Watching he highlights of Randall Delgado's three-hit, complete game shutout this morning led me to consider the blockbuster trade that sent him to Arizona.
With all the key players involved, I asked myself the question, "Self, who has been the biggest surprise and the biggest stinker in the dea?" The surprising thing wasn't that I was talking to myself; it was that the two principals, Prado and Upton, arene't either one. Nor is Zeke Spruill, who took less than a month to reach the majors before injuries overtook him.
Chris Johnson, hands down, is the biggest prize in the Cracker Jack box, his hitting becoming more impressive every outing. My personal feeling is that he's about a half-dozen home runs shy of having a long-term contract sitting in his locker, awaiting his attention. But Johnson is not a free agent quite yet, so there's no rush to decide.
Oh, as for his defense -- anything that allows for Paul Janish to remain employed is OK with me.
The biggest flop of the deal so far, I think, is a real surprise: Nick Ahmed.
The Braves' No. 2 pick in 2011, was a solid bet moving forward after a 6-49-.269 season with 40 stolen bases. But the first of 2013 was potentiall a career-derailing performance. Sent to Class AA Mobile by the Diamondbacks, he was a lost soul. He hit only .183 (with no stolen bases) in April, but followed that in May by going 9-for-80 (.113) for the month!
Sixty games into the season, he was batting .138 with one homer, 11 RBIs and five stolen bases. But the Diamondbacks stayed with him and he's trying to turn it around. His June was an upturn at .287, his July is an even healthier .308 and over the last 10 games, he's hitting .349 with six RBIs and four steals. In other words, Upton can still emerge as the biggest disappointment of the deal.
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SATURDAY'S SCORES
CLASS AAA
Charlotte 6, Gwinnett (46-62) 5 (12)
SP: Poveda 6 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 9 K.
LP: Cedeno 2.2 IP 1 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K.
Kazmar 2-4, 2 2B; Cunningham 1-3, R, SB; Mejia 1-5, 2B, RBI; Gartrel 2-6, RBI, SB.
CLASS AA
Mississippi (16-16) 4, Pensacola 2
WP: Thomas (5-6) 7 IP, 7 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 8 K.
Russell (Save, 2) 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K.
Bethancourt 2-4, R, RBI; La Stella 2-3; Hefflinger 1-3, 2B, R, RBI; Pedroza 1-4, RBI.
ADVANCED CLASS A
Potomac 7, Lynchburg (11-21) 2
LP: Hinson (0-2) 7 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 1 K. (NOTE: 2 pickoffs!)
McGill 3-4, 2B; Rohm 1-4, 2B, R; Moses 1-3; E. Reyes 1-4, RBI.
CLASS A
Game One
Asheville 5, Rome (14-20) 2 (7)
LP: Cabrera (CG, 2-6) 6 IP, 11 H, 5 ER, 3 BB, 2 K, 2 WP.
Peraza 1-3, 3B; Franco 12-4, R, 2B, RBI; Anselment 2-3, 2B; E. Garcia 1-4, 2B, R.
Game Two
Rome (15-20) 5, Asheville 0 (7)
SP: Scoggin 4 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K.
WP: Fitzgerald (1-0) 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB< 1 K. Simmons (S, 23) 0.1 IP, 1 K.
Peraza 1-2, 2B, R, RBI, SB (46); Tewell 3-3, 2 RBI; Marte 1-3, R, SB.
SHORT-SEASON
GCL Braves (12-17) 3, GCL Yankees 1
SP: Caicedo 4 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 2 K.
WP: Otero (1-1) 3 IP, 1 H, 0- R, 0 BB, 3 K. Vail (Save, 1) 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K.
Oliver 2-3, 3B, R; Sears 1-4, RBI; Reed Harper 1-2, 2B, R (.295).
DSL Pirates 4, DSL Braves (20-25) 3 (11)
SP: Gavidia 2.1 IP, 2 H, 1 ER. 3 BB, 1 K.
Jesus Jones 3.2 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K. (0.86).
Silva 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K.
LP: Santana (2-2) 0.2 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 K.
Grullon 3-4; Lot 2-4, RBI; Cleofa 1-2, RBI.
Burlington @ Danville (27-25), ppd.
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