MLB Atlanta Braves

Jose Altuve Should Be On Atlanta Braves’ Christmas Wish List

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Jose Altuve

Jerome Miron – USA Today

In an offseason that has watched the Atlanta Braves deal away two-thirds of its outfield and a large percentage of their offensive production, Braves fans need something to feel good about the upcoming season. With Christmas just days away, the best gift general manager John Hart could bring this team is to find a way to bring Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve to Atlanta.

The move itself might be wishful thinking, but it is a move that needs to happen, and must happen if the Braves have any hope of competing in the next few years. As things stand, the team’s identity is influx and the rest of the National League is getting rich off of former Braves, as Justin Upton was dealt to the San Diego Padres for three prospects. While adding prospects is always a great thing, the Braves need to also win, and win now.

In addition, this does nothing to help Fredi Gonzalez who managed to keep his job after Frank Wren was booted out of the Atlanta front office. In order to make this move happen, the Braves will have to trade Evan Gattis along with at least two other players. This makes so much sense it’s a shame it hasn’t happened already.

Gattis is a power hitter. That’s the name of his game and no other league better reinforces that than the American League. The Astros currently have Chris Carter as their designated hitter, but Gattis is versatile enough to split between DH, left field, and catcher, which is his primary position. This move would allow Christian Bethancourt to be the Braves’ full-time catcher, and while he’s not the same player offensively as Gattis, his defense more than makes up for that.

As for Altuve, he would ins tally improve the offense, because he would be the first true leadoff hitter since Michael Bourne. He hit .341 and stole 56 bases last season, which more than doubles the Braves’ highest base stealer of 20.

For whatever reason, the Braves have treated leadoff hitters like an incurable disease because it is a position they have neglected in large part for a decade. Can you name the last true leadoff hitter before Bourne? If you said Rafael Furcal, you’re correct. However, Furcal hasn’t played for the Braves since 2005, while Bourne wasn’t acquired until 2011.

In addition, Altuve fills the need at second base. Pairing him with super defensive guru, Andrelton Simmons, could be a deadly combination up the middle and the speed these two provide defensively immediately bolsters an area of concern the Braves dealt with the entire 2014 season.

Now, Altuve will not come without a cost. Remember those extra players I mentioned earlier? Well, one of them may be Braves’ top prospect, Jose Peraza. He is expected to take over the second base spot. However, he is unproven at the major league level, so trading him for Altuve would be a win-win for both parties.

Whether this happens or not is yet to be seen. It is clear however, the Braves are finally starting to make some moves. Unfortunately, the Braves’ front office has been naughty for so long by allowing terrible signings to happen that a gift such as Altuve almost seems undeserving. If history serves correctly, they just may get a nice lump of coal (as usual) and be forced to begin the season in disarray.

Braves fans shouldn’t fret. There’s still hope, and if you’ve been nice, you never know what will pop up underneath the Braves’ proverbial tree. For their sake, they better hope it’s Altuve.

 

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