2013 Atlanta Braves Thread

[thefakeJTS]

Re: 2013 Atlanta Braves Thread

As for Heyward, I have no idea why he's not producing. Right now his swing is generating high choppers to the infield and it seems like he's late a lot. I do like that his K rate has gone down and his walk rate has gone up....those are things that bode well for him. His BABIP is WAY low right now, but that is not just bad luck. He's not making good contact.

As for the Prado thing...I love Martin...one of my favorite Braves. I'd make that trade again RIGHT now. We are a very good team this year and that trade is a big part of it.

Can't forget how huge Dempster rejecting us was. We might not have Justin right now if that trade went through.

[DonkeyJote]

Re: 2013 Atlanta Braves Thread

Chris Johnson is not a .300 hitter and by the way 3HRS, seriously, seriously. I appreciated the Chipper endorsement of the guy, but come on he went to his dad college.

Prado did not bat .260 for us last year. I am insane like a madman. I will take a consistent lineup 5 days out of a week with guarantee production anytime.

He didn't bat .260 last year, you're right. But we're talking this year. And btw, he did bat .260 in 2011. And Martin can be streaky too (.592 OPS in July last year - that's horrible). Not striking out does not mean consistency.

Look at Prado and Johnson's career stats:

Prado - .292/.342/.429
Johnson - .282/.320/.435

Prado is slightly better for his career, but the difference isn't huge. And then note that Johnson is a year younger, is making $2.2m this year, and is under team control through 2016 (as opposed to Prado, who makes $7m a year, and will make $11m from 2014-16). Not even looking at the fact that Johnson is vastly outperforming Prado this season (.846 OPS to .660), you could make a pretty good case that you should make a Johnson for Prado trade, straight up. Then throw in Justin Upton, who is 2nd in the NL in HR and 12th in OPS, and you'd be a fool to say that this was a bad trade for the Braves. Especially since this team, as constructed, is 6.5 games ahead of the Nationals, and is 3 games ahead of where they were through 56 games last year.

I'm not too worried about Heyward, tbh. His strikeout rate is the lowest of his career this season (18.8%), and his walk rate is the highest it's been since his rookie year (12.5%). Dude only has a .163 BAbib. That's a lot of bad luck. Uggla and Upton both have bad BAbips too, but not quite that bad, and they both have MASSIVE SO% right now. I'm much more concerned with both of them. I think Heyward will turn it around. The lack of power from him is a little disturbing, but batting average and OBP should definitely come up.

[TheMatrix31]

Re: 2013 Atlanta Braves Thread

Justin had a good game today at least.

[DonkeyJote]

Re: 2013 Atlanta Braves Thread

Justin had a good game today at least.

Yep. And maybe BJ is coming around. 3 hits the last two games, including a homer today.

[LowerWolf]

Re: 2013 Atlanta Braves Thread

I miss Prado, but not at the expense of Justin and Johnson. I say we keep them.

Heyward will turn it around. And I've still got hope for B.J. I just wish we didn't give him that massive contract.

[TheMatrix31]

Re: 2013 Atlanta Braves Thread

Will Heyward turn it around? Who knows. We can't just rely on his talent and what he "should" be to decide what he will be. He's got this year and next to decide what kind of player he's gonna be in this league.

[DonkeyJote]

Re: 2013 Atlanta Braves Thread

Will Heyward turn it around? Who knows. We can't just rely on his talent and what he "should" be to decide what he will be. He's got this year and next to decide what kind of player he's gonna be in this league.

Well, you can't judge a guy by his career worst season. At worst, he's an inconsistent player that when he's on, is a force. Just last year, he was .269/.335/.479 while being probably the best defensive player at his position in the sport. Since, coming into this season, that was his median season, I think that's probably the base of where you expect him to be.

He's also only 23. Remember that. 23 years old. I think it's crazy to say that if he doesn't have it figured out by his age 25 season, he never will. Now if he finishes this year with a sub .600 OPS, and does the same thing next year that's one thing. But if he plays to his career numbers the next year (a .781 ops), and he's sitting there at 25 years old, I don't think you can assume at all that that's what he'll always be. That'll still be two years short of his "prime." He's a very young player.

