Feb 20 2009
There’s still a free agent outfielder who could help Braves
By Bud L. Ellis
braves.today.com
ATLANTA — Let’s see, now to determine where Ken Griffey Jr. should hit in the Braves’ lineup …
What’s that? … Seattle? … Really?
OK, kidding aside, who can blame me for still having The Kid on my mind? I mean, that’s all we wrote and talked about for nearly a week, and some 30 hours after Junior decided the pull of returning to the Mariners was stronger than being a Brave, Griffey remains front and center amid the thoughts of a seething Braves Nation.
But it’s history now, folks. Not pleasant history, mind you, but history nonetheless.
There’s a season to be played, and as I opined in the first hours after Junior’s decision, it still stands to be a good season for Atlanta. Granted, having that sweet swing of Griffey in the lineup against right-handers would’ve been great, great enough in my opinion to pull the Braves dead even with the Phillies and Mets in the tough NL East.
But even without Junior, the Braves still have a shot at winning the division. Seriously. This is a good team, and I tip my cap to Ken Rosenthal at FoxSports.com for this piece that says basically what I said yesterday on this here ol’ blog: This is a good team, so don’t obsess over those who didn’t want to be here.
Matt Diaz indeed is going to be part of the mix in left field, and provided Matthew bounces back from his miserable 2008 to display 2006-07 type production, that’s fine. But it’d be nice to have a stick to put in there with him that’s not named Brandon Jones or Gregor Blanco, which is why if I’m Frank Wren, I dip my toe once more into the free-agent pool.
Garret Anderson is a guy who hit the same number of home runs off right-handers as Griffey last season – 14 – while batting 21 points higher (.293 to .272) and driving in 21 more runs (69 to 48) against rightys. The 36-year-old left-handed hitter hit .293 in 145 games in 2008 for the Angels, finishing with 27 doubles, 15 homers, 84 RBIs and seven stolen bases.
No, Anderson isn’t a threat to go yard every time up like Junior. But he’s a contact hitter – just 77 strikeouts in 557 at-bats (12 fewer than Griffey, in 67 more ABs) – who would thrive hitting line drives into the gaps at Turner Field. He’s a career .296 hitter in 15 seasons, has totaled between 14 and 17 home runs in each of the past five seasons, and his defense in left field is just about perfect – only two errors in the past three seasons combined, a span totaling 261 games.
Jim Edmonds’ name also has been mentioned, but as much as I love his intensity and ferocity on the field, the 38-year-old may not have much left in the tank. Yes, I know he hit 20 homers last season, splitting time between the Padres and Cubs. But Edmonds hit just .235, striking out 82 times in 340 at-bats.
Or to look at it another way: In 2004, Edmonds hit .301. Since then, his average has dropped, to .263 in 2005, .257 in 2006, .252 in 2007 and .235 last season.
Anderson also hit .301 in 2004. His averages since: .283 in 2005, .280 in 2006, .297 in 2007 and .293 last season, all while playing solid defense and hitting his share of homers.
Anderson is a Scott Boars client. But with exhibition games beginning in less than a week, one has to think any offer is a good offer at this time. Derek Lowe is a Boras client who will don the tomahawk this season.
Perhaps Anderson will be, too. And the more I think about it, the more I think this is the guy the Braves should’ve been targeting all along.
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