Braves

[msstate7]

Fredi's last few years, we had no versatility with the lineup and a very good bullpen. Now that we have so many options when it comes to playing different guys at positions and a poor bullpen, managerial moves are magnified. Fredi just doesn't make good decisions

[BoomBoom]

Fredi's last few years, we had no versatility with the lineup and a very good bullpen. Now that we have so many options when it comes to playing different guys at positions and a poor bullpen, managerial moves are magnified. Fredi just doesn't make good decisions

Fredi believes in having multiple 1-inning guys in the bullpen. He slots guys into an inning. He doesn't adjust that for matchups. When he had O'Ventbrel it worked. Now that he has 2 decent guys and that's it, matchups become extremely important. Using your 2 decent relievers in the 6th or 7th when a couple are on and the meat of the lineup is up, rather than using the back of your bullpen in that dangerous situation and saving your good relievers for the bottom of the lineup with no one one, can make a huge difference. you can call that a meaningless difference, but i don't. He actually broke that pattern today, brought in Avilan to get the last out in the 6th, started the 7th with Martin, then brought in Johnson when Martin had put a couple people on. Johnson just didn't deliver. So i don't blame Fredi for the bullpen management today, but the position shifts were stupid as msstate7 has documented.

[smootness]

But why pull Avilan instead of letting him come back out for the 7th? He threw 4 pitches.

[Really Clark?]

But why pull Avilan instead of letting him come back out for the 7th? He threw 4 pitches.

Their three best hitters were up R, R, R. And isn't Pollock hitting lefties .378 or something. Goldshm...is killing both. I like the Tomas matchup as he has struggled more with lefties. But I would not want to go through the other two to get to him and he was killing it today. Maybe maybe you chance it with Pollock but not past him.

[msstate7]

@DOBrienAJC
#Braves are trying to trade for reliever(s), but won't give up young talent or pay big $ to do it.

[shoeless joe]

I'm not blaming fredi for the pen. I am blaming fredi for pulling our best defensive and hottest hitting lf, Cunningham (5 for his last 6) and replacing him with a guy hitting .200 that's our worst defensive of. I know you're a huge fredi apologist, but can you pull off your fredi sunglasses long enough to see how incredibly dumb that was? I was mad pre-results, but absolutely incensed post-results.

Gomes infield pop up then can't get ball that Cunningham could've jogged to. Even if Cunningham doesn't knock in a runner hitting, we probably still win if that out is recorded to start 7th. Oh and even fredi realized how stupid it was bc he pulled Gomes after Gomes blew that catch.

The main thing in your post that I disagree with is saying that I'm a fredi apologist...I'm a realist that does see things from a coach's point of view; so I am a little more apt to defend the thought process even if I wouldn't have made the same move.

My only point is that if the pen does their job then his other decisions, good or bad, don't matter. I agree with your reasoning as to why you didn't like the moves. However, I do think that you watch the games from the stand point of "what can I get pissed off at fredi about today?". Players, pitchers, hitters have to make plays when given the opportunity.

I've said this in the Cohen threads and I'll say it here; show me a bad bullpen and I'll show you a "bad" manager.

[msstate7]

The main thing in your post that I disagree with is saying that I'm a fredi apologist...I'm a realist that does see things from a coach's point of view; so I am a little more apt to defend the thought process even if I wouldn't have made the same move.

My only point is that if the pen does their job then his other decisions, good or bad, don't matter. I agree with your reasoning as to why you didn't like the moves. However, I do think that you watch the games from the stand point of "what can I get pissed off at fredi about today?". Players, pitchers, hitters have to make plays when given the opportunity.

I've said this in the Cohen threads and I'll say it here; show me a bad bullpen and I'll show you a "bad" manager.

