According to Ken Rosenthal, Tim Hudson is close to signing a 3 year extension with the braves. Ken believes that this may open the door for the Braves to trade either Derek Lowe or Javier Vazquez in search of a bat. The Mets could use either one of these guys to compliment Santana in our rotation. So which of the two would you go for
Record: 15-10 Era: 4.67 K: 111 BB: 63 WHIP: 1.52
09:$15M, 10:$15M, 11:$15M, 12:$15M
Record: 15-10 Era: 2.87 K: 287 BB: 44 WHIP: 1.03
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08:$11.5M, 09:$11.5M, 10:$11.5M
limited no-trade clause blocking deals to NL West & AL West clubs
37 comments
prismo
10/29/2009-9:39am at 9:39 am (UTC -4)
If the Braves trade either of these guys to an in-division team (other than the Nats) I’ll eat my own hat!
trs86
10/29/2009-9:44am at 9:44 am (UTC -4)
Agreed, we would have to give up a VERY good player to get either. Unless it was some type of secret 3 way? LOL.
If I were the Braves, why trade any of them? They do not need the money and they can find a cheap OF bat and still resign LaRoche with the budget they have. Now granted they will most likely have to let Gonzalez and Soriano walk but I am sure they have the prospects to fill the spot.
I am telling you a rotation of
Hudson, JarJar, Lowe, Vasquez, Hanson is going to be pretty damn tough and on that alone I would pick them as a possible sleeper team next year. You give them a guy like DeRosa or someone who can play OF and 3B? They are going to be tough.
Not to mention they will still have trading chips in Kenshin Kawakami who put up an ERA under 4.00 and the infamous JoJo Reyes who is still only 24 and for some reason people are still high on.
trs86
10/29/2009-9:49am at 9:49 am (UTC -4)
Think about that rotation:
Hudson: Ace if healthy
JarJar: 215 innings of 2.60 ERA ACE
Vasquez: 219 innings of 2.87 ERA with a WHIP of 1.026 and a 5.41K/BB ratio (that’s insane)
Lowe: The guy that everyone said was a solid #2 (that’s all I got to say about that)
Hanson: 22 year old with a 2.89 ERA
Seriously? That pitching staff is not even fair.
prismo
10/29/2009-9:58am at 9:58 am (UTC -4)
Braves could be scary next year. If they get a bonafide closer and one more solid hitter in that lineup, they’re a serious contender in the NL East. Trading Kawakami and JoJo could get one or both of those holes filled. Of course, Chipper and the pitching staff staying healthy is a huge part of what the Braves need to win.
dirtysanchez
10/29/2009-10:00am at 10:00 am (UTC -4)
Ah i forgot about kawakami lol
dirtysanchez
10/29/2009-9:59am at 9:59 am (UTC -4)
I hear ya and your right, that rotation is SICK but they need offense. With chip getting injured every other day, all they got is mccan and escobar…
trs86
10/29/2009-10:04am at 10:04 am (UTC -4)
But all they need is a break out year from someone too. They could easily go get an Abreu type bat, resign LaRoche and have a pretty decent lineup.
Prismo, you are right about the bonafide closer but there is something in the Braves magic as well. Soriano and Gonzalez put up very good numbers last year and honestly while I would take both neither will be special out of Atlanta in my opinion.
dirtysanchez
10/29/2009-10:40am at 10:40 am (UTC -4)
I dont think a strategy of “waiting for a break out year from someone” is very effective. They got lucky with prado and escobar but they seriously need another bat. They have perfect trade bait in vazquez imo.
metsfan4decades
10/29/2009-10:47am at 10:47 am (UTC -4)
Agreed. I said last year the Braves posed more of a threat than I thought the Marlins did.
And I know they’ve got a couple of prospects in the minors they’re going to take a look at next year. Suppose to be some good offense there.
Then again, Frency was supposed to be their next big offensive bat and that didn’t work out too well for them. Those guys in the minors pan out though? Braves could be contenders for years to come.
Yuk, just like those Braves of the 90s….
