Second Base Options

[nsacpi]

Internal options include: Pena, Uggla, Pastornicky, La Stella, Elliot Johnson, Gosselin

There are some interesting free agents, including a couple ex Braves.

Omar Infante and Kelly Johnson will both be playing at age 32 next season. My guess is the market price for Infante will be 8-10 million and he'll be able to get a mult-year deal. Johnson will probably go at 2-3M on a one-year deal. Do we want either of them on those terms? Any other free agent second basemen we should consider?

In the trade market, there may be some teams with two second basemen who would be willing to move one for a reasonable price. I know the Rangers have Kinsler and Profar? Is there a reasonable trade that can be structured involving one of those two? What other teams might we match up with?

My personal preference is to go with the internal options. If none pan out make a mid-season trade. I'm ok with going into the season with one weak spot that might need to be patched up mid-season. I think there is a better than 50% chance the internal options will provide a satisfactory solution. If that is the case, why go through the expense of finding an external solution.

[emk418]

I think Infante is a great option but I'm curious who becomes available on the trade market. I would have some interest in KJ for the bench but the last thing we need is another incredibly streaky high strikeout hitter in our lineup everyday.

[NYCBrave]

Internal options include: Pena, Uggla, Pastornicky, La Stella, Elliot Johnson, Gosselin

There are some interesting free agents, including a couple ex Braves.

Omar Infante and Kelly Johnson will both be playing at age 32 next season. My guess is the market price for Infante will be 8-10 million and he'll be able to get a mult-year deal. Johnson will probably go at 2-3M on a one-year deal. Do we want either of them on those terms? Any other free agent second basemen we should consider?

In the trade market, there may be some teams with two second basemen who would be willing to move one for a reasonable price. I know the Rangers have Kinsler and Profar? Is there a reasonable trade that can be structured involving one of those two? What other teams might we match up with?

My personal preference is to go with the internal options. If none pan out make a mid-season trade. I'm ok with going into the season with one weak spot that might need to be patched up mid-season. I think there is a better than 50% chance the internal options will provide a satisfactory solution. If that is the case, why go through the expense of finding an external solution.

You think Infante will cost that much annually? His current deal with Detroit was 2 years/8 Mil. His season with the Marlins prior to signing with the Tigers wasn't that bad, and now he's a couple of years older.

[PawPawMaxwell]

M y second choice would be Scooter Gennett (first is obviously Profar) but I dont know how we match up trade wise. Brewers are stuck with Weeks just like we have Uggla to deal with.

[nsacpi]

You think Infante will cost that much annually? His current deal with Detroit was 2 years/8 Mil. His season with the Marlins prior to signing with the Tigers wasn't that bad, and now he's a couple of years older.

Yes he is two years older. But there are a couple things working toward a bigger payday. One is that he is hitting the free agent market. Second he has put up WAR of 2.9 and 3.1 the last two seasons. When he signed the last contract, it came after two seasons in which he had put up WAR of 2.1 and 2.1. Finally, my impression is that the Tigers want him back and they are a team that is willing to pay for the players they target. Quite different from the Marlins team he was dealing with two years ago. My guess is he liked playing in Miami for what was then a nice young team on the rise about to go to a new stadium, and was willing to give them a discount.

[nsacpi]

M y second choice would be Scooter Gennett (first is obviously Profar) but I dont know how we match up trade wise. Brewers are stuck with Weeks just like we have Uggla to deal with.

Wouldn't they view Gennett as insurance in case Weeks doesn't bounce back. Just like we are unlikely to trade La Stella.

[PawPawMaxwell]

Wouldn't they view Gennett as insurance in case Weeks doesn't bounce back. Just like we are unlikely to trade La Stella.

I dont know their thinking but they are not in as good a position to eat Weeks contract like us. Dont know their needs either tho they dont seem to need much to beat us.

[Enscheff]

CF is already going to be a potential hole next year, and Wren can't go into the season with 2 massive questionmarks in the starting lineup. The internal options for 2B are not viable options for a team contending for a championship. Wren MUST fix 2B, and the resources are there to do so.

Profar is probaby a pipe dream unless Tex is in love with Gattis. If Gattis is used to acquire a solution for 2B then Mac must be resigned.

