Wren: “We should have a chance to contend for our division”
Frank Wren likes his team. This isn’t a shock, given that he’s the guy who put it together. But it should be noted that, six months ago, he didn’t like what he had.
On Sept. 29, 2008, the general manager was asked where the Braves would be in 2009 if they made no major changes. “Somewhere in the middle of the pack,” Wren said.
On April 4, 2009, the same guy who’d posed that question asked what this reconfigured team might do. “We should have a chance to contend for our division,” Wren said, “based on the club we have and guys’ past performance.”
To suggest Wren had an active offseason would be to call Angelina Jolie mildly attractive. Barely a week passed that the Braves weren’t involved in some prospective transaction, a few of which came to fruition. Wren was criticized roundly for some of the guys he didn’t get/keep — Peavy, Burnett, Smoltz, Furcal, Griffey — but through it all he kept pushing. In all of baseball, there was no more aggressive GM.
“I kept focusing on the guys we did get,” Wren said Saturday, speaking on the eve of the regular season. “It would have been more of a story if we didn’t get anyone.”
On Sept. 29, Wren said he wanted two new starting pitchers and a big bat for the outfield. He wound up with three of the former — Derek Lowe, Javier Vazquez and Kenshin Kawakami — and Garret Anderson. “We pretty much accomplished what we wanted,” Wren said.
Said Bobby Cox: “Frank did everything. It wasn’t easy, but we did it.”
Wren: “Anytime you pursue a player and it doesn’t work out, you’re disappointed. But you have to move on. And the rhythm of the offseason isn’t always linear. Just because you go after a guy doesn’t necessarily mean he’s the top guy on your list. It could be that he’s just the one available in the marketplace.”
Was there one negotiation he wished he’d handled differently? “I don’t look at it as something we could have done differently – I look at our club the way it is now. The way we approached the contracts and the offseason … was to put our club together in a way we could manage [financially]. When [someone’s asking price] got beyond that, we stepped back.”
Sorry, there are no polls available at the moment.Wren doesn’t think he has assembled a 21st Century Murderer’s Row. “We don’t have a big bopper who’s going to hit 40 home runs,” he said. “We might have seven guys who’ll hit 20.”
And if the Braves pitch as well this summer as they have in the spring, it might not matter how much they hit. Wren again: “We think our starting pitching gives us a chance to win on a daily basis, and once the guys start to feel they have a chance to win every day [success would be] a function of the team coming together and us doing all the little things.”
It won’t be easy. The Mets look good. The Marlins look promising. And the Braves flew north after Saturday’s exhibition to convene the regular season in Philadelphia, the lair of the reigning champ. But Wren, who isn’t easily deterred, made a little gesture that expressed his feelings as of April 4, 2009.
“Let’s go,” he said, and he punched the air.
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51 comments Add your comment
ssiscribe
April 4th, 2009
4:51 pm
Enter your comments here
Foghat
April 4th, 2009
5:16 pm
Bobby Cox is always optimistic and full of praise–about everyone and everything associated with the Braves. Why bother to even quote the old geezer?
Baracked the vote!
April 4th, 2009
5:22 pm
I am still reflecting on squandered opportunities while the Braves were winning division titles and packing it in as soon as the calendar turned to Oct.
Matty
April 4th, 2009
5:29 pm
Ha Booby Cox is funny with that basketball comment.
Coach (Skip and Pete will be missed)
April 4th, 2009
5:52 pm
Is the attitude of Bobby Cox supposed to surprise anyone?
Yes, the Braves are an improved team and they should win more games than they lose. But contend for the division? It’s a long shot and our Braves will need some help.
Ron E.
April 4th, 2009
5:56 pm
The Mets and Phillies don’t scare me. With the Braves’ new rotation and if they get any kind of offense in the outfield, there’s no reason they can’t contend for the division this year.
Woody Woodward
April 4th, 2009
6:17 pm
“it might not matter how much they hit”
Don’t bank on it.
The Grinch
April 4th, 2009
7:00 pm
Barring the injury bug, I think this team can win 90 games. And I think 90 might do it; the Mets always look good until it counts and the Phillies won the division by default last year. They just happened to get hot in the postseason but I don’t see it happening back to back. If we even have only half the bad luck we did last year we’ll be ok.
Mark Bradley
April 4th, 2009
7:40 pm
OK, you got me there. Getting Cox to wax optimistic isn’t exactly Woodward-and-Bernstein stuff.
