Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Time to Talk Off-Season?

Interesting that so many have given up on the Braves and are talking about off-season moves. Would be great if BJ can be traded, but I'd hate to have to give up someone like Minor and cash to make the deal. Who would want him? This past off-season everyone thought Uggla would be traded, but again, no one wanted him. I could see BJ at the Braves spring training next year. Yesterday on 680 Dimino was asking at what point BJ would be removed from the lineup. Might've been last night.   

I guess if a king's ransom can be had for Gattis this off-season, the White Bear should be traded. Bethancourt, currently hurt, would be great defensively and decent on offense. Gattis has thrown out his share of runners, but has had a decent amount of passed balls. In Braves history only two catchers began their career with two straight 20 home run seasons: Gattis and Earl Williams. They join Eddie Mathews, Bob Horner, David Justice, and Freddie Freeman as the only Braves to do so. But as strong as he is, its doubtful the 27-year old Gattis could stand up to several more years of catching. He could become one of the most dominant DH's in history – much better than the .210 hitting Adam Dunn. Too bad - half the Braves T-shirts you see at Turner Field have Gattis on the back.

Rob: Did you see the Braves steal deal for the Phillies series - outfield seats and a Hank Aaron shirsey for $20.  It is good until tomorrow morning at 8.

The Schultz - McGuirk interview leads me to believe there will be a shakeup unless the team finishes really strong.  McGuirk comes across as someone who is concerned about their legacy and being viewed a success - and that success is not defined by 80-something wins and a wildcard spot.  I may be wrong, but that is what I read into the interview.

I don't know how I feel about Wren.  I think it is a 2 part question:  1) do you replace him and 2) if so, with whom.  I don't know enough about the pool of potential GM replacements to know if the replacement would be better.

It is easier to look at Fredi and say that Pendleton or whomever might do a better job.  I think Fredi is a very good person, but probably only an okay manager.  I think he does less harm than many managers, but I think he underutilizes many of the assets at his disposal.

ME: Might have to check out that steal deal. Sounds right about McGuirk, Wren, and Fredi. Most fans think the replacements will be the greatest ever, and forget about transition periods. If the shakeup would go as high as Fredi and Wren would be interesting. Last off season Uggla wasn't traded. Despite the talk, I think trading BJ would be hard. Hope they can get something huge for Gattis. Could be a lot of turnover, but I'm happy watching these last 30 games. Still plenty of time to catch fire.

Tuesday night: worked late, went to library, came home, changed clothes, ate supper (leftovers), cleaned the kitchen, worked on EBay. Not much to report.

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