Every single Braves fan out there feels the same way about Nate McLouth. The guy can’t get a hit to save his life and he certainly does not belong in the starting lineup. He has proven to be nothing more than a pinch runner this year and there is no one in the world that realizes this any more than our trustworthy GM, Frank Wren.
All of the above is true, but before you accuse Wren of falling asleep at the wheel, remember that the Braves made one of the boldest trades of the year in the five player deal that brought shortstop Alex Gonzalez to Atlanta and sent Yunel Escobar off to Canada. Alex Gonzalez is making an immediate impact and batting .325 as a Brave since the trade, making Frank Wren look like the genius that he is.
The way to solve the issue that resides in center field is to simply sit Nate McLouth on the bench. The Braves have proven that they can win with Melky Cabrera and Gregor Blanco in center, and both are either just a phone call away or already in the Braves dugout.
There is very little possibility that the Braves could trade for another outfielder without giving up valuable pitching prospects and Frank Wren has made it clear that he will not be doing that. Who can blame him? The Braves have some of the best pitchers in the minor leagues.
Don’t expect Wren to sit McLouth this week. He is going to put him in the lineup for at least a few more games to see if McLouth will show any signs of improvement. If McLouth continues this pace of striking out and killing rallies, Melky Cabrera will return to center field and the front office in Gwinnett will get a phone call with orders to send Gregor Blanco back up to Atlanta.
Although all us fans want to see Corey Hart, Cody Ross, or David DeJesus in Braves blue, we should not get our hopes up. The Braves won’t make a trade for an outfielder unless it is absolutely necessary, and right now it is not necessary. The important thing is that Nate McLouth is never in our batting order on a regular basis unless he can prove that he is still that Golden Glove outfielder that we traded for last year.
Frank Wren knows what is best for his team and he hungers for October just as much as we do. The Alex Gonzalez trade is proof of this “win now” mentality. Gregor Blanco and Melky Cabrera have proven that they can help the Braves win instead of hurting the Braves chances like Nate McLouth.
There will be no more trades this year for the Atlanta Braves and there is nothing wrong with that.
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