The Major League baseball trade deadline is 11 days away and if you have been following the Atlanta Braves at all you know they need offense. Most notably in the outfield where the trio of Jason Heyward, Nate McLouth, and Jordan Schafer has been one of the worst in the majors in terms of production. Also all three of those guys hit left handed and the Braves are looking for more right handed power production.
The first bomb of a potential deal came from David O'Brien's Twitter Feed:
Sounds as if the #Braves could be close to making a deal for a RH bat
If it's strictly a RH bat then that eliminates the Met's Carlos Beltran. Yes he is a switch hitter but he doesn't hit lefties well and most of his power comes from the left side. Possibilities could be Hunter Pence, Ryan Ludwick, Carlos Quentin, Josh Willingham, Michael Cuddyer and wait for it....wait for it...my personal favorite...Matt Kemp.
Kemp is a dream acquisition for myself and the Braves organization. He would fit in perfectly and could play centerfield for the next 5 seasons. He's a potential 40/40 guy and he is a superstar. But right now he plays on a franchise that is in financial shambles and if the Braves were going to get him they would have to give up Heyward, a top prospect pitcher (Minor, Teheran, Delgado, or Vizcaino) as well as a B prospect. Probably not going to happen with the rumors floating from Brave's Mark Bowman that opposing scouts have concerns about Heyward's swing and that he should probably be sent down to Gwinnett to work on it. Right now he is working with his personal hitting coach. Some guy named C.J. Stewart. You may have heard of him. Tonight he will be batting 5th in Denver. That seems appropriate considering how well he has been hitting the ball lately.
Ok enough of the sarcasm.
Heyward's trade value is considerably low right now even with his young age. He sits out too many games with various injuries and has even pulled himself out of the lineup which has sent off major red flags within the Braves organization. If the Braves could pull off a Heyward/Minor/and a B level prospect for Kemp then you have to do it. The problem is the Dodgers would probably not do it. They would want Teheran or a Beachy and the Braves aren't going to trade either one in my opinion.
So the Kemp trade is a pipe dream. But what about for Pence? Hunter is the most awkward looking outfielder I have ever seen play in the majors but you can't argue with his production and his hustle. He's a fan favorite in Houston and it would probably take a good haul to get him away from the Astros. I would trade Minor and some other prospect not named Teheran for him but I'm not willing to give up Heyward for Pence by any means.
I would definitely be open to getting Quentin. I'm not sure what the White Sox would want for him but I think you could get him for less than what the Astros would want for Pence. I'm not a huge fan of Ludwick, Willingham, or Cuddyer because I don't think they would bring considerable more production than what Heyward or McClouth bring right now.
So in conclusion if the Braves do make a trade which sounds imminent for a right handed bat the #1 guy would be Matt Kemp followed by Pence, Quentin, Ludwick, Willingham, and Cuddyer.
What do you think? Should the Braves still try to get Beltran and send Heyward down to work on his swing? Or should they shoot for the stars and get a Kemp or a Pence?
I still want Wren to pull something random and get Justin Upton. I'll give up Heyward, McClouth, Schaefer, and Teheran. haha... Kemp is a pipe dream, but I like your point. He's a superstar, period. Pence is probably more likely, but still not who I want in an ideal situation. Let's just keep our fingers crossed that it's not another Tex situation where we sell the farm for a half year.
ReplyDeleteThis blog has a serious vendetta against Heyward and although I understand the whole being upset over the law suit J-Hey thing it's time to let it go. No way the Braves give up Heyward in any trade, he's club controlled for at least another 3 years and could be a better player than Kemp in the years to come.
ReplyDeleteYou are crazy if you think the Braves trade Heyward!!!! A little slump does NOT mean you send him down to the minors or trade him. Put down the crack!!!
ReplyDeleteWait wait wait... so Heyward has been injured EVERY year since he's been a pro and because you're too much of a homer to see the value in getting someone who is completely worthy, like Matt Kemp, of being an absolute stud, you immediately shoot down the idea? Yeah, you wouldn't like being sued by a player either, but that doesn't mean someone's opinion is discredited because of it. It was Matt who suggested sending Heyward down. I bet you two "anonymous" are the same people who were against trading Francouer. The "face" of the Braves is Brian McCann. While Heyward is a great young player, he is not on the level of a Justin Upton, Matt Kemp, Matt Holliday, or even Adam Jones. Heyward still has a lot to prove so get over your homerism and think outside the box.
ReplyDeleteListen I hope Heyward works out. I really do because the Braves need him to produce if they want to win playoff games. But right now if you take off your homer glasses like McPeters suggested you can not look at Heyward and have serious doubts on whether he can even play a full season much less produce like a power hitting right fielder. Yeah he is slumping and that is why I think sending him down would be the best move. He still has a ton of potential which is why I said you only trade him if you get somebody like Matt Kemp back who is a superstar gold glove centerfielder who is on pace for a 40/40 season. How any Braves fan would not make that trade just baffles me.
ReplyDeleteI want the Braves to win. If that means trading Heyward for a better player or sending him down then I'm all for it.
Yo, you're going to hate to hear this, but latest I heard is Wren is going hard after BJ Upton. Not the Upton I wanted, but both are uber talented. Looks like one of the three, Minor, Teheran, or Vizcaino is going away...
ReplyDelete