Braves Looking To Trade A Starting Pitcher

by gondeee on Mar 22, 2011 1:09 PM EDT in Braves Trade News

The Atlanta Braves have a lot of starting pitching ... maybe too much. (Is there such a thing?) We all know that the team has been trying to get rid of Kenshin Kawakami for the past six months -- to any team that will take him. Braves beat writer Mark Bowman confirmed yesterday that the team is still trying to unload the Japanese hurler:

The Braves are still hoping he draws interest from another club willing to trade for him and pay a respectable portion of the $6.77 million he is owed this year.

Now early this afternoon we get some speculation from Buster Olney of ESPN that the Braves are also possibly attempting to trade another one of their starters:

Heard this: The Braves looking to make a deal involving Rodrigo Lopez, who is on a minor league deal.

No word if trading Lopez would be in addition to trading Kawakami, or if trading Lopez would then lead them to keep Kawakami (possibly in the minors). Certainly one of the big motivating factors in wanting to trade Kawakami is to unload a large portion of his salary. That problem does not exist for the Braves with Lopez, as he is on a minor league deal.

Dealing both, while neither is very good, would significantly deplete the Braves starting pitching depth in the minors. Depending on who wins the fifth starter job, Brandon Beachy or Mike Minor, the other pitcher will serve as reserve depth at triple-A Gwinnett. After him though, no other minor league starter in the Braves system has Major League experience. The depth chart would likely pass to Todd Redmond after Beachy or Minor.

Another, possibly significant piece of depth, could be Scott Diamond, depending on whether the Twins want to keep him in their organization or if they send him back to Atlanta. Diamond has thrown six innings this spring, while allowing six hits, one run, and issuing six walks. Diamond is pitching today for the Twins (as well as former Braves lefty Chuck James, who is in camp with Minnesota).

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Always a good problem to have.

Coming soon: winningugly visits Atlanta, takes dump in royhobbs’ Braves hat.

by 10-4 on Mar 22, 2011 1:11 PM EDT reply actions

I’d be worried if we weren’t trying.

"Give him the heater Ricky."

by Pavy848 on Mar 22, 2011 1:20 PM EDT reply actions

It will deplete the minor depth chart some

But what about guys like Oretango? Isn’t he a starting pitcher in AAA. Also we have Teheran and Delgado in AA who will be ready for AAA this year. Also what is the word on Rohbrough. I know he had a down year last year but he came back pretty strong at the end. Will he be starting in AA next year?

Admired as a saint. Defined by my rank. Combined with my strength. My time and my length.

by ArmyITSpec on Mar 22, 2011 1:20 PM EDT reply actions

Don't expect Teheran or Delgado to be in AAA for

more than an end of the year call up. The front office has rushed too many pitching prospects in the past and they will be very patient with these guys.

by hagarwood on Mar 22, 2011 4:27 PM EDT up reply actions

We need to keep either KK or Lopez as extra insurance. While I would still like to trade him if possible as,KK has not done well with the Braves, having him available as a replacement is better than having to go out and try to find someone in an emergency situation.

I don’t think any of our other prospects such as Delgado, Teheran and Oretango will be major league ready before July or August, at the earliest, so, I wouldn’t give him up for a small return. If we have to pay a huge chunk of his salary, we might as well have him in reserve, just in case.

by DawgB on Mar 22, 2011 1:25 PM EDT reply actions

the reward for trading him

far exceeds the risk.. especially considering that by mid season Teheran and Delgado could be real options, and come August we will have Medlen back..

by willlinn on Mar 22, 2011 1:45 PM EDT up reply actions

besides, we dont want to waste room on our AAA staff

that would otherwise house Vizcaino, Teheran, Delgado, Beachy/Minor, Redmond.. we are already full

by willlinn on Mar 22, 2011 1:46 PM EDT up reply actions

Teheran, Delgado, Vizcaino...

None of those three are projected to start at Gwinnett to begin the year, from all indications. Delgado has already been optioned to AA, the other two are a little more up in the air because they aren’t on the 40-man, but it’s very likely they end up at AA as well…Vizcaino could end up at a lower level than that as he’s not yet seen AA action.

-C

It’s rough to sit through these games and not have someone that can’t hit a Ball?

by cthabeerman on Mar 22, 2011 2:34 PM EDT up reply actions

I think Vizcaino will start the year in A+

by Braves24 on Mar 22, 2011 3:46 PM EDT up reply actions

they should all be on the AAA roster by years end is what I am saying

by willlinn on Mar 22, 2011 4:38 PM EDT up reply actions

What's the plan for Medlen?

I assume he would start his year in the bullpen?

If a woman has to choose between catching a fly ball and saving an infant's life, she will choose to save the infant's life without even considering if there are men on base. ~Dave Barry

by -InsertWittyNameHere- on Mar 22, 2011 1:46 PM EDT up reply actions

and Teheran, even unprepared

is probably going to be better than KK or Lopez

by willlinn on Mar 22, 2011 1:47 PM EDT up reply actions

We might want toi keep him around in AAA and if he does well, we might get a substantial return near the trade deadline, when Teheran and Delgado might be ready. I don’t think we should keep him at all costs, but if we are going to pa a substantial portion of his salary anywa, we should hold on to him.

