Kuzul

During my hiatus on this site, the Atlanta Braves surged to their first postseason appearance in five years—winning the 2010 National League Wild Card—and endured the subsequent retirement of venerable skipper Bobby Cox. It’s safe to say the Braves were anything but idle during my absence.

While the hot stove is now burning for most major league teams at this year’s Winter Meetings, the Braves have already settled most of their offseason business after landing Dan Uggla from the Florida Marlins. The slugging second baseman fills Atlanta’s most pressing need—a right-handed, middle-of-the-order power bat to help balance out a predominantly left-handed lineup.

Braves General Manager Frank Wren set the tone for this offseason’s inevitable flurry of deals, pulling off one of the shrewdest moves so far this winter on Nov. 16. Wren coerced Uggla—a free agent at the end of the 2011 season—away from the division rival Marlins by only relinquishing super utilityman Omar Infante and left-handed reliever Mike Dunn in return. The Fish balked at Uggla’s demands of a five-year, $71-million dollar contract extension thus sparking the trade.

Uggla, 30, is a two-time All-Star and the 2010 National League Silver Slugger recipient at second base. He hit .287 with 33 HR and 105 RBI last season.

To put into context what Uggla’s bat means to Atlanta’s restructured lineup: After entering the league in 2006, Uggla’s 154 home runs are second to only Albert Pujols’ 207 among National League right-handed hitters during that span.

More impressively, Wren was creative in his approach of finding the Braves’ new masher.

Seemingly entrenched at second base for Atlanta was All-Star Martin Prado, who is recovering from a hip pointer injury this offseason. With the exception of Jason Heyward, the NL’s Rookie of the Year runner-up, the 2010 Braves sported a rather inferior, patchwork outfield consisting of Matt Diaz, Eric Hinske, Nate McLouth, Melky Cabrera and Rick Ankiel.

With Cabrera, Ankiel and Diaz all gone and Hinske re-signed as the team’s primary pinch-hitter, it was assumed a bat would be acquired to bolster the outfield corps.

Instead, Wren found the best available right-handed bat and traded for him, before announcing Prado that would move to the outfield. A rather savvy move indeed, considering Prado’s past history playing left field in winter ball leagues.

Now, with Wren’s move being lauded among fellow GM’s and baseball personnel, the only question remaining is: When will the Braves begin talking contact extension with their new slugger?

According to David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, chatter emerging from the Winter Meetings yesterday suggest that the Braves anticipate opening such dialogue with Uggla and agent Terry Bross soon.

While Uggla stands to earn in the neighborhood of $10 million in arbitration in 2011 before becoming a free agent, Atlanta hopes to ink the Columbia, Tenn. native to a multi-year deal sooner rather than later.

With familiar ties to new manager Fredi Gonzalez—having played under him in Florida—and growing up a Braves fan with his family and friends now able to travel a shorter distance to watch him play, Uggla seems to have a strong desire to work out a long-term deal with Atlanta, too.

It appears to be a perfect match for both sides, but only time will tell if and when Uggla decides to sign.

In the meantime, for the Atlanta Braves and their gritty second baseman, the future is now.

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In recent years, the Philadelphia Phillies have made most of their offseason noise in big trades and free agent signings, bringing names like Roy Halladay, Placido Polanco, Raul Ibanez and Brad Lidge to the City of Brotherly Love. However, in the past, the Phillies structured their roster in different ways, including a plethora of minor league deals, trading big names for young potential, spending heavily on the first year player draft and taking a gamble in the Rule 5 Draft. Which, in recent years, has landed All-Star outfielder Shane Victorino and long-relief man David Herndon.

Though the Rule 5 Draft has changed over the course of Major League Baseball history, the concept has remained the same—prevent teams from stockpiling players in their minor league system when other teams are willing to give them a chance to play at the Major League level. When the following conditions are met, a player becomes unprotected, and is then exposed to the rest of the league.

