2009 Atlanta Braves

[Speedy]

Re: 2009 Atlanta Braves

For everyone saying that this offseason has been a disaster, I remind you that the same was said last year (in fact the Braves were labeled as having had the worst offseason last year) and it turned out to be a pretty good offseason.

I would say decent off-season as some of those moves have crippled us this year. Let's review some of those transactions though, SF.

Derek Lowe: I always thought he'd be a good fit but disappointing season especially given the monster contract

Schafer: GM Wren tried to have him win the CF job w/only 50 ABs (I'm not sure of the exact number but it was very low) above A-ball...the wrist injury did hamper him but nonetheless still needs a lot of seasoning

Norton: was re-signed and for some reason never got released at any point during the season, pretty much wasting a spot on the 25-man...why?!?

Garret Anderson: simply a stopgap, took a while to get acclimated to the NL along with his quad injury...not necessarily a disappointment as most know his career was on a downswing but only helped the offense for about a month [that .303 OBP being behind McCann was horrible while LaRoche was continually being placed in the 7th hole]

Javy Vazquez: traded by the White Sox for 4 prospects who didn't really fit in our system (the biggest being catcher Flowers would be hindered by McCann)...obvious success

Glavine/Smoltz: albeit both are in the far twighlight of their careers, the PR and front office handling of their situations was horrible, especially how Tommy was treated.

O'Flaherty: good waiver-wire pickup, very solid reliever

Kawakami: bust...nothing else to really say; too much money given for too old of an MLB unproved player. 3-yr/$23M for a 5th SP

Ross: 2-year deal, very solid player with some pop

[tonybologna]

Re: 2009 Atlanta Braves

For everyone saying that this offseason has been a disaster, I remind you that the same was said last year (in fact the Braves were labeled as having had the worst offseason last year) and it turned out to be a pretty good offseason.

Yeah, that's right but you have to agree these recent moves are really questionable at least but down right stupid it appears. We have done this to shy away from the money. That's the only real obvious sign for what's going on.

I know Vazquez has been traded/swapped teams quite a few times but we had one of the best pitchers in the game with him. We had $11.5 to pay him this coming season & we wanted to give that responsibility to some other team. That's how we work far too many times.

We could have used him at least until the All-Star break & then if we really wanted to trade him then get more in return than we did. Heck, I wouldn't trade Vazquez no matter what. I mean he's one of the best like I said. How could we not use him as the anchor of our rotation?

Yeah, we have Jurrjens & Hanson as two solid young guys that should be in the rotation for quite some time but knowing how we work then that's not even a given. Vazquez is the guy we needed as our anchor but we as always think otherwise. Could we not afford to pay him the money at least through this coming season? If we didn't want to pay him then WHY MAKE THE MOVE TO GET HIM FROM THE WHITE SOX TO START WITH?

Why do we want to get rid of the money all the time? I mean it's crazy over the past few years. I'm surprised with the $ Chipper is owed we don't even consider getting rid of his contract to other teams. If Chipper is ever traded from the Braves I'm done with the people making these decisions.

I'll be a Braves fan til I die but we don't have to stand for all these stupid & crazy moves they continue to make.

[Tomahawk]

Re: 2009 Atlanta Braves

Offseason rankings so far ......

Catcher - Still got one of the best in McCann and the one area that isn't worse than last year.

Infield - Worse than 2009. LaRoche is not resigned and there is a huge whole at 1b. Kelly Johnson was cut loose after having one bad year in the last 3 because he would cost too much in arbitration.

Outfield - Worse than 2009. Ryan Church and Garret Anderson both were dumped. They were replaced by Melky Cabrera who might be better than Church, but will probably not put up numbers much better than Anderson. If Heyward is the real deal and ready out of Spring Training then the Melk Man is a possible platoon option in LF with Matt Diaz.

Rotation - Worse than 2009. Gave away Javier Vazquez, their top starter, for nothing that really helps them this year. Kept the underwhelming, but overpaid Derek Lowe and basically locked up a spot in the rotation for Kenshin Kawakami.

