C. Bethancourt to SD for RHP Kelly, and '14 International Signee R. Rodriguez (C)

[The Chosen One]

Funny. People have poo pooed Bethancourt and for good reason. However he wasn't just crap and he has talent no matter what yall think. The adage holds true though, "hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard."

CB simply didn't grasp the nuisances of catching. He had an arm. At lower levels that covered up his deficiencies. I've seen him from rookie ball to the majors. He never had a kick in the arse enough to make him understand what he needed to do to be successful. In any case, the return was more than I expected.

Should have kept Laird to mold CB.

[Russ2dollas]

Well let's start by clarifying that he was 30th ranked in his class. He was top 30 by the skin of his teeth.He did not make the top 10 prospects for the Padres according to BA. He didn't make their top 30 according to MLB.com. Let's not act like this guy is some kind of high ceiling guy who's amazing.

Now I'll say i'm not upset with our return. We got rid of Bethancourt who I've not been a fan of for years. He'll be going to SD where he'll be a backup and probably somewhat successful as that. I wonder who they'll trade between Hedges and Norris.

Never said he was likely to be a mb player much less an impact guy

But last year he got 800k. You don't pay that for filler. I think yepez and Acura type guys go around that range

[Enscheff]

No Acura costs $800k bro

[zitothebrave]

Never said he was likely to be a mb player much less an impact guy

But last year he got 800k. You don't pay that for filler. I think yepez and Acura type guys go around that range

I'm not saying the guy is a bum. But there's an important thing to temper expectations. His reports aren't super glowy and he's not acknowledged by anyone as being a special talent. Of course he's a catcher and sometimes a catcher can really fly under the radar and be special. Lucroy never hit the BA top 100, nor did any Molinas.

[emk418]

I really don't understand this. We're rebuilding and refused to even give the guy a look. Most likely won't miss him but never understood Fredi's treatment of him last year. We had every opportunity to just give him a look to see if he would develop and we refused to. Now we have a crap pitcher for him

[Deester11]

I really don't understand this. We're rebuilding and refused to even give the guy a look. Most likely won't miss him but never understood Fredi's treatment of him last year. We had every opportunity to just give him a look to see if he would develop and we refused to. Now we have a crap pitcher for him

we were trying to be competitive. Bs!

[skillet]

I really don't understand this. We're rebuilding and refused to even give the guy a look. Most likely won't miss him but never understood Fredi's treatment of him last year. We had every opportunity to just give him a look to see if he would develop and we refused to. Now we have a crap pitcher for him

Very well said and my sentiments exactly. Fredi is a damned idiot for not playing him regularly last year, and now as a result his value is ruined and we had to trade him at an all time low.

[Mad Dog Murph]

Lol....if he would have played regularly the Braves would have had to pay money to get rid of him.

Can't believe some of you are butt hurt over CB....I am surprised we got anything of value for him.

[Oklahomabrave]

I'm just disappointed we didn't try and fleece the Padres yet this offseason. They have restocked, time to make another trade with them. If we trade with Diamonbacks and Padres 1-2 more times we could easily compete in 2017

[skillet]

Lol....if he would have played regularly the Braves would have had to pay money to get rid of him.

Can't believe some of you are butt hurt over CB....I am surprised we got anything of value for him.

What an asinine statement.

[goldfly]

No Acura costs $800k bro

6 Acura nsx's do though

[GovClintonTyree]

Funny. People have poo pooed Bethancourt and for good reason. However he wasn't just crap and he has talent no matter what yall think. The adage holds true though, "hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard."

CB simply didn't grasp the nuisances of catching. He had an arm. At lower levels that covered up his deficiencies. I've seen him from rookie ball to the majors. He never had a kick in the arse enough to make him understand what he needed to do to be successful. In any case, the return was more than I expected.

Bethancourt is 24. In ten years, he's got a chance to be 34.

[GovClintonTyree]

I really don't understand this. We're rebuilding and refused to even give the guy a look. Most likely won't miss him but never understood Fredi's treatment of him last year. We had every opportunity to just give him a look to see if he would develop and we refused to. Now we have a crap pitcher for him

I think I do. He's a lazy dickhead.

You gotta watch "reports on his defense..." It's hard to quantify. And every time I hear "great arm," I wonder about the other 80%.

Kelly does look like crap. Somebody must have seen something. The other guy is the return. Another young lottery ticket, but this one catches.

[GovClintonTyree]

What an asinine statement.

Nah. I don't think he's much of anything, either. And we don't work with the guy. There were enough reports from different sources about his work ethic and makeup that give me reason to believe he was a giant turd.

[GovClintonTyree]

Should have kept Laird to mold CB.

Like a giant amoeba or something.

[bravesfanforlife88]

No Acura costs $800k bro

I sell Acuras the most expensive tops out about $66k and change before taxes and fees. That is the 2016 Acura RLX SportHybrid with 377 HP......

Now the NSX will have a sticker of $155,000 when it debuts this spring

[buck75]

I sell Acuras the most expensive tops out about $66k and change before taxes and fees. That is the 2016 Acura RLX SportHybrid with 377 HP......

Now the NSX will have a sticker of $155,000 when it debuts this spring

Hopefully he'll be driving one when he plays for the ATL Braves (in Marietta).

[Julio3000]

I'm not sure whether to go with:

"G Laird broke the mold"

or

"G Laird isn't afraid of a little mold."

[Deester11]

Bethancourt is 24. In ten years, he's got a chance to be 34.

You're such a profound philosopher. Nah. Not so much.

[50PoundHead]

I'm not sure whether to go with:

"G Laird broke the mold"

or

"G Laird isn't afraid of a little mold."

Or, when the Lairdness was born, they threw out the mold. Unfortunately, some of it grew back.

We can harp on Fredi and company for Bethancourt's failure to develop, but there are times when a guy needs, as Deester said, a kick to the behind to wake up. Guys who find themselves in the doghouse usually have a way to work their way out of it. It appears Bethancourt never found the exit sign. That can get to be a clubhouse problem when guys who are coasting get a free pass or the opportunity to keep screwing up with no change in their ardor toward application. Bethancourt looks like one of those guys who was born to play baseball. The old "more talent in his little finger, but he has to choose to lift it" kind of guy. This happens all the time in the baseball at all levels. You see teams release or trade guys all the time because of real or imagined attitude issues. It just seems that Bethancourt's time in Atlanta had come to an end.