Braves At Winter Meetings: Live Thread (Day 3)
Dec 5, 2012; Nashville, TN, USA; Atlanta Braves manager
Fredi Gonzalezanswers questions from the media during the Major League Baseball winter meetings at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel. Mandatory credit: Don McPeak-USA TODAY Sports
Welcome To Our Live Thread – Day 3 of Winter Meetings
Despite early talk, and the desire from many fans to see the Braves acquire an ace starter, that proposition has now become highly unlikely. Frank Wren has actually now made public statements about the Braves’ focus now being more on the bullpen, and some bench depth, and while we haven’t seen any trades so far in the first two days of the meetings, discussions during these last two days could prove fruitful.
As our own Jeff Schafer reported yesterday, the Atlanta Braves have had some good conversations with Eric O’Flaherty, and there is a good chance the Braves will retain his valuable services.
We’ve been hearing some other rumblings and rumors in recent hours as well, and here’s a few tweets to get our conversations started this morning. I won’t bother to comment on their pros and cons in this post, but instead let our comments in the Live Thread below do the talking and analysis….
I'm continuing to hear good things about Luis Vasquez. He could prove to be ATL's latest key under-the-radar bullpen acquisition. #Braves
— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) December 10, 2013
Jerry Hairston is a potential fit for the #Braves. He told @Ken_Rosenthal he could sign within the next 24 hours.
— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) December 11, 2013
The #Braves are looking for a veteran who would be a strong clubhouse presence while primarily serving as a pinch hitter.
— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) December 11, 2013
Heard the Marlins could soon trade Greg Dobbs. Like Eric Chavez, Dobbs could be a fit for the #Braves
— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) December 11, 2013
And of course, we also heard rumors on MLB Trade Rumors (Imagine that!) that The Braves are on the lookout for a hitter for their bench, and Eric Chavez could be their top free agent option, reports MLB.com’s Mark Bowman.
Beyond the trade rumors, we’ve also been hearing that the Braves are talking with B.J. Upton and Dan Uggla, and are serious about “fixing” what’s broken with those two. I’ve said before I think we’ll see Dan Uggla starting in 2014, and while we could see some platoon work with maybe Pena or La Stella, Dan is still a potentially valuable asset who could certainly turn things around. We shall see.
Live Thread Below
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Chris Headrick
Twitter: @bravespop
Email: bravespop@gmail.com