OK, we’re the Braves’ decision maker and we’re two months in. We have a pretty good handle on where the strengths and weaknesses of our club lie.

Coming out of spring training, there are three basic questions – are we going to pitch enough, are we (to use Bobby Cox’s phrase) going to catch enough, and are we going to field enough.

Considering that the Braves got almost nothing out of the fifth spot in the rotation until Kris Medlen’s last start, you’ve got to say that the pitching, both bullpen and rotation, have been very good. Lowe and Vazquez are good and durable, Jurrjens should be (but won’t be) an all-star, and Kawakami, after discovering that a high 90 mph fastball may be a fly-ball out back home but is a meatball in the Great American Ballpark, has looked like a keeper most of the season. The bullpen, except for Buddy Carlyle, is somewhere between good (Bennett) and great (Soriano, O’Flaherty). Could this pitching staff win a World Series? Yes.

Defensively, McCann has improved (especially throwing) and Ross is terrific. The infield is near-Gold Glove, from Kotchman to Chipper to Infante to Escobar to KJ to Prado (I hold KJ in higher regard than some, and I’m right. He’s a good defensive 2B, and there are plenty of metrics to show it). Other than Garret Anderson in LF, and Schafer’s puppy-dog-like pursuit of balls to the wall and beyond (maybe he and Garret should compare notes on how and when to play it off the wall), the OF defense has been solid. Could this defense win a World Series? Yes.

Hitting-wise, the Braves were counting on a lot. IF Kotchman can get back to 2007 (he more or less has), IF KJ and Escobar can continue to develop (they have), IF McCann can continue his – well, excellence – (he has), if Chipper can stay REASONABLY healthy (he has), if Anderson and Diaz can contribute in LF (meh) if Francoeur can bounce back from his epic 2008 fail (Ugh), and if Schafer can hit big league pitching (double ugh). Could this offense win a World Series? No. In fact, it won’t allow the team to make it to the playoffs.

So there, in a nutshell, is the challenge. There needs to be a certain “critical mass” in a lineup and this group doesn’t have it. Schafer just isn’t ready. The top third of the order is adequate but slow, the middle third lacks power and bottom third of the order is a black hole. We need a power/speed guy, maybe a 30/30 type, who can defend in CF and doesn’t cost much and whom we control for a few years.

Nate McLouth, anyone?

Even if you think more of Charlie Morton, Jeff Locke and Gorkys Hernandez than I do, you cannot argue with this deal. Holy schnikees! Frank Wren outdid himself here. This is as sweet – actually builds on, since Gorkys is the centerpiece – as the Detroit deal when Renteria went for Jurrjens and Gorkys. $15m for the next three years and then a reasonable club option for the fourth? For a Gold Glove All-Star 30/30 CF who is a clubhouse presence? Where do I find that deal? And IF I find it without Hanson/Medlen/Heyward/Freeman, don’t I need to take it? Bet your a$$ I do.

I understand that Ivan DeJesus-for-Ryne Sandberg happens every once in a while if you’re using your farm system to strengthen the major league club. I do. But prospects are not sure things. For every Adam Wainwright, there are five Terrell Wades, Odalis Perezes, Tim Spooneybargers, Horacio Ramirezes, and Bruce Chens. Even the Teixeira deal, which is the touchstone for the “NOT THE PROSPECTS!” crowd (a Schuerholz deal, not a Wren deal, by the way) isn’t as horrible as some remember – Saltalamacchia’s OBP in Texas is .299 and Matt Harrison’s ERA is 5.43.

So maybe Jeff Locke, whose ERA is 5.44 in single-A, harnesses his talent. Maybe Charlie Morton overcomes his Stuart Smalley problem and starts to believe he can get big league hitters out. Maybe Gorkys Hernandez eventually hits more than five dingers a year and pushes his SLG above .400. But maybe not.