• If signed at age 18 or younger and the player has been in the organization for five years, he is eligible.
• If signed at age 19 or older and the player has been in the organization for four years, he is eligible.
• The player is not added to the Major League organization’s 40-man roster.

Drafting a player is not free, however. Any team that wants to take a gamble on a player must keep two very strategic conditions in mind: Are they willing to pay the $50,000 fee and are they willing to keep this player on their Major League roster for an entire season?

The rules of the Rule 5 Draft states that once a player is drafted, he must remain on the Major League club for the entirety of the forthcoming season. If a team wants to demote him, they must first offer said player back to his former team. If the former team denies to accept the player back, or a team keeps the player on their Major League roster for the entire season, they are then able to option him to the minor leagues.

The Rule 5 Draft is a calculated risk. Recent history has shown that the risk is well worth the reward, however, as names like Johan Santana, Evan Meek, Dan Uggla, Joakim Soria and Shane Victorino, all taken in the Rule 5 Draft, have flourished into all-stars. 

So with that in mind, the following five pitchers could all contribute to the Phillies some way in 2011, but will any of them be a true diamond in the rough?

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Note: I wrote this article on my old blog (11/17/10). Any time-sensitive material should be disregarded.

The Atlanta Braves acquired blue-collar man, Dan Uggla, from the Florida Marlins in exchange for All-Star super utility man Omar Infante and LHP Mike Dunn.

The Braves solidified their need for a legitimate staple in the middle of their order. Uggla provides the right-handed power that Frank Wren was seeking and he didn’t have to give up a single prospect in the deal.

The Marlins have now traded away their starting center fielder (Cameron Maybin has been a bust) for two relievers and their starting second baseman for another reliever and a utilityman. They are at least addressing their needs in the bullpen, but also clearly trying to rebuild once again.

Mike Stanton, their No. 1 prospect coming into last season will be depended on heavily in 2011. He’s really going to have to step up after a solid rookie campaign. I’m sure the Marlins are hoping that he will tone down the outrageous strikeout rate (34.3 percent of the time) and he will over time, but he will always strike out a lot.

Omar Infante had a career year last season and earned his first All Star selection in the process. The Braves will certainly miss his bat and versatility. Mike Dunn showed an ability to get both left handed batters and righties out in a small sample size last season. He struggled with his command, though, issuing 18 free passes in 19 innings pitched. Dunn is only 25 and will help improve a Marlins bullpen that was very average in 2010.

Uggla is coming off a career year as well. He hit 33 homeruns with 105 runs batted in and a shiny .287 batting average. Uggla hit .287 despite drawing 14 fewer walks from his 2009 season where he hit .243. I feel pretty confident Uggla won’t finish the season near the .280 mark in 2011, but I do expect it to fall in the .260-.265 range with his usual 30 homers.

Uggla was a bit lucky last season to have such a high average. He ended the year with a .330 BABIP (Batting Average against Balls In Play, .290 is the league average). In 2009, his .273 BABIP suggests he was a bit unlucky and is probably why his average was a career low .243.

I won’t say that Uggla reaching an average above .270 is impossible, because he did hit .282 in his rookie campaign. His batting eye is at least progressing in the right direction ever so slightly.

If his current numbers at Turner Field are an indication of things to come, then Uggla could make Frank Wren look like a genius. Uggla has been unconscious at Turner Field. In 45 games (181 ABs), Uggla is hitting .354 (.1.051 OPS) with 12 home runs and 36 RBI. Gaudy. The Braves will be glad to see him doing that for them and not against them in 2011.

The Braves desperately needed a power threat in the lineup. Brian McCann has led the team in homeruns the past three seasons and they haven’t had anyone smack 30 homers since 2006 (Andruw Jones – 41, Adam LaRoche – 32). Atlanta finished 20th in the majors with 139 homeruns last season.

The plan is for Martin Prado to shift to left field and Uggla will take over at second base. Prado will help spell Chipper at 3rd base as well. Prado and Uggla are equally average in the field, but Prado is definitely the better fit for the outfield.

