tex

[41-44-VB]

I keep reading things about Tex possibly being on the block or that the Braves should not think of resigning him. I would like to see us keep him. He is on a pace for around 25+ homers, around 100 RBI, and he still fields well. Although those numbers are down a little for him, I don't see the advantage of getting rid of him. Maybe this down (a tad) year, will make him cheaper to sign. What do you people think? Thanks

[SamtheBravesFan]

I keep reading things about Tex possibly being on the block or that the Braves should not think of resigning him. I would like to see us keep him. He is on a pace for around 25+ homers, around 100 RBI, and he still fields well. Although those numbers are down a little for him, I don't see the advantage of getting rid of him. Maybe this down (a tad) year, will make him cheaper to sign. What do you people think? Thanks

The down year won't make him cheaper to sign. He will test the free agent market. That is a given. The Braves won't be able to keep up with any offer. However, it could be to their advantage to let him walk. The Braves would get extra draft picks that way. Would they forefit their picks if they trade him to another team? Would they get them instead if Teixeira doesn't resign with... they? Heh.

[chip&smoltz95]

yea, i wouldn't mind keeping for his glove too. (if there was a way the braves could afford him). i mean when was the last time the braves had a gold glove first baseman? I don't really think (and purebaseballfan you can correct me if I am wrong) the braves have a great defensive first baseman that can hit for power sitting in the wings. I mean let's not forget who was manning first before tex.. chris woodward/ craig wilson/scott thorman and salty(converted catcher) with a somewhere around league worst production.

[SamtheBravesFan]

yea, i wouldn't mind keeping for his glove too. (if there was a way the braves could afford him). i mean when was the last time the braves had a gold glove first baseman? I don't really think (and purebaseballfan you can correct me if I am wrong) the braves have a great defensive first baseman that can hit for power sitting in the wings.

I don't think it really matters. The Braves would just get someone off the scrap heap for cheap: a Jorge Cantu, or a Scott Hatteberg.

[PureBaseballFan]

yea, i wouldn't mind keeping for his glove too. (if there was a way the braves could afford him). i mean when was the last time the braves had a gold glove first baseman? I don't really think (and purebaseballfan you can correct me if I am wrong) the braves have a great defensive first baseman that can hit for power sitting in the wings. I mean let's not forget who was manning first before tex.. chris woodward/ craig wilson/scott thorman and salty(converted catcher) with a somewhere around league worst production.

The Braves best 1B prospect right now is on the Rome Braves teaming up with Jason Heyward. Freddie Freeman is only 18 but he is putting up better power numbers then Heyward and has been batting around .300 for pretty much all season. He is a converted 3B who was drafted last year so he has pretty good athleticism but likely doesn't have all the small things down at first.

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/m...pbp&pid=518692

(The Braves could be looking at their future 3rd and 4th hitter in Rome right now in Heyward and Freeman)

As much as I like Freeman it is very unlikely that he will be ready next year or even 2010.

Right now there are 5 guys in the Braves minors that could play next year but all have problems.

Ernesto Mejia - http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/m...pbp&pid=448171

Ernesto is in Myrtle Beach right now and his hitting pretty well. He has shown very good power with 90 hits and 46 of them being for XBH. He has a major problem in the fact he has a horrible BB/K ratio coming in at 14/86. Mejia has played 77 games at 1B and has struggled producing 13 Errors. While Mejia has shown great power but he has struggled with strikeouts at Myrtle Beach and isn't a very good defensive player that is unlikely to get better in the Majors.

Barbaro Canizares - http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/m...pbp&pid=498568

Barbaro is a 29 Year Old Cuban 1B that has hit pretty well in Triple A. Barbaro is perhaps the most balanced hitter of the possible in team options hitting a nice .291 while producing 9 HRs and 15 Doubles. His BB/K ratio is also pretty good producing a 26/48 that combined with all his other stats likely makes him the best overall hitter in this group. Barbaro has made just 3 Errors in 34 games but his overall stats at 1B appear to be pretty average. Barbaro is a good balanced hitter that could produce solid defense he is the oldest of this bunch which likely limits any real chance up much improvement.

