We've been hearing the Adrian Gonzalez-to-Boston rumors for months now, though there have been whispers that Boston may not have the minor league package necessary to extract Gonzalez from San Diego, the Padres might just keep Gonzalez if they don't find a deal to their liking, and that other teams will be taking just as hard a look at the slugging first baseman.
FOX Sports' Jon Paul Morosi suggests that Atlanta may be one of those other teams. Morosi spoke to an unnamed scout who said that the Braves "may have the greatest need" for a hitter of Gonzalez's caliber given Atlanta's team-wide struggles at the plate. The Braves entered Friday's action with a .229 team batting average, tied with the Mets for sixth-lowest in baseball.
Going into the offseason, Atlanta's greatest need was to add a big bat to give more support to one of baseball's strongest starting rotations. The Braves instead made several small moves to add the likes of Eric Hinske, Melky Cabrera and Troy Glaus rather than splurging on a high-priced free agent. While it's still too early in the season to fully judge how these moves will pan out, Glaus (as Morosi points out) has particularly struggled at first base, posting a .524 OPS in 58 plate appearances. Given that Glaus is on a one-year, $1.75MM contract, the Braves would have no hesitations about benching, trading or even releasing Glaus if the right opportunity at Gonzalez came along.
In picking up Gonzalez, Morosi notes that the Braves would be blocking the progress of slugging first base prospect Freddie Freeman. However, since this is Bobby Cox's final season, could the team be in an all-out "win now" mode? If the Braves find themselves fighting for a playoff spot in July, Freeman's future promise might be considered a necessary sacrifice for Cox's last postseason push. Also, Freeman would be a logical addition to the hypothetical package to San Diego.
Of course, adding a star first baseman is no golden ticket to the playoffs. The Braves know this all too well — they sent Neftali Feliz, Elvis Andrus, Matt Harrison, Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Beau Jones to Texas at the 2007 trade deadline for Mark Teixeira. While Teixeira hit well for Atlanta, the Braves only finished third in the NL East in 2007 and wound up trading Teixeira themselves the next July. No doubt this recent deal will make the Braves think twice before offering up another big group of prospects for what might end up being a short-term rental of a player.
Thanks again Braves!!!!!
Sincerely,
Texas Ranger Fans
I don’t know if I can take another gutting of the farm system for a rental. You know he’s going to test the market.
Man, Texas hit the jackpot with that one.
Thanks for the reminder, gosh the thought of Escobar being the LF, Feliz and Harrison over Lowe and Kawakami, Andrus at SS, and Salty still backing up C/1B is really depressing.
if it makes you feel any better, i think yunel escobar is a perennial allstar in the making.
Heres the only way I’d do this deal: He agrees at the time of the trade to an extension that could be backloaded somewhat (Lowe and Jones combined $30 million come off the books 1 year after his current deal expires). A deal centered around Freddie Freeman and including Melky Cabrera, Randall Delgado, and Christian Betabcourt seems fair to me. A three team deal might be necesarry and would send Freeman somewhere else for a prosepct to SD if the Padres want Blanks moved back to 1B. I really cant see a deal getting done for Atlanta though, a more modest soultion to their offensive woes is make 1B a platoon for while and see if by July Freeman can give it a shot.
Eh, I’d rather not. I like Gonzalez, but I want to see what Freeman can do first.
i think its obvious that this team needs more than just one more hitter… we need a couple more. that tex trade was just atrocious. i would hate to make the same mistake twice. but god i want to win. glad i dont have to make these decisions…
Freeman just isn’t a good enough prospect to stop you from making a reasonable A-Gon trade. Freeman’s a solid regular at best. Gonzalez is a two-way superstar who can overlap with the end of the Chipper era and start of the Heyward/Hanson era.
maybe if schuerholz can come out of GM retirement and come up with a deal, because he was a master of that*. wren doesn’t have it to pull off a “gotcha” trade that would pan out in the long-term.
*except for the teixeira trade.
A. Gon. is not going anywhere this year. The NL West is going to be a 5 team dog fight with the Pads right in there to the end.
I like it if an extension can be agreed to prior to the deal being made. Firstbase has been a revolving door for us for about 10 years and I’m just not sold that Freeman is going to be anywhere near as good as Adrian. If you could get him for Freeman/Shafer, Vizcanio/Delgado/Teheran, and maybe a few other non blue chippers than I say great. I don’t think the Pads would want anything to do with Shafer though and really have no use for another firstbase prospect so a third team may need to get involved. The Pads really seem to need some power in the outfield and a real second baseman. A catcher wouldn’t hurt either so maybe Bethancourt? Medlen, Delgado, and Bethancourt too much? Not enough?
The Braves fans on here really are clueless.
If we trade the farm for Gonzalez, it’ll be the biggest mistake since acquiring Mike Hampton.
I completely agree. Any team, no matter who it is, will be making a huge mistake, if not the biggest they’ve ever made.
I don’t really think the Braves will need to trade for AGon to get in the playoffs.
