disease." by royhobbs 1/7/09
It’s unlikely that Putz will be expecting more than $5 million, seeing as how most teams see him as a setup man, especially after making $3 million last year. If the Braves can trade Lowe or Kawakami and get the other team to eat some of their salary, this is payroll space they can easily make room for.
My guess is that KK money = bullpen money.
"That guy mvhsbball is really an insufferable schmuck." - FuquaManuel
by Scott Coleman on Dec 2, 2010 3:31 PM EST up reply actions
You act like he’s a bad pitcher or something.
"That guy mvhsbball is really an insufferable schmuck." - FuquaManuel
by Scott Coleman on Dec 2, 2010 3:41 PM EST up reply actions
That makes absolutely no sense.
"That guy mvhsbball is really an insufferable schmuck." - FuquaManuel
by Scott Coleman on Dec 2, 2010 3:42 PM EST up reply actions
Umm…for the price, which is only $2-4M dollars, he’d be a top #5 starter for most teams in baseball.
"That guy mvhsbball is really an insufferable schmuck." - FuquaManuel
by Scott Coleman on Dec 2, 2010 3:48 PM EST up reply actions
6.5M, but the Braves have already said they’ll eat a bit of his contract.
"That guy mvhsbball is really an insufferable schmuck." - FuquaManuel
by Scott Coleman on Dec 2, 2010 3:51 PM EST up reply actions
I feel like if he gets traded
Itll be later when the best FA’s are gone and some team gets desperate. Im not saying itll happen, but I think that might be our best shot (stateside, at least).
"If I have asthma, they won't let me scuba. And if I can’t scuba, then what’s this all been about?? What am I working toward??"
"You look like you should be married to one of the San Diego Padres."
a top #5 starter? Not disputing that he’d be a #5 for most teams…but what does TOP #5 starter for most teams mean??
by dunnytwogloves on Dec 2, 2010 3:49 PM EST up reply actions
lol
I mean he would be one of the better #5 starting pitchers in baseball.
Not that being a #1, #2, #3, etc. has any affect or value on a guy, but I’m just trying to say he would be fine in the back-end of most team’s rotations.
"That guy mvhsbball is really an insufferable schmuck." - FuquaManuel
by Scott Coleman on Dec 2, 2010 3:52 PM EST up reply actions
Hideki Okajima! He’ll be cheap (he’ll be non-tendered) and he’s a lefty, and he desperately needs to go to the NL
by Bmacbandwagon on Dec 2, 2010 3:32 PM EST up reply actions
the guy doesnt even look where he throws though
"No. Lonely people mixing with one another? Breeding? Creating an even lonelier generation? You're not even allowing natural selection do its work. Pssh. You're like the guy who invented the seat belt."
Dwight Schrute
Didn't stop Fernando Valenzuela.
Just have Okajima breathe through his eyelids.
ATTENTION CITIZENS: DAN UGGLA IS NOT A THIRD BASEMAN. That is all.
it works for Okajima too…sometimes
"No. Lonely people mixing with one another? Breeding? Creating an even lonelier generation? You're not even allowing natural selection do its work. Pssh. You're like the guy who invented the seat belt."
Dwight Schrute
I support this move wholeheartedly...
but I will miss Diaz.
"It wasn’t that it was slippery or anything like that. It was just, dadgum, my hands and the balls were so wet..." - Tim Hudson
"And those two guys at the end. My God. Jonny (Venters) and Billy (Wagner), just awesome." - Bobby Cox
by KoKo the Monkey (T-Bone) on Dec 2, 2010 3:13 PM EST reply actions
Awesome news.
Now to get a utility infielder.
"The truth will set you free. But not until it is finished with you." ~ David Foster Wallace
Trade
Manny Acosta for Omar Infante? Anyone? First we have to get Acosta back from the Mets… Give them some used cups and rosin bags
"I wasn’t thinking about it. That’s the worst celebration of all time. I didn’t know what to do. I got lost in the moment." - Brian McCann
by HansonManCrush on Dec 2, 2010 3:22 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
That should get the job done. Might have to toss in a bag of sunflower seeds to finish the deal.
"The truth will set you free. But not until it is finished with you." ~ David Foster Wallace
Wren says...
