Bravo Blog: In Wren They Trust

Frank Wren knows what he's doing.

Frank Wren is a smart man. He knows his organization. He knows your organization, and he knows which players to keep, which ones to acquire and which ones to get rid of. The Braves aren't working on the same kind of free-spending budget they had when Ted Turner owned the team in the '90's. Granted, they do spend more than most. They aren't exactly the Florida Marlins or Pittsburgh Pirates, but the Braves do have to be smarter with their money than a lot of contenders, and Frank Wren is the perfect guy to lead the charge.

A perfect example was during this year's trading deadline. Several people (myself included to an extent) were begging him to trade one or two of his four prized pitching prospects to get a big bat like Hunter Pence, Carlos Quentin, or Carlos Beltran. Julio Teheran, Randall Delgado, Arodys Vizcaino, and Mike Minor are all hot starting pitching prospects that opposing teams covet. Even though his Major League rotation appears set, Wren refused to give up any of the young guns, saying they were all "untouchable."

Delgado, Minor, Teheran, and Vizcaino: The Untouchables
Frank Wren (wisely) refused to trade them, and they all
have a shot to help the Braves now and in the future.

Now, Braves fans are understanding why. That vaunted Major League rotation suddenly has some dings. Jair Jurrjens and Tommy Hanson are both struggling with injuries, and Derek Lowe rarely gets past the sixth inning anymore.

Mike Minor has stepped in and gotten two wins in August, and Delgado took a no-hitter into the seventh last week. Meanwhile, Vizcaino, who was moved to the bullpen to cut down on his innings, has instantly provided a lift to the exhausted Atlanta bullpen.

The reason Wren didn't trade the "Untouchables" was because he needs them both now and in the future. Wren would love to lock up Jurrjens and Hanson long-term, but he knows Scott Boras is their agent. Boras clients always go to free agency, and it's possible both Jurrjens and Hanson will get huge deals somewhere else when the time comes (not for a couple years, though). Plus, those young arms are making their cases to be a part of the Braves' postseason rotation if they lock up the wild card. The way Jurrjens, Hanson, and Lowe have struggled, none of them are guaranteed spots in an October rotation. Don't be surprised if Minor, Delgado, or even Teheran gets an October start. Plus, it is fairly likely in my opinon that Vizcaino will make the Braves' postseason roster as a power right-handed arm in the bullpen. He's the strong righty the Braves hoped Scott Proctor would be, but he never got it together.

Bourn: The most recent example of Wren's wisdom.

If the Untouchables do help the Braves win in October, it'll be another credit to Wren, who held out for the best deal: getting Michael Bourn. Bourn has been the spark plug that Atlanta hasn't seen since Rafael Furcal owned that lead-off spot in the early 2000's. Wren didn't give up much to get him, and the Braves' offense is suddenly clicking with him at the top.

Was Bourn the guy everybody wanted? Not exactly. Although, in the end, he was exactly who Frank Wren wanted. He was the perfect player at the perfect price.

If you look closely at Wren's record in Atlanta, you won't find many mistakes. The only deal I think Wren would really like back would be Kenshin Kawakami, a move the Braves made when they were desperate for pitching before the 2009 season. Now, Kawakami is wasting away in AA making six million dollars. Thankfully, that contract comes off the books after this season.

Overall, though, you will be hard-pressed to find a Frank Wren trade that really burned the franchise. You may find several moves that were questioned at the time but worked out very well in the end. Some examples:

Trading Edgar Renteria to Detroit for Jair Jurrjens: This was the first big move Wren made after getting the general manager job. Renteria had done a solid job in Atlanta, but was aging with Yunel Escobar ready to take over behind him. Escobar held down the shortstop position just fine, and Jurrjens has turned into an All-Star.

Signing Derek Lowe: Did Wren give Lowe a little too much at four years and 60 million? Maybe. However, at the time, there were only two notable pitchers left in free agency. The alternative was giving Oliver Perez about the same money. Whew! Dodged a bullet there.

Releasing Tom Glavine: Sure, it wasn't popular, even though Glavine was aging and struggling to stay healthy. Why was this a smart move? It made room in the Major League rotation for Tommy Hanson. Hanson instantly gave the rotation a lift and has the potential to be top-of-the-rotation guy very soon.

What Wren pulled off with Vazquez is pretty close to magic.

The Javier Vazquez situation: You can call this one luck. Maybe it's a little scouting skill, perhaps a little of both. But Frank Wren managed to get Vazquez for one year, the best year of his career, and then shipped him away before he lost it. When all the dust settled, Wren came out smelling like a rose.

Starved for pitching in 2009, Wren got Vazquez from Chicago for a modest price (catching prospect Tyler Flowers being the prize of the deal). Vazquez, who was 12-16 with a 4.87 ERA in 2008, was in the ace of the Atlanta staff in 2009 with a 2.87 ERA and a miniscule 1.03 WHIP. He finished fourth in Cy Young voting.

Previously desperate for arms, Wren suddenly found himself overloaded with pitching after Tim Hudson successfully returned from Tommy John surgery while Jurrjens, Hanson, and Kris Medlen exceeded expectations. So, Wren flipped Vazquez to the Yankees for the previously mentioned Vizcaino, outfielder Melky Cabrera, and reliever Mike Dunn. Vazquez reverted to his 2008 form as he sported a 5.32 ERA and lost his spot in the rotation by the end of 2010.

Oh, by the way, Mike Dunn was later included in a deal to acquire Dan Uggla, who after a ridiculously slow start, is finally playing like an MVP.

Frank Wren knows what he's doing, and Braves fans should trust he'll make all the right moves to get this team to October on a regular basis.