Morning Chop: Atlanta Braves News 10/28
By Jeff Schafer
Miami Marlins Interested In Reacquiring Dan Uggla From The Atlanta Braves?
"It’s no secret that Frank Wren is trying to get rid of Dan Uggla and the $26 million dollars he is owed over the next two seasons. That much has been obvious since he was left off the roster during the first round of the playoffs.That said, finding a team to take on a portion of that contract for a player who hit just .179/.309/.362 over 136 games isn’t going to be so easy.However, MLB.com writer Joe Frisaro says that the Marlins could be a potential match with the Braves:It’s no secret the Marlins are searching for a power bat, and there is a limited amount on the market. So bringing back Uggla may be worth the risk, even though he appears to be on the decline."
Is Fredi a lame duck?
October 7, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Atlanta Braves manager
Fredi Gonzalez(33) comes out to argue a called strike in the second inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers in game four of the National League divisional series playoff baseball game at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports
"Fredi’s contract expires after 2014, and if he enters the season without an extension it’ll speak volumes about FW’s lack of confidence in his manager. Lame ducks are easily undermined, and teams generally try to avoid such uncertainty in the clubhouse.I’d take my chances with instability, though I’ll admit this postseason has shown there aren’t a lot of geniuses manning major league dugouts. John Farrell should probably be grateful for the obstruction call, as it obscured his stupefying decision to let relief pitcher Brandon Workman bat in the 9th with Mike Napoli available on the bench. He later acknowledged the blunder, to his credit.Still, Farrell got his team to the World Series and baseball, which typically operates with a pack mentality, seems ready to accept former pitchers as managers. That bodes well for the man I think should replace Fredi, widely regarded as a baseball genius.But when Brad Penny and Maddux were teammates on the Dodgers, during the last two months of 2006, they had a conversation one day that led Penny to reach a stunning conclusion: This guy knows my stuff better than I do. It was eerie, really, how easily Maddux dissected Penny’s repertoire and suggested ways to maximize it. Penny, figuring he’d take advantage of the situation, asked Maddux to call a game for him against the Cubs. And so, on the night of Sept. 13, Penny glanced into the dugout before every delivery and found Maddux, who signaled the next pitch by looking toward different parts of the ballpark. Penny threw seven scoreless innings with no walks and beat the Cubs 6-0. “Maddux probably won’t tell you that story,” Penny says. He’s right.Hiring Greg Maddux would be the smartest move FW could make. I doubt it’ll happen, but my confidence in the current regime would skyrocket if it does."
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