When Derrek Lee takes the field at Wrigley this weekend, he won't be wearing a Cubs uniform. The Braves have acquired Lee from Chicago in exchange for right-hander Robinson Lopez, right-hander Tyrelle Harris and left-hander Jeffrey Lorick.
The Cubs will pay the Braves $1.7MM, half of the $3.4MM owed to Lee between now and the end of the season. The 34-year-old, who hits free agency at season's end, has a .251/.335/.416 line in 475 plate appearances and projects to be a Type B free agent this offseason. Lee has a .939 OPS since the All-Star break, but is currently dealing with back soreness.
Lee isn't an obvious platoon partner for Troy Glaus, since both players have a history of hitting left-handers a bit better than they hit right-handers. So Glaus, a longtime third baseman, will be placed on the DL and receive some time at the hot corner during his rehab assignment. He has been slumping (.575 OPS in the last two months), but the Braves hope he can provide some pop at both first and third base in September.
As for the minor leaguers heading to Chicago, Baseball America ranked Lopez 16th among Braves prospects before the season and suggested that he "may be the biggest sleeper in the [Atlanta] system." He's still just 19, but his numbers in A ball haven't been as impressive as the ones he posted in his Rookie ball debut last year. Lopez has a 4.37 ERA with 6.8 K/9 and 4.2 BB/9 so far in 2010.
Harris, 23, has played at three levels this season and has now reached AA. Overall, the reliever has a 2.90 ERA with 10.9 K/9 and 4.0 BB/9. Lorick, also a reliever, has yet to reach AA, but the 22-year-old has solid numbers so far in 2010: a 2.24 ERA with 7.4 K/9 and 3.6 BB/9.
David Kaplan of CSNChicago.com first reported that the Braves and Cubs were working toward a deal and Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter) broke news of the trade. Mark Bowman, Mark Bradley. David O'Brien, Jon Heyman, Bob Nightengale, Jerry Crasnick, Bruce Levine and Gordon Wittenmyer also provided updates to the story.
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
I wonder who the Cubs would get for Lee.
All will depend on how much money the cubs are willing to eat salary that will determine a C-B+ prospects in any deal
Not much. It’s more of a salary dump by the cubs.
HELL YEAH!!!!!!!! As long as this doesn’t block Freddie Freeman, sweet deal!!! I’ve been in Atlanta lately and have been at all the games since the opener against the Dodgers and Troy Glaus has not impressed me in the least. He hit a 3-run bomb yes and has 6 give or take one or two but has struck out too much and too many double plays.
Lee’s contract expires at the end of this year. He won’t block Freeman, unless the Braves decide to re-sign him…which I don’t see happening.
This makes the lineup look pretty good…. I only wish they would take KK or Mclouth but thats not happening
I don’t understand this one unless the Braves are unloading an undesirable to the Cubs.
Derrek Lee: .251/.335/.416 16HR 56RBI
Troy Glaus: .239/.343/.406 16HR 70RBI
Alex Gonzalez: .255/.300/.475 20HR 64RBI (for sake of comparison)
The upgrade is purely defensive, if in fact this deal happens. Perhaps it sets up a Lee/Glaus platoon at first?
Look at Troy’s #’s since June. They’re bad.
Most of Glaus’s line comes from his monster month earlier in the season. I love what he has done and how he really is doing everything he can, but when you can’t bend over to get sharp grounders, run the bases at a little more than a jog, or have a base (ie knees and other joints) that allows you to not strike out all the time its time to move on.
Glaus I imagine would still be on the team as a RH pinch hitter as we currently don’t have one in the purest sense (Hinske, Cabrera, and Conrad all hit from the left or hit much better from the left side) and Diaz is a pseudo-starter as of late. Being able just to hit and not field/run would do Glaus alot of good.
Oh, don’t get me wrong — I love that it would shore up the defense on the right side. Anything that could help us defensively in the infield can only be a positive, as long as they can still hit. It’s just unusual to trade for a 1B as a potential offensive upgrade that’s hitting for less offense than your shortstop.
Yeah arent the braves like the 3rd worst on defense? I watched some balls hit glaus’s way where he just kind of got out of the way, Lee would be a huge upgrade imo
Only we’re not talking about a shortstop. We’re talking about a 1st baseman. Troy Glaus’s OPS since June is .548. Lee has done much better the 2nd half and is trending in the right direction.
D.Lee is having a better second half then his horrible first half, the exact opposite of Glaus. D.Lee is a definite upgrade offensively/defensively as you will see if he ends up on the Braves. If you compare their stats while they play together (if they play together) for the rest the season Lee will own Glaus
Agreed – DLee is definitely on the upswing, whereas Glaus’ minor injuries are piling up as they usually do as the year wears on.
The more I’ve looked at it, the more excited I’ve gotten. I needed coffee bad this morning. 🙂
D.Lee is an upgrade from Glaus both offensively and defensively. Glaus had a killer 1st half now D.Lee is just coming on in the second half.
So if we get Lee then where does Glaus play at ?
The free agent wire probably. It’s a crying shame and this will be a tough decision for Mr. Wren but that’s baseball. It’s a business, not a friendship circle.
I don’t wanna see Glaus as a free agent right now,he’s done ok for us and there’s no way they should treat him like that.I’d rather have him on the bench.But like you said ,it’s just business.
bench role. I don’t see them dropping him.
They split time at first because Lee’s position is only first base and Glaus’s position is DH but there is none in the National League
DOB suggests the Braves could DL Glaus until the rosters expand so he could rest his knees. Would make sense because the guy can’t move more than one step to his left or his right on grounders right now.