[Sportsforever]

Re: 2013 Atlanta Braves Thread

Well, you can't judge a guy by his career worst season. At worst, he's an inconsistent player that when he's on, is a force. Just last year, he was .269/.335/.479 while being probably the best defensive player at his position in the sport. Since, coming into this season, that was his median season, I think that's probably the base of where you expect him to be.

He's also only 23. Remember that. 23 years old. I think it's crazy to say that if he doesn't have it figured out by his age 25 season, he never will. Now if he finishes this year with a sub .600 OPS, and does the same thing next year that's one thing. But if he plays to his career numbers the next year (a .781 ops), and he's sitting there at 25 years old, I don't think you can assume at all that that's what he'll always be. That'll still be two years short of his "prime." He's a very young player.

My dad and I have this discussion quite often. He's ready to write Heyward off...done with him. I keep pointing out that he is the age Chipper was in his ROOKIE year and this is Heyward's 4th season in the majors. That's crazy. Let's give him some time...he may never live up to his hype, but he is already a very good player.

[DonkeyJote]

Re: 2013 Atlanta Braves Thread

My dad and I have this discussion quite often. He's ready to write Heyward off...done with him. I keep pointing out that he is the age Chipper was in his ROOKIE year and this is Heyward's 4th season in the majors. That's crazy. Let's give him some time...he may never live up to his hype, but he is already a very good player.

Yeah, I really feel like something is wrong with him, health-wise. I mean, you just don't see guys come in an walk more, strike out less, and see more pitches, and hit for zero power. He has less power than Mike Minor at this point. He has 6 extra base hits this year. He had 63 last year.

[Renrag]

This is for all these so called fans that are complaining in case you forgot we still have a 6.5 game lead in the division with all these slumps go ahead and read this article

http://http://m.rantsports.com/rantsports/#!/entry/why-must-everyone-find-fault-in-the-atlanta-braves,51ab95a8da27f5d9d0d39ba0

[ubernoob]

Re: 2013 Atlanta Braves Thread

This is for all these so called fans that are complaining in case you forgot we still have a 6.5 game lead in the division with all these slumps go ahead and read this article

http://http://m.rantsports.com/rants...27f5d9d0d39ba0

It happens with winning teams. People always have to find fault in something - I mean... already this offseason (probably a couple weeks ago) a Packers fan in the Packers thread has said our window of winning is all but closed.

Yes, there are issues with the Braves but it's nothing major. BJ Upton is a career .250 hitter - not really a lofty goal, but one that a strong month can easily make him reach.

Do you know what the difference between a .300 hitter and a .267 hitter in a season are?

3 hits a month.

[thefakeJTS]

Re: 2013 Atlanta Braves Thread

I'm just going to break this team down in my point of view.

Our rotation isn't among the best by any means, but Atlanta has a GREAT "problem" to have coming up in the next few weeks. Brandon Beachy is set to return and there isn't a spot in the rotation for him right now. If Wren decides to send Teheran down, that will DESTROY his momentum. Minor has arguably been the best starter in the rotation. Medlen and Hudson are not going anywhere. I don't think Maholm would be effective out of the bullpen, and I don't think trading him would bring back equal value. With Beachy coming off of Tommy John Surgery, I say let him work out of the bullpen this season just like Medlen did last season. Beachy worked primarily out of the bullpen over his entire Minor League career.

This would leave our bullpen looking fantastic even without O'Flaherty and Venters.

CL: Kimbrel
SU: Walden
SU: Avilan
MR: Beachy
MR: Gearrin
MR: Wood or Ayala (when activated from DL)
LR: Varvaro or Martinez (when healthy)

Now for the offense.....

Brian McCann is proving to be healthy and his arm behind the plate looks better than I've ever seen it look. Evan Gattis is having a monster rookie season as of right now, and he has quickly became a fan favorite. He has proven himself worthy of being our full-time catcher next season. Gerald Laird in my mind is being kept around with next season in mind. He's a great backup catcher and he has hit the ball well this season. Wren doesn't want to let Laird go now and McCann go in the offseason. Then we would once again have to find a quality veteran backup in the offseason for two consecutive years.

