Add Cody Ross to the list of right-handed hitting outfielders the Braves are eyeing. ESPN.com's Buster Olney reports that the Braves are interested in Ross as they look to improve upon their NL-best record in the second half of the season (Twitter link).
The Braves also have interest in Corey Hart, Josh Willingham and Jose Bautista, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. Like those outfielders, Ross is under team control through 2011, but unlike them he is not having a career year and he can play center field.
Ross, who earns $4.45MM in 2010, is hitting .282/.332/.415 this year with seven homers. That's respectable production, but the 29-year-old usually shows more power. He has split time between right and center field and appears to be an average defender (according to UZR).
The Padres, Giants and Red Sox may look to add outfielders before the trade deadline. San Diego and San Francisco prefer players who aren't about to hit free agency, so the Braves will have competition for Ross's services if they are intent on getting more production than Nate McLouth, Melky Cabrera and Matt Diaz can provide.
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported yesterday that Ross and Jorge Cantu are available and Olney adds Nate Robertson's name to the list of players the Marlins would deal.
I like Ross, but not if he’s going to cost a lot.
What kind of package would Cody Ross cost?
Mike Minor and a low A propsect?
Well FLA can keep him
Maybe KK, Dunn and Hoover
I think this rumor circulated last year as well.
Yes, last year the Braves offered Jeff Francoeur to the Marlins for Cody Ross but the Marlins declined. That was before he got traded to the Mets for Ryan Church, obviously.
yeah heard about it last year on the off season and now. Basically the marlins are gonna want what they can’t have, typically. Prolly built around Tehran(sp) who wont be available.
I’m thinking a package of Schaefer,Resop, and a prospect or two may work might work. Know that I have no idea what I’m talking about usually.
Braves wont trade Schafer for Ross
Why not? Since his getting caught with HGH he hasn’t done much outside of one good spring. He is not playing very well at Gwinnett both offensively and defensively. Schaefer needs a change of scenery and his value has dropped considerably.
Why not? Since his getting caught with HGH he hasn’t done much outside of one good spring. He is not playing very well at Gwinnett both offensively and defensively. Schaefer needs a change of scenery and his value has dropped considerably.
we gave up resop and didnt seem to ever like him, but then again, he pitches much differently now…..
wait, so we would GIVE him back to the marlins basically?
Why? I don’t see Ross as being significantly better than Diaz as a purel “right-handed bat.”
Diaz can’t play centerfield. They’re worried about if McLouth can come back and don’t have confidence in Cabrera or Blanco for the long haul. Ross would be okay if McLouth ends up being just as bad as before and if the asking price isn’t too crazy.
A mid-level starter along with a decent hitting prospect should do the trick.
You’re joking right?
Eric O flaherty and Jesse Chavez for Ross
uh. you want us to trade our only lefty in the bullpen? no thanks.
Venters? He’s a lefty and much more reliable than O’Flaherty has been. And of course…..you do know Billy Wagner is a lefty right??
Venters? He’s a lefty and much more reliable than O’Flaherty has been. And of course…..you do know Billy Wagner is a lefty right??
You aren’t real up on the Braves are you? Numbnuts.
I like O’Flaherty, so I don’t want them to trade him. However, I would trade Jesse Chavez for Cody Ross’s batting gloves and still think the Braves are getting the better end of the deal.
Ok no way Cody Ross costs us anywhere close to our big 4 pitching prospects. He’s not that phenomenal and if we’re gonna dump one of them I want something better than a mediocre centerfielder. Now I wouldn’t mind nabbing Cody Ross of course. I guess it would depend on how Nate-o-mac comes back. Here are our options in center…
Blanco-been awesome but not sure he can keep it up
Schafer-I’m off his high, the little twerp better start proving something otherwise he’s gonna be the next Charlie Morton
Infante-No, he’s too valuable elsewhere.
McLouth-Noone knows how he will come back. He could be the McLouth from a couple years ago, the same one we’ve had or he could be worse.
Melky-He seems better in the corners
So I guess Cody would bring stability to a position we are currently having some trouble with but no way he’sworth our pride and joy pitchers. How about this?
Cody Johnson and Christian Bethancourt for Cody Ross?
I’m a big cody ross fan, as most marlins fans are, but i want to agree that he wont cost an arm and a leg. he’ll get a decent return, but anything high level might be a question. if he were in his normal power production right now then MAYBE… but as the marlins always do if you offer any pitching help they’ll take it. we’re deep in the outfield department….
Got to be kidding right? Cody Ross really? We want another Matty D? Not that I have a problem with Matty D but we already got him. What is the upgrade here? He is a career .267 hitter with 22 SB and 79 HR in 1836 AB’s. Come on we cant be that bad off can we?