1b may be struggling but you can’t move Glaus to third.
Why the heck would you want two 1B having subpar years on the same team?!!??!?
because they need power. Lee has power. Of course he’s not the best 1b in the NL, but he’s the best available.
Admittedly, Derek isn’t the best 1B in the national league, but I think it’d be hard to find someone else of his caliber.
He is better defensively, offensively, and is more consistent than Glaus will ever be
Why not just offer arb at the end of the year and get draft compensation? I don’t see the harm in accepting arb either since the Cubs don’t have anyone coming up to play 1B, and you could just do the same next year then hoping he bounces back some. It’s better than offering a multi-year deal to one of the other FA 1B that aren’t assured to be any better than Lee anyways.
That’s my thinking…Hoffpauir has shown that he cannot be an MLB starter. A Type B comp pick will probably be better than whatever garbage they get from Atlanta.
For someone who preached about spending money to put out a good team, Ricketts sure has been pinching a lot of pennies. I don’t understand why they would need to dump Lee’s salary…it’s not like they are getting out of a second year. He is a free agent at the end of the season. This deal makes no sense.
Agreed. This isn’t about making the Cubs better, it’s about saving some money. If that money is reinvested in payroll or young players then fine, and if they get something back that’s better than what they could get as a type B then fine as well. Doesn’t seem likely though, this feels more like a team trying to shed payroll more than anything.
Ricketts came on board a team with high-paid underperforming veterans clogging up the roster. I don’t think opening the checkbook would have made much difference this year. As for next, he’s shedding salary where he can so that he can eat some of Fukudome and/or Zambrano’s contracts in the offseason. Once he gets the rest of the dead weight off the roster and gets a chance to size up what is coming in from the minors, THEN it will be time to spend money. I’ll withhold my judgment until then.
I could not agree any more.
I’m pretty sure Lee would have accepted arbitration though it’s a moot point because the Cubs had no intention of offering. I do think one of the guys they picked up, Lopez, is as good was what they could have gotten with a Type B comp anyway.
Even if the Cubs beat Lee in Arbitration, the rules won’t let them cut his pay more than 20%–that would be $10.4mil. That is way, way too much money for a team trying to rearrange its payroll to commit to the easiest every day position to fill, particularly for a guy who may be on the decline.From the Braves’ perspective, it makes total sense. Glaus is slowing down, Lee is heating up. Plus, as a strong character guy with a good glove, Lee fits the Braves’ MO. If his recent turnaround continues with the Braves, they can offer him a one year deal to help bridge the gap to Freeman. Atlanta has a very strong African-American community that has been very appealing to many stars over the years. Lee might be more inclined to sign a lower $ deal to stay there if he thinks the situation is to his liking.
Lee has reached free agency. He is no longer eligible for any arbitration. He must be paid his contract by someone, and is eligible for nothing else but a new contract when this one expires.
This is different than the 3 arb years every player goes through. When a player’s contrac t is up, the team losing him can offer arbitration, and if the player declines the old team gets draft picks from the new team. Or, the player accepts, and they go through arb just like with youngsters. I think that’s correct….
See Ted’s comments on this… you don’t really seem to understand arbitration. It’s an odd process, particularly where arb being offered to potential free agents is concerned, so it;s easy to get it confused.
Lee is making over $13 mil this season, and he would most likely accept arbitration (if he didn’t, he’s only going to be a Type B anyway).
For the money he’d get in arbitration, the Cubs should be able to get better production out of the position.
Besides, if they want to bring him back next year, they still can as a free agent. They might even be able to get him cheaper than they would if they held onto him and went to arbitration. But there are other options than Lee.
I wouldn’t mind the deal happening and extending Lee for 2011 so that Freeman gets another year in AAA. He’s young why move him so fast.
Because he’s ready?
Another year wouldn’t kill him. It would just add depth.
And the fact that he’s just so young, no need to rush him.
I’d rather bring Freeman up in June or July next year, since it was June or July when he really got hot.
you’ve gotta think like Liberty Media, though. When they’ve got a MLB-ready prospect that they can pay $400k, they’re not going to sign a veteran for millions for anywhere close to a similar production level.
Because you don’t usually want to have a 20 year old repeat the highest minor league level when he is allready a top five offensive player at that level. Or in other words, when you are a dominant player in a league you are 4-5 years too young for its generally a sign you need a new challenge.
Can go either way. I don’t think there is any problem with him starting next season at AAA
the braves would be crazy to offer Lee arbitration. The Braves cant afford a $14mil 1B, when their top prospect appears to be ready and could play for the league minimum. Braves need all the salary relief they can get and they need to worry about their OF, not 1B.
Freeman now has his numbers up to .308/.369/.510/.878, even after his horrid start to the season at AAA
Over all If this deal happens.I’ll be happy with it.We need all the power we can get.Small ball can hold on to us for so long ….
should have just went for lyle overbay ? Better defense, almost identical triple slash, lefty hitter to platoon with glaus, cheaper, easily available, 1.7 WAR vs. 0.6 WAR
No thanks,he’s garbage hitting in a hitters park…He wouldn’t be close to where he is now in a pitchers park like ATL.
He hit .171 in April so he’s been decent ever since then. Overall, he’s hitting exactly the same as Lee, is cheaper, better defence, bats left, and has been worth over 1 WAR more than Lee. He’s a doubles-hitter so I don’t know that playing in Atlanta would kill his value.. But whatever, if you’re content paying more in cash (and probably a better prospect) for Lee over Overbay, enjoy
That’s really not my choice ya know?Of course you got me with the 1 WAR but still this guy will either come back and rape or he will turn ripe getting older.IDK.I’d take my chances with a power hitter like Lee even though he’s having a down year.He’s been hitting pretty good his last 10 games or so even though that don’t mean alot but he might start heating up ,who knows.