CaseStreet
10/29/2009-10:02am at 10:02 am (UTC -4)
well, unless someone is taking Kawakami off their hands (not happening) then they have to get rid of Lowe or Vazquez.
Vazquez is the obvious choice.
Lowe is old, had a crappy year, and is overpaid. Good luck trying to get rid of Lowe.
Vazquez at $11.5M is a steal, though he’d be a one year rental.
trs86
10/29/2009-10:08am at 10:08 am (UTC -4)
Why do they have to get rid of one?
trs86
10/29/2009-10:11am at 10:11 am (UTC -4)
They were actually under budget last year and will have Hudson for LESS than last year.
jaydh
10/29/2009-10:15am at 10:15 am (UTC -4)
because they have 6 guys that should start
trs86
10/29/2009-10:17am at 10:17 am (UTC -4)
But they don’t have to get rid of Vasques or Lowe. They could easily get rid of Ken Kawakami.
CaseStreet
10/29/2009-10:02am at 10:02 am (UTC -4)
Sign Lackey and trade for Vazquez.
I’d wet my pants. Seriously.
njstuckintx
10/29/2009-10:12am at 10:12 am (UTC -4)
“Ken believes that this may open the door for the Braves to trade either Derek Lowe or Javier Vazquez in search of a bat.”
What “bat” would the Mets have to trade for either? And a 36″, 30 oz. Louisville Slugger does not count.
trs86
10/29/2009-10:16am at 10:16 am (UTC -4)
Besides, I don’t see it. Lowe would not bring back a game changing bat with that contract and there is no reason to trade Vasquez. They are not going to get Holliday, maybe they could get Bay. Offensively they are not going to be able to fix things this offseason so why not go with the most dominant pitching staff in the majors?
Trade Ken, let Soriano walk and that frees up 10M. Which one would you rather do?
CaseStreet
10/29/2009-10:22am at 10:22 am (UTC -4)
they could trade Ken but wouldn’t get much back where they’d get more back from trading Lowe or Vazquez.
Can they live w/o Lowe or Vazquez and cut their salary to improve the offense?
trs86
10/29/2009-10:26am at 10:26 am (UTC -4)
You can’t get a game changer for Lowe and they are under budget.
Trading Ken and not resigning Soriano and renegoiating Hudsons will save them about 15M.
trs86
10/29/2009-10:27am at 10:27 am (UTC -4)
Right now the Braves are only on the hook for 70M counting Hudson. Of course they have some arbitration guys but I am sure some of them will not even be back.
steveo
10/29/2009-10:26am at 10:26 am (UTC -4)
First of all nobody is going to take ken at 12 mil per year his era only came down when he went to the bullpen late in the year if they don’t get rid of one of those pitchers they can’t afford a bat they are as broke as a joke (guess that’s what less than 10 thousand at a game will do to you )anyway if they want to trade lowe they will have to eat some money vasqez is the better trade candidate only thing is he’s ahead case who needs constant mentoring but would definatly yield some good value to bad the mets don’t have anyone to give them.
trs86
10/29/2009-10:31am at 10:31 am (UTC -4)
UH, they have said they are under budget and only have 70M commited out of a budget around 100M. And as far as Ken, he makes 6.6M a year not 12 and posted an ERA under 4.00 as a starter as well. I don’t think his 13 innings in relief did a lot to his ERA. LOL.
Do you even bother to check facts?
steveo
10/29/2009-11:44am at 11:44 am (UTC -4)
They are under budjet now that’s withot a closer a setup man a left fielder ana a 1st basemen I don’t know their bench situation and before hudsons prposed 9 mil that seems to me like a 100 mil payroll looming in a city where no one goes to games ,during the deadline wren stated they couldn’t add more money and laroach was a stretch for them and ken was pretty awful when he wasn’t on his game and just good when he was on my bad I thought they gave him 36 mil for 3
trs86
10/29/2009-11:57am at 11:57 am (UTC -4)
They are at 70M COUNTING Hudson. They have 30M left for arbitration guys and new signings.
http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=tujElf32-2d237jk3IzWLsg&output=html
wannybackstra
10/29/2009-10:48am at 10:48 am (UTC -4)
Vasquez, easy.