Mark Bradley
April 4th, 2009
7:43 pm
And if anybody should know about not hitting, Woody Woodward would be that person. Career average — .236. Career home run total — one.
Jerry
April 4th, 2009
7:58 pm
We make the playoffs and Smoltz doesn’t.
Our 2 question marks are the offense and the bullpen. Mark my work Kotchman will hit 290 to 310 and have a good year with the glove. Frenchy is back, maybe a little different but you’re different every year. I believe Schafer is the real deal. Our starting pitchers should be in the top 5 of the league. Our bullpen, well heck we question that every year. Don’t we.
Less than 24 hours!!!!!
Ta dum dum
Gil In Mechanicsville
April 4th, 2009
8:13 pm
If Francouer is truly reformed then I predict the Braves won/loss record will flip from last year. The Braves had some pretty good pitching potential last year at the beginning of the season as I recall. Just playing 500 ball against the Phillies and the Nats will have a huge impact on the standings in the NL East this year. It should be fun folks, nothing like missing the show a few years in a row to make the fan base a bit more appreciative.
Meat Rabbit
April 4th, 2009
8:14 pm
89-91 wins, if Chipper stays reasonably healthy and can anchor the middle of the lineup. Still concerned a little about the bullpen. I think Frenchy fully recovers from his “honeymoon year” and has a great year. Hope Bobby lets Shafer bat lead off…he makes us a much better team with him at the top of the lineup.
alsim
April 4th, 2009
8:40 pm
Outside of McCann & Chipper (when he’s healthy) who is going to get the RBIs?
Mark Bradley
April 4th, 2009
8:43 pm
Jeff Francoeur has to produce for this team to win. Period.
Greg
April 4th, 2009
9:03 pm
An average team in the league; slightly below average in the division. Any other thoughts are pure wishful thinking that ignores the quality of the competition.
Mark Bradley
April 4th, 2009
9:14 pm
That’s my specialty — wishful thinking.
truth-serum
April 4th, 2009
9:26 pm
Who really cares what the bubba’s I mean braves do? Move to south carolina or missippi or alabama and raise the confederate flag.
What ever!
Going into the fourth quarter The Magic center has 20+ rebounds…ZaZa is on the bench…as usual. I got an Idea…lets blame the coach… Its coach Woodsons fault he doesnt have a center.
Hurry up and get back Micheal Vick, we need your marquee stature in the city of atlanta….
Steve
April 4th, 2009
9:37 pm
Guessing about 88-74 – hoping Francouer hits about 295 w/20 hrs and 100 RBI’s. Still wish we could have traded for Peavy.
Mark Bradley
April 4th, 2009
9:38 pm
Yes, but I’m guessing you wouldn’t have wanted to part with Tommy Hanson. And neither did Frank Wren.
Alaska Braves Fan
April 4th, 2009
10:07 pm
This is the Working Man’s Braves. No big heads, just men who will go out every day and do their jobs. If they always show up for work, and I think they will, Bobby’s right; we do have a shot, a darn good one.
Chipper "DL" Jones
April 4th, 2009
10:19 pm
The Braves don’t have a bullpen this year which will keep them round 75-80 wins. You can’t count on guys with bad elbows and out of shape Australians to get you to the playoffs. We all know that Bobby Cox has gotten too old to know when to use the bullpen or leave a starter in. Plus he is too loyal to players and keeps using guys like Andruw “Fatman” Jones and Jeff “Golden Sombraro” Francouer over guys like Diaz who are much better. If Jones had come back, Bobby would have started him in 125 games to not hurt his feelings. I do think the Braves will finish in the top 4 of the division though. Let’s just hope that Chipper can make it to Memorial Day without pulling a muscle chasing his kids in the yard.
brewdawg
April 4th, 2009
10:21 pm
There was really only one thing that I hated about Wren’s offseason (Smoltz fiasco). The rest I was either happy with (Glavine, Chipper contract, Lowe), and a lot that I’m not crazy about, but am willing to give the benefit of the doubt on (Vasquez, Kamikaze, Anderson, etc). I honestly believe this next statement, though it might bring a tongue-lashing: Jeff Francouer is the key to this team’s success. If he has a 290/25/110 year, this is a very potent lineup. If he does anything resembling last year, it won’t matter how good our pitching is. That’s just my opinion.
