Can we get in on Braves & Pirates Deal?

[Backtobanks]

Benmaller.com is reporting:

 

The Braves aren't eager to trade Adam LaRoche but continue to listen. They've demanded another impact player along with Mike Gonzalez — preferably center fielder Chris Duffy, and the Pirates haven't budged on their initial refusal to include Duffy or trade any of their trio of promising young starting pitchers. ... Duffy could play left field and bat leadoff for the Braves, and be a potential replacement for center fielder Andruw Jones, who's eligible for free agency after the 2007 season.

 

Is there some way we could get involved? How about:

 

Braves get: Gonzalez and Duffy (Pirates) and Marshall (Cubs)

Pirates get: Laroche (Braves) and J. Jones (Cubs)

Cubs get: A. Jones (Braves)

 

Braves get their reliever, a young starter, and their replacement CF.

Pirates get 2 solid left-handed hitters and fill their hole at 1B.

Cubs get their 1-year bridge to Pie in CF and a middle-of-the-order bat.

 

Of course other players and money might need to be included, but this would be the basic framework of the deal. What do you think?

[Butterscup1679666578]

Let's get Renteria too.

 

Actually, if it came down to it, I'd rather have Renteria than Jones. A CF-SS duo of Pie-Renteria is much more appealing to me than 1 year of A. Jones and Izturis.

[BigbadB]

I noticed on Rotoworld that the Tigers are making Omar Infante a back up this year. I'd much rather have him than Izturis.

[Jake]

Most of what I'm reading in Pittsburgh is that Duffy isn't going anywhere.

 

Basically, we don't have anyone else to play center field.

 

It's no co-incidence that we started playing better ball after he came back up last year and started playing like he did the year before.

 

The reality is, though, we have no one behind him either at CF or as a lead off hitter.

 

Although, if we do make this trade, I'd love to see Freddy lead off. No stolen bases, but he'll hit enough doubles to make up for it! Jack will bunt him to second, leaving (in my projected order) Laroche, Bay, Nady, Paulino to knock him in.

[Backtobanks]

Most of what I'm reading in Pittsburgh is that Duffy isn't going anywhere.

 

Basically, we don't have anyone else to play center field.

 

It's no co-incidence that we started playing better ball after he came back up last year and started playing like he did the year before.

 

The reality is, though, we have no one behind him either at CF or as a lead off hitter.

 

Although, if we do make this trade, I'd love to see Freddy lead off. No stolen bases, but he'll hit enough doubles to make up for it! Jack will bunt him to second, leaving (in my projected order) Laroche, Bay, Nady, Paulino to knock him in.

 

In my trade scenario, you could add J.Jones to Laroche, Bay, Nady and Paulino to drive him in. That's a pretty decent lineup and with your young pitching, you could surprise some teams this year and be contenders very soon.

[dew1679666265]

Let's get Renteria too.

 

Actually, if it came down to it, I'd rather have Renteria than Jones. A CF-SS duo of Pie-Renteria is much more appealing to me than 1 year of A. Jones and Izturis.

 

If we traded for Andruw, it would likely take an extension of a year or two to entice him to waive his 10/5 rights.

[Backtobanks]

Let's get Renteria too.

 

Actually, if it came down to it, I'd rather have Renteria than Jones. A CF-SS duo of Pie-Renteria is much more appealing to me than 1 year of A. Jones and Izturis.

 

If we traded for Andruw, it would likely take an extension of a year or two to entice him to waive his 10/5 rights.

 

For 2008, extend him, play Pie in RF, move Soriano to 2b, and make Derosa a supersub.

[Balsa]

Most of what I'm reading in Pittsburgh is that Duffy isn't going anywhere.

 

Basically, we don't have anyone else to play center field.

 

It's no co-incidence that we started playing better ball after he came back up last year and started playing like he did the year before.

 

The reality is, though, we have no one behind him either at CF or as a lead off hitter.

 

Although, if we do make this trade, I'd love to see Freddy lead off. No stolen bases, but he'll hit enough doubles to make up for it! Jack will bunt him to second, leaving (in my projected order) Laroche, Bay, Nady, Paulino to knock him in.

 

In my trade scenario, you could add J.Jones to Laroche, Bay, Nady and Paulino to drive him in. That's a pretty decent lineup and with your young pitching, you could surprise some teams this year and be contenders very soon.

No need to be cruel, Jake is a pretty nice guy.

[dew1679666265]

Let's get Renteria too.

 

Actually, if it came down to it, I'd rather have Renteria than Jones. A CF-SS duo of Pie-Renteria is much more appealing to me than 1 year of A. Jones and Izturis.

 

If we traded for Andruw, it would likely take an extension of a year or two to entice him to waive his 10/5 rights.

 

For 2008, extend him, play Pie in RF, move Soriano to 2b, and make Derosa a supersub.

 

I'd probably be fine with that. Not sure if Soriano would like the move, though. But for me, almost anything that gets Andruw in Cubbie Blue is fine with me.

[Jake]

Most of what I'm reading in Pittsburgh is that Duffy isn't going anywhere.

