Atlanta Braves shakeup: Glavine released, Schafer sent down, Hanson called up, McLouth moves to CF
Nate McLouth
Braves — and Pirates — fans may be calling it What The Heck Wednesday.
For Atlanta fans, it was a day that saw veteran pitcher Tom Glavine, 43, released after a comeback bid with his original, longtime MLB team and one day after outfield prospect Jordan Schafer was sent down to AAA Gwinnett after two months of floundering at the major league level. Then Wednesday took another stunning turn when Pittsburgh’s Nate McLouth was traded to the Braves for three prospects. Oh, and lest we forget, top pitching prospect Tommy Hanson was called up to the bigs. Got all that?
For Pirates fans, Wednesday arguably marked another strange chapter in the club’s recent losing history. If Braves fans were stunned by Glavine’s release, Bucs fans had to be speechless after their All-Star outfielder was sent packing at the quarter-point of a season when Pittsburgh is 24-28 and McLouth, a fan favorite, is leading the team with nine home runs and 34 RBIs. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that Pirates players were none too happy with the trade and that GM Neal Huntington is braced for fan backlash, telling the paper, “I know how it’s going to be received back home. Believe me, it was the most difficult move I’ve made.”
YOU TELL US: We’re asking Braves AND Pirates fans to weigh in on the big moves made by both clubs Wednesday. Atlanta fans, share your thoughts on the Glavine release, McLouth deal, Hanson call-up and Schafer send-down (or just whichever move you think was best or worst). And Bucs fans, how will the loss of McLouth affect your team? Tell us what Braves fans will learn to like about Nate McLouth.
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229 comments Add your comment
Casey Stinkle
June 4th, 2009
1:06 pm
Hey, PhilliesRule. You know what we call Philadelphia down here? Ghost Town, because They all live down here now. And you should be happy Glavine is available, because he would be your #2 pitcher on that sorry a$$ pitching staff. OK, you won it last year, but right now it’s looking like a fluke. Same with your Eagles and 76ers…goin nowhere!
J Dub
June 4th, 2009
1:06 pm
I guess you can say I am on the side of the fence that says, “Sorry Glavine, we loved you while you were here but it is time for us to move on.” It would have been a little different if he hadn’t bailed on us 6 years ago to play for the enemy. I am a child of the late 80’s and early 90’s so I will forever have a place in my heart for Tommy as a Brave but I don’t feel pain for us letting him go. As for McLouth, it would be hard to imagine anyone any happier than me when we got him. I have been a McLouth fan for a couple of years thanks to fantasy baseball. We haven’t had a good leadoff hitter since Raffy and we haven’t had an all star outfielder since Andruw’s heydey. We filled a nice gap in our outfield lineup. I hope that he becomes a fixture in atlanta and plays like we know he can. He needs to wear Ronnie Gant’s #5 who was our last true outfield hero, IMO.
Aunt Esther
June 4th, 2009
1:09 pm
The Pirates are the only team in baseball cheaper than the Braves.
Jeff Bennett, you need to go, sucka.
Brian
June 4th, 2009
1:11 pm
Great moves! Glad to see Frank Wren doing what it takes to win!
joe for 3
June 4th, 2009
1:11 pm
Will McLouth be in the line up today?
GT08
June 4th, 2009
1:14 pm
not one of the big three will retire as a Brave…sad day. I do however agree with all the decisions yesterday. All the moves will positively affect the team. Looking forward to the next handful of days…it should be good to see where this team goes from here…
mark
June 4th, 2009
1:15 pm
Look you cant tell if a player is a bonified major leaguer till he does it two or three years in a row chill out on the Mclouth trade!
Corey
June 4th, 2009
1:16 pm
Glavine should have never been re-signed in the first place. It’s Hanson’s time to shine, and Schafer is a year away.