We have got to be able to do better than that.
LOL @ AVG, HR, and SB being used to judge a player’s worth.
If a couple of teams are bidding, Ross could fetch a few B- specs, or maybe one B/B+ SP spec if the Marlins get lucky.
The point is I dont see him as enough of an up grade over what we got to go out and get. There is no doubt that the man playes the game hard and his mentallity is a fit for the Braves. Based on his numbers I just dont think he provides the numbers that the Braves are looking for out of a right handed bat. I think the Braves will go after a dead power hitter like Bautista or a no kidding lead off steals guy. I dont think the Braves gain anything by getting Ross.
The point is I dont see him as enough of an up grade over what we got to go out and get. There is no doubt that the man playes the game hard and his mentallity is a fit for the Braves. Based on his numbers I just dont think he provides the numbers that the Braves are looking for out of a right handed bat. I think the Braves will go after a dead power hitter like Bautista or a no kidding lead off steals guy. I dont think the Braves gain anything by getting Ross.
Ross plays all 3 OF positions, corner pretty good and CF fair. He is a cheerleader, very popular with his team mates and has pop in his bat that would probably increase in a stadium a bit smaller than Land Shark.
I can’t see the Fish giving him away, he does not walk as a FA until after 2011 and probably looking at 6-7M in arbitration as a bump from the 4.5M he is making this season.
The fish said they would trade him or Cantu, preferably Ross to make room for a starting job in Bonifacio.
The fish said they would trade him or Cantu, preferably Ross to make room for a starting job in Bonifacio.
I would much rather have Willingham….especially if we have to give up any of the players you guys are throwing out there….Minor/Teahern/Schafer/Betancourt really?!?! All they need is a ML-ready bullpen arm and Minor league outfileder
Chavez/Cody Johnson for Ross. That would be plenty….do I want that to happen no. We need to set our sights higher than Ross.
And who do you suggest is available that is higher? I haven’t seen any big names in the OF available.
And who do you suggest is available that is higher? I haven’t seen any big names in the OF available.
Cody Ross and Josh Willingham would probably be the best choices, but you really don’t want to be trading inside your own division because it could come back to haunt you. The only other logical person would be Corey Hart and the Brewers asking price is insanely high and maybe Jose Bautista, but he’s really not the type of person their looking for to provide a power type of outifelder to play with Jason Heyward
Trading inside your devision stinks, but sometimes trading outside your division hurts just as bad… i.e. Teixeira in 2007 and Drew in 2004. Look how many of our prospects, now with other teams and with the Braves, were at the All-Star game last night. Andrus, Feliz, Wainwright, Heyward, McCann and Prado, as I think that was all. Hindsight is 20/20, but we could have had Andrus and Feliz on our team, with Andrus giving us a lead-off hitter and Feliz filling in the rotation (no needed Lowe) or the bullpen. My point is that Ross is ideal here as he won’t cost much. We take the salary and the Marlins take mid-level prospects like Marek, Johnson, Hale, DeVall, etc… On the flip side though, Willingham gives us that bat to put in the middle of the order. Bobby really would need to do some shuffling, as Heyward’s thumb was not the only thing bothering him (he needs to be run-producing). My gut says we go to Willingham and give Washington Melky, Delgado/R Lopez, and either RSF, Bethancourt, or Willie Cabrera. That’s just 3-1 and replenishes them with an outfielder, 1 top and 1 mid-level prospect. That leaves us with our top-level prospects in the off-season to trade with the likes of KK, Lowe (even if we have to eat 10M salary), Melky, Diaz for that power threat. There’s much excitement as we look to see who out of our minor leagues develop into actual stars, knowing only few do, but I cannot wait.
I am pretty sure the Marlins can get JJ Hoover and a C level prospect or 2 for Ross.
However if I where the Marlins GM I would push for Craig Kimbrel.
Does Craig Kimbrel for Ross sound fair?
No way the Braves give Kimbrel for Ross. Kimbrel is the Braves built in relief for Wagner. I would guess Kimbrel is real close to untouchable at this point.
Yea I didn’t think so. Anyways I think it will take something like Mike Dunn and JJ Hoover to get Cody Ross
Dunn isn’t going anywhere either. He and Kimbrel are the future for this bullpen and the Braves are not trading either away.
Yea I didn’t think so. Anyways I think it will take something like Mike Dunn and JJ Hoover to get Cody Ross
No way the Braves give Kimbrel for Ross. Kimbrel is the Braves built in relief for Wagner. I would guess Kimbrel is real close to untouchable at this point.