After exhausting all possible trade options for starting pitcher Derek Lowe, Braves’ General Manager Frank Wren resorted to trading all-star caliber starter Javier Vazquez instead. Atlanta was able to find a suitor in the New York Yankees, and were able to net centerfielder Melky Cabrera, and prospects Michael Dunn and Arodys Vizcaino in exchange for Vazquez and left-handed reliever Boone Logan.

Vazquez is coming off a career year in which he showcased a 2.87 ERA with 238 strikeouts in 219.1 innings pitched. His 1.03 WHIP was good for 3rd in the majors, despite receiving just one Cy Young vote. Logan’s lack of effectiveness limited him to just 20 appearances and 17.1 innings pitched. In the limited action Logan posted a 5.19 ERA and a far below average 1.11 K/BB ratio. Logan was most likely acquired to replace Michael Dunn as New York’s second left-handed pitcher in the bullpen.

In Atlanta’s side of the trade they were able to acquire outfield depth, add high potential prospects, as well as shed payroll. Cabrera will enter spring training slotted as one of Atlanta’s corner outfielders with Matt Diaz in the other. Cabrera carried a slash line of .272/.336/.416 through 154 games last year. He hit just 13 home runs last year,  but has gap power that is well suited for Turner Field’s large outfield. His below average defense will likely land him in a corner outfield position, rather than the center field position he played at most of last year.

The prospects Atlanta acquired are considered to be high-potential players. Michael Dunn is a left-handed pitcher who may begin the season in Atlanta, rather than in AAA. Dunn showcases a fastball that tops out at 97 mph and a power slider that can reach 91 mph. His power stuff has allowed him to strikeout 390 batters in just 375.1 innings. Arodys Vizcaino is a 19-year old right-handed pitcher who carries electric stuff and high trade value. In SS Staten Island the 18-year old dominated, with a 2.13 ERA and 52 strikeouts in 41.1 innings. Like Dunn, Vizcaino is a power pitcher with a fastball that can reach up to 96 mph. He possess 2 power breaking pitchers and has the potential to be a front of the rotation stater. His youth and great potential could prove valuable on the trade market.

Along with bringing in players, the Braves were able to free up salary. Vazquez was due to make $11.5 million this season. With Cabrera’s salary factored in, the Braves are due to save around $8 million. The cap space will likely be used to bring in a player via free agency such as Xavier Nady or Adam LaRoche. Russell Branyan and Marlon Byrd are also options to be brought in.

It didn’t take the Atlanta Braves long to grant Rafael Soriano’s trade wishes after he accepted arbitration. When Soriano accepted arbitration he gave Atlanta arguably the best bullpen in baseball, but also a $6.5 million salary that the Braves wanted no part of. Despite the hefty one-year contract, GM Frank Wren was able to ship Soriano south to the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for reliever Jesse Chavez.

At face value the trade seems lopsided in Tampa Bay’s favor. Soriano is coming off what is arguably his best season, in which he finished with a 2.97 ERA and 102 strikeouts in just 75.2 innings. Soriano also closed 27 games while sporting a 1.06 WHIP. Chavez however, didn’t have a great season.

Chavez, 26, finished the season with a 4.01 ERA and a 1.35 WHIP. However, he is a young, live arm with potential, which is exactly what the Braves were looking for. The trade was more or less a salary dump for the Braves while acquiring some bullpen depth.

Though Chavez isn’t a bad return, many fans were hoping for a little more in return for Soriano. The contract played a large part in the return for Soriano. Although the Braves only acquired Chavez, the Rays agreed to pay the entirety of Soriano’s contract. With the trade GM Frank Wren can now concentrate on moving either Derek Lowe or Javier Vazquez for a middle of the order bat and signing a free agent to fill one of Atlanta’s several holes.

The Atlanta Braves have spent the recent weeks signing relievers Takashi Saito and Billy Wagner, in an attempt to put their bullpen back together when Mike Gonzalez and Rafael Soriano decline arbitration and sign elsewhere. Soriano must have not gotten the memo.

This move could be a reaction to Soriano not getting the offers he had expected to receive on the free agent market. Soriano finished the season with a 2.97 ERA and 102 strikeouts over 75.2 innings pitched. After what has been his best season, it is clear he expected to receive multiple multi-year deals in the neighborhood of $8 million per season. MLB.com’s Mark Bowman reports the deal is worth approximately $6.5 million, taking a large chunk out of Atlanta’s 2010 funds. However, Atlanta will most certainly trade Soriano and hope to net one of their needs in return. Atlanta will have to wait until June 15 to trade Soriano unless they have been granted his permission.