Now to McLouth… He is easily one of the top 10 center fielders in baseball. His 3 year, 15.75 mm contract through 2011 w/ 2012 option is very reasonable for a 27 year old 25/25 guy. Wren flat out stole him from the Pirates. Look for him to finish the season around .260-25-95 with 25 stolen bases. I couldn’t be happier.
frank
June 4th, 2009
1:20 pm
As hard as releasing glavine is… it was the right thing to do.. even if tommy hanson struggles a little bit.. its time to move forward and give hanson his chance.. as for the mclouth deal.. to me it is very good and surprising.. i didnt think he would be traded as he just received an extention.. but for us.. it was a good day yesterday!! now lets get some wins and get back to playoffs
Mardy
June 4th, 2009
1:23 pm
This team shows no loyalty to anyone. Players such as Glavine, Smoltz, and Maddux gave their careers to the Braves. There was a time when they could have taken more money but never mentioned playing for another squad. I don’t care how his recovery was going, show some loyalty to your players, and top notch talent like Peavy may consider you. Some people around the black community consider this franchise “systematic” if you know what I mean, but I dispute that because they get rid of EVERBODY, not just players of color.
joe for 3
June 4th, 2009
1:30 pm
“There was a time when they could have taken more money but never mentioned playing for another squad.”
So you are saying Glavine didn’t go to the Mets for more money?
Josh
June 4th, 2009
1:35 pm
Yep, Philly is definitely the best sports city in the world! NOT. It’s dicks like you that make it the worst sports city. And Philly calling ATL loserville, thats just plain stupid. Hawks won their first round series…Sixers didn’t…..Eagles…Falcons….enough said.
Sherman to the sea
June 4th, 2009
1:38 pm
Nostalia and tradition notwithstanding, Wren did the right thing for the Braves. Get KJ down in the order at 6 or 7 and Frenchie at 8 and we might see more production from the bottom of the order. Whole batting order is now more dangerous for the opposition. We were a 500 club with half the order actually delivering. Future has got to be better.
mark
June 4th, 2009
1:40 pm
Dont be surprised if mclouth is a one year wonder he never hit for power in the minors. and he made the allstars after only having a half a season of sucsess.
Pete
June 4th, 2009
1:47 pm
Glavine is a joke, we grossly overpaid for someone named McClouth, whoever HE is, the Braves STILL have no clutch hitters on the team with the possible exception of Chipper who can be one every 10th game or so.
Face it; the Braves are a .500 team……….nothing more, nothing less. They will finish 3rd in their Div.
Big deal.
Yawn.
Cro25
June 4th, 2009
1:49 pm
Let’s all remember, this is a BUSINESS. The same folks that are complaining that the Braves did Glavine wrong would be screaming if he came up and got hammered in two starts for the big club. I can hear them saying, “why they re-signed that old man I will never know!” Some folks are going to complain no matter what. Just like Glavine and Smoltz leaving for other teams over money, it is a business and is a two way street. Those screaming about loyalty, where was Glavine’s and Smoltzies loyalty when they left for greener pastures? I didn’t blame them and I don’t blame the Braves now. Anyone that thinks Glavine is a better SP option than Hanson right now is crazy. As much as I have admired and respected Glavine over the years, I commend Frank Wren for making these moves to make the Braves better, now.
Jack
June 4th, 2009
1:56 pm
I think that Wren and Shuerholz are both CLASSLESS losers! They got their opportunity and acclaim from the production of 3 Hall of Fame
pitchers.Glavine,Maddux and Smolz. Look at how classless and tacky they were all treated on their way out.
Alan
June 4th, 2009
1:59 pm
I love the McLouth trade, great job Frank Wren. Now the bad part…are you spouting the company line saying releasing Glavine was a “performance” issue? What performance? He hasn’t thrown one pitch this season in a major league game? He did the rehab asked of him, shut down the minor leaguers, said he was ready to pitch, and his velocity was in the mid 80’s. He won 300 games with velocity in the upper 80’s. I don’t mind Glavine being released, but tell the truth. It was about the MONEY. Always was. Glavine was supposed to hold the fort down until June, which was the target date for promoting Hanson, delaying arbitration eligibility for T.H. another season. But TG couldn’t pitch coming out of spring training, and now the extra 2-3 million that he would get for pitching the rest of the season was deemed better spent elsewhere. And the Braves do need more offense. They have no hope of getting the wild card or division without another bat. And I mean another one in addition to McLouth.
