Now subbing for Javier Vazquez, a rejuvenated Tim Hudson
Here's Tim Hudson, back at work. (AJC photo by Bob Andres)
On the first day of February and Camp Roger, Bobby Cox called Tim Hudson “kind of the forgotten man.” While true for now, it won’t be true for long. Because Tim Hudson has to approximate Javier Vazquez for the Braves’ winter maneuvers to pan out.
Even Hudson concedes the point. “If I don’t come back, I don’t see how they could have [traded Vazquez],” he said. “I don’t think any team could have traded a pitcher like that.”
Hudson offered a cheaper, longer-term option. He took a hometown discount to re-up for three years at $28 million, with a club option for the 2013 season. Vazquez was due to make $11.5 million this season and then would surely have left as a free agent. Monetarily, the trade-off — Hudson in, Vazquez out — makes great good sense.
At issue is whether it makes competitive sense. Vazquez would likely have started on Opening Day. He won 15 games last season and finished fourth in the National League Cy Young voting. Hudson won two games in 2009, but those two games — coming as they did after a year’s layoff due to Tommy John surgery — convinced the Braves that he was the Hudson of yesteryear.
“Huddy will be very good,” Bobby Cox said Monday. “He’s throwing the ball really good right now. He’s an ace — we forget that.”
Certainly that’s what the Braves thought they were getting when they acquired Hudson from Oakland in December 2004. But in his first four seasons as a Brave — his 2008 campaign was truncated by injury — Hudson more often looked like a No. 3 starter than a No. 1. He was 54-38 with an ERA of 3.78. (Over six seasons with the A’s he was 92-39 with an ERA of 3.30.)
Not once as a Brave has Hudson had a season to match what Vazquez did last year — 15-10 with 238 strikeouts and an ERA of 2.87. The Braves are betting that a rotation can be just as strong without its No. 1 man, but for that to happen Hudson must produce at a higher rate than he has since switching leagues.
Cox: “Nobody wanted to lose Vazquez, of course. [But] if we weren’t sold on Huddy we wouldn’t have [re-]signed him. He’s still young [Hudson turns 35 in July]. He’s a top-of-the-rotation guy.”
And maybe he is, because maybe we haven’t yet seen the real Tim Hudson. There were times over his first four seasons when he looked so hittable you asked yourself, “Is something wrong with his arm?” Hudson kept insisting there wasn’t, but now, in the cold light of hindsight, he thinks there might have been.
“I understand how healthy I am,” Hudson said. “Physically I feel better than I did five or six years ago … My arm hasn’t felt this good in eight years. It feels good to be in that good a shape. I’d been having aches and pains, and I just thought that was part of getting older, but now I know my arm wasn’t what it needed to be.”
The surgery rebuilt his elbow, and during the rehab Hudson also strengthened his shoulder. The result: One rejuvenated right arm. And perhaps, down the road, an affirmation of Frank Wren’s busy winter. The general manager traded his best pitcher from 2009 and didn’t get a full-time starter — Melky Cabrera is seen as a fourth outfielder — in return. The move looked strange at the time. It will look better only if Tim Hudson holds up his end.
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160 comments Add your comment
EW
February 1st, 2010
4:00 pm
We will see if it was arm troubles or a weak division out west that was causing the numbers discrepancies (sp?). I might argue that the NL East had something to do with the drop in production.
ATLFan
February 1st, 2010
4:08 pm
Too late for that, bill-1956. Mad Dog joined the Cubs organization a couple of weeks ago.
Mike
February 1st, 2010
4:11 pm
All the arms in the world won’t change the fact that the Braves can’t score. Damon….Damon…Anyone…
Ralph
February 1st, 2010
4:11 pm
It makes no difference what kind of team Wren puts in the club house, COX will find a way to lose, we’ll have to wait til 2011.
Sports Watcher
February 1st, 2010
4:14 pm
Vick could be traded before NFL draft
http://digitalsportsdaily.com/nfl/20377
gayle
February 1st, 2010
4:14 pm
When “ifs” can be traded for wins, then this team should start printing playoff tickets.
IF Hudson can perform as he did those few starts at the end of last year, IF Wagner suddenly finds the control and fastball that he lost before the surgery, IF Glaus remembers how to hit and forgets how to get injured, IF Melky Cabrera is a much better player in the NL, IF Chipper remembers how to hit, drive in runs and forgets how to get hangnails, IF McCann continues to produce with so much pressure on the offense, IF Saito suddenly learns how to be a set-up man for Wagner (see above), IF Bobby Cox suddenly learns how not to burn out a bullpen by the All Star break, IFEscobar can keep his head together, IF Hanson can continue his success and not have a sophomore slump, IF the Phillies forget how to hit, IF the Mets continue to have half their starting lineup on injured reserve…………
Seems like an awful lot of IFs – and I left a bunch off. You may want to hold off on that playoff ticket printing for the time being.
