Bradley’s Buzz: SI’s Heyman calls Braves’ offseason ‘cheap’
I apologize. I've used this picture before, but it's too good. (AJC photo by Phil Skinner)
I don’t always agree with Jon Heyman of SI.com. He seems to believe Bobby Valentine invented the game of baseball, while I’m of the opinion Bobby V. only perfected the art of preening. But I can’t quibble with this assessment of the Braves’ offseason.
Heyman lists “eight teams that struck out this winter by not spending enough.” The Braves are No. 8 on that list. (The Mets are No. 1, intriguingly enough.)His rationale:
“[The Braves] were remarkably cheap this winter, and the result is a rotation diminished by the loss of Javier Vazquez and a lineup that still needs another big hitter. Melky Cabrera was the only immediate help received for Vazquez, who was brilliant last year. Troy Glaus could prove to be a $2 million bargain, and Eric Hinske seems to be a lucky charm [he played for the AL champion the past three seasons]. They also got former All-Star closer Takashi Saito. Meanwhile, the real goal had been to trade Derek Lowe so they could free up money for the much-needed impact bat. Unfortunately for them, there were no takers. Billy Wagner is a fair replacement for Rafael Soriano [though at this point, I'd take Soriano]. But overall, there was no discernible improvement.”
My two cents (hey, I’m cheap, too!): Even if the Vazquez trade helps the Braves down the road — I’m thinking of prospect Arodys Vizcaino — there was no way they should have surrendered the man who might well have been their Opening Day starting pitcher without getting a starting position player in return. (Cabrera is seen as a fourth outfielder.) And I don’t buy the argument that the Braves’ rotation will be just as strong without Vazquez.
With Vazquez, the fourth and fifth starters would have been Lowe, who even in a down year won 15 games, and Tim Hudson, who had Tommy John surgery in 2008. Without Vazquez, those two must move up a slot and Kenshin Kawakami, who won seven games last season, again becomes the No. 5 starter. I’m sorry, but that’s a downgrade.
And, since parsimony is today’s theme, I’m wondering about the money the Braves apparently saved in dumping Vazquez. He was scheduled to make $11.5 million. Cabrera will earn $3.1 million. Glaus will make $2 million, Hinske $1 million. That’s $6.1 million in new salaries. Where’d the other $5.4 million go?
I asked Chipper Jones that question last week. I said: “Will they just give that $5 million to you?” He, you should know, just laughed.
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294 comments Add your comment
Alphare
February 8th, 2010
12:31 pm
The problem with professional baseball teams is: the rich teams buy their players while the poor teams grabs their leftovers. The braves used to have some good ones while they could afford. The new owners got so stinky the last few years, they only recycle their players from their farms.
I stopped watching them a few years back when Maddux left. Does anybody care about them any more? Just curious.
DeBrave
February 8th, 2010
12:34 pm
I don’t know about the Javy trade being “we should’ve gotten a MLB ready player better than Melky” because I’m sure Wren tried to acquire Swisher, but also wanted Vizcaino. Yankees probably said no way and he settled for Melky,Vizcaino,Dunn. Vizcaino is supposed to be as good, if not better, than the 19 year old Julio Teheran in our system. So that ain’t a bad trade by any means, but I would certainly love to see a Johnny Damon heading our lineup come opening day. No question we can’t rely on a Melky/Diaz platoon, imo.
Melky got so much playing time with the Yankees last year because he’s a good defender and they have the DH.. Otherwise you’d have seen him play much,much less. He’s just not much of a hitter.
Bravey Gravy
February 8th, 2010
12:35 pm
Let the young talent develop. The reason we didn’t invest the money this off-season is because we don’t want to place impediments in front of our future stars. Yes, it’s cheap, but the Braves may still have the last laugh.
Not to mention the fact that this year’s free agent market was thin at best in our areas of greatest need.
Yurtle_the_turtle
February 8th, 2010
12:36 pm
Mark…who the hell is Liberty Media anyway? Shouldn’t there be some public documents somewhere having to list these folks? I don’t think I’ve ever seen a face or a name. Perhaps it was published before, I just don’t recall. Any why isn’t there any accountability with this group? Why aren’t you media guys asking them the hard questions?
thickfreakness
February 8th, 2010
12:37 pm
Mark-
Why you been haten on the Braves so much. Really, how much improvement did they need to make in order to compete in the NL? Their second half last year was pretty impressive and had their offense not relied so heavily on the natural and the converted 2nd baseman, they’d have won the wild card. Relax Dude, they are going to suprise the heck out of you this year. This comming from a big Mark Bradley fan.
