KU football has been really bad. Fredi's managing has not been, in my opinion.
Exactly. Look where Mike Piazza was drafted (62nd round)
That's not done in baseball.
Markakis has hit at least 6-7 other balls to deepest parts of park at Turner Field, Citi Field and a few other ballparks, that would have been homers in, say, Camden Yards. At least that many. So it's not like he's not been hitting the ball with any authority. But I think it'll take a full offseason to regain all his strength, because it's really hard for players to lift weights extensively during season, particularly when they are every-day players and guy who rarely leave the lineup, like Markakis. He loves to lift weights during season, but more maintenance-type lifting, not power lifting and building strength. He couldn't do that during winter like he's always done in the past, because he wasn't cleared to do anything rigorous until the start of spring traininga following the December neck surgery.
Cooperstown, but it'd be better if not working :)
I don't think so. I know I wouldn't. You don't trade generational-type defensive players like that, in my opinion. And he continues to show signs of offensive potential, including a significant stretch of it during first couple of months of the season. He's just so good defensively, can't see trading him. That, plus he wants to win as much as anyone in the clubhouse. Very, very hard worker, cares an awful lot. You want guys like that. You don't trade them.
I think they wish they'd re-signed Harang, was a good guy to have at back of rotation and talking to young pitchers, etc. And I know they wish they'd kept Wandy instead of Stults this spring. And the Trevor Cahill trade -- whew, that was a costly way to get a draft pick. But in balance, their signings and trades were overwhelmingly successful. I really think Hart should be in running for Executive of the Year, with Coppy right there with him as the uncredited co-director.
Gattis. God bless him. Love that guy, and wish he was still here. Miss seeing him crush balls and be the everyman he genuinely was. No pretense. Cool dude. But not a good outfielder.
And now, the end is near. And so I face the final curtain.... Well, not the final curtain, but our time is up for today. So until next week, thanks for all the great questions, folks.
MC checking in from Baltimore filling in for DOB. Here we go . . .
No. Why would he at this point?
I like it. Can always trade promising young pitchers for needs. That's what the Cardinals, Astros and Padres did with the Braves.
No. Last I heard was they met with West Palm officials in April. I also would not hate that move.
Adonis Garcia is a fill-in. He's 30-years old. You didn't hear of him because he was in Cuba until 2011. Signed by the Yankees in 2012. Did pretty well for them in Triple-A but he was playing outfield and they were deep there.
I don't think so. The bullpen has been good since that May/June slump.
Thanks for stopping by . . . Seems to me the focus still is 2017. What kind of team will the Braves put out for the lame duck year at Turner Field? It will be interesting to see. In any event, players of the caliber of Heyward and Upton are more likely to come via trade if/when they do come.
Doubtful one outing makes that much of a difference, especially since he had some tough luck with the Adam Jones chopper.
Hard to say without knowing the market for those two. They are above-average major leaguers. The Braves got back two secondary pitching prospects, according to people who know more than me about such things.
I think you'll see a lot of what you've seen the last four days. The pitching is good enough for them to compete, the hitting is not good enough for them to win consistently. Don't see how they can swap K. Johnson and J. Uribe in lineup for Garcia and Perez/Gomes and generate a lot of offense even with Freeman back. I am intrigued by Garcia, though. He's a good story.
Agreed. I think the bats will come from trading some of those pitchers.
I don't think complaining about playing time helped his cause.
Minor, yes. Bethancourt, no.
Yes I think we'll see those three.