Scott Thorman - http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/m...pbp&pid=429801

Our old friend Scott is doing what he does in Triple A. Scott is doing what most expect of him by getting 31 XBHs out of his 74, the problem is he is only producing a .247 average and a .273 OBP. Also his BB/K ratio is just where most would expect it to be coming in at 12/70. His defense has been pretty solid at 4 Errors in 60 games but from what was seen last year he appears to lack great range. Thorman is a swing as hard as you can in case you hit it type of guy and his defense is solid but won't ever be impressing many people.

Kala Kaaihue - http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/m...pbp&pid=455980

Many thought Kala was the Braves future 1B after tearing it up in Myrtle Beach last year but a promotion to Double A made for a rude wakeup call. Kala is a pretty good power threat but many consider him an Adam Dunn type where he either Ks, BBs or hits a HR. While he Ks a lot he also walks enough to keep his OBP at around .380 while batting just .255. Kala is again another average 1B that will make his amount of Errors. The one thing that might be a big problem is that whenever Kala gets called up to a new level he stinks and it usually takes him a full year to adjust.

Tyler Flowers - http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/m...pbp&pid=452095

Tyler Flowers is likely the guy with the most upside out of this group and he is an interesting player. Tyler was at Spring Training and made a big impression on Bobby in a good way. Tyler can produce huge power and could be a very dangerous hitter at the next level. He struggled in April which have brought his overall numbers down and batting in a horrible hitters park has likely hurt his power numbers. While Tyler has struckout 66 times he has walked 64 times showing very good plate awareness. Flowers hasn't proven he can be a good everyday 1B but his power potential could give him a good chance to start next year watch for him to make an impact on next years team either as a bench player, backup catcher or starting 1B.

Hoped that helped. As for Tex I think the Braves should make a good competitive offer to him maybe around 5 to 6 years at 18.5 Million a year but I would hate to see the Braves pay anything more then 20 Million that Boras wants. Also the Braves shouldn't be afraid to look at other possible free agent 1B in the likes of Giambi, Hinske or Millar who all are solid defensively and fine offensive players, they could also be had for far cheaper then Tex.

Jason Giambi - http://atlanta.braves.mlb.com/team/p...ayer_id=114739

Kevin Millar - http://atlanta.braves.mlb.com/team/p...ayer_id=132788

Eric Hinske - http://atlanta.braves.mlb.com/team/p...ayer_id=400134

[Atlanta Braves Freak]

All of those prospects look intriguing. Here's my rundown on the three 1B you mentioned from other teams.

Giambi: The Braves can't afford him and he probably won't be a long term option, the Braves need some stability at the position.

Millar: Once again, not a long term option and he has limited range at 1B. He's almost like another Thorman.

Hinske: I thought he was the real deal when he won ROY with the Blue Jays. The question is can he play a full season?

[PureBaseballFan]

All of those prospects look intriguing. Here's my rundown on the three 1B you mentioned from other teams.

Giambi: The Braves can't afford him and he probably won't be a long term option, the Braves need some stability at the position.

Millar: Once again, not a long term option and he has limited range at 1B. He's almost like another Thorman.

Hinske: I thought he was the real deal when he won ROY with the Blue Jays. The question is can he play a full season?

I don't think the Braves need a longterm guy at first. I think someone that could hold it down for 2 to 3 years giving enough time for either Flowers or Freeman to fully develop is what they should be looking for. Hinske you could sign to a longterm contract because he could switch positions depending on prospect development.

Giambi may cost a little more but his age and recent years with injuries either minor or major will likely keep a ton of teams from knocking down his door. I think 10 Million would likely get it done and at 2 years that is a low risk contract. (Hinske and Millar I could see 5 Million for Millar, and 8 Million for Hinske)

[Atlanta Braves Freak]

I don't think the Braves need a longterm guy at first. I think someone that could hold it down for 2 to 3 years giving enough time for either Flowers or Freeman to fully develop is what they should be looking for. Hinske you could sign to a longterm contract because he could switch positions depending on prospect development.

Giambi may cost a little more but his age and recent years with injuries either minor or major will likely keep a ton of teams from knocking down his door. I think 10 Million would likely get it done and at 2 years that is a low risk contract. (Hinske and Millar I could see 5 Million for Millar, and 8 Million for Hinske)

I kind of counted Giambi out because (1) I don't think he'll take that type of paycut and (2) I doubt he'll want to come to an NL team.

[PureBaseballFan]

I kind of counted Giambi out because (1) I don't think he'll take that type of paycut and (2) I doubt he'll want to come to an NL team.

