Braves Yankees Pirates 3 way

[codyatl]

Braves are close to sending laroche to pirates for melky cabrera of the yankees witht he yanks getting mike gonzalez. Not a bad move for the braves. Cabrera did a very good job for the yanks last yr in left. It seems the bravos are really trying to get rid of laroche so they must feal that thorman or someone else is ready. I also think they are preparing to lose aj. maybe a trade in the preseason and move frenchy to center and melky to right? As I have said before there are going to be huge changes to the braves in the next season or two.

[scottt]

Hate to see Laroche go. I trust that they have someone equally as inexpensive to play first base who will hit 30+ home runs.

[DrReality]

Their payroll is top heavy and they have to do something to remedy that. Won't be easy.

[Admin]

I know that many "experts" don't believe that Melky will ever be more than a solid player, but I think he has Beltran type potential and if the Yankees trade him for a damaged arm like Gonzalez it will make me sick. I had really hoped that the Yankees were done trading away young star potential players and its even worse when you consider how well Melky played this past year filling in for Mr Non-October Matsui.

[CBAreject]

Trust me, Dolf. Melky Cabrera is not what's holding this deal up. The problem is, Adam LaRoche is more valuable than the Melkster. LaRoche is still improving, but he was still top-10 in the NL in OPS last year. Melky wasn't close to that level of production (nor has he been at any point in his career including minor leagues).

Melky may indeed be a late-bloomer and put up Beltran numbers in the pros. There's a chance of that, but it's a *chance*. LaRoche *is* a top 1st baseman now (esp. when you factor in his gold-glove defense).

If the Braves trade LaRoche straight-up to get Cabrera, it will be a terrible deal. They aren't that stupid, though. That's why this deal isn't done. The Pirates would love to get LaRoche for just a relief pitcher. The Yanks would love to get a dominant reliever for just a promising outfielder. The Braves get screwed, though. If the Braves thought Cabrera was enough for LaRoche, the deal would've been done a week ago. Truth is, you'll probably have to give up Cabrera and Proctor.

[joannes3000]

I guess this is a little better than the rumored Gonzalez for Laroche straight up deal. If we are seriously gearing up to lose AJ next year - and I don't see why not, seeing as how Vernon Wells signed for 7/126 which puts AJ easily at nearly 20m per in a weak OF FA year - then I like the Melky deal. As much as I like the thought of Gonzalez and Soriano setting up (and eventually one of them taking over for) Wickman, I think our more pressing short-term need will be OF.

I'm not sure I'm sold on Thorman yet, but that's why I'm not a scout. Plus hopefully trading Laroche puts Salty on the fast track to switch to 1B so we can see him a lot sooner than if he were to stay at C because McCann is a stud with a capital S.

[joannes3000]

Another tidbit I forgot about that I just read from ajc.com - what happened to the Braves getting Cabrera AND Scott Proctor? David O'Brien says it right when he wonders why we're willing to settle for only Cabrera all of a sudden. Honestly, we may be asking a little too much for Laroche in Cabrera and Proctor, but there's nothing wrong with us getting back a little more on our end rather than giving up way too much if we were to get just Cabrera.

[Admin]

Gonzalez is no better than Proctor and hasn't proven himself in the AL. I would rather go with Farnsworth and Proctor, plus another year or two closing with Mo' and then worry about the closer role if need be. NO WAY is gonzalez worth that. I am not sayinig that Laroche isnt a very good player and honestly I would deal Cabrera straight up for him because of our need for a quality first baseman. I know Melky didn't have off the chart stats last year, but for a 21-22 year old rookie thrust into a starting role in the toughest place to play on earth he did a phenomenal job. Watching the team game in and game out and seeing the HUGE plays he came up with at the plate and on the bases is enough for me to hate giving him up and even more so for Gonzalez who I feel is the next pitcher in line to be a bust for the Yankees.

[KB21]

I can understand why Adam LaRoche is a guy a lot of teams are calling the Braves about, but I can't quite figure out what the Braves motivation for trading him could be. Surely they aren't thinking about the fact that he will be eligible for arbitration after this season and simply don't want to get to that point with him if he puts up another monster year. If that's the motivation, then the ownership situation of the Braves is really a sad state of affairs.

I can also understand the desire to open up a position potentially for Jarrod Saltalamacchia, but he's a least a year away if he switches positions. Doing this doesn't really help us this year at all. Plus, his name has been mentioned in past rumors about Rocco Baldelli. So, if he's traded, that leaves us with really only Scott Thorman as a first baseman prospect for the long term.

The Braves have also upgraded their defense at second base with Martin Prado over Marcus Giles, al beit with a downgrade in offensive pop. So, why would they want to downgrade the first base position defensively and offensively by moving LaRoche and putting Thorman out there?

There is also some talk that the LaRoche to the Orioles deal has picked back up, with the Braves possibly getting Chris Ray and Hayden Penn. All in all, that is a better deal than what this three way is rumored to be, because Chris Ray can help right now as a set up man and Hayden Penn could either be a 5th starter in case Kyle Davies if flipped to Tampa Bay in a Rocco Baldelli deal or Penn himself could be dealt to Tampa Bay in a Rocco Baldelli deal.

I just think the Braves need to be careful with trading LaRoche.

[KB21]

Trading LaRoche isn't going to help it. The Braves payroll is taken up largely by the contracts of Andruw Jones, Chipper Jones, John Smoltz, Tim Hudson, and Mike Hampton.

[KB21]

....the Braves can convince the Pirates to include Paul Maholm in the deal, sending him to Atlanta.

[DrReality]

That would be sweet. Don't hold your breath.