Gattis, Graham among spring training non-roster invitees
Left field hopeful Evan Gattis and a top pitching prospect J.R. Graham are among the 21 non-roster invitees the Braves will bring to spring training when camp opens in early February – a list the club announced Thursday.
Gattis made quite a splash with his spring training invitation last season, raising eyebrows among Braves teammates and manager Fredi Gonzalez with his home run-hitting prowess. He will look to continue the work he started in winter ball, hitting 16 home runs in Venezuela. He has a chance to make the Braves bench as a potential part-time left fielder and backup catcher.
This will be the first time in big league camp for Graham, the right-hander with a mid-to-upper 90s fastball who was named the Braves organizational pitcher of the year for 2012 in September.
Also among the first-time invitees are last year’s second round pick from the University of Georgia left-hander Alex Wood, standout shortstop from the University of Connecticut Nick Ahmed and third baseman Joe Leonard, a third-round pick in 2010 from the University of Pittsburgh. The list also includes former Cub Blake DeWitt, the utility infielder who signed a minor league deal with the Braves in December.
Left-hander Sean Gilmartin, the Braves first round pick in 2011 out of FSU, returns to camp where he made three appearances last spring including one start. He went 1-0 with a 3.00 ERA, allowing two runs in six innings. He’s likely to open the season in Triple-A but could find his way to the majors before the season is through.
The complete list includes nine pitchers: left-hander Ryan Buchter, left-hander Yohan Flande, Gilmartin, Graham, left-hander Dusty Hughes, right-hander Wirfin Obispo, left-hander Daniel Rodriguez, right-hander Gus Schlosser and Wood.
Six catchers: Luis De La Cruz, Gattis, Matt Kennelly, Matt Pagnozzi, Braeden Schlehuber and Jose Yepez. Three-infielders: Ahmed, DeWitt and Leonard. Three-outfielders: Todd Cunningham, Joe Terdoslavich and Jordan Parraz.
Braves pitchers and catchers are scheduled to report to Lake Buena Vista Fla. on Monday, Feb. 11, with position players to follow on Thursday, Feb. 14.
Fan club to honor Chipper
The Braves 400 Fan Club will honor Chipper Jones at their annual winter banquet on Jan. 26 at the Atlanta Marriott Perimeter Center.
The reception will begin with a silent auction and memorabilia raffle at 5 p.m., with an awards dinner and program to follow at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $70 for members and $75 for non-members. The deadline for purchasing tickets is Jan. 20.
For more information, go to www.braves400.org.
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159 comments Add your comment
Birdhair
January 10th, 2013
3:39 pm
Fire Wren
Wes Jorga
January 10th, 2013
3:41 pm
They are listing Terdo as an outfielder?
cornjolio
January 10th, 2013
3:42 pm
Gotta pull for Gattis or Schafer will get the LF job !
Go Evan !
Gattis, Graham among spring training non-roster invitees - Atlanta SportsToday
January 10th, 2013
3:43 pm
[...] Gattis made quite a splash with his spring training invitation last season, raising Source: Atlanta Braves – Dave OBrien AJC Blog Share this: Posted in Braves « Braves could get creative with platoons in 2013 You can [...]
BravesFanInNashville
January 10th, 2013
3:55 pm
I would love to know for all of you who are asking for Wren to be fired who you would hire to replace him?
Would you hire one of the GM’s away from the 20 teams that didn’t make the playoffs? The teams that didn’t win 90 games much less 94?
Would you hire one of the GM’s away who won more than 94 Games but didn’t play in the WS either?
Would you hire an unproven guy with no track record?
The only one that would make you guys happy is Sabean from SF and he’s not leaving to come to Atlanta.
Wren has done his job. He put a team on the field that was in position to advance deep into the playoffs and his future Hall Of Fame 3B had a game he’d like to forget about. It happens even great players like Chipper can have a bad game.
One more time Wren did his job… and on a budget…
Bud
January 10th, 2013
4:01 pm
32 days til pitchers and catchers report; GO BRAVES!!
cornjolio
January 10th, 2013
4:10 pm
“I would love to know for all of you who are asking for Wren to be fired who you would hire to replace him?” – BravesFanInNashville
Who was Frank Wren before John Schuerholz hired him as an assistant? What was his claim to fame ?
How many divisions has Wren won as Braves’ GM (since 2008): ZERO
He can be replaced and it does not have to be with a big name. GMs get fired all the time; ask Mr Schuerholz about that when he bankrupted Kansas City with his foolish moves.
cornjolio
January 10th, 2013
4:14 pm
“Wren did his job… and on a budget…”
Derek Lowe. Kinchen Kawakami. Nate McLouth. Dan Uggla.
Not exactly great acquisitions. Their salaries have been an albatross on this organization the past few years. Fortunately, 3 of the 4 are off the payroll.
If Upton does not at the least put up his career averages in 2013 Mr Wren should resign or start clearing his desk @ Turner Field.
BravesFanInNashville
January 10th, 2013
4:14 pm
cornjolio……… wow…. so in one sentence you talk about Wren winning ZERO divisions for the Braves yet in another sentence you talk about the guy who won 14 straight divisions which has NEVER been done in ANY sport and say his foolish moves got him fired from his last job. In other words if you were in charge you certainly wouldn’t have hired Schuerholz to come to Atlanta because he just bankrupted KC….. Glad to know your not in charge…
Frodo
January 10th, 2013
4:20 pm
“Wren has done his job. He put a team on the field that was in position to advance deep into the playoffs” – WRONG! He absolutely did not put a team on the field that could advance deep in the playoffs. They were destined to go out early. Vegas and everyone else knew this from day one after game 162. You obviously obvisouly have trouble judging overall team talentj. And, why do people always ask “well who would you hire then to replace him?” or “Who would you have hired if not Wren? wahhh wahh” That’s not my job to decide. I don’t know. I will tell you that the guy we have now is running this organization into the ground with his ridiculous, lack of true player analysis, spending. FIRE WREN! Don’t care about division titles Nashville. I want a WS. First we need to win a playoff series. BTW: That wasn’t the playoffs last year DOB. That was the “play in” game. Bye Bye.
CT
January 10th, 2013
4:22 pm
I agree. I sit in cube all day, with my sleeves rolled up, fuming about the moves this guy Wren makes. Get rid of him.
Rick C
January 10th, 2013
4:28 pm
Frodo, you may disagree, but the WC games are playoff games by MLB rules.
BravesFanInNashville
January 10th, 2013
4:29 pm
Wren had no choice but to overpay for Lowe. Burnett just signed with the Yankees for $72 Million and the Yankees wanted Lowe too. At the time Lowe had a better career W/L record and much better ground ball ratio than Burnett so he was a better choice to pitch in Turner Field. Burnett wasn’t worth the money the Yankees paid him either but they didn’t fire Cashman over it.