Atlanta will now pursue a versatile utilityman to replace Omar Infante. That’s a difficult task, but here’s a few options:

Nick Punto

2010 Salary: $4,000,000

-He’s not as dangerous with his bat, but he plays excellent defense at multiple positions. Punto is a fan favorite and would probably be on the expensive side. He’s played outfield before, but mostly sticks to 2B, SS and 3B. He is scheduled to be a free agent this offseason, but he does have a club option. I feel certain the Twins will exercise his option and keep him in Minnesota.

Miguel Cairo

2010 Salary : n/a — $500,000 (*2009)

–The Reds will try to resign Cairo, but teams will be ready to scoop the journeyman up if he falls into free agency. Cairo can play everywhere but catcher and centerfield and he’s pretty sharp with the glove. He can swing the bat pretty good (.267 career hitter) as well. Cairo would be an excellent fit for the Braves.

He’s been in the playoffs five different times and boasts a .290 postseason average in 68 at bats. The price tag is very affordable for the 36-year old.

Ty Wigginton

2010 Salary: $3,500,000

-Wigginton is likely to go elsewhere, but Baltimore will try and resign him. He mostly plays 1B, 2B and 3B, but he can play the corner outfield positions if needed. He has a powerful bat and can be streaky, but he’s a guy you want in the lineup when he’s seeing the ball well. Wiggy will fetch a higher price than most and doesn’t provide some of the athletic ability that others will, but he’s a solid option.

Jerry Hairston, Jr.

2010 Salary: $2,125,000

-It’s likely the Padres will resign Hairston, Jr. but he is scheduled to be a free agent. I would be shocked if the Padres let him go somewhere else. Hairston is a “five-tool utilityman.” He can play all positions of the outfield and pretty much anywhere in the infield except for catcher. He provides decent speed and a little pop and was also a member of the 2009 World Champion New York Yankees team.

Willie Bloomquist

2010 Salary: n/a — $1,700,000 (*2009)

–Bloomquist can play pretty much every position on the field except for catcher. He’s got some speed and a decent bat (.264 career hitter), but almost no power. He will probably come pretty cheap.

Ramón Vázquez

2010 Salary: $1,875,000

-Journeyman infield specialist who won’t hurt you with his bat or his glove. He’s a solid, cheap option but he has never played outfield in the majors.

Adam Kennedy

2010 Salary: $1,250,000

–Kennedy is probably more of an everyday player still, but he would be an ideal choice for a utilityman. He’s got a World Series ring and sports a .308 postseason batting average in 78 at bats. He can play the corner outfield/infield positions and second base. Kennedy is a career .275 hitter and would be a cheap option.

Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comment box below. You can e-mail me suggestions or questions at jtmcadams@aol.com. Follow me on Twitter @JoeSportswriter.

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As a fan of the Atlanta Braves, we have had much to complain about for the past few years.  However, in the spirit of Thanksgiving, I believe we should also consider a few things that we can give thanks for as fans of this great franchise.

The fact is that 2010 was just a starting point for what should be a nice few years of success in Atlanta.  I do predict the Braves should be very competitive in 2011 and battle the Phillies again for the NL East title.  I honestly think this year the Braves should win the division as long as there are no major injuries.

On this great day of food, family, and football….let us consider just a few things that we as Braves fans can be thankful for looking back and looking forward to next year.

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On Nov. 16, the Florida Marlins shocked the baseball world by trading Dan Uggla.  Despite all the rumors that have surrounded Uggla over the years, the Marlins had always neglected to move him.  Until now that is. 

Not only was the trade surprising in and of itself, but the team who the Marlins sent the mighty second baseman Uggla to was a shocker: their National League East rivals, the Atlanta Braves. 

The early consensus around the baseball blogs was that the Marlins got a poor return, that they made a bad choice, and that losing Dan Uggla will hurt them in 2011.  