Nativebird
February 1st, 2010
4:15 pm
I like our staff, but the question is not Huddy, the question is the “ace” we gave a mint to last year, Lowe. He got his doe, and preceded to do what most ego-maniac “Ive earned it” Major league pitchers do…cruise. So we ditch Javier, our hardest working, best performing pitcher, and STILL don’t have the RBI producing power hitting right handed First Basemen that everyone and their sister knows this team needs.
Alan
February 1st, 2010
4:16 pm
Mark, you’re right on the money. The Braves felt they had to dump salary this offseason, and their first choice was Lowe. When that didn’t work out, they turned to Vazquez. They’re gambling that a rejuvenated Hudson will pitch as effectively as Vazquez did last year, and he might. Then again, he might not. Time will tell. In the meantime, though, what every Braves fan was hoping for all winter — the delivery of a “big bopper” — presumably with the money saved from the Vazquez trade — never happened. Troy Glaus, Melky Cabrera and Eric Hinske are not exactly the names we’ve had in mind this hot-stove season.
bill t
February 1st, 2010
4:19 pm
Fifty ninth!!
MB Tells Lies
February 1st, 2010
4:24 pm
Read the rebuttal that http://www.talkingchop.com on the front page has for mark bradley and how inaccurate this article truly is… Tim Hudson is a better pitcher than Vazquez
Cecil34
February 1st, 2010
4:29 pm
When is the last time that you heard Cox say “this player is a piece of trash and washed up to boot! Hasn’t been healthy for years and doesn’t produce!”
Exactly – his opinions have no credibility…..
CJ
February 1st, 2010
4:32 pm
Do we still have Lowe or is he going to be the all time Home Run derby pitcher? He would be perfect from what I have seen! Just tell him to give it his best shot and he will throw that 83 MPH heater over the center part of the plate. He would be perfect to take over Glavines roll of Home Run King!
Mark Bradley
February 1st, 2010
4:33 pm
Cox says that all the time, Cecil34. Trouble is, he says it about me.
Chief Pitchanono
February 1st, 2010
4:35 pm
Mark the article makes no since – Huddy has no shoes to fill, he just has to keep being himself and stay healthy. Vazquez has one great career year and everyone acts like we just traded away smoltz or glavine in there prime. I hope he does good with the Yanks but there is still no reason to believe that he will be anything more that a 4th or 5th starter type guy. Even if he does have another great year there is no way he would have gave us the deal that huddy did during free agency. So either way he wasnt going to be around long. I like our current rotation and now its pretty much set for the future too and that says allot. If we dont make it this year wont be because of the starters.
Ramblin Wrecker
February 1st, 2010
4:38 pm
Mark,
One point I think you miss is that Javy Vazquez never had a season like Javy Vazquez did in 2009. So I think it’s a little silly to make out like it will be difficult for Tim Hudson to fill his shoes. Chances are even had Javy stayed, he would not repeat that performance.
Plus I prefer to look at it like Tommy Hanson is replacing Javy, not Tim Hudson, because I feel Hanson is the ace of this staff, if not Jurrjens (let’s not forget Jurrjens was just as spectacular as Javy, but his performance is becoming a habit, not the anomaly that Javy’s was). So Hudson is more like the #3 guy, and I’d take a #3 guy with a track record of 148-78, 3.49 ERA over 11 seaspns. He’s more consistent than Vazquez historically. Hell, Derek Lowe is more consistent than Vazquez for that matter.
But make no mistake, Hanson and Jurrjens will be what carries this rotation. Hey, and Kawakami was not bad. He had a rough April, and then one bad start in July, but was otherwise very effective, especially against big time opponents. Remember he beat Roy Halladay, John Santana and Dice-K head to head last season and was dominating in those pressure packed games.
Mark Bradley
February 1st, 2010
4:41 pm
The best part of the 2009 rotation was Javier Vazquez. The Braves traded him. Wouldn’t you say someone has to make up for that or the rotation will be lessened?