Mark Bradley
April 4th, 2009
10:23 pm
Francoeur is the key to the offense, BrewDawg. No argument there. But pitching always matters.
Mark Bradley
April 4th, 2009
10:23 pm
And what does it say about me, blogging on baseball during the Final Four?
brewdawg
April 4th, 2009
10:28 pm
Something tells me you have your feet propped up again watching the game on your 1968 television while blogging.
Mark Bradley
April 4th, 2009
10:30 pm
BrewDawg, you know me too well.
Biff Pocoroba
April 4th, 2009
11:31 pm
Mark, I hope that you are studying up on how to say chili cheese dog in Japanese so you can take the Japanese media out to the Varsity when Kawakami pitches his first game.
marseilles mutt
April 4th, 2009
11:41 pm
Hope springs eternal, as do Bobby, MB, me and heaps of other Brave fans. If things only go half as bad injury wise this year and half the questions re hitting and the bullpen are answered positively, we have a realistic chance to play in October.
I kind of feel- cock eyed optomist that I am- that there is enough pop in this lineup to get us there even if Francouer has but an average year, especially if the pitching holds up.
Keep your fingers crossed. Win or lose, tomorrow cannot come too soon.
Was at the river this evening, did they play basket ball?
RA
April 5th, 2009
7:35 am
As for Cox being optimistic, why not? A sight better than being pessimistic and he’s got more reason for optimism this Spring than he’s had in quite some time. As for myself, when I think upon the campaign that the Braves are about to embark on, the final words of Alfred Lord Tennyson’s Ulysses come to mind:
“…It may be that the gulfs will wash us down.
It may be that we shall touch the happy isles and see the great Accilles whom we all knew.
Though much is taken, much abides.
And though we are not now that strength that in old days moved earth and heaven.
That which we are, we are.
One equal temper of heroic hearts made weak by time and fate,
but strong of will.
To strive, to seek, to find, but not to yeild.
Mitch
April 5th, 2009
7:40 am
I think Frank is a bit lofty in his expectations. I dont know if we will truly “contend” for the division. If the Mets are as good as advertised, they might have a season like 2006, where they put the division away early.
That being said, if everyone stays healthy, there really is no reason why we should not win the wild card. We have an ace in Lowe, who should win us 15-20 games, an innings eater in Vazquez, who should win 12-15, Jair, who can win 10 to 15, Glavine, who if healthy, can give us 10 or more wins at the fifth spot, and our new guy, Mr K, who can hopefuly eat innings.
We have a solid lineup of guys who can hit.
The big question for us will be our bullpen. We need guys to bridge the gap, and we need either Gonzo or Soriano to nail down the closers role.
The only way I think this team falls apart like last year, is if we have injuries like last year. There will be some, to be sure, but I think we will overcome.
I liked your prediction the other day, Mark, 89 wins and a wild card. If we are healthy, there is absolutely no reason that we should not win the wild card.
I have a feeling we will be having a good season this year, that will end with us playing baseball in October.
Mitch
WILLSTER
April 5th, 2009
8:32 am
this braves team right now today 4-5-2009 will finish in 4th place like last year/to many questionmarks about this team, this team will not win championships,until someone like ARTHUR BLANK BUYS THIS TEAM AND CARES ABOUT IT, PUT SOME REAL MONEY IN IT AND WIN A WS OR 2 OR 3 LIKE THE YANKEES DID IN THE 9O,S AND EARLY 2000 CENTURY, the braves are way too old,keeping glavine,and sending down hansen is the reason why this team has won only 1 ws,stupid mistakes like that,ihave already bet aginst them today with myers pitching, not cole hamels, have a nice day,BRAVES FANS,IWILL.
truth-serum
April 5th, 2009
8:43 am
truth-serum
April 4th, 2009
9:27 pm
truth-serum
April 4th, 2009
9:26 pm
Who really cares what the bubba’s I mean braves do? Move to south carolina or missippi or alabama and raise the confederate flag.
What ever!
Going into the fourth quarter The Magic center has 20+ rebounds…ZaZa is on the bench…as usual. I got an Idea…lets blame the coach… Its coach Woodsons fault he doesnt have a center.
Hurry up and get back Micheal Vick, we need your marquee stature in the city of atlanta….
OutsideRobber
April 5th, 2009
9:01 am
I don’t know if the Braves have enough team speed to play small ball nor am I sure they have the right manager to take that approach. As Bill Parcels once said, “You are what you are”, so what are the Braves?
