Do We Really Want This Xavier Nady Character?

“We need more power!”

Thanks, Scotty. We knew that. While we’d all like our offense to go to 11, I’m not sure I’m super thrilled with the options. Mark DeRosa is off the table, Matt Holliday is likely signing with the Cards soon, not many people are thrilled with the idea of Uggla coming in, and Xavier Nady is the other name that gets tossed around a lot. And yes, he’s good for 25 homers and 100 RBIs when he’s healthy.

But he’s had some issues and is just coming off not his first, but his SECOND Tommy John surgery. And yes, he’s just an outfielder – not a pitcher – and is being acquired more for his bat than anything. And yes, he’s probably cheaper than before his second TJ.

But he will still have to make throws. And when will he be back to 100%? How many runs will we give up because people will run on a weak-armed, twice-rebuilt robo elbow in left field?

Sure – we have doctors and if we sign him then I’m sure we think he’s a good deal and good upside and all that. I get that. But I’m just a little bit worried. Just sayin’. That’s TWO Tommy John surgeries, dudes and dudettes. Just not so sure about that.

“Gentlemen, we can rebuild him. We have the technology…”

Who should we go for instead? What about Johnny Damon or a one year deal for Vladimir Guerrero? Jermaine Dye?

So Maybe Not DeRosa

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?

Braves Need Another Bat?

As we inch closer to spring training and out of the offseason (pitchers and catchers report in 53 days for anyone that’s counting), it appears that Frank Wren and crew are winding down on moves that they are planning to make.  If anything else is going to change, I think the Braves couldn’t be hurt by adding a little more offense.  We’ve said it before, but just to reiterate, this team could benefit a lot from added offensive threats.

If the Braves make a move for more offense however, it’s not going to be one of the big name moves that I have seen and heard many Braves fans tossing around over the past couple of weeks.  We won’t be seeing Adam Dunn or Adrian Gonzales or Jason Bay coming to Atlanta this offseason.  The contracts would be prohibitive and the Braves have already gotten things in the works for an everyday first basemen in Troy Glaus.  All bets are off as to what happens should Glaus fail his physical.

The Braves have an estimated $6-7 million left to spend after the completion of the Glaus acqusition, so don’t expect any of those names I just mentioned.  Instead, there are a couple of options that would still fit the need the Braves have and that we here at BravesBlast would like to see.

Mark DeRosa would be a big pickup for the Braves in that he could play many positions and fill in any gaps that would come up from injuries and needed rest.  He’s the kind of guy that would likely see action most days, just in multiple roles.  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.  If anything, the big appeal to DeRosa is his versatility.

Another option for the Braves (that I was explicitly informed by Kent that he would like to see happen) is to acquire Xavier Nady, who was not offered arbitration by the Yankees earlier this month.  Nady, in addition to adding depth in the outfield and some more pop in the lineup, provides a backup for Glaus at first base.  Hopefully we won’t need him for that reasoning in particular, but it’s good to know the option exists.

What other options exist for the Braves to add another offensive threat?  If the Braves make another move this offseason is yet to be seen, but if they do, we’d love to see either DeRosa or Nady making their way to Atlanta.

No Griffey….Now What?

We’ve finally settled on it, Griffey’s out of the picture. Where do the Braves go from here? Let’s take a look at the 5 possible left field options (that we’re aware of), counting down in order of likelihood:

5 – Xavier Nady: From a performance standpoint, Nady would be the perfect answer to Atlanta’s need for right-handed power. He hit .305 last season with 25 homers and 97 RBI for the Pirates and Yankees. However, his price tag (both in terms of salary, and talent to be surrendered via trade), a contract that expires at season’s end, and his notoriously hard-driving agent (someone named Boras), make Nady the least likely candidate to fill the Braves Left Field job opening.

4 – Nick Swisher: Swisher is a switch-hitting Yankees slugger who the Braves’ believe could nicely address their outfield power deficiency. Before the Griffey rumors began to percolate, Swisher, who is under contract through 2012, appeared to be the Braves top target. However, it was rumored that they wanted the Yanks to assume 2 million dollars of his annual salary (roughly 5.5 million dollars for 2009).
The Yankees are open to Atlanta’s request, but would require “higher quality prospects” in return, which the Braves are reluctant to yield. Given Atlanta’s recently stated commitment to guarding their best young minor league talent, it doesn’t seem likely that the Braves will meet the Yankees’ asking price for Swisher.

3 – Jim Edmonds: The now 38-year-old Edmonds showed Cubs fans last year that he can still club right-handed pitching. His 19 homers and 54 RBI in 292 at-bats against RHP made his humble .250 batting average VS. righties forgivable. On the flipside, he’s a dollar short of worthless against lefties. In 48 at-bats VS. LHP, he hit .146, with 1 homer and 1 RBI. But his ability to slug against right-handed hurlers makes him a viable platoon partner for the right-handed hitting Matt Diaz. He could also serve as a quality back-up Center-fielder.