Wren and the Braves should have just told the truth instead of trying to diss Glavine’s pitching ability. The Rays could use another starter and Tommy has always pitched well indoors, he used to own the Astros in the dome.
mahjk17
June 4th, 2009
1:59 pm
to all the fans who is crying over glavine, get over it.. didnt he leave to the mets not too long ago? idk y people are crying over it, it was time for him to leave and get hanson up here. i think we improved a lot so far. i like the gm frank wren. yea he let glaving go but if this is the worst thing glavine is gonna go through in his life, i think he had a great life than. he got paid 11million dollars last year for nothing, y would the braves want to give him another 3.5million for nothing back. let it go, glavine wasnt smolt,z he cant pitch anymore. if i was glavine i will retire just like brett favre.
Bill
June 4th, 2009
2:00 pm
Great trade and you cannot get something without giving up something. The Glavine issue could have been handled a little different but the bottom line is that he would just not be a big help to the team. You know B Cox and I am sure Glavine wouuld have started 5-6 games until someone made him realize it is just not going to happen. Does anybody really think he can be an effective pitcher (6+ innings). He would also cause B Cox to burn up the bullpen. I can hear B Cox now – Glavine is pitching outstanding but he is just not getting the close calls and all the balls are just falling in as hits. Hopefully Wren has the guts to make the same move on B Cox after the season. No other manager would have put Shafer in every game and inning and same spot in the batting order. Give the kid a break, let him lead off, at least try something different. Wonder if McLouth will steal many bases with the Braves – probably not because that is not Bobby ball.
Bart
June 4th, 2009
2:06 pm
Bottom line, are the Braves better today? For Sure! I think Tommy would be perfect in Florida. They need a verteran pitcher to go with their young staff. Tampa would also be a good fit. This is the first time since 1987 that either Smoltz or Glavine or Maddox hasn’t been on the roster…wow.
Coach ( Moon Pie, Anyone?)
June 4th, 2009
2:31 pm
I applaud Frank Wren on making an incredibly difficult decision. Tom Glavine or Tommy Hanson? It’s a no brainer. The Braves want to win and this is a step in that direction.
It’s the handling and timing of the situation that I do not agree with. Frank Wren is a hatchet man. He has the delicate touch of a Bull in a china shop. The man breaks things, with sledge hammer in hand. There was the fiasco concerning Cal Ripken jr. in Baltimore. Then just this past off season with John Smoltz. Now we have Glavine toeing the line, doing everything asked of him and getting dumped out like yesterday’s trash.
I realize baseball is a business and the Braves saved themselves a couple of million by letting Glavine walk. But it still smells like the sh!t in the dogs corner of the yard.
getmattholliday
June 4th, 2009
2:31 pm
Braves are certainly better today than they were yesterday. Can’t wait to see what happens
Casey Stinkle
June 4th, 2009
2:31 pm
Jack, you are a complete a$$, which makes you a jacka$$, but seriously, do you expect the Braves to hang on to Glavine and Smoltz even though they are way past their prime? Did you not watch the games these 2 pitched in 2008? While we’re at it lets bring back Niekro and Doyle Alexander. Dude, face the facts! They are relics of the past. I believe the Braves treated all 3 of them with a lot of respect on their way out.
BringOnHanson
June 4th, 2009
2:37 pm
I don’t get the knocks on the Braves being cheap. They made a deal for an all-star outfielder- a position EVERYONE has been beating to death and rightfully so on this blog- and called up their top pitching prospect. Hanson’s call up was a move most on this blog have been clammering for. Where was Glavine going to pitch? He wasn’t going to pitch in spots one through four. He isn’t going to pitch ahead of Hanson at this point. Tim Hudson is slated to return in August. If the Braves hadn’t been aggressive in their moves, Frank Wren would have been criticized for sitting back and doing nothing. Some of the same people hating on Wren and the Braves were likely hating on Glavine when he walked off into the sunset to take more money from the Mets. He’s 43, just had MAJOR arm surgery and in his rehab starts, his velocity may not have been what some had reported. I respect what Glavine has done for the Braves, but there comes a time for all things to come to an end. If you use the same rationale that he is a Brave from the glory years and deserves to leave when he gets ready, then Terry Pendleton should be judged in the same manner. Many has called for his exodus as hitting coach. Moves are never easy. No one will agree on everything. Cheap? I don’t think that is right in this case.
