Thoughts on Renteria to Detroit
The first trade of the offseason included a player expected to be dealt in Edgar Renteria and a prospect in Jair Jurrjens frequently mentioned in rumors, but it was still shocking how quickly it came together. As a clearly superior choice than any available free agent shortstop, Renteria's market should have been at least as strong as a month as it was Monday. Still, the Braves declined to wait and see what might have been offered up by the Cubs, Cardinals, White Sox or Giants.
With Renteria in the fold, the Tigers could be looking at a lineup of:
CF Curtis Granderson
2B Placido Polanco
DH Gary Sheffield
RF Magglio Ordonez
1B Carlos Guillen
SS Edgar Renteria
C Ivan Rodriguez
LF
3B Brandon Inge
Clearly, an A-Rod acquisition is far less likely now.
Whether the Tigers have the money to upgrade from Marcus Thames and (gulp) Timo Perez in left field will depend on how much they spend on the pitching staff. Even if they use most of their funds to keep or replace Kenny Rogers and Todd Jones, one would think they'd still have a couple of million dollars to throw at Shannon Stewart, Brad Wilkerson or Shawn Green. A legitimate left-handed bat to pair with Thames would be fine. Ryan Raburn could also make a modest contribution, and Cameron Maybin might be ready to make an impact after the break.
The Braves are looking at something like:
2B Kelly Johnson
SS Yunel Escobar
3B Chipper Jones
1B Mark Teixeira
RF Jeff Francoeuer
C Brian McCann
CF
LF Matt Diaz/Brandon Jones
Mike Cameron is being viewed as prime candidate to step into Andruw Jones' spot, and if anything, he seems even more likely to fit into Atlanta's budget following the stimulant suspension.
It's a safe assumption that the Braves will bring in a veteran starter to go along with John Smoltz, Tim Hudson and Chuck James. Tom Glavine is the one everyone expects them to target. The fifth spot would then go to Mike Hampton if he's healthy. Jo-Jo Reyes and Jurrjens would be next in line. I'm not particularly fond of Jurrjens. He's quite polished for a 21-year-old, but the stuff isn't there for enormous development and he may peak early, as those with modest strikeout rates often do. He's probably more of a No. 4 than a future No. 3 for Atlanta. In Gorkys Hernandez, the Braves did add an outfielder with star potential. However, he's quite raw.
For thoughts on Escobar, who will take over at shortstop for Renteria, check out this week's column.
With Andruw and Renteria gone, the Braves did clear quite a bit of salary. However, a lot of that is going to go into Hampton's pocket and raises for younger players. If the Braves spend north of $15 million on a starter and a center fielder, then there's a good chance they will go with Rafael Soriano in the closer's role. If they save money by bringing in a cheaper option at either spot, then it's more likely that they'll spend to secure a ninth-inning guy and use Soriano, Mike Gonzalez and Peter Moylan in setup roles.
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