Kawakami was a risk but there were scouts that insisted he was the Greg Maddux of Japan because of his control and under 3.00 ERA lifetime in Japan. The bigger baseball in the US was a much bigger issue than anyone thought and that affected how he pitched here. Boston never got the value out of Dice-K either and they paid a total of over $100 million because of the $51 Million dollar posting fee just to negotiate with him. They didn’t fire Theo over that one either. At least the Braves only risked $27 Million on KK and that was only because the Braves had Hudson on the DL with surgery and Glavine and Smoltz were done. We had Hanson and JJ and that was it for the rotation.
Wren HAD to get at least 2 starters that he thought could help. He couldn’t afford to pay for Burnett and lots of analysts said the Braves ended up with the best pitcher available that year in Lowe. It’s a tough job. Damned if you do damned if you don’t. If he hadn’t signed Lowe who would have pitched and been our best pitcher down the stretch the first two years we had him?
Uggla looked like a good trade and sign at the time. No one saw this kind of fall off from a guy that had 5 straight seasons of close to 30Hr and 90Rbi. If you’re saying you saw this coming I don’t believe you.
We didn’t trade a lot to get McClouth and his contract looked like a steal when we first got him. There isn’t a team in baseball that doesn’t have stories about players who looked really promising and then went the other way. I can name dozens for you just off the top of my head..
You guys talk like this is so easy.
Vernon Oneal
January 10th, 2013
4:29 pm
Hey everyone. I’m from Nashville. I’m a stump.
BravesFanInNashville
January 10th, 2013
4:31 pm
Frado …… that wasn’t the playoffs it was the play in….. As DOB just commented on the same statement from someone else. Whatever you say!
BravesFanInNashville
January 10th, 2013
4:32 pm
wow lot’s of nice people on this blog today..
cornjolio
January 10th, 2013
4:34 pm
“yet in another sentence you talk about the guy who won 14 straight divisions which has NEVER been done in ANY sport and say his foolish moves got him fired from his last job.” – BravesFanInNashville
ONE World Series Championship. That’s what I remember with great pride and greater memories.
Outside of Atlanta, nobody remembers their divisional “championships”. Its the big dance that counts.
As for Schuerholz his “genius” dried up when Ted Turner lost control of the Braves, and JS didn’t have access to Ted’s bottomless wallet anymore.
Schuerholz’s final move was to give away the farm for Mark Teixeira, whom he knew full well was not going to stay in Atlanta for the old “hometown discount”. JD Drew didsn’t do it; neither did Teixeira.
There has not been a World Series in Atlanta since 1999; no division “championship” since 2005.
Frank Wren is not the man for this job. Other teams in recent years have reached the World Series on comparable or smaller payrolls. It can be done.
2hot scott
January 10th, 2013
4:35 pm
Random dumb question of the day…
Why do the Braves / Fox Sports not broadcast minor leagues baseball games? For the true Braves fan, I think this would be must watch TV in constrast to the “reality” shows that seem to be growing like weeds. Even if it was on a delay basis, I would watch, because then you get to see the future Braves.
BravesFanInNashville
January 10th, 2013
4:36 pm
conjolio… your the one who mentioned ZERO division championships not me. I was just responding to your own words…
Bravo Uno
January 10th, 2013
4:36 pm
BravesFanInNashville ,
Frank Wren’s mama shouldn’t be on this blog; she might read things that could make her uncomfortable.
Go bake some cookies!
TexasBravesFan
January 10th, 2013
4:38 pm
I hate Liberty Mutual and Frank Wren as our owners and CEO…. we have three big contracts come off the books (Chipper, Bourne and Lowe) plus we have new TV money and the revenue share money coming in and all we do is sign one new player. We now suppose to be excited about the fact that Wren (who is witless) is excited about going to spring training with a bunch of 3rd string guys or non-proven promising guys? So they mkae more money, give us the fans nothing but more of the same crap we have gotten over the last several years… “I think we will be OK with what we have” only to flounder when one guy gets hurt or has a bad year… And we are suppose to remain excited about our chances as we see all of division foes try and do something… anything. This is really a real crappy time to be a Braves fan and I was one way back in the days when all we had was Bob Horner and Dale Murphy to cheer for… at least then we knew what we had and there was no false promises being made to any of us! I don’t hate FW the man… but I hate the combination of Liberty and FW…. the combination of the two make me sick as a real Braves baseball fan. We never do anything exciting and now we are sitting on money that we all know we have… but then lie more than Obama does by saying we are going to be OK with what we have! At least Obama lies so far as to say, we won’t take more from you than what we feel we need! I cannot even be made for the moves you because for the last 2 years you have done nothing to imrpove the club… you keep trying to patch from within a system that has no fielders and absoultely no hitters… But while the Nats make trades, we make words…. this really sucks.
Coach (2013, Is the future now?)
January 10th, 2013
4:39 pm
Meanwhile the Cubbies just snatched up Brent Lillibridge (minor league contract), while our 40 man consists of the likes of Jose Constanza and Ramiro Pena. So my confidence level in Frank Wrens roster construction abilities just went down a few notches………….
BravesFanInNashville
January 10th, 2013
4:42 pm
Still no answers on who the Braves should hire as a GM to replace Wren…
BravesFanInNashville
January 10th, 2013
4:46 pm
Bravo Uno…. why can’t people post their opinions about a team we all seem to like enough to follow throughout the winter without folks getting nasty?
I’m not putting anyone else down I’m just asking if you guys dislike Wren so much who would do a better job in your eyes?
Fair question…
Frank Wren
January 10th, 2013
4:47 pm
Evan Gattis and Jordan Schafer will be given every opportunity this spring to win the LF job.
I’m going on the cheap in LF so that I can use our remaining money to extend Brian McCann’s contract another 5 years, in the $15 -20 million a season range. Between that and Uggla’s remaining three years, that should doom the Braves to mediocrity for the rest of this decade.
Play ball !
Angel Eyes
January 10th, 2013
4:47 pm
Fire Wren let BravesFanIn Nashville be GM Braves still lose.
Bravo Uno
January 10th, 2013
4:52 pm
“I’m not putting anyone else down I’m just asking if you guys dislike Wren so much who would do a better job in your eyes?” – BravesFanInNashville
The major & minor leagues are full of young, creative minds waiting for an opportunity to do Frank Wren’s job. They are not household names. Whoever heard of Frank Wren before he got his current job?
I predict when attendance @ Turner Field slips, and with Chipper’s farewell tour over, it will, Liberty Media will be rolling heads.
Angel Eyes
January 10th, 2013
4:57 pm
We need somebody who will get us some offense. Anybody is better than we got.
Luman Harris
January 10th, 2013
5:01 pm
Hmmm, not one candidate to replace Wren … except perhaps all the geniuses on this blog!
(eye roll)
BravesFanInNashville
January 10th, 2013
5:01 pm
Angel Eyes……. Never said or thought I could do the job of GM.. I’ve stated many times it’s tough job because since you don’t have a crystal ball not every move you make will work out no matter how much homework goes into it.
