The Future of the Braves (Shortstop Edition)

Update: Victory! I figured out how to make series such as this easier to find. In the right side under "Rumination Series", you can click on "Future of the Braves" to find all the articles pertaining to this. I'll do the same for future series and important blogs.

Stupid Ryan Church.

At this point, the Braves situation at short seems to be locked in for the next four seasons, but my question becomes should the Braves trade Escobar? Let me explain why.

Yunel Escobar has been a great player for the Braves this season. He's hit .286/.357/.388 with 8 HR, 55 RBI, 22 2B, and 64 R. Although the power numbers (or even the doubles) are down, Escobar is still hitting above-average for most major-league players, and with another year under his belt, he should be even better next season. Defensively, he has a great arm, although he still uses it in bad situations (leadng to his 14 errors), and great range. He does make some errors, but I think he makes up for those by making plays other shortstops couldn't. This guy could be very good for the next five to ten years, and he may even make a few All-Star Games if his power increases somewhat.

In AAA, the next best solution is Brent Lillibridge. At 24, he's a year younger than Escobar. As I stated in the "Second Baseman Edition", he's had an off year. Hopefully, this is just a bump in the road, and during his callup this month, he could prove an awful lot. He has the arm and range to play short in the major leagues, and he could plausibly be as good or better (in terms of power especially) of a hitter than Yunel. Maybe. That's the tough part. Do you trade Escobar because you'll get quite a bit back when you know you have a good replacement?

In High-A Myrtle Beach, Brandon Hicks is an interesting, although not particularly promising player. On the year, he's .234/.335/.480 with 19 HR, 56 RBI, and 23 2B. Obviously, he doesn't hit particularly well, and his stats were similar when he moved up to Mississippi to take the place of an injured player. What makes him interesting is his power and walk totals. If that average and strikeouts (122) improve, he could be a good player, but that's easier said than done.

There aren't too many options in the system for shortstop. It's really just a bunch of average, unspectacular guys. So do the Braves trade Escobar? On one hand, absolutely not. He's done so well, is so young, and should only get better. On the other hand, his value may be big enough to return something needed, like pitching or power. It's a tough decision. I really like Lillibridge, and I would like to see him in the lineup next season. However, I'd rather see Johnson go.