Braves Make Progress On Chipper Jones Extension

As a Braves fan this is the best baseball news I have heard this year.

I would hope Frank would get him until at least through 2011, and then we will see where he is for 2012.

ridiculous. he is hurt all the time. im in GA and a braves fan and i would like nothing more than to see him traded to an AL team that needs a DH. hes great when he plays, but signing a 37 year old, frequently injured 3B to a multi-year deal is lunacy. it reflects one of the major problems with the atl front office - their irrational commitment to aging players. keith law put it best in a recent interview with talkingchop.com:

The obvious weakness is the lack of infield prospects, but I think there's a bigger organizational weakness: their excessive loyalty to certain players. Jeff Francoeur should have been non-tendered, and instead they're taking him to arbitration, even though he's about the worst "everyday" player in the game and seems to blame everyone but himself for his horrendous play. Tom Glavine is a damn charity case. He'd be their eighth- or ninth-best starting option if they sign him, assuming he can pick up a ball without hurting something. If I was Frank and he rejected my $1 million offer, my answer to their counteroffer with would end with "... and the horse you rode in on." Yet Atlanta is the team that can't say no to players with some sort of tie to the organization. They stood firm with San Diego in the Jake Peavy discussions; I wish they'd do the same with their own mediocre players and avoid a situation where Tommy Hanson is ready to come up in June but can't because it might hurt Lil' Tommy Glavine's feelings.

There we go, FW. About time.

Here's where the Lowe signing may hurt the Braves. Chipper will probably look at that 4/60 deal Lowe just got and say, I deserve at LEAST that.

"NO brainer chip will retire as a Braves no doubt!!"

Any Braves fan would've said the same about Smoltz a year ago.

so, hitting, running, and fielding... other than that he's fine!

Just kidding. I like Chipper and am sure the Braves will work something out with him. Probably with some incentives for modest plate-appearances.

Here's where the Lowe signing may hurt the Braves. Chipper will probably look at that 4/60 deal Lowe just got and say, I deserve at LEAST that.

Posted by: AtlantaBred | February 18, 2009 at 03:37 PM

Since when has Chipper ever been one to demand more money? His bent over backwards for the Braves financially, I doubt he would try to screw him during his final negotiations.

While I like the extension, I hope it is nothing more than a 2-yr extension and a mutual option for 2012. He is oft injured though a producer when he is in the line-up. I would like for him to take a reduced salary, more around 10 million a year for the next 2 years. That can free up about 5 million next year and would give the Braves around 2-3 years to develop some infield players that could possibly take over at third and first.

If chipper can keep playing until 2011, it would be phenomenal.

J. Shafer/G. Hernandez
Escobar
Heyward
C. Jones
McCann
F. Freeman
Francoeur
Johnson

That could be sick. I know its a long time away, but its always fun to look ahead. I know we might now be the frontrunners for a world series in 09, but atleast we have a great looking future.

Go Braves.

If Braves can extend Chipper for what he's getting now, they still should have some money coming off the payroll at the end of 2009 -- even if they pick up Hudson's option.

I see Vazquez being traded if Hanson's indeed the real deal, Francoeur being dealt or non-tendered, Soriano cut loose. That's about $20 million right there.

Chipper is the face of this franchise and a team leader who has sacrificed in the past for the good of the team.

He is worth more than he makes just for those characteristics alone, not to mention his ACTUAL baseball abilities. The man's a master hitter and above average defender.

Even if he only plays 110 games a year, he is still better than any other option at third base, in my opinion.

Sign him to a three year extension and throw in one of those Brett Favre-like deals where he can be with the team for another 20 years in some capacity. He can take over for Hank Aaron as the Brave's ambassador.

I just hope that they don't sign him for more than 2 - 3 years. He is just too old and injury prone to get a long term contract.

