BOSTON – When they Braves brought prospect Tommy La Stella to the major leagues on Wednesday, they didn't do it to have him sit and watch. The plan is for him to get most of the starts at second base for a while, to give him an opportunity to show he's ready.
And so, whither Dan Uggla?
“I’ll give (La Stella) a chance and pop Danny in there every once in a while,” Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said.
Uggla is on pace for a third consecutive career-worst season, batting .177 with two homers, 10 RBIs and a .511 on-base plus slugging percentage, after batting .179 with 22 homers and a .671 OPS in 2013.
Uggla still is owed more than $21 million, including the rest of his $13 million salary this season and a $13 million salary in 2015, the final season of the five-year, $62 million contract extension he got after the Braves traded for him prior to the 2010 season.
Uggla will remain with the Braves for now, as they continue looking to make a trade with any team that might be willing to pay at least a small portion of his remaining salary. They’ve looked for some time now and haven’t found one.
If they don’t find an interested suitor in the next month or two, the Braves will likely bite the bullet and eat his remaining salary. The most salary they’ve ever paid as part of a deal for a player to leave was $10 million for Derek Lowe to go to Cleveland in a trade with a year left on his four-year, $60 million contract.
Uggla lost the starting job in early May and has made only three starts in the past 20 games including Wednesday, when La Stella was in the lineup a few hours after being driven from Pawtucket, R.I., where the Braves’ Triple-A team was playing.
Infielder/utility man Tyler Pastornicky was sent to Gwinnett to open a roster spot for La Stella. Pastornicky hit .200 overall with a .371 OBP and one extra-base hit in 41 plate appearances. He was 5-for-27 (.185) as a second baseman and made a couple of defensive gaffes recently.
“It’s one of those bittersweet days,” Gonzalez said. “You tell one guy (Pastornicky) that he’s going to get sent down to Triple-A, and then the other guy (La Stella) comes in 10 minutes later and you tell him you’re excited for him. You know he’s done a real good job down at Triple-A. He gets on base. Give him an opportunity….
“Obviously it was a tough conversation (with Pastornicky), but I told him to go down, get some at-bats, play every day, and he’ll come back and help us at some point.”
Versatile veteran Ramiro Pena is 4-for-37 (.108) as a second baseman and the Braves prefer him in a utility infield role rather than in the regular lineup at one position.