Case in point the Nat’s decide to shut down Strasburg for the end of the year thinking long term. What if the Nat’s never go to the WS and last year might have been their best shot.. Lot’s of fans in DC are questioning that move because who knows if Strasburg had pitched 2 games a series in the post season they might have won it all.
If the Nat’s don’t win the WS within the next 3 or 4 years that decision is going to look even more questionable. Of course if they do win they’ll look like geniuses but how do you know now?
Same city… the decision to play RGIII looks really bad right now..
Luman Harris
January 10th, 2013
5:04 pm
Texas – This is a crappy time to be a Braves fan??/ Really???
We have four of the top 25 players in all of baseball (according to Keith Law) …. the future is bright, bright, bright …. and you are in misery?
I feel sorry for you, dude.
Angel Eyes
January 10th, 2013
5:05 pm
Anybody that will do something instead of sitting on his duff and draw his money would be better. We need OFFENSE NOW!!!!
Bravo Uno
January 10th, 2013
5:06 pm
I guess Frank Wren is irreplaceable.
More second place finishes on the horizon …
BravesFanInNashville
January 10th, 2013
5:07 pm
Luman Harris… Thank you….finally somebody on here that is happy to be a Braves fan! I see it like you do they have a bright future and the next few years are going to be fun to watch..
Luman Harris
January 10th, 2013
5:07 pm
Angel – why do we need it now? spring training doesn’t start for another month, real games not til April.
Just the facts
January 10th, 2013
5:09 pm
“We have four of the top 25 players in all of baseball (according to Keith Law) ”
Who are they?
Bravothusiast
January 10th, 2013
5:09 pm
Every GM makes decisions that turn out to be the wrong one in the end. But the simple fact that Fredi is still manager is grounds for firing Wren IMO.
BravesFanInNashville
January 10th, 2013
5:09 pm
Bravo Uno…… you missed the point… if you think Wren is doing a terrible job who would you replace him with? Still not one person has come up with a name, they just want to complain about Wren.
Luman Harris
January 10th, 2013
5:13 pm
Bravoenthusiast – and what exactly have Fredi and Frank done to deserve being fired? Other than taking a team with a middle-of-the-pack payroll to the playoffs, while teams with bigger stars, bigger payrolls fell short?
Bravothusiast
January 10th, 2013
5:13 pm
Top 25 under the age of 25 per Kieth Law – J-Hey #3, Freddie #19, Simmons #21, Kimbrel #23.
Angel Eyes
January 10th, 2013
5:17 pm
@Luman Harris If you don’t get them now they will be gone!! @BravesFanINNashville Answer: Anybody that will get us OFFENSE!!!
Bravothusiast
January 10th, 2013
5:19 pm
IMO Fredi is a terrible in game manager. He can’t set a lineup to save his life and makes bone head small ball moves in all the wrong places. Small ball is fine if you employ the strategy correctly, Fredi does not. Props to him for not running our bullpen into the ground last year, but any manager should have been able to make that correction. And Wren deserves to be fired for not firing Fredi, IMO.
Luman Harris
January 10th, 2013
5:22 pm
Yet, Fredi managed to win 94 games last year. Amazing that a boneheaded idiot could pull off such a feat. Just amazing.
Bravo Uno
January 10th, 2013
5:30 pm
Fredi won’t win 94 games in 2013. Chipper’s gone; Bourn is gone; Beachy out most of the season. McCann will miss at least the first month. The Uggla factor.
83 games tops
BravesFanInNashville
January 10th, 2013
5:34 pm
Luman Harris…. yes he won 95 games last year and did it with a team that had a 3B that had to sit 1/3 of the year a catcher that couldn’t take a full swing at the ball after the all-star break a pitcher that was leading the league in ERA around 2.00 lost for the season to TJ surgery, a CF who was brilliant first half and then ran out of gas and did next to nothing in August and September a promising SS that went down for over 6 weeks with an injury and Ventors suddenly lost his way and couldn’t contribute like he was used to. Then to add on Uggla was so bad he had to be benched for a while because his severe uppercut hit nothing but air most of the time and Hanson who won 12 games early went home for the summer in August and JJ was a non factor. Other than that Fredi had it easy and should have won them all.
I for one agree that I am not a big believer in Fredi’s in game decision making. But he did get a lot better from the year before. I personally prefer a strategist like Bochy that plays the game right so I get the heat on Fredi from the fans. The truth is though he did a lot with the cards he had to play last year.
BravesFanInNashville
January 10th, 2013
5:35 pm
94 games sorry
Atlanta Brave in Bama
January 10th, 2013
5:35 pm
Is Cory Rasmus still invited to spring training?
Luman Harris
January 10th, 2013
5:38 pm
Nashville –
I agree, there are always plenty of in-game decisions – by any manager – for fans to find fault with. It’s part of the beauty of baseball, IMO.
But you can’t really argue with results. 94 wins from that roster is a heck of a job.
goski99
January 10th, 2013
5:40 pm
WOW! Shocking how little some people in this town know about baseball. The Braves has very good YOUNG pitching talent both starting and in the pen. The have very good young position players in critical positions. This is how you build a winner (and they are fun to watch play). Would you rather watch the Pirates, Cubs or Mets???
goski99
January 10th, 2013
5:43 pm
can Angel Eyes POSSIBLY be as dumb as her posts are?
braveslover
January 10th, 2013
5:44 pm
Just heard a rumor that Uggla is dedicated himself to not striking out so much this year. He’s going to give $100 for every strike out to charity. Now that’s manning up. Think he will stick with that? Season might look a lot brighter without his 180 strikeouts. Even half that gives him and the team a big boost and his charity a nice check.
Rick C
January 10th, 2013
5:46 pm
“Fredi won’t win 94 games in 2013. Chipper’s gone; Bourn is gone; Beachy out most of the season. McCann will miss at least the first month. The Uggla factor.”
Last year Chipper was a part time player, Bourn did almost nothing in the second half, and Beachy was out most of the season.
Angel Eyes
January 10th, 2013
5:48 pm
@goski99.. Not a her. Thanks for nothing. If I am so dumb. Tell me hoe pitching scores runs.. I am a Dude. Are you a girl.
Braves1
January 10th, 2013
5:50 pm
If you guys don’t like anything the Braves do then why don’t you just go like another team.
Birdhair
January 10th, 2013
5:51 pm
The problems begin with ownership. They don’t care what Wren does as long as he meets the budget. If ownership cared they would have spent $5M of that $23M that we had to spend this offseason on the best GM in baseball, Andrew Friedman. Well, actually they would have fired Wren three years ago. But anyway, Friedman would represent the best $5M spent in the past 5 years.
Frank Wren clearly doesn’t value OBP, doesnt spend wisely, and employs a failing draft director.
Frank Wren can’t even win a playoff series. He walked into a gold mind with Chipper, Heyward, Freeman, Hudson, Medlen, Hanson (until he started stinking), Brian McCann!
