Molony's Latest: Francoeur, Bay, Blalock

What sense does it make to trade Franceour when his value is so low? They aren't going to get much for him right now.

Even if they are sellers, there is a good chance the Braves would still be interested in acquiring someone like Bay. He's a power hitting LF who they can build around.

Tim,
What do you see the Twins giving up for Blalock? I don't see a ready replacement for Hank in the Rangers' organization (or at SS should Mike Young move to 3B).

If I'm Jon Daniels, it's got to be a real nice prospect or ML ready arm. Hank's $6.2M is actually very reasonable, and if he's healthy - teams could do a lot worse at 3B.

"What do you see the Twins giving up for Blalock? I don't see a ready replacement for Hank in the Rangers' organization (or at SS should Mike Young move to 3B)."

Dude. Are you out of your mind? If you're a Rangers fan well then you should just be embarrassed. I think it's pretty clear that the plan is to move Michael Young to third and call up your BEST PROSPECT Elvis Andrus to take over at short. The guy is 19 and batting .286 with a .344 OBP in AA and he's fast as hell so he's gonna be ready soon.

I agree completely with the concept that the Braves should be interested in Bay or Nady despite what their record is. The reason why is that both of them are bats we can control past this year, and also are the steady OF bat that Wren is looking for.

The royals are probably not going to trade any of their productive regulars or top prospects for Francouer, it really makes no sense for them too. Obviously, Dayton Moores past in Atlanta makes him interested, but he is not going to make a blockbuster for a guy who is not blockbuster worthy.

The Angels are said to be interested in Fuentes and Holliday/ATkins. If I am Frank Wren, I am calling the angels daily. We have Teixera and Ohman, the impact bat and lefty reliever the Angels want, whom we could trade. The angels have one of the best assortment of major league ready young players in the majors, and probably would be willing to trade them. Now, obviously the combo from the rockies would seem more attractive because Holliday or Atkins are under team control longer than Tex, and Fuentes is a better power arm than OHman. Nevertheless, Wren should exhaust all efforts to see if there is any possibility he could get a deal done, for instance, Tex and Ohman for Kotchman, Adenhart, and B. Wood.

Andrus isn't going to be ready until probably the middle of next year, and won't assume full-time duties until probably 2010. There's no reason to bring him up until he either drastically cuts down on the errors or starts showing some sort of power...

I'd assume the plan would be to move Young to 3B after this season, go with Vazquez or Duran at SS in the short-term, and have Elvis ready to go full-time Opening Day 2010...

But that all depends on the value you can get for Blalock right now... If they can't get something decent, why not just keep him and leave Young at short until Andrus forces his way into the big leagues?

"The Braves will listen to offers for Jeff Francoeur and Will Ohman, and maybe Mark Teixeira if the Braves struggle in the next week."

It's odd to me that they're listening to offers for Francoeur, but only maybe for Teixeira. Really, they should be actively looking to move Ohman, listening closely to offers for Tex, and only really considering moving Francoeur with an overvalued offer.

A few thoughts on Francoeur... a couple years ago, he was thought to be the new face of the franchise. The next Chipper Jones. A couple of scars blemish his record since then. His contract renewal 2 years in a row indicate he may be difficult to negotiate with and may have an inflated sense of his monetary worth. Secondly, his reaction to the AA demotion wasn't very professional, even if it was understandable. Thirdly, he has definitely struggled this year and hasn't shown progress that he was committed to.

I say keep Francoeur, as I believe he's part of the "next generation Braves," like McCann, Jurrjens, Schafer/Hernandez, and even Kelly Johnson.

But I'd also keep a bit of an eye on Francouer. His upside is starting to equal his downside.

Trade Blalock for any of their young starters. If I was JD, I'd also see what else besides Blalock it would take to land Liriano.

Andrus isn't the best prospect.

I think C. Davis and Feliz have something to say about that.

The Phils scout could have been looking at the 'Stros Tim Brydak as well as Marte and Grabow. Not as flashy as the other two, but certainly cheaper (both in salary and in cost).

IF the Twins trade for a 3B, I really don't see it being Blalock. They really don't need another left-handed hitter in the lineup, and with Cuddyer having been unproductive/injured all year, a RH bat with pop should be on the top of the list. To me, Blake seems more likely to fill that spot.

Meoveryouok,

I don't think that's neccessarily the case. The Braves will get two draft picks if they hang on to Tex and let him walk this offseason, so any trade involving him must bring back more than those two draft picks in terms of value. With Francoeur, the Braves may think he needs a change of scenery or that he doesn't fit in their long term plans with cheaper options among there OF prospects. If they could fill another need by moing Frenchy while he still appears to have some upside, its not a terrible idea.

"I'm surprised inbreds know how to type correctly. Who knew you can get internet in a trailer trash park?"

Hey. Don't be a dick.

I totally agree with txrangers22. If the Rangers are shopping Blalock to the Twins, see what else they would have to throw in to land Liriano. If that means any of Borbon, Mayberry, maybe even Murphy? I'd do what it takes to at least get the Twins thinking about it.

bravesfan1981,

If Frenchy has sacrificed OBP for HR power, then that experiment has failed miserably. His OBP this season is .286 and his numbers have gotten worse every month.

Yes I think his value is at an all-time low but I agree with those who think a change of scenery might be in order.

If the Braves wouldn't keep him in AA for more than three days when he was struggling before, and he has gotten no better since his return, then they're obviously stuck with him at the major league level for as long as he's with the team.

His career numbers actually look a lot like Jermaine Dye's, but JD was up and down from the minors to KC for at least two years after KC got him, and that time out of the show really helped him become a premier player.

I don't think the Braves are willing to do that with Golden Boy, even though it may be the only way to know if he's really going to be a capable player or simply a very talented athlete who doesn't know how to use his skills.

briantx, I didn't necessarily mean those exact players as my deal. I meant that if they want any of those prospects, then give them to the Twins. I'm fine parting with Hurley, but Davis? He is going nowhere, he's a Texas native (which the club loves) and the Twins have Morneau. No need to move Davis.

"The Royals would probably offer David DeJesus, Daniel Cortes and Julio Pimentel."

Hmm, this is a joke right? Dayton's probably trying to buy low on the guy. So he's going to offer an upper echelon CF, his best pitching prospect, and his 3rd or 4th best pitching prospect? Right. Excellent though.

If the Twins value Liriano, then why dont they bring him up from the minors to pitch?

I know it's doubtful, but if Moore was dumb to offer DeJesus for Francoeur then I think Wrenn should do it. Probably won't happen though you never know :)