Furcal To Be a Brave

Pending a physical. Kelly Johnson or Yunel Escobar now on the market?

Update: Rosenthal reporting $3/$30M , with a vesting option for a fourth year.

about 3 years ago woodsmeister 34 comments 0 recs |

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If Furcal regains his health, this could be a great deal for the Braves. But that is a big if (see: Hafner, Travis).

by APV on Dec 16, 2008 12:41 PM EST reply actions

The Braves have no need for our best trading chip (K Shoppach) but are in need of outfielders. Not sure what it would take to get Yunel or Johnson

by Roger Dorn on Dec 16, 2008 1:11 PM EST reply actions

Benfran for Yunel, HIRE THEDOOR.

Travis Hafner is overrated. Clarity is underrated. David Dellucci is David Dellucci.

by westbrook on Dec 16, 2008 1:12 PM EST up reply actions

Hang on, I need to figure out who in God’s name Yunel Escobar is.

by fleerdon on Dec 16, 2008 5:05 PM EST up reply actions

Okay, I checked that out. Going to be 26, pretty good eye at the plate, average-ish power for a middle infielder, declining LD%, slow. My A.L.E. (American League Equivalent) puts him at about a 90 OPS+ over a full season. Is he a really good fielder or am i missing something?

by fleerdon on Dec 16, 2008 5:12 PM EST up reply actions

The only NL knowledge I have comes from fantasy baseball.
I can confirm that in my league last season, Yunel Escobar was eligible at 2B, SS, and 3B, which in fantasy terms makes him, like, probably the best fielder ever.

by still ill on Dec 16, 2008 6:45 PM EST up reply actions

Yes. Plus/Minus had him at +21 this year.

by ClarkM on Dec 16, 2008 8:28 PM EST up reply actions

It’s amazing how little I know about the National League any more. A few years ago I could have rattled off the starting 9 for just about every team in the majors. It’s almost as if I’m using up my available baseball memory information for the entire Indians organization at the expense of knowledge of the rest of the game.

I especially liked how one of the big media storylines in the Gutz-Putz-Heilman trade was Aaron Heilman’s dissatisfaction with relief work, and all I could think was, “Who?”

by fleerdon on Dec 16, 2008 5:18 PM EST up reply actions

I know almost nothing about almost any NL players

by Logodaedalus on Dec 16, 2008 6:02 PM EST up reply actions

Well to be fair most of us don’t know that much about other AA leagues either.

by hans on Dec 16, 2008 6:28 PM EST up reply actions 3 recs

zing!

by Logodaedalus on Dec 16, 2008 6:45 PM EST up reply actions

Haha, same for me. Except I still lack any real knowledge about the Indians.

Burn on, big river, burn on...

by Turkmenbashi on Dec 16, 2008 7:51 PM EST up reply actions

Kelly and Kelly have the same contract status, both entering arbitration as fourth-year players. How hard could it be to find a third team, to take Shoppach and send someone of similar value to Atlanta?

On the other hand, I don’t think I could take it if we acquired another perfectly good NL 2B and ran his value into the ground. Johnson is good but has a mediocre walk rate, and I wish I were more confident about how he’d do in Cleveland.

by Jay on Dec 16, 2008 2:58 PM EST up reply actions

Actual analysis makes my head hurt, so I’ve decided the Tribe should make FO decisions based on how players impacted my fantasy team. Kelly Johnson was a bad pickup for me, so I don’t want him. Kerry Wood, on the other hand, helped a lot (not as much as drafting Cliff Lee, but that’s another matter altogether).

I’m fairly confident this is a more rigorous system than that employed by Ed Wade.

by FredOx on Dec 16, 2008 3:34 PM EST up reply actions 3 recs

Rec based on last sentence.

Pronk Needs You

by woodsmeister on Dec 16, 2008 4:07 PM EST up reply actions

Well, would you have picked up Mike Hampton and Jason Michaels, even on the cheap?

by Jay on Dec 16, 2008 5:19 PM EST up reply actions

Maybe we could leverage this ability though. Like the Phillies trade us a prospect and cash in exchange for putting Kelly Johnson through the Indians Second Baseman Ruining Machine.

by fleerdon on Dec 16, 2008 5:20 PM EST up reply actions

Yunel would be awesome, but apparently the Braves are upset with him for some reason. I have no idea what that reason is but one of the local blogs were talking about it.

Yunel would look GREAT at 2B.

Don't be stupid. PUT IN MELOAN.

by gte619n on Dec 16, 2008 2:01 PM EST reply actions

Might be a signal that ATL is going after Peavy again, with Yunel as a main piece. Just my conjecture.

by macasson on Dec 16, 2008 2:51 PM EST reply actions

I thought he already was the main piece in the first go around.

by hans on Dec 16, 2008 6:29 PM EST up reply actions

I’m a bit weary about trading for another top braves prospect/young player that they’re willing to mysteriously give away.

Hint hint

by world dictator on Dec 16, 2008 4:02 PM EST reply actions

ESCOBAR…FIESTABAR?

by cleveland teamer on Dec 16, 2008 4:30 PM EST up reply actions

I knew this was a bad idea

by cleveland teamer on Dec 17, 2008 9:38 AM EST up reply actions

The Braves gave away MaxRam and should be a pretty good player. .646 SLG in AA last year?

by Toxicadam on Dec 16, 2008 11:48 PM EST up reply actions

The Braves mystique has seemed to fade away as their 3 HOF pitchers retired/moved teams. What have they done for me lately

by Roger Dorn on Dec 16, 2008 11:53 PM EST up reply actions

23 in Double-A with no clear position … not a valuable player in the NL.

by Jay on Dec 17, 2008 12:08 AM EST up reply actions

I don’t think anyone can “just give away” a prospect with no position in A ball.

by world dictator on Dec 17, 2008 11:57 AM EST up reply actions

Furcal is going to get 30-vesting-40 and probably a little more, and that’s to go back to his hometown. I hope it’s clear to … certain people … that the Indians likely could not have acquired him without going close to 20% higher than that.

by Jay on Dec 17, 2008 12:53 AM EST reply actions

You mean the FA market isn’t like ebay?

by FredOx on Dec 17, 2008 1:20 PM EST up reply actions

yes it is, that’s why we won’t get Dunn. pay attention.

by Brick. on Dec 17, 2008 1:26 PM EST up reply actions

not so fast...furcal to the dodgers?

it looks like this was never a done deal at that the dodgers are back in the mix, perhaps in the lead…either way, furcal is off the market. if it’s not the braves, the kelly johnson/yunel escobar discussions can stop.

by stickpiano on Dec 17, 2008 2:28 PM EST reply actions