Michael Bourn had 1 decent half and then he was garbage. (He even reverted below his career mean OBP in the second half). Dan Uggla? Kenshin Kawakami? Derek Lowe?
When you spend millions of dollars poorly, especially given a middle market budget, you inhibit the team’s flexibility exponentially.
And now BJ Upton? I think many Braves fans will finally begin to wake up and smell the coffee. Ive been saying it for 3 years. Wren is killing us and should be fired immediately.
BravesFanInNashville
January 10th, 2013
5:57 pm
Rick C… exactly…. we’re only talking about replacing 14HR and 62 RBI.. He only played in 112 games so he sat almost 1/3 of the season. Upton will give us more stability and instant offensive potential from CF than Bourn. Upton can will a game with a HR and can steal a base when we need it most. He has a better arm than Bourn and that will help save some runs too. I think he can run down almost any ball Bourn gets to. Medlen will be here all year to replace what we lose in Beachy until July or so. I don’t see the drop off that people are so worried about. Uggla can’t be as bad two years in a row after having 6 productive seasons. He’s going to be better than last year. Our pitching will keep us in almost every game and Heyward and Freeman and Simmons are going to get better and better.
BravesFanInNashville
January 10th, 2013
5:59 pm
Braves1….. exactly.. if you’re a true fan get behind your team and if not go root for a team that’s winning until they start to lose and then find another bandwagon to jump on..
Jimmy Crack
January 10th, 2013
6:01 pm
Joe Terdoslavich. That kid absolutely has to be good.
Birdhair
January 10th, 2013
6:04 pm
I agree with the comments at 4:20 above by Frodo. Every critical thinking fan dang well knew that this team was not built to win anything in October.
That game against the Cardinals was a play-in game, not a playoff series.
Wren doesn’t even win the division anymore. Heck, he hasn’t even won a playoff series. 2 years from now, Wren will not have won a playoff series, but Bravesfaninashville will say, “hey we won 85 games, not bad!”
Obee
January 10th, 2013
6:04 pm
Medlen if healthy will win as many games as Greinke.
BravesFanInNashville
January 10th, 2013
6:07 pm
Luman Harris…. not only do we have 4 of the top 25 players under 25 years old Keith Law also mentioned that Mike Minor just missed the age cutoff or he would have been on the list too.
No other team had more than 2 on the list. The Oriole’s, Cubs, Royals, Nats and Rays had two each which with the Braves 4 takes up 14 of the top 2 spots split among 6 teams. That means 24 teams had one or less of those players. I think Frank Wren and the Braves front office and scouts deserve some credit for putting us in that position. We came within a few months with Minor’s birthday of have 5 of the top 25 or 20% of the best players under 25 in all of baseball. That’s getting it done.
Angel Eyes
January 10th, 2013
6:07 pm
@BravesFanInNashville In what yr did they win it all. I rest my case. They are a bunch of losers and will be as long as they have Wren.
Brava
January 10th, 2013
6:08 pm
The problems begin with ownership. They don’t care what Wren does as long as he meets the budget. If ownership cared they would have spent $5M of that $23M that we had to spend this offseason on the best GM in baseball, Andrew Friedman. Well, actually they would have fired Wren three years ago. But anyway, Friedman would represent the best $5M spent in the past 5 years.
Didn’t realize the Rays were willing to let Friedman go. In fact, I’m pretty sure they aren’t. The grass is always greener over the fence, isn’t it Birdhair?
Frank Wren can’t even win a playoff series. He walked into a gold mind with Chipper,…
That’s right, Frank Wren can’t win a playoff series because he isn’t a player. Heck, I was at the one-game playoff (a farce) and watched as Chipper threw what should have been a routine double play into right field over the head of Uggla. That was the beginning of the game unraveling in a horrendous way. Do you really blame that on Frank Wren? I blame the players who were on the field that night.
It’s disingenuous to sit here and criticize the moves Wren has made after the fact. As BravesFanInNashville pointed out, Wren is hardly the first GM to sign players who didn’t pan out. He’s built teams that have been in contention on the last day of the season. There aren’t a lot of GMs who do that consistently.
Bravo Uno
January 10th, 2013
6:10 pm
Birdhair makes complete sense.
cornjolio
January 10th, 2013
6:12 pm
” He’s built teams that have been in contention on the last day of the season. There aren’t a lot of GMs who do that consistently.” – Brava
2010 & 2012. Is that consistant?
Birdhair
January 10th, 2013
6:13 pm
Fans like BravesFanInNashville are homers and want to be acknowledged by the media for their “positive outlook” comments.
It’s the media and fans like him who help to support the mediocrity. Do you think DOB would ever provide a critical analysis of Wren? No! He wants to keep his job. Same for Bowman. They are homers just like Mark Bradley.
Two years from now, Wren will be 0 for 7 in the playoff series win category. How long can you support this idiotic, incompetent, imbecile of a GM?
Brava
January 10th, 2013
6:14 pm
I agree with the comments at 4:20 above by Frodo. Every critical thinking fan dang well knew that this team was not built to win anything in October.
Bull. What did the Braves in during the WC game was their defense. That was one of their biggest strengths all season. No one could have foreseen that. They were favored to and should have won that game.
Brava
January 10th, 2013
6:15 pm
cornjolio, they lost the WC on the last day in 2011, if I’m not mistaken.
Angel Eyes
January 10th, 2013
6:18 pm
Lot of difference in being in contention and winning it all.. Wren, Gonzalez both losers. Team is built on piching and defense. That’s OK but need OFFENSE NOW!!!
Brava
January 10th, 2013
6:19 pm
Fans like BravesFanInNashville are homers and want to be acknowledged by the media for their “positive outlook” comments.,/em>
Do you really believe the stuff you write? Do you believe “the media” comes on boards such as this one to find “positive outlook” comments? If so, what do they do with them? I haven’t seen any articles written about them. It must be a secret conspiracy that I’m not in on.
Birdhair
January 10th, 2013
6:20 pm
Angel Eyes, I think Fredi has actually done a fairly good job considering the B.S. players that Wren has given him.
Brava
January 10th, 2013
6:23 pm
Angel Eyes,
You keep saying we need OFFENSE NOW! Who do you propose Wren gets to fill this need? I’m of the opinion we need a high OBP leadoff hitter, rather than another slugger, but I’d love to hear your thoughts on the matter.
Birdhair
January 10th, 2013
6:24 pm
Do you support a win total or do you demand playoff series wins and shots at world series titles?
If you want mediocrity then continue to support Wren.
If you want to talk about payroll constraint issues then I will rip you to shreds on that topic. Wren can’t spend the $ that he has wisely. He’s complete garbage.
kral
January 10th, 2013
6:28 pm
your right hairy bird..to bad we were not like the yankees..they got past first round..or angels who broke the bank..oops no play-off…phillies…injuries did’em in..maybe..oh if we would have bought all that the dodgers did ..oops they watched a giant beehind
Angel Eyes
January 10th, 2013
6:29 pm
@Brava You are absolutely correct. We got enough of those so called sluggers who KO. We need a Bourn or Fowler. Someone who is a high OBP hitter not PITCHER.
