The Falcons released left tackle Sam Baker. The Braves sent down catcher Christian Bethancourt.
They are teams in different sports, each with different expectations for drafted players. But the transactions remind me of something former Packers GM Ron Wolf always used to say: When you make a mistake, don’t fail to correct it because of pride. Better to admit the mistake as soon as feasible, take the PR hit, and then try to correct it because keeping around a mistake will only make it worse.
The Braves don’t want that to happen with Bethancourt, so they are acknowledging he may not be the top prospect once imagined (a task made easier because new Braves boss John Hart has no connection to Bethancourt). It took way too long for the Falcons to admit that Baker not only isn’t their franchise left tackle but isn’t even a starter they can count on.
It's too easy to look back to the 2008 draft and fault Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff for selecting Baker and not some other player drafted later who became a better pro. Such second-guessing can be done with lots of picks in lots of drafts. Even the best GMs miss on their projections of which college stars will become good pros.
The Falcons needed a left tackle and Dimitroff decided Baker was his guy. Where Dimitroff really stepped in it was the decision in 2013 to give Bake a six–year, $41.1 million contract that included $14.25 million guaranteed. It wasn’t an outrageous deal by NFL left tackle standards but, by then, Baker already had shown he wasn’t a durable pro just like he wasn’t durable in college.
Baker had two pretty good years when healthy and Dimitroff invested in him as if he would be the cornerstone for years to come. Two injury-riddled seasons and one Dan Quinn hire later, Baker is on the street and the Falcons are taking a $9.2 million cap hit.
It’s not a good look for the Braves that Bethancourt has struggled so badly that they had to send him back to the minors. The Braves covered themselves with Bethancourt by signing catcher A.J. Pierzynski in case the young catcher isn’t ready. Bethancourt is not ready.
Now that it’s obvious he’s not a polished defensive ace it will be interesting to see how long the Braves will leave him in the minors to work on his game. There's still time for him to shine. But it's better for the Braves to admit he's not getting it done now rather than keep him around and let it become a bigger issue later.
Just ask the Falcons.