Merry Christmas, Braves fans!
"Tony Gwynn made sacrifices. Cal Ripken made sacrifices. I'm not sure Derek Jeter made sacrifices given the ungodly deep pockets the Yankees have." - Chipper Jones
that was the Uggla deal
this is more of a Happy New Year
stocking stuffer…. if you have a really honking big stocking.
Bobby Cox, advising Jeff Francoeur about being thrown out of a game: "you’ll probably have to write a $500 check. Or you can do what I do, write a $10,000 one and tell them when it runs out, let me know."
Ply me with enough alcohol, and you’ll find out.
The South shall rise again! And it will have a tender, flaky crust!
by TheLetter2 on Dec 2, 2010 6:20 PM EST up reply actions 2 recs
fancy
"If I have asthma, they won't let me scuba. And if I can’t scuba, then what’s this all been about?? What am I working toward??"
"You look like you should be married to one of the San Diego Padres."
I think that's what someone said
Don't kiss an ass if it's in the process of shitting on you.
"…aren’t worthy enough to hold his (Pujols) ass cheeks apart while Playboy models wipe him with thousand dollar bills after he craps out the cure to whatever previously-incurable disease." by royhobbs 1/7/09
Love it
Acquire RH hitting Power Bat ; Done
Resign the best PH on the Market ; Done
Veteran Bullpen arm / closing experience ; TBD
Another OF; TBD
Great start to the offseason; Mr Wren another Gem that is going to go way under the radar.
LOOOOOOOOVVVVVVEEE IIIIIIITTTTT !!!!
by Holty_Panthers_Fan on Dec 2, 2010 3:28 PM EST reply actions
Oh dang
Meat Another IF; A. Everett or C. Guzman please Mr. Wren.
JJ. Putz is more than likely out of the Braves price range unless we can dump KK which looks like now from the rumor mill has all but dried up regarding him going back to Japan.
I wish.
by Holty_Panthers_Fan on Dec 2, 2010 3:32 PM EST up reply actions
Putz and Jenks are both available. Not sure about Jenks, but National League bats might renew him a bit.
Bobby Cox, advising Jeff Francoeur about being thrown out of a game: "you’ll probably have to write a $500 check. Or you can do what I do, write a $10,000 one and tell them when it runs out, let me know."
FYI
vs. NL:
Jenks: 2.16 ERA, 41.2 IP
Putz: 2.53 ERA, 64 IP
The birth of Jason Heyward was God’s punishment for the sins of the people in New York and Philly.
i think we may already have our 4th outfielder
i think it will be either young or this guy from the indians—botha re superiod centerfielders who steal lots of bases, hit over 300 in AAA and with over 375 on base percentages…
I am prettttty confident one of those 2 will be mclouths backup, will play center and move mclouth to left in defensive situations, and will be a pinch runner..
we can also hope they can get an on base percentage like that in the majors because if they can, they are by far the best option when prado moves from left field from time to time, as it will strengthen the defense to put this guy in center and mclouth in left as opposed to mclouth in center and likely a weak defender in left. The defensive advantage to using this guy over a left fielder is substantial, and if he can maintain an obp over 350 and steal bases, then he is going to often be the best option as the outfield sub in center and left (via a move of mclouth)
the year befor elast was AA by the way
that was his first year in AAA
Forgot about those signings
I figure they will be in ST then AAA.
Free Matt Young!
you dont think that sounds like our backup CF?
I think we are wanting young or constanza to shine enough in spring training to backup mclouth and be a better pinch runner on the team than we currently have.
Brandon Hicks is an awesome PR…7 runs scored…6 PAs…the guy is amazing
"No. Lonely people mixing with one another? Breeding? Creating an even lonelier generation? You're not even allowing natural selection do its work. Pssh. You're like the guy who invented the seat belt."
Dwight Schrute
that is awesome
but is he really a better runnder than young or constanza?
I think people are asking for too much bat from the middle infielder.. we really need a defensive wiz to be able to backup gonzalez and replace uggla in defensive situations. (and it cant be the same guy that plays CF because we want that guy to be in the outfield in defensive situations!
Yayyy!