 

Basically, we don't have anyone else to play center field.

 

It's no co-incidence that we started playing better ball after he came back up last year and started playing like he did the year before.

 

The reality is, though, we have no one behind him either at CF or as a lead off hitter.

 

Although, if we do make this trade, I'd love to see Freddy lead off. No stolen bases, but he'll hit enough doubles to make up for it! Jack will bunt him to second, leaving (in my projected order) Laroche, Bay, Nady, Paulino to knock him in.

 

In my trade scenario, you could add J.Jones to Laroche, Bay, Nady and Paulino to drive him in. That's a pretty decent lineup and with your young pitching, you could surprise some teams this year and be contenders very soon.

No need to be cruel, Jake is a pretty nice guy.

:-)

 

Actually, I could write a realistic if list of things that could happen for us to win it this year.

 

Of course, you can apply my standard reply to those lists in other threads, most notably to Tim in some other thread (I forget where I wrote it) to this list, too.

[Mephistopheles]

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2734082

 

No need for a new thread, it appears to be done

[UMFan83]

What a weird trade if its just LaRoche for Gonzalez. Can we get a 32 HR/90 RBI guy for Eyre?

[tkenm356]

What a weird trade if its just LaRoche for Gonzalez. Can we get a 32 HR/90 RBI guy for Eyre?

 

No joke.

[Andy]

Wow, I didn't realize LaRoche was so good.

[Guest]

Wow, I didn't realize LaRoche was so good.

 

He not as good as his 2006 numbers suggest. The guys still can't hit lefties (228/.308/.428/.736in his career) and his numbers against righties (.282/.342/.517/.859 in his career) don't really cover the fact he can't hit lefties. And now his power numbers have gone up over the past three yrs (13 hrs/45rbis with 27 2B in 2004, to 32 hr/90 rbi with 38 2B) he has lost abit of patient (going from 78 strikeouts, to 128 strikeouts, while only going from 27 bb to 55 walks in three yrs). IMO, LaRouche won't be that much better then he was in 2006. I'm sure his average will go up abit, playing alongside Bay, but he isn't the bat they needed, but there are worst bats to acquire. But, seeing as the Braves were willing to give LaRouche up for a power reliever, should give the Pirates pause for concern.

 

If I am Pittsburgh, I would had gone after Scotty Thorman.

[CuseCubFan69]

Wow, I didn't realize LaRoche was so good.

 

He not as good as his 2006 numbers suggest. The guys still can't hit lefties (228/.308/.428/.736in his career) and his numbers against righties (.282/.342/.517/.859 in his career) don't really cover the fact he can't hit lefties. And now his power numbers have gone up over the past three yrs (13 hrs/45rbis with 27 2B in 2004, to 32 hr/90 rbi with 38 2B) he has lost abit of patient (going from 78 strikeouts, to 128 strikeouts, while only going from 27 bb to 55 walks in three yrs). IMO, LaRouche won't be that much better then he was in 2006. I'm sure his average will go up abit, playing alongside Bay, but he isn't the bat they needed, but there are worst bats to acquire. But, seeing as the Braves were willing to give LaRouche up for a power reliever, should give the Pirates pause for concern.

 

If I am Pittsburgh, I would had gone after Scotty Thorman.

 

He sounds like Jones to me.

[Geech]

Nice move by the Pirates. I'm surprised Atlanta let him go for so little. Do they have a youngster ready to take over at first or something?

[BigbadB]

Yay! I was hoping for this trade. Enter Scott Thorman!

 

(sorry, fantasy baseball excitement)

[Transmogrified Tiger]

LaRoche put up a near .800 OPS (.797 to be exact) against LHP last year. That's fine when you're hitting .950 against RHP. Using career numbers for LaRoche considering he's 27 and has progressed upwards and last year was the first year he got more than a handful of ABs against LHP is very misleading.

[HoopsCubs]

LaRoche put up a near .800 OPS (.797 to be exact) against LHP last year. That's fine when you're hitting .950 against RHP.

 

Perhaps I haven't seen Gonzalez pitch enough, but I just don't get this trade from Atlanta's perspective. The Braves probably could have gotten Ohman, Cotts or Eyre for far less than LaRoche.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

LaRoche put up a near .800 OPS (.797 to be exact) against LHP last year. That's fine when you're hitting .950 against RHP.

 

Perhaps I haven't seen Gonzalez pitch enough, but I just don't get this trade from Atlanta's perspective. The Braves probably could have gotten Ohman, Cotts or Eyre for far less than LaRoche.

 

Gonzalez is legit, better than anything we have. LaRoche is still a stiff price to pay for him though, even if he is their long term solution at closer.

[Bruno7481]

Who are they going to play at 1B? Chipper?

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Who are they going to play at 1B? Chipper?

 

Probably the aforementioned Thorman

[Bruno7481]

Who are they going to play at 1B? Chipper?

 

Probably the aforementioned Thorman

 

Looks like a risky proposition by Atlanta. Although his last two seasons have bren pretty good in the minors. Prior to that he was average, at best.