Nah, I don't watch the games wanting to get mad at fredi. I just don't think fredi is that good. Our bullpen is terrible, so they need every bit of help they can get like getting the best defenders in the game when we have a late lead. Even if fredi wanted to ph Gomes, he can't let Gomes stay in lf with EY on the bench. Replacing Gomes after he blew an easy out is just evidence that fredi is way in over his head

[msstate7]

Braves Seeking Bullpen Upgrades
http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2015/0...-upgrades.html

The Braves are trying to trade for upgrades in what has been a shaky bullpen, reports David O?Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (via Twitter), but the team is reluctant to part with young talent or pay significant money in order to make it happen.

Clearly, that hesitance will make it rather difficult to procure a meaningful upgrade by way of trade. The Braves? farm system has improved rapidly over the past eight months thanks in large part to a strong offseason rebuilding effort from new president of baseball operations John Hart. It?s logical that Hart, having only recently collected so much minor league talent, would be loath to part with meaningful future assets when his goal has seemingly been to build a sustainable core for the future as opposed to putting an immediate contender on the field.

Nevertheless, the Braves are just one game under .500 after today?s loss to the Diamondbacks ? a loss, mind you, that was incurred when the bullpen failed to protect a two-run lead over the game?s final three innings. With a collective bullpen ERA of 4.71 (worst in the Majors), it?s easy to make the argument that with a more effective relief corps, the Braves could be vying for a share of the NL East division lead. They are, after all, just three games out of first despite having traded Jason Heyward, Justin Upton, Evan Gattis, Craig Kimbrel and David Carpenter this offseason.

Carpenter, for what it?s worth, was designated for assignment by the Yankees just today, making him a plausible target for the Braves to re-acquire if they feel a reunion with pitching coach Roger McDowell can sort out the troubles that he incurred in New York. Carpenter yielded 10 earned runs in 18 2/3 innings with the Yankees and saw his strong K/9 rate nearly halved while his walk rate went in the other direction. He did maintain his velocity, however, and he?s earning a reasonable $1.275MM salary, of which about $864K remains. Relievers Sergio Santos and David Huff are also in DFA limbo, though neither has had any sort of consistent track record in recent years.

If the Braves are simply looking for fresh arms, they could also consider exploring a group of pitchers that have recently opted out of their contracts. Juan Gutierrez, Robert Coello and Dana Eveland all come with varying degrees of MLB experience (Gutierrez and Eveland have significantly more than Coello), and veteran David Aardsma may or may not opt out of his Dodgers contract once the team?s 72-hour window to add him to the 25-man roster expires tomorrow.

Beyond these names, it is admittedly difficult to conjure up realistic possibilities given O?Brien?s stated restrictions. While the Phillies and Brewers are a pair of very likely sellers this summer, the obvious trade candidates on each club ? Jonathan Papelbon, Francisco Rodriguez, Jonathan Broxton ? all come with considerable financial commitments. Despite the fact that it?s difficult to envision a scenario in which the team can successfully upgrade the bullpen while parting with little value, it?s telling that the team is even thinking in terms of adding assets. Entering the season, most pundits (myself included) pegged the Braves as an eventual seller, but for the time being, that doesn?t seem to be the direction in which they?re headed.

[msstate7]

If the bullpen holds onto the 2-run leads the last 2 nights, we'd be 1 game out of first in the east.

I don't wanna sell of the future, but I wanna try to do something. This team has a chance to compete this year with a decent pen (we're worst in mlb). I'd pick up carpenter, bring up Ryan Kelly, and bring up moylan. Hopefully that tandem can get us to mckirahan and vizcaino (early July)

[msstate7]

I wish the Braves would ask about lucroy again. I'd love to see a trade that involves these players (sure there would be others to balance out)...

Braves get lucroy and will smith (very good lh reliever)

Brewers get Teheran

This move would help us short term and long term. Plug lucroy between FF and markakis and this lineup becomes quite formidable.

[trob115]

I wish the Braves would ask about lucroy again. I'd love to see a trade that involves these players (sure there would be others to balance out)...

