Cabrera wheeling and dealing for a dealing?

by Dr Orpheus on May 30, 2008 2:35 PM EDT

Earlier today Jayson Stark had this to say about the Braves and their pitching staff:

Mad Dog for sale?: Greg Maddux to the Braves? Hey, it's a beautiful plot line. It's a rumor that never quite dies. And it sure isn't impossible, if the price is right. But clubs that have spoken with the Braves say they're more focused on trying to find a younger starting pitcher they can hang onto for just the last few months of this season. So think more along the lines of the non-free agents who could pop onto the market (though not necessarily these names in particular) -- Joe Blanton, Rich Harden, Bronson Arroyo, Daniel Cabrera, Jeremy Bonderman, etc.

Now, most people are saying the Braves will overtake the Phillies and Marlins and win the division this year, and I agree, but to do this they'll need another starting pitcher as Smoltz will be moved into the closer role. Stark has suggested a few dudes in his list above but Blanton, Harden, and Bonderman would require a serious return while Arroyo and Cabrera could be got for less.

So, I started thinking about and looking at the Braves prospect list and noticed some guys on there who the Os might focus on if they were to trade Cabrera to Atlanta: Jason Heyward, Brent Lillibridge, Tommy Hanson, Van Pope, Julio Teheran, and Jeff Locke.

In no way am I suggesting the Braves will be wiling to surrender all these pieces, but they could very well be the keys to a trade; specifically Heyward (power hitting leftfielder) and Lillibridge (solid short stop who, unfortunately, hasn't hit this season).

Anyway, the reason I bring this is up is that ifCabrera continues pitching like he has been is it worth trading him for prospects to a team like the Braves to fill holes and continue to stock up on pitching or keep him in hopes that he, next season and beyond, becomes the ace that everyone had envisioned him to be?

Poll

What happens to Cabrera by the trade deadline?

FanPosts do not necessarily reflect the views of the editors of Camden Chat or SB Nation. They might, though.

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I voted kept

But a trade isn’t out of the question. I think MacPhail is good to hold out for a good deal, his winter trades have worked out to be tits so far.

I see a lot of parallel between Cabs and Bedard. People forget that Erik was a pretty standard pitcher except for a totally ridiculous domination over 1/2 of a season. Seattle is learning that there is a good Bedard and a bad Bedard, and that his health risks are real.

DC may regress as well, he’ll have to keep it up for a while season plus to really get people’s attention, which is why I say that he won’t have enough value and will be kept.

"You don’t have to be a rocket science" – Jim Palmer.

by CoachOfEarl on May 30, 2008 3:05 PM EDT 0 recs

Cabrera

If we get an overvalued offer for him; we should trade him. But I don’t think that’s going to happen. I think he has finally turned the corner, but I don’t see him as an ace type pitcher; more like an average #2 or a good #3.

"Hey Yankees... you can take your apology and your trophy and shove 'em straight up your ass!" --Tanner Boyle

by BirdFanInPhilly on May 30, 2008 3:24 PM EDT 0 recs

Van Pope?

Really? That’s his name? Van…Hope? That’s awesome.

I've got two nickels and a paradigm. - RWH

by BPinOK on May 30, 2008 4:18 PM EDT 0 recs

My vote

is E. Stays with the club and becomes a solid #2. Maybe not the ace but a 200 inning guy with great stuff. Hmm..that sounds like an ace. A handful of starts a year he’ll go ape shit and that will keep him from being widely considered an ace.

I've got two nickels and a paradigm. - RWH

by BPinOK on May 30, 2008 4:19 PM EDT 0 recs

Please dont trade with the Braves

I would prefer if we stick to trading with teams like Seattle that makes dumb moves, especially when we have the player under control for several more years.

by Reddrummer9187 on May 30, 2008 9:50 PM EDT 0 recs

You know, I actually completely agree with this sentiment, to a fault. But there are certain GMs who aren’t prone to being fleeced and I wouldn’t at all be surprised to see that Wren, having spent years under Scherholds [sp], is one of those. Then there are those who love to be ripped off: Bavasi, Ed Wade, Sabean, Jon Daniels, and Neal Huntington. So, you never know. But, really, how likely is it that that kind of rip off, Bedard and Tejada, will happen again. This team might be forced to deal with other teams who actually need pieces for the playoffs instead of the Pirates and Mariners who need to abandon ship or the “mighty” Giants, puns intended. (Is anyone else surprised by the Astros and Rangers? They’re doing quite well. Even with idiot GMs.)

