Dan Uggla is now officially a Brave and David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that both Uggla and the club are both interested in giving Uggla the extension he couldn't get from Florida. Atlanta GM Frank Wren said the Braves are willing to talk about a long-term contract but not immediately: “I don’t see any reason not to do [an extension]. I mean, we knew what we were getting when we made the deal, and he was the top guy on our list. But I just don’t think we need to jump into things right now.”
O'Brien explains how the Uggla trade talks developed and what's next for the team (links go to Twitter):
- The Marlins asked for Martin Prado in exchange for Uggla two weeks ago, but Braves GM Frank Wren said no. He offered Omar Infante, whom Larry Beinfest accepted, along with Mike Dunn, for Uggla.
- Uggla will wear the #26 jersey formerly worn by Brooks Conrad, but this doesn't mean the Braves will be getting rid of Conrad this winter.
- The Braves have offered free agent Eric Hinske a contract. MLB.com's Mark Bowman reports the offer is a one-year contract worth $1.5MM.
- The club has not yet decided whether to tender Matt Diaz a contract. Arbitration eligible for the fourth time, the outfielder is a non-tender candidate.
- The Braves sent minor league outfielder Cody Johnson to the Yankees for cash considerations, according to MLB.com's Bryan Hoch (on Twitter). The 2006 first-rounder batted .189/.269/.343 in 260 plate appearances at Double-A this year. Johnson, 22, hit 32 homers in 2009 and 26 homers in 2008, so he has some pop.
MLBTR's Mark Polishuk also contributed to this post.
That Braves lineup is gonna be nasty. Theyre gonna score a whole mess of runs
That I can see, but I can also see a whole mess of errors with our defense.
Very true. We’ll have to wait and see which ends up outweighing the other
Gonzalez, Heyward and Freeman are all well above average defenders, Prado should be good in LF or above average at his natural 3B when backing up Chipper, Uggla is consistently below average sure but he isn’t a disaster and I have no idea what do think about McLouth’s ability but he has looked bad recently.
Overall the defense should be ok and more than enough to go along with a excellent overall pitching staff and very improved offense.
I know I’m the minority, but I like the Marlins side of the Uggla deal more than most people…I think Dunn will improve upon his WHIP and I think Infante brings a whole different style of play to the Marlins infield which may get the team a few more wins due to their improved up the middle defense, and he brings more spazzaz at the top of the order.
Infante brings a luck-filled line, zero power, and little plate discipline. I doubt he reproduces what he did as a part-timer in a full-time roll.
Didn’t he get 550+ ABs in about 150 games last year? That sounds pretty full-time to me
LOL its amazing how fans turn on their players as soon as they are shipped out of town.
Braves fans loved Infante, and were sad to see him go, but no knowledgeable Braves fan really expected Infante to put up numbers anything like he did last year. His BABIP was around .350 last season. It was 20 points over his previous career high and 40 points over his career average.
We would have loved to have him around as a utility man, but no one was really excited about the possibility of him playing 550 ABs if Chipper can’t go.
Thank you. I’d love to have him back in a utility role, but a starter he is not.
Thank you. I’d love to have him back in a utility role, but a starter he is not.
As a Tiger fan I was ticked off when we traded him for lame ass Jacque Jones, felt he was a great bench player. I NEVER thought he would do what he did last season and don’t think that he can reproduce those numbers…but then again he is only going to be 29 so you never know. The shift from the AL probably helped as well.
People are enamored with the Uggla name and his homers more than anything. Both teams are better after this trade. Braves adding Uggla and Marlins adding Infante, Dunn and Buck, since the money saved helped get his deal done looks like a win-win
Infante is in the last year of his deal just like Uggla. A fact people are over-looking. Plus all signs are pointing towards an Uggla extension in Atlanta. Just a bizarre trade on all accounts for the Fish.
and if Infante does well, why can’t the Fish keep him around? He’s not a guy who will command a huge contract
So you are saying Uggla for Infante and Dunn with all three guys staying with the teams long term is a fair trade?
No, but I think you have to include Buck because they don’t sign him and keep Uggla. He wont hit as well as he did in Toronto, but he is still an obvious upgrade at catcher. So upgrading behind the plate, adding versatility and defense in Infante and a reliever with awesome stuff is getting hosed?
