Is Frenchy Fried?

In August of 2005, Jeff Francoeur was put on the cover of Sports Illustrated after a torrid start, it was one of the most amazing starts to a career and his month-long streak was far more impressive than what Jay Bruce did in the first week of his big league career this year. “The Natural” was the title that was given to him by the popular sports magazine and the baseball community silently gave him the title shared by Charles Dickens’ classic Great Expectations.

Closing in on three years later, Francoeur’s line is: (.239, 8, 41); inspiring attention in a very different way. I will take my turn explaining what is up with Francoeur in two ways:

1. It is important to remember that outside of the first month of his career, Francoeur has not been the type of hitter that Fred McGriff would endorse. He does not work counts well, he is inconsistent with most aspects of his game, yet the guy has a great deal of potential that I think everyone can see. Players that do not work counts well generally are held back from stardom because they swing at pitches that great hitters lay off from. Francoeur has done incredibly well for a player that averages 33 walks per 670 plate appearances during his career. This lack of patience is something that would absolutely crush an average player and the fact that he hit .293 in 2007 shows the talent that Francoeur has. This season he looks too slow though, his bat speed and his outfield play make it seem as though there is no quick fix to this issue because he has potentially lost agility in the offseason with the weight he added to his frame. What has surprised me is that the strikeout totals have not shot up above his career averages, leading me to believe that there may be something else with him.
2. I identify Francoeur as an inconsistent hitter that can go prolonged periods of being hot or cold. Players that endure prolonged streaks strike me as having some makeup problems that can be linked to confidence in themselves and with their swing. Francoeur is from this area and to have people from his home getting on him for struggling has got to be difficult, plus to have the onus of being “The Natural” can really hurt the development of a twenty-four year old outfielder. It wouldn’t be hard at all to imagine how difficult it is to deal with failure after some of the successes that he has enjoyed early on in his career.

Now is the time for Jeff Francoeur to mature as a hitter and show that he can get through his problems both mentally and with his approach. This has the potential to be a season long slump because it is becoming a combined issue of physical and emotional nature from my view. If he breaks out of this slump this season, it will because he is doing something new as his approach has been thoroughly exposed in 2008. Great hitters adapt and improve over time; we will see how great Francoeur really is or if we all had greater expectations.

- Dan

Chipper Likely to DL

Chipper’s not getting better fast enough.  Bobby said yesterday “I don’t think Chipper’s close to playing.”

So he’s likely headed to the DL, at the very least when they bring Kotsay back tomorrow as he completes his rehab assignment.  That lingering quad injury will keep Chipper out of the crucial series this week against the Phillies.  If it continues to bother him, you can be sure he won’t risk hurting it in the All-Star game.

Chipper said in the AJC today “Make no bones about it, I would love to play in [the All-Star game], but if my body doesn’t allow me, that’s just a tough break.”

Chipper also admitted that he should likely have been on the DL before now.  “We probably should have DL’d me right when it happened. I knew it was worse than the previous time it happened. But the competitive side of me wanted to keep playing. I’ve always been a quick healer, and I thought I’d be able to play in five or six days.”

When you can’t run it doesn’t matter how well you can hit.  We’ll pray Chipper heals quickly and that Tex can carry the team while he’s out.  Get well soon, Chip.

Braves Should Be Buyers At Deadline

To answer the question of buyer versus seller for the Braves, please remember the last two weeks of the 2007 season in the National League — anything is possible. Currently sitting four games back of the Phillies, the Braves are still very much alive in the most competitive division in baseball and will be buyers by the trade deadline.

I identify the Braves immediate needs as being veteran starting pitching and improving their bench. So do not expect another Mark Teixiera type trade this summer. Fortunately, Mike Hampton, Tom Glavine and Mark Kotsay are all on the mend and will be back before the trade deadline which could turn out to have the effect of a bigger trade.

The current starting rotation has held up unbelievably so, with four rookies, but I feel that the Braves need to add one more inexpensive starting pitcher because there are so many health questions with aging veterans (I mean it’s Mike Hampton…c’mon!) and four rookies. The durability of young starting pitching is always in question when it comes to September and hopefully October, so some insurance would be great to have. Frank Wren should not be looking to spend too much in this area, but players that could make sense are: Shawn Chacon, Free Agent; Odalis Perez, Washington; and Paul Byrd, Cleveland.