I had actually suggested a different idea to a friend the other day that the Os ship Huff, Roberts, Bradford, and Walker off to whom ever will take them (teams are already interested in Huff) and bring back as many low- to mid-level prospects as they can get, further stock piling the system, and allowing Hernendez, Fahey, Bynum, and Cintron to fumble about in the middle infield until this team is ready to compete. At that point, the Os will have so many prospects or reasonable minor leaguers that a trade could be struck for a veteran guy, or to sign a middle infield.

Who knows with MacPhail. At this point he sounds genuinely surprised that his team is doing as well as they are. But for how long?

Also, I’d love to see Cabrera stay, especially after tonight’s relatively impressive outing. (Seriously, 7 innings of six hit, two run, two walk, two strike out ball is not bad. Not great considering his other performances this season, especially considering his ground balls to fly balls ratio [7:11], but still quite good.) And I agree that he might not become an ace but certainly a very good #2 in this division.

by Dr Orpheus on May 31, 2008 12:39 AM EDT up 0 recs

Other bad GMs

Why are you throwing Jon Daniels and John Huntington itno the group of Bavasi, Wade and Sabean? Huntington hasn’t done much of anything as Littlefield had pretty much went all General Sherman on that organization. And Daniels did acquire Hamilton…Danks has been OK IIRC, trading Gagne and landing Saltalamacchia seem OK. Can’t think of many of their moves off the top of my head but I do remember a couple of bad ones when he just started out.

I feel like I have forgotten some bad moves though.

Librarians are hiding something

by dfa on Jun 1, 2008 3:20 AM EDT up 0 recs

Daniels

Not 100% sure, but he traded Chris Young and Adrian Gonzalez for nothing much.

Wolf, wolf, wolf.

by birdman on Jun 1, 2008 4:14 AM EDT up 0 recs

daniels (cont)

i believe that young and gonzalez were traded for aki otsuka and adam eaton.

soriano was traded for brad wilkerson, termel sledge and armando galaraga. galaraga always looked like the gem of that deal, so i don’t know why he’s in detroit now.

jennings and padilla were not wise signings.

i don’t rate volquez for hamilton well (though, i think hamilton’s quite good, i just don’t see how you trade a young, a+ arm for an older rookie w/ injury issues).

i think the big tex trade was a good one, though.

foghat goes with everything--birdman, 5/16/08

by j.q. higgins on Jun 2, 2008 10:25 AM EDT up 0 recs

Daniels traded Soriano to the Nationals for next to nothing as well. The guy has not been great: Danks has been better then ‘OK’ ( 4-4 with a 2.86 ERA, 50 Ks, and 18 walks in 63 IP), Young and Gonzalez have put up solid if not great numbers in San Diego, and Soriano received a massive contract from the Cubs and has become a decent outfielder. Really, the only good trades he’s ever pulled have been over the last year, and that very well be because of inexperience when he first came in. Don’t know. But that sounds like an excuse. “Its my first day,” doesn’t work for GMs, I think.

You’re right about Huntington, I meant Littlefield.

by Dr Orpheus on Jun 1, 2008 8:44 AM EDT up 0 recs

The Braves drafted Heyward last year, so I’m not sure when they are allowed to trade him (it’s at least one year after being drafted). He also seems to be their top prospect, so I’m not sure how high they are on him. He’d be a great guy to target because he’d take a little while to develop. He could be kind of an insurance policy incase Nolan Reimold doesn’t work out. I’m sure we could get at least one of their OFers though, Jordan Schafer and Brandon Jones being the other two. Liilibridge should also be attainable.

by edsachs1 on May 31, 2008 3:14 PM EDT 0 recs