In Hinske We Trust!
Morton hit Heyward with an offspeed pitch. Early indication is that the baseball survived the impact.
YAY
More of this!!
The birth of Jason Heyward was God’s punishment for the sins of the people in New York and Philly.
by TonyAlmeyda on Dec 2, 2010 3:34 PM EST reply actions 3 recs
there are just no words.
"Tony Gwynn made sacrifices. Cal Ripken made sacrifices. I'm not sure Derek Jeter made sacrifices given the ungodly deep pockets the Yankees have." - Chipper Jones
I just realized
Epic is our generation’s “Groovy” and will be lame in a couple years.
"Tony Gwynn made sacrifices. Cal Ripken made sacrifices. I'm not sure Derek Jeter made sacrifices given the ungodly deep pockets the Yankees have." - Chipper Jones
I don’t know how it got big
Gamers. Nerds rule the world, didn’t you get the memo?
ATTENTION CITIZENS: DAN UGGLA IS NOT A THIRD BASEMAN. That is all.
Good point
I’m surprised no one caught on to that one, opened everyone right up to a TWSS with that line
it is pretty significant actually
it defines this moment in the history of humanity
Wanna know what would've been great?
If the ball caught up in the wind, didn’t leave the park, and Hinske had to bust it down the line for a single.
"That guy mvhsbball is really an insufferable schmuck." - FuquaManuel
by Scott Coleman on Dec 2, 2010 3:41 PM EST up reply actions
Hate the Home Run Watchers
Love the home run-runners (heyward)
But Hinke’s homer was so watchable.
"Tony Gwynn made sacrifices. Cal Ripken made sacrifices. I'm not sure Derek Jeter made sacrifices given the ungodly deep pockets the Yankees have." - Chipper Jones
You mean like the Crime Dog?
Who loved turning triples into doubles, and doubles into singles?
I spilled spot remover on my dog... now he's gone.
Haha he didn't need any help turning triples into doubles.
"If you were going to make a Mount Rushmore of managers, Bobby's one of them."
-Mike Scioscia
by The Keith Lockhart Era on Dec 2, 2010 5:25 PM EST up reply actions
He used to drive me nuts, admiring a ball hit off the wall.
I spilled spot remover on my dog... now he's gone.
The best part
is that Hinske’s hit causes the pitcher to get whiplash and knocks hit cap off.
Owning the Patriots since September 9, 1960
One of my top 5 favorite GIFs I've ever seen on TC...
''We cover the outfield like kudzu covers the land around here" - Bobby Cox, 2004
BTW
Just realized Hinske went for a 1-year deal plus a team option. I thought Wren had offered him a 2-year deal, but I guess the rumors were wrong. That makes this awesome news even awesomer.
If Albert played in the AFL, they’d have to rename it the AZ/NM Fall League, based on where his homers landed.
I read he wanted a 2-year deal,
but FW was not going there. Happy he took the 1-year deal :)
*Just Chill* when things start to look a bit difficult-don't panic as you take away your ability to think straight. Go Braves! Go Dawgs! Go Falcons!
Hey!
it’s you!
"Tony Gwynn made sacrifices. Cal Ripken made sacrifices. I'm not sure Derek Jeter made sacrifices given the ungodly deep pockets the Yankees have." - Chipper Jones
Yeah
So just in case he decides to go all Greg Norton on us, the team can nix the second year.
No wonder nobody likes you, Tuttle... everything's a (Pujols) damn debate.
so Im not the only one who thought of that happening…does this mean everyone will ahte HInske by June and wish death and/or substantial bodily injury upon him and his family?
bc thats what happened with Norton, everyone forgot how great he was in 2008
"No. Lonely people mixing with one another? Breeding? Creating an even lonelier generation? You're not even allowing natural selection do its work. Pssh. You're like the guy who invented the seat belt."
Dwight Schrute
The “What have you done for me lately group” may, but most people wont. From a big play stand point, Hinske’s 2010 season trumps Nortons 2008, and Norton literally refused to even make contact in 2009. But I’d be willing to go out on a limb and say as long as Hinske doesn’t come out wearing a Mets jersey at any time in the season, he’ll see nothing but love from Braves Country.
by thenightstallion on Dec 2, 2010 7:32 PM EST up reply actions
there were only like 5 people (probably an estimation) on this blog who seemed to remember that Norton was a beast no more than a year before he sucked the big one.