Oh, and I never said Hudson hasn’t had a better career than Vazquez. What I said: As a Brave, Hudson has never had as good a season as Vazquez did in 2009. Hudson was 16-10 in 2007, but his ERA was 3.33 and he had 132 strikeouts. That’s not a “lie.” That’s the fact, Jack.
Ramblin Wrecker
February 1st, 2010
4:41 pm
I think the rotation will be better this season than last year, because you get a full season of Tommy Hanson and what I think will be a bounce back from Derek Lowe.
Will they have enough offense is the question. I think if Troy Glaus is healthy, which is definitely a question mark, he will provide a power prescence in the heart of the order. Then you get a full season from McLouth in CF, a full season of Martin Prado at 2B with a phenom in RF, Heyward and they just might have something cooking. I think Chipper will bounce back. If Glaus is going well and Escobar continues his progress, pitchers will have to pitch to Chipper. And if I know him, he’ll have his mechanics worked out just fine.
Ramblin Wrecker
February 1st, 2010
4:47 pm
Mark,
That’s fine to say about Vasquez, but what about his career suggests that 2010 would be a repeat of 2009 (or anywhere close)? He could just as easy have a 10-13 with a 4.00 ERA which would not be as good as Tim Hudson. While Javy’s best might be better than Hudson, Hudson’s worst is just every other year for Javy.
teamguy
February 1st, 2010
4:48 pm
I wish it were “Camp Leo”, too. .anything to get him off the radio. My god!
Ray B
February 1st, 2010
4:48 pm
Neither Hudson or Lowe have much of a breaking pitch, one that breaks away from a right-handed batter. Everything they throw goes down, or in and down. Although the sinker, or whatever you want to call it, is tough to hit, they need more variety, or at least a threat of it to keep hitters honest. It would seem very ill advised to have them follow each other in the rotation.
MitchC
February 1st, 2010
4:51 pm
Mark, the Braves have had pitchers lose time to Tommy John Surgery, and then come back good as new.
Look at Smoltz: I know he threw harder in his heyday then Huddy ever did, but Smoltzie misses the whole 2000 season, and a good chunk of 2001. Then he comes back, and is lights out as the closer for three plus years, and then slides back into the rotation, as if he had never left the rotation, and has three very good years there too from 2005 to 2007 before burning out.
I think our rotation will be fine. If Hanson doesnt have a soph slump, it should be very good.
The pitcher to watch in 2010 will be Lowe. I was not happy that we kept him, even though it didnt surprise me. I wouldnt be a bit surprised if Hudson has a better season than Lowe, with a lower ERA.
My bet is that Hudson will be just fine. If he’s healthy, and gets run support, pencil him in for 13 to 16 wins, and a sub 3.50 ERA.
Nativebird
February 1st, 2010
4:53 pm
Hey…I hear Tom Glavine is available. Still.
From the Basement
February 1st, 2010
4:57 pm
Hey mom you forgot the syrup.
FIRST
HaHa
First to have my mom bring some stacks to the basement.
It will be interesting to see if Rooster can hold up the whole year. Rooster’s what we call him here at the Basement. I mean Hanson of course.
JJ is our man, Rooster is 2nd and Huddy is my buddy is 3rd. It would be nice to see him hit 15 wins. I can see us have 4 15 game winners. I can also see us hitting less than 230 as a team too.
From the basement with a stack o’cakes it’s me.
Mom, I need some buddah!
Greg from Marietta
February 1st, 2010
5:02 pm
The Braves will be just fine in the pitching department. It’s the hitting that is going to be behind the power curve. They need at least one more big bat to really be competitive in the division. If they can just get a hitter and generate some team consistency in the batter’s box then the pitching will sail along without a hitch.
Billy Ray Valentine....Capricorn
February 1st, 2010
5:03 pm
Come on, Mark, you should know that Hudson is a karate man. You see, a karate man bruises on the inside. That way he don’t show his weaknesses. Hudson and his Camaro will be just fine.
deriter
February 1st, 2010
5:16 pm
I believe F. Wren & B. Cox made one their biggest blunders ever. Better to have a proven #1 starter for a year, than a surgically repaired #3 or #4 starter who might not last the year.
Jeff
February 1st, 2010
5:21 pm
Sorry, I love Hudson, but I STILL hate the Braves’ offseason moves.
