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Frank Wren’s theft of Dan Uggla from the fish this week (who
is this man and what has he done with the real Frank Wren) is his best deal
since becoming GM and appears to have solved our right handed power outage.
Wren and Fredi have said that Martin will move to left and back up Chipper at
third. Leaving Chipper’s future for another time, we are left with openings in
center and in left when Martin is playing elsewhere.  I was sitting down to make a case here for
trading a couple of minor league prospects to pry Rajai
Davis from the Athletics when I found the Blue Jays had
snatched him from Oakland for almost nothing. 
Davis was .284/.320/.377 this year down from 2009 number but more like those
expected from him and a pretty good player when you add in his 50 steals.  I felt he fit our needs perfectly. Sadly
Frank didn’t receive my thought message -€“ perhaps I’m call blocked ?- and
missed out on this deal.  If you believe
like I do that Nate is a lost cause we still have a hole to fill there. So what
are the options?

Internally there’€™s of course Jordan Schafer
but he’s pretty much a lost man too; his numbers are McLouth like or worse. So, Matt
Young may be a better option. In the minors his career numbers are  .289/.390/.385/.775  as compared to say Blanco
whose minor league numbers were 269/.368 /.366/ .734 . In the majors Blanco’s
numbers are similar ( 258/.358/.324/.682)  thus it could be argued that Matt will perform
in the bigs like he does down there. Matt also steals bases and at a 70% career
rate. This season at Gwinette he stole 39 and was caught 7 times with .300/.380/.407/.786.
He’€™s been tearing up the winter leagues too hitting .380 with a .958 OPS in 92
at bats.  So maybe he’s ready for prime
time.  His numbers are a lot better than Nate’s.
Let’€™s give the rookie a shot.

The rest of the outfield could be Diaz and Mclouth
as the platoon backups.  Before anyone says
it, yes I’€™d rather have Hinske than Nate as well but unless we can package him
and move him we’€™re stuck. And who would want him or even take him?  I do have an idea;€ it’€™s weird, strange and
probably has no chance but. . . what about the Mets? Before you choke on your
supper consider this.

The Mets have one really bad contract they want to move; Carlos
Beltran. Carlos has largely been less than New York (unrealistically) expected
and paid for. He has one year left at $18,500,000 about 12.5 mil too much by
today’€™s standard. Beltran’€™s knee surgery meant last year’s numbers are very
skewed but when healthy he’s a good number two hitter – he hates hitting 3,4 or
5 where the Mets put him -€“ and plays a really good center field. If we package
Nate to replace Beltran in their outfield ($6,500,000 in 2011 with a 1, 250,000
buyout for 2012 with something else they need but can’€™t afford, a pitcher who
can eat some innings; KK.  I know you’re
in cardiac arrest by now so I’€™ll wait on the medics to revive you. . . . . . .
. better now?

KK didn’t
actually pitch all that badly if you ignore his pressure filled start well or
die game in September. Earlier he kept us in games but we scored nothing for
him. He could easily have ended up 9 – 9 and for a 5^th starter that isn’t
too shabby. KK gets $6,667,000 this year. 
Together Nate and KK get $14,417,000 from us like it or not. Swapping
them to the Mets allows them to move a man who doesn’t like them anymore than they like him. But he is a
talented player that we get for two guys looking for a change of scenery who fill voids for
them AND saves them $4,083,000 in the bargain. If you feel bad about it ask them for $2 million cash as well, I don’t mind. In return we get a talented
player in his walk year for what amounts to 4.1 million.  Beltran – a life time 28 homer 106 RBI man 282/.359/.494/.853
– would be revitalized by a move that makes him not THE star but just another
guy on the team and the Braves would profit from his eagerness to prove he’€™s
not a lost cause in his walk year.

Ok it probably won’€™t happen but it sure looks like it could
work. The alternative is Nate, a rookie or we trade away something we need
for someone making about 4 million and hope it works.  If it were me, I’€™d ask Sandy Alderson and see
what he says. Who knows, we might all get better because of it.