Its easy to see why losing an offensive force like Dan Uggla would hurt a team.  He is the only second baseman to have hit 30+ home runs four years in a row, and has hit 27 or higher in all five years of his MLB career. 

Uggla, while not a RBI machine, has never put up fewer than 88 in a season, and he topped out at 105 in 2010.  In fact, Uggla had his best season in 2010 when you look at his WAR and triple slash line. 

In 2010 Dan Uggla put up 5.1 WAR (he was worth 5.1 more wins for the Marlins than a “replacement level player”), that 5.1 WAR was actually better than Hanley Ramirez’s 4.4 WAR season. 

Uggla put up a triple slash line of .287/.369/.508, which are all career highs except for when he slugged .514 in 2008.

However, I don’t think the Florida Marlins need Dan Uggla’s bat for the 2011 season.  I even think that the 2011 Marlins will be better without the two time All Star, according to WAR.

In 2011 the Marlins will run out a new fourth hitter on opening day because Uggla took his bat and moved up Interstate 75 to Atlanta; that man will be phenom Mike Stanton. 

In his first 100 MLB games the 6’5″ 233-pound Stanton ripped 22 home runs and doubled 21 times to the tune of a monster .507 slugging percentage (.001 less than Uggla). 

Before that, in double A ball, Stanton hit 21 home runs in only 53 games while slugging .729.  So in 2010, Stanton hit 43 home runs in 153 games over two levels. 

Mike Stanton has power that scouts have been raving about since he was drafted in the second round of the 2007 draft.  Stanton is also heralded as the strongest player in the entire MLB, and the sky is really the limit for this guy.

Stanton is projected by baseball projections guru Bill James to hit 38 jacks in 2011, more than Dan Uggla has ever hit. So, I think Mike Stanton can clearly make up for the presence that Dan Uggla used to provide the lineup.

Now I know that before the trade, Dan Uggla and Mike Stanton were both Marlins, so the fish could have run both mashers out there.  Which, using Bill James’ projections would have produced 69 home runs. 

Yet, I think, by moving Uggla, the Marlins actually will produce more wins, and a similar amount of home runs, than if they had kept him, from the positions affected by the moves. 

By trading Uggla, the Marlins added Omar Infante a solid infielder, and were able to sign slugging catcher John Buck to a three-year contract and add his power bat to the fold. 

So the savings that Florida got from moving Uggla, they smartly used to upgrade another position.

In 2010 Uggla was worth 5.1 WAR (his career high), but in 2010 Buck and Infante combined for 5.6 WAR, even though Buck only appeared in 118 games, and Infante only played in 134. 

It took Uggla 159 games to amass his 5.1 WAR.  So, if Infante appears in 150 games and Buck catches 130, they should easily beat out Uggla in terms of WAR, by a decent margin, which will result in more wins for the Marlins. 

Also Infante and Buck aren’t far off in the power department, as they are only projected to hit seven fewer home runs in 2011 than Uggla.

All in all, the Florida Marlins felt it was safe to trade Uggla. I agree, and think that it was the smart move. 

In 2011, and for his whole future Marlin career, the 2010 “should have been rookie of the year award winner” Mike Stanton will easily produce at levels that can replace Uggla’s bat in the Florida lineup. 

Also, new arrivals John Buck and Omar Infante can produce more WAR, measured in wins, for the 2011 Marlins than fan favorite Dan Uggla would have, while playing better defense and hitting a similar number of long balls.

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ESPN announced Tuesday that the Atlanta Braves have acquired three-time All-Star second baseman Dan Uggla from the Florida Marlins for utilityman Omar Infante and pitcher Mike Dunn.

Uggla had not signed a contract extension with the Marlins and a trade was inevitable. The Marlins wanted to get rid of Uggla after not coming to an agreement on a long-term contract extension. Uggla made $7.8 million last season, and is set to become a free agent after next season.

The arrival of Uggla is quite the insurance policy for the Braves. Uggla can play almost every infield position, but Braves general manager said that Uggla will play at second base. However, we could see him play different positions in case long-time Brave Chipper Jones suffers an injury at third base—or if rookie first baseman Freddie Freeman struggles to live up to expectations.

