What to do with Uggla now?

zitothebrave said:
You should probably never tell a hitter to focus on their hands. Focusing on any one part of your swing is like focusing on playing one note in a symphony, you're bound to start neglecting other parts and screwing up your playing.
Click to expand...

Ok, so maybe Walker can get in the cage with BJ and cheer.

I didn't say BJ should work on letting the ball get deep and leading with his hands. I said Uggla should. And I'm right. And he needs to do it a million times between now and 4/1.

I said that BJ's swing was a train wreck, that his swing plane is messed up and his bat spends as little time through the hitting zone as anyone I've ever seen and that he needs to start over. I'm right about that, too.

You're saying he needs to simplify, and you're right. (And I'm saying the same thing.) He can't hit an 88 mph fastball because of all the **** he does with his hands pre-swing, and closing his shoulder, toe tapping, etc. He can't hit a breaking ball because he's got to recognize practically in the pitchers glove in order to get through his hitches. Then he's got about a microsecond to make solid contact because he has virtually no hitting zone because of his swing plane (exact opposite of CJ, BTW). He's a mess. Simplify? You bet. Hold this end of the bat, boss. Now point your shoulder at the pitcher, not at third base. Don't loop your hands in a "C", take them straight to the ball. Minimal stride.

Stop that open stance crap. It's not helping you see the ball, it's helping you bail your hips out early and try and jerk everything into the left field seats. Yeah, you made your money making people think you're a thirty HR hitter, but you hit .180 and struck out 200 times, son. If they didn't owe you $60m they'd have released your ass. Shut up and listen and do what I say. Oh, you've got a better idea? Ok, you've got my number. I'm gonna go home and mow the lawn. Give me a call when you're good and whipped.

That's what I'm sayin'. I think more or less we're saying the same thing.
 
zitothebrave said:
Short of a miracle happening and someone willing to take Uggla with us only eating about 8M per year, which may or may not happen what I see happening with 2B next year is this.

1. Uggla will start the season. They'll give him ST and April to prove he still has it.

2. If he has it, awesome, he's a great hitter who aside from last year was a virtual lock for around a 2-3 WAR

3. If he doesn't have it then other guys will be looked at. All will be looked at in ST but my guess is they try Pastornicky or Pena first. HOpefully they don't try that too long, to me neither of them are major league starters. They're basically value wise not too dissimilar to Elliot Johnson, who I hope is cut so Fredi isn't tempted to let him play.

4. Tommy will likely be the 3rd option at 2B. Why? Because we know how the Braves work, they have guys they like in the majors they're less inclined to bring up a higher ceiling minor league guy unless he's a star.
Tommy is not a star. But Tommy should be able to hit and that's what is most improtant, because our other options don't have a skill as strong as Tommy's bat. Pastor is mediocre at pretty much every aspect, same with Pena. Tommy is killer with the bat then about mediocre elsewhere to poor with the glove.

I still to this day fail to believe that the Braves don't believe that TOmmy can't play 2B at the major league level because if they did believe that then they'd move him to the OF.
Click to expand...

I don't think they're going to wait that long on LaStella. If Uggla has worked it out, they'll go with him another year or two. But if somebody will take a flyer on him, they're ready to give up on him. So am I. And I'm very disappointed; I really liked the acquisition. I think they see Pena as a utility guy. I don't see Pastornicky as the long term answer to any question. He's a different utility guy. LaStella's numbers look pretty special. I'm intrigued.

Somebody has probably done research on this, but I think there's a point where the usual MLE equivalent analysis breaks down. There are always guys who over and underperform relative to those benchmarks, but sometimes you just throw them out. Trout was like that. LaStella's bat and OBP may be like that. And if he's close to .400 at the ML level, he needs to play. Especially in a lineup full of all-or-nothing; he'd be a great counterbalance.
 
Carp said:
His swing is not the issue. Well that is to say it's not a good swing, but it's the same swing he's had his entire career and he has not performed close to this level of suckitude. If it isn't mental (which I believe it was) then perhaps he's simply gone the way of ATL's two former high profile CFers and his skills have simply diminished. As has been said many times, CF is a very physically demanding position to play.
Click to expand...

His swing is entirely the issue. He's a fine center fielder. He runs the bases well. Built like a quarter-miler. Nice arm. Smart enough. He's prone to brooding when he doesn't hit. Just like his brother does. Just like I did, just like my kid does now.

Maybe he didn't suck this bad in Tampa, but something happened between when he got to the majors (.383 OBP) and now. And I think it's a long, slow deterioration of his swing. Clear the land and start over.
 