BOB
February 8th, 2010
12:37 pm
But the same organization wasn’t citing financial constaints when they signed Derek Lowe or pursuing the same guy Richard Kimble is looking for(aka Johnny Damon). But when a qualiity vet like Carl Crawford is available, then it is back to playing the financial card.
Cracker Jacket
February 8th, 2010
12:37 pm
Hello 70’s and 80’s Braves again! You get what you pay for…empty seats!
Tami
February 8th, 2010
12:38 pm
I read this same article. It really, really hurt to admit this, but I have to agree. I don’t believe the Braves have strengthened themselves at all. Unless, of course, they have plans with the kids in AAA that we don’t know about yet. Otherwise, I’m VERY disappointed with the offseason moves. I feel Wren needs to do some major explaining (perhaps even being removed) if the moves he did make come back to bite the team on the rear end. But…that’s just my opinion.
Your Breath Smells Like Feet
February 8th, 2010
12:38 pm
Someone earlier mentioned the $5M on the Balance Sheet. You can really learn a lot about a company/organization by looking at a the Statement of Cash Flows. I prefer the indirect method. Cash from “Financing Activities” is key. I would guess the ownership group’s presentation is to “hide” it with a broad category Other.
Dawgs97
February 8th, 2010
12:38 pm
We would have been far better off GIVING Deerk Lowe away for scraps, and eating half his salary, then trading our ace and a Cy Young candidate for a piece of garbage like Melky Cabrera.
All the Vazquez haters, what you FAIL to point out is Vazquez’s splits between the NATIONAL league and the AMERICAN League. He’s a completely different, dominant, starting pitcher in the NL. In the AL, he’s a middle of the rotation starter. That’s the irony of the Yankee trade – it helps neither club since Vazquez’s numbers will now go way down in NY – like they did in 05 with NY.
Hudson and Lowe are not the pitchers they used to be and unless you’re a juicing Roger Clemens, most pitchers don’t drastically improve as they get up in their 30s. Kawamaki is a mediocre pitcher so IMHO, we have 2 starters we can rely on – Hanson and Jurrgjens. Our bullpen is worse, too.
Basically, we need Jason Heyward to be an immediate impact player to compete at all with Philly.
collegeballfan
February 8th, 2010
12:40 pm
If the guy with the check book says you can spend so much, and that is it, then, that is it. Unlike the US government, the Braves cannot print their own money.
what a joke
February 8th, 2010
12:40 pm
The braves have become a joke. they are just lucky that the thrashers still play in atlanta, because otherwise they would be the bottom team in the city. The sad thing is that we have so many blind homers as fans that think ev erything is fine and by the we have a future with our young players. then these young players do well we finish like 5 gamesw out and they will unload them. we are not even on the marlins level, atleast they can win titles. we are on the fast track to the pirates status
Mark Bradley
February 8th, 2010
12:40 pm
I would ask the hard question, Yurtle, if I knew who to ask. I have never met anyone associated with Liberty Media — unless you count Terry McGuirk.
Branch Rickey
February 8th, 2010
12:41 pm
With one-third ($29 mil) of 2010 team payroll tied up in an average pitcher (Derek Lowe) and an over-the-hill thirdbaseman (Chipper), Frank Wren has painted himself into a corner. The future is bright however, beginning in 2012. Lowe and Chipper should be off the books and the young kids will be producing big numbers, unless Wren trades them off !~
Steve
February 8th, 2010
12:44 pm
Blank was so close to getting the team a few years ago…things would be completely different if that had happened.
It really sickens me to look back on the trade with the Yankees. The whole time we thought for sure it would be Lowe that got traded, and our reasoning for doing so made complete sense…Lowe was our worst pitcher last year, we had 1 too many starters, he is our most expensive pitcher, and we needed to free up the cash to bring in a good bat. Then they trade our best pitcher for a bat that’s not any better than what we have in the OF already, and we don’t even spend any of the small amount that we saved making the trade. It really just makes me sick to think of the selfish intentions the owners of our ball club have that are breaking down one of the most popular and successful sports franchises of the last 20 years.