Wren said of Uggla, “We’re satisfied he’s here for one year. He’s a kind of guy we’d like to make long-term.”

The general manager would then go on to say, “For several years now, we’ve been looking for a right-handed bat in our lineup, a legit 30-home run guy, and Dan gives us that. It gives us more balance, that one focal point in the middle.”

According to reports, the Marlins organization offered Uggla a three year, $24 million contract. Uggla declined and counter-offered with a five-year, $71 million contract. The Marlins declined, thus leading to the trade on Tuesday. A source said that the Marlins upped their offer to a four year, $48 million offer, but Uggla still remained negative.

Fox Sports reported that Uggla had also drawn interest from the Blue Jays, Red Sox, Nationals, and Giants. The Tigers were also reportedly interested in the second baseman.

Marlins president of baseball operations Larry Beinfest said, “It’s sad to see him go, but we’re happy with the people we got back. I really think that we put our best foot forward and tried to keep him as a Marlin, and it didn’t work out.”

“There could be a little downturn in the power, but it’s a different look now for the Marlins to get the high average, high on-base guy,” Beinfest continued. “And then hopefully the guys in the middle, Hanley Ramirez and Mike Stanton, can drive those guys in.”

Uggla is now re-united with manager Fredi Gonzalez, who the Marlins fired in June. Gonzalez was hired by the Braves last month as the heir apparent to Braves long-time manager Bobby Cox.

The Marlins have been rather busy this offseason and can be considered the most willing team to “wheel and deal.”

Florida was busy last week as they dealt outfielder Cameron Maybin to the Padres for two relievers, and also traded pitcher Andrew Miller to the Red Sox for reliever Dustin Richardson. However, both players were quintessential pieces in the Dontrelle Willis trade that sent him to the Detroit Tigers in 2007. It appears that the Marlins have given up on their two prospects, but a change of scenery may be good for both players.

The Marlins have also agreed to terms on a contract with catcher John Buck—sources say the deal is three years and worth $18 million (Some reports also state that the deal is worth $20 million). Buck had a breakout year with the Blue Jays last season—he batted .281 and hit 20 home runs, along with 66 RBI.

Over five seasons in Florida, Uggla hit 154 home runs and is the Marlins’ all-time leader in that category. He has been elected to the annual All-Star game three times and won his first Silver Slugger award this season. He batted .287 last season and hit 33 home runs, along with 105 RBI, both career highs.

Omar Infante, the newest Marlin, made his first All-Star team last season and hit a career-high .321. He also hit eight home runs, along with 47 RBIs.

Infante is expected to fill Uggla’s shoes at second base, and like Uggla, he can play practically every infield position.

Mike Dunn, a rookie last season, went 2-0 with a 1.89 ERA in 25 games. The left-hander is expected to immediately bolster the Marlins’ pitching staff.

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Feeling they would be unable to sign second baseman Dan Uggla to a long-term deal, the Florida Marlins traded Uggla to the Atlanta Braves. In return for Uggla, the Marlins received utility man Omar Infante and pitcher Mike Dunn.

The deal, completed on Tuesday, is the first of the Winter Meetings. Uggla made just $7.8 million last season and is arbitration eligible. He is set to be a free agent at the end of the 2011 World Series.

To their credit, the Marlins did offer Uggla a long-term deal. Their initial offer of a three-year, $24 million extension was turned down, and Uggla countered with a five-year, $71 million proposal, according to reports. The Marlins also reportedly upped their offer to $48 million, which was again turned down by Uggla.

Uggla, 30, has 154 career home runs in five seasons with the Florida Marlins. Only Albert Pujols has more home runs from a right-handed batter since 2006 (207).

In dealing Uggla, the Marlins have left a huge void in their lineup. Uggla is a lock for 30 home runs and 90-plus RBI every season, something not so easily replaced. The Marlins have repeatedly shown a lack of interest in putting a quality product on the field, and trading Uggla is just another example.

