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2008 After a strong start, Giles went straight downhill all year long, batting .199/.283/.273 after April and losing a piece of the second-base job to Blum along the way. He's always battling injuries of some type-oblique, hip, and knee problems were on the menu in 2007-and seems to be simply unable to handle the physical demands of playing second on an everyday basis. He remained a free agent as we went to press. 2007 He disappointed many as Furcal`s replacement at the top of the order, but Giles managed to rebound in the second half, hitting .289/.361/.427 from July 1 onward. Nevertheless, the Braves did not feel Giles was worth the cost of arbitration and non-tendered him in December. Giles underperformed his expected numbers by a great deal thanks to an unusually low BABIP; chances are good he`s still in the peak period of his career, and that San Diego will get the benefit of something more than just brotherly love after signing him to an incentive-laden one-year deal. 2006 After some ouchies that caused him to miss six of the team`s first eight games, Giles was, by his own standards, the picture of health in 2005. He set a career high in games played, and if he wasn`t as productive as in his breakout season of two years ago, he wasn`t Nick Green, either. In a lineup that got sub-par production from three of the four corner positions--at least until Francoeur showed up--having a middle infielder with this kind of pop is key. He`s got a broad range of offensive skills, his defensive numbers are very good, and there`s really nothing to dislike about his game so long as he stays off the DL. 2005 Since an ankle injury and the tragic death of his infant daughter undermined his 2002 season, Giles has been one of the best second basemen in the game. In '04, he missed seven weeks with a broken collarbone (the result of a collision with Andruw Jones), but, despite the playing-time deficit, he still wound up as the fifth-best keystoner in the NL. Had he played a full season, his VORP would've been second only to Mark Loretta among all second baseman and tops over a two-year span. Even after he came off the DL his injury dampened his power stroke. He's entering what should be his prime seasons. Don't be stunned if he wins an MVP award within the next three years. 2003 Giles is in danger of becoming the new Warren Morris, except with an even more rapid descent into oblivion. A year ago, we liked him as much as anyone, and we stand by what we wrote about him at the time. Since then, however, the Braves have gotten a closer look at him and have decided, for whatever reason, that they didn’t like what they saw. As he was coming through the minors, it always was assumed that if anything would be his undoing, it would be his glove, but apparently it was more than that. He got hurt in May, and again in June. While he was on rehab, Bobby Cox announced that when he returned he’d be tried at third base and in the outfield. In light of the fact that the Braves already had an established starter at third base and all three outfield positions, it didn’t take much reading between the lines to see what Cox was saying. At the time, Keith Lockhart was playing second and batting below .200. Mark DeRosa, who had about 15 games of pro experience at second, was being given a crash course at the keystone while rehabbing an ankle injury. The premature birth and eventual death of Giles’s infant daughter might have played a part, and we don’t mean to minimize its possible effect on Giles and his play. Still, when Giles was activated in early August and apparently was ready to play, Cox hardly used him. Then, at the winter meetings the Braves shopped Giles extensively. There’s something going on here, and until it comes to light, we can’t endorse him. 2002 As good as Furcal might grow up to be, Giles is a better bet to be an offensive star at his position for the next few years. To combat concerns that Giles wasn’t going to be an adequate second baseman, the Braves had Glenn Hubbard, one of the great unheralded glove men at second base, work with him in 1998. As a result, Giles has gone from genuinely awful to adequate, with the chance to get better. His power and ability to drive the ball to all fields should make him an excellent addition to the heart of the order. For the people who have been waiting since we started touting him four years ago, it’s all good from here on out. 2001 As quickly as the Braves moved Furcal though the system, you'd think they'd show that same aggressiveness with Marcus Giles. Giles's secondary skills are great for a middle infielder, and while he doesn't look like he'd be a great fielder, he actually plays the position well. A Giles/Furcal double-play combination would be excellent as well as cheap; with Andruw Jones approaching free agency, that's important. 2000 Giles, the darling of the system in 1998, had another good year in ’99. No one noticed, thanks to the performance of Furcal and the fact that Giles’ numbers were superficially worse. As you can see above, though, the seasons were nearly identical in value. There’s still some talk of moving him to left field; he doesn’t look like a second baseman, although he clearly can play the position. The Braves could have a top-tier middle infield from 2001 through 2003 for what they’re paying Bret Boone this year. 1999 Brian Giles’ little brother registered on the prospect radar screen like a squadron of B-52s last year, doing everything right offensively: good average, plate discipline, and as much power as you will ever see from a 20-year-old. And he’s a second baseman. The Braves let him beat up on Sally league pitching all summer, which seems curious. Then again, the last Braves’ phenom to spend a whole summer in Macon was Andruw Jones, who played at four levels the next year on his way to the World Series. Giles is new to second and may not be able to handle the position in the long run, and the trade for Bret Boone is going to have him waiting anyways. But even if he has to move to left, his bat should carry him to the majors.
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