Braves sign backup SS Wilson to 1-year deal – updated
With the Braves prepared to turn over the shortstop position to a rookie with no major league experience in Tyler Pastornicky, they wanted a veteran to back him up. They filled that need Friday when they signed Jack Wilson to a one-year $1 million deal, with an additional $500,000 in incentives.
Wilson, 34, returns to the Braves after coming to them in a trade from Seattle last August 31. He said he’s glad to have a chance to make a few amends, both team-wise and personally after hitting .220 (9-for-41) with one double and one RBI in 17 games in September.
“It’s always nice, especially when a team trades for you, and they call back,” Wilson said Friday. “I really didn’t perform like I wanted, so this gives me a chance to come back and have a better year for the team and to be the guy they envisioned when they traded for me.”
Wilson was acquired last year to give the Braves a better option than Julio Lugo to back up Alex Gonzalez down the stretch. Now that Gonzalez is gone (he was non-tendered and signed with the Brewers), the Braves wanted a veteran influence to help Pastornicky.
Long before the Braves called, Wilson was already providing that. After the Braves lost to the Phillies to end the season – the one and only night of Pastornicky’s call-up – Wilson and Pastornicky got to talking about defense. Wilson invited Pastornicky to come to his home in Thousand Oaks, Calif. to work out in his backyard infield, which they plan to do early next month.
“When I first came up, I had Pat Meares who took me under his wing,” said Wilson, who broke in with the Pirates. “He’d been a major league shortstop for nine or 10 years. Now you have an opportunity to do what somebody did for you. Tyler seems like a great kid, and I’m looking forward to helping him out any way I can.”
Wilson made a name for himself as a standout defensive shortstop over his eight years with the Pirates. In more of a utility role in recent years with Seattle, he played second base, some shortstop and occasionally third. Wilson made 61 starts last year in Seattle and Atlanta: 38 at second base, 21 at shortstop and two at third base.
He’s a career .266 hitter with 61 home runs and 422 RBIs.
Braves general manager Frank Wren said Wilson had the best skill set of any of the veteran shortstops they considered.
“He still can play the position very well and has range and arm and the ability to make big plays as we saw in September,” Wren said.
The Braves took their time in signing Wilson because they wanted to explore the trade market first before ultimately deciding to go with Pastornicky as their starter.
“We had a number of trade discussion that potentially involved shortstops coming back to us,” Wren said. “In some cases it was players that could be starting shortstops and in other cases it was backups. So we wanted to take our time and evaluate how we best put our team together.”
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173 comments Add your comment
Hoosier Aaron
January 13th, 2012
4:21 pm
Good call. I thought they should’ve done that all along. Maybe Wilson was just looking for a better deal elsewhere. (That is if we thought TP could be our everyday ss.)
jzdc
January 13th, 2012
4:25 pm
World Series, here we come!!!
Felix
January 13th, 2012
4:33 pm
Now that the Braves and Frank Wren have made a really bold move, and gone out on a limb to sign Wilson, I now must completely revise my opinion on our 2012 prospects ……………we are now a cinch to win it all.
The Fillies must be trembling right now.
Will
January 13th, 2012
4:33 pm
Considering what Jack’s salary was last year ($5M)…this is not a bad signing for a defensive shortstop. There is no way the Braves wanted to go over $2M at the position.
PMC
January 13th, 2012
4:33 pm
Well, he fits what they wanted, at least he’s got a decent glove.
Let’s see guys that are past their prime that used to play for Pittsburgh, think we’ll trade for Nate McClouth again?
lolwut
January 13th, 2012
4:34 pm
Enter your comments here
PMC
January 13th, 2012
4:36 pm
It’s pretty obvious there is 0 money to spend here.
Bobby
January 13th, 2012
4:37 pm
I’m not overly superstitious, but wasn’t it right when we acquired Wilson that we started blowing the wild card
Sambo 4 Rambo
January 13th, 2012
4:47 pm
HOT DAMN!!!…………………………..Depression setting in
KBB
January 13th, 2012
4:47 pm
I hate Liberty Media
Memphis
January 13th, 2012
4:51 pm
There is nothing wrong with this. Pastornicky was going to start to begin with. They were looking for a veteran backup to begin with. Wilson is better glove than Theriot, Ronny Cedeno etc. Other names that have been linked to the Braves. Spending money just to spend money is pointless. And the trade scenarios many of you are putting out there make absolutely no sense.
Jefferson
January 13th, 2012
4:52 pm
Decent move. Provides depth. Better than Lugo or Conrad no doubt.
Looks like Braves will have same team as last year. Hopefully Jurrgens and Hanson can get 25 starts this year and be ready for postseason. This is not a bad team as it stands now. With medlan back to assist O’Ventbrel late in games. Will hae to limit them to 70-maybe 75 appearances. We’ll see a bigger move with a new owner or after 2012.
I really like for atlanta to sign bourne long term. Given the stadium this team needs some speed to offset low HR totals
Bourn
Prado
Jones
McCann
Uggla
Freeman
Heyward
Pastornicky
Ross
Hinske
Wilson
Diaz
Constanza/or IF
not bad….
Hudson
Jurrgens
Hanson
Beachy
Minor
Martinez
Medlan
O’Ventbrel
(others)
not to mention Teheran and Delgado to come up if injuries
for a 90M team, not bad
Bama Mike
January 13th, 2012
4:54 pm
Yeah Baby! Signing Jack Wilson. What a bold move. Let the beatings begin.
Max Sizemore
January 13th, 2012
4:55 pm
In his late 20s, Wilson was the top-rated defensive SS in the big leagues, according to some of the metrics used to measure fielding. I can’t imagine a better tutor for Pastornicky.
nc braves fan
January 13th, 2012
5:02 pm
I’m reserving my hotel room for playoffs in October right now! This puts us over the top!
Cosmo Kramer
January 13th, 2012
5:02 pm
STOP THE PRESSES! THIS IS HUGE!
Chipper's tank ain't empty yet
January 13th, 2012
5:03 pm
Not to be a “negative nancy” here, but seriously…. Nobody has been able to tell me why 4 months ago when the September call-ups occurred and we were told “Pastornicky is not ready yet” (and he had not sprained his ankle yet),, why, all of the sudden, is Pastornicky “ready and will be the starting shortstop next season”? Now, before you tell me about how I’m a Pastornicky hater and everything,, understand that I LOVE Pastornicky and think he SHOULD be the starter going into spring training,,,,, however,,,, why he wasn’t called up in September last season to provide speed to a sagging lineup, pop off the bench with a solid bat, and a chance to spell Alex “double play with nobody on” Gonzalez because “he wasn’t ready” but “now he’s ready” hasn’t been explained by anyone in the braves FO. The only difference between September and now has been an epic collapse and the inabilty of the Braves to sign anybody better due to payroll constraints,,, soooo,,, there’s your shortstop. Cheap, controlable, rookie, with promise, untested (which would have helped HIM AND the team last September if he WOULD have been “tested”)… Just doesn’t make sense. By the way,, for whatever it’s worth,, Good pickup of Jack Wilson on a one year deal. He plays solid defense and he hustles every play out (and I mean,, usually for an out). I’ll take a team full of guys that run hard over guys who lollygag any day. You make a million +, the least you can do is run hard….
Farnsworthy
January 13th, 2012
5:04 pm
I cry when I look at our line up.
Phillies pitchers look at it and laugh.
Mitchell
January 13th, 2012
5:06 pm
61 home runs?
That can’t be right, can it? That’s kind of impressive. He hasn’t even been around that long has he?
