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© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
672 comments Add your comment
David O'Brien
December 18th, 2012
6:34 am
bowman kicks DOB’s butt, weres all the new stories? AJC is not keeping anyone up to date!! — joel
Good, then you have a place to move to. He’s got a blog. Go there. See ya, and have a good Christmas.
Brave New World
December 18th, 2012
7:01 am
Angel Eyes December 17th, 2012 6:43 pm I think Brave New World forgot about John Lannan and Mike Adams. Look before you run your mouth. Braves no improvement. Nationals improved Phillies improved Braves-nothing. 3rd place Final answer
Angel Eyes: Lannan and Adams? Lannan and Adams? Halladay used to be the best pitcher in baseball, but sadly, he has lost about 5 MPH on his fastball and is getting smacked around by hitters he used to retire on an off day. Cliff Lee costs the Phils about $4 million per win (great investment, not!). Cole Hamels is in his prime, but $20 million+ is a mighty high price for a 15 game winner. Fats Howards is Andruw Jones (once something, now just overweight). J-Roll is average and in deep decline. Chase Utley is Chipper Jones in the final 3 years of his career. Revere is Juan Pierre with less power and no arm. And your big addition, Michael Young is a salary dump by The Rangers to make space for someone not past hos prime. Time for you to wake up!
Mr Pitts
December 18th, 2012
7:51 am
Joel is expecting hard-hitting baseball news during the major holiday season about 5 months before the regular season begins? Exactly what are you expecting, Joel?
TheDudeAbides...
December 18th, 2012
7:56 am
There isn’t a more interesting blog in sports online media, than DOB’s blog. I tell every Braves fan I come across – not only that, but I tell those who love the finer things in life, like BBQ and good music – They love this blog now too.
On a side note DOB: I ate at ThePit in Raleigh NC last week – the chopped pork and brisket were insane…Apparently they beat Flay in a ribs Throwdown…
Not Disgusted
December 18th, 2012
8:00 am
I think we are going into the season pretty much with what we have right now.
Given what they want to spend, some of what will be left out there for LF is not any better than what we have now.
Why spend five or 6 mil on a replacement level FA when you have replacement level players who could even be better.
The pitching is set, the bench is pretty much set all that is in limbo is LF and that could be pieced together from within.
Not the news you want to hear but it is what it is.
Please, no Bourjos, he is no better than what we already have. No way you trade a Delgado or even Teheran whom I am not a big fan of for him.
Bourjos is a 4th OF type, he cannot hit.
Not Disgusted
December 18th, 2012
8:04 am
Philly could fall back to to aging vets in decline — they did make ome moves and played well down the stretch to salvage .500.
I like us to get a WC again and all may not work so rosy for the Nats either.
It will be a tough 3 team race on paper, all 3 teams within 6 games. Hard to pick one two three till the season starts.
For 2013 we are still there. Now after ‘13, Braves fans will have a concern with Mac, Hudson and Malholm to FA and in 14 its Prado.
Our cheap owners will not keep em all.
FACT
December 18th, 2012
8:30 am
Nats and Braves will be 1-2; Phils, Mets and Marlins will fight it out for cellar.
FACT
December 18th, 2012
8:30 am
Nats and Braves will be 1-2; Phils, Mets and Marlins will fight it out for cellar.
Need A LFer
December 18th, 2012
8:34 am
Wren’s not going to do anything else even with a hole in LF or 3B depending on which one Prado doesn’t play. So get used to this Utility Pena outdated blog…
Need A LFer
December 18th, 2012
8:36 am
Hey retards, Phillies gonna be fighting with Nats for 1st place. They will have Howard & Utley healthy and still have Halladay,Hamels,& Lee. Plus they added 2 more good hitters.
Rick C
December 18th, 2012
8:46 am
Need A LFer, in what world is a guy with a 642 OPS a “good hitter”? Even Constanza has a higher OPS.
jbill
December 18th, 2012
8:46 am
Joel was trying to be a smart as@ to what I said about espn and DOB being the best…but he let his mouth over-load his brain.
Observer
December 18th, 2012
8:51 am
Any truth to the Mark Trumbo rumors ?