Bullpen - Older and Worse than 2009. Replaced Rafael Soriano and Mike Gonzalez with the significantly older duo of Billy Wagner and Takashi Saito when it really wouldn't have cost that much more to keep Soriano and Gonzalez. Wagner and Saito are both pushing 40 and Wagner is coming back from arm surgery. All Soriano and Gonzalez did was combine for 150 innings, 157 appearances, 6 wins, 37 saves, and 192 K's with a 2.70 ERA and 1.13 WHIP.

Gonzalez and Soriano combined salary for this year is $13 million while Wagner and Saito will be making $10.2 million. I'll take the guys who are each 8 years younger for an extra $2.8 million. The Braves are paying Wagner almost the exact same thing the Orioles signed Gonzalez for this offseason. Wagner pitched well in the 17 games he pitched in 2009, but can he hold up all of 2010?

Boone Logan for Michael Dunn. What a joke that tradeoff is there. Both are lefties and Dunn is older, but he has made 160 less major league appearances. However, the Braves are trying to spin it that Dunn is some kind of prospect.

Front Office - Worse than 2009. Wren is still the GM, but scouting director Roy Clark left to join the National's front office. If you don't think this is a major loss then you need to check to see who has been a big part of the drafts and minor league system for the last 10 or so years. The Braves have developed some talent despite the decline in the big league club.

The Braves because of Frank Wren and Liberty Media are turning into a giant train wreck. With these moves are they any closer to catching the Phillies? If the Mets sign Bay and return healthy are the Braves even as good as them? Are the Braves right now any better than the Marlins?

[jt45]

Re: 2009 Atlanta Braves

Both are lefties and Dunn is older, but he has made 160 less major league appearances.

Wrong. Dunn is 10 months younger than Logan. Not trying to bicker, just point out a mistake.



The Braves are close to signing Troy Glaus according to Ken Rosenthal. I like this move a lot. In 2008, Glaus his .270/.372/.483 and drove in 99 runs with 27 homers. Thats about what we will get out of Chipper, hopefully.

I would still like to see us make a run at another outfielder, whether that be via trade or free agency. I'm just not sure that Wren will do it.

[tonybologna]

Re: 2009 Atlanta Braves

Offseason rankings so far ......

Catcher - Still got one of the best in McCann and the one area that isn't worse than last year.

Infield - Worse than 2009. LaRoche is not resigned and there is a huge whole at 1b. Kelly Johnson was cut loose after having one bad year in the last 3 because he would cost too much in arbitration.

Outfield - Worse than 2009. Ryan Church and Garret Anderson both were dumped. They were replaced by Melky Cabrera who might be better than Church, but will probably not put up numbers much better than Anderson. If Heyward is the real deal and ready out of Spring Training then the Melk Man is a possible platoon option in LF with Matt Diaz.

Rotation - Worse than 2009. Gave away Javier Vazquez, their top starter, for nothing that really helps them this year. Kept the underwhelming, but overpaid Derek Lowe and basically locked up a spot in the rotation for Kenshin Kawakami.

Bullpen - Older and Worse than 2009. Replaced Rafael Soriano and Mike Gonzalez with the significantly older duo of Billy Wagner and Takashi Saito when it really wouldn't have cost that much more to keep Soriano and Gonzalez. Wagner and Saito are both pushing 40 and Wagner is coming back from arm surgery. All Soriano and Gonzalez did was combine for 150 innings, 157 appearances, 6 wins, 37 saves, and 192 K's with a 2.70 ERA and 1.13 WHIP.

Gonzalez and Soriano combined salary for this year is $13 million while Wagner and Saito will be making $10.2 million. I'll take the guys who are each 8 years younger for an extra $2.8 million. The Braves are paying Wagner almost the exact same thing the Orioles signed Gonzalez for this offseason. Wagner pitched well in the 17 games he pitched in 2009, but can he hold up all of 2010?