Vince
June 4th, 2009
2:45 pm
IF’s make for great conversation. IF Francouer could completely turn it around(I don’t think he will) we could have a pretty good outfield now with Mclouth in center, Francouer in right and the platoon of Diaz/Anderson in left, plus Blanco on the bench. But what Bobby Cox should do is privately give Francouer a timetable(2-3 weeks) to dramatically turn it around. If he doesn’t then he goes to #4 outfielder or traded. Then play Mclouth in center Diaz in right and Anderson in left everyday with Blanco as the backup. Francouer thinks that he’s untouchable, that he will be the right field starter all year and that he can continue to swing at the first pitch no matter the game situation or pitchers predicament. He needs to be set straight. If Bobby can’t do it let Wren. He’s shown a lot of guts since the winter meetings.
Spud Webb
June 4th, 2009
2:50 pm
This is perfect. Sad about Glavine, but lets be real, it’s a young mans game, the time has passed. GREAT trade, didnt give up much (in my opinion) and Mclouth is EXACTLY what this team needed. Props to Wren for making some VERY, VERY tough decisions and shrewd trade. Getting hanson up is Key, let the kid pitch. Lets do this!!! Bottom line, the braves are better today than they were yesterday!!!!!!!!
Chris
June 4th, 2009
2:53 pm
Will Nate start tonight?
Paul Lentz
June 4th, 2009
2:56 pm
“Obama hates Cheney’s bald head the most”……….it was not worth the “risk” financially to “give” Glavine a few starts for $1 mil. True the Braves paid him $1 mil to do his rehab thing. However, after 2 months of no injuries to our starting pitchers (who by the way are consistently going 6-7 innings pretty much every nigh), combined with the fact that both Hanson and Medlen are ready to step in…..then letting Glavine go was the smart thing to do. If injuries had happened, then adding Glavine to the roster would have made sense. However paying him potentially $3.5 mil, when the OFFENSE needs to be improved, is not the best use of precious payroll dollars.
Simply put, GREAT move adding Nate McClouth. Frank Wren fleeced the Pirates on this. Pirate fans who have seen him play every night will tell you the same thing. McClouth plays a pivotal outfield position. He can run, has a good throwing arm, has some pop in his bat, and is only 27 years old with a very team friendly contract, for the next 4 years. We gave up prospects who may never pan out, in return for a sure thing who seriously upgraded a pivotal position. He can lead off, steal a base and hit for some power. Plus he walks almost as much as he strikes out. Serious upside here. How some of you morons can see this, amazes me.
KGrove….uh….I hope that the Phillies follow your suggestion of signing Glavine and only pitching him against the Braves. Why dont you look up Glavine’s stats when he pitched against the Braves for the Mets? We “owned” him. And now he is even older and lost whatever zip he had left. In fact I’m hoping that either the Mets or Phillies will sign him. That will help the Braves. Us subtracting a “bum”, a division adding a “bum”. (when I say “bum”, I mean about “current production’).
Paul Lentz
June 4th, 2009
3:01 pm
Nate McClouth should flourish playing for the Braves. The Braves are only going to get better, he wont have to carry the Braves. His average will go up. His 9 homers and 34 RBI’s would easily lead the Braves. He’ll probably bat lead-off, which would drop Kelly Johnson to the 6th or 7th spot, depending on whether they have him or Kotchman bat 7th. Which means that either way, Jeff Franceour will be batting 8th for whatever time he has left remaining with the Braves.
Again, it is nothing personal. To be honest, I have rooted for him and wanted him to be the power hitter that leads the Braves for the next 10 years. However after watching him swing at bad pitch after bad pitch….after seeing him strand so many runners and kill so many rallies….I have no choice but to say that he will never be a good Major League player. Going after a right fielder with power, whether it is before the trade deadline or after the season..is a must. The Braves have too good of a team…too good starting pitching…to keep giving an easy out playing time.
Imagine this line-up if the Braves were to acquire a big right handed bat to replace Franceour in right field:
Nate McClouth CF
Yune Escobar SS
Chipper Jones 3rd
___________ RF (right handed power hitter)
Brian McCann C
Diaz/Anderson LF
Kelly Johnson 2nd
Casey Kotchman 1st
_____________ P
Plus you’d have super subs Prado and Infante to play if the Braves wanted to load up the line-up with righties when a left hander is pitching.
