Dan Uggla, Tommy La Stella

[The Tariff King]

And Dan Uggla isn't the leader like a Mac or Huddy were. Hell he's not even a leader like Laird which says a lot. This isn't a we need to keep Brian Jordan for leadership thing. Dan's been a more reserved/quite guy during his tenure here. I'm not going to be like some and say he isn't trying like some said for BJ. I think he's genuinely trying to improve, but the deck is stacked against him. He hasn't been the same since the eye problems last year... 1 homer from July to September.

 

[mfree80]

Better options last year for sure when LaStella was still finding his groove.

Before last year Pena wasn't exactly a great bat off the bench. Pastor has had some cups of coffee up here, but he's not proven he's deserved to be the full time starter. What season was that we started with him at short?

Pastor's problems at SS were defensive, not offensive. What we have seen of him suggests that with regular playing time, he could be an above average hitter. Has some speed and puts the ball in play. I was really disappointed when he went down last year just when it looked like he was going to get regular AB's for a while.

I think he deserves a shot.

 

[The Tariff King]

Pastor's problems at SS were defensive, not offensive. What we have seen of him suggests that with regular playing time, he could be an above average hitter. Has some speed and puts the ball in play. I was really disappointed when he went down last year just when it looked like he was going to get regular AB's for a while.

I think he deserves a shot.

Well 2B would be more physically demanding on his small frame. Uggla's held up ok because of his muscular stature that I don't see with the little Pastor. He's not a teenager like Lillibridge was, but IDK.

I'd be OK with Pastor, but I at least want to see what LaStella can do.

 

[Millwood1Hitter]

I'm not sold on any of them. Pena and Pastor are fine utility IFers and good bench pieces. I'm not convinced that TLS can consistently hit MLB pitching and his defense is suspect. Uggla at this point is useless, with the exception of an occasional homer. I've been one of his biggest supporters and thought he'd turn it around somewhat, but he's had a month and it's time to do something. He's absolutely useless right now, his defense is as bad as I've ever seen it, and he ain't walking or hitting much for power.

It's too bad we couldn't combine all 4 and put into one body, we'd have a hell of a second baseman.

Pena's defense

Ugglas power

Pastornickys hitting and speed

TLS eye

I guess you'd have to choose which skillset at this point is best to help the team. I'd probably go with TLS and Pastor splitting time based on match ups and team needs. Uggla can be late game power hitter off bench, maybe he'd be able to at least give us something in that role like a Hinkse did.

 

[57Brave]

Well Johnson is hitting 6th-7th in the lineup these days so he's not expected to do much and he isn't making a ton of money.

Most of the criticism with Uggla is due to the financial component. LaStella is a cheaper option, and in theory he'd hit leadoff which would slide Jason to 2nd, BJ to 6th or 7th, and so forth.

Uggla's defense is what is bugging me personally. Johnson at least doesn't appear to try to be casual with everything. Uggla's casualness, his lack of arm strength (or maybe he's holding back IDK), and his range are what kills me. If he hit as many homers as he did last year to start off you'd have no complaints from me about his defense. But if he isn't going to be producing on offense, the least he can do is not screw up on defense. Johnson may not be a great defender, but he's no butcher like Uggs or the Uggs as of late. Uggla isn't walking much and isn't homering, two of the main reasons we brought him here. Now that those two factors are becoming nonexistent with Dan, don't screw up on defense.

I expect more offensively from players playing the corners. Should the Braves make a move I'd hope that is where they look.

Is RF in play? The status of JHey contract and his production since getting hit on the face !!! What corner OF could Minor or Floyd with JHey bring in?

 

[The Tariff King]

I expect more offensively from players playing the corners. Should the Braves make a move I'd hope that is where they look.

Is RF in play? The status of JHey contract and his production since getting hit on the face !!! What corner OF could Minor or Floyd with JHey bring in?

