Bethancourt On The Way???

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Bowman reporting that the Braves are considering calling Bethancourt up and moving Gattis back to LF to "spark" the offense.

I'll do it one better - swap Freddie and J-Up in the order while you're at it...

CF- Heyward

2B- La Stella

RF- J-Up

1B- Freeman

LF- Gattis

3B- Johnson

C- Bethancourt

SS- Simba
 
Would replacing BJ with CB really spark anything offensively? Seems to me all it would do is severely weaken the outfield defense, while increasing the defense behind the plate. So effectively a push on both sides of the ball.
 
Enscheff said:
Would replacing BJ with CB really spark anything offensively? Seems to me all it would do is severely weaken the outfield defense, while increasing the defense behind the plate. So effectively a push on both sides of the ball.
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I think we need to incorporate more hitters into the lineup that don't strikeout as much.
 
Enscheff said:
Would replacing BJ with CB really spark anything offensively? Seems to me all it would do is severely weaken the outfield defense, while increasing the defense behind the plate. So effectively a push on both sides of the ball.
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Bethancourt's bat has been progressing - .385/.390/.462/.812 in his last 10 games (.375/.380/.438/.818 in June).

.203/.250/.250 in April
.271/.297/.424 in May
 
I wouldn't do this - but I think the theory is that it would provide an offensive spark because Gattis will be in there everyday, not getting the two off games per week while catching
 
Don't think it would hurt to try it for a stretch while Bethancourt's been seeing the ball well - particularly if it'd get La Stella into the 2 hole.
 
sturg33 said:
I wouldn't do this - but I think the theory is that it would provide an offensive spark because Gattis will be in there everyday, not getting the two off games per week while catching
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Yeah, getting Gattis more AB's should be a priority for this team. At anytime he can wreck a game.
 
I am fine with calling up CB when he is deemed ready, but this sounds like more desperation thinking and I oppose that. CB has been better lately but that doesn't mean he will hit in the Majors and even if he does he is still a low OBP player. Plus Gattis is doing well as a starting catcher and I don't like the idea of moving him to the outfield after he's worked so hard at catching. He is a bad outfielder but he's a decent catcher. Further, we could still bring up CB at some point but he really should replace Laird as back-up when deemed ready. Though I expect they want to hang on to Laird through this year.

That said, I would consider bringing up Hunter who has done great in AA and can play anywhere in the outfield. He seems like another good OBP player so I'd drop Uggla or Schafer for him and give him a look. If he does well then BJ could have a replacement that way and unlike with CB it would be someone that is a good OBP player. Then call up CB to split duties with Gattis once ready (though Gattis should still be the starter). Maybe get both extra at bats by playing CB at third or Gattis a few games in the outfield (not much or regularly though). I remember CB played some third in the minors, though I forget how he did there.
 
Braves1976 said:
I am fine with calling up CB when he is deemed ready, but this sounds like more desperation thinking and I oppose that. CB has been better lately but that doesn't mean he will hit in the Majors and even if he does he is still a low OBP player. Plus Gattis is doing well as a starting catcher and I don't like the idea of moving him to the outfield after he's worked so hard at catching. He is a bad outfielder but he's a decent catcher. Further, we could still bring up CB at some point but he really should replace Laird as back-up when deemed ready. Though I expect they want to hang on to Laird through this year.

That said, I would consider bringing up Hunter who has done great in AA and can play anywhere in the outfield. He seems like another good OBP player so I'd drop Uggla or Schafer for him and give him a look. If he does well then BJ could have a replacement that way and unlike with CB it would be someone that is a good OBP player.
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I think they should promote both Hunter and Mycal Jones to AAA. I'm ok with bringing up a very talented prospect from AA to the majors but I think there is something to be learned by having guys like Hunter and Jones in AAA. They both have OBP, defensive, and base running skill sets that could help the major league team.
 
Braves1976 said:
I am fine with calling up CB when he is deemed ready, but this sounds like more desperation thinking and I oppose that. CB has been better lately but that doesn't mean he will hit in the Majors and even if he does he is still a low OBP player. Plus Gattis is doing well as a starting catcher and I don't like the idea of moving him to the outfield after he's worked so hard at catching. He is a bad outfielder but he's a decent catcher. Further, we could still bring up CB at some point but he really should replace Laird as back-up when deemed ready. Though I expect they want to hang on to Laird through this year.

That said, I would consider bringing up Hunter who has done great in AA and can play anywhere in the outfield. He seems like another good OBP player so I'd drop Uggla or Schafer for him and give him a look. If he does well then BJ could have a replacement that way and unlike with CB it would be someone that is a good OBP player.
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My guess is that the corresponding move might very well be cutting Uggla loose. CB would be the everyday guy, and if it was a really tight game and Fredi needed to keep Gattis' bat in there he'd slide behind the plate with B.J. or Schafer coming in for defense in the OF.

Just have to think that having Uggla in the clubhouse is a pretty big distraction at this point even if it's not being talked about publicly.
 
nsacpi said:
I think they should promote both Hunter and Mycal Jones to AAA. I'm ok with bringing up a very talented prospect from AA to the majors but I think there is something to be learned by having guys like Hunter and Jones in AAA. They both have OBP, defensive, and base running skill sets that could help the major league team.
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Fair enough, I am fine with doing that before hand too. But like you I like them both but I like Hunter more. Hunter could be more than a fourth outfielder IMO, Jones seems more the fourth outfielder type to me.
 
Braves1976 said:
Fair enough, I am fine with doing that before hand too. But like you I like them both but I like Hunter more. Hunter could be more than a fourth outfielder IMO, Jones seems more the fourth outfielder type to me.
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Hunter has more pop in his bat. But Jones gets on base more and is the better base runner and defender. Having them in AAA would make it easier to rate them relative to Cunningham, Constanza and Schafer.
 
The move doesn't make sense from an offensive standpoint other than it gets Gattis's bat in the line up on a daily basis as opposed to him sitting for 2 games every week as a catcher. With that said, catcher is the one position where you can make an exception if the guy is an elite defender, and based on everything I've read, Bethancourt is just that.

I mean, at some point, Bethancourt will very likely be the Braves full time catcher due to his defense.
 
I don't really see the point. We could do this *now* and have Laird batting 8th if we want. CB isn't going to be any better than Laird offensively. And if CB comes up, who goes down? We'd then have 4 catchers on the team.

I'd rather try to find a CF who can hit, but that's going to take a trade of something good.
 
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