Me, I’ll take Nate McLouth. Won’t even think twice about it. That skill set, that salary, age 27, proven it for a couple years now, FAcy four years away? For three maybes (not even our best maybes)? I will take that deal, I will take that deal, I will take that deal. No wonder Pirate fans are beyond aggravated. I heard Buck Showalter taking the Pirates’ management’s side of the deal last night on Baseball Tonight. Buck may have convinced somebody, but he sure didn’t convince me.

This was a steal. Now the question is – can this offense win a World Series? And the answer is – “maybe, especially if the pitching’s good and Francoeur and Anderson come around a little bit more.” And that’s a better place than where the Braves were yesterday.

Who cares if Tom Glavine didn’t get a few starts to show if he could get major league hitters out?

OK, I don’t mean to be so blunt, but I’ve been reading the usual sources, and, I’m sorry, I’m unmoved.

The only reason to sign Tom Glavine is because you think he’s going to be one of your top five guys at getting guys out. You don’t sign him for old time’s sake, you don’t sign him because you think he might develop…you make a business and baseball decision. And the Braves did. They made two, actually.

The first was when his rehab from elbow and shoulder surgery was coming along nicely but there was still risk involved that he wouldn’t be ready (recall that in February, Glavine proclaimed repeatedly that he thought he’d be ready to go on opening day) and the Braves and Glavine worked it out to where they shared the risk and made the deal.

Then came the “cranky” shoulder in spring training, and his debut was pushed to April 18. Then the setback on April 13 pushed that to, it turned out, early June. And the fact that the gun never showed more than the low 80s (Frank Wren says reports of 86 were “inaccurate”).

Meanwhile, Tommy Hanson, the Tommy that Tommy was supposed to be a bridge to, was showing his readiness for the rotation with 90 strikeouts in 66 innings and a 1.79 ERA at Gwinnett (AAA).

Taking emotion out of it, the Braves made a second decision – a cold, hard, solid baseball and business decision. The money they’re not paying Glavine allows them to pay Nate McLouth (Nate McLouth? Are you kidding me?). The young Turk coming up from Gwinnett looks, to anyone with an objective eye, like the better solution to the fifth starter job that Glavine didn’t fill.

And Tommy should understand business decisions – he made one himself a few years back when he decided to join the New York Mets for a few more shekels, leaving his family in Alpharetta and his fanbase (well, some of them, anyway) understanding but not really liking his decision.

Maybe Tommy gets a job, maybe with the Phillies or Mets – both of whom could use an effective starter right about now – and maybe he goes 7-2, 3.33 down the stretch, contributing to a pennant and shoving it right straight up the Braves’ a$$. But I don’t think so.

And hopefully, once the hurt is gone, Glavine and Wren make up, the Braves hold a Glavine Day, retire his jersey, include him in the organization as a spring training pitching instructor or something – maybe even assistant GM, he’s a damn smart guy, after all – and he and Maddux go into the Hall together as Braves. And I think that’d be great.

As for the present, there was a decision to be made and Frank Wren made it.

The Atlanta Braves have signed another starting pitcher this off season as they have agreed on a four year deal with Derrek Lowe. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is reporting that the four-year deal will be worth $60 million. All that needs to be done now is for Lowe to pass a physical and he will be the newest member of the Atlanta Braves.

Lowe, 35, has a career 126-107 record in 12 seasons with Seattle, Boston and the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Braves also announced that they have officialy signed Kenshin Kawakami to a three-year contract worth $24 million. We blogged about this signing a couple of days ago and now that Kawakami passed his physical everything is official.

The Atlanta Braves seen John Smoltz sign with the Boston Red Sox this past week and so they went out and signed Japanese pitcher Kenshin Kawakami. Kawakami has pitched the last 11 seasons in Japan’s central league and was one of the best pitchers in the league. Kawakami went 9-5 with a 2.30 ERA in 20 appearances (16 starts) and 117 1/3 innings for the Chunichi Dragons this past season. He missed nearly three weeks in September with a strained back and pitched most of the season in a six-man rotation.

The Braves are also expected to make a formal offer to free agent Derek Lowe on Monday or Tuesday. Lowe would be a great free agent pickup for the team and will make the starting rotation a lot better.