Birdhair
January 10th, 2013
6:31 pm
Hmm, Baltimore, Cincy, Oakland had payrolls less than ours last year. Hmm, yeah totally blame the ownership. We need new ownership AND a competent GM
Brava
January 10th, 2013
6:33 pm
Birdhair, it is a fact that the proper win total is what will get you into the post season. I hate the one- game WC crap and think it’s the biggest farce MLB could have come up with, but it is what it is.
I certainly don’t want mediocrity and that’s not what the Braves have given us the past few years. You want to whine? Become a fan of the Cubs, Astros, Marlins or any of the other bottom dwellers.
Am I disappointed that Wren wasn’t more aggressive in getting us a LF? Heck yes! I loved Shin Soo Choo and thought he would have been perfect to fill this team’s needs. But, I also didn’t want to see him make a deal that would give away the farm or cause us to overpay for a player that wouldn’t have any impact on the team. I don’t think he’s stopped shopping, but if he doesn’t find the right deal, it’s not the end of the world. We’re sitting pretty good with what we have.
Brava
January 10th, 2013
6:35 pm
Angel Eyes, I agree with you on our needs.
BravesFanInNashville
January 10th, 2013
6:37 pm
Birdhair… first of all don’t even want to think about what your screen name means. Secondly I could care less if media reads this or not. I for one appreciate this blog and the work the writers do to put this up here for us. It’s a privilege not a right in my mind to get to do this. Just because is see the future of this team as being bright and appreciate the position Wren has put this team in doesn’t mean you should be a total jerk about it. I see the Wren/Gonzalez thing the opposite of you. I think Wren has done a better job than Fredi but Fredi is getting better. So we disagree who cares. I’m not going to call you a homer because you think Fredi is doing a great job. It’s your opinion and your entitled to it without me being a jerk towards you…
TexasBravesFan
January 10th, 2013
6:41 pm
@LumanHarris…. we lost in the first game of the playoffs YES it is a crappy time…. How many of the top prospects really pan out? You are crazy if you think a major league team can win in the age of Free Agency…. Not many mid-market teams consistently win championships by only building from within! that is what we are spending money like… a mid-market team! Heck even Pittsburg is trying to sign FAs where we are Your condensending dribble fails to register with most of the intelligent Braves basball fans when we have more than $10 million below last year’s compensation level and the GM tells us that we are going to go with a lifetime minor leaguer, a PED abuser and a Yen master as our starting left fielders… While the Nats have traded for a starting CF and now have 4 outfielders that can hit for power and average and can steal bases…. So take your all knowing ignorance and go play on 285 between powers ferry and 75 at 5PM…. As to your top propsects in baseball statement…. well jerk master… they are all pitchers… when do we develop any other talent… afterall, I was talking about LF and leadoff hitters not our pitching… crap, we have enough talent there to make a trade and Wrennie has even done that either! I still rest my case that it is a poor time to be a Braves fan…. that being said…. I am still a Braves fan and as such i reserve the right to express my opinon on this blog or any other!
Angel Eyes
January 10th, 2013
6:41 pm
@BravesFanInNashville Nothing against you but IMO they are both losers. They have never won a division They have never been to WS. That makes both of them losers.
kral
January 10th, 2013
6:42 pm
I do not think he has stopped shopping either..time will tell about our needs…and maybe there will be some good possibilities..to add..
cornjolio
January 10th, 2013
6:42 pm
BravesFanInNashville,
Are you really Frank Wren’s mom?
Birdhair
January 10th, 2013
6:42 pm
And Brava, I wanted Choo, I want Brett Gardner, I want Chase Headley…..
Might take a flier on Alex Gordon. See if you can pry away Adam Eaton from Dbacks.
Wren should have made a huge play for Headley at deadline this past season. I called for it. Check the blogs.
We need high OBP hitters so that we can score runs. We just lost Chipper. One of the big problems is that Wren clearly does not value high OBP hitters. BJ Upton was a HUGE mistake.
Yes, all of the players that I mentioned above would require a trade. Another problem. Wren employs a failing draft director so we don’t have a lot of depth in the cupboard to trade from.
So, I suggest trading from our strength, and that’s pitching. We clearly need high OBP hitters. Signing BJ was a critical mistake.
Bobby Cox
January 10th, 2013
6:45 pm
I’ve been watching Jordan Schafer in the simulated games. He’s been tearing the hide off the ball. Reminds me of spring training back in ‘09.
Greg Walker has turned him loose in the batting cage. Just a few simple adjustments were needed.
Time for another drink …
Brava
January 10th, 2013
6:47 pm
Birdhair, I can’t really disagree with you. I didn’t like the Upton signing, either, and am trying to be optimistic about it and, at least, give the guy a chance.
kral
January 10th, 2013
6:51 pm
yes the nats have surpassed us…actually think they had the best team..last year..even without the stras..but a poor time to be a Braves fan was in ‘72…
Brava
January 10th, 2013
6:52 pm
Bobby Cox, if only…. I’d love to see Jordan get his act together and be the player we once thought he’d be, but I don’t seriously see it happening.
TexasBravesFan
January 10th, 2013
6:53 pm
Bird head… btw those teams you mentioned.. Cincy, Baltimore and oakland… have not been consistently in the playoffs either so i rally hope that you don’t want the Braves to model themselves after thsoe teams… heck at least you see Baltimore mentioned in the rumor machine for more trades… all we hear from Wrennie is that he is excited about how things looked in Panama…. exciting for us all!
BravesFanInNashville
January 10th, 2013
6:54 pm
cornjolio….. so explain how posting facts about having 4 of the top 25 players under 25 in the game and almost having 5 if Minor were a few months younger and thinking that a good thing makes me Wren’s mom..? I can disagree with you about your opinions without insulting you over it. I’d appreciate the same respect back from you.
Brava
January 10th, 2013
6:54 pm
kral, I also think the Nats are a better team and it will be tough for us to win the Division, but I don’t think it’s impossible.
Birdhair
January 10th, 2013
6:54 pm
BJ Upton has had an avg OBP of .309 since ‘09. Do you remember how frustrating Alex Gonzalez was? So what about catching the ball in center. He will prob catch a couple of more balls. Big deal in the grand scheme. A few more solo homers? C’mon. His lack of OBP production will really help to stifle us.
TexasBravesFan
January 10th, 2013
6:56 pm
@ Kral… and I was a Braves fan in ‘72 so i feel that I have the right to speak now! Feel asleep listening to them each night on a 9V transitor radio and a one ear bud!!!!! so I am a fan!
Birdhair
January 10th, 2013
6:57 pm
No, I am just telling you that that the GMs of Cincy, Baltimore, and Oakland accomplished playoff appearances last season with payrolls less than ours. We are headed in the wrong direction. Those teams are NOT.