With the acquisitions of Saito and Wagner, Soriano will be placed in what is most likely a 7th inning role. As this is a role he does not have his eyes set on, he will likely ask to be traded as soon as the market for relievers develops further. Although Soriano accepted arbitration, fellow reliever Mike Gonzalez gladly declined and will seek employment elsewhere. Scott Boras‘ newest client is considered to be one of the top flight relievers available in the 2010 offseason. Gonzalez is expected to receive several multi-year deals, some of which could be from the Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Angels.

Even though the deal makes Atlanta’s bullpen arguably the best in baseball, they have other needs that must be filled before the start of the season. Atlanta will seek to add a power bat by acquiring both a corner outfielder and a first baseman. Marlon Byrd, Nelson Cruz, and Adam LaRoche are all candidates to fill one of those roles.

The Atlanta Braves started their off season off strong with the signing of free agent closer Billy Wagner to a one-year deal worth $7 million and a $6.5 million vesting option for 2011. Atlanta made the move in anticipation of the departure of both Mike Gonzalez and Rafael Soriano. Both are type A free agents who will likely pursue employment with other teams. However, with Wagner being a type A free agent who was offered arbitration, Atlanta will lose their first round pick to the Red Sox as compensation for the signing. Wagner, who returned from Tommy John surgery last season, eliminated all doubt when he posted a 1.72 ERA with 26 strikeouts over 15 and 2/3 innings.

Wagner is 3rd on the active saves list, behind only Trevor Hoffman and Mariano Rivera. Wagner needs 40 saves to pass John Franco for first on the all-time saves list among left-handers. Despite the signing, Atlanta will also need to bring in a set up man to help Wagner. Dave O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal Constitution speculated players such as Octavio Dotel and Fernando Rodney as possible candidates. Last year for the White Sox Dotel went 3-3 with a 3.32 ERA and 16 holds while setting up for closer Bobby Jenks. Rodney went 2-5 with a 4.40 ERA while recording 37 saves for the Detroit Tigers in 2009. If signed, it would be Dotel’s second stint with Atlanta. He appeared in 9 games and had a 4.70 ERA while recording 12 strikeouts in 2007. Both would be solid additions to a bullpen that was overworked through much of the 2009 season. ]]> http://braves.gearupforsports.com/blog/2009/12/braves-ink-wagner-to-one-year-deal/feed/ 0 http://braves.gearupforsports.com/blog/2009/12/braves-ink-wagner-to-one-year-deal/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gearupforsports/braves/~3/vcywb43xWAM/ http://braves.gearupforsports.com/blog/2009/12/what-does-diaz-have-to-do/#comments Tue, 01 Dec 2009 17:25:45 +0000 Rogers Harrison http://braves.gearupforsports.com/blog/?p=536

Ok, ok…for the past two years, I have heard about the Atlanta Braves’ leftfield problem. You know, the position that Matt Diaz currently occupies.

I’ve read that the Braves “need more power” from that position that is why they went out and signed Garrett Anderson last year. Well, that talk has come up again since Anderson is a free agent.

What’s wrong with Matt Diaz? I will agree that he doesn’t have much power, but his other numbers are quite good. In four years with the Braves, Diaz has hit .316, 34 HRs, 149 RBIs,.336 OBP and .466 slugging.

Besides what’s up with this need for power? Have the Braves suddenly moved to the AL? What’s wrong with getting players that can run and steal bases? Waiting for a guy to hit a homerun, you might be waiting for a long time. But get a guy on base and he has a chance to turn a single into a double and most importantly, disrupt the pitcher’s rhythm and stay out of the double play.

Obviously, the Braves don’t agree with me, because as a team they only stole 58 bases last year (Diaz had 12 of them) and that puts them 15th out of 16 NL teams.

These NL teams had more than 100 SBs last year: Arizona (102), Colorado (106), Houston (113), Dodgers (116), Mets (122) and Philadelphia (119).

So, three of the four playoff teams in the NL were in the top of the league in steals. St. Louis, by the way, had 75. Now, I’m not saying that if the Braves stole more they would have been in last year’s playoffs, but it sure wouldn’t have hurt.

So, if stealing bases combined with the power the Braves already have, makes you a better and well-rounded team, why depend on any one element (power, speed, etc.)?

My point is teach the Braves how to steal bases, give Diaz the LF job and don’t worry about it. Focus on the bullpen, that’s where we need the most help.

Although Atlanta’s 2009 didn’t live up to expectations, they enter the 2010 offseason with a great deal of confidence. This time last year Atlanta was engaged in talks with the San Diego Padres about starting pitcher Jake Peavy. Braves general manager Frank Wren was unable to land Peavy, but was able to sign veteran Derek Lowe to a hefty contract. With the recent signing of Tim Hudson Atlanta has six quality starting pitchers from which they can trade to fill one of their needs.

