Julio3000
<B>A Chip Off the Old Rock</B>
The alternative is signing a free agent at market rate who is going to be around Braun's age. It's pretty much impossible to find middle of the order hitters in their primes unless you develop your own or some team as moronic as Arizona trades you them.
I am curious which guys could become available. Would the Indians entertain the idea of trading Brantley? Pirates and Polanco/Marte? There's not a lot of obvious candidates.
Well, you have a point. I guess I'm holding out hope for lightning to strike twice there.
We might be better off doing a slightly higher grade of dumpster-diving for a guy with injury issues or a pronounced platoon split or something. Or just suck it up and trade some pitching for a young guy from a team deeper in positional talent, like the Sox or Pirates. I dunno, really . . . but Braun scares me. I guess Uggla/BJ have me gun-shy.