On paper, they’re a team with solid pitching, deep reserves, and experience with veteran leadership on the roster. They’re also without a proven 30HR bopper, hoping for a significant rebound year from Francoeur, that Jordan Schafer is the real deal, and average to plodding team speed on the basepaths.
As the old saying goes, speed never goes in a slump but that’s only if you have it in the first place. Speaking of places, realistically, I don’t see the Braves advancing more than third in the NL East. Sorry.
Danny
April 5th, 2009
9:43 am
I am not too optimistic about this season. Lowe is not the ace we need him to be…he is a good #2 starter, not a #1. JJ will be great, of course. Vazquez is nice to have. He’s a solid pitcher, and he’s a workhorse…a good #3 guy, but we gave up too much to get him. Kawakami I don’t think will do anything that special at all. If Glav is successful in coming back and being our #5, I am very happy with that.
Frenchy is definitely the key to our lineup. I am a little disappointed that we only wound up with Garret Anderson, and speaking of Andersons, I am unhappy we only got a minor league reliever for Josh. I think Wren has pulled the trigger too quickly on some things this offseason (Vazquez and Josh Anderson).
I don’t blame Wren for Peavy (I blame Towers for that…he had a great offer, but he turned it down). I don’t blame Wren for Furcal. I also don’t blame Wren for Griffey, although I would’ve definitely liked to have him over G. Anderson. I’m also still kinda reeling from the Tex-Kotchman deal last year. I dunno why we needed a line drive 1B instead of a power hitter when we have someone like Freeman waiting in the wings. We needed a big run producer for those couple years that Freeman needs to be ready. I definitely blame Wren for the Smoltz debacle though. That was shameful.
My analysis at the end of this offseason is that we settled for 2nd best across the board with the position we were wanting to fill (with the exception of re-signing Chipper and getting Vazquez, although we did give up too much for him). Combine that with the Smoltz situation, and I think Wren has shown that he deserves a boot out of Atlanta.
We have some great young guys waiting in the wings. I am excited for a couple years down the road…but this year? I’m doubtful. If we don’t make the playoffs, 3rd is the same as 5th in the division to me. I’m hoping I’m proved wrong about this team, but as it stands right now, we shall see…
siskel_god
April 5th, 2009
9:47 am
I love our chances this year because of the pitching depth and the fact that if we are close, Wren has shown a willingness to make the necessary moves. We have 3 guys that can start in our bullpen (Bennett, Carlyle, and Campillo) not to mention our AAA staff (Hanson, Reyes, Morton, Medlen). The outfield depth in the minors (B. Jones, Hernandez, Blanco) sets up for a big mid-season deal if we need it. That is why I love this team because of the depth and I really hate the Mets starting pitching, Maine’s shoulder has caused some control issues and Ollie Perez has looked horrible this spring, the Phils starting pitching is just as bad outside of Hamels nobody on that team scares you, they have Chan Ho Park in their rotation that says enough. The team to beat for me is the Marlins, if they stay healthy they can win the NL with that pitching staff, bullpen, and lineup they will be tough. I also expect that team to be energized with the new stadium deal and ownerships plans to open up the wallets I expect them too be energized.
MightyQuinn
April 5th, 2009
10:26 am
If I were a betting man, I would have to bet on 2010 being the Braves year, with Hudson and Hanson leading the rotation. But I’m not a betting man because my prognostication skills seem akin to Mark’s. (Sorry MB) But if the Kid in center is a ROY candidate, Frenchy’s a Comeback Player of the Year candidate, McCann is an MVP candidate, Chipper stays remotely healthy, at least down the stretch when we get Hudson back and Hanson’s here for good, and Kotchman just does what he did for the Angels, plus the bullpen doesn’t implode from the traditional overworking Bobby Cox puts on it, we certainly should be, at the very least, competitive till the last week of the season. And with the way the playoffs set up, all that matters is getting in and getting hot. So I am looking for an interesting season. Thats all I can realistically hope for. But in 2010……
Whopper Dawg
April 5th, 2009
10:49 am
I agree. I actually like the club too. Pitch, play D, do the basics correctly – sounds like a Bobby Cox team to me. Plus they kept the kids and are going to let them develop. That is a big difference from the past 5 to seven years where we would trade the kids for the “missing piece” and only keep that piece for a year or two. Let the naysayers check back next year or the year after and see where we are if we keep the same strategy.
