Transaction Analysis

Braves sign Dave Martinez for 2 years, $3 million

Dave Martinez played on four difference major league teams last season, and there's a reason for that: he's not very good.  The Braves understandably want a platoon partner for BJ Surhoff, but the Braves had any number of better options than Martinez.  For less money, they could have signed a minor league free agent, or called up a player from their own minor league system, and that player would most likely hit better than Martinez.  For a similar price, they could have signed Rich Becker, who is a much better hitter. But most of all, the Braves have now lost out on Mike Hampton, Mike Mussina, and perhaps Alex Rodriguez.  If they're not going to spend money on a large free agent contract, that money should be going into their problem areas - first base and left field.  Dave Martinez is a stop-gap solution, but the Braves need a real fix.

Triple Steal Rating: Out


Braves Team Page
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TripleSteal Rating Scale:
Grand Slam - A can't miss move; automatically makes the team considerably better.
Home Run -
A great move; will help the team now and down the road.
Triple -
A good move; plugs a temporary hole or will help in the future.
Double -
An average move; team will get what they paid for.
Single -
A head-scratcher; could help, but we definitely don't see how.
Out -
A panic move; tells fans "hey, we're trying..."
Double Play -
A disaster; will make fans angry just thinking about it.

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