Atlanta Braves: Matt Adams Acquisition Looks Like A Home-Run
By W. M. Lawson
The Atlanta Braves received devastating news last week when All-Star 1st Baseman, Freddie Freeman, was lost for 3-5 months. A recent trade, though, has folks feeling optimistic.
When a team is going through a total rebuild, is trying to fill seats in a brand new stadium, and imploring fans to buy in to the “process”, losing the face of your franchise for multiple months is as bad as it gets. The loss of Freddie Freeman can’t and won’t be underestimated here. It was devastating. A deft trade, though, has folks feeling a little better about 1st Base for our Atlanta Braves.
The immediate response upon hearing the news of Freeman’s imminent absence was to look around the clubhouse, and farm system, and say “who do we have?”. There are dudes in the minors who play 1st Base, but aren’t ready. There are dudes who play other positions who are with the big club currently, but who are either needed in their current role, or aren’t good enough at 1st to play every day without hurting the club. Especially, with the common errant throws from the novice Dansby Swanson and the ongoing platoon at 3rd.
1st Base is too important a position on the field to hide deficiencies. Chances are if you have a bad 1st Baseman, you have a bad ball club.
Very surprisingly, and very excitingly, the Atlanta Braves Front Office pulled off a trade for Matt Adams with the St. Louis Cardinals 5 or 6 days ago, and the move, frankly, looks brilliant.
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First, Adams is a true 1st Baseman….not an athlete trying to fill in. He’s a big target on the bag and a big bat at the plate. That second part is also key. One thing the Braves had been missing for a while is a power bat off the bench. Assuming Freeman comes back at some point, Adams gives Atlanta much needed force as a pinch hitter.
The truth is Adams has already made a difference. In four games played for the Braves, he’s hitting .333 (6 of 18) with 2 HR and 4 RBI. He already has a walk off game winning hit.
There is no way to replace what Freeman was doing. Dude was playing at a career high level, and was arguably the best 1st Baseman in MLB. But the Adams acquisition has proved valuable, and seems to have buttressed and solidified what was a dire situation.
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If Atlanta’s Front Office keeps making moves like this one, folks might just start buying in to that “process” we keep hearing about.