Brava
January 10th, 2013
6:57 pm
Yep, Birdhair, I see a LOT of strikeouts from our lineup unless Walker and Fletch can work some miracles.
Birdhair
January 10th, 2013
6:59 pm
For starters, we just replaced Chipper’s bat with BJ Upton. Lol. LF? who the hell knows
Angel Eyes
January 10th, 2013
7:05 pm
@BravesFanInNashville For the record, You and I completely disagree and have in the past. I do respect your opinion and enjoy your posts. Just so you know
TexasBravesFan
January 10th, 2013
7:05 pm
@ Bird Brain so we agree… even a blind squirrel finds a nut every now and then. i am saying that our payroll should go up… every team has more money due to TV contract and luxury taxes… we have even more due to terminated contracts… as we spend even less than last year and i believe that Wrennie is satified to go into ST with exactly who he has said he is escited about… he has done it before and he will do it again… then he will make a trade for someone that we will only have to .5 to 1.5 years and say look at me I tried…. right now is the time to make a trade when the asking price is more reasonable then when we NEED someone in the middle of the year… it is at that time when we make trades out of desperation rather than strength.
Birdhair
January 10th, 2013
7:13 pm
TexasBravesFan, it’s called a “Short-term solutions”. Aka Alex Gonzalez, Garrett Loaf Anderson, Juan Francisco, Troy Glaus, Melky Cabrera, Greg Norton, Paul Janish, Jack Wilson, Rick Ankiel.
Seriously, the list of losers that Wren has signed who can’t get-on base is mind-blowing.
Birdhair
January 10th, 2013
7:14 pm
And Birdhair =Mark Richt
TexasBravesFan
January 10th, 2013
7:15 pm
yeah right and Texas = Obama
BravesFanInNashville
January 10th, 2013
7:19 pm
Thanks Angel Eyes….. In the end we’re all Braves fans here and love it when they win. I just wish more people on here would enjoy the team more because it’s a good one with a bright future with all the young talent we have.
Brava
January 10th, 2013
7:20 pm
In the end we’re all Braves fans here and love it when they win.
That’s right!
frodo
January 10th, 2013
7:23 pm
That’s it! I found my GM: Birdhair! Someone that appreciates a solid OBP and money well spent. Supporters will be calling for Wren’s birdhair by the end of June. Mark my word. Braves will be dangerously close to an under .500 record by then. Pitching may carry us for a month or two. That’s it. Mets finish ahead of this year.
Angel Eyes
January 10th, 2013
7:24 pm
Agin No The only talent Braves have is pitching Have only 3 hitters. 3 don’t win
No. 1 Braves Fan
January 10th, 2013
7:27 pm
I don`t understand how someone can call FW and Fredi losers because they have not won in postseason play. Only a few GM an Mgr have won in playoffs. Does that make all others losers too?
No. 1 Braves Fan
January 10th, 2013
7:27 pm
I don`t understand how someone can call FW and Fredi losers because they have not won in postseason play. Only a few GM an Mgr have won in playoffs. Does that make all others losers too?
No. 1 Braves Fan
January 10th, 2013
7:27 pm
I don`t understand how someone can call FW and Fredi losers because they have not won in postseason play. Only a few GM an Mgr have won in playoffs. Does that make all others losers too?
BravesFanInNashville
January 10th, 2013
7:33 pm
Birdhair …. I agree those players you just listed don’t get any fans excited but there were many years Wren had only 1 or 2 Million to fill out a roster. I know you’re going to say he spent the money on the wrong players but sometimes there are only so many choices available and Lowe was almost a necessity to sign at the time. If you don’t think so go back and look at who signed and was traded for the year we signed Lowe and you’ll see there weren’t a lot of options and Wren was up against the wall because the Yankees would have signed Lowe if we didn’t. We might not have even been a .500 club if we didn’t have him the first two years because he won 15 games each of those years.
David O'Brien
January 10th, 2013
7:38 pm
Fans like BravesFanInNashville are homers and want to be acknowledged by the media for their “positive outlook” comments.
It’s the media and fans like him who help to support the mediocrity. Do you think DOB would ever provide a critical analysis of Wren? No! He wants to keep his job — Birdhair
Could you possibly be any more clueless about this subject? Do you honestly believe that Wren has anything to do with my employment? I work for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. I’m paid by the newspaper. I have nothing to do with the Braves organization, other than writing about the team for the newspaper. Wren nor anyone else at the Braves meets with my boss to discuss my performance or the tone of our articles.
If the AJC told me tomorrow that I’d been reassigned to cover UGA or the Hawks or the police beat or anything else, that’s what I’d be covering.
Angel Eyes
January 10th, 2013
7:40 pm
@No.Braves Fan Yes it does. You don’t win your division or go to a WS, you are a loser. Braves situation is different. They had talent in one spot and nobody to score runs. @BravesFanInNashville According to you they had all this pitching talent. OK then why did they need Lowe. Wren would rather havge pitching than hitting that’s why.
Seattle Braves
January 10th, 2013
7:53 pm
Justin turned down a sweet deal to seattle. Arizona looked to be getting what it wanted. But Justin dosent want to to down grade to a lesser team than arizona and vetoed the trade. Maybe he is saying I want to play for a contender and with my brother???
Dang it Wren, lets get it done. TRADE FOR JUSTIN UPTON.
Him being teamed up with his brother, is a solid start ater the Chipper Era.
Think about it.
Seattle Braves
January 10th, 2013
7:54 pm
No dont think about it, DO IT!
Angel Eyes
January 10th, 2013
7:59 pm
@Seattle Braves. Won’t happen. #1 Upton doesn’t pitch. #2 Wren not that smart. Never happen forget it.
BravesFanInNashville
January 10th, 2013
8:03 pm
Angel Eyes…. The Braves signed Lowe in the fall of 2008 his first year with the Braves was ‘09 we didn’t have the pitching developed we have now. It started with drafting Minor from Vanderbilt when the Braves made it clear they were going back to what made them good for a long time. So at the time we signed Lowe our farm system wasn’t stocked with the pitching we have now. Just answering your question, which was a good one. Why did they need Lowe? I believe that’s why.
mark
January 10th, 2013
8:05 pm
How about this Gattis in LF with .290 25 HR,Franciso @3rd .280 25hr,Prado at 2nd
Honey Bee
January 10th, 2013
8:10 pm
@BravesFanInNashville Angel Eyes gone to work. Saw your post and saide Ok. This is his wife. I will talk to you if you want.
WigWamWisps
January 10th, 2013
8:10 pm
I have to wonder what JS would have been able to achieve with the restrictions placed on Frank Wren by Liberty Media. It’s a much different environment than in JS’ day. Now that we know where Justin Upton ISN’T going, where do you think he will end up?
BravesFanInNashville
January 10th, 2013
8:19 pm
Honey Bee. ….. You two are newlyweds right?
