THE SUNSHINE KID: Gonzalez trade a win-win for Braves

A day after catcher Brian McCann won the All-Star game MVP award, the Braves added another big bat to their lineup, in trading for Blue Jays shortstop Alex Gonzalez. The Braves sent their own shortstop ─ Yunel Escobar ─ packing, along with pitcher Jo-Jo Reyes, and welcome minor-league shortstop Tyler Pastornicky and pitcher Tim Collins to go along with Gonzalez. The 33-year-old shortstop comes to Atlanta in the midst of his best statistical season of his career, hitting 17 homers with 50 RBIs at the All-Star break. Gonzalez is well on pace to break his personal records, when he hit 23 home runs and had 79 RBIs for the Marlins in 2004. On the season, Gonzalez is hitting .259 and is a career .248 hitter.

INVESTING IN THE NOW …

So, the big question the casual Braves fan is asking is if the team made the right move. Escobar, after all, has been one of the best defensive shortstops in the game in his three-plus years in Atlanta and is a .291 career hitter. He’s coming off the best season of his career, hitting .299 with 14 home runs and 79 RBIs in 2009, and is only 27 years old (if you trust Cuban birth certificates). He still has plenty of time to become an All-Star caliber player. Did the Braves give up too quickly on the struggling shortstop (0 HRs and just 19 RBIs in 75 games this year) in favor of a player perhaps having a fluke season? The answer is no.

The Braves want to win now, and I’m not talking about the National League East. While the playoffs are still a few months away, Frank Wren sent a clear message with this trade: we want a ring. Wren did not wait to see what the Mets or Phillies did before making a move. Instead, he put a billboard up in both cities with “Catch us if you can!” written in bold letters on it. It’s Bobby Cox’s and perhaps Chipper Jones’ last season; what better way to send them out than with that elusive second World Championship?

The Braves have the talent to win it all. Along with perennial All-Stars McCann and Jones, Troy Glaus is having a resurgent season. Martin Prado is an MVP candidate. Rookie Jason Heyward has lived up to the hype, when healthy. Adding a big right-handed bat like Gonzalez to the middle of the lineup is huge for a team that has needed to hit the weight room this season (the Braves’ 70 home runs are good for 23rd in MLB).

Gonzalez’s strikeouts are a bit concerning (65), as is his mediocre .296 on-base percentage. And there’s always the McClouth syndrome to worry about. These are legitimate worries, but to me, the risk is worth the reward. For one, Gonzalez is a veteran of the game who will be openly welcomed to the clubhouse (while rumors swirled that Escobar was not the most well-liked teammate). Hopefully, by joining a Braves team that leads the NL in walks, some patience will rub off onto Gonzalez and the OBP improves. He’s been a great defensive shortstop his entire career. And even if his production slows down from the great first half he had in Toronto, if he can just hit 10 home runs and drive in 40 runs the second half, he’ll be well worth it. More importantly, when (emphasis on when) the Braves are in the playoffs, he knows how to deliver, as he’s been a contributor on two World Series-winning teams. It’s all or nothing for the Braves right now.

GRADING THE TRADE …

If the trade had been Escobar for Gonzalez straight-up, baseball card trading style (Do kids even collect baseball cards any more?) I would have liked the trade. When you add in the other three players in the deal, though, I love the trade. Jo-Jo Reyes, once considered one of the Braves’ best prospects, has looked about as comfortable on major league mounds as Tim Hardaway in a gay bar, posting a 6.40 ERA in 194 career big league innings pitched. Meanwhile, the Braves welcome Collins, who has a 2.51 ERA in 35 appearances in Double-A ball, and Pastornicky, a potential major-league shortstop in the making. Collins is appealing and could be a future stud in the Atlanta bullpen, or perhaps, could be used as trade bait for the Braves immediately. Which leads to the next question, will Atlanta make any more moves?

The Braves have great starting pitching from 1-5. The bullpen is a well-oiled machine. The infield is rock solid. The outfield has a future Hall of Famer in right, a good platoon in left, and a game show in centerfield called “Who Wants to Hit Eighth Today?” I don’t have anything against Melky Cabrera, Gregor Blanco or Nate McClouth, but do you want any of those guys in the lineup at Yankee Stadium in October? The only remaining weak spot in the lineup is in center, and if Frank Wren thinks like me, and I think he does (as I said last Sunday on 790 the Zone’s “Block Party” that the Braves should go after Gonzalez), he’s looking for an upgrade in center. Some names to keep an eye on are Kansas City’s David DeJesus and Chicago Cubs’ Xavier Nady.

Penter is an intern from the University of Florida.