Fair enough, I just think if they’re going to gamble on a right-handed hitter rebounding for the next month, why not just stick with Glaus? I would have went a different route but hey, i’m not a major league GM
Because Glaus is injured. It’s not that complicated.
Lee since the all-star break: .313/.356/.583
Overbay since the all-star break: .240/.325/.420
So sorry nobody wants your mediocre first baseman. We already have a lefty named Eric Hinske who can put up Overbay numbers.
k chill
The Braves need right handed power, as they are a lefty heavy line up. Why add Lyle Overbay again? And really, he’s not better than Lee defensively.
To me…a trade of A-Ram and Derek Lee for KK and a B prospect would be a good deal for both sides.
The Cubs are in rebuild mode and this would save them a lot of money, a total of $13.4 million over a year and a half and it would give them a decent #4/5 starter.
The Braves would be in a position to solidify the NL East in one move.
I’m sorry, but that would be a terrible deal for the Cubs. They have plenty of young starters…they are not top-of-the-rotation guys but they are at least as good as Kawakami. And if the Cubs get rid of Ramirez as well as Lee, they would have no power bats left. Soriano doesn’t count.
I think the Braves got around 4 mill from insurance when Chipper went down for the year so it’s good to see them investing that money to upgrade the team… it’s going to pain me to see our top rbi producer demoted to the bench but I’m loyal to a fault
Hmmmm. A bulging disk to replace worn out knees.
Should just get Aramis Ramirez, he’s a better fit. Even if the Jones will come back next year Glaus only has one year, can’t A-Ram switch to first base just to play in a pennant race?
The Braves want Freeman at first next year.
Reason #1
If traded, ARam is owed 30 million dollars over the next two years. I would rather have Lee for the 2 months than ARam for two years at that price.
Reason #2
Because if he’s traded his option becomes guaranteed at over 12 mil, and chipper is gonna attempt a return next year, and the braves are necessarily known for thier spending.
Reason #3 ok I’m beat don’t get A-Ram
actually, 16 mil for ’12 becomes guaranteed… ouch
I mean, don’t get me wrong, if it’s the move to make to win a WS this year, I’d say go for it, even if it handcuffs the team a bit the next couple years. Professional sports is a win now world, cause you never know what next year will bring (despite how bright the future looks). But Lee for 4 mil for the rest of the season vs Aramis for 30 mil over the next 2, I’s definitely lean toward the former.
all i can say is thank god we have freeman in the future lol
Any report with Rosenthal’s name on it immediately has a red flag attached to it.
I don’t see why he wouldn’t wanna go to the Braves.They are in 1st place,Lee would like to play for Cox I’m sure.Who wouldn’t?
His family lives in Chicago, and his daughter has Lebers Congenital Amaurosis which has affected her vision. I am sure he has no problem with playing for Cox, but he is putting his fam first.
Ok,I can understand that.
I fail to see the argument that Lee makes us a worse team.
Me niether, chips insurance money covers the cost, and he will probably only cost us a c prospect, better D and more consistency makes us a worse team? Riiighht.
D-Lee ” Yes I’ll accept the trade” “anyway of getting away from this fool Carlos Zambrano”
Wren ” Welcome to the Braves then”
Lee seems to always heat up in September. If the braves get Lee I think it would pay off. Plus theres no way the Cubs would take McClouth, we have too many underperforming outfielders as is. Of course, I wouldnt put it past hendry.
Depending on the actual terms of the deal (players, money), this deal would be worth it for the Braves strictly from a defensive aspect, even if Lee only performs as well as Glaus has. But the upside is certainly there and don’t forget that Lee has plenty of playoff experience under his belt.
The Braves have the pieces internally to win the division and beyond.
They need to bring Freeman up, make Glaus a backup for 1b. If Glaus can get those knees rested the Braves will be in good shape for October.
Its August 18, there’s about 13 games until August 31st. Bring Freeman up, if he completely chokes then pull the trigger on Lee.. Even Barbaro Canizares would work.
On a side note, I am really sick of hearing about Aramis Ramirez. The deal wouldn’t make sense. Wish people would drop it.
No Aramis doesn’t make sense.
don’t see how you could be against obtaining Lee for not much by way of prospects and Chipper’s insurance money… Even if Freeman came up and played amazingly, I’d rather have someone manning first with experience and a deeper bench going into the playoff run.
I don’t disagree that staying with what we have we will still likely be in good shape for October, but I’d rather be in great shape. The defensive upgrade at first, the opportunity for Glaus to get some rest, and not depending on a 2nd 20 year old in the every day lineup, should definitely only improve this club
Actually, I wonder if we can still trade Terry Pendleton for Greg Maddux. Oh, the possibilities…
As many have noted, the Braves already have a first baseman, so where do Lee and Glaus fit in? I think the move has more to do with potentially replacing Glaus and relegating him to a bench role (think right-handed Eric Hinske) than it does with a straight platoon. And Glaus would certainly not be playing at 3B.
There is a good article on Baseball Prospectus that talks about the Braves needing to plug offensive gaps, not necessarily specific position gaps. Since the infield is adequately covered by Infante, Prado, Gonzalez, Glaus, and now, perhaps Lee, this move is more about hitting depth than infield depth in my opinion.