He’s only 26, made only $500,000 & he bats righty. He should have tremendous upside. He’s rumored in talks involving the Braves, Marlins & Phillies. Marlins reportedly offering Angels Ricky Nolasco for Trumbo.
Rick C
December 18th, 2012
9:00 am
Observer, it sounds like the Angels will more likely trade Bourjos.
Brave New World
December 18th, 2012
9:13 am
Realistically, Phils and Mets battle for 3rd and 4th place – Marlins are a lock to finish last. But it may take a .500 season for 3rd place, something the Phils and Mets will have to overachieve to get.
BravesFanInWinterHaven
December 18th, 2012
9:13 am
Reliable sources are telling me that J Schaefer is down here in Polk county partying and playing softball…Don’t know if we can expect much from him. Hope I am wrong..
Not Disgusted
December 18th, 2012
9:13 am
If Nolasco is offered for Trumbo, FW is not matching that.
I have said it before, the fans on this blog (like all home team blogs) tend to think more of what we can trade than other teams
Look at the deals Minnesota made for Revere and Span — the Phillies and Nats made better offers than we could. Our system is not that good. Even our pitchers — maybe they are top 10 in our system but its how the other GM;s see them.
I doubt FW can make a deal for a good everyday LF even if he wanted to. He clearly does not have the money to pursue a Swisher type so he has to make do with what he has.
Turns out all that money that we had to spend may not have been there after all. So be it.
At least we got one potential difference maker in BJ who will have a better than .298 OBP this yr.
And its a good bet that Uggla and Mc Cann will be better so all is not lost for this season;s prospectus.
Brave New World
December 18th, 2012
9:15 am
BTW, what’s the status of “Pooch” or “Mooch,” that fat PED catcher for the Phils? When I bum like him hits .300, it should signal PED’s testing immediately.
Not Disgusted
December 18th, 2012
9:18 am
If the Braves cannot get either Swisher or Cody Ross then I’d just assume go into the season with what they have inernally and see what happens.
There is nothing any good left on the FA list and FW does not have the horses to make a trade.
Robert ( chi-town)
December 18th, 2012
9:18 am
Go Get Trumbo Frank!
Tampa Bay Braves' fan
December 18th, 2012
9:18 am
“At least we got one potential difference maker in BJ who will have a better than .298 OBP this yr.” – Not Disgusted
You are in for a rude awakening! This was a bad move on several levels.
If you are depending on Upton, Uggla & McCann, hopefully Santa won’t get stuck in your chimney next week !
Observer
December 18th, 2012
9:21 am
I’d rather have Trumbo, though Bourjos does have speed. It appears Bourjos was hurt in 2012.
We can’t go with Francisco on 3B & Prado in LF; of course Francisco looks good in winter ball hitting off guys who were in AA last season or old, washed-up veterans.
Brave New World
December 18th, 2012
9:23 am
Maybe BJ got tired of playing in the worst baseball stadium in the majors, playing in front of 8,000 red necks and old people. BJ will improve now that he is on a real team, playing on real grass, in a beautiful city.
Rick C
December 18th, 2012
9:23 am
Not Disgusted, not sure about the Span deal since the Braves don’t have anyone who profiles like Meyer, but I definitely think they could have beaten the Revere deal. But the Phillies overpaid anyway and I would have no interest in even giving up an equal package. Not sure if the Angels are interested in Nolasco, but he’s a below average pitcher.
Brave New World, he was suspended for adderall, not PEDs. I think it’s a 25 game suspension.
Rick C
December 18th, 2012
9:25 am
Observer, yeah I honestly have no interest in Bourjos at all. I don’t think they’ll trade Trumbo though. But hey his SOs and OBP would fit right in with this lineup
Not Disgusted
December 18th, 2012
9:29 am
“If you are depending on Upton, Uggla & McCann, hopefully Santa won’t get stuck in your chimney next week !”
Its what we have to depend on and if it fails it fails. To have a successful yr all 3 of these guys have to have at least a good yr.