With a large contract and a below average season from Lowe, it appears Atlanta will attempt to move him first. Lowe’s contract will make trading him difficult, but it can be done. Both the Los Angeles Dodgers and Los Angeles Angels could be looking for starting pitching if they can’t land John Lackey. After Lackey there is not great depth at starting pitching in this year’s free agent class. If Atlanta is unable to move Lowe they will likely turn their efforts to trading Javier Vazquez. Vazquez is coming off a career year and will undoubtedly bring back more in a trade than Lowe. Vazquez not only had a better season than Lowe, he is owed only $11.5 million next year compared to Lowe’s $15 million. If Atlanta chooses to deal Vazquez they will likely bring in a player such as Nelson Cruz, Josh Willingham, or Carl Crawford. Cruz and Willingham would provide power to what was at times an anemic offense while Crawford would bring the speed that Atlanta has lacked since losing Rafael Furcal to free agency.

Although adding a bat will clearly be Atlanta’s primary concern, they will likely need to add a few relievers. The likely departures of Rafael Soriano and Mike Gonzalez will leave a gaping hole at the back of Atlanta’s bullpen. The Braves have already brought in Scott Proctor and will likely pursue Billy Wagner through free agency. Boston will most likely offer Wagner, a type A free agent, arbitration, costing the team that signs him a first round draft pick. This however will not alter Atlanta’s plans as they will gain draft picks from the departures of Soriano and Gonzalez.

If Atlanta can bring in a power bat as well as relievers to bolster the back end of the bullpen, they will prove to be a force in the National League East. The addition of Nate McLouth and the emergence of Tommy Hanson should be felt for an entire season, while Martin Prado will likely man second base for the duration of the year. The likely addition of Jason Heyward near midsesaon should also give Atlanta an added boost to the offense.

After passing a physical, it appears that Tim Hudson is set to sign a three-year $27 million contract extension to stay in Atlanta. Hudson will undergo a MRI on his right elbow to finalize the extension. Hudson took a hometown discount to stay in Atlanta, despite being able to make around $10 million per year in free agency. Hudson went 2-1 with a 3.61 ERA while making seven starts for the Braves after returning from Tommy John surgery.With Hudson signed, the Braves can look to trade either Derek Lowe or Javier Vazquez to secure an offensive player. Lowe went 15-10 with a 4.67 ERA while making $15 million last year. Lowe is owed $45 million over the next three seasons, making him very difficult to move. On the other hand, Vazquez made $11.5 million while going 15-10 with a 2.87 ERA. Vazquez is coming off a career year, but would bring in much more in a trade. Atlanta will most likely look to acquire a right-handed power bat in a trade or via free agency.

This past week the Braves attempted to strengthen their bullpen with the signing of Scott Proctor. Proctor has put up mediocre career numbers with a 4.42 ERA and a 1.40 WHIP. Atlanta made the move in anticipation of losing Mike Gonzalez or Rafael Soriano. Atlanta will look to retain either Gonzalez or Soriano as Peter Moylan is not ready to assume the closer role. It is expected that Atlanta will try to sign Gonzalez, who has filed for free agency, while Soriano is also expected to file for free agency in the next few days.

Other Braves to file for free agency are Adam LaRoche, Garret Anderson, and Greg Norton. The Braves will attempt to resign LaRoche to a one or two-year deal, while the New York Mets could also be suitors for the power hitting lefty. Garret Anderson will likely sign as a DH in the American League while Greg Norton is likely to retire after batting just .145 with 7 RBI in 76 at bats in 2009. While batting .313 with 13 home runs in just 125 games, Matt Diaz has proven he can play left field on a regular basis. Diaz makes up for his below average defense with a solid bat who crushes lefties. Jason Heyward may also be able to add a boost in power to the outfield in June or July when he is expected to reach the majors.

The Braves ended all chances at a playoff spot and even lost their second place position by losing their final six games, including a sweep at the hands of the Washington Nationals, to close out the season. Despite the depressing close of the season, the outlook for 2010 is promising…but that is a blog post for another day.

In five days the Arizona Fall League begins play, and the Braves have seven prospects to watch, including heralded prospect Jason Heyward. The Peoria Saguaros will feature pitchers Lee Hyde, Craig Kimbrel, Jeff Lyman, and Mike Minor. Along with Jason Heyward, the other postion players are first baseman Freddie Freeman and shortstop Brandon Hicks.

