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« Rays Sign Gabe Kapler | Main | Nationals Rumors: Young, Swisher »
Braves Sign Omar Infante To Extension
According to David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the Braves signed Omar Infante to a two-year deal with a club option. Troy Renck says the deal is worth $4.325MM. The club 2011 club option is for $2.5MM with a $250K buyout. The deal buys out one free agent year with an option on a second.
Infante, 27, hit .293/.338/.416 in 348 plate appearances in '08 while playing second base, shortstop, third base, left field, and center field. The Braves acquired Infante and Will Ohman a year ago from the Cubs for Jose Ascanio.
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Good move... Omar is a super utility guy and if Chipper ever hangs them up I really think he can play every day at third. He was one of our very best hitters down the stretch.
Posted by: tsweet9000 | January 12, 2009 at 02:16 PM
Nice sign to generate what has been a slow and painful offseason. Infante had a solid year stepping in for injuries. Wren actually seems to have a little life in the last couple of weeks.
Posted by: bravesfan12 | January 12, 2009 at 02:17 PM
My favorite memory from last year was when he was our clean up hitter a few times over the weeks following the Tex trade. Awesome.
This should be a good signing, depending on the money. His type of player is always a great asset to the team.
Posted by: soupdujour | January 12, 2009 at 02:17 PM
solid deal. He is a valuable utility guy and adds nice depth and versatility to the bench
Posted by: Crown_royal_34 | January 12, 2009 at 02:18 PM
Woo.....hoo?
How about an extension for Chipper Jones, Wren?
Posted by: FanOTheRumors2 | January 12, 2009 at 02:19 PM
What kind of an extension do you want for an aging 3rd basemen who struggles to play 100+ games year in and year out? He has continued to battle injuries for the last 3 years, so letg him finish out his contract and go from there...
Posted by: bravesfan12 | January 12, 2009 at 02:23 PM
Oh good. Smoltz is a Red Sox pitcher now but they resigned a utility guy.
Posted by: XD23 | January 12, 2009 at 02:27 PM
"What kind of an extension do you want for an aging 3rd basemen who struggles to play 100+ games year in and year out?"
A better one than you give a utility guy with a career .304 OBP.
Posted by: FanOTheRumors2 | January 12, 2009 at 02:29 PM
Super signing! He isn't Yunel at short but can play short if Yunel was hurt, and can play anywhere really for that matter.
Posted by: ScottBravesfan19 | January 12, 2009 at 02:32 PM
Yeah your prolly right...lets see if we can "waste" around 12-15 million on a guy close to 40 to play 95-115 games...thats why your not a GM!
Posted by: bravesfan12 | January 12, 2009 at 02:33 PM
Omar Infante isn't on the White Sox anymore? Where have I been?
Posted by: Boh | January 12, 2009 at 02:34 PM
Omar has sorta been forgotten about in all the posts on this site, but he is a guy that will get 400 AB's as a utility player. Gotta have good bench players to win.
Posted by: Brad426 | January 12, 2009 at 02:37 PM
tsweet9000,
Even if he replicates his 2008 production from here on in, that's not good enough for a full-time corner IF. SS/CF, maybe. Nowhere near enough power for 3B.
He's an excellent utility man and could, I suppose, replace Yunel if he were dealt for a stud starting pitcher. I'd rather give him 250 plate appearances off the bench.
Posted by: ink-stained scribe | January 12, 2009 at 02:38 PM
Oh good. Smoltz is a Red Sox pitcher now but they resigned a utility guy.
Posted by: XD23 | January 12, 2009 at 02:27 PM
Let's talk about it. Smoltz deal is about 5.5 up tp 10 mil for 1 year. He is 42. He is prejected to pitch in June, July? By then he could start for like 2-3 games and braves would be out of it. Then what? Trade him to Mets, Yankees, Red Sox, Tigers? Do you see my point? This is business.
Posted by: Nobody | January 12, 2009 at 02:41 PM
"thats why your not a GM!"
Actually, if I recall correctly, Chipper was quoted in the AJC last week saying Wren told him they'd talk extension this offseason.
Also, Chipper played 134 games in 2007 and 128 games in 2008.
Posted by: FanOTheRumors2 | January 12, 2009 at 02:42 PM
IMO the Braves FO and fans severely undervalue the longtime players compared to what they'd get on the open market. In a Very week FA year nextyear, I could see a few teams offering Chipper the world.
Posted by: cadagan | January 12, 2009 at 02:43 PM
Boh,
Infante has never been on the White Sox. The Tigers traded him to the cubs last offseason. I think it was for Jacque Jones. He was immediately flipped to the Braves.
This is a solid signing though. Infante can spell just about anyone with solid defense and production. Of course he won't set the world on fire, but he can be very useful off the bench.
Posted by: FiNch | January 12, 2009 at 02:43 PM
Good super-utility guy. I can't complain about this one, since it bolsters an already decent bench with Norton and Blanco.
Posted by: FineHamAbounds | January 12, 2009 at 02:45 PM
"By then he could start for like 2-3 games and braves would be out of it."
And if they're not out of it?
It is business, and it probably was wise to not give Smoltz 5.5 million...but still I'd rather have Smoltz for a half season than Omar Infante and Dave Ross.
