NCsoxfan

I want to puke

is it just me, or was this post a tasteless attempt at humor ala 9/11?

Anyone think the White Sox might have interest in Hermida if we move Dye?

Im not sure there will be a team willing to give up two picks for OC...

Dye for Bailey ramifications If reports of a Jermaine Dye-for-Homer Bailey trade are true, the White Sox are now unsettled at four spots: right field, center field, third base and second base. Of those, I think third base is the only one at which the in-house options are acceptable. Both Josh Fields and Wilson Betemit can be adequate regulars at the hot corner. With Dye and Javier Vazquez gone, the White Sox have freed up $23 million for 2009. They likely will slash payroll a bit, but they're going to have sign at least one or two players to fill the gaps in their offense. I wouldn't be surprised at all to see Juan Rivera brought in to play right. Adding Dye to the mix, the Reds could be looking at the following lineup: CF Chris Dickerson 2B Brandon Phillips 1B Joey Votto RF Jermaine Dye LF Jay Bruce 3B Edwin Encarnacion SS Alex Gonzalez C Ryan Hanigan They have legitimate options at every position, but they could use one more upgrade. I'm guessing it will come in center field, though I have a better feeling about Dickerson than Hanigan. Shortstop would seem to be a lower priority. There is one more option: Encarnacion in left, Bruce in center and a new third baseman. Of course, trading Encarnacion for a pitcher would also make more sense with another right-handed hitter added and Bailey subtracted.

Would they make the Homer Simpson "Doh" noise every time Bailey struck someone out at the Cell?

Correct me if I'm wrong but wasnt the Darin Erstad for Garland trade running on ESPN as well? This one may have come out a little premature...

The first thing i thought when i read this thread? DOH !

Gilmore seems to be overlooked in the trade analysis. Does the BA website have an analysis of the trade?

^Agreed. Hopefuly it doesnt have long term affects. Didnt anderson have a lingering wrist injury?

2009 Talking Chop Top-25 Braves Prospects... The Future by gondeee on Oct 17, 2008 9:13 AM EDT in Prospect Reviews Here are my picks for the top-25 Braves prospects for 2009. In the comments section feel free to critique, but as we do every year feel free to list your own top-25 Braves prospects. Next week I'll tally everyone's prospect rankings and we'll have our official combined Talking Chop top-25 Braves prospects for 2009 (be sure to list 25 or I won't count it). My first thought on the list below is that the top five, possibly six of the top seven guys on this list, could be among the top-100 prospects in baseball. Each of these guys seems like a definite future impact player at the major league level -- that's more top players than we've had in a very long time. I've already reviewed these guys in the positional rankings, so my writeups below will be more about why that prospect is ranked where I ranked him, or a quick comment about their future. Jason Heyward, OF - A rare, once in a decade kind of prospect. Tommy Hanson, RHP - Straight up filthy, the best pitcher in our system and one that true Braves fans can't wait to see get a chance in the majors. Freddie Freeman, 1B - Perhaps the biggest surprise in the system, though I'm guessing the Braves brass wasn't surprised at all. Jordan Schafer, OF - He's got the goods and I want to see them on the major league field next year. Cole Rohrbough, LHP - A strikeout lefty... in the Braves organization... and here I thought all of our lefties were finesse guys. Tyler Flowers, C - Power and patience in a catcher. Alas, I think he's primo trade bait. Gorkys Hernandez, OF - Still young and skillsey, but I want to see a monster 2009. Kris Medlen, RHP - Starting or relieving I think he's got plus major league potential. Jeff Locke, LHP - Slow and steady he will climb the organizational ladder. Julio Teheran, RHP - A lot of people that follow the Braves prospects were disappointed with Teheran's poor performance. Brandon Hicks, SS - I love the power and the big frame, but I'd like to see fewer strikeouts. Travis Jones, 2B - More than just a scrappy second baseman... in the Braves system no doubt. Jon Gilmore, 3B- Johnny-G will have all eyes on him next season to see if he can successfully navigate Rome. Cody Johnson, OF - He's got power, but it seems to come with a price... strikeouts. Brett DeVall, LHP - I can't wait to see him pitch in a full season league, let's hope they put him at Rome next year. Craig Kimbrel, RHP - Could we see him in Atlanta next year? Scott Diamond, LHP - He'll be out to prove that 2008 wasn't a fluke. Brent Lillibridge, SS - I'm just not excited about him anymore. Eric Campbell, 3B - May maturity make him a top-10 prospect again. Luis Sumoza, OF - I bet a lot of other people rate him higher, but I want to see what he does in our system next year. James Parr, RHP - A solid back end of the rotation guy. Stephen Marek, RHP - Could be a fixture in our bullpen for years. Eric Cordier, RHP - Next year we'll see if health equals success. Richard Sullivan, LHP - I really like this kid as a prospect, even though I may be alone in that department. Edgar Osuna, LHP - He doesn't get the hype that a lot of other guys get, but he might be just as good as some of them.