Ex-Braves Fan
February 8th, 2010
12:45 pm
Final division standing: 1. Phillies by a mile. 2. Marlins. tied for worst or fighting it out for the cellar, Braves, Mets and Nats. The Braves will be lucky to win 75 games with this broken, over the hill mob. Chipper leads the DL parade. Many others possible very early on. Glaus is a prime candidate for the DL by June. Lowe is not going to win 15 again. He is 36 going on 37, going over the hill. Welcome to another wasted $45 million pitcher. Man, thankfullly college football is only 6 1/2 months away. Guess I will ride my bike, hike, swim, fish and watch Tom and Jerry a lot this summer. All you have to do is check the box scores the next morning to catch the latest Braves’ loss.
Mark Bradley
February 8th, 2010
12:46 pm
Someone asked me last week what I would do were in charge of PR for the Braves. (It’s a frightening thought, I know.) But here, for what it’s worth, was my response:
I would come out and say, “This is how much we have to spend, give or take. This doesn’t mean we’re conceding anything to anyone — didn’t small-market Tampa Bay come out of the free-spending AL East to play in the 2008 World Series? — but we have to be prudent in our choices. Perhaps you won’t like some of the things we do, but you should know exactly why we’re doing it.”
Instead we get mixed signals: The Braves pay big money to sign Derek Lowe and Kenshin Kawakami in January 2009, and come December they’re dumping Javier Vazquez because he makes $11.5 million.
thickfreakness
February 8th, 2010
12:46 pm
Steve-
We didn’t trade our best pitcher, we traded our 3rd best pitcher.
ozzfest
February 8th, 2010
12:46 pm
I have my OFFICIAL SKIP CAREY T-SHIRT listed on EBAY for $1.00….RIGHT NOW!
GOSOX!!!
February 8th, 2010
12:47 pm
Who is goin to finish worse, the Braves or the Thrashers?????
Herschel Walker could whip your ass right now at 47
February 8th, 2010
12:47 pm
The Braves are an afterthought nowadays.There is a reason for that.
I tune in to the MLB network frequently and the next time I see theem discussing or featuring the Braves will be the first.
Bradley Gump
February 8th, 2010
12:47 pm
“And I don’t buy the argument that the Braves’ rotation will be just as strong without Vazquez.” – Booby Bradley
Javier Vazquez career win percentage: .505
Tim Hudson career win percentage: .655
Dummy.
Dave in Buford
February 8th, 2010
12:48 pm
Wren is treading water until the younger (i.e. cheaper) players can make it up from the minors. He’s counting on them to raise the Braves from a .500 team to something potentially more.
This isn’t anything new, though … Connie Mack used to do it with the old Philadelphia A’s back in the teens, ’20s and ’30s … he’d build a team, win a pennant or two, sell the players off for as much as he could get and stink for five or six years until he had a younger (cheaper) team again.
Bobby Cox
February 8th, 2010
12:48 pm
Having Matt Diaz & Martin Prado really helped the lineup in the second half last season. Maybe I can platoon them this season with Melky and Kelly. I keep forgetting Frank let Kelly go. Can’t give up on Kelly. Those Diamondbacks really got a keeper in Kelly Johnson. Duh.
Tweets that mention Bradley's Buzz: SI's Heyman calls Braves' offseason 'cheap' | Mark Bradley -- Topsy.com
February 8th, 2010
12:48 pm
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Mark Bradley, Gwinnett Braves. Gwinnett Braves said: RT @MarkBradleyAJC: Bradley’s Buzz: SI’s Heyman calls Braves’ offseason ‘cheap’ http://bit.ly/aTh7iJ [...]
Stat Man
February 8th, 2010
12:49 pm
Everybody that just has to claim “FIRST” are of the same mental capacity of those that just have to yell “KNIGHTS” during the National Anthem at Thrashers games.
That capacity: MORONS
GSU Eagle 91
February 8th, 2010
12:50 pm
I believe the Phillies will take the division again. They simply are better than the Braves….
If Chipper can stay healthy, and the rotation pitches well, maybe a wild-card berth is possible….I’m predicting 88-74…
thickfreakness
February 8th, 2010
12:51 pm
Mark-
Come on man! Revisionist history, we had 1 proven 22yo starter when Wren traded for a not so impressive veteran SP in Vazquez before he signed Lowe. Then he signed Kawakami and the staff looked like it might be able to compete. Nobody had any idea Vazquez would pitch as well as he did and that Lowe would have his worst season.