I would agree about expecting more offensively from corner players but baseball has evolved a lot in the last few years. There was a time when shortstops and 2b only had power potential of less than 15 homeruns a season. Now you have guys like Uggla and Utley who were hitting 25+ a year. Same goes for shortstop.

J-Hey's contract is contingent on how much money he wants. He's the best defensive right fielder in the game, he proves it every night and can play center if needed. He isn't a leadoff guy though, that's why we need someone like LaStella who could slide Heyward back to 2nd where he's had his best days. Obviously if this year and next he hits 230 with 15 homers that won't justify a big contract like Freeman. I'd still like to keep him because of defense and presence. Would be closer to Simmons deal dollars wise than Freeman.

 

[nsacpi]

Pitchers are throwing more strikes to Uggla this year. This is to be expected given that last year showed he hurt them mainly by drawing walks.

Uggla is making more contact on pitches in the strike zone this year. That's the good news. There is also good news in the form of an increase in his line drive percentage. The bad new is a big increase in his ground ball percentage to a career high.

That's what the numbers show. From my own observations he looks much better at the plate than last year. Will that be enough to produce the needed improvement in performance? Hard to say. It hasn't yet. I'd continue to give him most of the games at second for another two or three weeks. But that should not preclude putting Pastornicky or Pena at second once or twice a week.

 

[cajunrevenge]

I would love to see the at bats at 2b split between Pena/Pastornicky/La Stella. Between the 3 of them I think we would get solid production from 2b offensively and defensively. If one of them gets hot ride the hot hand, if not then platoon/rotate them. Keeps them fresh and gets at bats for the bench players which is something Bobbyvalways thought was important. He didnt win 16 straight division titles on accident. I personally like Pastornicky the most but i think La Stella would be a fantastic pinch hitter.

 

[GovClintonTyree]

Something about .330/.410 feels like it would play in Atlanta.

While I'm not saying he'll do that in Atlanta, I do think you can throw out the MLE chart with him. We're not getting much from Dan- I'd sure like to see if Tommy could give Freddie somebody to drive in.

LaStella
Simmons
Freeman
JUpton
Gattis
Heyward
CJohnson
BUpton

 

[PawPawMaxwell]

The team won last year in spite of Uggla, they are winning this year in spite of Uggla. Every 2 weeks that passes reduces the commitment to Uggla by close to a miillon dollars. Having said that, I wouldnt be surprised to see Uggla dumped at the deadline, especially if the race remains close.

 

[stpeteirish]

The team won last year in spite of Uggla, they are winning this year in spite of Uggla. Every 2 weeks that passes reduces the commitment to Uggla by close to a miillon dollars. Having said that, I wouldnt be surprised to see Uggla dumped at the deadline, especially if the race remains close.

This is a risky approach; we may be winning, but Dan's defense has been atrocious and has cost us some runs. That will cost us games eventually, games we cannot afford to give away. His offense is bad and the walks, a staple of year's past, have gone away.

The problem is once you bench him his trade value goes to zero. So Wren is trying to squeeze a few million out of him before the inevitable dump. Amazing that a determined player could go downhill so quickly, I've never seen a guy age in dog years like Uggla has.

 

[tvsportscaster]

I don't see the Braves cutting ties with Uggla right now. That's an awful lot of money to eat and unless they can get something for him, I don't see them just outright releasing, so you might be stuck with him, whether or not he continues to play might be more problematic. Afterall his power right now is almost non-existant and his defense has regressed.

 

[zitothebrave]

Something about .330/.410 feels like it would play in Atlanta.

While I'm not saying he'll do that in Atlanta, I do think you can throw out the MLE chart with him. We're not getting much from Dan- I'd sure like to see if Tommy could give Freddie somebody to drive in.

LaStella
Simmons
Freeman
JUpton
Gattis
Heyward
CJohnson
BUpton

You do not bat TLS at 1 t move Jason to 6. That's an epic failure. At the very least you should have switched Heyward and Gattis. But if you have TLS you got either

TLS, Heyward Freddie Justin or TLS, Heyward, Justin Freddie or TLS Justin Freddie Heyward

If you have a top 4 that has Justin, Jason, or Freddie outside of it (and especially if they're not hitting 5 at the lowest) the lineup is a failure.