Freddie Freeman is just an all-around All-Star. His defense is elite and his bat keeps growing. The power hasn't been there so far this season, but his average with runners on scoring position is crazy good. Chris Johnson has been everything Wren wanted and more. His average versus lefties and righties has been amazing, and his play and clubhouse presence (best friends with Freeman now) made Francisco expendable. Juan never really fit in on this team once Pena started playing 3B in late innings. Ramiro has been more than just a defensive replacement though, however. The number 14 must be magical because when I see him play, I think Martin is still out there with us. He has made losing Prado an afterthought for me even though Martin was my favorite Brave. Simmons defense is still the best in the business, and whatever his bat brings to the table is just bonus. Uggla has struggled to keep his average up, but it looks like his power is back. I wish there was a way to get this guys average up or trade him for an offensive prospect.

Justin Upton set the world on fire in April, and then he froze it in May. His average dropped significantly. However, the contributions he has to this team offensively have been tremendous. His defense has been a little suspect at times this season, but his bat is well worth it. Atlanta definitely won the trade with Arizona. B.J. Upton has been one of the worst players in the majors this year along with the man to his left, Jason Heyward. Atlanta's outfield was supposed to be the part of this team that was the strength, bot the weakness. Heyward has put the ball in play and I think his average will rise, but not by much. I think he will be lucky to reach .220 this season. Something looks off about him. I don't know what will fix him. BJ looks like he's on the right track, and I knew he would start slow. I didn't know it would be this dreadfully slow, but I knew it would be slow. He hit 28 HRs last year, and I think he only had 9 at the All-Star break. Schafer has been the player he was supposed to be a few years ago for us this season. He has picked up the slack from BJ and Heyward. Reed Johnson has done a tremendous job as well. His veteran leadership, and the game he and Justin Upton coached Gattis about Jansen was amazing. He brings a lot to the table for this team.

This team is inconsistent, but when they are on, they are on. Hopefully when playoff baseball rolls around, this team is on fire. I don't see any area of need Wren needs to address at the deadline if there are no major injuries and Beachy goes to the bullpen. If he sends Teheran or Maholm to the bullpen, Wren needs to add a set-up guy. Other than that, I frickin' love this baseball team.

[aukevin]

Re: 2013 Atlanta Braves Thread

I don't think Beachy goes to the pen, I think he'll start pretty much right away. With the successes that Teheran has finally starting showing this season starting, I hate to see him go to the pen if he keeps improving. Part of me wonders because of Meds success in the pen, if Gonzalez considers putting him in the pen. That would definitely be shutdown arm in the pen, but it might be too much of a cost to the rotation especially with the inconsistencies of Huddy and Maholm.

[TheMatrix31]

Re: 2013 Atlanta Braves Thread

Well, you can't judge a guy by his career worst season. At worst, he's an inconsistent player that when he's on, is a force. Just last year, he was .269/.335/.479 while being probably the best defensive player at his position in the sport. Since, coming into this season, that was his median season, I think that's probably the base of where you expect him to be.

He's also only 23. Remember that. 23 years old. I think it's crazy to say that if he doesn't have it figured out by his age 25 season, he never will. Now if he finishes this year with a sub .600 OPS, and does the same thing next year that's one thing. But if he plays to his career numbers the next year (a .781 ops), and he's sitting there at 25 years old, I don't think you can assume at all that that's what he'll always be. That'll still be two years short of his "prime." He's a very young player.

My dad and I have this discussion quite often. He's ready to write Heyward off...done with him. I keep pointing out that he is the age Chipper was in his ROOKIE year and this is Heyward's 4th season in the majors. That's crazy. Let's give him some time...he may never live up to his hype, but he is already a very good player.