Braves get lucroy and will smith (very good lh reliever)

Brewers get Teheran

This move would help us short term and long term. Plug lucroy between FF and markakis and this lineup becomes quite formidable.

In a dream scenario, that looks to be a decent trade. I like Julio, but I think he's pitching injured. I hope he is able to get back to his last year form.

I don't see us realistically being contenders this year, but it would be interesting if we didn't have so bad of a pen.

[smootness]

I wish the Braves would ask about lucroy again. I'd love to see a trade that involves these players (sure there would be others to balance out)...

Braves get lucroy and will smith (very good lh reliever)

Brewers get Teheran

This move would help us short term and long term. Plug lucroy between FF and markakis and this lineup becomes quite formidable.

Teheran alone wouldn't get us Lucroy, especialy not given his present value. Lucroy is one of the most valuable players in all of baseball, and he's on a team-friendly contract. I seriously doubt the Brewers give him up for anything, but if they do, it's going to take a heck of a lot.

I do want us to make a few small moves to help the bullpen, but as painful as it is to watch, we can't do too much.

[msstate7]

Teheran alone wouldn't get us Lucroy, especialy not given his present value. Lucroy is one of the most valuable players in all of baseball, and he's on a team-friendly contract. I seriously doubt the Brewers give him up for anything, but if they do, it's going to take a heck of a lot.

I do want us to make a few small moves to help the bullpen, but as painful as it is to watch, we can't do too much.

Lucroy isn't exactly tearing it up this year either.

.172 avg .234 obp .459 ops 1 double 1 triple 1 rbi

[smootness]

Lucroy isn't exactly tearing it up this year either.

.172 avg .234 obp .459 ops 1 double 1 triple 1 rbi

He's played in 15 games. His track record says who he is. I seriously doubt the Brewers are concerned about it, which means it will still take a ton to get him from them, if they're willing to part at all.

[msstate7]

He's played in 15 games. His track record says who he is. I seriously doubt the Brewers are concerned about it, which means it will still take a ton to get him from them, if they're willing to part at all.

Which I'm sure the Braves feel the same about Teheran. Teheran has a proven track too. I don't think it will happen in a million years. I was just saying I wish it would

[smootness]

Which I'm sure the Braves feel the same about Teheran. Teheran has a proven track too. I don't think it will happen in a million years. I was just saying I wish it would

True, but it's different with pitchers. And Teheran's velocity is clearly down.

[BoomBoom]

The main thing in your post that I disagree with is saying that I'm a fredi apologist...I'm a realist that does see things from a coach's point of view; so I am a little more apt to defend the thought process even if I wouldn't have made the same move.

My only point is that if the pen does their job then his other decisions, good or bad, don't matter. I agree with your reasoning as to why you didn't like the moves. However, I do think that you watch the games from the stand point of "what can I get pissed off at fredi about today?". Players, pitchers, hitters have to make plays when given the opportunity.

I've said this in the Cohen threads and I'll say it here; show me a bad bullpen and I'll show you a "bad" manager.

in other words no reliever should ever give up a run? isn't that a ridiculous copout?

[BoomBoom]

Lucroy isn't exactly tearing it up this year either.

.172 avg .234 obp .459 ops 1 double 1 triple 1 rbi

that's mostly after missing significant time after injury. probably doesn't have his timing down yet.

[shoeless joe]

in other words no reliever should ever give up a run? isn't that a ridiculous copout?

how the hell did you get that out of what I posted?

Even the best relievers give up runs. But the braves have a bad bullpen. Very few reliable outings from a lot of the guys. Walks galore. If they had even a decent pen they're in 1st place rite now. I don't see how this is even debatable.

[msstate7]

Gotta figure there will be a roster move or 2 today. Not sure about today, but I expect terdoslavich, Ryan Kelly, Peter moylan, and David carpenter (not that one) to get a shot very soon