Sorry, here’s the link to that article as well:
baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=11780
Lee isn’t on the list of players who’ve cleared waivers. Unless the list is not accurate, Lee to the Braves could still be blocked by a bunch of teams. Considering his rights to veto any trade, blocking him presents less risk than the usual situation.
It was reported that he passed waivers.
I think you’re right (list not accurate) or this deal wouldn’t be so far along. But “it was reported” is a little passive voice/vague. Who reported it?
can’t remember. I think I read it on a tweet.
there is no official public list. It is against the Collective Bargaining Agreement to release the names of players that hit waivers. Of course some names get leaked, which is why we know that some have cleared (or not cleared) waivers, but this list is far from exhaustive, Im sure.
oh god, this means hoffpauir at first.. This draft pick is looking better each day
McClouth came out after one at bat last night he could be on the move somewhere.
AA Mississippi?
I’m not sure he could handle the breaking balls in AA…
mcclouth left because of injury
That being said, he’s only leaving for a couple months with a legit chance to win the World Series (unlike the Angels).
The deal “has legs” unlike Derrek Lee, at this point.
Weak.
If you take out Glaus’ May/1st half of June his numbers are pathetic
This deal is more of a salary dumb for this year, it is also for the 14 mil he is owed next year. If the Cubs offer DLee arb, he’s going to accept it. There is no way he’s going to walk away from that type of money. So then the Cubs will be stuck with DLee for next year and have to pay him 14 mil and not get a draft pick. Trade him for what they can, walk away, and rebuild for 2020 or how ever long its going to be until their good again.
No team, including Jim Hendry’s Cubs, is going to offer DLee arbitration. This trade has nothing to do with a 2011 salary.
Has it been just me who’s noticed how bad Derek Lee’s struggled all year? And he has nagging injuries too. Would you really want to mess with a team with good chemistry right now?
Not to say he’s been decent as of late, but eh. I guess it all depends on salary/what they’d lose.
I dont think Lee would mess up chemistry. He is a good clubhouse guy from what I can tell. As long as Jair Jurrjens doesnt call him out for not diving at balls Im sure Lee will fit right in.
Haha. Yeah, you have a point. Granted JJ gets frustrated, I certainly don’t think he’s a Big-Z “blow up in your face” kinda guy.
LOL Jurrjens was the only Braves pitcher I could think of. I wish the Cubs could be rid of Zambrano before he punches something more important than a Gatorade machine or Michael Barret.
LOL. Yeah.. for sure. I really hope he gets that anger issue fixed. It can get you into *big* trouble, just look at K-Rod.
Come on Tony. You know there are a few players on the team you wouldn’t mind him punching.
Come on Tony…you know there are some guys in that dugout you wouldn’t mind him punching.
as long as were not giving up any really good prospects, i wouldnt mind him, his injuries might mean he isnt used as much as we’d like, but if they eat his salary, it couldnt hurt. They needed a bat with pop, so Im assuming there trying to get that here, but i was hoping for someone younger, and with a couple more years left.
Yeah, someone younger would have a been a little bit better. But as you stated, it couldn’t hurt.
in my opinion this is perfect, he will help us down the stretch and he doesn’t block freeman
It is doubtful that the Cubs eat any of his salary, that is why they are trading him.
As for the Braves getting someone younger they are kind of hamstrung by Chipper’s statement that he plans to return next year. They have no room on the roster (or in the budget) for another infielder next season.
That’s what I’m talkin’ about. Blow it up! It figures, Hendry’s got to be the stupidist GM in Baseball. He’s been showcasing Fukidome all weekend, but the only interest is in DLee? Hendry’s bad moves back to haunt the Cubbies again. Are you seeing this, Ricketts? You will be stuck for the balance of DLee’s contract, get prospects in return, and still on the hook and a roster spot for Koske. Great deal. Start with the GM and go down the line, and blow it up!
These deals aren’t too exciting for the Cubs. Trading Lee only changes the last month and a 1/2 of the season. He would have been gone next year anyway. They also won’t get anything better than raw, low level prospects. We have to hope we hit it big like we did with Chris Archer in the DeRosa trade. But really, this is about tearing things down, saving a little money, and opening up roster spots and playing time for other prospects/players we already have. Wake me up when it’s 2013. It’s going to be a long season or two before the Cubs are relevant again.
This is really all it boils down to..
The struggling Glaus has hit .174 with only two home runs and 15 RBIs in his past 46 games.
Glaus could use the rest. Given some time off for his knees i feel like he could come back to early season form. Plus no matter which one you start in a game you will have the other (Glaus/Lee) coming off the bench. And neither one is on contract past next year which will keep first open for freeman. I think it would be a nice pickup for the braves that also has some high upside potential if Lee does heat up and the rest benefits glaus. As long as they dont give up more than a low level prospect or two, im for it.
braves just made their team worse….is this their counter to howard and utley coming back?????? 2 better options on waivers: adam laroche and lyle overbay
how the hell did they make thier team worse? Overbay wouldnt do crap in the braves pitcher ballpark, and they would have to buy out laroche’s next season contract and they dont need a lefty, lee’s contract this year is covered by chippers insurance money and hes been heating up and has good defense
im not sure how this makes a team worse. You could instead attempt to make a case that the braves need to make a bigger move which could be argued, but it definately doesnt make them worse. Especially with the aforementioned statistics of glaus over the last month or two. Think of it as a depth move that could also have a larger return if Lee heats up. Nothing bad about depth.
sounds like a scared Philly fan to me…
I see your Utley + Howard return and raise you a returning Martin Prado + everyday/full-time Omar Infante . . . Lee + Infante + Gonzo + Prado make for a darn nice infield collection huh?