Spring Interview with Braves Shortstop Prospect Brent Lillibridge by gondeee on Mar 20, 2008 8:50 PM EDT in 2008 Spring Training Interview Series I caught up with Brent Lillibridge a week ago in the Braves clubhouse just after a ballgame. He's a great young man to interview -- very attentive and responds with what I think are pretty complete answers. Martin Gandy: So how was your 2007 off-season? Brent Lillibridge: It was good, it was relaxing, and I got healthy which was the number one purpose of the off-season. I didn't go rushing, trying to play some extra baseball or anything like that. MG: You were supposed to go down and play winter ball weren't you? BL: Yeah, I was supposed to go to Mexico, and that was just all dependant on how my body and my wrist felt. By the time I started to fell 100 percent it was about December it would have been starting all over again, and you don't want to be thrown into the middle of a bunch of guys who have been playing at least an extra 50 games. So it was the best situation; I get to work out and get strong and then hit a bunch at home. Then I came here and I'm feeling pretty good. Just getting the reps in, getting a bunch of innings in, getting a bunch of at-bats -- which is going to be huge for me, and I think I'm in a better situation this year with how I feel at the plate, than I usually do until the end of April. MG: Did you work on anything in particular this off-season? BL: Just being able to swing -- that was the big thing -- without any pain. Having comfort hitting the inside pitch without having pain when swinging. So, it was good, I just got a `bunch' of swings in, which is always important. I came down here early swinging. Note: During that last answer, he was holding his wrist and showing it as the place where he was injured. MG: Is the wrist thing a new thing or is that something that's been going of for a couple of years? BL: It's been in and out, it all depends on a bad swing or a tweak. It was the left wrist, and basically I got a slight inflammation that just doesn't go away, and I have a sharp pain when I did swing. And it bugged me, but I played the whole season last year -- half the season with it, and obviously did fine. Now that I'm 100 percent I'm definitely excited about seeing where the opportunity takes me. MG: You're a guy who steals a lot of bases, so are you one that slides in head first or feet first? BL: I'm usually a head first guy. MG: Is that going to change? BL: I think there's some advantage to it. Some situations you're going to see me still go head first, but when I think I have the base stolen I'll probably go feet first. Everywhere else on the bases I'll go feet first, just for protection-wise and longevity. When you're playing this game you've got to stay healthy, and that's the number one reason. MG: Do they have you playing any other positions this year in anticipation of you maybe being a utility guy and filling in for Infante? BL: Yeah, I hope so. I've been playing a bunch of third base and shortstop -- basically half and half -- and been doing really well defensively. I haven't played third base in pretty much my whole career, and I looked pretty good. I made the regular plays and tired to make some big plays, but I feel comfortable over there. That's going to be huge thing being able to play utility, and I know I can play second base easily, and just work on maybe turning some double plays and stuff. I want to let them know I can play anywhere and I can do that job. MG: How about centerfield? BL: Nothing's been said or anything. I played centerfield my first two years of college. I played on the USA team as the starting centerfielder, so I've got plenty of time, but recently none, but catching fly balls in not as hard a transition as going from playing the outfield to the infield. I definitely think it'd be smooth if I had to go out there for one game -- it's obviously not a long term thing -- but wherever it takes to be on the roster come April first or second or whenever that is and we'll just go from there. MG: Okay, good luck to you. BL: Thank you. Photo of Brent Lillibridge courtesy of Chip Jett.