Funny, not the world’s greatest hitter and yet he gets a huge hit in game 162 against the Phillies to possibly extend the Braves the lead, which would have been one run greater had the game’s best base stealer not been called out at third on an attempted steal the same inning Dan Uggla hit an early tie-breaking home run, but the lead does not change as Uggla is thrown out at home due to bad base running.
And then later Wilson’s expert glove fails him and a hard hit ground ball the his misplays and is ruled an error which leads to a run scoring thus narrowing the lead down to one and of course the Phillies tied it in the 9th and we eventually ended up losing and fail to reach the playoffs on the last day of the season.
It’s never the other way around with the Braves, is it? It’s always our greatest strenths that end up being the fatal flaw in the end.
Best home record in 2010 and yet we lost both home playoff games.
I’ll stop now.
bobby
January 13th, 2012
5:09 pm
rather seen the Braves make a deal for Zorbist but beggars can’t be chooser and here’s how we could have gotten him
Tampa gets
Jairo Asencio Cory Gearrin Prado and Hicks
Braves get
Ben Zobrist Brandon Guyer Sean Rodriguez and Elliot Johnson
mikey d
January 13th, 2012
5:10 pm
Sorry folks – I like it. This was my choice all along. I think he provides the perfect fit for back up INF spots and seems like a team guy. I just wish we could have gotten a RH left fielder with some pop (Quentin, etc) In Frank we trust
Bravesfan36
January 13th, 2012
5:11 pm
I think Jack Wilson will provide what is needed. Good move, just curious as to why it took so long. Can’t wait for Spring Training. Go Braves!
Farnsworthy
January 13th, 2012
5:13 pm
To Chipper’s Tank: It is because we can’t believe anything Braves mangement tells us. I use to still believe JS, but since he wrote the now famous “Letter” promising to do everything to put the Braves in a position to compete for the WS this year—what has happened? Nothing! Zilch!!
Does anyone, anywhere, believe that with this Braves offense we can even win the NL East, much less a WS? It is called credibility and they have none. That is why so many of us have become cynical.
Jefferson
January 13th, 2012
5:13 pm
rather seen the Braves make a deal for Zorbist but beggars can’t be chooser and here’s how we could have gotten him
Tampa gets
Jairo Asencio Cory Gearrin Prado and Hicks
Braves get
Ben Zobrist Brandon Guyer Sean Rodriguez and Elliot Johnson
Never heard of this before……
PMC
January 13th, 2012
5:14 pm
oh yeah, I had blocked that error out in that game Mitchell.
Oh well. good price, decent option for what he is.
They have all but told us not to expect much this year unless EVERYTHING goes right.
I Love Liberty Media
January 13th, 2012
5:17 pm
Moves like these make me proud to be a Braves fan. I’ve waited all season long for an improvement to our ball club and boy did the wait sure pay off. Jack Wilson will put the Braves over the top and his presence in the dug out will strike fear in the hearts of the Phillies and other divisional foes. He will mentor young Pastornicky into being a HOF SS. Wilson’s coveted defensive skills will prove to be the backbone of the 2012 Braves and be a cataylst for future championships for the Atlanta Braves. Im so thankful we do not waste our time signing big named players. Jack Wilson will be an iconic figure in the Braves Hall Of Fame for bringing us our 2012 WS championship. My only wish is that our brilliant GM would have made the move sooner so that Jack Wilson ’s knowledge could have rubbed off on the Braves players. My only guess is that the knowledgeable and experienced Frank Wren wanted to build up suspense in Braves Nation and it sure worked! Go Braves and thank God for Jack Wilson!!!
Mets R Best
January 13th, 2012
5:17 pm
Wooo! Wow! Jack Wilson! You Braves really know how to pull off the big deals. Now the rest of us in the NL East and all of MLB are really scared!
Felix
January 13th, 2012
5:20 pm
I Love Liberty Media————-you really nailed it. Wilson has definitely put us over the top.
Ralph
January 13th, 2012
5:26 pm
Good move anchoring Pastronicky at SS,
l. Bourn CF
2. Constanza LF
3. Heyward RF
4. Freeman 1B
5. Uffla 2B
6. Turdo 3B
7. Pastronicky SS
8. Oberhousen C
Ready for 2013
Ron Roberts
January 13th, 2012
5:26 pm
The better-case scenario would have been re-signing Alex Gonzalez, but in our infinite wisdom we thought it would take a 2-year deal to do that, so we didn’t even apparently bother to ask, and since somebody else DID, he signed for ….
….
….
wait for it ….
….ONE year.
Brilliant move, Frank. Now we’ve downgraded at SS.
So far, I’d say the Phillies have dropped back a bit (but so have we), while the Nationals and Marlins have stepped up a bit. Going to be a tight race, I think, with the winner coming in under 92 wins and the wild card coming from somewhere else.
JG2
January 13th, 2012
5:29 pm
We are NOW set for the WS run! way to spend ATL!
—
quick look at Braves Opening Day: Atlanta Insight Blog – http://j.mp/atlod12
Let's Go
January 13th, 2012
5:37 pm
This is a really good move on the Braves part because now you have a decent SS if Pastornicky struggles but you also have a guy that can play 3B when Chipper needs a day off and by having that you won’t have to jerk Martin around or if you do end up trading Martin you now have Chippers back-up on the roster. Whatever way the Braves go from here you now have one hole filled.
Ralph
January 13th, 2012
5:39 pm
Trade Uggla, Prado, Bourn and McCann for major league ready prospects.
oldmarriedwoman
January 13th, 2012
5:46 pm
You knew we would get a washed up veteran IF to back up TP. FW and FG insistence on using washed up has been veterans is beyond me. Just because they are a veteran does not mean they are better than our minor leaguers. I would have rather they bring up the young players and let them play versus signing the wash up has been that nobody else wants. sign.
VinceVanGo
January 13th, 2012
5:54 pm
I think Pastornicky is the real thing and ready to start, but he probably won’t stay at short for long. The Braves have other real good shortstop prospects bearing down hard to make it to the majors. If Pastornicky hits, he’ll stay but probably be moved to third or the outfield, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. I love seeing these hungry kids given a chance, and it saves a bundle in the short term. I hope the Braves give their young guns a shot soon. By the way if the Orioles want Tommy Hanson for Adam Jones, I say do it, I think Hanson is in for plenty of medical problems down the road.
Lemke's Knuckler
January 13th, 2012
5:57 pm
Jefferson…”Jurrgens”
I hope Jurrjens get traded so I no longer have to see you people butcher his name on this blog. It’s not spelled like the freakin’ lotion!!!!
AFAN
January 13th, 2012
5:58 pm
looks like 3rd place for this team. Way to go braves!
Billy
January 13th, 2012
6:00 pm
Get what you pay for..Nothing…just nothing…what a damn joke..the Braves suck.
Lemke's Knuckler
January 13th, 2012
6:00 pm
I saw this coming. He should help Pastornicky with the defense a lot. I read today where Adam Everett took a job with some team as an infield coach. I can see Wilson being in a similar role some day and think he’ll be a great defensive mentor to Tyler. Hopefully, he finds someone else to mentor form a hitting standpoint.
BravesfaninWis
January 13th, 2012
6:01 pm
Big f’n whoop.. The Braves have done nothing, NOTHING to improve this team since that epic collapse last Sept, and they think they will hang with the other teams in the division after they went out and improved their clubs? The Braves are on the outside looking in when it comes to the NL East, and they have themselves to blame for it. This is about as useless of a offseason as I have seen from a team that failed big time the previous season. Way to show your fans you are in it. Thanks for nothing idiots.
Yunel Asscobar
January 13th, 2012
6:01 pm
Can he also back up Fredi at the manager position when he get’s that “lost as a goose” expression on his face in the midst of a pennant race?
