I don't think the Buck signing is a great move, but they were looking to replace a portion of the pop lost by Uggla and did so at a position thats also difficult to find adequate hitters. The Braves deal is much the same, and they picked up a potentially dominant relief pitcher albeit with his share of issues. I don't think Buck will show produce over the next three years relative to the money he's making but there's likely more to this story. This wouldn't be my choice of decisions but it's arguable.

The team had to move Uggla or let him go during free agency and it was going to look terrible in the media given their history for firesales. The Buck move erases a portion of that attention and shows a commitment to winning during the crunch time for season ticket deposits in the new stadium amidst a terrible economy. They can't afford to turn people off this team (again).