It's been a few days since the Uggla trade and the ramifications start to kick in, I'd think. There is no doubt that the Braves gained a premier 2nd baseman, but it does not solve LF...or CF for that matter. Make no mistake...the Braves added an excellent addition to the ballclub (and addition by subtraction as well if you consider how much Uggla killed us as a Marlin) but I have to say I am somewhat suspect of placing Martin Prado in LF and standing pat.
A loss of Infante is no great harm, even if he might throw us some terrible "Wes Helms" or "Adam Wainwright" type hell from time to time. He was not an everyday player. Dunn was young and wild. It was a steal to gain Dan Uggla for that price. I cannot complain when the team gains a terrific RH hitter with power at second base when we've needed that exact offensive upgrade for some time. Uggla will do well in the middle of this order. His defense is suspect but you gain a super upgrade on defense at 1st. Freeman will be at least as good as Lee...count it. How he does on the offense is another question.
What we have now looks like this:
C- Brian McCann
1st - Freddy Freeman
2nd - Dan Uggla
3rd - Chipper Jones
SS - Alex Gonzalez
RF - Jason Heyward
CF - Nate McLouth
LF - Martin Prado
With that, I guess you look at a line-up of -
1. Prado 2. Jones 3. Heyward 4. McCann 5. Uggla 6. Freeman 7. Gonzalez 8. McClouth 9. Pitcher
It's not a bad lineup, but I'd still love to have a good outfielder out there on a daily basis to back up Heyward...and not just on offense. I cannot quibble with Wren's decision to trade, but I wonder why the team might sit still when there still seems a glaring hole in the outfield.
I had five issues that the team needed to really cover before next season.
1. Will Chipper be able to play? The answer is still up in the air. There is an assumption that Prado will be able to cover. He should not do so every day. DRAW
2. The Infante question is now moot. We traded that for Dan Uggla. Prado moves to super utility man. WIN
3. The CF question seems to have settled upon McLouth. I am not satisfied. LOSE
4. Prado moves to LF and supposedly plays there (or has) in the winter leagues. I am suspect on first glance. DRAW
5. As suspected, A-Gon will be back at SS. He will show some flashes of brilliance with the glove and drop a few as well. I doubt his bat will be as potent in 2011. DRAW
If this trade is the last "big" move before next season, I have to say Wren will have failed. But he has succeeded beyond many expectations by this point so I have to take a wait and see attitude. The last two years have proved he is capable of covering the holes. It's the holes to start that make me worry. April doesn't really matter...until October. That is all.
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