We may have Medlen back towards the end of August, but at this point there is no guarantee. Also, He may or may not be effective and I would not count him in the equation for this year, just yet.

by DawgB on Mar 22, 2011 1:49 PM EDT up reply actions

I love this...

Clear the way for Teheran, by all means. This guy is now possibly the top pitching prospect in the entire minor leagues, and could use some seasoning for sure but losing Rodrigo Lopez and Kawakami would not hurt at all. I am confident Minor can hold it down, but if the rotation ever has to include one of Lopez or Kawa, it will have already suffered some roadblocks and maybe it would just be time to try our dominant arm out. I think on a team that didn’t have such exceptional starting pitching, Teheran would be being looked at a little harder. Not sure what we could reasonably expect to acquire for these two, potentially making this entire point moot, but keeping KK or Lopez is not a priority.

by gagne west on Mar 22, 2011 1:39 PM EDT reply actions

The way it's going...

the Gwinnett staff could actually be better than some ML clubs. Maybe more than ‘some’.

Fangraphs, on Craig Kimbrel: "His strikeout rates look like they’re coming from a video game"

by carpengui on Mar 22, 2011 1:44 PM EDT up reply actions

haha yes

by willlinn on Mar 22, 2011 1:47 PM EDT up reply actions

Let’s not forget that Medlen will be back later this year. He might not be completely healthy until next year, but he could get some starts toward the end of the season if someone goes down.

by ducheneaux13 on Mar 22, 2011 1:46 PM EDT reply actions

question..

does a guy like Lopez come from another club, get some braves pitching experience, and become worth a little more?

by willlinn on Mar 22, 2011 1:48 PM EDT reply actions

Perhaps, if he does well, especially with the Braves reputation regarding pitchers.

by DawgB on Mar 22, 2011 1:51 PM EDT up reply actions

This would require Lopez' consent yes?

I thought by rule a newly signed player could not be traded June 15. Might cause additional compensation to be tendered to Lopez or a refusal to consent if to a situation he doesn’t like.

by Atlantaspike on Mar 22, 2011 2:25 PM EDT reply actions

Never mind

Apparently doesn’t apply to minor league signs (which is quite interesting)

by Atlantaspike on Mar 22, 2011 2:32 PM EDT up reply actions

Just a Thought

It wasn’t that many years ago when the Braves had a plethora of starting pitching to pick from. I want to say 2007 with the likes of James, Redman, Davies, Carlyle, Smoltz, Reyes, Hudson, Campillo, etc. Very similar talk then about how loaded the Braves were with pitching. I believe the hot young prospect in that season was Tommy Hanson.

I believe the next year in 2008 Atlanta had lost 4/5 of their starting rotation en route to a miserable season. Virtually everyone went on the shelf with no servicable replacements. The result was a huge push to go out and overspend on available starters to fill in the gaps in 2009 (Lowe and Kawakami).

I guess the lesson learned is that you can’t ever have too much pitching. Because, sometimes, crap happens.

by kalesi on Mar 22, 2011 2:26 PM EDT reply actions

We were supposed to be crazy deep just last year, and by August not so much.

by Atlantaspike on Mar 22, 2011 2:27 PM EDT up reply actions

We were crazy deep

And if one of our starters goes on an injury binge, another starter throws his arm out and needs Tommy Johns, another starter gets buried because he can’t win games, one of our relievers comes down with a case of mono that somehow ends his season, one of our backup starters tires out, and we end up having to spot cover for one of our older relievers… then yeah, we’ll probably burn through a lot of that depth. But we won’t have exhausted it entirely, which is the point.

"…the umps in San Francisco somehow missed Brooks Conrad’s tag at second base on a sliding Buster Posey, who could’ve been called out from a houseboat in Sausalito."
-- Tommy Craggs

by duwanis on Mar 22, 2011 2:59 PM EDT up reply actions

So gondee, what about the Wags situation?

And I can’t see them dealing the cheap Lopez. Lowe or KK, but not Lopez.

http://sportsandgrits.blogspot.com/

by Mr. Sanchez on Mar 22, 2011 3:16 PM EDT reply actions

No kidding

Why clutter the market with Lopez when we need to move KK. Lopez is decent insurance.

"It's like winning a war...you need arms and money." Fredi G

by bighop on Mar 22, 2011 3:18 PM EDT up reply actions

because we get into conversations with more teams trying to shop them both

it’s a way to re-stimulate discussions about both of them..

by willlinn on Mar 22, 2011 3:54 PM EDT up reply actions

Since somebody needed to do some investigative journalism on this:

Here is hard evidence – Bean Stringfellow’s official representative client list includes Wags without any “retired” designation. None whatsoever.

by fandave on Mar 22, 2011 4:01 PM EDT up reply actions

If that site looked like it was kept up-to-date at all

I’d think that was a useful indicator.

