Bravo Blog: Right time to fix Chipper's knee, trade thoughts

Now is the right time for Chipper
to have his knee surgery.

The Braves put Chipper Jones on the DL today so he can have arthroscopic surgery to fix a slightly torn meniscus in his right knee. It's the right move for the team for several reasons.

Chipper has been playing in pain for most of the first half. It's better to get the knee fixed now and get him as close to healthy as possible for the pennant race. Plus, with the All-Star break coming, the Braves have four days off, during which time Chipper can start to recover so he misses less games. Even if he needs a full three weeks to get back (estimated recovery time is 2-3 weeks), he'll only miss about 15 games.

The Braves will miss his bat, but not as much as you might think. The offense has been playing well lately, and 2010 All-Star Martin Prado has been on the DL during the hot streak. He's scheduled to return right after the break. So, he'll just jump right into Chipper's spot at third.

Another bonus is that Chipper should return before the trade deadline, meaning the team can evaluate if Chipper will be good to go for August and September, or if they will need to shop for offensive help.

Right now, there isn't a big need to trade for an expensive bat if everyone is healthy. A dependable right-handed utility guy, though, could be a nice addition, and I have an idea for one, although I have no idea if he's available: Omar Infante. Yes, the same Infante the Braves traded for Dan Uggla. Infante was a star last year in Atlanta coming off the bench to play several positions. If the Marlins are sellers, he could fill that role perfectly again this season. He can back up Alex Gonzalez at short (a job currently held by journeyman Julio Lugo), he could start in CF, LF, or 3B if needed, and he is a dependable right-handed bat. He'll be a free agent after the season, so the Marlins could probably be talked into dealing him.

Trade one of these guys? Absolutely no chance.

Don't believe any hype, though, about Atlanta trading any of its big arms. No one in the current rotation (Derek Lowe, Tim Hudson, Jair Jurrjens, Tommy Hanson, or Brandon Beachy) is going anywhere. Top prospects Mike Minor and Julio Teheran are also pretty close to untouchable I would think. The Braves would have to be blown away to be talked into dealing one of those guys, and I'm not talking about "Carlos Quentin blown away" (as some rumors have reported). I'm talking about "Jose Bautista blown away," which would almost certainly won't happen, so it's a moot point.

The Braves should look into bringing back Omar Infante.

The Braves' roster on August 1 (day after the trade deadline) will probably look pretty close to the way it does now, with the only possible exceptions being Peter Moylan should be back in the bullpen and maybe a bench player will be added. Frank Wren would be wise to call the Marlins to see what the price on Infante is. He'd fit perfectly as a bench player and fill-in starter. Everyone on the team already knows and respects him, and he'd be nice insurance down the stretch if the Braves suffer any unfortunate injuries.

Assuming Chipper and Prado both come back healthy, the Braves should be neck-and-neck with the Phillies all summer. Their starting pitching is great, the bullpen (the back end of it anyway) is as good as any in baseball, and the offense has finally started to click as Freddie Freeman and Dan Uggla have warmed up. This team should be in the thick of the playoff chase, and a minor addition or two could help the Braves play deep into October.