Buying low on Chacon makes a ton of sense to me because he will not cost the Braves a single prospect, he has some playoff experience, absolutely has something to prove and can really add depth as a starter or reliever. Whether or not the Braves want to take the chance on Chacon is a whole different question, but anyone can see that “free” is better than trading a prospect or two for Byrd or Perez who offer no upgrades on Chacon. Again, these guys aren’t going to knock you off your feet, but it’s depth that the Braves need since the young pitching is in the long-term plan (Jurrjens, Reyes and Morton). However, if the opportunity is there to get Erik Bedard in a Braves jersey, it would be worth the high price to put a potentially dominant righty-lefty combination back to back with Tim Hudson.

The Braves bench has shown its ugly face with recent injuries and currently is comprised of four players hitting below the Richie Sexson Line (.218). Corky Miller (.100), Ruben Gotay (.211), Greg Norton (.207) and Brent Lillibridge(.091) do not provide the depth that the Braves need from the bench. Perhapd Norton and Gotay can hang around but Miller needs to be sent packing and I have seen Lillibridge hit one ball to the outfield, he needs more time. Truly, I feel more comfortable with Jorge Campillo (.267) at the plate than Miller at this point. Without much help in sight from the minors, acquiring a backup catcher should become an immediate priority for Wren and the baseball operations people. Some options include: Gregg Zaun, Toronto; Ronnie Paulino, Pittsburgh; and David Ross, Cincinnati. Zaun is the best (and most expensive) of the bunch. He would provide the most experience and a great bat off the bench if need be. Zaun has an option year coming and would cost around 2 million dollars for the remainder of the season, which may be cheap enough. I like the idea of adding Paulino a lot as well. Paulino is a career .279 hitter and has fallen out of favor in Pittsburgh; he is still young and could pan out as a solid catcher somewhere. I have heard questions about his character and commitment, not something that the Braves are known for having a high tolerance for.

One final player name that I need to mention is that of Randy Winn. Acquiring Winn makes so much sense to be because he drops everyone down a spot and makes the entire outfield and bench better. A healthy Matt Diaz and Gregor Blanco become 4th and 5th outfielders’, which in turn makes the bench a lot more dangerous in the late innings with Diaz and his ability to mash lefties and Blanco’s speed as a pinch runner or defensive replacement. Winn also is durable and can be counted on to be in the lineup (149+ games played since 2001). The Braves have been linked to Winn earlier this month and it does make sense.

Remember that it does not always have to be a big deal to make a big impact and the Braves should be looking hard at some of the less talked about names approaching the July 31st non-waiver trade deadline.

- Dan
BravesBlast is proud to introduce its newest contributing writer, Dan Fisher.  For Dan’s personal blog, visit http://baseballecon.blogspot.com.

The Braves Should Sign Barry Bonds

Humor me.  For about five to seven minutes put aside all loyalty to Hammerin’ Hank (without a doubt a very classy individual) and hear me out.  The Braves should consider signing Barry Bonds for the remainder of the season.

The Braves are looking for power in the outfield – which makes sense given that Francoeur is struggling, Kotsay is still on rehab, and we’ve seen to much of Greg Norton playing left field for my taste.  The Braves need a boost in the lineup from another player – but at what cost would we trade for Jason Bay or Randy Winn?  We’d not only pay a few million but get rid of young talent.  So let’s set aside our dislike for the guy and talk business.  No bias.  Look at the numbers.  Think about the possibilities and results.

Pros:

• Think of having Chipper/Tex/Bonds in the middle of the lineup.
• $200,000 price tag for the rest of the year.  That’s the same thing we’ll pay Brent Lillibridge to be on the team.
• No prospects have to be traded away.
• We could probably expect 15-20 HRs, and Chipper and Tex would have a chance to make a killing.
• Without a doubt the most offensive bang for the buck out there.  Bonds would justify keeping Teixeira and making a legitimate run at the World Series this year.

Cons

• It’s Barry Bonds – there’s not much love for the man
• This is Aaron city.  Atlanta is his town.
• He has a reputation for being standoffish and not helping the chemistry of the team he plays with.
• Barry has legal issues hanging over his head – currently having to do with allegedly lying to a grand jury about his alleged steroid use.

What do you think?  Would fans open their arms and accept Barry as a hired bat, an NL DH, if you will for the rest of the season?  Could he put himself aside and accept the fact that he wouldn’t be treated like a star, just another member of the team?  Would the team be able to have Barry on their side?  Would the Braves management even consider this?

If Barry came in to play for the Braves, it’d be a shot in the arm (pun intended) for the offense.  Is it worth it?