"No. Lonely people mixing with one another? Breeding? Creating an even lonelier generation? You're not even allowing natural selection do its work. Pssh. You're like the guy who invented the seat belt."
Dwight Schrute
I don’t think it will be too big of a stretch to claim that Norton’s 2009 produces a higher OBP than Hinske’s 2011.
This guy wants to suck all the cubs dick can he not have an unbias some what partition reguards
by RWH2 on Apr 5, 2010 10:20 AM CDT
by justincredubil02 on Dec 2, 2010 11:52 PM EST up reply actions
And we've been over how little impact obp has on pinch hitting
it helps, but slg is more important in that role.
And let’s hope for Norton’s 08, when he got regular at bats, instead of 09 when he was never able to get on track thanks to a maximum of a dozen at bats in a month (and I don’t think he even got that if you exclude AAA at bats).
http://sportsandgrits.blogspot.com/
actuallyl lets hope for 09 the only reason Norton got so many ABs in 2008 was because of a tremendous amount of injuries and general suckitude across the board…the less ABs Hinske sees the better, bc as a bench player he isnt as good as our regular guys…although admittedly that means Hinske will suffer a bit.
we should toe a tight line between the two, i think enough ABs to get him on line and keep him there.
"No. Lonely people mixing with one another? Breeding? Creating an even lonelier generation? You're not even allowing natural selection do its work. Pssh. You're like the guy who invented the seat belt."
Dwight Schrute
Agreed...
but if we use Hinske as sparingly as Norton was used in 09, he’ll be likely to produce a similar struggling stat line (with likely a similar redeeming quality in walks, cause he has a good eye). He needs to get at least 3-5 starts a month. Hopefully no more than that, but if you don’t give a guy regular looks at MLB pitching, he isn’t likely to do well as cold as he’d be averaging 2-4 plate appearances a week.
http://sportsandgrits.blogspot.com/
I'd be fine with Hinske's '09
''We cover the outfield like kudzu covers the land around here" - Bobby Cox, 2004
He wouldn’t be able to match a .330 OBP?
by dunnytwogloves on Dec 3, 2010 2:22 PM EST up reply actions
Well, he’s only done it 5 out of 9 seasons, including a .333 job in ’08.
His career average is .336, so a .330 OBP is no guarantee, especially if he becomes an every day player for reason X or Y.
BTW, he only put up a .338 OBP last season
This guy wants to suck all the cubs dick can he not have an unbias some what partition reguards
by RWH2 on Apr 5, 2010 10:20 AM CDT
by justincredubil02 on Dec 4, 2010 4:36 AM EST up reply actions
*ahem.
This guy wants to suck all the cubs dick can he not have an unbias some what partition reguards
by RWH2 on Apr 5, 2010 10:20 AM CDT
by justincredubil02 on Dec 2, 2010 11:51 PM EST up reply actions
This is good news...
I still want Matty, though; can’t we have both?
"It breaks your heart. It is designed to break your heart. The game begins in the spring, when everything else begins again, and it blossoms in the summer, filling the afternoons and evenings, and then as soon as the chill rains come, it stops and leaves you to face the fall alone." A. Bartlett Giamatti
yeah buddy
Following the infamous "astroglide" comment and the challenge for use of word:
"no way the Astros glide into the playoffs."
by BrockSamson on Aug 29, 2010 3:26 PM PDT
OH YA
I think we can all agree that Hinske’s HR may have been one of the top 2 or 3 moments of the entire season for the Braves at the time it happened, until the 9th inning collapse that may have been the most heartbreaking moment of the season.
GO PATS!!!!!!
GO BRAVES!!!!!!!
GO BLACKHAWKS!!!!!!!
BravesFan22
Here's how I see the bench shaping up.
