It's already been a hectic first 36 hours of the Winter Meetings, and while the Braves haven't made any moves, there certainly has been some chatter throughout the day. Here's a recap, with most of these coming via Twitter.
- The Braves and Brewers are not getting along.
- Dan Uggla and the Braves could be moving closer to an extension, and he loves Atlanta and Fredi Gonzalez.
- Despite the rumors, the Braves will not be going after Zack Greinke. They don't want to part with their young pitchers.
- The Braves could look to add a third lefty to their bullpen.
- Matt Diaz is wanted by just about every team in baseball.
- The Phillies might be interested in Jeff Francoeur. No, I'm not kidding.
- In non-trade rumor news, Martin Prado is feeling much better and is swinging the bat again. Chipper Jones' knee is also showing signs of encouragement.
Whether you like it or not, it's easy to get the feeling the Braves and Uggla will be able to work out a solid deal for both sides. I still think a four-year deal makes sense for both sides, as it gets Uggla the money he deserves and also gets him out of Atlanta by the time he's 34, when he'll inevitably hit a steep decline in production.
Adding a cheap, left-handed option wouldn't be a bad idea, especially with the Phillies being so left-handed throughout their lineup. The Rule-5 draft would probably be a good place to look for this acquisition.
I find it pretty awesome that a great dude like Matty Diaz would be linked to just about every team in baseball just three days after being non-tendered. We should wish nothing but the best for the Caveman. I'd also like to see Diaz signed by a team other than the Phillies, just to improve the likelihood of them sign Jeff Francoeur.
Finally, it's a good thing the team isn't going after Greinke. Not only does it not work out financially, but it would also require the Braves to deal a few of their young pitching prospects. Greinke would be a nice addition, but we don't really need him. We should do whatever we can to save our prospects for next off-season when we're looking to replace a shortstop, third baseman, center fielder, and possibly even a second baseman as well.