Not if it still included Zimmerman.
The lineup Heyward is talking about would have kept the infield in tact and inserted Harper for Span. (Zimmerman in left, rendon at third, Espinosa at 2B)
Not if it still included Zimmerman.
I'll take that bet. When the Gorn comes back, you can't release Laird. Eddie Perez is the bullpen catcher/manager so there is no other position for Laird.
So Harper is opting for Espinosa over Span. Not surprising given my impression of the personalities involved. The gnats seem to have a group that is fairly even-keeled and knows how to handle the ups and downs of a long season and a handful of hot heads--namely Harper and Espinosa and a couple of their relief pitchers. I guess Harper views Espinosa as a kindred spirit.
They are a much better team with Span in the lineup over Espinosa, letting Espinosa fill in vs. lefties and backup SS and 2B. Span is a very good defender in his own right.
They will probably move the guys around a lot, subbing in other guys vs. lefties (Hairston, Frandsen, Espinosa) and giving more days off to Werth/Laroche.
Difference, read closely, the pundits say the reason why they haven't ran away from the division is because of injuries, just completely ignoring arguably our best two starters, Medlen and Beachy. It's like Atlanta doesn't exist to them. It's Nats and everyone else and if they aren't winning, then they come out with excuses which we cannot use.
I think it has more to do with Harper wanting to play CF.
No way Beachy can be considered one of our "two best starters" this winter. He never was right after his first TJ surgury and wasn't able to pitch at all last Sept. Most didn't think he'd make the rotation this year, battling Hale and Floyd for the last spot.
And they replaced Medlen with Santana before the season started so our opening day rotation included Teheran, Santana, Wood, Harang, and Hale with Minor replacing Hale when we needed a fifth starter.
So its a remarkable (to me anyway) manipulation of the facts to say we lost 3/5th of our rotation.
Span is a good player. I somehow wish the Braves could have landed him and avoided the Upton the Elder acquisition. Trivia answer to a question not asked: The Nats traded for Span and the Braves signed Upton the Elder on the same day (11/29/12).
Yeah, the Nats were all over Upton....would have been much better if Wren didn't sweeten the pot too much and the Braves went back to Span as a backup plan.
Yeah, the Nats were all over Upton....would have been much better if Wren didn't sweeten the pot too much and the Braves went back to Span as a backup plan.
. Espinosa is a pretty awful hitter and his defense is decent, no more.
Again, Harper is an idiot. I'd take Span over the wall-runner any day in CF. It makes no sense as to why he says the crap he does. Espinosa is a pretty awful hitter and his defense is decent, no more.
The gnats gave up Alex Meyer for Span. It will be a little while before we can fully assess that one. That off-season BA had him rated as the #59 prospect. The only prospect we had who was rated higher than Meyer was Teheran at #44.
Fair trade, probably will help both sides, but long term Meyer *should* be the better player. There were concerns about Meyer being relegated to relief duties, which will be interesting to watch. Meyer didn't really have a role as a starter with the Nats.
Looking at it from the Braves perspective, if I had to choose between:
1) Melvin and his contract and 2) giving up Teheran for Span
I would choose option 1. Neither choices are great with the benefit of hindsight.
Looking at it from the Braves perspective, if I had to choose between:
1) Melvin and his contract and 2) giving up Teheran for Span
I would choose option 1. Neither choices are great with the benefit of hindsight.
Teheran was a far better prospect than Meyer, despite what the rankings may or may not have said. Plus, he was essentially ML ready. Probably would have cost the Braves someone like Sims maybe.
Part of the issue with BeeJ is that now we are stuck with that contract and having to have him on the roster.
You have to remember that at the time Teheran was coming off a pretty poor AAA season. At any rate, he was the only one of our prospects ranked higher than Meyer than offseason, and it wasn't much of a difference in their rankings. #44 versus #59 on BA's list.