Elonbrave
January 13th, 2012
6:02 pm
MVP! MVP!
AGTFan53
January 13th, 2012
6:03 pm
Wow. Sure are a bunch of whiners on the blog today. It’s a good move that fits in the plan. They’re all for unlimited spending if it’s someone else’s money. I have faith that if a fair trade for that power hitting corner outfielder develops, the Braves will pull the trigger.
Billy
January 13th, 2012
6:03 pm
Only way this is a good deal is if they Trade Prado..I can’t believe this crap. How low can we go?
BravesfaninWis
January 13th, 2012
6:04 pm
Pastornicky wouldn’t be starting if it wasn’t for him being on a cheap ass team. He is a good hitter with speed, but from everything I have read on him and heard on this blog about him he has very suspect defense which in turn will cost us some games. Everyone was bashing Uggla for his defense, but at least the guy can make it up at the plate, which is more than I can say for Pastornicky.
Lemke's Knuckler
January 13th, 2012
6:04 pm
Billy…”Get what you pay for..Nothing…just nothing…what a damn joke..the Braves suck.”
You’re right, the outcome of every team’s success is determined by who they sign to be a backup middle infielder. I can’t wait to see all the veterans they invite to spring training. I bet they all suck too. The season is lost.
Chop Chop
January 13th, 2012
6:05 pm
I guess Jack Wilson wanted his presence to keep us from making the playoffs again.
Heyward gets on base now
January 13th, 2012
6:08 pm
Ugh…. Well, at least there’ll be some stability there for back up SS, but we need an big outfield bat.
Lemke's Knuckler
January 13th, 2012
6:08 pm
BravesfaninWis…”Big f’n whoop.. The Braves have done nothing, NOTHING to improve this team since that epic collapse last Sept”
Unless you count the fact they’ll have Hanson and Jurrjens back, Medlen in the bullpen and the unlikeliness that Prado, Heyward and McCann will all slump for an entire month at the same time like last September. But details details…
Billy
January 13th, 2012
6:10 pm
Lemke’s knuts..I love your spin..about middle infields but what else have they done…..take your vets and eat it. If they have to have invites they can’t be worth much are they would be on other teams.
Whitey
January 13th, 2012
6:15 pm
An inmate in a correctional facility giving advice on peoples character seems odd to me.
kwajbraves
January 13th, 2012
6:24 pm
FW waited almost 3 months to resign Wilson. Much ado about nothing.
Does anybody knows the term of contract of Martin Prado?
Brownie
January 13th, 2012
6:27 pm
Ron Roberts – nice blog about Alex Gonzalez, but…….I wouldn’t bring Gonzo back if he paid US – I don’t care how long the contract was for. he was just about the most automatic OUT I’ve seen in years – and always seemingly with guys on base.
Now, about Pasternicky, the Braves will get a real look at him this year, but if he does hit well, I believe he’ll end up replacing Chipper at 3rd. The shortstop the Braves are REALLY waiting for is Andrelton Simmons (we’ll see him in ‘13).
Coach (2012 Fredi's Beisbol Fandango)
January 13th, 2012
6:29 pm
Marlins sign Jose Reyes…..we regurgitate Jack Wilson. Beautiful, now the fans can abdicate Turner Field and go play hooky.
Ron Roberts
January 13th, 2012
6:31 pm
Lemke … you know for certain Hanson’s going to be back and injury-free? You certain of Jurrjens’ ability to pitch a full season?
Me either.
Brownie, don’t get me wrong, A-Gonzalez wasn’t an OBP and BA guy, no, but if you think Jack Wilson’s a better one-year backup SS/tandem SS guy than Alex, we truly see things differently.
kwajbraves
January 13th, 2012
6:33 pm
I’m waiting for the Magglio Ordonez signing. He would fit the profile of brokedown, over the hill and cheap RH bat signing of the last few years. Sigh!
benchwarmer
January 13th, 2012
6:36 pm
Why oh why do so many feel a compulsion to trade Prado. The man is very nearly a perfect all around player, good hitter and is a nice guy. I just don’t get it!
benchwarmer
January 13th, 2012
6:38 pm
Wilson may play more innings than Reyes.
alanfalcon
January 13th, 2012
6:38 pm
I guess Frank had to make a move to show that he was still the GM and hadn’t as reported dissappeared from the face of the world.
SR
January 13th, 2012
6:39 pm
Good call Coach- brilliant strategy by Wren, stand pat and go into battle with the same chokers who blew the biggest lead one could imagine. The dude is held hostage- day 115 + – since braves collapse and there sits Wren, spewing out the same ol pablum, ” i like this team as is,” blah, blah, blah. Please, don’t insult us with anymore of that condescending crap.
Retired 6 years too late
January 13th, 2012
6:44 pm
Jack Wilson signing has the Phillies, Marlins, Nationals and Mets shaking in their cleats………Jack Wilson will win 55 ball games by himself with this club…………………….gotcha…………….he is GARBAGE. This team under Liberty Media will NEVE I REPEAT NEVER………………..win a Divisional Title lets known a WS. Way to go Liberty!
Raffyael
January 13th, 2012
6:49 pm
Shoulda signed Jill instead of Jack. Maybe SHE can hit. Jack Wilson can’t hit…
Columbus
January 13th, 2012
6:50 pm
The Braves DO NOT HAVE PHILLY MONEY, only HALF AS MUCH and you BETTER be THANKFUL WE aHAVE AS GOOD OF A TEAM AS WE DO! GREAT pitching, a formidable lineup.(HALF THE TEAM SLUMPED AT THE PLATE LAST YEAR WHICH WILL NOT HAPPEN IN 2012)great closer. BAts pick upand they will, the Braves will be in the the hunt. We dont have another 90 million dollars to spend OK? The Phillies do and did. Phillies happend to be in the top 3 spending teams in baseball behind NY and BOSOX. Cubs and Mets are not far behind, but the Braves are doing it on HALF as much as the Phils and if not for lets see 1) half the team in a slump and 2)injuries to the starting pitching staff. The Phillies would have been in a figth to the end last year and the Braves would have SCARED anybody in the playoffs, including the Phillies. Hmmm the Phillies did not even make it to the World Series did they? NOPE. They got smoked. Sooo see you DONT have to win your division to win it all anyway. The Braves will bo oK with who they got IF they perform like at the levels they can or above. But several players slumping(McCann, Uggla, Heyward, Gonzalez, Prado)and All-Star quality starting pitchers go down(Jair, Hanson)you have no chance, no matter how much you SPEND. WHo you BUY might suck too. Ask Washington(Werth). Ask several teams….The Braves are OK. You cant do nothing about the big money spending teams they will be loaded. But if you have great pitching, you can compete with ANY team. ANY team! And with that pitching, the Braves have a lineup that can score a few runs and in the playoffs all it takes is 1 or 2 many games. This lineup is BETTER than the lineup 2 years ago that played the eventual world series champions to 5 one run games and extra inning games. Oh and where were the MIGHTY PHILLIES THAT YEAR? Screw the Phillies. Let them spend and spend and get knocked out in the playoffs by us mid-level spending teams! I love it!
jharber
January 13th, 2012
6:50 pm
Do as I have done, stay away from Turner Field, then and only then will Mr. Wren get the message
LAG
January 13th, 2012
6:55 pm
I return to the blog for the first time in months, and this place is still full of unemployed GMs.
It’s good to be back.
Steve
January 13th, 2012
6:56 pm
Is there a second JS letter coming?
Ueeediot
January 13th, 2012
6:58 pm
Lets give Pastornicky a chance. Until spring training comes around and some games are being played, we dont really know what he can do.