To be fair, Infante is a solid player. He was a first time All-Star last season, hitting .321 with eight homers and 47 RBI, but he cannot come anywhere near Uggla’s production. Dunn pitched only 19 innings last season to the tune of a 1.89 ERA and could provide the Marlins with a solid arm to bolster their weak bullpen.

In order to keep the payroll stable, the Marlins love to trade their best players before their contracts grow too large. They did it with Miguel Cabrera, Scott Olsen and Josh Willingham. The Cabrera deal is probably the worst trade in Marlin’s history, as they have since traded away the players they got back from the Detroit Tigers, Cameron Maybin and Andrew Miller, but I digress.

For the Braves, Uggla will provide a big right-handed bat in the middle of their lineup and some flexibility for their roster. Braves general manager Frank Wren says Uggla will play second, which gives them the ability to use Martin Prado at third to give the aging Chipper Jones a rest and also spend some time at first base and in left field.

The Marlins got decent players in return for Uggla, but the it’s the Braves who came out on top in this deal. Once again, the Marlins showed their fans that they aren’t willing to pay their players. They have been reaping the benefits of Uggla’s bat since he entered the league in 2006 as one of the best bargains in baseball.

Now the time comes to sign him to a long-term deal and they send him packing.

Now the Marlins find themselves without a real power threat in their lineup, not to mention no second baseman. Emilio Bonafacio is listed as No.2 on their depth chart, but he’s also listed under all three outfield positions and shortstop—he can’t be everywhere at once.

The Marlins are just one of those teams, much like the Pittsburg Pirates, who just can’t seem to hold onto their best players, preferring instead to wring every dollar they can out of their ballclub.

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The Florida Marlins traded Dan Uggla on November 16 to their divisional rivals, the Atlanta Braves.  In the trade Atlanta sent over left handed reliever Mike Dunn and the versatile infielder Omar Infante, who had his big breakout season in 2010.  Early on, the trade has been labeled as disappointing return for the Fish.

Many people around baseball were shocked by this deal, Dan Uggla was perceived to have much greater value than a, until 2010, very pedestrian utility man like Infante, and a 26 year old southpaw who has trouble sticking at the major league level despite a fastball that has a career average velocity of 94.3 MPH. 

I assumed before the deal that Florida would take back some highly ranked valuable prospects in a deal for a lifetime .263/.349/.488 second baseman like Uggla. 

No second basemen have hit 30 home runs four years in a row like Dan Uggla, ever.  Dan Uggla is truly a unique offensive force, and one that more than makes up for a mediocre glove.  Despite consistently costing his team runs on the defensive side, Uggla made it to the majors on his bat alone at a primarily defensive position historically. 

So, why would Florida pass up on prospects for Omar Infante and Mike Dunn?

Public relations.  We all know that the Marlins do not have the most avid fan following in the MLB.  Frankly, any prospects they got for Uggla would have been forgotten by the casual Marlins fans by mid season, and they would be saying, “I wish we hadn’t traded Dan Uggla for nothing!” 

Now, the Marlins fans will see Infante in the everyday lineup playing the spot that Uggla vacated.  If Infante can reproduce his 2010 season some fans would even consider it a great trade. 

In 2010, Infante was an All-Star and hit .321/.359/.416, while his slugging was far from Ugglas’, he was still an impact bat especially at second base.  Infante also brings a better glove to the table than Uggla and is more than competent at not only second, but third base and short stop. 

Mike Dunn also will probably stick with the big league club and throw around 40 innings of mostly lefty on lefty duty, thus if he has any success he will be also used to call the Dan Uggla trade a win. With Dunn we probably have seen the last of a bevy of moves to improve what was a bad bullpen in 2010.

