Justin Upton traded to Braves

[marcshoe]

I've been a fan of Prado for a few years now, but it's hard for me to see that Arizona is putting together a contender, at least in the near term. They look like a team that will muddle through without being particularly interesting.

[M2]

Originally Posted by WildcatFan

I expect to see Laird play more than McCann this season, which I have a hunch will actually help the offense.

I doubt that. Laird's been a poor batsman during his career. Even McCann's career-worst from 2011 is better than Laird's average.

[Scrap Irony]

Atlanta batting order:
1 SS Andrelton Simmons BA#4 BP#5
2 RF Jason Heyward*
3 LF Justin Upton
4 1B Freddie Freeman*
5 CF B.J. Upton
6 C Brian McCann*
7 2B Dan Uggla
8 3B Juan Francisco*/ Chris Johnson

That is a remarkably balanced lineup. If McCann can't go, I'd guess Laid and the other catcher would move down the order to 8th. Maybe the platoon of Francisco and Johnson move up to 6th.

The only problem I see is leadoff and the possibility that someone slumps for a year.

The pitching staff isn't quite as strong:
1 RHP Tim Hudson
2 RHP Kris Medlen
3 LHP Mike Minor
4 LHP Paul Maholm
5 RHP Julio Teheran

Lots of low inning, mediocre guys with no clear TOR guys. Questions about Hudson (age), Medlen (can he duplicate last season's success?), and Teheran (TNSTAAPP), not to mention the overall meh-ness of Maholm and Minor means a starting staff that's third (at best) in the NL East and middle of the pack in the NL behind virtually every other competing starting staff. (I'd pick Atlanta's starting staff last among Washington, Philadelphia, Cincinnati, St. Louis, LA, and San Francisco.)

The bullpen is superior.

[WMR]

Are the Nationals still the Opening Day favorite to win the NL East?

[Brutus]

Originally Posted by dougdirt

A guy who is 25 with two superstar years under his belt? Yeah, I'll take that.

The problem is, you spent a ton of time telling us a few weeks ago that guys start falling off a cliff at 28, so Upton has only 3 years left of prime and at this pace, he's only playing that way once every two years

[Vottomatic]

D-Backs get Prado, RH pitcher Randall Delgado, SS prospect Nick Ahmed, RH pitcher prospect Zeke Spruell, and 1B prospect Brandon Drury.

Drury batted .229 in A-ball last year in 123 games.
Ahmed batted .269 in high A in 130 games.
Spruill had 27 starts in double A with a 3.69 e.r.a. and 9-11 record.
Delgado went 4-9 for the Braves and he's only 22 years old.

I'm not that impressed and think the D-Backs got screwed.

Someone said it was like giving up Bailey and Corcino. I strongly disagree. Delgado is not Bailey and Spruill is far from being Corcino. Looks more to me like giving up Leake, Frazier, Sharky Rogers, and a couple of guys the Reds wouldn't have missed in A-ball. Other than Frazier, I would have done that.

[mdccclxix]

I'm okay with just signing Ludwick for 7 per and saving the money for other stuff while keeping a potential 5 year starter at 3b.

[cincrazy]

Originally Posted by Scrap Irony

The Atlanta OF is undeniably the most talented OF in baseball.

If all three players put it together in the same season, they could go for 110 wins in a season. However, that's been a massive "if" for all three guys.

There's something to be said for consistency, both over a season and a career.

I don't think I'd go that far... They've got a rookie at shortstop, an iffy platoon at third, Dan Uggla has been a disaster at second, McCann is aging and falling apart at catcher, and while their pitching staff is talented, is there an ace in the bunch? If you think Brandon Beachy, Kris Medlen, or an aging Tim Hudson fit that description, then I suppose so... but I don't buy it. The Braves are a good team. Are they better than the Reds or Nationals? I don't think so. I'd bunch them in with St. Louis, LAD and SF. It's going to be one hell of a season in the NL, regardless.

Edit: I just saw your post breaking down your pitching staff, so clearly my post ended up being a little redundant .

[Benihana]

Originally Posted by cincrazy

I don't think I'd go that far... They've got a rookie at shortstop, an iffy platoon at third, Dan Uggla has been a disaster at second, McCann is aging and falling apart at catcher, and while their pitching staff is talented, is there an ace in the bunch? If you think Brandon Beachy, Kris Medlen, or an aging Tim Hudson fit that description, then I suppose so... but I don't buy it. The Braves are a good team. Are they better than the Reds or Nationals? I don't think so. I'd bunch them in with St. Louis, LAD and SF. It's going to be one hell of a season in the NL, regardless.

Edit: I just saw your post breaking down your pitching staff, so clearly my post ended up being a little redundant .

I'd probably take their lineup over ours for the next 3 years...and I am not a BJ Upton or Uggla fan at all. Their OF is like what ours "could've/should've" been when Dunn and Kearns arrived at the same time.

Pitching is another story, I'd rather have ours.

IF Simmons lives up to the hype, and McCann/Uggla can produce at career norms, they will be a very good hitting team. If their pitching stays healthy, they will be a dangerous team. The NL East should have some fierce competition.

[Benihana]

Originally Posted by Vottomatic

D-Backs get Prado, RH pitcher Randall Delgado, SS prospect Nick Ahmed, RH pitcher prospect Zeke Spruell, and 1B prospect Brandon Drury.

Drury batted .229 in A-ball last year in 123 games.
Ahmed batted .269 in high A in 130 games.
Spruill had 27 starts in double A with a 3.69 e.r.a. and 9-11 record.
Delgado went 4-9 for the Braves and he's only 22 years old.

I'm not that impressed and think the D-Backs got screwed.

Someone said it was like giving up Bailey and Corcino. I strongly disagree. Delgado is not Bailey and Spruill is far from being Corcino. Looks more to me like giving up Leake, Frazier, Sharky Rogers, and a couple of guys the Reds wouldn't have missed in A-ball. Other than Frazier, I would have done that.

Actually agree with this assessment. Delgado has more upside than Leake for sure, but Frazier is younger and under team control for longer than Prado. So a Leake, Frazier, Rogers and a couple other hum-drums is probably a fair comp.

[Benihana]

Between this and the Trevor Bauer deal, I'm not too happy with this offseason if I'm a Diamondbacks fan.

[bucksfan2]

This Braves lineup is starting to remind me of a classic Brewers lineup. They are going to slug a ton but they are also going to strike out a ton. On paper it makes sense, get as much OPS as possible, but as I said in another post, they have the looks of a team with a ton of 5 hole hitters. If Simmons doesn't pan out at the top it could get ugly in Atl.

[Kc61]

Originally Posted by WildcatFan

They're going to rename Turner Field, Upton Abbey.

This is quite clever.

[TRF]

I wonder how the dynamic of the Upton brothers playing on the same team will work. it isn't all that common. Were the Boone's that last brothers to play on the same team with regular jobs-ish? (1998)

[757690]

Originally Posted by WMR

Are the Nationals still the Opening Day favorite to win the NL East?

Absolutely. Pitching wins.

Every off-season, a team spends a ton in money and talent to build a formidable lineup, but neglects their pitching and defense. They never do as well as projected. You would think the Braves would be the last team to be dumb enough to make such a mistake. Guess not.