The "other" idea...

I mentioned in my previous post that I found two ways to acquire Kemp that seemingly made sense. I opted to go the simpler route where we pay the maximum price via prospects, but pay a boatload. The other option would not be so popular with most Braves fans, but would lessen the cost to us in prospects and push the depth of our pitching to the brink. So without further delay, the "other" idea is listed below...

GM Hot Seat Trade Deadline '11: Go Big or Go Home

Last night I hinted that I may have an idea to bring Matt Kemp to Atlanta and I'm going to deliver on that idea. I will admit that this is not my all-time favorite idea, but I managed to make a whole lot of sense out of it. For what it's worth, I figured two ways this could possibly work. Both seem like feasible options to me; one focusing primarily on 2011 and the other with a focus on 2011, but with a watchful eye on the future. The wanna-be-GM in me wants to go with the latter, but for the sake of Braves fans who want instant gratification, I'll present the first option. 

I've got an idea...

....and it's a doozy. I'll have to work on it some other night, but it includes the Braves landing Matt Kemp and making him fit into payroll. lol

The Nate McLouth Conundrum

Nate McLouth is set to be activated from the DL tomorrow, perhaps much to the chagrin of many Braves fans. His return, however, strikes up a set of new and interesting problems to begin pondering solutions to. 

Ryan Ludwick revisited

A year ago at about this time over at Chop Nation Forums, I suggested the radical notion that the Cardinals would be willing to trade Ryan Ludwick and we could put him in leftfield to solve our problems on offense. There stood several problems to the idea; first of which being the Cardinals were not in real need of moving Ludwick at his perceived lowest value, nor did we match up well as we did not quite have the pitching they desired (ha...that sounds odd considering our depth).


Anyway, the theory proved right in that the Cardinals DID move Ludwick in a trade and it was sad that all it took was Jake Westbrook. Okay, so we don't really have a Jake Westbrook...that's affordable. But it was still disappointing.

Solution Time?

In my last post earlier this morning, I talked about where the Braves have underachieved (or expected suckage has come through) and suggested a place where they could stand to improve without either destroying team chemistry or pissing off their newly signed slugging 2B. 

For those who did not, do not want to, or are just too plain lazy to read this post, I suggested the place for improvement to be in centerfielder where our team's combined effort has amounted to a .228, .328, .316 line. I've gone through some names in the past, most notably Grady Sizemore a while ago...but today I'll spitball a new big name; one we're rather familiar with. 

Our Offensive Offense

The Braves' problems on offense, which were supposed to be resolved with the acquisition of Dan Uggla last winter, has sputtered out of the gait through the first 60+ games of the season. They rank 13th in the NL in runs and OBP and 10th in SLG. It would have been foolish to imagine the Braves to rank in the top 5 in the NL, but it would have been equally foolish to envision them in the bottom fifth of the league.