Kinsler seems like a decent option. I don't know how good his glove is, but he doesn't K all the damn time, can put up a .340+ OBP, and should hit 15-20 HRs. He is signed through 2017 with an option for 2018, and last year he didn't have a massive home/away split. He also seems to be a bit better vs LHers.

KJ is a terrible option, and Infante is a significantly worse hitter than Kinsler. If that's all Wren can come up with then he may as well go with the crappy internal options.

[Tapate50]

CF is already going to be a potential hole next year, and Wren can't go into the season with 2 massive questionmarks in the starting lineup. The internal options for 2B are not viable options for a team contending for a championship. Wren MUST fix 2B, and the resources are there to do so.

Profar is probaby a pipe dream unless Tex is in love with Gattis. If Gattis is used to acquire a solution for 2B then Mac must be resigned.

Kinsler seems like a decent option. I don't know how good his glove is, but he doesn't K all the damn time, can put up a .340+ OBP, and should hit 15-20 HRs. He is signed through 2017 with an option for 2018, and last year he didn't have a massive home/away split. He also seems to be a bit better vs LHers.

KJ is a terrible option, and Infante is a significantly worse hitter than Kinsler. If that's all Wren can come up with then he may as well go with the crappy internal options.

well its not "coming up" with anything. It is what is reasonably available. Versus what we had this year, KJ is not a bad option. A late slump caused his average to fall.

[Dalyn]

Zobrist comes to mind. Had a down year (for him), so we could probably get him for 2/12 - 3/15 or something along those lines.

Stephen Drew is worth a look.

[PawPawMaxwell]

Zobrist comes to mind. Had a down year (for him), so we could probably get him for 2/12 - 3/15 or something along those lines.

Stephen Drew is worth a look.

Tampa holds a team option so you wont be getting Zobrist on a FA deal.
Drew is too much like his brother IMO. Fragile in his own eyes.

[Dalyn]

Tampa holds a team option so you wont be getting Zobrist on a FA deal.
Drew is too much like his brother IMO. Fragile in his own eyes.

Didn't see the option when I looked up his contract.

Could include him in there for a trade for Price.

[Teheran_49]

I hear a lot for Infante but how do you know that he wants to leave Detroit? I still think La Stella deserves it and he should get the first crack at it. He's a big time hitter and his defense will get better. You know people said Gattis was a butcher behind the plate but I thought he was at least average so who knows. If he starts doing like Pastornicky did at SS then yes we may need to go another option but to say our internal options are "crappy" is ignorance. We have guys that can perform at this level if given the opportunity.

[Enscheff]

I hear a lot for Infante but how do you know that he wants to leave Detroit? I still think La Stella deserves it and he should get the first crack at it. He's a big time hitter and his defense will get better. You know people said Gattis was a butcher behind the plate but I thought he was at least average so who knows. If he starts doing like Pastornicky did at SS then yes we may need to go another option but to say our internal options are "crappy" is ignorance. We have guys that can perform at this level if given the opportunity.

I maybe being a bit harsh calling them crappy (they are obviously not crappy baseball players), but this is a championship caliber ballclub with $15M-$20M to spend in the offseason. There is no reason to settle for a question mark at 2B when the resources exist to fix the position properly.

I will stand by my assertion that if any of the internal options are starting at 2B opening day that means Wren failed this offseason.

[jsebe10]

My personal opinion....there are NO options at 2B for us until we cure ourselves of Dan Uggla. As long as he and that abortion of a contract is still on the books, we are strapped. Plain and simple.

[PawPawMaxwell]

My personal opinion....there are NO options at 2B for us until we cure ourselves of Dan Uggla. As long as he and that abortion of a contract is still on the books, we are strapped. Plain and simple.

Just not true IMO as long as McCann is not resigned or Wren brings in another huge contract (Price killer) then if it comes down to simply releasing Uggla it wont be as painful.

[Dalyn]

Heyward RF
Zobrist 2B
Justin LF
Freeman 1B
Johnson 3B
Gattis C
Simmons SS
P
BJ CF

Bethancourt, EJ, Schafer, ...........x2

Would be pretty damn nice.

[bravesnumberone]

What would we give up for Zobrist? He has to be attainable.

[Knucksie]

Figures that Utley Lite's name was going to be dropped. It's time to get past that man-love.

[Enscheff]

Why in the world would the Rays trade Zobrist? He is basically Martin Prado with team options at $7M for the next 2 years.