Personally I'd make the lineup go

Jason
Justin
Freddie
Gattis
TLS
Johnson
Simmons
P
Bossman

 

[zitothebrave]

I would love to see the at bats at 2b split between Pena/Pastornicky/La Stella. Between the 3 of them I think we would get solid production from 2b offensively and defensively. If one of them gets hot ride the hot hand, if not then platoon/rotate them. Keeps them fresh and gets at bats for the bench players which is something Bobbyvalways thought was important. He didnt win 16 straight division titles on accident. I personally like Pastornicky the most but i think La Stella would be a fantastic pinch hitter.

I don't get some people's love of Pastornicky. Listen I fell for him as a prospect probably harder than most because of his offensive success a his age relative to his level. Samples are small but he doesn't field second all that well, and he doesn't hit enoguh. We're talking someone who when he had at least 150 PA in a season at a level had his best wRC+ at 112 and that was in A+ (though he was at 111 in AAA last year) compared to TLS who using the same criteria has never had a stop below 150 wRC+ and Pena who's at worst above average defensively (he's about average on his career for a SS he should be above average for a 2B) With pastornicky you're settling on a worse defender than Pena or a worse hitter than TLS.

 

[thethe]

We are using chemistry right now to defend Uggla? Please...that guy has lost us plenty of games in the field and has abysmal perfomances at the plate. Its time for a change.

 

[Braves1976]

I'd at least like to see Uggla not being treated like Freeman anymore where he rarely (almost never) isn't in the line-up. Uggla at most shouldn't be playing any more than Gattis does (for different reasons of course). Pastornicky and Pena need to play more in order to stay sharp or they won't be any help to us later. If CJ keeps struggling I'd start Pena at third more as well. Then at some point if Uggla doesn't come around make it a platoon of sorts with whichever of Pastornicky or Pena are hot. Then sometime after that if Uggla still hasn't improved he goes to the bench as a high paid pinch hitter. But if he complains and makes a scene about it (as I am afraid he might), you may just have to release him at some point unless we surprisingly find someone to take him in a trade.

 

[NYCBrave]

And Dan Uggla isn't the leader like a Mac or Huddy were. Hell he's not even a leader like Laird which says a lot. This isn't a we need to keep Brian Jordan for leadership thing. Dan's been a more reserved/quite guy during his tenure here. I'm not going to be like some and say he isn't trying like some said for BJ. I think he's genuinely trying to improve, but the deck is stacked against him. He hasn't been the same since the eye problems last year... 1 homer from July to September.

I dunno man, Dan seems like one of those guys who is really well liked in the clubhouse, but I'm just guessing based on body language and stuff. You saw how upset the team was when Freddy Garcia was cut, and he was here what, 6 months?

 

[Modok]

I am way past the point of no return with Uggla. I can deal with the struggling bat but his absolutely horrible defense so far this season is.....unacceptable.

Anyone at this point would be a better option.

 

[Modok]

I dunno man, Dan seems like one of those guys who is really well liked in the clubhouse, but I'm just guessing based on body language and stuff. You saw how upset the team was when Freddy Garcia was cut, and he was here what, 6 months?

Garcia cut worked out just fine. In regards to his replacement and chem.

 

[57Brave]

We are using chemistry right now to defend Uggla? Please...that guy has lost us plenty of games in the field and has abysmal perfomances at the plate. Its time for a change.

Chemistry only i the sense -- if it aint broke dont fix it.
2nd best record in MLB and a 2.5 game lead

I agree with all the negatives pointed out above and am surprised he came north with the team. Furthermore, I have no idea what the players think of Uggla.
bottom line is they are winning and management is satisfied with what they have and where they have it . I am willing to trust their judgement. Only trying to follow their logic