But according to Heyman, the Braves plan on shopping Lowe or Kawakami — not Vasquez. It makes little sense to trade Vasquez given his affordability, his performance and his short-term deal.
All that said, I don’t think the Mets have anything to offer the Braves for any of these guys and can’t imagine the Braves would want them pitching for the Mets.
trs86
10/29/2009-11:22am at 11:22 am (UTC -4)
Nope, and seriously I doubt they can even find a partner for Lowe without taking back a bad contract. Maybe Lowe for Bradley.
wannybackstra
10/29/2009-11:34am at 11:34 am (UTC -4)
There may be a team desperate enough for pitching who also views Lowe’s last season as an anamoly who is willing to take on the contract. I don’t know who that is but could see it happening.
Even though his season wasn’t up to par, it was still a credible season. Didn’t justify the money. But justifies a role in a rotation.
trs86
10/29/2009-11:58am at 11:58 am (UTC -4)
3/45 is still pretty steep but still it would require someone to take him without giving back a bad contract and then finding an offensive player for that money that could make as much of a difference as having a guy like Lowe be your #4.
wannybackstra
10/29/2009-12:06pm at 12:06 pm (UTC -4)
I don’t follow what you’re saying but I’ll agree anyway!
trs86
10/29/2009-12:08pm at 12:08 pm (UTC -4)
3/45 is what he would have left on his contract after a bad season. I don’t think anyone would trade for him without giving back a bad contract in return and that player would most likely not solve their offensive problems. IF anyone was willing to take on the entire thing for a prospect the Braves would still have to find an offensive player that would have the same impact on their win loss record as having a guy like Lowe for a #4 pitcher on their staff.
wannybackstra
10/29/2009-12:12pm at 12:12 pm (UTC -4)
After someone took on Alex Rios’s contract, I have little doubt that someone would at least consider taking on Lowe’s.
I don’t think Atlanta would have trouble finding a bat with $15m per year to spare.
trs86
10/29/2009-12:16pm at 12:16 pm (UTC -4)
Point is they already have money to spare why take away what may be their greatest strength unless that deal is the ONLY way they can get a hitter?
wannybackstra
10/29/2009-12:19pm at 12:19 pm (UTC -4)
The report is that they are considering trading him. Maybe it is true, maybe it is not.
It doesn’t matter whether you or I think is the right thing to do.
My point is not whether it is the right move. My point is that if they choose to trade him, it would not be surprising to see someone take him on just as someone took on Alex Rios’s ridiculous contract to play a position with much more supply than reliable starting pitcher.
trs86
10/29/2009-12:35pm at 12:35 pm (UTC -4)
Yeah, I never said no one would take him. I said if they did they would not get back a decent player in return unless they took on lots of salary.
trs86
10/29/2009-12:38pm at 12:38 pm (UTC -4)
And not that it matters but as normal Ken is just grabbing at straws and never says they ARE interested.
“The re-signing of Hudson could lead the Braves to trade another of their starting pitchers — most likely right-hander Javier Vazquez or right-hander Derek Lowe — for a hitter”
stickguy
10/29/2009-12:05pm at 12:05 pm (UTC -4)
I wanted vazquez last year.
and of the 2, he is the obvious choice. But, less likely to be moved, and way more costly.
Lowe they will be lucky to get someone to take him on the Rios plan. And even then, I wouldn’t want him!
The Mets also don’t have any ML bats to spare, do they? Unless the Braves want Murphy, and the Mets go an resign Delgado?
At 37, coming off a lousy year, I would not give Lowe a 3/45 FA contract, so why would you trade players for him?
Wait for him to get released! Or better yet, have the Braves keep him and pitch poorly. That would be a win-win
trs86
10/29/2009-12:07pm at 12:07 pm (UTC -4)
Yeah, there is no way either way they are trading him to the Mets.