Lefty relief pitcher Lee Hyde, 24, spent time at three minor league levels in 2009 going a combined 5-2 with a 2.27 ERA. He struck out 45 batter in 35.2 innings and only gave up 22 hits.

Craig Kimbrel, 21, pitched at four levels this season as a closer. He finished with a 2-3 record and 18 saves with a 2.85 ERA. He had a whopping 103 strikeouts in 60 innings.

Jeff Lyman, 22, pitched mostly in relief at AA and AAA in 2009. He finished at 5-9 with a 3.32 ERA. He struck out 87 in 97.2 innings. He does need to improve his control as he as walked almost 5 batters per 9 innings over the last two years.

Mike Minor, 21, the Braves first pick in the 2009 draft, dominated the Rookie League with a 0.64 ERA and 17 strikeouts and zero walks in 14 innings over four starts.

First baseman Freddie Freeman, 19, played at high-A and AA this season. He hit .282 with 8 home runs and 58 RBI. He missed some time due to injury and his numbers were down from 2008 when he it .316 with 18 homers and 95 RBI.

Shortstop Brandon Hicks, 24, spent the entire 2009 season at AA Mississippi. He hit .237 with 10 homers and 38 RBI. He needs to work on his defense as he made 28 errors in 128 games.

The headliner, of course, is right field prospect Jason Heyward, 19. He spent 2009 moving all the way from high-A to AAA. He impressed at each stop hitting a combined .323 with a .555 slugging percentage. He hit 17 home runs and knocked in 63. He struggled with a foot injury at the end of the season that cost him some playing time.

Tommy Hanson used a dominating Arizona Fall League performance in 2008 to position himself to make the major league club this year. The Braves (and their fans) are hoping the Jason Heyward can do the same thing.

I have to admit I had written off this Atlanta Braves team. After the Labor Day weekend sweep at the hands of the Cincinnati Reds, Bobby Cox inexplicably removing a cruising Tommy Hanson for shaky closer Rafael Soriano in Houston, Derek Lowe pitching batting practice to the craptastic Mets in the fourth inning in a blowout loss at New York, and losing two out of three to San Diego, I thought this team had thrown in the towel. Now the Braves are riding a streak not seen in these parts since the 14 consecutive division title glory days. The Braves currently stand only two games back of Colorado in the Wild Card race, and they definitely have the schedule advantage over the Rockies. The Braves play two more games against Florida and four more against the Nationals and all are at home. The Rockies have three home games against the Brewers and three road games at Los Angeles. The Rockies are 3-0 against the Brewers this year, but they are only 3-12 against the Dodgers.

The Braves have the advantage of playing earlier in the day than the Rockies. All they need to do is keep winning and see if the Rockies can match it. Another advantage the Braves will have is being the host of the play-in game should the Wild Card race end in a tie. The Braves would win the second tie breaker of record in the division, largely in part to the Rockies poor play against the Dodgers. The first tie-breaker, head to head play, is dead even at 4-4. Should the play-in game be necessary, the Braves are set up to have Javier Vazquez (15-9, 2.83 ERA) be the starting pitcher. If the Rockies maintain their current rotation, Jason Hammel (9-8, 4.30 ERA) would be due to pitch. Another advantage for the Braves.

Now the big question is…Does Bobby Cox start Derek Lowe during the post-season? For most Braves fans and knowledgeable baseball people, the answer should be a resounding “NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!” Lowe has easily been the worst of the Braves starters down the stretch. He is 3-2 in his last eight starts dating back to August 18 with a 6.30 ERA, and he has given up 62 hits in 40 innings over that stretch. His season ERA of 4.55 is nearly a full run worse than any other pitcher currently in the rotation. He is the starter most likely to get knocked out early. Knowing Bobby Cox’s thinking though, he’ll cite Lowe’s previous playoff experience and stick him in there any way. It is this type of thinking that leads to only one title in 14 playoff trips (15 if you count his time with the Blue Jays).

Is it wrong to pray for a finger blister?

This morning the Braves wake up to find themselves only four games behind the Rockies in the Wild Card race. The Braves took advantage of a three games series against the Mets by sweeping them in Citi Field. The schedule continues to work in the team’s favor with seven games remaining against the Nationals (52-99) and three games against the Marlins (82-71). The Rockies remaining schedule has one game against the Padres (70-83), three games against the Cardinals (89-64), three games against Milwaukee (75-77), and three games against the Dodgers (91-61). Can the Braves play the final ten games and make up four games on the Rockies? It’s possible, but they’ll need some help from the Rockies. If the Rockies only play .500 the rest of the way (5-5), the Braves would have to finish 9-1 to tie. Just win, baby!