I think Edmonds makes a fair amount of sense for Atlanta, and he should fit their budget. That said, there hasn’t been so much as a whisper of Edmonds’ name in connection to the Braves, which causes me to think such a marriage is improbable, but that could change at any moment.

2 – Garret Anderson: The longtime Angels outfielder is likely to play baseball without an “A” on his cap for the first time in 15 years. Or is he?Anderson has lost much of his once considerable power, but he is still a solid big league hitter. With the exception of a modest on-base percentage, Anderson’s 2008 numbers compare very favorably to Griffey’s. He hit .293 last season with 15 homers and 84 RBI.

The left-handed hitting Anderson handles lefties well (.290 vs. lefties last season), however, all but one of his homers came at the expense of right-handed pitching, which makes him another excellent (and affordable) candidate to platoon with Matt Diaz in Left.  We’ve covered more details earlier in the offseason.

1 – Let the kids play: If the Braves aren’t attracted to the remaining external outfield options, it would seem that they’re prepared to play their current hand, and reassess the outfield situation a couple of months into the season. The most likely existing candidates for the two available outfield jobs are left-hand hitting center-fielders, Josh Anderson, and Jordan Schafer.

Josh Anderson is out of minor league options, which means the Braves will either have to add him to the Major League roster, or trade him. If the Braves do not import another outfielder, Anderson will battle Jordan Schafer for the starting Center Field role this spring. The speedy Gregor Blanco may also compete for the job. If Anderson fails to win the full-time position in center, he will likely share playing time with Matt Diaz in Left Field. In 203 big league at-bats (2007/2008), Anderson has a .315 batting average, a .364 on-base percentage, and 11 steals in 13 tries.

Jordan Schafer was once considered the Braves top position prospect before a 50-game suspension for alleged “HGH” use last year, however, his star has not fallen. The Braves sill think quite well of the talented “5-tool prospect”, and reviews of his early work at the Braves Spring Training facilities have been positive.

Whether the Braves ink a free agent outfielder, such as G. Anderson or Edmonds, or let youth movement have a go, Matt Diaz is likely to see the majority of his playing time against left-handed pitching. Over the past three seasons, Diaz has hit .319, .338, and .327 against lefty hurlers.

So… if Frank Wren were to call and ask your advice, what would you tell him? Trade away? Sign an inexpensive veteran? Or let the kids play?

Outfield Update

Thanks to Grant McAuley for the article suggestion. Check out Grant’s excellent blog “A ‘Braves’ New World” when you have time.

Bobby Abreu was recently snatched up by the Angels. Dunn was signed yesterday by the Nationals. Apparently Ken Griffey Jr. is nearing a contract with Seattle, and the Braves remain looking for an outfielder. Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal says that the Braves are looking into Garret Anderson, Luis Gonzalez and Jim Edmonds (Jr. was also mentioned, but best bet for him is Seattle at this point). Rosenthal also says a trade with Swisher is still a possibility, but less likely than a free agent signing.

We’ve already talked about what we think about Garret Anderson. He would knock in some runs but I don’t think he’d provide an incremental amount of power that’d set him above our current outfielder platoon options. Some people may disagree, and that’s fine.

Luis Gonzalez seems like a horrible fit. We wanted power. We need a cleanup hitter. Under 75 RBIs and an average of less than 15 home runs over the last three years? I just don’t see him as a fit. I’d rather watch Diaz/Jones. Jim Edmonds seems to be a better fit with an average of more than 15 HRs the last three years – still under 75 RBIs though – which we’ll forgive as he played with San Diego some of last year. Still not cleanup material with around a .250ish average. We could expect him to play in 110-115 games.

Xavier Nady hasn’t been mentioned much recently – I think that we’re probably shying away from the one-year-rental mentality that comes with trading for Nady. Swisher has a lot of $ attached to him and a three year commitment, but he could potentially cover first if the outfield got too crowded. I like Swisher for this year best, but long-term I’m not sure where he’d fit in.

I’d like to see us wait a little bit and see how the youngsters Schafer, Jones, Blanco, Diaz, and Anderson do in spring training before bringing in someone that’s going to bat middle of the order. If we bring someone in, Swisher sounds like the best fit if we’re willing to spend a little bit of money. Let the same comments flow that have been bouncing around the last few weeks Just had to update everyone on the potential outfield options.

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Odds and Ends

Time for an odds n’ ends post – kind of a an overview of what’s going on in the Braves’ world.