Well he isn't going to be getting 21 Million from any team this offseason so he is going to be taking a paycut no matter what. He is 37, his production has been slipping since 2003 and he is an average 1B defensively I can't see someone giving him 15 Million. There might be a crazy team out there that will give him 12 or 13 Million but I doubt he would get anymore.

He may not want to come to the NL I can't really dispute that but it isn't like he is purely a DH right now this season so it isn't out of the realm of possibility.

I do agree that if Giambi wants to much then the Braves should pass on by but at the right price Giambi is a good short term answer in my opinion.

[chip&smoltz95]

thanks as always for the minor league update, purebaseballfan. Yea, i remember flowers being pretty good at camp. Also, like you said I thought canizeras had good potential (seeing him play a lot at richmond games). I wonder how much the braves would serioulsy consider moving mccann to 1st, could he even play first? and putting sammons behind the plate. He is the better catcher of the two right?

With the wave of young pitchers that are doing there part( i am content to say the loses are mainly on the offense and a taxed pen from all the injuries), that the braves probably could throw a little more money at tex, because I don't think it's a necessity to go out and sign another SP. The braves need more solid hitting.

[PureBaseballFan]

thanks as always for the minor league update, purebaseballfan. Yea, i remember flowers being pretty good at camp. Also, like you said I thought canizeras had good potential (seeing him play a lot at richmond games). I wonder how much the braves would serioulsy consider moving mccann to 1st, could he even play first? and putting sammons behind the plate. He is the better catcher of the two right?

With the wave of young pitchers that are doing there part( i am content to say the loses are mainly on the offense and a taxed pen from all the injuries), that the braves probably could throw a little more money at tex, because I don't think it's a necessity to go out and sign another SP. The braves need more solid hitting.

I doubt they move McCann to first as pitchers love how he calls games and if you move him to first he will just be another good 1B but behind the plate he is a top 5 player. Sammons is a solid player and good defensive catcher but he is no where near McCann's level, I would love Sammons as a backup catcher but not as a starter.

I agree that the Braves shouldn't go to hard after starting pitchers but I wouldn't mind them going after a cheaper veteran. I would love to see Campillo moved to the bullpen as I think him giving the Braves an inning or two would help strengthen the bullpen and not have to rush Hanson if there is an injury.

[cbenson5]

I guess I'll give my opinion on the Teixeira situation. I definitely look to trade him before the deadline if a decent package can be obtained. There's always somebody desperate for a good bat. If no trade is obtained, then we'll have two first round draft picks and one supplemental pick after the first round next year. The Braves have no chance of keeping Teixeira after the season unless he is willing to accept a major discount. I doubt this since he turned down 140 million over eight years with the Rangers. Of course, he might have just not wanted to play for them anymore, but I assume it was the money. Scott Boras certainly realized that he could get more for him after this year simply because Teixeira is the best position player on the market this year.

Giving a deal to a player in that situation is the exact thing a mid market team like the Braves has to avoid if they want to compete. Look at what the Giants did when Zito was the best free agent pitcher on the market. Teixeira probably isn't going to collapse like Zito, but the Braves can't take that risk. Not signing a talented player is not a big deal, because you can always look for replacements. However, if you sign a player to a monster contract and he struggles, then you are in serious trouble for years to come (unless you can eat the contract like the Yanks or Red Sox). We'll have to see how things go, but I assume we can replace Teixeira with an inferior first baseman and make it up by improving the corner outfield for less money. Also, there is a decent chance that Chipper will move to first base a couple of years down the road. It might not happen, but it is a distinct possibilty.

[PureBaseballFan]

I guess I'll give my opinion on the Teixeira situation. I definitely look to trade him before the deadline if a decent package can be obtained. There's always somebody desperate for a good bat. If no trade is obtained, then we'll have two first round draft picks and one supplemental pick after the first round next year. The Braves have no chance of keeping Teixeira after the season unless he is willing to accept a major discount. I doubt this since he turned down 140 million over eight years with the Rangers. Of course, he might have just not wanted to play for them anymore, but I assume it was the money. Scott Boras certainly realized that he could get more for him after this year simply because Teixeira is the best position player on the market this year.

