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[UAdan]

Alex Gordon makes perfect sense for our final outfielder. Make it happen, Wren.

[GoldenRebel]

From ESPN.com this morning:

Teheran, Delgado available?

7:27AM ET
Atlanta Braves

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The Atlanta Braves landed the center fielder they wanted in free agent B.J. Upton. Next on the wish list is a left fielder, and the club might be willing to deal prospects Julio Teheran or Randall Delgado to make it happen.
"But if we're going to trade one of those guys it's going to be a significant deal," GM Frank Wren told David O'Brien of the Atlanta JC. "And I don't know if that's going to happen or not."
The Braves reportedly have about $10 million to spend on a left fielder and a couple of bench spots, which might price them out of available free agents such as Shane Victorino. As for the trade route, O'Brien says the Braves have inquired about Arizona's Justin Upton, Colorado's Dexter Fowler, Cleveland's Shin-Soo Choo and Kansas City's Alex Gordon, among others.
At this stage, Delgado and Teheran are penciled in as candidates for the Braves' fifth-starter job, so Atlanta does have available pitching to deal even after trading Tommy Hanson.

[Neil Caudle is Superman]

I'd be happy with Fowler, Gordon, or Choo, but I've heard Choo is going to the Reds... All three could meet our needs fairly well. I think I'd rather have Fowler than Gordon as Gordon made $12 million last year and FOwler made $2 million.  That's a pretty sizable difference in money for players that will probably cost about the same trade-wise.

[Tider27]

Choo would be a nice pickup, and I rather have Fowler than Gordon. Alex is solid but I have a feeling he wouldn't flourish in ATL.

[Neil Caudle is Superman]

Oh shit, Emilo Bonifacio is apparently available, which makes sense considering how many players Toronto has in the outfield. Freddi liked him in Florida, I'd be fine if we went after Bonerface. He's young, extremely fast, cheap, and can play almost any position. My main concern with him would be injuries though...

http://www.talkingch...meetings-rumors

[UAdan]

I don't want Choo or Ellsbury because they are both in the last years' of their contracts. If we are going to have to part with a top pitching prospect, I want multiple years of a guy.

Alex Gordon is my number 1 "realistic" option. I don't think we're going to get Justin Upton. They demand Simmons and we just aren't looking to part with him.

Dexter Fowler would still be a reasonable addition as well. I wouldn't object to that, provided we don't give up Minor.

[UAdan]

I'm split on Bonifacio. I'm still not convinced he's what I'd call an "everyday starter". I'd just feel better if we got a rock-solid option for LF instead of a guy we might have to shift around. Wren is already talking about a potential Francisco/someone else platoon. Ugh.

[UAdan]

Neil Caudle is Superman, on 05 December 2012 - 12:41 PM, said:

I think I'd rather have Fowler than Gordon as Gordon made $12 million last year and FOwler made $2 million.  

Where did you see that? Gordon made 6 mil last year and will make 9 mil this year. Still a difference, but not enormous. Gordon is a better overall ballplayer. Less difference in home/away split, better defender. I would still be okay with Fowler though.

[Neil Caudle is Superman]

UAdan, on 05 December 2012 - 01:01 PM, said:

Where did you see that? Gordon made 6 mil last year and will make 9 mil this year. Still a difference, but not enormous. Gordon is a better overall ballplayer. Less difference in home/away split, better defender. I would still be okay with Fowler though.

Oh, I was looking at baseball reference and was looking at the last few years of his contract instead of his current contract so that's my bad. I'm used to looking at guys who are still arbitration eligible where their last salary is their current salary. In 2014 he'll make $10m and 12m after that, but yeah 9 million is definitely better for 2013.
Gordon has a higher potential, too. I don't think there's any doubt he is the best outfielder we can probably get right now, I'm just thinking about resigning all the young guys over the next few years.
When McCann comes off the books after this year that'll give us more money to resign Heyward/Freeman/Medlen/Kimbrel too.

[Neil Caudle is Superman]

UAdan, on 05 December 2012 - 12:58 PM, said:

I'm split on Bonifacio. I'm still not convinced he's what I'd call an "everyday starter". I'd just feel better if we got a rock-solid option for LF instead of a guy we might have to shift around. Wren is already talking about a potential Francisco/someone else platoon. Ugh.

Yeah Bonifacio will never be more than a slap-hitting speedster, but I've always been a fan of the running game, probably because I ran so much when I played high school ball.

And yeah I've heard talk about Evan Gattis platooning... He's got 40 HRs in the last two years over 150 games and he it .322 and .305. He could actually wind up being pretty good, but I'd rather have something proven too.

[UAdan]

Neil Caudle is Superman, on 05 December 2012 - 01:16 PM, said:

Oh, I was looking at baseball reference and was looking at the last few years of his contract instead of his current contract so that's my bad. I'm used to looking at guys who are still arbitration eligible where their last salary is their current salary. In 2014 he'll make $10m and 12m after that, but yeah 9 million is definitely better for 2013.
Gordon has a higher potential, too. I don't think there's any doubt he is the best outfielder we can probably get right now, I'm just thinking about resigning all the young guys over the next few years.
When McCann comes off the books after this year that'll give us more money to resign Heyward/Freeman/Medlen/Kimbrel too.

Good point. Wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing if we couldn't spend all 13.5 mil that we have left. If we have a few mil left over then save it for the trade deadline or keep it on hold for the future.

[Neil Caudle is Superman]

UAdan, on 05 December 2012 - 01:20 PM, said:

Good point. Wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing if we couldn't spend all 13.5 mil that we have left. If we have a few mil left over then save it for the trade deadline or keep it on hold for the future.

Yeah, you never know, Mark Teixeira might be available at he trade deadline!! We could trade Simmons, Delgado, Teheran, gilmartin... But in all seriousness, yeah, I bet there will be some pretty solid players available at the trade deadline. Chase Headley comes to mind...

[UAdan]

DOB is suggesting we might look at a Nate Schierholtz-Reed Johnson platoon in LF.

I really hate the idea of most platoons, but that one might actually be productive. If you take Schierholtz's numbers vs RHP and Johnson's numbers vs LHP from 2012, you'd get the following:

.299 batting average
.357 on-base percentage
.455 slugging percentage

in 362 PA

[UAdan]

Starting to prepare myself for disappointment tho (Sigh)

[Neil Caudle is Superman]

UAdan, on 05 December 2012 - 06:29 PM, said:

DOB is suggesting we might look at a Nate Schierholtz-Reed Johnson platoon in LF.

I really hate the idea of most platoons, but that one might actually be productive. If you take Schierholtz's numbers vs RHP and Johnson's numbers vs LHP from 2012, you'd get the following:

.299 batting average
.357 on-base percentage
.455 slugging percentage

in 362 PA

They're so.... Mediocre though. Blah. They're players that absolutely don't hurt you, but they don't do a whole lot to help, either. They're both good at what they do, but I'd rather have Reed Johnson as a pinch hitter/fill in to let guys get rest and just put Francisco at 3B if that is the best alternative.

Juan Francisco is hitting .316 with 6 HR's and 23 RBI so far in 26 games.

Evan Gattis is hitting .339 with 9 HR's and 29 RBI so far in 41 games.

I think I'd rather go with platooning them than signing Schierholtz.