Buck really isn’t that good either, they’re buying him coming off of a career year. Dunn has some pretty serious control issues (but really good stuff), and Infante shouldn’t be counted on as a regular.
Exactly. 2 guys in the deal on FLA’s side are off their career years. FLA subtracts 30 HRs from Uggla and I’m assuming Mike Stanton/Gaby Sanchez fills the middle of the lineup, but signing Buck at $6M per for 3 yrs is crazy. I’d say 2 years ($5M per) with an option for the third year sounds fine.
absolutley. Plus, the Marlins chose Infante and Dunn over Goins, Roenicke, and Farquahar from the Jays. But regardless of what the Jays offered, the Fish filled needs in a different way and are a better team all around in my opinion.
By the way, I really like the point you made about Buck. With not re-signing, they were able to sign Buck.
I agree with your view on improved Marlins defense, and this trade really helps that, but I don’t see Mike Dunn improving his WHIP at all. He’s been like that his entire minor league career.
You’re seriously in the minority. Like……Rush Limbaugh at a Civil Rights rally kind of minority.
I always liked Dunn but he has always had horrible control issues. Too his credit he wasn’t conveted into a pitcher until 2006. He had a great 2007 as a starter but when he was moved to the pen since 2008 he just forgot how to throw strikes. He hasn’t had a BB/9 under 4 since.
As for Infante his whole value rest w/ his ability to replicate his 2010 number. Now if he reverts back to his career norms (.274/.319) then he becomes an ineffective top of the line up guy who has zero Sb ability.
The worst thing about this deal for FLA is that Infante, like Uggla, only has 1 year on his deal, so he could bolt FLA after 2011 if he wants to, especially if he capitalizes on back-to-back career years. Yes, he’s an above-average defender, but he has below-average speed at a position you need some. There’s always a market for a power lefty, if nothing else as a spot reliever, however, Dunn has control issues. Another thing about Infante is that one reason, in my opinion, he made the AS team ’10 is because of his versatility. In FLA, they won’t utilize that. They’ll make him a starter (possibly at 2B) and barring an injury at another position (Infante can defend), they’ll miss out on the very thing that made him an All-Star during his career year. When facing the realization that Uggla would most likely leave FLA after 2011, I’m sure it sounded nice to add an All-Star like Infante in return, but Infante’s All-Star selection was questionable at best – so I think a little credit should go to (PHI’s manager) Charlie Manuel for making the gutsy decision to add a great bench player like Infante to his All-Star lineup in the AS Game, boost Infante’s stock, and allow us to capitalize.
He has a chance to qualify as type A
Still not sure why the Marlins accepted Infante in this deal…they could have done much better.
COdy Johnson was always a confusing subject for me. The guy has power beyond belief but strikes out a ton. He always came off as trade bait in my opinion but money works
Sounds like they finally just gave up on him. He’s got a reputation of “that’s the way I am, oh well” regarding his approach to hitting/missing.
Cody would make Mark Reynolds look like a patient hitter. I want to see him in the majors. He could be the first single season 300K hitter
I want to see a lineup with Cody Johnson, Adam Dunn, Mark Reynolds, and Mike Stanton. Nothing buy strikeouts and solo shots. That team could have 1,000 strikeouts from them alone.
I guess it makes sense to non tender Diaz. I’ll be sad to see him go though, I always liked him. I wonder how much money we got for Cody Johnson.
Cody Johnson has endless power, but can’t make contact at all… If professional baseball doesn’t work he could always join the Long Haul Bombers Professional Softball league! Heck, he could travel around and get to show off his power every day.
I can’t believe we got actual legal currency for Cody Johnson. That’s two steals in one week by Frank Wren. GM of the decade.
Why was Beinfest so intent on trading Uggla to the Braves? If you don’t get who you want from a team, just move on.
Has anyone taken a close look at Diaz’s lefty righty splits. The guy mashes lefties! Maybe LA can add him to platoon with Gibbons in left… ugh! Just thinking of having Jay Gibbons in left makes me sick!
No, we Braves fans don’t know about his lefty/righty splits. I guess it was coincidence that Cox only played him vs. LHP. Amazin’!
I am as big of a Braves fan as anyone, but I don’t think this is a championship caliber team just yet, playoff team….probably….but I am not happy with just playoffs.