First of all, if ANY team in baseball should know, it should be the Braves, that you can NEVER have too much pitching! I’m sorry, I think we could have been VERY dangerous with a rotation that included Vazquez, Lowe, Hudson, Hanson and Jurrjens. That would enable us to move Kawakami to the bullpen for long relief and emergency starts (remember, rotations NEVER go through a whole year with no injuries). And, I’m sorry, am I crazy, but what would it KILL us to have a six-man rotation? Keeps everybody fresh, so maybe they could go LONGER IN GAMES so we would not have to rely so d*** much on our QUESTIONABLE bullpen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We don’t have a bunch of 25-26-27 year old stud arms like we did in the early 90s with Smoltz, Glavine, Maddux, Avery, Mercker, Reynoso, Smith, Schmidt, Neagle, etc. This staff we have is older and more likely to break down, so we need ALL the pitching help we can get!!!
This lineup is not our early 90s lineup, either… we will be middle-of-the-pack in batting average, homers, runs scored, etc. Unless several guys have career years, we’re going to NEED all the pitching we can to keep us in games. We will have to win a lot of 3-2 games, because we sure aren’t gonna win a lot of 8-6 games.
I love guys like Hudson and Chipper and Lowe, but they are not getting any younger. And we need to have a year where everybody hits, everybody has career years and every pitcher has a Cy-Young-type season if we’re going to win.
But, as I see it, this is an 80-84 win team, not a playoff contender. Hudson is a great guy, but I don’t see 15 or 18 wins from him. I see 12-14 with a 4.1 ERA. I hope I’m wrong, but betting on guys coming off injuries has not panned out for the Braves lately.
Still, they are my team… GO BRAVES!!!
P.S. And I’d like some other people’s thoughts about moving Kawakami to long relief/emergency starts, or trying a 6-man rotation.
Space Monkey
February 1st, 2010
5:22 pm
I like Hudson but there were a few games at the end of last year where he was throwing batting practice to the other team, and he got lucky that they didn’t launch a big fly. He looked really hittable, and he believe he will be mediocre at best next year. He also isn’t much of a K threat anymore. Vazquez could load the bases with nobody out and get out of it. Hudson will give up at least two runs in those situations. Finally, I disagree that Vazquez wouldn’t have wanted to stay in Atlanta past this year. After all the junk he’s been through in his career, especially the crap that Ozzie Guillen gave him with the Sox, I think he felt at home in Atlanta. That’s one of the reasons he excelled last year. BTW, I don’t believe he will be very good in New York. That stadium is ridiculous. They might as well put each ball on a tee.
Jeff R
February 1st, 2010
5:29 pm
Wren got Melky, but he also got Vizciano, a real comer, according to the scouts. That’s not to say that I wouldn’t have preferred the Braves keeping Javy. But business is business.
I’d expect a healthy Hudson to win in the neighborhood of fifteen games and post an ERA in the mid threes. We’ll see.
BravesfaninNashville
February 1st, 2010
5:36 pm
Mark I don’t understand the negative nature of so many of your articles. You have positioned this as trade in the worst light possible. We got more than a 4th outfielder in Melky with this trade. 1. We are assured to have a pitcher at Tim Hudson’s level for 3 more years. Javy has talked about retiring and there is no guarantee that if he plays on the Braves wouldn’t have been outbid for him. 2. We got to sign Troy Glaus and Hinske with the money we saved on Vasquez. 3. We have added to our farm system depth with an outstanding prospect that could make this trade look really bad for the Yankees someday soon (Ala Tigers trading Smoltz to Atl for Alexander). Even if the prospect doesn’t pan out we got 3 major league players on the field THIS year because of the trade and we have a starting rotation that beats our rotation at the beginning of 09′. We dug such a big hole with JoJo and Kelly Johnson, Shafer, and Francouer that it was hard to bounce back even with the best record in baseball the second half before our six game plunge at the end. This year we’ll have 5 proven starters to begin with and a lineup with no automatic outs in it anywhere. I like this team for the Wild Card. The Phillies are going to be very tough but we got within 3 or 4 games of them with 10 to go after a horrific start. If we start moderately well this year we’ll have a chance with the pitching we’ll run out every night.
SmoltzFAN
February 1st, 2010
5:52 pm
Why wasn’t trading KK an option? Keeping Javi would have given us a 5 man rotation to strike fear in the eyes of opponents…
SouthGaDawg
February 1st, 2010
5:55 pm
Frank Wren needs to be fired.
Lets look at his moves the past couple of years:
1) Overpays for Derek Lowe. (but hey Lowe had 15 wins right? Too bad none of them were when it mattered in September or October…)
2) Overpays for Kawakami. (but we outbid everyone else to get him though!)
