Dan Uggla, Tommy La Stella

S

skillet

Playing the Waiting Game
First let me say that this is not a bash Dan Uggla thread, in fact I've always liked Dan because he always hustles and gives it his all. The point of this thread is determine at what point do we finally pull the plug on Dan and insert Tommy into the starting 2nd baseman's role.

Last year Dan hit an anemic .179 with an OPS of .671 and a wRC+ of 91. So far this year he is hitting .215 with an awful OPS of .596. His strikeout to walk rate is a putrid 6.25 to 1. He has gotten steadily worse each of the past 4 years, and his defense, which has always been poor, has regressed to the point of being absolutely terrible, already with 7 errors.

Tommy La Stella is now in AAA, and in his first 19 games, he is hitting a slash line of .333/.395/.362/.757 with 9 walks to only 4 strikeouts. In his minor league career, his slash line is .328/.410/.486/.897.

At some point soon we are going to have to cut bait and bring Tommy up. I might give Dan a couple more weeks and give Tommy a bit more seasoning in Gwinnett, but the Uggla era has to be over soon and the La Stella era to begin. We still owe Dan around $24MM, but it is the proverbial sunk cost, and that money is better spent with him off the team than on. It is best for the team, and the sooner the better.
 
Might be waiting for his arb-clock so we can get an extra year but he'd only be 31 or 32 when he's a FA...
 
The sooner we take an absolute negative of the team for a potential average to positive player the better.

AT TLS age you do not need to worry about his clock. Braves felt he needed more finishing at AAA. He will be up and starting at some point this year.
 
If we can find someone dumb enough to take him, where we pay at least half his salary and probably more, he's staying in the lineup.
 
The fact the team is doing well will buy Uggla some extra time. If we were struggling the end would be near.
 
I've been one of Dan's bigger supporters on here, but I think it's almost time. Frank likes to look at these things after two months, right at Memorial Day. Unless there's been some pretty significant improvement, he needs to go.

Also, the other guy fits our lineup better.
 
Let's hear from people who've actually seen La Stella play. Regurgitating figures from a website means squat. Ironic, since these are the same posters who are so quick use the term, "small sample size." Prospects typically don't regularly start facing nasty stuff until AA. So give him the year that he needs at AAA. It might even require another season. La Stella's been overhyped here simply because of Uggla's decline and contract. Realistically, La Stella probably wouldn't be the first option anyway, even if there was an official parting of the ways with Ugga. At last check, Pena and Pastornicky were on the major league roster. They're higher on the depth chart.
 
Pena should not be a starter. He is a homeless version of what Betemit was in 2006 without the offense and glove.

Pastor has been waiting for a few years for a chance.

People just like TLS because of his ability to get walks which usually translates to the majors.
 
KeithLockhart said:
Pena should not be a starter. He is a homeless version of what Betemit was in 2006 without the offense and glove.

Pastor has been waiting for a few years for a chance.

People just like TLS because of his ability to get walks which usually translates to the majors.
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If they hadn't gotten hurt, Pastornicky and Pena were much better options than Elliot Johnson. That was scraping at the bottom of the barrell.
 
Winning builds good chemistry. As long as we are winning it won't matter who is replaced, people are going to get along.
 
57Brave said:
team has 2nd best record in MLB with a combination of one of a king pitching staff and chemistry. Don't **** with the chemistry
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I don't think some of the pitchers would mind if Uggla was replaced.

He's pretty much blown leads and given up runs because of his defense. The only major contribution he's given so far this year is the Philly game. Less than stellar defense.
 
Knucksie said:
If they hadn't gotten hurt, Pastornicky and Pena were much better options than Elliot Johnson. That was scraping at the bottom of the barrell.
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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?
 
Just of the school of thought that if it aint broke --- dont fix it.
Start losing and Ugglas struggles continue yeah. Right now i am more concerned with 3rd base and wondering what Floyd or (sssshhh) Minor could bring to play 3rd
 
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.
 
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