Braves release Dan Uggla
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Dan Uggla's abysmal tenure with the Atlanta Braves has come to an end after three and a half seasons.
The Braves have released 2B Dan Uggla. A corresponding roster move will be made prior to tonight's game.
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) July 18, 2014
The news comes days after the team suspended Uggla one game for showing up late to a game against the Chicago Cubs on July 12.
Uggla, 34, signed with the Braves in 2011 after five solid seasons with the Miami Marlins where he was a perennial 30 home run hitter and finished in the top 20 for National League MVP honors in 2010.
Following his breakout season in 2010, Uggla opted to test the market and signed a 5-year, $62 million contract with the Braves.
His first season in Atlanta, however, saw his on-base-percentage fall by more than 50 points and his strikeouts increase, a trend that continued for the next three seasons.
| Year | Home Runs | Strikeouts | OBP |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 36 | 156 | 0.311 |
| 2012 | 19 | 168 | 0.348 |
| 2013 | 22 | 171 | 0.309 |
| 2014 | 2 | 40 | 0.241 |
Uggla started the season as the team's everyday second baseman but has been used primarily as a pinch-hitter since the end of May.
The money owed to him for the rest of this season and next, and an alarming decrease in productivity made him virtually impossible to trade.
#Braves owe Uggla $5M-plus this season and $13M next season.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 18, 2014