If the Braves were to acquire a big right handed power hitter….putting him in the cleanup spot makes the lower of the batting order stronger. Having Kelly and Kotchman bat 7th and 8th is much better than Franceour and Schafer. Brian McCann would be much better batting 5th. Having a lefty, righty, lefty in the 3rd, 4th, 5th positions of the line-up would make the line-up much more balanced and potent.
McClouth is the first piece. A right handed power hitter is next. Getting Infante back at the All-Star break will be a big plus. And if Tim Hudson can do anything close to good in August…the Braves will have so many options. Most of you guys do not realize how good the Braves can be with the addition of a right handed power hitter. I really feel that that is the final piece. Getting that will make the Braves a tough team to bet.
However, the key to all of that is keeping Chipper healthy. Having Prado and Infante to spell him would be really important.
So please Mr. Wren, please keep looking for that elusive right handed power hitter who can play right field.
Chris
June 4th, 2009
3:02 pm
End of an era, but it had to come eventually. Personally, I couldn’t be happier with this turn of events. I was always hoping that Hanson would get called up instead of Glavine. Plus the Braves save about 3 million in bonuses owed to Glavine. I would hope that we keep Kris Medlen up, he’s a good prospect, and with him, Lowe, Jurrjens, Vasquez, and Medlen we have the makings of an amazing rotation. As for Schafer, I hope they don’t give up on him. Wait until after this year and put him in left, or maybe right (if Frenchy doesn’t start producing). Or I suppose you could always use him as trade bait, but I would rather keep him. Mclouth is a great pickup for what we gave away. I saw him come up through the minors when I worked for the Indy Indians. He’ll be our best center fielder in a while, consistantly speaking. Go Braves, im glad Frank Wren isn’t just sitting on his hands. At least he is active.
tashunka
June 4th, 2009
3:03 pm
Way to go: 300 game winner gone for a kid who is yet to win a major league game and is as likely to end the season with an era of 7.00 as he is of 3.5, add in a low market center fielder (career .260 average, little outfield range (gold glove is because he catches the few balls he gets to), aside from last year has shown little power production, and is never going to hit .300) and we have just dove straight into the mediocrity of the 80s. Only this time I’m not sticking around. My favorite team just became whoever is playing the braves.
Chris
June 4th, 2009
3:05 pm
Yeah, props to Wren for making an EXTREMELY unpopular decision…The guy has guts.
lefty
June 4th, 2009
3:06 pm
Can anybody on this website take there blinders off for just for a minute. Mclouth is not yet a estabished major leaguer. one year doesnt give him that right. how many one year wonders have there been in baseball till major league pitchers found out thier weaknesses. will see! iam just saying will see!
Paul Lentz
June 4th, 2009
3:06 pm
You Tom Glavine supporters keep bringing up Jamie Moyer, as if pitchers his age who are winning games is the norm. Here’s a news flash: There is a difference between the “exception” and the “rule”. Moyer is the “exception”. Tom Glavine nibbling and getting rocked when he has to come in is the “norm” for pitchers of his age who throw as soft as he does.
John Smoltz may well come back this year and pitch good for the Red Sox. However the Braves couldnt afford to knowingly pay a pitcher $5-6 mil, knowing that he was going to miss half the year. Hudson was hurt during his contract, so they have no choice but to pay him. However Smoltz was a free agent. It would have been foolish to sign him. The Red Sox can afford to have him waiting in the wings because they have all kinds of revenue coming in. But the Braves cant. Durability is the key. If Derek Lowe keeps pitching the way he has, and staying healthy like he has always been, then this contract will not end up being looked at as “overpaying”. At the end of 4 years, I’d like to see who has the better record, Lowe or Burnett. Imagine how much better the Mets or Phillies would be if they had outbid the Braves for Derek Lowe. Instead, the Mets paid big money to Oliver Perez. Both of those teams desperately need starting pitching. Our starters do not have a history of breaking down as the summer rolls along. Let’s see how other teams starting pitching health holds up.