This team has no pitching, a weak outfield, a very weak left side of the infield and absolutely no back up plan for any of it. On the other hand, it is very possible that all of the following could happen at the same time for the Braves:
Hanson’s shoulder could heal to a level equal or better than before his injury,
Jurrjens could come back strong,
Chipper will play 140 games,
Pastornicky will be a rough diamond with a huge upside,
Heyward will get back on the ball,
McCann’s oblique will not be a problem anymore,
Hudson will get at least 215 innings again this year,
Another Braves pitcher will be in the top 80 pitchers in ERA or WHIP (yes, there were more than 79 other pitchers with a better ERA than your number 2 guy on the team today.)
Constanza will be durable for 150-160 games and play like he did for 1 month in 2011 all year in 2012.
Frank Wren will make an amazing trade or sign a true star
Freeman will not slump in his second season
Uggla will have less than 80 SOs and will bat over 287
IF most all of those things happen, and it looks like Frank Wren thinks they will… Im gonna start looking for WS tickets now.
The recipe is actually quite simple in my mind. Develop one single true cy young contender, trade for 1 cy young contender, sign one top notch free agent pitcher.
Felix
January 13th, 2012
6:59 pm
Just great!! Now, we taxpayers who have to fork out dollars to incarcerate convicts, have to watch them post blogs on the internet from some correctional facility? WTH??? Shouldn’t he be out on a work crew somewhere.
WTF????
blairjoyfulsound
January 13th, 2012
7:06 pm
I like this deal. At least he is better than Hicks. I wish folks would quit whining about changes (or lack thereof). We have a good team. The only thing that messed us up in September were McCann & Prado still not 100% after their injuries, and Hanson & Jurrjens were on the DL. Honestly, SS was the only place that needed help. And while I don’t think Pastornicky is the answer for 2012, there really wasn’t anyone out there worth getting. I know every fan wanted Rollins & Reyes, but they would have demanded a multi-year contract, which doesn’t make sense for the Braves when we have good SS prospects in Pastornicky & Simmons.
Remember, we don’t know everything that Wren doesn’t already know. I like that he hasn’t made a knee-jerk reaction to the Marlins & Nats trades/signings. Though, the Prado/Jurrjens/Prospect for Jones thing was kinda too close for comfort.
Felix
January 13th, 2012
7:11 pm
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Felix
January 13th, 2012
7:11 pm
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Felix
January 13th, 2012
7:11 pm
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stew
January 13th, 2012
7:14 pm
Why does everyone got Pasto going to replace Chip as the third baseman in 13? To play third or left we need someone who is capable of hitting 20 homers. Until we trade for Adam Jones and a decent replacement for Chip we’re not going anywhere.
Frank Wren
January 13th, 2012
7:17 pm
Dave: Me signing Wilson is great news isn’t it? Go ahead and call me brilliant. You can always count on me to get fans excited about Spring Training. I’m sure ticket sales will now go through the roof!
urban redneck
January 13th, 2012
7:38 pm
we really need other hobbies………it’s friday night, boys.
i would rather have had a-gon for another year, but this is fine. it’s a low risk move for us. take jj off the trade block so his value will increase. someone will want him later in the year.
we have a good team. we’re ok if the nats don’t get a certain chunky 1B. the fish made some solid moves, but they will not be contenders. our pitching will keep us in it, as always.
rayk
January 13th, 2012
7:40 pm
I actually thought Wren was on a sabbatical or in jail (for impersonating a GM) due to the lack of any moves for a while. they sent out that JS letter really fast, but talk is cheap.
now, all the braves need is about 40 more homers and they can manage to sneak into 3rd place.
this is the outcome when you combine an indifferent owner and a barely mediocre GM .
they collect pitchers like kids collect baseball cards and refuse to let go. why accept anything less than 3 studs for Jurgens when you can wait and get nothing for him later .
Felipe Davis
January 13th, 2012
7:58 pm
Man, summa yous think that just because summa us fans want a legit LF that we need Philly money. Wrong. Just need a GM with a brain to pull off the trade.
Largo
January 13th, 2012
7:58 pm
Decent move. It serves the purpose.
Lonnie Smith
January 13th, 2012
8:02 pm
TAKE THAT NL EAST!!!!!!
The Braves ticket sales dept is now swamped with season ticket request! We now have great buzz and excitement heading into the season!!!! Can’t wait!!!! AHHH!!
Mister Frisky
January 13th, 2012
8:06 pm
Make room for another 230 hitter.4th place.
Bob in SF
January 13th, 2012
8:20 pm
A house plant with a baseball glove duct taped to it would be an upgrade over Julio Lugo and wouldn’t adjust itself quite as much either.
Decatur Brave
January 13th, 2012
8:28 pm
How are we suppose to compete with the rest of the teams in the NL East with these lackluster moves?
Nelson
January 13th, 2012
8:35 pm
Wilson good glove but a ruled out, what a joke!!!! 4th place behind Phillies, Marlins and Nationals!!!!!
Nelson
January 13th, 2012
8:42 pm
Bottom Line: The Braves are not the Braves anymore!!!!
Mister Frisky
January 13th, 2012
8:45 pm
Too bad Chipper will go out surrounded by this collection of stiffs.Larry ask for a trade to an AL contender you deserve much better.
Bob the Blogger
January 13th, 2012
8:48 pm
I don’t think Alex G. wanted to sign with the Braves for one year as a backup to Pastornicky.
Mister Frisky
January 13th, 2012
8:50 pm
Might as well have Terd on the roster this year.He will have plenty of company.
Jamesh
January 13th, 2012
9:09 pm
Do all the people bitching and whining about the Braves not doing anything realize there is a reason why they havent? First of those bitching about the lack of spending. You have to have the money to spend and the Braves have very little. That’s the owners fault not the teams. Secondly those bitching about the lack of a big trade. A big deal doesn’t just happen both sides have to agree so just blaming Wren is wrong when it could be the other GM wanting to much like the O’s crazy price for Adam Jones or it could be the other GM not offering us enough like the Rockies wanting Prado for just Seth Smith. Lastly just because the Nationals and Marlins made moves doesn’t make them automatically better. Fact is Braves won 89 games despite key injuries and slumps by key players. All the Braves need is for those players namely Heyward and Prado to bounce back and Uggla to be consistent all year abd the team is already a lot better if that happens.
Chronic Tonic
January 13th, 2012
9:09 pm
Braves need a proactive owner. Its sad to be on the brink of the World Series but let not signing a LF star stop it. For you kool-aid drinkers, I’ll give you $10 for every home run Heyward hits over 15 and you give me $10 for every home run he hits under 25. Heyward is a Michael Tucker. .271 11 47
Rico
January 13th, 2012
9:11 pm
A move that amounts to nothing. No added value to improving the team.
B-F 52
January 13th, 2012
9:14 pm
bring em on this could be our year tied for first place
Rico
January 13th, 2012
9:21 pm
We had a shotstop, but he didn’t fit the culture in Atlanta.
kwajbraves
January 13th, 2012
9:37 pm
Yankees signed Kuroda and trade Montero to M’s for Pineda. They have significantly upgraded their rotation in less than 3 hours.
1eyedJack
January 13th, 2012
9:39 pm
I don’t remember anybody jumping up and down when the Braves signed Rafael Belliard either.
JoeBrave
January 13th, 2012
10:05 pm
omfg, Damn what a move! DISGUSTED is an understatement! Wren at this moment can got to hell!
Ralph
January 13th, 2012
10:13 pm
Turdo will be our 3rd baseman before the 2012 season ends, Chip will not hold up.
gcs
January 13th, 2012
10:13 pm
The Braves are looking for power hitters, right?