The Braves and Phillies are easily the #1 and #2 best teams in the NL (whichever order you put them in).
If the Braves get a healthy Schafer midseason, that already is somewhat of an upgrade, and I don’t think they need to sell the farm to be frontrunners in that division or running away with the wildcard (i strongly feel the WC in the NL comes from the east this year)
Well I’m glad Scott is here with a clue. I really don’t think it would be a huge mistake trading a catcher who is blocked by a perenial all star, one of three big time pitching prospects, and our long reliever who probably profile as a back end starter. You gotta give something to get something. We’ll still have Vizcanio and Teheran not to mention Minor and a few other really good pitching prospects. If the Pads would take that then we should jump all over it, an allstar firstbaseman who jacked 40 bombs last year at PETCO for one player on our major league roster, that’s clueless? That’s a huge mistake?
Exactly what I was thinking. Adrian Gonzalez would do miracles for Atlanta’s lineup; he’s the missing piece. I really like their chances
Considering both Sox teams and a few others could likely easily match that while still putting up the money to extend him, the Braves probably wouldn’t get away with that deal.
Don’t get your hopes up on this one Braves fan. This is just speculation and some reporter trying to sell copy. Adrian Gonzalez is not worth the prospects that it would take to have him for 1 year, so that he can bolt to the Red Sox as soon as he becomes a free agent. Until this team puts money into the team, this is the type of team you will see for a long time.
The Braves don’t need to trade for Gonzo, they should bring up Freddie Freeman midseason.
This guy is a stud, give him the chance to play.
The Braves going after Adrian Gonzalez would be like stealing candy in front of the store owner. You’d get the candy and the temporary benefits of eating it but trouble that will erase those benefits ten-fold is soon to come. If the Braves trade for Adrian Gonzalez they will have to splurge into their farm system again and would most definitely either block Freddie Freeman or trade him. Neither of which are good things. But something that could bring A-Gonz to Atlanta would be if Freeman gets a serious injury and out for a long time. Not by any means saying I want that to happen but it’s a possibility. In short, I think the Braves should just lay off and not bother. A-Gonz would be a great addition performance-wise but not at all practical. I do think that the Braves will make a big trade at some point though maybe for a guy that has speed and hitting that could serve as a legit lead-off hitter. We have some expendable minor leaguers. Christhian Betancourt is a catcher and most likely has no future with the club. Either Teheran, Delgado, or Viscaino will probably go at some point.
C’mon Braves! Keep him in the NL.
“also, Freeman would be a logical addition to the hypothetical package to San Diego.”
Why would they particularly want him? They’ve already got a first baseman pushed out into the outfield because they don’t have a place for him.
I think it’s a bit early to start panicking. The Braves are normally slow starters. But Adrian would be awesome. Considering the Padres have won 8 in a row, they’re not planing on trading him just yet. And if they do trade him, they’re gonna ask for something illogical…..Jason Heyward…….Tommy Hanson…..Jair Jurrjens, something like that. As for Freddy Freeman he may be a year away, and Adrian has two years left on his very affordable contract. We’ve heard Adrian will look for Texeira money, so if the Braves get him they know it will be strictly a two year rental.
A logical trade would be, Aroldys Vizcaino, Cody Johnson, Randall Delgado, Jeff lyman and another prospect not named(Craig Kimbrell, Freddy Freeman, or Jordan Schafer). Vizcaino is a very good prospect, Johnson has Ryan Howard power but strikes out a lot too, Delgado is very similar to Vizcaino both have power arms, and Jeff Lyman is very close to the majors and he is pretty good.
@woadude
Why the hell would the Braves want Bucholz? So you’re telling me the Braves would trade their #1 offensive prospect in the minors for a 6th starting pitcher? Come on man.
ur retarded, why would the braves trde prospects for prospects, theyre loaded with pitching, and if they dont get agon, they need freeman
i like agonn, but i’d rather trade for carl crawford.
we need a leadoff man badly, the solution for first base could be to move heyward into the 3rd or 4th spot in the lineup?
crawford would also be easier to get
Yes, because we all know that 20 games makes a career.
While we’re at it, may as well go ahead and say Teixeira isn’t an all-star. I mean, he’s hitting below .200. Seriously, we’re only 16 games into the season. Much too early to be looking at a guy’s batting average to determine how good he is. Not to mention, he’s been hitting the ball hard just about every at bat it seems, but gets an unlucky ricochet off the pitcher’s mound or the second base bag, or an incredible play takes away an extra base hit. Right now, I think luck is the only thing that Escobar doesn’t have going for him.
As of right now Hanson is considered to be one of the best pitchers in the NL. There is no way on earth they would trade him. Its logical to say the padres would ask for those players? Yes what would the answer be? No way on earth, pick between Jordan Schafer, Jeff Lyman, Cody Johnson, etc……If you’re the Braves would you trade Hanson or Heyward??? From the braves perspective it’s totally illogical.