GovClintonTyree said:
I don't think they're going to wait that long on LaStella. If Uggla has worked it out, they'll go with him another year or two. But if somebody will take a flyer on him, they're ready to give up on him. So am I. And I'm very disappointed; I really liked the acquisition. I think they see Pena as a utility guy. I don't see Pastornicky as the long term answer to any question. He's a different utility guy. LaStella's numbers look pretty special. I'm intrigued.

Somebody has probably done research on this, but I think there's a point where the usual MLE equivalent analysis breaks down. There are always guys who over and underperform relative to those benchmarks, but sometimes you just throw them out. Trout was like that. LaStella's bat and OBP may be like that. And if he's close to .400 at the ML level, he needs to play. Especially in a lineup full of all-or-nothing; he'd be a great counterbalance.
Click to expand...

I haven't done the research, but I am not that big a fan of MLEs in general. I don't think this would apply to La Stella per se, but there are a lot of experienced guys in AAA and AA whose MLEs look like they should be in the big leagues and would perform fairly well according to the MLE measure. I think La Stella's walk rate would probably hold (meaning it would only decline a bit). I think where it gets dicey would be on his K-rate, which I would expect to jump a bit, partially because he'd probably swing and miss at more pitches and take more close strikes. It's impossible to tell that though. That would drive his batting average down and would drive his OBP and SLG down as well. I think it would be difficult to project him as a double-digit HR guy (but very few thought Prado would be a double-digit HR guy either), but I don't think the expectation would be high for him in that regard.

I agree on your basic point that if he could be a .350 - .375 OBP guy who could put the ball in play, there'd be a place for him on the big league team.
 
With todays signings of Ruiz and Hudson, all of a sudden Ugglas deal doesnt look so bad for an AL team, I still think the best move is for Atlanta to move him and I now think it will be somewhat easier and have to eat less money.
 
It might be best to wait out the market and let some guys sign some big deals, let some teams miss out on them, and then unload Uggla to one of the AL in need of a DH.
 
Ahh Rickie Weeks, can't believe he's been in the league this long. I remember when he was touted as Baby Sheffield just because of the bat waggle.
 
The market's gonig to wait to see where Cano lands, then there are other 2B options. Doubt that any rumors, surrounding Uggla, are substantive at this point.
 
PawPawMaxwell said:
Another forum has an ESPN Insider rumor up Uggla plus a RP for Weeks.
Click to expand...

Trading Uggla for Weeks actually could be brilliant if we eat no money or little money (5M or under) . Weeks is signed to a contract where he makes 11M in 2014 and has an 11.5M option in 2015 that can be voided if he doesn't make 600 PA in 2014 or 1200 combined PA in 2013-2014, given that he had 399 PA in 2013 would mean he would need 600 PA in 2014. Basically treat him the same way as Uggla, if he sucks he gets benched, if he rocks he's worth the money.

Downside is that we don't improve our outlook in 2014 most likely since Weeks was a worse player than Uggla in 2012 and 2013, but we do almost certainly improve our financial flexibility.

That said, unless that BP arm we offer is really good I don't see that reason to make the deal if I'm Milwaukee. Maybe instead it could be Uggla, Pena, and Gilmartin and 4M.
 
Knucksie said:
The market's gonig to wait to see where Cano lands, then there are other 2B options. Doubt that any rumors, surrounding Uggla, are substantive at this point.
Click to expand...

I have a feeling Cano will be one of the last to sign. Might turn on the ultimate dispensation of the ARod 2014 contract payments. With appeals that might not be determined until January or February, if then.
 
Uggla for Weeks makes a certain amount of sense as a change of scenery opportunity for the two players.
 
nsacpi said:
I have a feeling Cano will be one of the last to sign. Might turn on the ultimate dispensation of the ARod 2014 contract payments. With appeals that might not be determined until January or February, if then.
Click to expand...

That's certainly possible. The Yankees might already be planning for life without ARoid. If Cano signs with them by January, we'll know for sure. Obviously, not more than one or two others teams are even in the Cano sweepstakes anyway. So, the more affordable options, like Infante and the others, will land safely.
 
For what it's worth, Jim Bowden tweeted about an hour ago that Brandon Phillips would be traded by the end of the winter meetings then deleted it. He does have connects with the Reds organization.
 
Interesting to watch and see what happens.

Hawk said:
For what it's worth, Jim Bowden tweeted about an hour ago that Brandon Phillips would be traded by the end of the winter meetings then deleted it. He does have connects with the Reds organization.
Click to expand...
 
Interesting to look at the Steamer 2014 hitting projections for the second basemen currently on our roster:

La Stella .764 OPS
Uggla .706
Pena .652
Pastornicky .685

They have Howie Kendrick at .738.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top