Yunel Escobar & Yo Yo Reyes traded for Alex Gonzalez

[APE]

http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/38244348/ns/sports-player_news/

Blue Jays acquired SS Yunel Escobar and RHP Jo-Jo Reyes from the Braves for SS Alex Gonzalez, LHP Tim Collins and INF Tyler Pastronicky.

[coachx]

Excellent trade if Gonzalez can stay healthy.

Escobar had too many head issues to fit in with the Braves.......the fact that his bat quit working did not help either. I have also wondered about his true age since he is Cuban.

[ILOVEmyWIFEtoo]

Good work WREN.... bringing in a big bat! Please call SUND.... gotta give something to get something.

[pimp]

http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/38244348/ns/sports-player_news/

Blue Jays acquired SS Yunel Escobar and RHP Jo-Jo Reyes from the Braves for SS Alex Gonzalez, LHP Tim Collins and INF Tyler Pastronicky.

Great move.Now If we can get Heyward back on track and playing like he did the first 2 months, this team could be headed back to the WS

[DJlaysitup]

Great move.Now If we can get Heyward back on track and playing like he did the first 2 months, this team could be headed back to the WS

Agreed pimp - we get Heyward cooking again and get a couple hot streaks out of Chipper and we are in business. Add in that our catcher had the big hit in the All-Star game (maybe that will get him going, and Prado seems to be rock solid....+pitching!

I just heard a guy call in to 790theZone complaining that if Escobar was white, Cox would have stuck with him longer. Why wait on hold for 30 minutes to say something silly like that. Granted if we had all white guys and were like 2nd to last in the NL I might tend to wonder.....but we're 1st in the National League and our Rookie of the Year candidate (who replaced a hometown white kid by the way) is African American and everybody loves him.

Getting away from that though...if our pitching holds up through the dog days of summer I think we can pull this off....we have serious depth. :vacation1:

R.I.P Mr. Steinbrenner

[HAWKSFAN89]

Just heard the news, this is very solid. We needed a move like this to keep us in 1st the second half of the season.

Keep it up fellas, lets get back to the playoffs!!!

[AHF]

I just heard a guy call in to 790theZone complaining that if Escobar was white, Cox would have stuck with him longer. Why wait on hold for 30 minutes to say something silly like that. Granted if we had all white guys and were like 2nd to last in the NL I might tend to wonder.....but we're 1st in the National League and our Rookie of the Year candidate (who replaced a hometown white kid by the way) is African American and everybody loves him.

Speaking of struggling middle infielders, how long did we stick with Kelly Johnson? Escobar has almost as many ABs as Johnson got all last season.

[coachx]

He has been a concern for years but his hot bat kept him on the team. Plus, I don't think anyone was offering a solid defensive infielder with 17 homeruns at the allstar break for KJ either.

Escobar has had some run ins with Bobby over the years. If you can't play for Bobby you have issues. He has had re-occuring mental erros this year in the field and with base running where he was not going 100% nor was his head in the game. Bobby will stick by you if your giving 100% but if your not then you are disrespecting the game in Bobby's eyes.

http://blogs.ajc.com/mark-bradley-blog/2009/07/21/yunel-escobar-i-dont-believe-im-that-person/

http://yunelescobar.net/news,44.html

http://braves.scout.com/a.z?s=248&p=2&c=965592&ssf=1&RequestedURL=http%3a%2f%2fbraves.scout.com%2f2%2f965592.html

http://www.talkingchop.com/2009/6/19/917705/bobby-cox-isnt-the-only-one-who

http://blogs.ajc.com/mark-bradley-blog/2010/07/14/addition-by-subtraction-the-braves-trade-yunel-escoba/

http://markbowman.mlblogs.com/archives/2009/06/cadahia_gives_escobar_an_earfu.html

http://atlanta.braves.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20100425&content_id=9575766&notebook_id=9577576&vkey=notebook_atl&fext=.jsp&c_id=atl

NEW YORK -- During his first four Major League seasons, Yunel Escobar has dazzled Braves manager Bobby Cox with his defensive skills and infuriated him with a rash of mental blunders -- similar to the one the shortstop committed against the Mets on Saturday afternoon, when he didn't tag from third base on Troy Glaus' deep drive to right-center field.

When asked again on Sunday what Escobar could have been thinking when he went more than halfway to the plate before returning to third base to tag, an obviously still-bewildered Cox essentially said, "I don't know." Later he added that members of his coaching staff had talked to the shortstop in the manner that they had the many previous times that he had provided a lack of effort or made a mental mistake.

"We've talked to him a lot," said Cox, who benched Escobar three times during the 2009 season and then seemingly attempted to send him a message by keeping him out of the lineup for Friday night's series opener against the Mets. During the two previous games, the 28-year-old Cuban shortstop had provided what appeared to be questionable effort on opposite ends of a pair of double-play grounders that proved to be pivotal moments in losses.

When asked what might have happened to a player from the era of his playing days had he done something like Escobar did on Saturday, Cox said, "It could probably get you sent out."

Escobar was back in the lineup for Sunday night's series finale against the Mets. It is unknown whether the Braves will at least attempt to punish him with a fine.

"You can fine anybody you want to if you can make it stick, because of the (Players') Union," Cox said.

Edited July 14, 2010 by coachx

[Dexmethylphenidate]

Too bad since I like Escobar. His batting avg is .238 but has a higher on base percentage than A.Gonalez. His K/BB ratio is really good also compare to Gonalez who strike out 66 times and only walk 17 times. Hopefully Omar get the starting job.

[APE]

Speaking of struggling middle infielders, how long did we stick with Kelly Johnson? Escobar has almost as many ABs as Johnson got all last season.

Some guy named Cox.

[APE]

Too bad since I like Escobar. His batting avg is .238 but has a higher on base percentage than A.Gonalez. His K/BB ratio is really good also compare to Gonalez who strike out 66 times and only walk 17 times. Hopefully Omar get the starting job.

Yunel's BB/K ratio is better because you usually grounded out or popped up on the first pitch :whistling:

[jhay610]

I liked Yunel's talent and obviously the Braves did as well or he would have been gone much sooner. The guy has more 'wtf' moments than any player I can remember wearing the uniform. Escobar makes jaw-dropping, indescribable mental errors and it happens frequently. He also has demonstrated a less than stellar attitude both on and off field.

Now that he can't hit a lick this year the writing was on the wall. I am concerned in that Gonzalez is a free swinger and I like the lineup and the way they work deep counts, but the power he brings will be most welcome.

By all accounts the prospects have a lot of potential as well.

Edited July 15, 2010 by jhay610

[Dexmethylphenidate]

Yunel is lighting it up in the new league hitting .500 and couple of homers. I think he got a wake up call. :rolleyes:

[CBAreject]

Yunel is lighting it up in the new league hitting .500 and couple of homers. I think he got a wake up call. :rolleyes:

That's good for him, but how can you go 285 at-bats and more than half of the season here without a single homer and then promptly hit 2 in 5 games (including a granny) once we trade you? Obviously, he had it in him, but do you really need a vendetta to motivate you to hit?