Boone Logan for Michael Dunn. What a joke that tradeoff is there. Both are lefties and Dunn is older, but he has made 160 less major league appearances. However, the Braves are trying to spin it that Dunn is some kind of prospect.

Front Office - Worse than 2009. Wren is still the GM, but scouting director Roy Clark left to join the National's front office. If you don't think this is a major loss then you need to check to see who has been a big part of the drafts and minor league system for the last 10 or so years. The Braves have developed some talent despite the decline in the big league club.

The Braves because of Frank Wren and Liberty Media are turning into a giant train wreck. With these moves are they any closer to catching the Phillies? If the Mets sign Bay and return healthy are the Braves even as good as them? Are the Braves right now any better than the Marlins?

That's a great post & points well made.

The Braves are close to signing Troy Glaus according to Ken Rosenthal. I like this move a lot. In 2008, Glaus his .270/.372/.483 and drove in 99 runs with 27 homers.

I'm not for it at all. Glaus is another one of those washed up has beens. Again, we can get him cheap in comparison to others like we always try to do. I'd like to have DeRosa back in a Braves uni myslef. He's versatile & can play multiple positions.

The problem is with our cheap butts we will not wanna pay him the estimated $6 million/year salary he's deserving. "CHEAP CHEAP OR STUPID MOVES"! should be a sign on the Braves front office window.

[jt45]

Re: 2009 Atlanta Braves

I'd like to have DeRosa back in a Braves uni myslef. He's versatile & can play multiple positions.

I like Derosa as much as the next guy, but he isn't the answer to Atlanta's problems. At best he's a .270 hitter and he's never had more than 21 homers and 87 RBI's and that's playing everyday, something he wouldn't do in Atlanta.

Versatility is nice, but last time I checked we have two guys on our bench already that are pretty damn versatile in Infante and Prado. No need to sacrifice some power just to add a guy that could play a few positions.

Also, please don't chime in with "Derosa is an 'Atlanta guy', we need to bring him home". I don't buy that either. If healthy, Glaus can help this team offensively, more so than Derosa. There is no reason to think he isn't given the time since his surgery and the fact that it has been well-documented this morning that Atlanta's brass has done a more than thorough study of his medical history.

Don't confuse me as someone that thinks Glaus is a savior. We could still use someone like Nady or Marlon Byrd to throw out in the outfield, but we are better off today than we were yesterday.

[Sportsforever]

Re: 2009 Atlanta Braves

Well, Glaus signed a one year deal today. Not a bad move if he stays healthy.

As for DeRosa, he'll be 35 this year. I think his few best days are behind him. I wouldn't want us sinking money into him at this point...

[tonybologna]

Re: 2009 Atlanta Braves

I like Derosa as much as the next guy, but he isn't the answer to Atlanta's problems. At best he's a .270 hitter and he's never had more than 21 homers and 87 RBI's and that's playing everyday, something he wouldn't do in Atlanta.

Versatility is nice, but last time I checked we have two guys on our bench already that are pretty damn versatile in Infante and Prado. No need to sacrifice some power just to add a guy that could play a few positions.

Also, please don't chime in with "Derosa is an 'Atlanta guy', we need to bring him home". I don't buy that either. If healthy, Glaus can help this team offensively, more so than Derosa. There is no reason to think he isn't given the time since his surgery and the fact that it has been well-documented this morning that Atlanta's brass has done a more than thorough study of his medical history.

Don't confuse me as someone that thinks Glaus is a savior. We could still use someone like Nady or Marlon Byrd to throw out in the outfield, but we are better off today than we were yesterday.

I didn't call DeRosa an "Atlanta guy". I was just saying this is where he got his career started. This is all opinions & we all have one but I don't like the Glaus signing either. I think DeRosa being a utility player is a much better choice than Glaus as our 1B.

If Glaus comes in & has a solid season then so be it but personally I don't care for it just like a lot of other moves we make. What happened in the past couple years makes you think Glaus will come in & perform? I just don't see it nor as for him being the fit for Atlanta at 1B.