So why not $1 million for a guy who has 6 home runs over the past 4 seasons and 0 since 2009? Makes sense, right?
I guess Greg Norton changed his mind on a comeback.
Joe 12-Pack
January 13th, 2012
10:24 pm
Are you REALLY comparing Rafael Belliard to Jack Wilson?!
Belliard was a glove wizard and a STARTER.
Wilson is a 33-year old back-up at the end of his career with a mediocre glove.
In 11 seasons, Wilson has 135 errors.
Belliard had 76 errors in his WHOLE career – 17 seasons.
Bama Braves
January 13th, 2012
10:32 pm
I see the marketing campaign for the 2012 season……The 2012 Braves …..Get Excited About The Recycled Crap We’re Putting On The Field……We Promise To Try Hard…..
Ralph
January 13th, 2012
10:49 pm
Just like the rest of you I would love to see our team in the WS this year but it just isn’t going to happen, 3rd place at best. Because of budget restrictions its not in the cards this year. 2013 could be a different story though. With the cash saved from this year departure of Kawakami, McClouth, and Lowe plus next season Chipper, Bourn and Hudson leaving there could be a reserve of approx $60 million to spend for 2013. If they do trade Prado and JJ I beleive it should be to further reduce payroll and get prospects in return. Another thing would be to trade McCann after this season for youth and unload Uggla’s payroll. All this would give us about $85 million to make needed additions to our crop of very young players, Heyward, Pastronicky, Freeman, The Turd, Bethencourt our superior crop of young pitchers and others obtained through mentioned trades. I know we wouldn’t do much this season but were not going to anyway then 2013 and for many years to come we should be unbeatable,
Larry
January 13th, 2012
10:57 pm
Do as I have done, stay away from Turner Field, then and only then will Mr. Wren get the message
It is this attitude that keeps the Braves at 90 million and less. Phillies sell out EVERY nite, over and over and over. They cheer. Sure they are obnoxious, loud foul-mouthed goons, but hey, they at least show up.
I see comments like that and it burns my butt. The message I get is…well, no need to get personal.
Larry
January 13th, 2012
11:02 pm
Kudos to Mr Wren for signing Martin Prado. I sure would have hated to see him go. I think JJ will bounce back this year also. Hell, if JJ’s only going to have half a good season, we have plenty of jam up pitchers. His half season is better than most pitchers do in a full season! I also like signing Jack Wilson. I suggested that to my buddy a few months ago.
Ted Turner
January 13th, 2012
11:07 pm
I thinking about buying the team again and and turn this franchaise around. It has never been good since I sold the team. I promise I will make the team a winner again. If I have too I will manage the team too.
Joey Paden
January 13th, 2012
11:10 pm
Larry I totally agree with you. Wren will get the message.
So will Liberty Media. You can’t have fans without the right players. Raise the payroll so the Braves can get back to the playoffs. Not happening this year for sure.
Charles
January 13th, 2012
11:20 pm
I share the sentiments at the anemic efforts to try to improve this team, but given the Liberty factor, signing Wilson is probably a safer bet than Pastornicky, who had 26 errors in 117 games in AA/AAA vs Alex Gonzalez’ 12 errors in 149 games along with a lot of robbed hits that won’t happen with Tyler based on the scouting reports on young Tyler who is long on the bat but woefully inadequate in the field. Since we chose to let Gonzo go to sign a 1 yr deal elsewhere, Wilson is a far safer bet than Pastornicky.
Larry
January 13th, 2012
11:27 pm
I should have put quotation marks around my statement. This was from a person who said this earlier
.
“Do as I have done, stay away from Turner Field, then and only then will Mr. Wren get the message”
I do not think like that but a lot of fans do. If I lived closer than Lexington SC, I would make more games than I do. I lived in Atlanta in !965. I still get there for choice games…wish I was in a position to get yearly season tickets. We need to support the Braves and not tear them down at each opportunity.
Go Braves!
pissed off fan
January 13th, 2012
11:31 pm
Ralph why in hell would Braves wish to save money for 2013..do they not wish to win this year.
Charles, Alex signed for two years 5.7 million plus alot of bonus $$ for performance.
Stop the no money crap– braves have money thats BS..Liberty just don’t wish to spend it.
Wrens letter was a lie.
Pissed of Fans have been pissed on by Management and forked tongue GM..
Brave New World
January 14th, 2012
12:10 am
Good move.
Ralph
January 14th, 2012
1:46 am
pissed off fan
Ralph why in hell would Braves wish to save money for 2013..do they not wish to win this year.
Because with the budget they have there is no way they can win in 2012, but if they did as I proposed they would have lots of money available in 2013 which they could use to add the needed pieces to go with a very good young foundation team. Then they would have a contender for years to come that would fit Liberty Media’s low budget.
GaryinBham
January 14th, 2012
8:39 am
Predictable negativity to a solid signing. Frankly, it started to worry me that Pastornicky would not have a decent backup because the guys like Jack Wilson were being signed. Wilson came in for part of a season, so it will be different being here from the beginning. He’s not the hitter he used to be–he was an All-Star in 2004, but he’s no automatic out, and he was often among the leaders in sacrifices, something we’ve been woeful at. We keep changing what we gripe about on here. Are we moving younger or not? If so, you ahve put the right pieces around. It’s transition time, but this team can fight for it. I’m no fan of Liberty Media, but I do think FW is making solid moves, and some good NON-moves. Haven’t we signed enough Kawakamis for a while? Let the farm system win for us. It’s worth a shot.
TeheranTime
January 14th, 2012
8:46 am
Woo hoo! The Braves made a move! Yes! Seriously, is this what Frank Wren has been working on all winter? You have a monumental collapse in September, subtract Derek Lowe and add no one. Great job.
LivinInAL
January 14th, 2012
9:30 am
Good sign for the Braves, expected it before now. Wilson fills the utility spot, can play 3 positions and very affordable. His presence allows the development of Pastornicky without feeling the world is on his shoulders.
Brave New World
January 14th, 2012
10:02 am
Mets R Best January 13th, 2012 5:17 pm Wooo! Wow! Jack Wilson! You Braves really know how to pull off the big deals. Now the rest of us in the NL East and all of MLB are really scared!
Mets R Best: Thanks for the comic relief. There are too many people who take these blogs way too seriously. Your “never say die” approach to being a Mets fan reminds me of the days when the Braves were truly bad, and I supported them nonetheless beacause they were my team, win or lose. I admire your fervent support of your team, the Mets. I hope you have a good 2012.
Chipper "The Injury" Jones
January 14th, 2012
10:30 am
I think the Braves 90 million payroll is in Pesos and not US Dollars. That would explain a lot.
Mister Frisky
January 14th, 2012
10:37 am
The Braves already had their big spending local billionaire a guy named Turner.They under achieved and could only manage 1 title.Those days have passed.This is a 4th place team plain and simple.Questions at every position and a rotation that can’t get out of the 6th inning.Malone and Liberty could easily free up an extra 10 mil to improve this impotent offense.
don
January 14th, 2012
11:09 am
Good signing but Simmons, not Pastronicky, is the likely shortstop of the future. Of course, if the management of the Braves had any measurable intelligence, the shortstop would be Andrus.
TeheranTime
January 14th, 2012
11:17 am
I know we can all play “what if’s” but what if Atlanta had never made the trade to acquire Mark Texiera? They would be looking pretty doggone good right now.
No Crying
January 14th, 2012
12:02 pm
What a bunch of whiners. Must be a slow year in the Hot stove league, with the blog-o-shpere bashing the signing of a bench player. Alex Gonzalez would not have worked as a lame duck shortstop. He is still a starter and probably would not have been happy being a back up to the new wunderkind.
