Sunday, January 1, 2012

Carlos Quentin and Your Atlanta Braves

Yesterday Carlos Quentin was traded to the San Diego Padres for two promising, if uninspiring pitching prospects. His name has been one associated with the Braves trade rumor scene. For good reason also; the Braves and White Sox have hooked up on numerous trades and there seemed to be a decent fit. Maybe Jair Jurrjens for Quentin and cash or a decent minor leaguer? If the Sox were close to contending I can see it, but two years of pitcher who is rapidly becoming expensive and unlikely to sign a long term deal. But in their current rebuilding mode it's not likely.

Honestly it probably wouldn't have taken Jurrjens to get him. Based on the return J.J. Hoover and Carlos Perez could have been all that it took. The trade cost isn't the problem really, no it's that beside the fact that Quentin is a seemingly ideal right handed power threat there isn't a way to justify him on the 2012 Braves. They already have below average defenders at third base as Chipper ages, second base with Uggla, and depending on how you rate defenders rookie Tyler Pastornicky and Brian McCann also. But watching Quentin play the outfield harks of a late career Garett Anderson, or a three legged turtle. UZR consistently rates him near the bottom of the league usually in the -20 range. On top of that he is due an estated 7.5 million in his final year of arbitration. Add to that the fact that the idea of him playing 150 games in a season is positively laughable as injuries have sidelined him in every season since his 2008 breakout campaign.

Add all of that together and you have a player the Braves just don't need. Not that they could afford his salary anyway, the would probably have to trade Jurrjens or Martin Prado just to free up the money to pay his arbitration salary. I think two of the Braves second or third tier pitching prospects can help acquire a little more than one rather expensive year of Carlos Quentin. I wish him the best of luck with the Friars and even more luck for their fans as they watch him allow hundreds of extra base hits in the spacious Petco outfield.


Sorry about the lack of stats and possible errors in typography as I authored this post from my iPod.

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