As for DeRosa, he'll be 35 this year. I think his few best days are behind him. I wouldn't want us sinking money into him at this point...

Glaus is 33 & not exactly a spring chicken with injury problems. You wanna compare ages here to DeRosa with the signing of Glaus? Glaus can be considered washed up while DeRosa isn't in that category just yet. DeRosa has very little injury problems while Glaus is coming off shoulder surgery.

How can Glaus be considered a better signing than a DeRosa at this point in their careers? Neither one is gonna be a "saviour" but I'd prefer a utility player with some pop than an injury plagued washed up has been. Again, this is just my honest opinion so don't think I'm trying to be difficult. Thanks!

[Sportsforever]

Re: 2009 Atlanta Braves

I didn't call DeRosa an "Atlanta guy". I was just saying this is where he got his career started. This is all opinions & we all have one but I don't like the Glaus signing either. I think DeRosa being a utility player is a much better choice than Glaus as our 1B.

If Glaus comes in & has a solid season then so be it but personally I don't care for it just like a lot of other moves we make. What happened in the past couple years makes you think Glaus will come in & perform? I just don't see it nor as for him being the fit for Atlanta at 1B.

Glaus is 33 & not exactly a spring chicken with injury problems. You wanna compare ages here to DeRosa with the signing of Glaus? Glaus can be considered washed up while DeRosa isn't in that category just yet. DeRosa has very little injury problems while Glaus is coming off shoulder surgery.

How can Glaus be considered a better signing than a DeRosa at this point in their careers? Neither one is gonna be a "saviour" but I'd prefer a utility player with some pop than an injury plagued washed up has been. Again, this is just my honest opinion so don't think I'm trying to be difficult. Thanks!

I guess I just like the upside of Glaus when healthy vs. DeRosa. Even Glaus' season two years ago was better than DeRosa's best year.

[Tomahawk]

Re: 2009 Atlanta Braves

Wrong. Dunn is 10 months younger than Logan. Not trying to bicker, just point out a mistake.

You're right there. Logan was born in August of 1984 while Dunn was born in May of 1985. For all intents and purposes they will both be 25 years old for most of the 2010 season with Logan has vastly more experience.

[Tomahawk]

Re: 2009 Atlanta Braves

I guess I just like the upside of Glaus when healthy vs. DeRosa. Even Glaus' season two years ago was better than DeRosa's best year.

I really feel like they have to make an effort to sign DeRosa with the fragile bodies at first and third. I'm sure they can get DeRosa 400 AB's between time at 1b, 3b, lf, and rf.

[Tomahawk]

Re: 2009 Atlanta Braves

I think this article is excellent and it sums up my feelings very well:

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=9874

[jt45]

Re: 2009 Atlanta Braves

I really feel like they have to make an effort to sign DeRosa with the fragile bodies at first and third. I'm sure they can get DeRosa 400 AB's between time at 1b, 3b, lf, and rf.

I would definitely be in favor of adding Derosa as someone to serve as a back-up at 3b/1b/corner OF.

[Tomahawk]

Re: 2009 Atlanta Braves

Read somewhere on ajc.com that Glaus' base salary is only $2 million plus incentives. Seems like there would be some cash leftover for DeRosa, Nady, Dye, or someone. Maybe we shouldn't have hit the button to trade Soriano so soon either.

[tonybologna]

Re: 2009 Atlanta Braves

Read somewhere on ajc.com that Glaus' base salary is only $2 million plus incentives. Seems like there would be some cash leftover for DeRosa, Nady, Dye, or someone. Maybe we shouldn't have hit the button to trade Soriano so soon either.

Yeah, you watch & see. We're gonna miss both Soriano & Gonzalez! We have replaced them with 40 year old virgins. Ooops, I meant veterans. Just a little fun to enlighten what I think is a crazy situation.

BTW, I'm surprised we didn't try to get back Scott Thorman for 1B after all the stupid moves we continue to make. Plus, we could've saved even more money with Thorman. The league minimum for Thorman compared to $2 million for Glaus. I'm shocked we didn't pull that off.