3) Trades Frenchy for Ryan Church, a guy with absolutely NO upside. Granted Frenchy wasn’t lighting the world on fire, but at least he has the POTENTIAL to do so. Church will be out of baseball in a year or two.
4) Trades for Laroche. Great move. However, see below:
5) Doesn’t sign Laroche citing concerns that he would want too much money for too long of a term. Instead signs Troy Glaus to play first even though Glaus is a LIFETIME 3rd baseman who was injured all of last season. Oh did I mention he’s getting old too? Post Script: Laroche signs with Arizona for ONLY one year at a bargain of 4.5 million. Great move again Frank.
6) Doesn’t sign Gonzalez or Soriano. These guys are lights out (and young), but then inexplicably signs Billy Wagner. Oh did I mention that he’s old? And did I mention that he was basically injured all of last year? But he’s a sure-fire fix for our bullpen. Was Dan Kolb unavailable or something?
These are just a few of his moves. I didn’t even mention the fact that he burned bridges with Smoltz and Glavine last year. Two of the guys who only built the Atlanta Braves.
Way to go Frank.
BravesfaninNashville
February 1st, 2010
6:01 pm
My prediction is that Vazquez’s numbers will return to a more career norm and so will Hudson’s and Lowe’s. With that being said the Braves will have 4 starters in Hanson, Jurrjens, Hudson and Lowe that will give us a chance to win the majority of the games they start. KK will hold his own against 5th starters and probably improve on his W/L record. The front 4 will probably be 20 games or better over .500. KK will probably be close to .500 so then it comes down to our bullpen. I’ll take this pen over Philadelphia’s any day. Their lineup is menacing for sure but ours should score enough runs to win with this pitching. I think we’ll be within 5 games of Phillie at the end and be in the Wildcard race until the last weekend. Over all I like the trade as Javy is not likely to match the year he had last year and we have plenty of pitching without him. In three or four years we’ll know how good this trade was.
Navigator
February 1st, 2010
6:04 pm
Everybody knows we let a top notch pitcher go to keep Hudson, who will never reach the plateau he used to be on. The Braves needed him because he was older and Bobby Cox needed his old guys.
Elitist
February 1st, 2010
6:05 pm
I have often wondered why the Braves have had attendance problems with a solid, often spectacular team over the years. I live in Texas and figured Atlanta is a lot like Dallas/Fort Worth. The people love football and follow baseball as a second sport. I would expect the newspapers to have one or two baseball experts and the rest of the writers not very knowledgeable about baseball, but still occasionally write about it. The fans that respond to baseball articles, I would expect, to give thoughtful opinions. I have read this blog often and the author is obviously not a baseball writer, and the fans, for the most part should stick to football. Braves will compete with the Phillies for the division title.
AdirondackDave
February 1st, 2010
6:08 pm
I dislike misrepresentation, even from good reporters. Mark, the Braves main get from the trade was Vizcaino, who you didn’t even, mention, not Melky. They also got a promising lefty Dunn.
stinky
February 1st, 2010
6:14 pm
Huddy is a lousy bet to cover Vazquez’s spread. Melky is right up Cox’s alley as a fourth outfielder (Bobby luvs platoons, you know), The Braves willl win 87games, and the Marlins will win 88 games and capture the wild card and then their 3rd world Series. Bobby will pick his nose, scratch his head and forget that he retired. Chipper will bat .272 with 21 HR an 78 RBI and declare his Monster Rebound Season a sucksess, thus ensuring that he collects 28 million dollars over 2011 and 2012
bubbly
February 1st, 2010
6:21 pm
Even if we still Javy he would also have to live up to what he did last year (which is highly unlikely). I think given the options every GM in the league would take Hudson over Vazquez. Let’s face the facts, Hudson has never had a losing season in his career while Javy has had FIVE. Debate over.
jerry
February 1st, 2010
6:21 pm
Mama Cox always gives an honest assessment of her players. They are all going to be great. And they do luuuuuuuuuuuuve Mama. xoxoxoxoxoxox
Mark Bradley
February 1st, 2010
6:25 pm
Trading Kenshin Kawakami wasn’t an option because he won seven games and makes $8 million.
Bill
February 1st, 2010
6:45 pm
Really Mark, How do you expect the Braves to finish this year? 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th. Just your opinion.
todd grantham
February 1st, 2010
6:59 pm
well, what about just cutting Kawakami?
rainman
February 1st, 2010
7:00 pm
Mark — I know you understand the starting pitching is not a major issue and are just trying to stir the pot, but maybe we ought to be talking about improving the offense or whether our closers will hold up. How much money do you think Wren has to work with right now – and could that change for any reason?