Jurrjens Masterful, Braves Tank Jays

Jair Jurrjens held the Blue Jays scoreless through eight innings and held them to three hits as he continued his dominant streak as of late.  Jurrjens has pitched 23 and 2/3rds innings of baseball with no earned runs – dating back to June 5 (Seattle scored 3 runs but they were all unearned).  Jurrjens continues to show maturity and composure beyond his years as the Braves got out to a great start to their road trip with a 4-0 victory over the Jays.

Mark Teixeira is absolutely on fire right now – he opened up the game with a two run home run before Jurrjens even went out to the mound the first time.  He added another RBI in the third inning as he knocked Gregor Blanco in on a double.  Blanco added an RBI of his own in the seventh.

Jeff Francoeur continues to struggle – striking out to end the top of the 8th and leaving two men on base.  He was 0-4.  We’ll hope Frenchy an pull through here soon.  Good to see some solid defense on the Braves tonight – Jones laid out for a nice grab in left field, and Mark Teixeira made a couple nice plays at first.

Mike Gonzalez came on to close the game out in the ninth – and he looked good.  Working quickly, Gonzalez retired the side and the Braves walked away from Toronto with a win.  Jurrjens got the win and is now 8-3 on the season. 4-0 Braves.

Let’s hope we can build on it tomorrow!

Trade Rumors, Renteria Trade Dividends

We all know where the Braves would be if they did not manage to get a guy like Jair Jurrjens, as a rookie he’s quickly become our number two starter. Jurrjens is 7-3 with a 3.20 ERA in 90 innings pitched. His 66 strikeouts leads the team, but, like Hudson, Jurrjens is more of a ground ball pitcher than a strikeout guy. Could he become a Brandon Webb type pitcher? Maybe with time, this is still his rookie season. Hudson will remain our ace and in the future I see Jurrjens and Reyes as our number two guys.

Jurrjens gets the ball tonight in Toronto and former Braves and manager who beat us in the ‘92 World Series Cito Gaston. He’ll be pitching against Dustin McGowan, who’s 6-5 with a 4.21 ERA. Despite the fairly average stats, McGowan has been nearly unbeatable at home. At the Rogers Center (formerly the Sky Dome), McGowan is 4-1 with a 1.73 ERA with a .242 batting average against (.299 on the road) and just one homer allowed against six on the road in 11 more innings.

Jurrjens pitched six innings last time out against Seattle, allowing zero earned runs. Unfortunately, in that start the defense let the guy down and had three errors in the first inning that led to three unearned runs. The Braves ended up winning the game on Brian McCann’s clumsy single with the bases loaded.

But enough of Jurrjens, remember the other guy we got in the trade for Renteria? Gorkys Hernandez was selected to play on the world team in the upcoming Futures Game at Yankee Stadium. The minor leaguer is hitting .320 with five triples and four homers. He also has seven stolen bases in eight attempts. Hernandez and the rest of the minor league world stars will play against the US Olympic Trials team (including Georgia Tech’s Derek Dietrich at short).

I also wanted to address some of the possible trades the Braves are looking through and looking for. According to Jayson Stark and his Rumblings article, the Braves are no longer in the market for pitching. Instead, and understandably so, the Braves are looking for some outfield power.

Names that came up through the article were Raul Ibanez, Jason Bay and Xavier Nady. Ibanez a little less so maybe. He is hitting .277 with just nine homers, but does have 47 RBIs and would definitely be an upgrade over current outfielders offensively (at least until Kotsay gets back). It probably will not take a whole lot to get Ibanez since he is in the last year of a (very affordable) contract and is playing on the worst team in baseball. I’m thinking maybe a low A level prospect or two B prospects, something the Braves may be willing to part with.

The other problem? Teams still don’t know exactly how long the Pirates are going to hold out until selling mode. Both Jason Bay and Xavier Nady have been awesome for the Pirates this year. Bay is hitting .287 with 15 home runs and 41 RBIs, but still can’t hit offspeed pitches the way he can fastballs. He’s also a little bit less affordable at $6 million dollars (obviously about half if the Braves get him in the middle).

Nady, on the other hand, is making only $3 million, hitting .314 with 10 homers and 49 RBIs (he led the NL in RBIs for much of the first two months). Plus he’s a right fielder, so putting him in left would give us three strong outfield arms (with Kotsay in center). The catch? He’s been hurt, he sat out a while with an ankle injury earlier this year and has recently been benched with a shoulder injury. Teams might stay away from that, but there’s no reason the Braves won’t consider it if they can get him for a lower price than he would have been if healthy. Of course, we all know how that worked out with the Dotel trade last year (Davies stats: 3-0, 3.12 ERA in five starts, still walks a lot of guys though but he’s coming around).