Honey Bee
January 10th, 2013
8:22 pm
Yes. Married December 24 2012
BravesFanInNashville
January 10th, 2013
9:12 pm
congrats to you two…..
Honey Bee
January 10th, 2013
9:47 pm
Thank you and good nite
Quicherbichin
January 10th, 2013
10:01 pm
Braves Fan In Nashville… finally someone else that can come on here with a positive attitude instead of whining ALL the time…most of the folks here seem to think the Braves should go 162-0 in the regular season and 8-0 in the playoffs as well as 4-0 in the World Series.. the ideal team ERA would be 0.00 , of course, and the team batting average would be .667.. after all, they would have to make outs some time… the people would complain if we went 161-1.. that is just how they are… do they have the right to vent? Of course.. but it needs to be after an error or a bad pitch.. they most certainly do not need to gripe ALL the time!
BravesFanInNashville
January 10th, 2013
10:16 pm
Life’s short might as well enjoy it. I love baseball and love the Braves. IMHO this team IS headed in the right direction. I think Wren will continue to try to improve the team including an attempt to get Justin Upton but he can’t force Towers to trade him if he doesn’t want to. Keith Law just proclaimed Simmons as the best defensive SS in the game period with an 80 on defense and an 80 on arm, Heyward is the 3rd best player under 25 behind Trout and Harper. I can’t imagine why some people think it would be ok to trade Simmons. The ONLY players I would trade him for is Stanton, Trout or Headley and I don’t think any of those things are possible. This summer is going to be a fun one.
Birdhair
January 10th, 2013
10:26 pm
AJC is good for the message boards and box scores. We get no critical analysis of the team, unfortunately. No AJC writer would call for Wren’s dismissal when it’s warranted. Do you think if Wren reported to someone like Florida’s AD, Jeremy Foley, that’d he’d still be employed by the Braves? If we had management that cared, would Wren still be employed?
You’ll point to 94 wins. I point to zero playoff series wins. I point to a GM who doesnt value OBP and has spent $ poorly. I point to a GM who just paid $75M to a player who sports an average OBP of .309 since 2009. That’s pathetic.
You can call me negative, you can call me whatever you want. But in 2 years, you’ll look back say dang, we’ve won nothing under Wren in 7 seasons! If your expectations for atlanta equate to no playoff successes, then Wren is your guy.
Birdhair
January 10th, 2013
10:40 pm
So, if my job was to cover the Nerds for instance, and I wrote in the papers that Manbobs should be fired, do you think Manbobs would allow me into his office for interviews and provide add’l accessibility to cover the team? I think not. AJC boss man won’t like that because I wont be getting extra quotes and inside interviews with manbobs. Or maybe manbobs simply won’t be nice to me and I couldnt stand for that.
Robert ( chi-town)
January 10th, 2013
10:58 pm
There will never be a better time than now to go out and get Justin Upton! I mean Towers just tried to send him to a team on his no trade list! Could this GM be any more stupid? So now you’ve backed Upton into a corner, so you have to move him. Seems to me the best package out there is still from the Braves even without our shortstop in the deal. Get it done Wren while the gettin is good!
Yuuup
January 10th, 2013
10:59 pm
Wren has done a serviceable job as GM with the restrictive payroll he had before this season, but with the money he had available this off-season and losing fan favorite Chipper Jones, I really thought he would be doing more to get fans excited. I am going to wait until ST to really pass judgment. If he trades for Justin Upton which many sports writers believe the Braves are going to make the deal, then I will be excited for this next season.
If they go into the season with a platoon at 3B and LF, then I will cancel my MLB Extra Innings package and wait to see how they do before deciding if I will get it back or not. I am not going to spend money to watch Francisco strikeout 150+ times, and for Reed Johnson to be in over his head as a regular player instead of what he is truly good at and that being a pinch hitter and 4th OF’er. Hey, if the Braves want to be cheap, then I have every right to he cheap as well. As it sits, I am not excited about this team for next season. We don’t have a true leadoff hitter anymore, we don’t have Chipper anymore, and we will have to watch a chubbier version of McCann with less offensive abilities man the plate while McCann gets healthy. Ross will be missed big time. Guess the weeks ahead will decide what I am doing this season.
Speedy Gonezalez
January 10th, 2013
11:20 pm
So Justin Upton rejects trade to Seatlle & wants to play with his bro, I say let’s make it happen FW & work out a deal with them, think of how excited this town would get with an outfield of Justin, BJ, & J Hey! You want 3 million fans per year, spend some money to get us fired up FW!
Kujohn
January 10th, 2013
11:32 pm
Chipper is gone
Attendance will be down
No big names
Upton is better than Bourn but not gonna bring the fans in alone
They need to get juston Upton
An outfield of Upton Heyward an Upton
That would bring in fans
Don’t understand why they don’t do it
We have the prospects an fits into payroll
Am I missing something This is a no brainer
Please explain why they don’t make this move
Matt the Brave
January 10th, 2013
11:38 pm
So, who’s out of options that is being invited to camp?
Matt the Brave
January 10th, 2013
11:39 pm
Also, as mentioned on another site, if we get J. Upton, it would be an Up, an Up, and a HEY!!!
David O'Brien
January 11th, 2013
12:11 am
Chipper is gone
Attendance will be down
No big names
Upton is better than Bourn but not gonna bring the fans in alone
They need to get juston Upton
An outfield of Upton Heyward an Upton
That would bring in fans
Don’t understand why they don’t do it
We have the prospects an fits into payroll
Am I missing something This is a no brainer
Please explain why they don’t make this move — Kujohn
I think I should start
Trying to write
Stories in this manner
For the newspaper
Just to see
If people find it interesting
And original
William
January 11th, 2013
12:14 am
what we have right now in left/leadoff will probably allow us to win a lot of games but come up just short…. once again.
Kujohn
January 11th, 2013
12:55 am
Cool
BobinAthens
January 11th, 2013
1:31 am
First of all, we are not giving up Simmons for anybody, y’all saw how good he is last year. The Dbacks aren’t going to back down on what they want in return for Upton. I would like to have Josh Willingham from the twins cause he is cheap and productive, what 59 HRs and 200+ RBIs the last 2 years. However, y’all will be surprised at how good Gattis is and I think he will be our full time starter in left (barring injury) by the allstar break give or take a week or two. If you know anything about the Dominican league, it’s basically a Triple-A league with the quality pitching they have there and he had 16 HRs there this winter. 16!! And he has hit like that everywhere he has been minus when he broke his wrist last May. I hated the BJ Upton signing for the same reasons you did, but I ask who would you have taken that was still available. Shane Vic. is to old to be giving a long contract to for that kind of money. Fowler ain’t nothing away from Coors Field. The guy CF from the Twins would have been nice, don’t know the specifics on why we didn’t try there more. Maybe they wanted too much. Would you guys really want us to go after somebody like Josh Hamilton?? All you Offense now guys, get a clue, pitching is what wins in the majors. I don’t care how good of a hitter you are, if you face a top notch pitching staff for a series, they can and usually shut you down. PITCHING is what you ALWAYS need in the majors, especially in the playoffs. Ask the Yankees how much help Texeria and ARod have given them in the playoffs, what only 1 WS. Thats terrible return for the amount of money that they invested in those two players. Pitching, Pitching, Pitching!
jbailz23
January 11th, 2013
1:34 am
Bob – I’d love to have Willingham too but for the reasons you just mentioned we will not get him. The Twins won’t give up that production for the price they’re paying
BobinAthens
January 11th, 2013
1:41 am
Yeah I know same with Chase Headley in SD. I think somebody earlier mentioned trying to go after him. He’s making less than Willingham.