And I re-raise you Polanco, Rollins, Utley, Howard. Multiple AS appearances, ROY, 2 MVP’s, and oh yeah, three rings. I hope you enjoyed your lengthy stay at the top of the division. Because it’s going to be over in about 3 weeks.
Dude you can keep your “awesome” infield, but hitting only goes so far, especially when the Phillies only have 2 quality pitchers and 1 so-so pitcher that hasn’t been himself for 2 years now. The Braves on the other hand, score enough runs and have one of the best rotations top to bottom, and great 7th 8th and 9th inning pitchers shortening up the game. The Phils have no one bullpen arm they actually have faith in.So good luck with the whole catching up to the Braves in 3 weeks because it will never happen when your only winning the games when the Roys pitch, if that.
Which pitchers ‘hasnt been himself’ in two years? The top 3 Phils starters could all be #1 for a lot of teams. Also Durbin, Contreras and Madson have done a fine job, and take a look at Lidge’s last 6 games or so, he’s been much better than Billy the Rat.
Hamels hasn’t been himself since the Phils won it all.Those 3 pitchers you mentioned have there ERA’s around 3.50 and that is not good for a relief pitcher in my opinion, and Lidges is almost at 5.Dude Lidge has blown this entire year, and I’m sure anyone would rather send up Wagner to close a game, instead of Lidge.
Hamels is pitching lights out but isnt getting run support. He lost his last 2 games 1-0. He’d be #2 on the Braves staff.
Okay so what you are trying to say is if the Phillies had Utley and Howard back Hamels would’ve won those two games? But, please correct me if i am wrong, even when the Phillies were completely healthy were they not still having trouble scoring runs? So what good is it if Hamels (which by the way, has maybe a big maybe been a little above-average this year) pitches “lights out” but your not scoring runs.
First, you quote “awesome” when referring to the word being used by the one your quoting. As you see it has not been used by me. Though, I can see you know who is awesome.Two, 15 blown saves for Atlanta and Philly respectively.Three, two quality pitchers and one so-so? By your comments on the “Roys”(see how that works?) you mean Cole. Yeah, go check out that 26 year old’s numbers this year. I wouldn’t call them “so-so”(see again how that works?). I guess Hanson gets a pass because he’s god-like. Atlanta fans like to humor themselves on what they THINK will happen. I’m stating facts, as well as a proven track record that speaks for itself. And, by the way, those top 3 frontline aces are averaging 7 innings per since being grouped together. And Oswalt and Cole are at the top of the league for the least run support.Four, Atlanta’s been winning at a .700 clip since the AS break. Yeah, that’s not sustainable.Five, you’re a gimp.
Referring to your Hanson is “god-like” and “Atlanta fans like to humor themselves”, if you look very closely at my user-name pic you will see I’m an Angels fan, but i can see how a “gimp” like you would confuse that with an Atlanta “A”(see i can put quotes there because i am pointing out the A).Yeah so what if they average 7 innings. What good is it if your bullpen sucks. Plus, I wouldn’t consider Hamels a frontline ace.And who says they can’t substain there .700 winning percent? Well you obviously you, but who else?But i understand the whole pressure that is on the Phillies to win, so yeah KEEP DREAMING!!
Philadelphia has also been winning at a a very high clip, much the reason for them making up the 7 game lead to 2.5 games. Whose to say they can keep up that pace also?
Lee’s been okay lately, but.. he has missed what.. six out of his last ten games due to back issues? Is that how we replace a struggling Glaus with knee problems? With a guy struggling with back problems? Not exactly a deal to match Utley and Howard’s impact for the Phillies…
nothing is going to match the impact utley+ howard coming back will make. All this did was sure up the defense and get glaus a rest. idk why everyons talking down on this deal
Utley & Howard healthy weren’t exactly lighting it up earlier this season either. Don’t assume just because they’re back in the lineup they’re going to hit 40hrs the rest of the way.
You mean Howard…the guy who was hitting .300 and lead the league in hits and RBIs at one point wasn’t lighting it up?
There was a long stretch when he wasn’t.
Might want to check Howard’s stats, he was having a damn fine year. As for Utley, go ahead and discount the last 5 years of monster production and focus on a 1 month slump right before he got hut.
Lee, Glaus, Hinske platoon for the rest of the year. Bobby has already been shuffling his ass off so far this year, why not one more semi-healthy veteran power bat?
well it seems to me that wren has been filling our gaps with defense instead of offense, he traded for gonzo ankiel and possibly lee, while lee has huge career offense numbers and has been heating up since the break i feel wren may be relying more on the defense. if not wouldnt he have traded for one big bat? Just my opinion
Yes but what big bat is out there? and braves are 3rd worst defense in the nl, or is it the majors?
Glaus will probably not hit his 550 plate appearance bonus incentive now too as well. It provides depth and good defense and a heating up hitter compared to an iced hitter. I like the deal
lee said he’s having trouble bending over, fielding, running, etc because of his back. it just doesn’t bother him when he swings. doesn’t sound very promising from a defensive standpoint.
still if you go to the games glaus is not very good defensively, even an aching lee would be better.
yea, its pretty obvious glaus isnt good with a glove. its also pretty obvious lee cant be counted on. its also obvious that laroche is available and will tear the cover off the ball and bring a reliable glove.
you seem extremely keen on gettin laroche to atl, i love laroche and i know the braves arent looking for a lefty, even with the 1.5 mill buyout next season he seems like a good choice, but its not every day you can get a player like lee for practically nothing, even as a rental. There is no way to know for a fact the braves arent going after laroche as well, but there is also probably a higher price the dback are asking
I forgot about the plate appearance bonus. Good point.
