Tuesday, July 26, 2011

If I'm The Wrenmaster



First, main needs, in relative order of importance:

1) RH reliever(s) - Yes, more important than a bat at this point. The lineup may or may not come around, but at current usage rates, our top relievers will fall apart if they don't get help. Moylan will help when he comes back, but he's no guarantee, and we need more than that anyway.

2) RH bat - Yes, even if Uggla comes around we need another RH bat in the every day lineup.

3) CF - Schafer is not the answer, McLouth is passable but we need more offense here, ideally not sacrificing defense.

4) utility guy - Lugo getting significant playing time is a problem, though not a HUGE one.

5) RH bench bat - Because there is a chance that McCann could get injured after Ross PH's, meaning the Braves would have to forfeit all subsequent games.

First target is a RH RP. One legit guy along the caliber of Rauch or Clippard. Whichever is cheaper. Also bring up one of Teheran and Vizcaino. It's getting to the point where they should be scaling back IP's anyway, might as well be doing that in the Atlanta pen. In a sort of backwards way of thinking, if you think Teheran will be in the opening day rotation next year, you bring him up, since he wouldn't be scheduled as a super 2. If you think he won't then bring up Viz. For the playoffs I'd actually consider bringing them both up. How sick would: Teheran, Vizcaino, Moylan, O'Flaherty, Rauch, Venters, Kimbrel be? That bullpen might give up negative runs. You could easily afford to take your starters out before they face the lineup a 3rd time, every time. Venters and O'Flaherty as lefty specialists?

Trade for Upton, Marlon Byrd or Reed Johnson, in that order. Carlos Beltran is nonsense, even if he is willing to play CF, what kind of defense do you expect? Can we afford to have both him and Chipper in the lineup, depending on their bats with all that instability? You're not going to fucking demote or platoon Heyward, get the fuck over that.

Upton is my first choice, as we'd see the defense in CF actually improve, and he's got decent OBP, power and speed skills. He's not a leadoff hitter, despite his speed, but you deal with that. He's both a RH bat and a plus plus plus defender in CF. And Jordan Schafer would be gone. I'd go Minor + any of our position players besides Pastornicky or Salcedo. I haven't wrapped my head around if the Rays want Salcedo or Pastornicky straight up. Value seems right, but we need Chipper's eventual successor.

If the Cubs would act reasonably about Byrd, I'd target him, but Hendry has shown some reluctance to trade players who are under contract for next year. Is it a bluff? Who knows?

Reed Johnson would be a rental and would come cheap and would be an upgrade in CF offensively, is RH and wouldn't be a gigantic downgrade defensively.

Trade for Jonny Gomes as a pure utility guy/RH bench bat, if we can get him for next to nothing. Otherwise, do without and fucking tell Fredi to use Ross as a pinch hitter.

Finally, I'd trade Jair Jurrjens, if you can get very good value, but that's for another post.

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