BobinAthens
January 11th, 2013
1:41 am
Yeah I know same with Chase Headley in SD. I think somebody earlier mentioned trying to go after him. He’s making less than Willingham.
jbailz23
January 11th, 2013
1:56 am
Bob – I’d go put $1,000 on the Braves in the WS if we picked up Headley…
Columbus
January 11th, 2013
2:31 am
Wren is doing a GREAT job with the payroll he has…. SHEESH some of you are clueless
SICK OF HATERS
January 11th, 2013
6:14 am
WOW, you guys never stop. I would bet that most of you haters never played the game after “t” ball, shut up and go away.
Birdhair
January 11th, 2013
6:20 am
How about the AJC at least put Wren on the hotseat to begin 2013? That’d at least put some heat on him. How long can our media support someone who has been nothing but terrible or borderline mediocre the past 5 seasons? My expectations aren’t a win total. Expectations should be winning playoff series every once in a while and perhaps going deep into the playoffs! Hasn’t happened yet under this idiot. The media can do the city a big favor and start writing articles that put big heat on Wren.
Big Mo
January 11th, 2013
7:14 am
Right on. Things are gonna happen for me! I’m Joe Terd!
TexasBravesFan
January 11th, 2013
7:21 am
@ columbus – how can you say he is doing a great job… he is doing an average job… no better than most GMs and no worse… the Braves have the money to spend… no contracts for Chipper, bourne and Lowe… plus $25 million from the new TV contract and the luxury tax share… so let’s get this straight, the Braves have money to spend… even the talking heads at the Braves have said they have about $10 million to spend right now… but they want to try and get us excited about a career platoon player or PED abuser or the Zen Master in LF? Come on.. .I am sorry but we have gone into too many ST with too many questions and they led us to believe that this off-season was going to be special because we were going to have money to spend and now they are going cheap and asking us to jump up and cheer because Wrennie is excited about his trip to Panama? Remember, AAA level players seldomly jump up to start at the majors and hit .290 with 25 HRs…. but again, I am a Braves fan – have always been a Braves fan and feel that we have been fed a bunch of crap once more by Liberty Media and their talking mouth Wrennie…. it is time that they attempt to score from second on a single… instead of always pulling up at third!
Robert ( chi-town)
January 11th, 2013
8:36 am
Note to Frank Wren….you are not gonna catch the Nats or even compete with them, with a platoon of Johnson/Gattis/Constanza and Schafer in left field!
TexasBravesFan
January 11th, 2013
10:09 am
We will not score many runs with the exciting team Wrennie is trying to convince us will be fine…..!!!! I agree with Robert…
Rick C
January 11th, 2013
10:43 am
We have five guys in the lineup with 25-30 HR potential, and possibly six with Gattis or Francisco. There will be a lot of SOs but this team will still score some runs.
BobinAthens
January 11th, 2013
11:31 am
You do realize that if we do sit pat with the money that we have left that $10 million come trade deadline is a lot of money to spend. Its like signing a 15-20 million guy now, only we could get him from somebody that’s trying to dump his salary. Y’all h ave been complaining in years past for not aquiring a big name at the trade deadline, well having this kind of money left over going into the season will allow us to pick up that kind of big name player that we may need. Come July 31st, who knows what our top priority will be. You think you know, but how many of you would have seriously guessed with all the depth we had a starting pitching that we would have needed a starting pitcher? You guys just have to remember that Frank is not and should not trade multiple top prospects for a big name guy just for a 3 month rental, which a lot of you guys have been calling for when you say I can’t believe Frank didn’t go harder after a Beltran or other players like that.
bubba cox
January 11th, 2013
12:42 pm
Hola Dave,
What about the triple a 1st baseman who hit all the homeruns in winterball. Meja? I don’t see his name mentioned. Isn’t he being invited??????????
jbailz23
January 11th, 2013
1:55 pm
bubba – where are we going to play him? There’s a dude named Freeman who’s our first baseman….
And TBF – I don’t know if you’re aware but the money from the luxury tax, tv deal, etc. isn’t going to Wren unless the owners Liberty Media tell him he can have it.. Each year they say Frank you have X$ to spend and not a penny more. Go do what you can for our tax shelter…
BobinAthensnter
January 11th, 2013
3:05 pm
Actually its the other way aroundjbailz23, at least according to Wren. I’ve heard him in multiple interviews where he says that Liberty Media doesn’t tell him anything of the sort. He says that Liberty Media doesn’t even get involved in saying what they can and can’t do. Frank Wren and Braves front office come up with the budget, not Liberty Media. Again this is coming directly from the mouth of Frank Wren.
jbailz23
January 11th, 2013
3:13 pm
Bob – All I’ve ever heard is the opposite, if Frank and the Braves can make up their own budget why aren’t we spending like the Dodgers?
Rick C
January 11th, 2013
5:00 pm
bubba cox, I believe Meija was added to the 40 man roster back in November.
dylan
January 11th, 2013
7:09 pm
Yeah alex wood getting some love! Remember that name boys (and girls) wood is gunna be legit! Mid 90’s fb, great change, great breaker, and stellar poise! Give it 2-3 years and our rotation will be
Medlin
Minor
Wood
Teheran
Graham
Then we got Cunningham in cf (after watching bj this year in the field they’ll definatly move him to left) gattis behind the plate, martin at 2nd, and either Juan or terdo at 3rd. Look for a dominant young offense with an amazing young staff and the top bullpen!
Kujohn
January 12th, 2013
3:53 pm
I wish they would just get Upton
They have a shortstop now
Don’t need Simmons
My prediction
Shafer in left field
He is doing great with the hitting instructors
Can be prototype lead off hitter
Was hurt in Atl an in Houston (wrist)
Healthy now
Wren will not admit it
But think that is the plan
They can always make a trade at the
End of spring training if Shafer Gattis
Or Juan don’t pan out
74bravesjersey
February 23rd, 2013
3:01 pm
Man, just “chiming in”, under my old blog name, wonder if anybody else will pick up on this? Any Zombies out there?
74bravesjersey
February 23rd, 2013
3:03 pm
Note to KuJohn; They got the Upton now, & they kept Simmons, hate it though that we lost Prado, Dang it!
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April 16th, 2013
7:51 pm
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