They can do it, I think.
mikega1965
December 18th, 2012
9:31 am
Ernesto Meja hit 2 more home runs last night Gattis also got one wish they had room on the team for them. To bad Freeman cant play left field Ernesto has earned a shot somewhere to bad other teams wouldn’t trade left fielder for him.
Tampa Bay Braves' fan
December 18th, 2012
9:38 am
“Its what we have to depend on and if it fails it fails. To have a successful yr all 3 of these guys have to have at least a good yr. ” -Not Disgusted.
Sad, but true. My confidence in 2 of the 3 having good years is not very high, either. This will be Uggla’s 3rd year in Atlanta, and he needs to hit at least his career average; and McCann is coming off major arm surgery. With it being Mac’s free agent year, perhaps he’ll rebound with the bat so he can get a big contract as DH in the AL.
Brave New World
December 18th, 2012
9:42 am
Thanks, Rick C
BravesFanInNashville
December 18th, 2012
9:58 am
Freeman could actually play 3B if Mejia is really that good. Freeman has a great arm and of course solid glove so he could be really good over there and was in the minors. I don’t think it’s worth it unless we are adding an All-Star caliber 1B in Mejia. I don’t know how good he is but it would be hard to believe he could come close to replacing Freeman D at 1B. Freeman has saved our infield tons of errors with his picks…
Observer….. Francisco hit well of major league pitching when he got to play more than once a week last year. There were stretches he got in such a groove I hated to see Chipper come back because 1. Chipper wasn’t at full strength and 2 sitting Francisco meant he’d probably cool off. I think taking a chance that he hits better than any replacement OF we can get for $6 Million is a chance worth taking. I think he’ll have better offensive production than anyone left out there. If he plays 120 Plus games and gets 400 AB or more I’d bet he’ll hit 25+Hr and have 80+RBI. That at league minimum.
We have some money to spend at the trade deadline if needed so why not give Francisco and Gattis a good look in spring training and early in the season and see if one of them can actually play at this level. It’s only one spot in the order and this lineup is pretty good so with our pitching I think we can afford the risk for a couple of months. We tried it with Pastornicky and had Janish play a long stretch and still won 94 games.
Comfortably Dumb™
December 18th, 2012
10:10 am
DOB,
Why are the Braves still concerned with staying away from LH batters? They’ve already corrected this issue. We have almost as many right handed hitters as left now. They are being very narrow-minded about this. Ethier could lead off, even though he’s most definitely not a prototypical leadoff guy. Good OBP, runs..ok.
I’d still much rather have Borjous or Bonifacio.
Comfortably Dumb™
December 18th, 2012
10:13 am
Fan in Nash….Freeman is not moving to 3rd. Forget about it. He’s going to win gold gloves at 1st.
cornjolio
December 18th, 2012
10:18 am
“Freeman could actually play 3B if Mejia is really that good” – BravesFanInNashville
Your credibility is now suspect !
Rick C
December 18th, 2012
10:27 am
BravesFanInNashville, Freeman only played 3B in five games at rookie ball in 2007. Made 3 errors in 14 chances.
David O'Brien
December 18th, 2012
10:40 am
TheDudeAbides: Every time I go see my parents in Wilson, I want to get over to The Pit. But when Parker’s and Bill’s are about a mile or down from my parents’ house, it’s hard to justify driving over to Raleigh for BBQ, know what I mean?
kenlee
December 18th, 2012
10:44 am
Do we really have to see Ramiro’s mug in his Yankee outfit til opening day. He’s getting a little old. Just sayin’
David O'Brien
December 18th, 2012
11:00 am
DOB,
Why are the Braves still concerned with staying away from LH batters? They’ve already corrected this issue. We have almost as many right handed hitters as left now. They are being very narrow-minded about this. Ethier could lead off, even though he’s most definitely not a prototypical leadoff guy. Good OBP, runs..ok. — Comfortably Dumb
No, they haven’t “corrected” issue. Because they are building around two left-handed hitting sluggers, Heyward and Freeman. Add Ethier and it’d mean 3 of their 4 middle-order hitters were left-handed for the next several years and possibly the next 5 or more years. And for 2013, add McCann and four of their five middle-order hitters would be left-handed.