Keith Law is paid to have a colorful opinion, and it would make sense to have it on a player that is of small enough consequences that no one will call him out if and when he is wrong. The facts are if he thinks this is a bad signing he should be pimp slapping Epstein who made 2 much worse signings (Smoltz and Penny). Yes they have more upside, but their base salary is more than Glavine will most likely be able to earn through incentives, and Smoltz won't even be available to pitch until June. Glavine is a gamer who takes the ball and throws every fifth day like clock work for his entire career until last year. Law saying "assuming he can even pick up a ball without hurting something" is a ridiculous low blow, and from a guy who usually bases his comments on facts and stats it says to me that there is some other reason he doesn't like Glavine. I hate the idea of blocking Hanson, but Glavine isn't the mistake Kawakami was.

"david o'brien cant be considered a liable source"

Yep. Fun to read his insights on the blog, but way too many "this will happens" that haven't come true for him to be taken seriously.

I love seeing everyone up to their nuts in Chippers guts.

I hope the extension goes through Chipper at 37 is still on top of his game and is a definite HOF.

I don't see how Keith Laws comments can even come close to applying to a guy like Chip. Sure he's old, but he's going to be waaaay more productive then Glavine ever will and prob worth at least 2wins more then him too.

Chipper's deal should be a 3/30 type or 2/20, personally i prefer the 3/30.

OK, here's my general opinion on David O'Brien. Everything he proclaims to be factual is generally factual. Actually I'll go farther, everything that he said he heard is always right. He doesn't make up lies, if he wrote that someone in the Braves FO said X, they said X. However, his insights into what his sources say are wrong more than they're right.

For instance, this would be an example of what I'm talking about. Please keep in mind I'm making this up.

DOB Says: "I was talking to Chipper Jones yesterday and he said that he really likes Felix Hernandez and thinks the Braves could get a deal for him done."

In this case, Chipper would've really said that. However, DOB would probably follow that line with something like:

"This tells me that the Braves will probably make a trade for Felix Hernandez within a week".

That's speculation, and his speculation is generally wrong.

He's a good reporter because he's plugged into the Braves and he gets a lot of good blurbs. However, his speculation is usually wrong.

Imo it's going to be a mistake for the Braves to give him anything more than a two year extension. I like Chipper well enough but I can't see how he's going to be worth $10+ million dollars in a couple years. The guy can hit and play a passable defense but he just isn't healthy enough to do it regularly, and in two years it's only going to get worse while at the same time his hitting skills will have declined considerably. Chipper isn't on steroids and right now he's at the age where everyone before steroids came along would hit the wall and decline. Some declined slowly, some hit a wall, but they all declined. Expecting Chipper to still be an asset in four years is not a good idea and it would be a poor use of assets.

Thank God for people like Chipper

jus pointing out the stats dude injured players like him shouldnt be in the hall of fame a big part of the hof is durability i could play 25 seasons in the majors if i only had to get 50 abs

"Law saying "assuming he can even pick up a ball without hurting something" is a ridiculous low blow, and from a guy who usually bases his comments on facts and stats it says to me that there is some other reason he doesn't like Glavine. "

You're right. Keith Law grew up on Long Island and is a Mets fan to this day. KLaw is just getting revenge for that last 1/3 of an inning "Tommy" threw for the Mets in 07.

Sorry scribbletone, but Chipper WAS an elite player? I'm pretty sure he's just about as elite now as he's ever been. He just finished off a season where he finished 4th in value wins despite missing extensive time, and the year before that he was 8th. When everything is said and done he should go down as one of the 3 best offensive 3B off all time and a no doubt HOF. Seriously how can you question the HOF candidacy of a 3B with a .310/.408/.548 line?

he is always hurt tho players who cant be counted on shouldnt get in the hof i dont care if his line were 400/500/800

Metins08...injuries are an unavoidable part of the game when it comes to players that don't take seroids to help avoid/come back from injury.

Don't compare David Wright to Chipper Jones... Yes Wright is a great 3B, but wait about 10 years before you even think about comparing him to Chipper. I do understand your hatred for Chip though...he's a stinkin MET-KILLER!

Way to go kdmarkum. You hit the mark "he's a stinkin MET-KILLER".

I read most of the emails above and feel that most of you are 100% wrong about Chipper! He deserve every cent and more that The Braves paid for him. Non of you have played a 180 game plus season, most of you get hurt in a 10 game season in softball. I personaly know Chipper and he is the real deal, he will be in the HOF first ballet!