The end came in an afternoon meeting.
Dan Uggla was given his unconditional release Friday, putting an abrupt end to the Braves career of the long-struggling second baseman.
The saga had become ever more uncomfortable in recent weeks, with first a benching and then a one-game suspension in what turned out to be his last game as a Brave. Uggla, who hit .162 this season, has 1 1/2 years and $19 million remaining on the five-year contract he got from the Braves in 2010.
Uggla met with general manager Frank Wren, assistant general manager Bruce Manno and manager Fredi Gonzalez hours before the Braves hosted the Phillies in the first game back from the All-Star break.
“We came out of the break and we are in first place and when we looked at our club this was a difficult decision for everyone,” Wren said. “It was difficult not only because the quality of the person involved in Dan and the way he went about his business and how hard he works. But at the same time we feel like we need to give Fredi additional pieces to manage on that bench. This was, we felt, the appropriate time.”
Uggla, 34, likely will clear waivers Sunday afternoon. He is then free to sign with another team with the Braves obligated to pay his remaining salary. It is nearly twice the amount they have ever paid to cut ties with a player. They paid $10 million of Derek Lowe’s $15 million salary when he was traded to Cleveland following the 2011 season.
Uggla had just two home runs and 40 strikeouts in 145 plate appearances this season. He was replaced in the lineup when the Braves called up Tommy La Stella from Triple-A on May 28. Uggla made just two starts thereafter.
Since hitting two home runs at Philadelphia on April 14, Uggla batted .129 (11-for-85) with one extra-base hit (double) and no RBIs in his last 36 games, with eight walks, 26 strikeouts and six errors. He was 1-for-20 with eight strikeouts since May 23.
Gonzalez essentially has managed with a 24-man roster since the benching of Uggla, who could not play another position and was 0-for-10 as a pinch-hitter.
“It was a baseball decision,” said Gonzalez, who managed Uggla both with the Marlins and the Braves. “I talked to Danny and explained to him. To use one word, he was professional, like he always is and always will be. Now he goes out and can explore other opportunities. And he will. Somebody will give him a chance. We wish him the best of luck.”
The Braves have long tried to trade Uggla, and Wren said those efforts increased in the past month when the club began considering the move.
“We got to a point where we realized this was our only avenue,” Wren said.
The Braves traded for Uggla in 2010 after he hit .263 and averaged nearly 31 home runs and 93 RBIs during his first five major league seasons with the Marlins. They gave him a five-year, $62 million contract extension, briefly making him the highest-paid second baseman in baseball.
Uggla hit .209 with a .317 OBP and a .391 slugging percentage in just over 3 1/2 seasons for the Braves while totaling 79 homers and 225 RBIs in 499 games. He had a career-low 19 homers in 2012 and career lows in average (.179), OBP (.309), slugging (.362) and RBIs (55) in 2013. He has 535 strikeouts in 1,701 at-bats for the Braves.
Despite his struggles, Uggla remained a popular teammate.
“I think everybody would say he’s probably one of our favorite teammates, and he’s definitely going to be missed in this clubhouse,” Freddie Freeman said. “Wherever he goes, that team is going to be lucky to have him.
“He’s the ultimate professional. He came in here every single day even though he wasn’t playing and worked hard, did everything he needed to do just to be ready for when his name was called and that’s why it’s a tough day for all of us in this clubhouse.”
The Braves re-called Tyler Pastornicky to fill Uggla’s roster spot.
About the Author