What big bat? The Braves aren’t the Yankee’s so they can’t just eat up salary. No one was really available at the deadline that was affordable or a smart purchase. It is a business after all.
Defense wins championships. Pitching shuts down hitting. They’re smart moves in my eyes. Win now mode is in full affect.
laroche just cleared waivers…
we wont go for laroche we need a righty
don’t need a lefty
he’d be an upgrade over both righties and lefties, plays good defense, fits in great with the team, and we wouldnt have to worry about his health. how is he not a viable option?
btw: i like lee, just saying laroche wouyld be more reliable health-wise.
laroche is also a lefty which we dont need
LaRoche also has a pricey option year next year with a $1.5MM buyout. The Braves have Freddie Freeman killing it in AAA, so he will presumably be the 2011 starter.
Bottom line: The Braves need a RH, middle of the lineup bat who will not cost anything outside of this year. They get that in D Lee, not in LaRoche.
Cost isn’t a factor. LaRoche will cost $3 million for the remainder of the season plus his buyout for next year. Lee will cost $3.4 million for the remainder of his salary this year, so they are about equal.
As far RH/LH goes, Lee doesn’t exactly murder LH pitching, and LaRoche-Glaus would be a viable platoon.
Not saying I prefer one over the other but you could definitely debate it, especially in light of what LaRoche has done in a Braves uniform late in the season the past compared to Lee’s poor career numbers at Turner Field.
I think this is a great acquisition by Atlanta. Lee has been hitting better of late, he has playoff experience, and he’s a guy who won’t disrupt team chemistry. He’ll come in quietly and do his job. They also won’t need to give up any top prospects. I’m sure, as a Cub fan, I’ll have to dig pretty deep into my Baseball America Handbook to find out about the guys we’ll get in return.
yeah and Derrek Lee’s line since the all-star break is .313, .356, .583.
Exactly. After Lee starts to heat up he usually stays hot for a long time. It just seems to take him awhile to get started these days. The Braves are looking pretty solid heading into the October. With the Cubs lost season and the Sox season slipping away, this deal gives me somebody to root for in the playoffs!
D-Lee has to make it through waivers to get to Atlanta right? How is this trade possible? Did no one else in the NL put a claim on him?
correct, he made it through waivers.
i think someone posted the link earlier
I must have missed it. Did this site say that somewhere? I don’t believe it’s on the Waiver trade conditates… also, do NL fans on here really think that KK would pass through waivers?
I think he would, unless someones looking for a 6 million dollar 4th-5th starter (it might be more)
Wow… I didn’t know he was making that much.
not sure whether or not it was reported somewhere, but there is no official public list of who has cleared (or been placed on) waivers… it’s all based on leaked info
KK? Hell yes he would. He sucks ass.
can I ask you to provide some facts to back up the statement that KK “sucks ass.”
I mean, when I look at it, I think he’d easily be a #4 starter on most teams
Facts? Watch any game he pitched. He sucks. He’s sucked since he came to the Braves. That was one of the dumbest things they’ve ever done. Giving that much money to an old pitcher from Japan.
Let’s see, he’s making – Salary 2010: $7,333,666
He has a 4.75 ERA
He has 57 strikeouts in 83 innings.
He’s 1-9 (Yes, offense did struggle some)
You’re telling me those stats are worth $7mil a year?
If you’re serious, I’ll go play for the Braves for $500,000 a year and do that. Save them 6.5mil
As a starter, his ERA was 4.48 this year (it jumped to 4.75 in his one relief appearance, after not playing for like 2 weeks). Among regular starters, that ranks him 126 (low #4-high #5 this year). As a starter in 2009, he had a 3.97 era, ranking 82nd among regular starters (a solid #3).
Ks are not everything (see Tim Hudson)
Wins are definitely not everything (see Tommy Hanson in his last 8 starts).
I’m not saying he’s an ace, but his #s in a short time in the MLB generally show him as a solid 4, possible 3 in many rotations. I think $7 mil is pretty average for a 3-4 starter.
wow. Are you KK himself? I can’t believe anyone could defend KK.
Solid #4, possibly a #3, are you serious?
I know K’s aren’t everything, but they’re something.
$7mil for a #4, maybe a #3? Are you serious?
He sucks, admit it and move on.
If he was worth anything, his ass wouldn’t have been idle for 2 weeks and down in the AAA ranks now.
Oh wait, now you’re going to tell me McClouth is just the power hitting CF that we need right?
KK is a lot better than people who dont watch the braves say, stats arent everything if you watched, every single game he pitched something wierd happened such as him losing a game 2-1 because of a 2 run inside the park homerun when heyward and mcclouth collided.. Is he an ace? NO, has he been performing well? NOis he a much better pitcher than people give him credit? YESis he a #4 at the beginning of this season for any other team? YES
if he was on another team he wouldnt have been idle for 2 weeks, but if u didnt notice his replacement was tearing it up and the braves went 9-1 when he started
I watch every game that’s televised. KK sucks.
didnt realize i was having a conversation with a mule.
I agree with your assessment of KK, his bad record didn’t reflect his performance, as he got no run support. Last year he was a very solid pitcher. He is definitely capable of holding down a back end rotation spot on some team in the major leagues. Sucks for him the pitching depth that the braves have though…
Not too many contenders would have kk as a #4. A #5 maybe but not a #4.