Ross – C
Hinske – 1B/OF/3B(in a major pinch)
Mathers – Super Utility
Conrad – IF
FA Back up IF w/ SS experience – (Guzman, Lopez, Ryan(via trade), etc.)
i predict mathers doesnt finish the season with the big league club
or he is a huge turn around
who the hell
is “Mathers”?
you mean Mather? He is no Super Utility. He’s been brought in to play 4th OF and LF if we need to trade Prado for a CF.
by apoxonbothyourhouses on Dec 2, 2010 4:52 PM EST up reply actions
I don't think the thought is needing to trade Prado...
…it is need to have Prado play third base if Chipper goes down.
No way on earth they trade Prado.
He’s too too young, too good, and too cheap to trade.
I spilled spot remover on my dog... now he's gone.
Wow
I put an S on the end of his name and all of a sudden you don’t know who he is?! Give me a break! Mather has played 1B, 2B, 3B, C and all 3 OF spots in his career.
All signs point to Philly.
They need a RH hitting OF to platoon with Ibanez and Matty’s got connections up there apparently.
"Yeah, and I have an enchanted jock strap." -- Karl Karlson
by Jacob Peterson on Dec 2, 2010 5:15 PM EST up reply actions
Fantastic news!
His homer in Game 3 was the greatest moment I’ve ever seen at a baseball game (live). Given his PH skills, ability to play several positions (none of them well, but that’s OK), and all around awesomeness, he’s worth way more than the $1.5M or so they’ll be paying him. Not as big of a bargain as David Ross, but a great signing nonetheless. I look forward to more clutch hits from him in the future!
"Yeah, and I have an enchanted jock strap." -- Karl Karlson
Wren saved $500,000!!! MLBTR reported
Hinske will earn $1.45MM, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (on Twitter).
That's a hell of a deal.
"That guy mvhsbball is really an insufferable schmuck." - FuquaManuel
by Scott Coleman on Dec 2, 2010 5:54 PM EST up reply actions
YES!!!!!!!!!!
SO BIG!!!!
"My everything, or nothing. My everything, or nothing. WE gonna fight, til we can't fight no more. We gonna lie down, and bleed a while. Gonna get up, and fight again." -Tashard Choice
Well...I might as well take this one.
TWSS.
"That guy mvhsbball is really an insufferable schmuck." - FuquaManuel
by Scott Coleman on Dec 2, 2010 5:54 PM EST up reply actions
TWSS right back at ya
"My everything, or nothing. My everything, or nothing. WE gonna fight, til we can't fight no more. We gonna lie down, and bleed a while. Gonna get up, and fight again." -Tashard Choice
by SouthernPanther on Dec 2, 2010 6:09 PM EST up reply actions
That's not what she said
Don't kiss an ass if it's in the process of shitting on you.
"…aren’t worthy enough to hold his (Pujols) ass cheeks apart while Playboy models wipe him with thousand dollar bills after he craps out the cure to whatever previously-incurable disease." by royhobbs 1/7/09
That’s unfortuneate for you then.
:)
This guy wants to suck all the cubs dick can he not have an unbias some what partition reguards
by RWH2 on Apr 5, 2010 10:20 AM CDT
by justincredubil02 on Dec 4, 2010 4:37 AM EST up reply actions
Can anyone post a video or something of the NLDS homer? Only ones on youtube are awful quality.
by thenightstallion on Dec 2, 2010 7:35 PM EST reply actions
Stoked about Hinske resigning
but sad about MattyD. The nice thing is guys like Matt Diaz will always be able to find a job in the bigs.
"Jason Heyward was a Greek philosopher reincarnated as a baseball player." - Don Sutton
A question...
I like Hinske, and thought he was great for us last year. But now we’ve got David Ross plus two guys that don’t really play defense on the bench, and Freddie Freeman still doesn’t have a platoon partner…
How do they fill the next two spots on the bench? They still need a legitimate defensive replacement in center field and at shortstop. Are we just going to forget getting Freeman a right-handed caddy?
I still like...
…Jerry Hairston Jr. for both SS and CF.
I’m not crazy about him, but I do think Hairston could be a nice pickup for us. I guess I didn’t realize just how bare the FA market was when I was so against him the other day, and he’s actually one of the better options.
"That guy mvhsbball is really an insufferable schmuck." - FuquaManuel
by Scott Coleman on Dec 2, 2010 10:32 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
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