So Maybe Not DeRosa

Written by Jonathan on December 28, 2009 – 5:53 pm

One of the options remaining for the Braves to add to the roster that we mentioned yesterday looks like it may not be an option much longer.  Mark DeRosa underwent a phyiscal for the Giants earlier today and that appears to be the only thing standing in the way of the completion of a two-year deal.  DeRosa, who played in Atlanta from 1998-2004, is a career .275 hitter and has hit 44 home runs and has 165 RBI across the past two seasons.  The Braves were interested in his versatility and ability to fill in for multiple roles, but DeRosa was looking for a three-year deal that the Braves just weren’t looking to extend.

So with an estimated $6-9 million remaining to spend, what options are still out there for the Braves?  As I talked about yesterday, one of our favorite options is Xavier Nady.  Nady would not only add a little more depth to the outfield (where the Braves often seem to have persistent injury issues) but would serve as a backup first basemen behind Troy Glaus, who the Braves are hoping to have a solid season on his surgically repaired shoulder.  For me personally, this is my top choice as of right now and what’s left on the market.

Another name that has been tossed around for the amount of money the Braves have remaining and the needs they are looking to fill is Dan Uggla.  He would provide that offensive pop that we have been wishing for while holding down the second base role.  If that’s the case however, I’d like to make sure that there is still a constant starting role for Martin Prado, who I feel is a huge asset to the Braves.

We’ll be anxious watching the news over the coming weeks to see what move or moves the Braves still intend to make.  I think they would be willing to take the current squad to Spring Training, but I get the feeling they would like to make a little bit of a change still.  Who knows?  Maybe we’ll still see them move the recently acquired Melky Cabrera for another bit of offensive power.  With DeRosa off the market, what are your next choices to bring to Atlanta?


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Posted in Roster Moves | 8 Comments »


8 Responses to “So Maybe Not DeRosa”

  1. By ReidAdair on Dec 28, 2009 | Reply

    If they take the current squad to spring training, the team is going to face the same offensive issues (lack of power, lack of consistency, etc.) that they did in 2009.

  2. By bravesman218 on Dec 29, 2009 | Reply

    Reid that's why we still have 6 million dollars to spend. Duh. And we already have more power potential with Troy Glaus-we finally have a #4 hitter capable of hitting 30 bombs, though I know he probably won't. It's the threat that is the big deal in that Chipper is so much better with a decent power bat behind him to serve as protection(see 2008 stats with Tex as protection). I do realize there is a big difference between Tex and Troy, but the same idea is still there. I say, with the team we have now, we win the Wild Card. We sign Nady or Dye, it is possible that we could make a run at the Phillies

  3. By LarryS312 on Dec 29, 2009 | Reply

    Here's my problem with Uggla. You already have Glaus who hits around .250-.260 and strikesout frequently. Uggla is the same type of hitter as Glaus except with a lower average. Mclouth is another low to middle average hitter. Uggla has a lot of HR potential but he comes with bad defense and little else other than HR.

    Nady on the other hand is an all around player. Hits for decent power, decent average and plays a decent outfield. Not to mention the versatility to play 1st.

    For me the Braves should pursue the following

    1. Nady
    2. Dye
    3. Uggla

  4. By hfw on Dec 29, 2009 | Reply

    Trade for Gordon Beckham, move him to second until Chip is gone then back to third.

  5. By LarryS on Dec 30, 2009 | Reply

    I'm just going to write this off as a pipe dream.

  6. By tasman on Dec 30, 2009 | Reply

    PLEASE!!!
    Not Uggla at 2B!
    He is just plain UGLY there!

  7. By nick on Dec 31, 2009 | Reply

    my predictions…

    1 base- troy gluas
    2 base-dan uggla
    ss -younel escobar
    3base-martin prado
    LF -chipper jones
    CF -nate mcclouth
    RF -matt diaz
    C -brian mccann

  8. By Colin Ake on Dec 31, 2009 | Reply

    I would not expect Chipper to move to LF. With his knees/health, it's not going to happen. Prado would be more likely to play LF.

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