If Lee comes back healthy say what you want but this is big for the Braves. You get a 3 time gold glover who has also won a batting title for the playoff push. Lee may have struggled early in the year but he has always been stronger in the second half for whatever reason. I actually would say this is almost as big as the phillies getting Utley back. Lee is a clubhouse leader and a very solid addition to an already impressive club.
hahahaha. Lee as good as Utley?
So, you’re saying that difference between Atlanta starting Infante/Glaus and replacing them with Lee (and his awesome .750 OPS) is almost as big as replacing Wilson Valdez with the best second baseman in the game?
Dumb.
yet the phillies won more games without utley.
Lee will also help prevent more needless advancing/scoring of runners with his (vastly) improved defense over Glaus. There’s more to life than OPS.
First of all I said this is almost as big as Utley coming back. I never said Derek Lee was as good as Utley. I was just stating that all around with his vetran presence and his solid numbers in the second half that this was a solid pickup. Second who’s to say Utley is going to come back and Rake after missing all this time. He Has always been spectacular but you never know with nagging injuries during the season “same with Lee”.It sounds to me like you stole one of Chase Utley’s jock straps from the locker room and that you like to snuggle with it at night. Hope you enjoy the swack….. In case your wondering that’s sweaty a$$ crack lol
His awesome .939 OPS since the all-star break.
who cares about utley, prado is better then utley
I have a dumb question, did D. Lee Clear waivers to make this deal possible? No one tried to block it?
I dont think that it would have gone as far to say
12:10pm: The teams will finalize a deal this afternoon, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today (on Twitter). Glaus will move to the bench.
if he didnt
he also may have cleared waivers weeks ago
The return is not important for a salary dump. The Cubs are saving some money to help pay an overpriced contract they will try to move in the offseason. This makes sense. There is no purpose having Lee around for these final weeks if he is willing to be moved in a situation he likes. While I have no proof, I suspect one reason Lee turned down the Angels deal is he did not want to move to the AL. He knows the NL pitchers and that makes it easier for a player at his age. He is going into a free agency and did not need the added pressure of adjusting to the AL. I’m sure there were other reasons.
Lee gets to play for a good organization in the Braves for a few weeks. This is a team going for postseason, as opposed to a team done since postseason ’08. Good pick up for the Braves as Lee’s numbers are much better the second half. His cronic back issues will not keep him out much…a game or two. I like the move for both the Cubs and Lee.
Braves got plenty of prospects that are mid-level guys, not too much potential, and are gettin’ a bat, that has a likely possibility of heating up and making a big help in stayin’ in 1st
Yeah this bat has been hot lately, i posted his line earlier, since the all star break hes hitting over 310
I really don’t see them giving up much. I think the majority of it will be pay the salary.
Schafer + The Braves pay the remaining salary for Lee.
And Schafer will be nasty in Wriggly in 2 years.
Your as high as a kite…
Schafer’s star has been steadily falling for a couple of years now. I’m not sure teams are even asking about him anymore. A line of .199/.252/.251 in AA doesn’t have a lot of teams knocking down the door right now.
He’s high.
You can’t spell.
Cubs have Soriano, Byrd, Colvin, Fuld, Adduci, Kyler Burke, Brad Snyder, Xavier Nady, Kosuke Fukudome, and Brett Jackson Their outfeild projects to be
LF- Soriano
CF- Brett Jackson
RF- Marlon Byrd with Colvin taking over 1B when Jackson comes up.
this is awesome woooooooooooooooo go braves!!!
i like it…but what do they do with freeman?
Derrek Lee is a free agent after this season. Freeman competes for the job next year in Spring Training.
I’m being told by someone who ‘knows someone on the inside’ that the player being dealt is a AA pitcher
Wow, great info. lol kinda seen that one coming.
Cubs are terrible
You can always say something inane like this and predictably get some Cardinal fans, Sox fans, and a few others to get all giddy about it.
Robinson Lopez, Terrell Harris, Jeffrey Loric are 3 pitchers going to Cubs. Anyone know anything about them?
Robinson Lopez has some upside, and is fairly good, no teheran or delgado though, the other 2 i have no idea
Lopez would be a pretty solid get for the Cubs. He might be in the running for the Braves top 10 prospects. Decent numbers in low A this year as a 19 year old. His stuff is supposed to be pretty good.
Harris is purely a reliever and he’s been old for his levels thus far, but his numbers are pretty impressive. He could develop into a solid middle reliever.
I don’t know anything about Loric but he doesn’t look like anything special. Seems like a fringe prospect.
I wouldnt go that far for lopez, maybe last year but this year he fell down more than a few slots in that category
There’s a reason I said “might be in the running.” He’s probably closer to 15, maybe a little lower, but if the scouting reports on the stuff are strong I could see him ranking a little higher. I’d also point out that much of his competition for the spot has failed also and a few guys have graduated.
Lorick’s major was religious studies. Quite sure Hendry acquired him to pray for him to keep his job…or to exorcise the curse.
LOL…we could use all the help we can get!
Robinson Lopez isn’t a bad pickup. A 19 year old holding his own in full season ball. The kid can touch 94 already and he probably hasn’t filled out. He just needs more consistent command. That’s actually better than I thought we would get.
A better return than I thought, too.
I have to say that Hendry did better than I expected in the Dodgers and Brave deals.
I agree. He at least got some upside for getting rid of guys who weren’t going to be with us next year. He’s still got a long way to dig to get out of the mess he’s made though.
You bet! Hendry has a long way to go. Let’s see what production he can get in the offseason. Scouting is so key with all teams moving forward. The Cubs situation is such that scouting is going to be even more important. The lower level players in return will be the focus. They will try to unload some high priced guys and cash for a package with at least one coming to the Cubs with upside. Hendry has done that in both deals recently and I would think that is the MO going in the offseason.