Glavine will get a job with someone who will overpay for his services. And they will find out that he will tax their bullpen even more. So in essence, letting Glavine rehab in our minor league system, and “show casing” what he has left in the tank, may induce a team like the Mets or Phillies to pay him $3-4 mil to end up hurting them. So maybe this could end up helping the Braves in the long run. Do you guys remember how the Braves punished Glavine pretty much every time he pitched against us when he was with the Mets? I’d love to see an encore of that.
Paul Lentz
June 4th, 2009
3:07 pm
I’ve been a Braves fan since I was 10 years old (the 1982 season was the first season I remember watching). Growing up in Arkansas back in those days, the Braves on TBS was the only baseball one could see on t.v, other than the NBC Game of the Week. I moved to San Francisco in the mid-90’s and watched most games on TBS. However as the years went by, TBS would show fewer and fewer games. 4 years ago, I started following the games on the MLB.com network. The past 2 years, I finally switched over to Direct TV so I could subscribe to the MLB Extra Innings package.
With that said, I can emphatically say that I am a Braves fan. Sure I watch a lot of Giants and A’s games, as well as other games. However I watch EVERY Braves game. I want to see the Braves win. The past 3 seasons were pretty rough. While the off season got off to a rocky start, there were some things that Frank Wren could not control. However did he give up? Nope. He retooled the starting rotation, tinkered with the bullpen, made a couple of good signings with Garret Anderson (who is coming around) and Ross (how soon you many of you forget the struggles of the back-up catchers last year). Now he makes the McClouth trade. This trade gives Wren the flexibility to make a possible trade to get a right handed power bat.
If Frank Wren did “string” Glavine along, then it was a shrewd move. It wasnt anything personal. He just wanted to have an option around, should Glavine get healthy, if one of the other starters didnt pan out. Letting him go was the right thing to do.
The only problem I have is the Braves reluctance to cut loose of Jeff Franceour. I know what their thinking is. They really want him to be the right handed power bat that they need. However, I’ve watched enough baseball to know that he will never pan out. Plus the Braves would be foolish to offer him salary arbitration I realize that Matt Diaz isnt the long term answer. Plus, I feel that Braves management would rather have him be part of a strong platoon in left field. However, right now. Matt Diaz helps the line-up more than Jeff Franceour.
One thing to look out for is Matt Holiday. I think that the A’s are going to find that they arent going to be able to get as much for Holiday as they anticipated. Teams are going to be looking to shed payroll. Mark DeRosa wont take an arm and a leg to pry away from Cleveland. Jermaine Dye would be a perfect fit. Serious pop and a good arm in right field. If any team would be willing to take Franceour in return as part of a trade, it would be the White Sox. I’m just speculating here. Chicago possibly could think that Franceour could rebound like Carlos Quinten did with a change of scenery. Of course a prospect or two may have to be included. But nothing major. The Big Market teams all need pitching, not offense. It’s about supply and demand.
Todd
June 4th, 2009
3:11 pm
Just terrible how Glavine was treated. Should have at least given him a shot for a few games. I’ve been rooting for the Braves for 25 years, but tough to cheer for this front office after the treatment of Glavine and Smoltz.
Tom in Pit
June 4th, 2009
3:14 pm
In Pittsburgh, it’s new management with the same stupid, fan-agrivating moves. They tell us to buy tickets and follow these players and then they trade them away without ever getting a major leaguer in return. Just the promise of AA or A ball players who will mature, blossom, and then be traded for cheaper youth once again. In a city of Champions (Steelers and Penguins), and with arguably the best park in baseball… shame on Neal Huntington!
Leonard Parent
June 4th, 2009
3:19 pm
When will our new CF make his debut in a Braves uniform. Will he start tonight vs the Cubs? I think all moves the Braves made were great. Umpires continue to slant for the opponent. They missed 3 calls last night, as the video clearly shows….wonder if it’s backlash for Chipper’s umpire comments a few weeks ago. I know Cox is going out of his way not to antagonize the umps. All his beefing and ejections in past years hurt the Braves with close calls, at least with some arbiters.
Wade
June 4th, 2009
3:21 pm
Tommy released?!! Couldn’t they at least have given him a couple of games in the bigs before making that decision? They said he didn’t have the “stuff.” I’d be willing to bet his years of experience, and ability to paint the corners, would outweigh a mid-80’s fastball. Come on! You’ve got to at least be able to say, “hey, we brought him up and gave him a shot…he just couldn’t cut it anymore.”
