Dan Uggla signs 5 year, $62 million extension

[NAHSTE]

http://atlanta.braves.mlb.com/news/...04&content_id=16391198&vkey=news_atl&c_id=atl

Not sure if I'm thrilled about locking Uggla up until he's 35, but hopefully his power can be sustained through the length of the contract.

 

[Primetime]

Not to take away from the Braves in this thread, but this leaves a lot of speculation out there for the contract negotiations between Rickie Weeks and the Brewers. It's not exactly the same, but with Rickie coming off a career year, and both players facing arbitration had an extension not been signed, it makes things very interesting in Milwaukee.

As for the Braves, I don't know if I like this deal 100% yet. Although, nobody's ever seen his production in a Braves uniform. He's got the offense needed for a very pitching-heavy club in Atlanta, but that's a lot of money wrapped up for a guy that came into the league at an older age and will be 35 at the end of his deal.

 

[Lanteri]

This is a very good deal for the Braves, IMO. Uggla is a top 5 2nd baseman in terms of offensive production. While I wouldn't expect him to hit in the neighborhood of .287 again over the course of the deal, he'll still give them the .800+ OPS and middle of the order presence. I can't see him falling off too much over the course of the contract. In fact, I can see his numbers remaining steady or even improving a little bit as he's finally going to have some protection in the order that he never had in Florida. (I don't consider Hanley protection per se, since he was mainly a leadoff hitter during his time there).

I think if he managed to get out on the open market there would have been very little chance of the Braves keeping him, so well done by them to get him locked up.

 

[NAHSTE]

Yeah, I can see that. I just don't know like his lack of average, OBP, baserunning or defense. He fills a huge need in our lineup, but doesn't offer much in the way of peripheral value.

I love that he has averaged 30 HR every year, but he doesn't provide much else. He's a solid power hitter that will definitely have a place as our 5-hole hitter but doesn't really add much more than that.

Agree though that we were better to lock him up sooner rather than later, I'm just a little nervous about him because he only really offers power. (Though that is what we were lacking sorely.)

 

[Lanteri]

Yeah, I can see that. I just don't know like his lack of average, OBP, baserunning or defense.

Ehm, what? Career .350 OBP. (dragged down by his first two seasons, .360, .354, .369 the last three years). 117+ OPS more than makes up for the lack of average.

Baserunning? Really? You're talking about a middle of the order slugger, not a leadoff man. How is that even relevant?

I can see legit concerns about defense, but other than that, I think you're reaching/wrong.

 

[NAHSTE]

Ehm, what? Career .350 OBP. (dragged down by his first two seasons, .360, .354, .369 the last three years). 117+ OPS more than makes up for the lack of average.

Baserunning? Really? You're talking about a middle of the order slugger, not a leadoff man. How is that even relevant?

I can see legit concerns about defense, but other than that, I think you're reaching/wrong.

I'm just talking about overall value. He's purely a HR hitter and little else. But I am probably being too harsh on him.