It looks like the Cubs kicking in some money to get a better package than a straight salary dump.
Probably. I didn’t expect to get someone with Lopez’s upside in this deal. The other 2 guys are just middle relief guys at best. The Cubs have some decent young arms in Cashner, Jay Jackson, Carpenter (who apparently hit 100 mph the other day), Chris Archer, and Trey McNutt to name a few…but these guys will be at AA or higher. Acquisitions like Wallach and Lopez, along with draft pick Simpson, can start to replenish the lower levels again. Pitching is becoming the strength of this system.
Lopez is a really good prospect for the Cubs to get for 2 months of Lee. He is one of the sleepers I have had my eyes on in the Braves system. I think this looks like a fair trade to both teams.
This is a really good deal for the Cubs. Offering Lee arbitration in the off-season was never a realistic option. Robinson Lopez has a lot of upside.
When will Lee join the Braves?
Friday against the Cubs apparently
on Friday against the Cubs
Let me guess, Glaus goes 4 for 4 with 4 bombs….
If by “4 for 4 with 4 bombs” you mean “on the 15-day DL with knee inflamation” then yes. 🙂
the Braves have officially announced the deal
Seems like a descent haul for a couple months of DLee. Add in the salary relief and it’s a good trade for the Cubs. Here’s hoping Lee has a couple good months for Atlanta and things turn out well on both sides of the trade.
Gotta love this trade for the Cubs- Hendry’s doing a decent job of swapping these guys out for a bunch of maybe/probably’s. I liked Lee in his time here, but just as with Theriot, it was time to GO. Ideally next years 1B is either Pena or Dunn. Especially with us picking early and Type A’s not costing us our first rounder. With the obvious wishes of Fukudome/Sori/Z. Might be nice to stick Nady in at 1B and see if he can raise his stock a bit before the 8/31 deadline.
Glauss to the DL to get some rest for those knees, then reporting to AAA Gwinnett to work at 3rd base. Nice work Frank!
I’m surprised the Cubs got as much as they did. As a Cubs fan, I love this trade.
Not a bad deal, a little much to give up from the Braves perspective but we have the depth to do it. The positive I see here is if Lee tears it up these last few months we can extend him and not push Freeman into an everyday role, the guy’s only 35 he could have a few more good years in him.
Beyond that, no more pulling my hair out watching Glaus “field” and Troy could be absolutely stellar off the bench in the postseason.
I think it’s a pretty good deal for both teams. Lee will help the Braves. Glaus has been terrible lately and Lee seems to have found his power stroke. He’ll also play better defense than Glaus. As for the Cubs, we were expecting a straight out salary dump so we’re happy to get a good arm out of it. Both teams got what they wanted.
after seeing the prospects we sent, i dont mind this one bit. if lee can stay healthy, this helps a major playoff push.
Seems like a pretty decent haul for 2 months of Lee. Should help the Braves in the postseason if Lee can keep up his recent pace, though. Good trade for both teams.
Good trade for the Cubs. Some of those kids have some upside.
The three prospects will be in the Cubs rotation in September.
Good luck, DLee.
People think this is a bad move? Lee clearly is as crazy on offense as he used to be (and he was never anything special with the marlins, the numbers were good but he didnt get clutch hits) but he is turning it on lately and he plays a GREAT first base. He will have more protection in the lineup which should also bring his offensive numbers to where they were the past couple years. i think Glaus is kind of a fluke, since he like many people said had that crazy stretch but lately has been flat. Plus Lee has postseason experience, played with Gonzo for many years, and is in better shape. so how was this anywhere NEAR a bad deal?
Because Cubs fans think Lee is a clubhouse cancer… I wonder if they noticed that they have Big Z
Thats stupid Lee is a known clubhouse leader and professional.
No serious Cub fan believes Lee is a clubhouse cancer. Some people think because he doesn’t show his emotions on camera that he doesn’t care — as if self control is a personality flaw! But every Cub player will tell you that Lee is all about the team and all about winning. He is one of the most well-liked and well-respected players in that clubhouse.
Kudos to Glaus for being man enough to do what’s best for the team.
I’m glad they did this trade. We are doing what we need to and that’s rebuilding for the future. Theriot, Fontenot, Lee, and Lilly brought back Blake DeWitt,24, could be a 15+ homer guy if he puts it all together. That’s way better then Theriot. We got some pitching in return Brett Wallach looks like to be a good #3 in a rotation. Robinson Lopez is only 19 and hits 96. He looks like he could be in the bullpen though still set-up men are greatly appreciated. Plus, look how many rookie pitchers we needed.
Thomas Diamond
Casey Coleman
Esmailian Caridad
Justin Berg
Marcus Mateo
James Russell
Mitch Atkins
Andrew Cashner
I could see this next year
LRP- Thomas Diamond
RP- James Russell
RP- Jeff Samardzija/ Cashner
RP- John Grabow
SU- Sean Marshall
SU- Angel Guzman
CL- Carlos Marmol
Rotation
Dempster
Zambrano (If not traded)
Gorzelanny
Wells
Cashner/Samardzija
With that said we still need to get rid of some people. Like Fukudome, Zambrano Nady is gone after this year. Hopefully we bring up Snyder, Jay Jackson to see what they got
What’s great about this trade is this is a pin prick on our farm system because we have so much depth, that it is unbelieveable.
Hi, I’m from the future. Start wearing surgical masks in 2020. You’ll find out why.