Giving a deal to a player in that situation is the exact thing a mid market team like the Braves has to avoid if they want to compete. Look at what the Giants did when Zito was the best free agent pitcher on the market. Teixeira probably isn't going to collapse like Zito, but the Braves can't take that risk. Not signing a talented player is not a big deal, because you can always look for replacements. However, if you sign a player to a monster contract and he struggles, then you are in serious trouble for years to come (unless you can eat the contract like the Yanks or Red Sox). We'll have to see how things go, but I assume we can replace Teixeira with an inferior first baseman and make it up by improving the corner outfield for less money. Also, there is a decent chance that Chipper will move to first base a couple of years down the road. It might not happen, but it is a distinct possibilty.

Don't forget Ohman will be a free agent and if he continues this production level he would likely be a B Level Free Agent getting the Braves a second Comp Pick.

I agree with you 100% on Tex, latest I have read is Boras is already floating out the price tag of $23 Million and as much as I like Tex he isn't worth $20 Million. I agree with your solution of a combo of LF/1B should make up for the production loss. Three guys I would like the Braves to look at for LF are the following.

Bobby Abreu - http://atlanta.braves.mlb.com/team/p...ayer_id=110029

This depends on what the Yankees want to do, they could resign Abreu and this option would be off the table but they could also decide to go with guys like Austin Jackson or Jose Tabata. Abreu isn't going to put up huge numbers but he is solid defensively and a decent hitter.

Juan Rivera - http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/team/...ayer_id=407487

While he may not have the best stats this season he hasn't really gotten enough ABs. Though when he is given a decent amount of playing time he can produce pretty well.

Raul Ibanez - http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/team/...ayer_id=116380

Raul may be a pretty big free agent on what is an overall weak pool of OFers but if the Braves target him while the other clubs look at Burrell, Dunn or Bradley they might be able to get him for a reasonable price.

Anyone of those guys combined with say Kevin Millar would be a good combo that could make up for the loss of Tex and likely improve the production out of LF.

[chip&smoltz95]

Don't forget Ohman will be a free agent and if he continues this production level he would likely be a B Level Free Agent getting the Braves a second Comp Pick.

I agree with you 100% on Tex, latest I have read is Boras is already floating out the price tag of $23 Million and as much as I like Tex he isn't worth $20 Million. I agree with your solution of a combo of LF/1B should make up for the production loss. Three guys I would like the Braves to look at for LF are the following.

Bobby Abreu - http://atlanta.braves.mlb.com/team/p...ayer_id=110029

This depends on what the Yankees want to do, they could resign Abreu and this option would be off the table but they could also decide to go with guys like Austin Jackson or Jose Tabata. Abreu isn't going to put up huge numbers but he is solid defensively and a decent hitter.

Juan Rivera - http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/team/...ayer_id=407487

While he may not have the best stats this season he hasn't really gotten enough ABs. Though when he is given a decent amount of playing time he can produce pretty well.

Raul Ibanez - http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/team/...ayer_id=116380

Raul may be a pretty big free agent on what is an overall weak pool of OFers but if the Braves target him while the other clubs look at Burrell, Dunn or Bradley they might be able to get him for a reasonable price.

Anyone of those guys combined with say Kevin Millar would be a good combo that could make up for the loss of Tex and likely improve the production out of LF.

yea out of all the names that have been floated I like, nady and Ibanez the best. I still think if the braves trade tex they HAVE to get an above average 1B in return, that position hasn't been good for a while before tex as I recall.

[SamtheBravesFan]

yea out of all the names that have been floated I like, nady and Ibanez the best. I still think if the braves trade tex they HAVE to get an above average 1B in return, that position hasn't been good for a while before tex as I recall.

No they don't. They just need to compensate for an average first baseman somewhere else.

[chip&smoltz95]

No they don't. They just need to compensate for an average first baseman somewhere else.

well, the only spot that is open is LF, and I guess CF next year (assuming you aren't gonna release or trade frenchy). It seems like they want blanco in there, so who do you put in the OF if you get a LF? Just platoon that person and blanco til season's end, then move one to CF (if schafer isn't ready)?

[SamtheBravesFan]

well, the only spot that is open is LF, and I guess CF next year (assuming you aren't gonna release or trade frenchy). It seems like they want blanco in there, so who do you put in the OF if you get a LF? Just platoon that person and blanco til season's end, then move one to CF (if schafer isn't ready)?

They're not going to stick with Blanco again. He's awful defensively and below average offensively. Anyone of the players that PBF mentioned would be a good idea.