The Tomahawk Times - Breaking News: Renteria Traded
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by Davis21wylie
Just hours after the Boston Red Sox wrapped up the 2007 World Series, new Atlanta Braves GM Frank Wren got down to work, trading expensive SS Edgar Renteria to the Detroit Tigers for a couple of prospects -- P Jair Jurrjens and CF Gorkys Hernandez.
Here are some of my initial impressions on the trade:
- The right-handed Jurrjens is apparently big-league ready right now after pitching 30.2 innings for Detroit a year ago. His stuff isn't anything to write home about, but he has the skills to eventually be a league-average innings muncher (LAIM), which can only be good news for a team that was reduced to using Buddy Carlyle, Kyle Davies, and Jo-Jo Reyes at the back of their rotation in 2007.
- Hernandez might someday be the heir apparent to Andruw Jones in center field, but for now he's a toolsy speedster who will spend next year in A ball. In Baseball Prospectus 2007, Hernandez was dubbed "the next Bobby Abreu," although that was under the assumption that he would eventually add 15-20 HR a year power. The way he slugged last year, he may turn out to be more of a speedy on-base guy, but either way, this kid has lethal wheels and could be a boon to the top of Atlanta's lineup for years to come.
- Renteria was costing the Braves $9 million a year, and while he produced during his two seasons in Atlanta (especially in 2007, when he absolutely raked -- to the tune of a .332/.390/.470 line), he will be 32 next year, and the Braves believe that 25-year-old Yunel Escobar can easily replace Renteria at SS for a fraction of the cost. Escobar hit .326/.385/.451 in a part-time role last season, and put up a .295/.368/.413 minor-league line at four levels over the past three years.
- I would have thought that Atlanta could get more for Renteria (in terms of veterans), especially after the season he had in 2007, but Jurrjens and Hernandez are both highly-regarded prospects.
- Apparently this trade (or one like it) was discussed at the trade deadline three months ago, so longtime Braves architect John Schuerholz was also in favor of dumping Renteria's contract before stepping down in favor of Wren earlier this month.
- Perhaps this move was done with an eye toward clearing payroll for either a CF replacement for Jones this winter, or for retaining the services of Mark Teixeira next winter -- or both? It will be interesting to see how Wren plays out the rest of the offseason after starting things off with a bang the day after the season ended.
Here are the minor-league stats for each player (courtesy of The Baseball Cube):
Jair Jurrjens:
Gorkys Hernandez:
Time will tell if this is a good trade for the Braves, but I think it has a decent chance to pan out. Renteria will never repeat his 2007 campaign, and the Braves have simultaneously netted two solid prospects and cleared Renteria's sizable salary off of their books. Frank Wren's first move might cause some Atlanta fans to panic, but in the end I think this trade works (for both teams, because Detroit is obviously gearing up to make another run at the AL Central).