Management is obviously doing the money ball thing and building from within and not bringing in a bunch of over paid stars. Wren is dedicated to bringing in a new mind set focused on speed, defense and playing hungry. I am excited to see these kids get to work. In the mean time I think we have a solid and capable team.
Sure there are a bunch of “ifs” involved (If Prado, JJ, Huddy, Hanson, Uggla and Heyward, Jones all rebound/recover/stay healthy). Is there enough depth with Wilson/Hinske/Constanza/Diaz/ and Ross on the bench or down on the farm to cover the inevitable injuries. But then that is baseball. This is the same team that was cruising for the first 5 months of the season in spite of a rash of injuries, and “off year performances.” The team just ran out of umph. It was obvious in early September that we were holding on and trying to just get to the finish line.
I don’t see much suspense in the roster this spring. It looks pretty set.
Position Players: 8 Starters
CF Bourne
LF Prado
3B Jones
C McCann
2B Uggs
1B Freeman
RF Weyward
SS Pastornicky
Bench 5 or 6 players
Diaz
Hinske
Wilson
Constanza
Ross
Pitching:
5 Starters
Huddy/JJ/TH/BB/MM
6 or 7 Relievers
Early and long Relief:
Martinez/Medlin/Vavaro or Viscaino
Late Relief:
O’flaherty/Venters/Kinbrel
Only thing left to do is get in shape and play ball.
John A.
January 14th, 2012
12:09 pm
I agree with an earlier writer when he posted….If Pastronicky is so good why wasn’t he called up in September? As stated then…..”he wasn’t ready for the bigs”…..so what has changed? I certainly hope is is ready and not being thrown to the wolves. Jaxk Wilson is a good move….he had a bad showing after arrivingin Atlanta, but I’m sure he was hurt. He has always hussled since arriving in the bigs, and I’m sure we all will see a different guy on the field this year. What has changed with the power hitting LF spot? Still exists doesn’t it?
pissed off fan
January 14th, 2012
1:17 pm
I’ve always been excited for Spring Training (usually go) and Season to start…but not so this year. Braves are not a very exciting Team anymore..
GM’s failure to improve team and lied to fans..don’t make for a good year. Present team as is will not win. In fact we are not better than last year at this point. Un-proven SS and we don’t know how the injuried pitchers will come back. Plus how the young pitchers will react. Oh well everyone knows all the if’s. Expect another so-so year.
Price66
January 14th, 2012
1:37 pm
All I read here are grumblings and bad attitudes. Gve the Braves a chance. No free agents were affordable with the team payroll. They did not find a trade situation to their liking. There is still time to hopefully find a left field bat. If not, Prado is pretty good. Lets get excited about some spring training baseball! Go Braves!
Realistic Braves Fan
January 14th, 2012
1:51 pm
At first I was going to reply to all the annoyingly stupid posts, but then I ran out of typing space. And not able to quote people posts (which this blog needs) made it too difficult.
There are a lot of retards on here.
The Braves’ collapse can’t be fixed by adding $125mil to a payroll we’re already close to maxing out on.
A-gone is the best defensive shortstop, a better option than Wilson I think – but they let him get away. I’m ok with him getting more outs than hits for his defensive abilities. I think we’ll miss that this year and you fools will be on here bitching about wanting his glove back.
Adam Jones? Come on, what a waste.
Seattle Braves
January 14th, 2012
2:00 pm
Atleast we know we stand this year.
Seattle Braves
January 14th, 2012
2:00 pm
Atleast we know were we stand this year
bvillebaron
January 14th, 2012
2:08 pm
Price66:
I agree with you, but good luck trying to talk rationally to these guys who think (1) spending money guarantees championships (remember how that Cliff Lee signing “guaranteed” a World Series for the Phils) and (2) keep whining about how cheap Liberty Media is (uh, hello tell us something we don’t know guys-by the way,-that ain’t changing so go root for the big spenders like the Yanks, Red Sox and Phils if you don’t like it).
Some of these rocket scientists might be interested in knowing that the Vegas line on the Braves did not move(i.e. go down) even after the Marlins and Nationals made their headline moves. How could that be? Well let’s see if I can explain it to you guys.
The Braves have the most important ingredient for successful baseball: pitching. Not only do they have 9 proven or top end prospects as candidates for the rotation (Hudson, Handon, Jurrjens, Beachy, Minor, Teheran, Delgado, Vizcaino and Medlen); they also have one of the best, if not THE best, and deepest bullpens in baseball (what do you think others teams would pay to acquire Kimbrel, Venters or O’Flaherty if any of them were on the market, which thank god they are not).
I understand that this team could use a power hitting left fielder, but tell me who was avialable on the free agent market who wasn’t overpriced and/or well past his prime? I think Wren was and possibly is still willing to trade Jurrjens in the right move, but apparently he hasn’t been offered value for him. Maybe that is because JJ was injured at the end of last year and thus his market value is low (same for Prado who for the life of me I don’t understand why he was on the trade market). What do you do in that scenario? Well, duh, you keep them and wait for them to perform like they have in the past so you can trade them later if you still want or need to.
The fact of the matter is this team is better right now then it was last year despite not having made any major offseason moves. They improved because whoever takes Lowe’s place in the starting rotation is an upgrade. They are better because they will have the best base stealer in the game, Bourn, for the whole season. They improved because it is hard to imagine that Heyward will be as badr as he was last year and that Prado and McCann will also struggle due to injuries. They are better because their young players and prospects will be one year older and one year better.
I guess many of the critics on here are like me and they haven’t seen Patornicky play. Thus, it is hard to judge him. The so called “experts” claim he should hit, but doesn’t have top end upside. It aslo is obvious that the Braves are going to pencil him in as their everyday shortstop. Given that circumstance, signing Wilson to a 1 year club friendly contract as insurance makes PERFECT sense.
Swede
January 14th, 2012
2:42 pm
After having read all the posts in this blog, it’s pretty obvious what Braves biggest need is (no, its NOT a power hitting LF).
It’s the Fanbase!
Listening to 90% of those who post her makes me wonder why they care about this team. According to them, everything sucks (except Phillies, Marlins and Nationals).
Is it possible to upgrade the Fanbase via trade, or do we have to go the FA route?
pissed off fan
January 14th, 2012
2:43 pm
1:51..you the only fool on here.
I may not agree with other opinions but they have a right to express it. That means you–but calling others “fools” for not agreeing=you!
12:02– “What a bunch of whiners”–No crying–So everyone that don’t agree with management and you are whiners–lol! Man speak for yourself.
Mister Frisky
January 14th, 2012
2:51 pm
Maybe Wren can hit the exacts and re sign Liestink.
Mister Frisky
January 14th, 2012
2:53 pm
I mean exacta.
Bill
January 14th, 2012
3:28 pm
I’ve been a fan since 66. I’ve seen the good bad and ugly with only one WS Championship. Why should I expect more now?
GM for the Day
January 14th, 2012
3:40 pm
Good signing, they did what they needed to do – solid veteran backup that can play multiple INF positions and teach the kid how to play defense. Now, what about quiet deal (and take a bit of a flyer) with the Cubs for Alfonso Soriano – if the Cubs pay most of the remaining salary on his contract? LF, RH bat, hit 25 HRs, 80 something RBIs. Not great, but can help the offense by leaving the park. As long as the asking price in young pitching isn’t too high. Thoughts?
JoeBrave
January 14th, 2012
3:41 pm
In two weeks from the beginning of the season, JACK WILSON will be the starting SS! bank on it! and folks that is down right an ass eating proposition! Screw you Wren!
ColoradoBravesFan
January 14th, 2012
3:54 pm
John A.
