The Atlanta Braves' acquisition of Dan Uggla, once hailed as a steal by executives across Major League Baseball, has become a burden. Uggla, a 31-year old two-time All-Star, was expected to provide the middle-of-the-order pop that the Braves lineup has been lacking for years. However, as Braves fans are well aware, Uggla has struggled tremendously through the season's first 60 games, batting just .172 with only 7 homeruns.
When Atlanta traded utility infielder Omar Infante and reliever Mike Dunn to Florida in November in exchange for Uggla, the move was widely considered a coup for the Braves. Despite hitting a career-high .321 for Braves in 2010, Infante was not considered an integral part of the team's future. Dunn, a hard-throwing lefty with closer potential, was not likely to see any late-inning action in a bullpen that already boasted Craig Kimbrel and Jonny Venters. Uggla, meanwhile, had hit more than 30 homeruns each of the last 4 seasons and was considered one of the premier power-hitting infielders in baseball.
Uggla, whose contract was set to expire after the 2011 season, signed a 5-year, $62 million extension with Atlanta in January. The Braves' long-term financial commitment to Uggla, coupled with his struggles at the plate, leaves the team with no option but to hope he finds a way to hit out of this extended slump. Uggla's age and exorbitant salary make him virtually untradeable. The lack of major-league-ready second base prospects in Atlanta's farm system leads me to believe that the Braves are stuck, for better or worse, with Uggla as their second baseman for the foreseeable future.
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