I'm not ready to write him off and he may very well grow into a damn good player even if not the superstar we thought, but the clock is ticking. If this is Heyward's 4th year, he's GOT to be more consistent with his "damn good" streaks otherwise we'll have to just get comfortable calling him good not great.

[DonkeyJote]

I'm just going to break this team down in my point of view.

Our rotation isn't among the best by any means, but Atlanta has a GREAT "problem" to have coming up in the next few weeks. Brandon Beachy is set to return and there isn't a spot in the rotation for him right now. If Wren decides to send Teheran down, that will DESTROY his momentum. Minor has arguably been the best starter in the rotation. Medlen and Hudson are not going anywhere. I don't think Maholm would be effective out of the bullpen, and I don't think trading him would bring back equal value. With Beachy coming off of Tommy John Surgery, I say let him work out of the bullpen this season just like Medlen did last season. Beachy worked primarily out of the bullpen over his entire Minor League career.

This would leave our bullpen looking fantastic even without O'Flaherty and Venters.

CL: Kimbrel
SU: Walden
SU: Avilan
MR: Beachy
MR: Gearrin
MR: Wood or Ayala (when activated from DL)
LR: Varvaro or Martinez (when healthy)

Now for the offense.....

Brian McCann is proving to be healthy and his arm behind the plate looks better than I've ever seen it look. Evan Gattis is having a monster rookie season as of right now, and he has quickly became a fan favorite. He has proven himself worthy of being our full-time catcher next season. Gerald Laird in my mind is being kept around with next season in mind. He's a great backup catcher and he has hit the ball well this season. Wren doesn't want to let Laird go now and McCann go in the offseason. Then we would once again have to find a quality veteran backup in the offseason for two consecutive years.

Freddie Freeman is just an all-around All-Star. His defense is elite and his bat keeps growing. The power hasn't been there so far this season, but his average with runners on scoring position is crazy good. Chris Johnson has been everything Wren wanted and more. His average versus lefties and righties has been amazing, and his play and clubhouse presence (best friends with Freeman now) made Francisco expendable. Juan never really fit in on this team once Pena started playing 3B in late innings. Ramiro has been more than just a defensive replacement though, however. The number 14 must be magical because when I see him play, I think Martin is still out there with us. He has made losing Prado an afterthought for me even though Martin was my favorite Brave. Simmons defense is still the best in the business, and whatever his bat brings to the table is just bonus. Uggla has struggled to keep his average up, but it looks like his power is back. I wish there was a way to get this guys average up or trade him for an offensive prospect.

Justin Upton set the world on fire in April, and then he froze it in May. His average dropped significantly. However, the contributions he has to this team offensively have been tremendous. His defense has been a little suspect at times this season, but his bat is well worth it. Atlanta definitely won the trade with Arizona. B.J. Upton has been one of the worst players in the majors this year along with the man to his left, Jason Heyward. Atlanta's outfield was supposed to be the part of this team that was the strength, bot the weakness. Heyward has put the ball in play and I think his average will rise, but not by much. I think he will be lucky to reach .220 this season. Something looks off about him. I don't know what will fix him. BJ looks like he's on the right track, and I knew he would start slow. I didn't know it would be this dreadfully slow, but I knew it would be slow. He hit 28 HRs last year, and I think he only had 9 at the All-Star break. Schafer has been the player he was supposed to be a few years ago for us this season. He has picked up the slack from BJ and Heyward. Reed Johnson has done a tremendous job as well. His veteran leadership, and the game he and Justin Upton coached Gattis about Jansen was amazing. He brings a lot to the table for this team.

This team is inconsistent, but when they are on, they are on. Hopefully when playoff baseball rolls around, this team is on fire. I don't see any area of need Wren needs to address at the deadline if there are no major injuries and Beachy goes to the bullpen. If he sends Teheran or Maholm to the bullpen, Wren needs to add a set-up guy. Other than that, I frickin' love this baseball team.

Freeman, Johnson, Schafer, and Pena have all been fairly lucky. Not to say they aren't all very good players, because they are, but their numbers will all come back down some, just as Heyward's, BJ, and even McCann's should go up some.

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