I also wanted to talk about some of Dan’s comments in an earlier trade thread. I think it’s a great idea to go out there and get a backup catcher. We have a guy, Clint Sammons (former UGA catcher) who is projected to be a guy with great baseball IQ and can be a prototypical backup catcher with solid defense. Sammons is hitting .245 in 204 at-bats through June 26. There is also a possibility that we would go after a guy like Rod Barajas and Gregg Zaun, but what’s the likelihood that they’re going to part with a catcher that has managed their pitching staff fairly well (3 in AL in ERA and lead the AL in innings pitched).

Lillibridge has had 11 at-bats so chances are if we get another hitter, he goes back down. Norton has been clutch off the bench, it’s the fact that he has to play every day that’s kind of exposed him. He’s a great pinch hitter and spot starter, but not an everyday guy.

As far as other names. According to David O’Brien at the AJC, I’m pretty sure we won’t see Randy Winn in a Braves uniform. Winn is hitting .302 with five home runs and 32 RBIs. But Winn is aging a little bit and at $8 million, his price tag is a little high, he just wouldn’t be a good fit for the Braves. Same with most of the pitching names going around the rumor mills. Erik Bedard especially, he’s talented but not motivated in any way. He’s got ace type stuff, but his attitude makes it impossible for him to be an ace and we all know how well that would end in Atlanta.

Obviously as the trade deadline approaches we’ll hear more and more names. I certainly hope we can get a guy from Pittsburgh. I know it’s a little callous, but Pittsburg typically makes bad trades and I think we would be able to get a good major league pitcher for a lot less than we would have to give Seattle for Ibanez (although with their dysfunction it might be a tie).

Kotsay, Schafer Back Hanson’s No-Hitter

While on his rehab assignment in double A ball, Mark Kotsay got to see something pretty special—a no hitter. Tommy Hanson threw the Mississippi Braves’ first no-hitter and struck out 14 in what became a career night for the young prospect. Hanson pitched the gem against the Birmingham Barons—the Chicago White Sox’s double A affiliate.

Hanson saw some trouble in the first inning when he had the bases loaded after a walk, a hit batsman and another walk. Hanson got the next hitter to pop out and saw calm seas after that. Hanson allowed just one base runner after the first inning, that coming on a walk. Hanson struck out the side in the second inning, fifth inning and again in the seventh for nine of his 14 total strikeouts.

Mark Kotsay and prospect Jordan Schafer helped in the effort with their offense. Kotsay had two hits and scored a run, while Shafer’s bases-loaded triple drove in three more.

Obviously, Hanson’s no hitter was the story of the evening. Hanson (4-3, 4.32 ERA) went 3-1 with a 0.90 ERA in seven games in A-ball at Myrtle Beach. He has struggled in just two of his nine starts, but those have been the cause of his inflated ERA.

Hanson is a guy that could be a trading chip for the Braves this year or next year. With the rotation set up the way it is, it looks solid from Hudson at the top to Morton at the bottom.

There’s still about a month left till the trade deadline, so we’ll see how Hanson’s no hitter affects his trade value.

- Akshay

Hampton Not Dead Yet

This is how the conversation between myself and one of our writers, Akshay, went:

Akshay: ok, so Hampton got through his first rehab start (45 pitches) fine

Me: Is there a punch line?

Akshay: lol

All I’m saying is we’re not holding our breath, but Hampton had no body parts separate unnaturally from the rest of his body in his first rehab start.  He pitched 2.2 innings and allowed two hits and struck out two.

He’ll have two more class A starts before going to AA and then maybe being activated.  If he comes off the DL, we may send Morton down to let him keep honing his skills, or even spell Reyes for a bit.  It could also give us the opportunity to let Jurrjens or Campillo get a rest to heal blisters every now and then for the rest of the season.

Will he actually make it back this time?  I dunno, last time I wrote one of these things on Hampton he got injured later in the day.  So watch out Mike, I’m gonna hit the publish button anyways.  We’re rooting for you.

Colin

Braves vs. Brewery Workers

Campillo vs. Suppan today in a game already underway and tied 2-2 in the 4th.  Infante already left today in the 2nd inning with a strained hammy and is day-to-day.  We’re a little short on the infield with Chipper out with his quad injury.  Escobar is a little pansy who apparently strained his left shoulder pitching a hissy fit last night and he’s not playing today either.