I still think they need another bat, yes Uggla’s addition was huge. He really changes our lineup. Yet, there is still a huge whole in our lineup, CF and when Prado is moving around the infield subbing for Chipper, Uggla and Freeman two major wholes in our lineup.
Here is my suggestion. Do your best to trade for the happiest guy in the world today. Shin Soo Choo.
He is the single most underrated player in all of baseball. He could play CF when the entire INF is healthy and playing with Prado in LF and he could play LF when Prado is subbing in the INF with McLouth in CF.
It would take a lot to get him, seeing as he is one of the best OF in the game, but the Braves have the pitching and the Indians have the holes in their team.
Anything could happen in the playoffs. The Phillies and Braves both arguably have a better team all around then the Giants… especially offensively, but who won the World Series? The Braves could win it all next year, they have that potential.
Of course anything could happen in the playoffs, I mean, hell the Giants won it, but I still want to go into the playoffs with the best team.
Choo would be a dynamic player to add to this team; changing then entire outlook of the lineup.
LF – Prado – RH
CF – Choo – LH
3B – Chipper – S
RF – Heyward – LH
2B – Uggla – RH
C – McCann – LH
1B – Freeman – LH
SS – Gonzalez – RH
I WOULD LOVE LOVE LOVE TO HAVE SHIN-SOO CHOO. But he’s not going anywhere. Of course, if Choo stays in CLE’s CF, where would Grady Sizemore be playing??? I’d be interested in him too. Above average defender, good speed, good power, young, somewhat affordable, good with the ladies.
I’d place a pretty decent bet on our lineup for this year being set already. Wren’s going to work on the bench and bullpen now. Choo is also not a centerfielder. He’s played all of 10 games at that position, and only one since 2006.
Ditto except with Jurrjens and Byrd/Cubs. Although I would be happy with our lineup as-is I would also like to upgrade our D in center
I’m optimistic Mclouth will make a comeback also, as well as the rest of the team i’m optimistic about. I’m assuming Wren isn’t done in the outfield, so how about a buy low high upside guy like Grady Sizemore? a 30-30 guy would make this team very dangerous. Assuming he is healthy of course.
I’m not optimistic at all in McLouth making a comeback but I’ll hope for the best. I’m sure if we had Yankees, Red Sox, or Phillies money we’d have already released him and be looking for an upgrade in CF. But that’s what happens when you have to operate on a tight budget something some of you know nothing about. That’s why Frank Wren has been so good that he’s turned us into a playoff team after the Teixeira debacle on a crappy budget.
Well, optimism IS hoping for the best…
Optimism is actually thinking he can do it.
I love the Uggla trade.Now we need to resign Hinske and find a 4th OF.IF mclouth can come back and be the player he was during his all star year, he can bat leadoff and create more depth for the lineup but i say we ask about Brett Gardner or Curtis Granderson and see what they want for them
The yankees? Their fans will want Frank Wren’s soul for Brett Gardner. My dad is a Yankees fan and insisted that Javier Vasquez was nowhere near enough to get Melky Cabrera.
Wanna know something funny? I was just reading the comments on the post that said we signed hinkse 10 months ago and everyone was b!tch!ng about trading Vasquez. Vasquez turned into Melky (who did help a little), Vizcaino (who is a young stud)and Mike Dunn who has just gotten us a phenomenal power threat. Vasquez had a lousy year this past season so I’d say the trade worked out BIG TIME
I don’t know about you guys, but I’m a little worried about our 5th starter. I would rather sign Javier Vazquez and attempt to sign some low salary guys for the bullpen. Thoughts?
Looking at the MLB park effects, Sun Life Stadium in Miami was the 7th most difficult stadium when it came to home runs, while Turner Field came in around the middle of the pack (13th). It’ll be nice to see what Uggla can do in Atlanta – or at least away from Florida. Any early predictions on his 2011 stat line?
What about signing Austin Kearns to back up Prado in Left and Freeman at first and also going and finding a leadoff center fielder….The last thing would be to get an experienced reliever which would be very doable with 8 million dollars
Nice to get Uggla, now let’s buckle down on the deals with less fanfare, namely signing Hinske. He was a nice bat to have on the bench last year, and I see no reason to have him one more time around.