January 14th, 2012
12:09 pm
I agree with an earlier writer when he posted….If Pastronicky is so good why wasn’t he called up in September? As stated then…..”he wasn’t ready for the bigs”…..so what has changed?
Pastornicky was not called up in Sept because he was injured while playing for AAA Braves team. Read below….
Tyler Pastornicky might replace Alex Gonzalez as Braves’ shortstop in 2012: A fan’s view
By Jeffrey Weeks, Yahoo! Contributor Network
Sep 19, 3:23 pm EDT
Atlanta Braves minor-league shortstop Tyler Pastornicky didn’t get a September call-up due to injury, but it’s quite possible he’ll be in the running for a starting job in the Atlanta infield for 2012.
ColoradoBravesFan
January 14th, 2012
4:00 pm
More on Pastornicky injury
The 21-year-old might have been promoted last month if he hadn’t suffered a high ankle sprain.
Ghost Rider
January 14th, 2012
5:04 pm
To No Crying, Price66, and bvillebaron-
It’s great to hear some positive feedback. My sentiments exactly. The rest of you armchair GM’s should consider getting a hobby. Go rake your yard or something……damn.
The Monger
January 14th, 2012
5:35 pm
From Lemke’s Knuckler’s:
You said:
“Unless you count the fact they’ll have Hanson and Jurrjens back, Medlen in the bullpen and the unlikeliness that Prado, Heyward and McCann will all slump for an entire month at the same time like last September. But details details…”
1. Yes, I do feel that Hanson and Jurrjens will be injured again next September, actually. I have Never been a fan of Hanson’s throwing motion (way too much elbow torque), and Jurrjens has been hurt what, like every season the last 3 years or so? So I think there is a 90 percent chance we will be without Jurrjens and Hanson again this season, maybe not at the same time, but most definately.
2. Medlen in the bullpen will be big no doubt. Huge Medlen fan. However, didnt we have one of the top 3 bullpens in the league, if not the very best, and still chocked away the playoffs. Overused or not, the simple fact is that the bullpen cant be expected to win 115 games a year, 2-1 or 1-0. It is just too much stress eventually it all comes down to the offense scoring some runs, which they havent done for ohhh, about 400 games and counting…
3. Actually, I do expect guys like McCann, Prado, and Heyward to choke again, because just like the Hawks, just like the Falcons, the Atlanta Braves are natural born chokers. The Hawks cant score a basket when they really need one, the Falcons cant score a touchdown or make a defensive stand with the game on the line, and the Atlanta Braves cant score a run to save their life when it matters. Thats Atlanta. I do like McCann and Prado, but if its not them choking in September, it will be others- Chipper Jones, Dan Uggla (maybe he goes cold at end of season instead of beggining), Freddie Freeman, etc…You just need to realize the Braves are chokers….this is what they do….this is what is in their DNA….
Nelson
January 14th, 2012
6:38 pm
Q: Will wilson bat 9th?, if that the case I agree with the move!!!!
Nelson
January 14th, 2012
6:41 pm
The Monger comment is the best one I’ve read in years!!!!
Nelson
January 14th, 2012
6:44 pm
Bill I like your’s too!!!
afan
January 14th, 2012
7:01 pm
Why Ghost Rider~~because they don’t agree with you they should get a hobby~~what a dumb azzz statement.
I guess we should all agree with Wren and shut up..thats what the Pres also wants, bet u voted for him too.
..An inmate at a correctional facility
January 14th, 2012
7:44 pm
AH HA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Niners SCUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Laughing out Loud
January 14th, 2012
8:07 pm
Scarastic whinners!
01HAWK
January 14th, 2012
11:32 pm
This team is going absolutely no where. What a joke.
Das Whiner
January 15th, 2012
2:52 am
The Braves are actually ahead of where they were last year, for those of you with a brain.
A) No Nate McLouth
B) No Derek Lowe
C) No Nate McLouth
Take those 2 away and you’re winning it all. Heyward is going to turn it around, he’s going to be playing extra hard to erase all doubts from last year. McCann and Prado will be healthier. Freddie Freeman will be Freddie Freeman with more experience. Chipper is still going to miss half the year with knee-itis but its ok as long as we can shuffle the guys around and still win. Relax and wait until some games are being played until you give up for the year!
Random
January 15th, 2012
8:39 am
The Braves should’ve re-signed AGonzalez, not Wilson.
That’s the period.
That’s the end.
Donovan
January 15th, 2012
8:42 am
You’ve got to be kidding! Jack is probably a nice guy, but he is nothing more than a journey man in the twilight of his career. Hitting .220 and 9 for 41 with the Braves and eligible for $1.5 million on a 1 year contract?
This is absolute insanity with Wren. Who is Wren’s mentor?
Dennis Reynolds
January 15th, 2012
8:59 am
I hate Braves fans. Don’t know anything.
wins-by-a-link
January 15th, 2012
9:42 am
Being able to sign top of the line free agents does not assure that you will win the World Series, The Yankees and Red sox prove that, But a certain amount of capital is required to bring about a level of talent to compete with big market teams like the Phillies and Yankees, I’m sure FW would be more proactive if he had the cash to do so, Sadly the Braves find themselves owned by a faceless and absent Corporation which does not care if the Braves win a championship but rather maintains a level of winning that produces profit and continues to supply a tax break.
STRETCH
January 15th, 2012
11:18 am
•As many as eight teams have inquired about Alfonso Soriano, reports Levine. Most of those clubs are American League teams. Levine says Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts reiterated that he’ll to eat most of the money owed to Soriano to facilitate a trade.
Heck i would do that in a heart beat. Anyone is better in LF than Prado full time. I wonder what the excuse will be next season when we get a full healthy year from Prado if he puts up crappy numbers(which he will do), just wondering what Prado supporters say then????
Mister Frisky
January 15th, 2012
12:20 pm
Heard for Wilson to get a half mil in incentives all he has to do is bat over 200.
bvillebaron
January 15th, 2012
12:41 pm
Stretch:
If you think Soriano is better than Prado, you are out of your mind. The Cubs can’t give Soriano away fast enough. Nice also to see that you are clarivoyant and know exactly how Prado will perform this year before the season even begins. Some of you guys are clueless; truly clueless!
Joe 12-Pack
January 15th, 2012
2:24 pm
FREE US FROM LIBERTY!
GM for the Day
January 15th, 2012
2:57 pm
Just to be clear, I would not trade Prado away under almost any circumstances. He will play most days even if they pulled a trade off for Soriano. Chipper will play in less than 100 games this year. He is a part of the soul of this team and will bounce back. I bet he hits .300+ this year.
Cubs will be looking for future pitching.
Brave New World
January 15th, 2012
6:59 pm
Mister Frisky January 15th, 2012 12:20 pm Heard for Wilson to get a half mil in incentives all he has to do is bat over 200.
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
bill
January 16th, 2012
12:06 am
I think the braves should change there name from the atlanta braves to the atlanta “IF” braves
because all i hear is
if hayward
if chipper
if mccann
if rookie short stop
if prado
if pitching
i think you get the idea if is the atlanta braves team logo instead if the tomahawk
its way to many if’s to compete with philly
i do wish them well but the ifs are just to to to to many
Dave
January 16th, 2012
6:47 am
2012 is done before we get out of the gate. No investment, no innovation, oh yes Liberty Media still in charge!
Bulldawgman49
January 16th, 2012
8:53 am
Well I think the Braves made some good moves signing Wilson and Prado . Wilson a guy u can plug in anywhere in the infield and prado as well . Also gives us a good start on bench . I guess the outfield is one more thing they got to address on guy with some average power would be good , with the middle of the lineup power is there if chipper stays healthy . Need maybe one more Started but the home grown guys are there maybe they will step it up .