Posted by: FanOTheRumors2 | January 12, 2009 at 02:45 PM
Whats a few million to a MLB team? I don't see the Yankees treating Jeter like the player he really is. Orioles treated Cal better then his stats said. Same with a lot of 'Franchise' guys.
Its not like Smoltz is a 5 ERA guy. Get was still a high quality starter.
Posted by: XD23 | January 12, 2009 at 02:49 PM
"By then he could start for like 2-3 games and braves would be out of it."
And if they're not out of it?
It is business, and it probably was wise to not give Smoltz 5.5 million...but still I'd rather have Smoltz for a half season than Omar Infante and Dave Ross.
As painful as it is to lose Smoltz, it was probably the right move by FW. Either way, I wouldn't undervalue good backups. Sure these aren't the signings we've been looking for, but they will help. As bad as the offseason has been, if Wren can rope in a few bigger names (I.E. Dunn and Lowe) this offseason will end up being a success imo.
Posted by: FiNch | January 12, 2009 at 02:53 PM
Omar is nice to have around. He can fill in for whoever gets hurt. Another plus about Omar, his name reminds me of Omar Gooding, one of the hosts of "Wild n'Crazy Kids." Great memories like that are needed to offset thinking about him hitting clean-up last season.
Posted by: uwalfos | January 12, 2009 at 03:28 PM
Frank Wren has gotten a lot of criticism since taking over as GM, and a lot of it is deserved. But how the hell did he manage to get Infante AND Will Ohman from the Cubs for Jose Ascanio? You gotta give him credit for that move.
Posted by: paulyicecubes | January 12, 2009 at 03:43 PM
Um. Don't count your chickens with Infante. Regression will be a bi***...
Posted by: jrfukudome | January 12, 2009 at 03:56 PM
Has Wren "lost" a trade as Braves gm yet? Not sure about his complete trade history but I know we have the Cubs deal and Jurrjens trade. Vasquez remains to be seen. Any others?
Posted by: bravesfan22193 | January 12, 2009 at 04:00 PM
Not a bad signing by the Braves as long as they don't intend to start Omar or give him too much playing time. The problem is that he's not a great hitter, they could have probably found someone a lot cheaper to fill the super utility role since hitting apparently isn't that important to them in that role. He was descent in '08 but if you look at his history he's just not that good. Even in '08 his ops+ was only 98.
Posted by: pageian | January 12, 2009 at 04:05 PM
By David O'Brien
January 12, 2009 4:52 PM | Link to this
Two years, $4.3 mill for Infante, who’ll get $1.85 mill in ‘09 and $2.225 mill in 2010, with a $2.5 mill option/$250,000 buyout for 2011.
There are the contract details. Not a bad signing at all.
Posted by: SoleMaverick | January 12, 2009 at 04:06 PM
Omar's versatility is what impresses me the most. He can play vertually every postion and has started in LF, CF, 3B, 2B, and SS. Not to mention he's got a pretty good bat. Nice signing!
Posted by: BravoMan | January 12, 2009 at 08:10 PM
Great signing for the Braves.
Anyone who says different is an idiot.
And for those of you complaining about not extending Chipper's contract, why would we do it now? It would take atleast 10 million. We can work on Chipper's extension when Jojo Reyes is no longer our 5th starter.
Sign Lowe. Sign Ohman. Sign Abreu or Dunn. Sign a pitcher like Sheets to a one year deal with a 1 or 2 year option, or make a trade for a pitcher like Wren suggested on The Zone 790 yesterday.
Nice signing.
Posted by: bravesfansc | January 12, 2009 at 08:12 PM
Did Wren make the first Teixeria trade to bring him to Atlanta or was that Shurholtz still?
If it was Wren, then yes i would say that is the only bad trade he has made. Elvis Andrus is the top prospect for the Rangers and Matt Harrison got a september call-up and went 2-1 or 3-2 (something in that range) and projects as a solid 2 or 3.
Those 2 plus the other 2 kids we sent for essentially a year of TEX, Kotchman and Stephen Marek isnt a very good deal. But it couldve been JS instead of Wren.
Posted by: bravesfansc | January 12, 2009 at 08:23 PM
I remember Omar coming through so many times last year. Great move!
Posted by: drphonic7 | January 12, 2009 at 08:30 PM
Wren took over after the season tbe Braves got Tex.
His first move was Renteria for Jurjens/Hernandez (He definitely wins this one). I can only think of 3 other trades he's made. Ohman/Infante for Ascanio (He fleeced the Cubs). Tex for Marek/Kotchman (This remains to be seen. Be needed to get something for Tex, but I'm not sold on Kotchman). And Vazquez/Logan for Flowers/Lillibridge/2 prospects (This could turn out alright for Atlanta if Vazquez adjusts back to the NL well).
Overall I think he's done pretty well. And as far as this offseason, I really don't think much of it is his fault other than letting Smoltz go. It wasn't his fault Kevin Towers wanted half of our minor league system for Peavy or that the Yankees had a bottomless wallet to open for Burnett. If he makes good on a few moves soon, he will have done a great job imo.
Posted by: FiNch | January 13, 2009 at 02:02 AM