For a team that’s struggled against lefties for years, and which has faced more lefties than any other NL team each of the past two years, the Brave are determined to correct their left-leaning lineup this winter, or at least not make it even more left-leaning. They considered Choo and Revere, who are lefty hitters, but only because each of them was considered as a leadoff guy.
Ethier is not a leadoff guy. He’s had exactly 2 at-bats in leadoff position his entire career. And he’s certainly not going to bat leadoff in any more than a temporary basis. As I said above, the Braves prefer not to have a team built around 3 left-handed sluggers in the heart of the order.
TheDudeAbides...
December 18th, 2012
11:11 am
DOB – While having never been to Parker’s and Bill’s, I cannot speak on it – but I absolutely trust your judgement on the subject. The Pit was really good, the Sweet Tea was sweet and the brisket could be eaten with a straw (THAT tender) – Though, the MacNCheese left something to be desired, the garlic mashed and fried chicken were excellent.
They have an excellent jowl bacon sweet skillet cornbread with Jalapeno butter….mmmmmm……
reason
December 18th, 2012
11:15 am
Correct me if I’m wrong. But unless the Braves replace both Bourn and Chipper with right-handed bats or a combo of right and switch, we we not become more right-handed.
reason
December 18th, 2012
11:16 am
Correct me if I’m wrong. But unless the Braves replace both Bourn and Chipper with right-handed bats or a combo of right and switch, we have not become more right-handed.
mr baseball
December 18th, 2012
11:30 am
There are exactly 4 MLB caliber starting OFs left on FA market – D. Young, Bourne, Swisher & Ross. A trade for a LF is always a possibility, but other than Delgado/Teheran, exactly who can the Braves give up and get a quality LF in return? A: nobody.
Ross is the obvious LF solution, assuming his contract demands are not excessive. If the Braves don’t move on him, he will wind up with another team & Braves will be left with Prado alternating positions again to accommodate a Francisco/Johnson platoon.
Braves do not need a leadoff hitter. Prado & Heyward would be a very effective 1-2 duo at top of batting order. Lots of teams have productive offenses without a speedy slap hitter leading off.
When McCann returns, Braves will have a quality bat in every spot in the batting order (assuming they upgrade LF/3B), which means the leadoff hitter will get a decent amount of RBI opportunities.
Guys like Bonifacio may steal bases, but they are pretty much useless with 2 outs & a runner on 2nd base. Having someone who can actually hit in the leadoff spot is not a bad thing. And it would prevent Fredi from asking Prado to bunt or “give himself up” to advance a runner, which are wastes of his talents.
Given all the salaries they have unloaded, it’s hard to fathom that the team does not have the $$ to sign Ross. Maybe they’re waiting for his demands to go down. Maybe they’re just too cheap to sign another FA. Hope it’s the former, but given the recent track record, the latter is more likely.
In a reality-based world, which many of those who post on here prefer not to live in, Ross is the most logical alternative. Doesn’t take Spock to figure that out.
GaryinBham
December 18th, 2012
11:50 am
I cannot think of a bigger waste of electrons than to compare blogs and argue about it. There are reading classes to help you, folks. I didn’t know we had to “declare.” We’re not dating.
The lefty-righty thing to me gets magnified in the last three innings with the game close. Most teams can bring out a couple of lefty burners and it’s part of what made “manufacturing” a crucial run hard last year. Upton will help. So will one more good right handed bat. I liked Bourn, but I think another righty is important.
jmart1951
December 18th, 2012
12:44 pm
A switch hitter like Swisher solves the problem. His right and left splits are very close. When facing a right handed starter the Braves would be devastating.When facing a left hander they would be improved over last year.
Swisher seems solid to me but the Braves must know something because they have no apparent interest.
Comfortably Dumb™
December 18th, 2012
1:55 pm
DOB
Makes sense. It was just a thought. I am really not crazy about the idea of Ethier anyway, mainly due to the reasons you pointed out. I think Borjous is a great fit though. Shown he can hit when given regular playing time and a great defender.