Bobby Abreu appears to be near a deal with the Angels and the Braves are now rumored to be looking more seriously at either Nick Swisher or Xavier Nady. Yes, we’d need to trade for them, but the Braves need an outfielder, and that may be necessary. Swisher may be the leading candidate due to his longer contract, actually, as well as his ability to play first as well as all outfield positions. His contract is worth somewhere north of $22M over 3 seasons, though. Some players are reported to feel Nady is the better fit, though he’d be a one-year rental. This could go either way.

Jordan Schafer reported to spring training yesterday, according to our very own Rue Grant, who has been keeping in touch with Schafer recently. Jordan is eager to prove he belongs on the big league team and I think we’ll see a good show from Schafer – I wouldn’t be surprised to see him starting some this spring.

Tom Glavine and the Braves meet today and Glav hopes that the Braves increase their offer – said to be $1.5M +some incentives. I don’t think we’ll see that number change much, though it may change a little bit. Rumor has it that Glavine would like to make $5-6M after incentives, and I don’t see that happening, especially when our priority still seems to be a power bat in the outfield.

Tim Hudson is two months into a throwing program and all is going well. He hopes to return to the team in August. He’s cautious about pushing his limits, but he’s also optimistic about returning in August with no problems.

Obviously there’s more info on everything out there except Schafer going to camp, so go read up if you want to find out more. More to come as we hear it – here’s hoping we get a power bat in left field soon!

Abreu or Dunn? (Or Swisher/Nady?)

Whom should the Braves pursue and sign? Adam Dunn or Bobby Abreu?

Both would fit in well and fill the need (a bat providing a little bit of power in the outfield). That said, there are a couple of other options – being Xavier Nady or Nick Swisher, both of whom we’d have to trade for (and send people to the Yankees, no less). And you ask, what about Andruw Jones? Is he still an option? Today I attempt to answer all of those questions (and more).

Overall, I think that Abreu fits the bill best. What’s the bill? An outfielder with a powerful bat that can play one season in our outfield before we’re absolutely swamped with the next wave of young Braves prospects to the point where we’d be stupid to pay someone else to play outfield. Abreu is older – he can fill the need without costing too much – and he’s most likely to be cool with a one year contract.

Dunn flat out costs too much. He’s asking $14M, and though some people think he could be grabbed for $10M/year, I think he’s more likely to get a multi-year deal. Sure, he’s more powerful (40 HR his last 5 seasons),  but we flat out don’t have the money for Dunn. Dunn and Done. I just am not going to give him any more consideration – even at $10M we can’t afford him.

Nady just signed a one year, $6.55M deal with the Yankees – so the Braves would have to trade for him AND pay his salary – something I don’t see us doing with an outfielder like Abreu on the free agent market. For a little less money than Nady, we can get someone with very comparable numbers – a couple more homers and doubles, sure, but fewer RBIs. Nady would give us a little bit of flexibility as he plays first base too, but we’re not looking for a first baseman.

Nick Swisher comes with a more long-term commitment than the Braves are looking for right now. He makes $5.3M this year, $6.75M next, and $9M in 2011. Why do that when in three years we could have potentially an outfield of Francoeur, Schafer, and Heyward? I just don’t see us trading for a player that would be around that long – not to mention Swisher is coming off a season where he hit .219 with 25 HRs. Yikes – we don’t need another Andruw Jones.

Similarly, we don’t need Andruw Jones himself. Andruw won’t take a minor league contract, both he and Boras have indicated – and even if we give him a minimum salary contract, there’s no guarantee we’ll see him fight his way onto the roster. I’d point out that bringing him back this year seems like it’d be a lot like bringing back Javy Lopez last year. May bring more people out to Spring Training games, but is that really the point?

I think that we’re most likely to see Abreu in Atlanta, but what do I know? Argue me wrong

Peavy Rumors And More

Greetings folks – it’s Thursday and time for some random updates.

• The AJC’s Braves blogs appear to be abuzz with the possibility of trading for someone like Jake Peavy, who would certainly be fitted for the Braves, who need an ace for the upcoming season.  The 2007 Cy Young winner was only 10-11 last year, but he did play for the Padres, who, for lack of a better phrase, absolutely sucked. Apparently Peavy is available for the right price, though a proposal has probably not been put on the table yet. Do you think he’d be a good fit?
• Maybe Furcal is cheaper after committing three errors on the Dodgers’ way to the showers for the season, eh? I’d take cheaper.
• What sort of power outfielder do you think the Braves have more chance of landing?  A Matt Holliday type? A Manny type? Xavier Nady? Or should we trade our best box of toothpicks for Andruw (I’m kidding, I’m kidding).

To me, I’d love to see Peavy on the team – but no way of knowing if we can swing it. We NEED an ace. Is Peavy the dude for us?