By Kevin Goldstein, Baseball Prospectus - Top 100 Prospects - 2/14/08 63. Brent Lillibridge, SS, Braves: A little engine that can do a little bit of everything. He hits, has gap power, gets on base, fields well, and has plus speed. Yunel Escobar blocks him, for now.

Why would yesterday's trade change things? We still need a CF

anything is possible, but it doesnt sound like a KW type of deal

Tyler Flowers - C Braves - DOB: 01/24/86 .288/.427/.494, 17 HR, 88 RBI, 102/98 K/BB, 8 SB in 413 AB (A+ Myrtle Beach) .387/.460/.973, 12 HR, 23 RBI, 22/10 K/BB, 0 SB in 75 AB (AFL) It's too bad he's probably not a catcher. Flowers tested positive for PEDs in 2006 and totaled 12 homers in 106 games in low-A ball in 2007, but the Braves still liked his power potential, and he made everyone take notice when he smacked 12 homers in just 75 at-bats in the Arizona Fall League after a nice season at Myrtle Beach in 2008. The former 33rd-round pick would seem to have legitimate 30-homer potential, and he also showed great on-base skills in the Carolina League. Defense is a problem. Flowers has a slightly below average arm and struggles to block balls in the dirt. He might be able to cut it as a first baseman if he has to move, but the Braves think fellow prospect Freddie Freeman is their long-term answer there. It's possible that Flowers will turn into trade bait. He could potentially go to All-Star Games if he lasts behind the plate.

^ I meant Flowers

maybe KW envisions him as a long term DH and backup C

Did Mark Gonzales take English 101? White Sox to trade Vazquez to Braves By Mark Gonzales | Tribune reporter 6:19 PM CST, December 2, 2008 The White Sox are on the verge of completing a five-player trade that would send mercurial pitcher Javier Vazquez to Atlanta. A major-league source confirmed Vazquez and struggling left-handed reliever Boone Logan would be sent to Atlanta, and that the Sox would receive speedy infielder Brent Lillibridge. Atlanta isn't on Vazquez's list of nine teams to w hich he can block a trade and that the trade puts him closer to his native Puerto Rico? Thanks. Sox general manager Ken Williams thoroughly scouts the Arizona Fall League, where catcher/first baseman Tyler Flowers tore up the AFL by hitting .387 with 12 home runs and 23 RBIs in 20 games for the Mesa Solar Sox. Although Flowers, 22, is about two years away from the majors, he has displayed potential with a .427 on-base percentage to go with a .288 batting average with 17 home runs and 88 RBIs at Class-A Myrtle Beach last summer. By acquiring Lillibridge, 25, the Sox would add much-needed speed. Lillibridge stole 42 bases in the minors in 2007. He struggled at Triple-A Richmond and with Atlanta in 2008 but still stole 25 bases in 119 games. The 6-foot-4-inch, 245-pound Flowers would give the Sox a bona fide top-flight starting catching prospect, although scouts agree his defense needs work. The Sox are expected to get a young pitching prospect to complete the deal. The Braves reportly were unwilling to move Tommy Hanson as part of a Jake Peavy deal, and left-hander Jo-Jo Reyes's 52 walks in 113 innings doesn't fit Williams' profile.

Oakland made a 4 yr 48 mil offer for Furcal - so I dont think they have ANY use for Crosby

Why? You would rather go with an underachiever (Nix) and/or unproven player (Getz)? Hasn't KW had a history of buying low on players like this? Plus, wasn't Uribe making $5MM last year as a utility player? I'm not sure I follow your resistance...

Furthermore, if Getz & Nix disappoint then you can slide Ramirez back to 2B and have Crosby at SS. It might be worth a shot in spring training to see which combo is best

My point being a Crosby / Alexei combo may be better than an Alexei / Nix or Getz combo...

If healthy, and thats a BIG if, he can be a pretty good ballplayer

Thoughts on trading for Bobby Crosby to play SS? I would assume he would come very cheaply....