Plate Appearance
June 4th, 2009
3:25 pm
WREN’S DIRTY DEALINGS
I felt as if I needed to take a shower to even listen to the Braves game on the radio last night — after hearing about Wren’s latest hatchet job with Tom Glavine (the fans are so quick to forget his earlier dealings with Smoltz).
It’s no surprise that Mark Lemke commented on the air yesterday that he was shocked. Everyone was. No one saw this coming — which points to the utter underhandedness of it all. The deeds done in the darkness, so to speak.
Not long ago JS called the Braves a proud orginization. No longer. They’re simply a win at all costs organization — with the players treated as mere commodities.
Make no mistake about it — irrespective of what Wren says — the Braves had McLouth’s salary to take on and dumped Glavine’s potential salary expense for joining the team. That’s how Frank dealt with a sure Hall Of Fame candidate and a long time Brave.
For the first time last night I didn’t care if the Braves won. In fact it was fitting they lost.
For in this fan’s mind they’ve already lost in a major way in the much more important game of organizational integrity — with the worst culprit being Frank Wren.
Todd
June 4th, 2009
3:31 pm
Amen to Plate Appearance’s post. This is exactly how I feel and I’m sure tons of other Braves fans as well.
WILD BILL
June 4th, 2009
3:36 pm
Its simple Frankie so listen up! Stand pat with what weve got now, see how Hanson & K.K. are pitching, if they are solid you trade Vazquez & prospects for a corner right handed outfielder with power by the end of the August deadline, then you plug in Hudson to be the fifth man he should be ready by then. McClouth is a good addition but you still need a righty with some pop this offense will still struggle if you dont make any other moves. If we get a corner man with power were gonna see some playoff baseball! Go Bravos
It Happens
June 4th, 2009
3:43 pm
I try to understand the argument that some folks make, especially the concept of a guy “giving his career” to a ball club – that argument makes no sense when you look at the situation Glavine was in. He was one of the best pitchers in baseball IN HIS PRIME, and during that time he signed on the dotted line a contract to play with the Braves long term – that was his job. It was time for Glavine to go…I agree the Braves handled things a bit awkward but I’m not mad at em for letting him go. He wasn’t even close to being the so-called face of this franchise – THOSE DAYS are long gone.
Long Haul
June 4th, 2009
3:44 pm
THANKS FRANK!! Go Braves!
gg
June 4th, 2009
3:50 pm
screw glavine he threw us under the bus and went to our biggest rival ….glad he’s gone!!!!!!!!
Dave
June 4th, 2009
3:52 pm
I don’t understand any fan who would want to go with nostalgia of say giving Smoltz or Glavine one last season rather than getting on with the Braves future in developing Tommy Hanson and our young players.We all know this team probably won’t be in the playoffs. The Florida Marlins have shown rebuilding can happen quickly if you concentrate on doing it. I am glad we have made a decision for our future not our past in releasing Glavine and bringing up Hanson.
Chris
June 4th, 2009
3:55 pm
People, giving Glavine one start in the bigs costs the Braves important money. They had an incentive in his contract to pay him $1 million when he was activated. Then there was another 2.5 million additional. Lets face it, the Braves dont have enough money to eat that much just so they dont hurt someone’s feelings. Releasing him was the only way to save that money that could be put to better use extending someone’s contract. Someone that will help them win.
Cardog10
June 4th, 2009
3:56 pm
If anyone should understand this was a smart business decision, it would be Glavine. He was the biggest proponents in the ‘94 strike and he is the one that left us for the Mutts in 2003. How ironic.
He would make $1.5 million every 30 days on the roster… we just saved $4.5 Million dollars, and we have Hanson instead. Sounds great to me.
Bobbymahlon
June 4th, 2009
4:03 pm
First lets evaluate the trade. McLouth is a proven centerfielder something that is badly needed now that we have traded Josh Anderson away. The three players we dealt for him might be good major league players some day but there is no guarantee for that.
As far as Glavine goes we always talk about baseball being a buisness and being that it is tough some times but don’t forget what players do when they become free agents. If Glavine is so good somebody will pick him up but that will surprise me. I’m a lot more excited about seeing Hanson pitch than I would have been if Glavine was to return.