By taking the safe move the Marlins showed us that they are clearly looking to make the fans as happy as possible with the ball club before they open their new stadium in 2012.  This trade will pay off for them in the short run by keeping everyone’s mind off Dan Uggla with Omar Infante and Mike Dunn dressing up in the Fish pin stripes for 2011. 

In my opinion, it was a savvy move for a team that is consistently content to let big names leave and play it the safe way.  Also this move is kind of out of character for Florida since this was not the cheapest option available since Minor League players cost nothing and Infante will make about $2.5 million in 2011.

I actually like the move; I wish more teams would follow this model and take proven MLB players over a few decent low level prospects.  

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The Florida Marlins have just traded power hitting second baseman Dan Uggla to the rival Atlanta Braves for versatile infielder Omar Infante and reliever Micheal Dunn.

The Marlins have been making strides in their transition to the pitching & defense formula that got them a World Series trophy in 2003. They have made three trades in less than a week and has gotten at least one reliever in return. With four relievers coming from some of the top bullpens in baseball, it looks like the Marlins’ bullpen is repaired.

Former ROY winner Chris Coghlan will move back to second base, giving the Marlins an improved glove. Omar Infante has hit .321 in 2010 and the addition will solidify the hot corner. Originally Coghlan was going to move to third base but with Infante’s ability to play utility, that option is still possible if needed.

Veteran Catcher John Buck should be an asset for the Fish with his power bat and his command of the pitching staff. His presence was a benefit to the Toronto pitching staff during his lone year north of the border.

Right now the Marlins have a balanced lineup, but they are now done yet.

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Late Tuesday afternoon, the Florida Marlins announced that they traded All-Star second baseman Dan Uggla to the Atlanta Braves for utility infielder Omar Infante and left-handed pitcher Mike Dunn. In a surprising move, the Blue Jays, originally thought to be the best trade partners for the Marlins, lost out in the sweepstakes.

Uggla, who batted .287 last season with 33 home runs and 105 RBI, enjoyed a career year, but was in the midst of a nasty contract negotiation with the Marlins. Having already turned down a lucrative four-year, $48 million deal with the Marlins, the Marlins appeared willing to trade him for whatever they could get.

The Marlins received Omar Infante, who hit .321 last season with eight home runs and 47 RBI, as well as lefty Mike Dunn, who only pitched 19 innings for the Braves last season, recording a 2-0 record and a 1.89 ERA in 25 games.

As an outsider, I question the motives behind such a move for the Marlins. Why trade Uggla to a division rival? What was the reason behind straying away from their original demands of a top prospect and a starting pitcher?

I just fully question this move, and not because the Blue Jays did not get him, but rather as sympathy towards Marlins fans everywhere. Infante is a decent all-around player with good bat skills, and will probably be a good two-hole hitter for the Marlins, but in the end, they traded their All-Star second baseman for a super utility player and a reliever.

From the good old days, when they would trade soon to be free agents for young prospects, like Hanley Ramirez and others, to today, when they trade all stars for depth players, and young players for more bullpen help (Cameron Maybin trade), I really am beginning to question the Marlins management at the moment.

According to Ken Rosenthal, the Blue Jays offered prospect closers Josh Roenicke and Danny Farquhar along with the Marlins choice of shortstop Ryan Goins or center fielder Darin Mastroianni.

It’s arguable who had the better deal, but the fact remains, Infante is a defensive upgrade over Uggla; however, Infante is coming off a career season and the Braves so adequately dealt him while his value was high. Infante also has never held down a starting role with any ball club since 2005.

The Braves did not have to give up any of their talented pitching prospects, such as right-handers Julio Teheran, Randall Delgado and Arodys Vizcaino and lefty Mike Minor.

In other related Jays and Marlins news, the Blue Jays lost John Buck to the Marlins via free agency, signing the free agent catcher to a new three-year, $18 million deal.

Buck, who also hit 20 home runs for the Blue Jays last season, leaves the club for his third major league team, having played with the Blue Jays and Royals previous.

Your reaction to the no deal from the Marlins and losing catcher John Buck? I want to hear your thoughts.

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