Poorbrave
February 1st, 2010
7:01 pm
KK didn’t do that bad, in fact he should have had a good record but no run support. check it out! I’m like Bobby Cox on that …he pitched good for 1st year and could have used some support.
Kurt
February 1st, 2010
7:03 pm
Why is everyone acting like Vasquez had never pitched well before last year, first of all he was playing in the much harder to pitch in AL, but since 2000 is second in strikeouts AND innings pitched in the entire MLB, Hudson looked DECENT at the end of last year and I hope he can pull through with some big games. After the year Vasquez had last year, it is hard to say that Hudson is an ace and Vasquez is not. An ace is someone you can count on in big time situations, an injured pitcher is not a man to count on in big time situations. Also, Lowe is not as bad as last year made him out to be. He should bounce back with a sub 4.00 era and i would assume 15 wins. I am not worried about JJ or Hanson as long as we “braves’ fans” don’t put too much b.s. in their way. I would like to lock up both of them for long term deals before this year ends!! As for the offensive spectrum, I was more than happy acquiring McClouth last year and if he would have been healthy the whole second half, we would have no questions about his play. Regarding Melky I think he should fit into the Braves’ defense first style of play, and will end up starting in left. Diaz is a question mark for me, he has performed quite well when given the chances, but none of those chances have come at clutch moments and so it is hard for me to put alot of faith in him YET. At the corners I am a little curious as to why we don’t just give Freeman experience instead of trying to train Glaus to play 1st for only a year or two. A platoon of Hinske n Feeman at 1st would be just as rewarding if not more. I am willing to get behind Chipper for another year at 3rd for what all he has done for this club and that he hasn’t really changed his game as much as he has just had the injuries with the oblique and hip, I would love to see him hit .300+ and rack up some major rbi’s. Positions I am feeling comfortable at are 2nd with the emergence of Prado, SS with Yunel being solid even though he will end up at 3rd in a year or two, and obviously the catcher spot with McCann as an all-star hitting and fielding catcher. I really don’t think we need another outfielder with no power such as Damon who although would be key at leadoff and allow McClouth to bat 4th or 5th( he would have led the team in homers if there the whole year and not counting Laroche). Good Luck 2010 Braves. I will be cheering from Iowa all season long.
braveshoo
February 1st, 2010
7:04 pm
We needed a lot of prospects from trading Vasques to trade to the Padres for Gonzales. If you add him, then and only then is the deal a good deal.
todd grantham
February 1st, 2010
7:09 pm
Mark, is Bobby’s nick for this guy Kamikazi?
rainman
February 1st, 2010
7:15 pm
braveshoo — that’s what I was asking. Do the Braves have enough payroll room left to take on a player like Gonzales for some prospects. Can they even afford Damon?
ayankee brave
February 1st, 2010
7:38 pm
how can you guys say we didnt upgrade from last year. lets look at how we started the season in 09 and look where we are in 10 shall we
09cf-schafer 10cf-mcclouth
1b-Kotchman 1b-Glaus
Rf-Francouer Rf-Heyward/Diaz
Lf-Anderson Lf-Diaz/Cabrera
Bench Norton Bench Heinske
Closer Gonzelaz Closer Wagner
I know the Braves are playing the what if game I understand that, but I really feel Glaus is going to put up his numbers and when laroche bats .220 the first part of the year i think us braves fans will be thankful that we didnt resign him. I think that list the i just mentioned we are better in everyone of those categories even closer (remember Gonzo started the season as closer and was given us all heart attacks every night until he lost his job). Just something to think about to all the wren haters who say he hasnt improved the team.
todd
February 1st, 2010
7:47 pm
When we first started talking about Wren’s moves in November I was one of the few that said to give it time – that he was only beginning and we needed the whole picture. Well, we have it now and it ain’t pretty. I could live with the Vazquez deal because I think we might actually come out ahead in the long term. The fact is our team is arguably worse offensively than last year and that will not put people in seats or win ballgames. A big bat was needed and with a little creativity Wren could have gotten Uggla and a better first baseman from somewhere. Instead we are left with cast offs and maybes. There is no sense of excitement about the upcoming season that could have been provided with a new big bat or two. You would think that they (management) would at least understand the financial benefit of providing energy and excitement by adding some spark to the offense. I am tired of the lack of commitment from the Braves ownership – we better all start voting with our feet when this thing falls apart in May.