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Frank Wren’s theft of Dan Uggla from the fish this week (who
is this man and what has he done with the real Frank Wren) is his best deal
since becoming GM and appears to have solved our right handed power outage.
Wren and Fredi have said that Martin will move to left and back up Chipper at
third. Leaving Chipper’s future for another time, we are left with openings in
center and in left when Martin is playing elsewhere.  I was sitting down to make a case here for
trading a couple of minor league prospects to pry Rajai
Davis from the Athletics when I found the Blue Jays had
snatched him from Oakland for almost nothing. 
Davis was .284/.320/.377 this year down from 2009 number but more like those
expected from him and a pretty good player when you add in his 50 steals.  I felt he fit our needs perfectly. Sadly
Frank didn’t receive my thought message -€“ perhaps I’m call blocked ?- and
missed out on this deal.  If you believe
like I do that Nate is a lost cause we still have a hole to fill there. So what
are the options?

Internally there’€™s of course Jordan Schafer
but he’s pretty much a lost man too; his numbers are McLouth like or worse. So, Matt
Young may be a better option. In the minors his career numbers are  .289/.390/.385/.775  as compared to say Blanco
whose minor league numbers were 269/.368 /.366/ .734 . In the majors Blanco’s
numbers are similar ( 258/.358/.324/.682)  thus it could be argued that Matt will perform
in the bigs like he does down there. Matt also steals bases and at a 70% career
rate. This season at Gwinette he stole 39 and was caught 7 times with .300/.380/.407/.786.
He’€™s been tearing up the winter leagues too hitting .380 with a .958 OPS in 92
at bats.  So maybe he’s ready for prime
time.  His numbers are a lot better than Nate’s.
Let’€™s give the rookie a shot.

The rest of the outfield could be Diaz and Mclouth
as the platoon backups.  Before anyone says
it, yes I’€™d rather have Hinske than Nate as well but unless we can package him
and move him we’€™re stuck. And who would want him or even take him?  I do have an idea;€ it’€™s weird, strange and
probably has no chance but. . . what about the Mets? Before you choke on your
supper consider this.

The Mets have one really bad contract they want to move; Carlos
Beltran. Carlos has largely been less than New York (unrealistically) expected
and paid for. He has one year left at $18,500,000 about 12.5 mil too much by
today’€™s standard. Beltran’€™s knee surgery meant last year’s numbers are very
skewed but when healthy he’s a good number two hitter – he hates hitting 3,4 or
5 where the Mets put him -€“ and plays a really good center field. If we package
Nate to replace Beltran in their outfield ($6,500,000 in 2011 with a 1, 250,000
buyout for 2012 with something else they need but can’€™t afford, a pitcher who
can eat some innings; KK.  I know you’re
in cardiac arrest by now so I’€™ll wait on the medics to revive you. . . . . . .
. better now?

KK didn’t
actually pitch all that badly if you ignore his pressure filled start well or
die game in September. Earlier he kept us in games but we scored nothing for
him. He could easily have ended up 9 – 9 and for a 5^th starter that isn’t
too shabby. KK gets $6,667,000 this year. 
Together Nate and KK get $14,417,000 from us like it or not. Swapping
them to the Mets allows them to move a man who doesn’t like them anymore than they like him. But he is a
talented player that we get for two guys looking for a change of scenery who fill voids for
them AND saves them $4,083,000 in the bargain. If you feel bad about it ask them for $2 million cash as well, I don’t mind. In return we get a talented
player in his walk year for what amounts to 4.1 million.  Beltran – a life time 28 homer 106 RBI man 282/.359/.494/.853
– would be revitalized by a move that makes him not THE star but just another
guy on the team and the Braves would profit from his eagerness to prove he’€™s
not a lost cause in his walk year.

Ok it probably won’€™t happen but it sure looks like it could
work. The alternative is Nate, a rookie or we trade away something we need
for someone making about 4 million and hope it works.  If it were me, I’€™d ask Sandy Alderson and see
what he says. Who knows, we might all get better because of it.