Jason Heyward..

[57stratdawg]

This might have been discussed, but Heyward is having an MRI done today on his shoulder. It's been getting worse and worse and he's having some numbness in his arm as well.

Doesn't sound good.

 

[boomboommsu]

I'm sure they play Joe Mather in his place, but the Braves front office is the only ones who can't see that Mather blows. Once he hits .100 for a couple weeks, they'll make a trade, as Atlanta just doesn't have OF options. Someone that can play both RF and CF (to possibly take McLouth's place when Heyward is healthy, or next year), and is available: Colby Rasmus?

I'd always assumed JJ was trade bait, but apparantly D Lowe is drawing more interest. Or maybe they trade Minor.

 

[tenureplan]

until he stops hitting. Hopefully, they will move Freeman or Uggs to the 2 hole.

 

[War Machine Dawg]

I suspect we would look at moving Prado to RF & a Hinske/Mather platoon in LF. I also think Jordan Schafer would get a shot if JHey can't play. We could put him in CF and potentially move Nate to RF. Regardless, I think we'd try some internal moves first. I still say Frank Wren is a moron for letting Rick Ankiel leave. Having him on the team would solve this entire issue.

As for who we'd trade, I'd think it's either Lowe or Minor. Hell, we shopped Lowe like crazy 2 seasons ago before moving Vazquez. The front office sees JJ as a long term part of this rotation. I just hope we throw in KK and get something for that worthless Jap.

 

[War Machine Dawg]

The dude is a 35 HR a year guy. You don't waste that in the 2-hole. I think the most likely move is Nate back to the 2-hole. AG might be a candidate, but I don't think it's very likely. I'd be ok with Freeman in the 2-hole as well. I'd say that is probably more likely than moving AG.

 

[tenureplan]

much less trade him

 

[tenureplan]

Hitting 5th is the 2nd inning version of hitting 2nd half of the time anyway.

 

[War Machine Dawg]

You want an OBP guy in the 2-hole. We brought in Uggs to protect Chipper & Mac. No way we change the heart of the order when we can simply move Nate or Freeman. And depending on what we do with Schafer, we might even be able to move Prado back to the 2-hole.

 

[tenureplan]

Nate seems to fall apart when he is put in that role.You dismiss Uggla at the 2 because he is not an OBP guy, but mention AG (who is less of an OBP guy)at the 2 a post earlier.

 

[boomboommsu]

Hinske will get some starts against righties. Against lefties, it'll be Mather for now. book it.

Schafer is doing ok in AAA, but i don't know how much he figures into their plans now. Wilkin Ramirez hasn't played that well. Maybe Mauro Gomez can play LF: he's hitting the cover off the ball in AAA, but plays 1B. Their 2nd round pick from last year is currently tearing up AA in CF, maybe he gets a shot, but i doubt it. Either way, they would play RF or Prado would with Nate moving to LF. no way Nate's noodle arm gets put in RF.

I'd bet on Matt Young getting the call. He's hitting well in AAA, and has already been called up this year.

I think Prado would move to the 2-hole, with the callup hitting leadoff. No way Nate is moved now that he's actually hitting, and you don't really want either AGon or Uggs there.

 

[dawgs.sixpack]

Someone that can play both RF and CF (to possibly take McLouth's place when Heyward is healthy, or next year), and is available: Colby Rasmus?

this ain't video game baseball. colby rasmus was a top tier prospect, has a great OPS, looks like a potential 25-15 guy for the next decade, and is under the cardinals control for a few more years. pretty sure that they'd have to be completely and utterly blown away to sell rasmus as this point. like teheran. and i doubt the braves would wanna dangle a prospect like that either.<div>
</div><div>obviously braves fans are gonna wanna dream about getting someone like rasmus, but the more likely scenario would be someone like torii hunter or the corpse of carlos lee or some other vet OF on the backside of their career that can play every day if needed and provide some clubhouse leadership. a younger guy whose struggled this year (and last), but who might be on the market is markakis. he probably needs a change of scenery at this point and he's a ga native. definitely worth discussing with the O's and infinitely more attainable due to his large-ish contract the next few years and having struggled last year and early this year.
</div><div>
</div><div>in the post-steroid era, baseball is a young man's game, and clubs aren't gonna trade young players who've proven to be MLB talents (like rasmus) for derek lowe.</div>

 

[57stratdawg]

is an option. I guess there probably aren't good leadoff men just floating around.

I'm not real familiar with the Braves farm system. I remember that Schaffer kid a few years back.

 

[Arthur2478]

Well, hopefully this is the majority reason for his offensive struggles this year. He's really having a poor season at the plate so far.

 

[boomboommsu]

I was actually thinking Teheran, but i too doubt they'd give him up. A package headlined by Minor however........

and i think you're forgetting that Rasmus has asked for a trade. and how often does a team have 3 MLB pitchers in AAA, when their rotation is already signed thru the next two seasons?

Rasmus is just the first i thought of that can play both CF and RF.

Brad Hawpe is a possibility, if he can still play the OF well enough. He's hitting well again, but is blocking a super prospect who's ready for the call-up.

FYI, the Braves have been stockpiling replacement-level OFs the last couple months. they're not gonna trade for another one. if there's a trade, it will be for a top talent.

 

[tenureplan]

His power numbers are still there, and if this injury affected his hitting you would thing it would affect power too. His plate discipline hasn't been there this year, especially on the inside stuff. It seems like he starts off 0-2 on every ab.

 

[boomboommsu]

"Heyward’s season can be neatly divided into two such surges and two slumps, with no period whatsoever of just-average hitting.</p>

In the first 11 games of the season, through April 12, he had five extra-base hits (three homers), six RBIs and a .429 OBP and 1.065 OPS.</p>

In his next nine games, April 13-21, Heyward hit .097 (3-for-31) with one extra-base hit, one RBI, a .152 OBP and .346 OPS.</p>

Then came the torrid April 22-30 stretch mentioned four paragraphs above this one [an eight-day stretch from April 22-30 in which he hit .400 (14-for-35) with three homers, seven RBIs and a 1.161 OPS] , followed by his current 2-for-28 nine-game stretch in which he has one extra-base hit (double), no RBIs, a .212 OBP and a .319 OPS."

http://blogs.ajc.com/atlanta-braves-blog/2011/05/11/heywards-got-a-sore-shoulder-who-knew/

draw your own conclusions, but that's unusual.</p>

 

[missouridawg]

but he's come out and said he's not interested in being traded anymore.

He may be traded, but it ain't because he's requesting it.

 

[tenureplan]

shoulder was fine, started bothering him, got better, started bothering him again...

That's plausable; but 680 here in ATL quoted him as saying it's been an ongoing issue since spring.

 

[boomboommsu]

...if there was a cortisone shot in there right before he got going again.

sitting last Friday was highly unusual. clearly it was to rest his shoulder, so this last slump is almost definitely explained by the shoulder. the other one might have been the shoulder, or it might have justbeen pitchers making adjustments. i remember back then he was getting pitched exclusively inside, and was clearly in need of an adjustment to his approach.

 

[tcb.sixpack]

If Heyward is down for the long term, I imagine Beltran can be had for salary relief and a low A prospect.

 

[MStateFan22]

Cortisone and rest will hopefully do the trick.