It will suck to see John Smoltz playing for the Boston Red Sox but general manager Frank Wren just couldn’t take another risk on a verteran pitcher coming off of an injury.

Braves Blog

The Braves have mostly struck out during the offseason so far as they have missed out on Jake Peavy and A.J. Burnett but it looks like they have found one free agent that they will be spending some money on. Rafael Furcal appears to be headed back to Atlanta once he passes a physical reports are saying.

Furcal was brought into the major leagues by Braves and played with the team from 2000-2005. He has kept his home in suburban Atlanta even though he has played the last couple of seasons out in Los Angeles with the Dodgers.

The contract is being rumored to be for three years with a vesting option for a fourth year. I expect it to be close to what the Oakland A’s were offering in the $10 million per year range.

Most Braves fans are now wondering what the teams plans are with Yunel Escobar and Kelly Johnson. Both of them have been rumored in past trades. I still expect Furcal to be a shortstop, and then Escobar or Johnson to play second base. The other player could be the main guy out and possibly still moved this off season for some starting pitching.

What’s your thoughts on the deal?

Atlanta Braves

The Atlanta Braves and Chicago White Sox have now officialy completed a six player trade that will send starting pitcher Javier Vazquez to the Braves along with left handed reliever Boone Logan. The Braves will be sending four players to the White Sox including shortstop Brent Lillibridge, catcher Tyler Flowers, left-handed pitcher Santos Rodriguez and third baseman Jon Gilmore

The trade was first talked about earlier in the week but the Braves wanted to have a physical and mri done on Vazquez to make sure everything was ok. That all happened on Wednesday and the trade was officialy announced Thursday morning.

“It’s a fresh start for me,” said Vazquez, who went 12-16 with a 4.67 ERA in 33 starts for the White Sox this past season. “I’ve always liked the National League more than the American League. Being able to be a part of all facets of the game is important to me.”

Atlanta Braves

The Atlanta Braves have traded relief pitcher Tyler Yates to the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for pitching prospect Todd Redmond.  Yates was out of options and couldn’t be sent back down to the minor leagues unless he would have cleared waivers, which would have never happened so the Braves got something back for him.

Redmond was a pretty good pitching prospect for the Pirates.  I’m excited to see how he does in the Braves farm system this year.

Braves Blog

Rafael Soriano and the Atlanta Braves agreed on a two year contract on Thursday.  The contract will be pay Soriano $9 million dollars.  As long as Soriano can stay healthy I think it is a pretty good deal for the Braves.  Soriano can be lights out at times, and I think he will have very good numbers as long as he stays healthy.

What do you think Braves fans?  Is it too much money for Soriano?

Braves Blog

Mark Teixeira and the Atlanta Braves were able to come to terms on a deal for 2008 that will pay Teixeira $12.5 million dollars to stay with the Braves.  While most Braves were hoping that they would agree on a long term deal, they should be happy he will still be in Atlanta for the 08 season.

I expect Teixeira to play the free agent market after the 08 season so the Braves are going to have to pony up some money to keep the big first basemen around.   Tex will be hoping for a huge year so he can cash in on the free agent market.

Braves Blog

The Atlanta Braves and Tampa Bay Rays worked out a trade Thursday evening that sent Willy Aybar and Chase Fontaine to the Rays, and in exchange the Rays sent reliever Jeff Ridgway to the Braves.

Ayber got hurt when he first started playing for the Braves and never really got into the rotation of players.  He will get a new chance down in Tampa Bay and I think it will work out very well for him.

Fontaine, the Braves’ second-round selection in the 2006 First-Year Player Draft, hit .288 with three homers in 95 games with Class A Rome this past season. This earned the 22-year-old infielder a late-season promotion to High A Myrtle Beach, where he hit .205 in just 22 games.

As for Ridgway, he will definately add some depth to the Braves bullpen which was surely needed.  Ridgway is a 27 year old lefty that appeared in 57 games in Triple A last year and compiled a 3.06 ERA.  We will see what happens with him in the bullpen for the Atlanta Braves.

Braves Blog