Insider
December 18th, 2012
2:20 pm
Mark Trumbo for Randall Delgado …
Trader Jack
December 18th, 2012
2:22 pm
Swisher would be a bust in Atlanta. He wouldn’t have the protection around him like he’s had in the Bronx. Too many similar hitters in the Braves’ lineup.
WESTGADAVE
December 18th, 2012
3:22 pm
MERRY CHRISTMAS BRAVES COUNTRY!!!
WESTGADAVE
December 18th, 2012
3:22 pm
DOB……..I DONT POST LIKE I USED TO–BUT I STILL READ THIS DARN THING EVERY STINKING DAY………JUST WANTED TO TAKE A MOMENT TO WISH YOU -YOUR FAMILY AND ALL MY FELLOW BRAVES FANS A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS
I SO ENJOY THE GOOD WORK YOU AND CAROLL DO ON THIS THING REPORTING ON THE BRAVOS AND ALL THINGS BRAVES…..KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK AND HERE’S HOPING FW CAN FIND A WAY TO SNAG THE OTHER UPTON BY THE TIME WE GET TO SPRING TRAINING……IN THE MEANTIME TRY TO ENJOY THE OFFSEASON AND SO WELL DESRVED DOWN TIME.
MERRY CHRISTMAS BRAVES COUNTRY!!!
Skeezix
December 18th, 2012
4:28 pm
Dave: Anything new on where Bourn is going?
Angel Eyes
December 18th, 2012
5:11 pm
I heard just a little bit ago… Maybe Texas, Maybe Seattle or maybe Phillie.
Angel Eyes
December 18th, 2012
5:11 pm
I heard just a little bit ago… Maybe Texas, Maybe Seattle or maybe Phillie.
Not Disgusted
December 18th, 2012
5:57 pm
Take away Cody Ross, Steve Swisher, Delmon Young and Bourn, Gattis is as good if not better than what is left in the free agency.
Since they cannot or will not make a trade (can understand why) just give Gattis a shot if he is the prospect they think he is.
I do not want any of the remaining FA’s if we cannot get one of the above 4 mentioned.
urban redneck
December 18th, 2012
5:57 pm
word on the street is ethier is being shopped. holy cow, talk about an outfield capable of some power. libery media would have to open their pocketbooks. he is owed 85 over five years if i remember correctly. go bravos.
Angel Eyes
December 18th, 2012
6:06 pm
@urban redneck I need a big favor buddy.. I am in a hurry but I came on to wish all my Brave fans avery Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. With my impending wedding and honeymoon I will be gone for a while See you next year GO BRAVES!!!
Skeezix
December 18th, 2012
6:09 pm
Probably not possible, but I would like to see Bourn in a Braves uniform next season.
MILT
December 18th, 2012
6:26 pm
Dave, any rumblings about the OF from LAA ? Bourges? They need arms. we need speed.
MILT
December 18th, 2012
6:26 pm
Dave, any rumblings about the OF from LAA ? Bourges? They need arms. we need speed.
MILT
December 18th, 2012
6:26 pm
Dave, any rumblings about the OF from LAA ? Bourges? They need arms. we need speed.
MILT
December 18th, 2012
6:26 pm
Dave, any rumblings about the OF from LAA ? Bourges? They need arms. we need speed.
Ken Stallings
December 18th, 2012
7:25 pm
David,
I’m from Rocky Mount. Your parents live in the heart of the best BBQ in the world! No reason to drive anywhere else!
I think it is accurate to predict the Braves to finish with the fourth or fifth best record in the NL. I see them earning a Wild Card. But, there’s not much doubt the Nats are a better team and so it would be a major upset if the Braves won the NL East.
Sambo 4 Rambo
December 18th, 2012
8:03 pm
@ Not disgusted, Gattis is unproven. Freddie would start Jordan Gay-fer in Left simply because of the speed, experience, and the ability to leadoff before Gattis. Sadly..
Larry30
December 18th, 2012
10:37 pm
He signed Pena for that .230 average. He can bat behind McCann and uggla and give them some protection in the batting order. He’s a real bargain. The other two guys with averages close to his are being paid $27 million between the two of them. Go, frank, go!