Don
January 16th, 2012
10:41 am
Now everything is set with just a few MINOR PROBLEMS:
(1) A third baseman who (despite his past greatness) cannot play defense, is only a part time player, and is hitting third in the batting order when he no longer produces like a 3rd place hitter;
(2) A rookie shortstop – who we have no reason to assume that he can be a productive major leage hitter even if he is able to do the job defensively – backed up by a veteran shortstop who is not a productive hitter;
(3) A second baseman who even though he does have some power, does not have an acceptable Batting Average or On Base Average and is barely adaquate defensively;
(4) A Right Fielder – who there is no reason to think can produce offfensively;
(5) A Left Fielder (assuming it is Prado) who we assume can return to being a great hitter – and perhaps do and effective job defensively – But then who will back up part time Chipper at third.
(6) AND MOST SIGNIFICANT OF ALL – Four of our Five Starting Pitchers are coming off injures – And everyone seems to be ignoring the fact that Pitchers are not like Position Players coming off injuries — Pitchers many times never return to being great after a serious injury.
AND EVEN WORSE — Even though we have a wealth of additional young pitching talent, this may well be meaningless as long as we continue with the situation were ALMOST EVERY ONE of our Starting Pitchers has ended up being injured – in the 6 or 7 years since Leo left as Pitching Coach.
Fols
January 16th, 2012
11:09 am
I am not a huge Wilson fan but man reading this blog is sad. Didn’t we know coming into the winter that there was very little room for movement? Maybe Prado…….and a SS?
Lowe is gone, I thought people would appreciate that more? Even though he was brought in to work innings and stay healthy more than he was to shut-out the opponent. Believe me, we’ll miss those innings because the starting rotation now is great on paper, not so great for health. The year before we brought in Lowe was a disaster for injuries, management had enough of that, brought in a horse. He sucked for the most part, but another part that sucks, is watching players land on the injury list.
I still like this line-up assuming Prado is back which isn’t for sure. The one year contract does not change things, he’s still on the block.
People have to calm down a notch. We have a solid line-up that will keep us in the top 10 teams in the league fighting for playoffs. Our pitching should be enough, our hitting should improve some. Great mix of young kids and veterans.
We’ll be in this thing.
Fols
January 16th, 2012
11:17 am
With that being said….for everyone crying about needing to up payroll and stack the line-up…..hate to say it but some of you sound more and more like a Yankee blog.
I hope MLB eventually joins the ranks of the other major sports, throws in a salary cap and raises the competitive balance between everyone. Braves would truly shine due to our ability to bring along players from our own system which is so key to the cap structure system.
Nick N' Richmond
January 16th, 2012
12:56 pm
Someone needs to tell Frankie W that taking notes while watching his new DVD of Moneyball won’t help him put together a contender. The news has been out on that for way too many years.
On a side note, those who blame Frankie for not spending are idiots. He is given a budget from higher ups that he has to work with. I’m sure if he could buy every top FA out there he would.
BravesfaninWis
January 16th, 2012
1:43 pm
Yes, the Braves need fan attendance at Turner Field in order to have the money to spend on high profile free agents, but we all know that these cheap ass owners won’t do a damn thing if it means spending big bucks on a free agent whether they sell out every game or not. Fans know that, so why spend our hard earned money to watch a team that fields a bunch of what if’s next season? The fact is, this team never does that big thing in order to get fans excited about this team again, instead they insert rookies and pray like hell it works.
Now on to some good news ( for me anyways
) my son was born last Tues and I named him after a Braves player. Yep, my son is named Hudson after Tim Hudson. See, I still like this team, just frustrated like many others here that expect the Braves to be in it every year.
mpimentel
January 16th, 2012
1:57 pm
seth smith headed to oak A’s…another almost but not make deal for this team….geez why I’m love you braves why?
wakeup
January 16th, 2012
2:10 pm
Wow!!! What a joke…
ATLcracker
January 16th, 2012
4:28 pm
Once you make the decision that Pastornicky is ready you don’t sign Gonzales. I don’t think he would have been happy as a primary backup. Wilson has already settled into that mindset and I like his attitude toward helping the team however he can.
Disgusted
January 16th, 2012
6:01 pm
Braves need a proactive owner. Its sad to be on the brink of the World Series but let not signing a LF star stop it. For you kool-aid drinkers, I’ll give you $10 for every home run Heyward hits over 15 and you give me $10 for every home run he hits under 25. Heyward is a Michael Tucker. .271 11 47
Forget about being on the brink of the WS, this team was on the brink of the playoffs and they could not get that done.
Ownership is clearly a joke, they have no relationahip with these fans or this community while other teams are trying to get better.
I don’t know if you are right about heyward yet, but another year like this and you might be right. Tucker never was anywhere close to what Heyward was in 2010. And I am not a Kool-Aide drinker, but this team has issues that stem mostly with ownership.
This is the worst ownership group in ATL sports history and yes tha tincludes Rankin Smith, Cousins and the ATL Spirit LLC. That is bad.
Disgusted
January 16th, 2012
6:03 pm
I would rather have JJ or Prado than Seth Smith anyway.
I love the Braves, its Liberty Media I hate. Too bad they are staying around for a while the way it looks.
Disgusted
January 16th, 2012
6:03 pm
I would rather have JJ or Prado than Seth Smith anyway.
I love the Braves, its Liberty Media I hate. Too bad they are staying around for a while the way it looks.
Disgusted
January 16th, 2012
6:11 pm
“We need to support the Braves and not tear them down at each opportunity.”
Go Braves!
Larry–I agree with you but these fans really do not owe Liberty Media anything. More engaged ownership might boost the fan interest, the fan base is there, I am sure that you remember the 1990’s when they were drawing over 3 million.
I think boycotting would be counterproductive but if there was more engaged ownership that had a relationship with this community, instead of three or four games a yr, I might attend in double figures. That is what I can afford as far as my personal budget and time.
As I said, I like the players, I think there are good baseball people in the FO but this ownership is disengaged with the fans, community, etc., while other teams are getting better. 90 million is nothing this day in time.
Its not like the Braves have a bad gate. This has not been a good off season, fair and square. And September did not help, I see a poor season at the gate unless some big things happen. A great start would help, LM selling out might help more.
Mike Mangan
January 16th, 2012
7:51 pm
Everybody is dissing Jack Wilson he could me the glue that pull the infield together,How quickly we forget the similarity between Jack and Rafael Belliard,The difference is Wilson is a better hitter than Raffy and did he ever solidify are infield behind our awesome pitching staff and he mentored Furcal.
On the other hand having seen Pastornicky in minors he reminds me of Jeff Blauser
Everyone is mentionig our relief corp and yet no one has even mentioned Robert Fish.Do we just hand him back to his old team?
As for Liberty Media and the money they make with their adult movies in hotels.It makes one wonder how much they are suffering from the economic slowdown.Do they not realize that should they put the Braves up for sale that it would be better to do so with an exceptional team on the field.
benchwarmer
January 16th, 2012
11:49 pm
Hey all you worriers, IF is the very definition and great appeal of baseball. What is difficult is playing the if game so far removed from the next opportunity to relieve the IF. That is why prior too and during spring training most teams and their fans resort to unrational optimism as a bandaid to cover the itch. Those who are ready at this early date to jump into the well of despair obviously have not learned all the appropriate and time tested traditions of baseball fandom. Before your next blog the assignment is to get up to speed on baseball reality, no matter how unreal it may seem, and quit trying to conduct your fan duties like a business. Also remember “there’s no crying in baseball”.
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