Schultz - Get AG

[warefreak]

If you check out the AJC website you'll see the article about getting Adrian Gonzalez.

As a complete non-fan of the Teix trade I see that as stupid. Ryan Howard's recent signing just completely ruined the Braves chances of trading for and locking up AG longterm. Trading for AG would be trading away the farm and will kill our VERY, VERY bright future. The guy even said something like "worry about this year, this year, and next year next year." Sounds like a guaranteed recipe for a disaster.

With that being said... I was reading some of the comments and I do think a trade should happen. I love Michael Bourne and even Bobby Cox said "if you see a Ricky Henderson out there, let me know"

Bourne ain't Ricky Henderson but he's a heck of a lot closer to him than anybody on our team. Houston is rebuilding (or should be) and we should take advantage of it. I say give them Nate McClouth and even pay his salary for the remainder of his contract and one of our top SP prospects and try to get Bourne. I'd love it. We need a guy to get on base and disrupt that pitcher so that he has to throw fastballs, otherwise every pitcher we face will be another version of cy young at the end of the night.

[warefreak]

Thankfully David O'Brien knows a little somethin about somethin. Here's a quote from his article:

"
♣ Adrian Gonzalez, huh? A show of hands from those who are seriously advocating that the Braves do whatever it takes to trade for the Padres’ slugging first baseman as soon as possible. Keep ‘em up, we’re taking down names.
http://blogs.ajc.com/atlanta-braves-blog/files/2010/04/adriangonzalez.jpg Would A-Gonz be one-and-gone?

Just as a reminder, Gonzalez is in the same position as Mark Teixeira when the Braves traded a package of five prospects (including Neftali Feliz, Elvis Andrus and Jarrod Saltalamacchia) to the Rangers for Teixeira a few years ago.
Gonzalez is a season-and-half away from free agency, like Tex was. And he’s expected to get a contract well in excess of $20 mill per season, like Tex did.
Actually, given the extension Ryan Howard got yesterday (five years, $25 million), it’s probably safe to say that Gonzalez will get closer to $25 million per season than $20 million. He’s younger and better defensively than Howard.
So anyway, after seeing the Braves trade a package of prospects for Teixeira and then trading him away a year later because they were falling from playoff contention and knew they couldn’t afford to re-sign him as a free agent, there are a lot of Braves fans now who’d advocate a possible repeat with Gonzalez?
Nevermind the amount of young talent the Braves would have to part with to get Gonzalez, if the first-place Padres are willing to deal him this season. How ’bout the payroll ramifications for the Braves if they tried to re-sign him?
The Braves, unless Chipper Jones retire and/or Derek Lowe is traded, will owe those two nearly $30 mill in 2012. Brian McCann’s salary will be another $8.5 mill.
So how could the Braves add another $25 mill or so to their payroll? That’d be about $64 million for four players, for a team that’s paying its entire 25-man roster only about $84 million (straight salaries, not incentives and other stuff Braves accountants are including in payroll figures).
That’s not even including what it would take to keep Jair Jurrjens, who’ll be arb-eligible. Or to possibly sign Jason Heyward to a long-term deal by then.
And did we mention, the Padres are the team that’s 11-8 and in first place in their division, and the Braves are 8-11 and in last place in theirs? OK, just checking"

Yeah, David pretty much wrote "ver-batem" what I was thinking when I read Schultz's article.

[Dreamscape]

I'd be okay going after Bourne, but if they want more than McLouth, I'll pass. I am intrigued by Bourne's plus-defense and speed, but I don't feel the Braves should overpay for that.

[-Dr. Brave-]

Houston is rebuilding (or should be) and we should take advantage of it.

Houston has shown in recent history that if something makes sense, they will probably do the exact opposite.

[quick]

We should have gotten AG in the off season and paid him, like I was crying for. That would include trading away JJ and some other talent. I am a big believer that you need two stud starters, and three serviceable ones, not three or four top starters to be a great team. But, now that the market has been busted with Howard's new deal and Vasquez is gone, this is dead. We cannot afford him in terms of talent to trade or money.

It all boils down to money. You do not have to be a genius GM if you have enough money to buy your way our of problems. Money may not buy you a title, but it will keep you competitive. Heck, our entire nation is learning this lesson about now, but I won't go any farther down that road....

[alaskabravesfan]

Obviously, it's impossible to accurately comment on a potential trade without knowing exactly who will be involved...but that said...

DOB won't see my hand up in the air. I don't want to see our pitching staff or our farm gutted for ANY single player. It's too easy to imagine paying a premium for AG just to see him get hurt. Not worth it.

We have a deep pitching staff. Our defense is doing just fine. Glaus won't win a gold glove, but he is proving adept around 1st. Our outfield defense is fine, too. We DO need some hitting but there is plenty of time for Glaus to warm up, Escobar to pick up the pace, Cabrera and McLouth to come along...These guys are all decent career hitters, let's be patient and see what happens.

Just my two cents...

[Lauren T.]

AG is creepy. My vote is for no, simply because he gives me an oogy feeling.

I'm a woman. I'm allowed to make statements like that. ;) This is also why I'm not a GM.

[toss sweep]

I guess im just old .... but what i would wish for is an otis nixon (not even a ricky henderson) type of player who can leadoff and play CF .... put pressure on the pitcher and make things happen

[warefreak]

I guess im just old .... but what i would wish for is an otis nixon (not even a ricky henderson) type of player who can leadoff and play CF .... put pressure on the pitcher and make things happen


**cough cough*** Michael Bourne!!! **cough cough**

[bravos4evr]

I wouldn't be opposed to an AG trade ( I would send Freeman, one of Tehrehan or Vizcaiano, Mike Dunn and another low level prospect) BUT it would be contingent on a 72 hour window to work out an extrnsion with him keeping him there for at least 4 more seasons..... Prob is, that ain't gonna happen..... To be honest, if Glaus stinks it up all season (and It's beginning to look like he's shakin the rust off IMO, his swings just look better)I would expect Hinske to be moved over to 1b. I would really like to see us go after a Dye (whom I bet could be had for similar $$$ as Cabrera if we could move him , within a million or so after the pro-rating) He may not be the old Dye, but he's good for 25+ HR's.... we need those HR's badly!

[The Rap]

You all might remember that I have been on the get AG bandwagon for a long time. But I have changed my mind even under the circumstances laid out by Nick simply because the Teix thing irks the hell out of me.

Michael Bourne sopunds interesting but I doubt the Astros will part with a youngster like that. julio Borbon got off to a bad start this year but is a lot better than that. He would hit 290 and have about 40 SBs and won't cost an arm and a leg. And there is no way I would give Teheran to anyone.

[bravos4evr]

I don't wanna give Teheran to anyone either, but if it meant 4.5 years of AG .... I think it would be worth it. However the point is MOO, cause there is no way that AG signs an extension unless it's something like 4 years $80 million. Thats IF The Padres decide to trade him!

Realistically, we are going to either have Glaus or Hinske at first this year. Outside chance that we dump Glaus otr move him for peanuts and pickup a Laroche type guy, but honestly if Glaus is even average production we will prolly be much more focused on LF .

[The Rap]

True but Freeman might be ready by next year and Teheran might be a superstar ace. How will you feel then? I know I would be pissed.

[Andy G.]

Julio Teheran = Untouchable.