Derek Lowe was convinced the Braves were about to trade him two winters ago, and it didn't happen. The Braves traded Javier Vazquez instead. Now that his name has resurfaced in trade speculation, he's not as fazed.
Lowe had a little fun with a Saturday report that his native Detroit Tigers had expressed interested in trading for him.
“Detroit,” the Dearborn, Mich. native announced to teammates when he arrived in the Braves clubhouse, drawing some mock applause. “Hey, I’m going to the American League.”
The 38-year-old Lowe can make light perhaps because he's so well-traveled, having played for the Mariners, Red Sox, Dodgers and Braves.
“It’s this time of year,” Lowe said. “There’s a lot of people’s names [that] get thrown around….You have no say so. Why stress over something that you have no control over?”
He understands why his name is among them now.
“People say we may need a hitter and we have a lot of pitching and I make money,” Lowe said. “So it’s kind of obvious why you’re named. And we have a lot of good young pitchers.”
The Braves are listening, but any talks are in the early stages and no offers have been made for Lowe, according to a person familiar with the situation who did not want to be identified due to the sensitivity of the discussions.
The Braves could trade Lowe and clear salary to pursue a big-name hitter, and insert Mike Minor or Julio Teheran into the rotation.
The trade deadline is July 31.
BP the next step for Chipper
As Chipper Jones continues to progress from arthroscopic knee surgery, he hasn't ruled out the possibility he could rejoin the Braves in Cincinnati on July 24. The third baseman, who missed the All-Star Game due to the procedure, is eligible to come off the disabled list on the final day of the upcoming road trip against the Rockies and Reds.
“It depends on how good I feel,” Jones said before Sunday’s series-finale against the Nationals. “If I have absolutely no doubt, no pain and no restrictions, yes I would fly up there. If I have the least little bit doubt in my mind, I’m not quite right yet, I will wait the extra time.”
Jones continued the rehabilitation on the right knee by playing soft toss Sunday. He hopes to take live batting practice soon, but that may have to wait until the team is gone.
“I feel like I could take live BP [today] but they are going to bring me along slow,” Jones said. “Once they get out of town, they can’t see what I’m doing.”
Jones said he did not know if he would ease into taking live batting practice with Triple-A Gwinnett. He is likely to go on a minor-league rehabilitation assignment but does not intend to play in more than two games.
Relievers need work
A baseball manager can walk a narrow line when it comes to the use of his relief pitchers.
Braves left-hander Jonny Venters has been on both sides of that line recently.
Earlier this month manager Fredi Gonzalez rested the oft-used Venters for three days. He still led all major league relievers with 51 appearances at the all-star break. Closer Craig Kimbrel entered Sunday's game fourth with 47 games and Eric O'Flaherty was tied for fifth with 46.
Until his appearance Sunday, Venters last pitched on July 9. He did work two-thirds of an inning in last week’s All-Star game.
“You also don’t want them to go seven, eight, nine days without pitching,” Gonzalez said. “There is a fine line and you have to get those guys in there.”
Venters didn’t want to wait that long either.
“There is definitely a point where you get too much rest and then you get out there in the game and your timing is off a little bit or you are not as locked in as you want to be,” Venters said. “You get off a few days, but then you want to start trying to get us in there.”
The entire back end of the bullpen pitched Sunday with O’Flaherty working the seventh inning, Venters the eighth and Kimbrel the ninth for the win. They held the Nationals scoreless, allowing one hit and striking out four.
Cox to be honored
The Triple-A Gwinnett Braves will hold Bobby Cox night Monday to honor the former Atlanta Braves manager. The first 3,000 fans at Coolray Field will receive a Bobby Cox figurine as the G-Braves host Louisville at 7:05 p.m. Cox is scheduled to be in attendance.
Staff writer David O’Brien contributed to this report.