Mark Bradley
April 5th, 2009
11:59 am
About Teixeira for Kotchman: It was apparent the Braves had no chance to win their division, and it was clear Teixeira was going to leave. I credit Wren for getting a starting first baseman to replace his starting first baseman.
And how would you rate that trade today from the Angels’ end? They didn’t win the World Series, and they didn’t re-sign Teixeira. And they gave up Kotchman.
Danny
April 5th, 2009
12:16 pm
I realize that…but Kotchman hasn’t exactly proved to be an offensive force as of yet. Hopefully he turns it around. And I have no qualms trading Tex…I just felt like they could’ve gotten a lot more for him. I know the market for him wasn’t big at all, but maybe the draft picks would’ve been worthwhile. I dunno. I dunno how highly regarded Marek is. He’s the unknown in this…
And the Angels said at the time that they have another prospect at 1B that they’re happy with. So, I dunno how distraught they are. I know they liked Kotchman, but I don’t think they see it as the end of the world.
I’m just saying…I know a lot of factors were beyond our control (a slim market for Tex for example), but I’m just bummed with how it turned out. I feel like maybe the trigger was pulled too soon on that one as well. There were a bunch of big names floating around at the trade deadline and Tex was practically the first one to go…with a bunch of days left before the deadline. I feel like we could’ve milked more out of the Angels or another team. I dunno…just my view…
Mark Bradley
April 5th, 2009
12:21 pm
In most deadline deals, the selling team gets prospects in return. Wren got a starting first baseman.
And I’m of the opinion Kotchman will be much better this year. Between the trade and his bereavement leave, he didn’t really get his feet under him in August and September.
Sharona
April 5th, 2009
12:41 pm
Should the BRAVES consider signing MIKE VICK to come play and steal bases?
VICK’S KIND are truly exceptional at stealing.
Cameron
April 5th, 2009
1:21 pm
Danny,
Wren got that absolute most he possibly could get for Tex. Tex was set to become a free agent and has Scott Boras as an agent. Any team trading for him, knew they were just renting him for 3 months and a postseason run. We got a year and three months, so we had to give up more. The Angels knew they were going to get him for a postseason run. The fact that we got their starting first basemen, who is a career .300 hitter, is amazing. It wasn’t like we were trading a guy locked into a reasonable contract for the next six years. If so, they would have had to give us their whole farm system.
rainman
April 5th, 2009
1:26 pm
We’re not putting too much pressure on Frenchy are we? ha, ha
But I have to agree that he is a key to the Braves offense — we need a 290 BA, 25+ HR’s and 100 RBI’s. The other issue, as mentioned, is the bullpen holding up. With Hanson coming up at some point and Hudson supposed to be ready later, the starting pitching should hold up.
The other ‘feel good’ thing about the Braves is the wealth of young talent waiting to explode onto the scene. Seeing guys like McCann, Escobar, and Francoeur (among others) continue to develope. Hoping Schafer is the real deal in center. Waiting for Hanson’s call-up, and wondering when the likes of Hayward and Freeman will be ready.
Mark Bradley
April 5th, 2009
1:27 pm
I’ll be surprised if Francoeur doesn’t have a big season. He looks terrific.
rainman
April 5th, 2009
1:49 pm
Yeah, I also believe he will have a good year — then we gotta worry about his contract.
John Fulton
April 5th, 2009
2:28 pm
Who cares? With all the turnover in MLB, the guys you support today are likely to be wearing the other team’s jersey tomorrow. Time to rename the teams after the owners or GMs. The Atlanta Libertys or the Atlanta Wrens. Given how the success of a team is more dependent on the owner and GMs desire to trade/sign talent, it makes more sense to support the owner and GM than any individual player.
Mark Bradley
April 5th, 2009
3:15 pm
Great idea, John. I’m sure all local hockey fans will leap at the chance to support the Atlanta Waddells.
fieldofdreams
April 5th, 2009
4:54 pm
The dynamic of the team that finished 19 games back last year hasn’t changed enough to stem the tide of mediocrity. Glavine’s starts will (again) dispirit the team, as will Francouer’s embarrassing at bats with runners in scoring position, and the perpetually shaky Braves bullpen.
Mark Bradley
April 5th, 2009
8:21 pm
You know, I probably should do something nice for the Japanese media following Kenshin, but I’m not sure I can afford even the Varsity. There are a lot of media types tracking him.