We need fewer infielder injuries and more wins – join us for some discussion of the recent Braves happenings and chime in!

Defense Spoils Morton’s Home Debut

Sometimes the final score doesn’t reflect the pitcher’s performance at all.Such was the case last night at Turner Field. Despite perfect baseball weather last night, the Braves early defensive errors (resulting in at least 2 unearned runs), doomed the home team.

You know you have sloppy fielding when the pitcher loses the game, and his ERA drops.

Raise your hand if you had a fielding error last night?

(Yunnel Escobar raises hand)
(Omar Infante raises hand)
(Jeff Francoeur raises both hands)

Hey, Brandon Jones, I’m looking at you! What’s up with running in on a fly ball and letting it go over your head—for the second time this year? How that wasn’t called an error, I do not know.

And Escobar, we love your passion, but we need you in the line-up more than we need you in the clubhouse taking a shower.

Then in the 9th, for a short moment in time, 30,000+ fans were unified as the Braves started to rally. Quickly, runners were on. Then Francoeur, hitting .243, gets out. Not to pile on Jeffrey like much of the Atlanta media, but this was really the nail in the coffin for the game.

But, with the tying runner on third, with two outs, to a screaming, raucous crowd, a lone batter walked to the plate. It was…….Corky Miller. With my hands over my eyes, I peeked through my fingers at the scoreboard and noted his .103 batting average. Would the last position player on the bench be hero or goat? Let’s just say that, upon leaving the field, he would have felt just fine in a barnyard.

However, there were some bright spots. Out of the lineup for several days due to an aggravated quad, Chipper Jones took to the plate, looking as if he owned it. On the second pitch, with the grace of a black belt, punched an easy single into left centerfield. He goes to first, a pinch runner comes in, and he strolls back to the dugout. Honestly, he makes it look easy.

And it’s always fun to see Tex get hot. With a homer and a double, he seems to be finding a groove.

It’s official; I’m on the Charlie Morton bandwagon. I like what I see in this kid. This should have been another “X” in the “W” column for him.

Sorry, Charlie.

Buying or Selling?

Are the Braves buying or selling in the trade market this year?

Will they be pulling out some of the stops to try and make a postseason run?  Or will they be selling the recently hot Mark Teixeira to the highest bidder?

I believe the answer lies in the next few series.  Last night we dropped a game to the Brewers and Ben Sheets, who was absolutely phenomenal.  But he’s their ace.  If we want to be buyers, we’ve got to finish out the series strong.  This losing at home stuff can’t happen if we keep playing .300 ball on the road.

If we lose out to the Brewskies, we have nothing to look forward to.  Next is on the road to Toronto – and for anyone who can’t remember, we are horrible on the road.  Horrible.  Toronto is in last place in the AL East, but we need to take the majority of that series to be buyers.  We’re only 4.5 games back (albiet in fourth place) and we can make up some of that space and try to come back and contend.  A great place to make that up is next week’s series against the currently first-place Phillies at home.  A buying team sweeps the Phillies.  A selling team continues to meander its way just below the .500 mark.

We’re definitely a selling team if we lose the majority of the Brewers and Phillies games.  We’re losing our potency at home and not gaining much on the road.

Do you want the Braves to buy or sell at this point?  Is it worth trying to salvage the season and make a postseason run?  Or should we throw it in the scrap heap and build for next season?

Brewers Bust Up Bravos

Milwaukee takes the first in the series 4-1.

Some times you just have to tip your hat.

The story tonight is Brewers ace Ben Sheets. Undefeated on the road this year, Sheets threw his third complete game, completely befuddling the Braves hitters.

Offensively, Kelly Johnson was the only bright spot, going 2 for 4, and being the only Brave to cross home plate. To tell you how Sheets dominated, Infante and Teixeira were the only other Braves players to get a hit; just one apiece.

And, just as unfortunately, the “old” Jo-Jo Reyes showed up tonight, giving up four runs and being relieved after only 2.1 innings. For some reason, he just couldn’t seem to get his fastball under control. Here’s hoping he can mentally recover and return to his most recent form. Buddy Carlyle, Royce Ring, and Jeff Bennett came in and stopped the bleeding for the rest of the game, not allowing another run.

(This just in! Jeff Francoeur went 0 for 3, and left runners on base, with an average dipping to .243.)

Exactly two hours and 15 minutes after the first pitch, the Brewers were walking off the field and going to a clubhouse that had to have a very different feel than the home team’s.

But tomorrow night is another game; Charlie Morton’s third.

Let’s hope we can see some more of his first outing brilliance.