Wren, THE MORON
December 19th, 2012
7:43 am
Just like Jordan Schafer, Pena, another WASTED roster space. TOTALLY WORTHLESS,
Mr Pitts
December 19th, 2012
8:03 am
What’s the flavor of the day? Should I be asking about Trumbo? Send a note to DOB and ask him about Trumbo? Please provide guidance.
CRM300
December 19th, 2012
8:49 am
Braves have ownership that doesn’t care, the worst radio and TV contract in the bigs, and they won 94 games last year. Yet, all the armchair GM’s on this blog think Frank Wren does not know what he is doing. Imagine what he could do with the Dodgers new TV deal! Braves could win 100+ games every season and most of these whiners would still complain. Mets have lots more money, look where they are! Give Wren a break. He is putting the best product on the field that he can. Support your team! See the glass as half full!
John A.
December 19th, 2012
10:43 am
Another non hitting player. What’s the deal? Isn’t there a player anywhere that can hit better than my grandmother ? True Pena hit .250 last year but he only played in four games. When he played in better than 100 games he hit .227….nice move Frank. Who in God’s name thought we would sign Josh Hamilton? Those guys were definitely living in la-la land. Until Frank leaves the Organization we will never be in the World Series, and chances are we will not survive the first round of play-offs.
John A.
December 19th, 2012
10:57 am
Upton is another loser….he can’t hit his weight, and his fielding skills are nothing to write home about either. Put all of these guys together and they shouldn’t be allowed on a Major League Field much less put on a uniform.
Look around the team and notice how Frank is slowly dismantling the team. With Frank, Bobby and John sitting in the Ivory Tower, they know they can do most anything they want because the Stooge (Fredi) will take the heat. I will admit Fredi isn’t the bet available, but he is the Fall Guy in this organization and will say nothing….he likes getting a pay check.
Mitchell
December 30th, 2012
5:02 pm
Who?
#1 Braves Fan
December 31st, 2012
11:19 am
I am trying to see the positive here. I have been watching for Braves Rumors for the last month and after the Upton move (great move IMHO, could’ve paid millions more if we waited a few days later) nothing has brewed since. We were in on a couple of things that fell through but after losing 2 HUGE offensive pieces to the team that lost in the wild card this season we have made one big move. I think our starting pitching is questionable, serviceable, potentially good, but still questionable. Chipper was clutch last year hitting big where needed, and Bourne manufactured some huge runs for us last year. Being that we finished in a subpar fashion last year we needed to add a piece or two to the team WITHOUT anyone leaving, now we have two clutch players leaving and only made one move. IF Beachy and Janish were starting the season well I could understand not making but TWO big impact moves, but they are not. We really need a proven #2, #3 Starting Pitcher, and a replacement for Chipper AND Bournes bats/legs but it seems we have only attempted to replace Bourne. I believe Upton will fill a portion of the whole in our bats that Bourne left behind but he is definitely not the clutch power hitter we had in Chipper. We NEED a veteran LF’er that can either replace Chipper or replace Prado (as Prado may be a good Chipper replacement at 3rd). Honestly I really wish we had Infante still, I would feel so much better knowing Infante was here to fill in in LF. I am a HUGE Juan Francisco fan and I sincerely hope he crushes the ball next year but its a question mark. To me Francisco at 3rd, Maholm and Delgado/Tehran Pitching, Upton in CF, the platoon at 3rd and LF, Catcher (with Big Boy injured), and not knowing which Freeman, JHey we will get this year are all HUGE question marks for the season.
John A.
January 10th, 2013
10:22 am
Viewing this Braves team is nothing more than a MUDDLED MESS that has been created by Frank Wren. As long as Frank is at the helm the Braves will NEVER get any better. I have stated many times that Frank is not the brightest crayon in the box, but some strange reason most of the fans continue to drink the coolaide. The team is on a downward spiral, and this year will not produce anything better than third place.
74bravesjersey
February 23rd, 2013
3:42 pm
Well, I’ve tried, to anyone who reads this, I was here, miss’n this old way, bring it back, please!
74bravesjersey
February 23rd, 2013
3:42 pm
The new format’s kinda boring!!!!