"…the umps in San Francisco somehow missed Brooks Conrad’s tag at second base on a sliding Buster Posey, who could’ve been called out from a houseboat in Sausalito."
-- Tommy Craggs

by duwanis on Mar 22, 2011 4:06 PM EDT up reply actions

I was joking. It is hard evidence like up is down.

by fandave on Mar 24, 2011 8:21 AM EDT up reply actions

I think Tommy Hanson should probably get traded.

He was 10-11 last year and we only want winners on our team. He had so much potential, but he rarely wins and that’s all that matters.

AJC’d

"That guy mvhsbball is really an insufferable schmuck." - FuquaManuel
Twitter: @ScottColeman55

by Scott Coleman on Mar 22, 2011 3:22 PM EDT via mobile reply actions

trade Tommy Hanson

for Phil Hughes he had 18 WINZ

by Erihury on Mar 22, 2011 3:27 PM EDT up reply actions

Hanson does get traded...

The question is when. I don’t see the Braves or Liberty Media doing the Scott Boras dance. If Hanson is anywhere in the top 5 or so in the Cy Young voting in the next few years, I sell high on him.

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 Mar 22, 2011 4:34 PM EDT up reply actions

I get irritated by this opinion. I know I shouldn’t, but I do. It’s not always necessary to sell high on a player. Fans get to caught up on this notion that they forget that keeping a player for six years, letting him walk in free agency and collecting two draft picks is a perfectly acceptable way to go. Tommy Hanson is going to give us great production over the next five years.

Of course there are scenarios where I would be in favor of trading Hanson. But to say now, five years before he hits free agency, that you’re already looking to sell high on him, is kinda ridiculous in my opinion.

by gilley on Mar 22, 2011 4:38 PM EDT up reply actions

You have to take it offseason, by offseason. Look at your team’s most glaring need and react. If, and I know it’s an if, you are stacked with pitching prospects that are major league ready, and you need a big bat at a particular position, you make a move. Do you count on 2 draft picks that “may” make a difference, or do take advantage of a proven commodity?

I’m just saying that if our prospects perform as expected, we will have a surplus and I would rather get rid of a Scott Boras client who was a top 5 in Cy Young voting to get a player that will make an immediate impact. IMO there’s nothing wrong with that.

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 Mar 22, 2011 4:48 PM EDT up reply actions

Hey there!

Are you guys gonna be at the games in May? We ought to actually meet up instead of just sit next to each other’s section.

"That guy mvhsbball is really an insufferable schmuck." - FuquaManuel
Twitter: @ScottColeman55

by Scott Coleman on Mar 22, 2011 7:15 PM EDT up reply actions

I think there are only two this year, and I’ll be there for both of them. I look forward to meeting such an illustrious sportswriter!

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 Mar 23, 2011 12:30 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions

I think there are only two this year, and I’ll be there for both of them. I look forward to meeting such an illustrious sportswriter!

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 Mar 23, 2011 12:30 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions

Either that was an inadvertant double post

or you’ll get to meet both his personalities. Perhaps concealing nunchuks or throwing stars would be wise in case one of them is being acrimonious.

by CMassey on Mar 23, 2011 3:30 AM EDT up reply actions

HAHA

I was replying from my IPOD Touch for the first time. Completely accidental. Although I may indeed have several personalities.

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 Mar 23, 2011 11:24 AM EDT up reply actions

A 3-22 article by FanGraphs on the problem with trading KK

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/the-problem-with-trading-kawakami/

by vooodooo on Mar 22, 2011 3:44 PM EDT reply actions

It doesn’t help that the Braves organization has done such a superlative job in showing how little they value Kawakami that they have convinced the other teams. Really terrible asset management by the club.

by Atlantaspike on Mar 22, 2011 3:46 PM EDT up reply actions

+1

This situtation is terrible

by Braves24 on Mar 22, 2011 3:48 PM EDT up reply actions

situation

by Braves24 on Mar 22, 2011 3:48 PM EDT up reply actions

Very succinctly put, Atlantaspike.

by Zontar on Mar 23, 2011 9:14 AM EDT up reply actions

Beachy to be named #5 Starter?

Slightly OT, CBS Sports is reporting Beachy has won the job and Minor is going to AAA

http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/players/playerpage/1770803/brandon-beachy

by Atlantaspike on Mar 22, 2011 3:44 PM EDT reply actions

Wow…thanks for the link.

"That guy mvhsbball is really an insufferable schmuck." - FuquaManuel
Twitter: @ScottColeman55

by Scott Coleman on Mar 22, 2011 3:48 PM EDT up reply actions

Sweet find

What a great story if its true.

by thenightstallion on Mar 22, 2011 3:49 PM EDT up reply actions

interesting

thanks

by Braves24 on Mar 22, 2011 3:50 PM EDT up reply actions

damn

GSO

"I'd rather jerk off a tiger in a phone booth than draft Cam"
-Mel Kiper, Jr.

by MikeTrain on Mar 22, 2011 3:55 PM EDT up reply actions

I like the idea of trading one, not both necessarily, because you never know when injuries will strike. But if our young guns come out hot in AA and AAA, and Medlen progresses as scheduled, I wouldn’t be opposed to trading both.

by thenightstallion on Mar 22, 2011 3:47 PM EDT reply actions