DeBrave
February 8th, 2010
12:51 pm
I don’t know who’d hate on Vazquez. He was unreal last year and I’d put money on him being as good this year because of Cox and how comfortable he seemed to be in Atlanta. I’m just one who likes the trade of him because of that Vizcaino. I’ll admit that I’ll be disappointed if we don’t get Damon or trade for another OF bat by opening day. Melky sucks, plain and simple. Diaz is so streaky that he even becomes a question mark. Heyward is just a baby that’s never seen a pitch above AAA.
Wren : Get another hitter! You’ll regret it if you don’t.
Orlando Brave
February 8th, 2010
12:52 pm
They had to come down $5m from last year’s payroll because the insurance proceeds from the policy on Tim Hudson stopped. They could spend $95m last year because they received $5m on the policy because Huddy was hurt; now that he’s fine, they had to cut out that $5m in payroll. Mark Bowman wrote about it a month ago.
Mark Bradley
February 8th, 2010
12:52 pm
Oh, I don’t know. I kind of enjoy that “Knights” thing. It’s a throwback to a gentler time. (And also to a time when an Atlanta hockey team won something.)
oldfart
February 8th, 2010
12:53 pm
I enjoyed the 70s & 80s. Wait for a good team to come to town so that half of it was good baseball, bring a cooler with adult beverages, buy cheap seats at the gate, move down to field level after the first inning and ogle some honeys draped across 2 or 3 seats catching some rays while drinking a cold one. If the suits keep running them this is what we will get back to.
what a joke
February 8th, 2010
12:53 pm
all right blind homers keep talking about those young players we all see how the 05 “baby braves” turned out all gone but one and mccann will be gone after this contract. get ready for those yearly battles for last place with the nationals
Jesse Stone
February 8th, 2010
12:53 pm
We already had Melky Cabrera and designated him for assignment. I believe he went by the name Ryan Church then.
Steve
February 8th, 2010
12:53 pm
thickfreakness -
I see where you’re coming from because Jurrjens and Hanson will both be fantastic pitchers for a long time, but when I say Vazquez was our best pitcher I’m basing it off the fact that by far he performed better than any of our other starters. He was undoubtedly our best pitcher last year.
Daniel
February 8th, 2010
12:53 pm
Dang Ex-Braves Fan, the only problem with your hypothesis is with the way you see things going your bike will get a flat, there will be an earthquake during the hike, the fish will have 3 eyes and Tom will finally catch and kill Jerry. Hey, man I hope your day starts to look up. The sky really isn’t falling.
DeBrave
February 8th, 2010
12:54 pm
I should’ve said Heyward has never seen a pitch above AA ball, not AAA. Leave him the hell alone Braves. Bring him up in the summer because MLB is a totally different animal and he needs to be at least somewhat exposed to sharp curves, hard sliders, solid changeups before he hits the big show.
bubbly
February 8th, 2010
12:54 pm
Mark, I’m pretty sure that pitchers #3 and #4 are going to be JJ and Hanson. Lowe WILL get the opening day start and Hudson will be #2.
Born2Buzz
February 8th, 2010
12:54 pm
MLB lost their way back in 1992 when they dumped the commissioner’s office and appointed an owner as the defacto commish. Since then, the imbalance of team payrolls has continued to expand to the point where only 6 (20%) of the 30 teams in MLB have a reasonable chance of being consistently competitive. There will always be a few smartly run organizations that will see limited success. Unfortunately the Braves are no longer in the 20% of teams that can consistently compete and I don’t think they will ever be in that group again, even with a change of ownership. And the last 4 years they have not proven that they are smart enough to see even limited success.
I will hope that maybe this year they get lucky but I’m not holding my breath.
matt r
February 8th, 2010
12:54 pm
Maybe Damon is still in the mix?
EPF
February 8th, 2010
12:55 pm
This franchise has been doing things on the cheap for ever since Ted sold out to Time Warner. Now they’re doing them even cheaper. Assuming current ownership continues, Braves will be looking like the Pittsburgh Pirates in a few year.
Mark Bradley
February 8th, 2010
12:56 pm
Cox said last week he doesn’t know who’ll be the Opening Day hurler.
Jesse Stone
February 8th, 2010
12:56 pm
Phil Niekro has a better arm than Johnny Damon. We would have to develop a new relay strategy in the outfield. Damon to McLouth to Esco to McCann.
thickfreakness
February 8th, 2010
12:56 pm
Steve-
Read my 12:51. Undoubtly Vazquez had a tremendous year. Let’s see how he does this year and let’s see how Lowe does this year before we even judge this trade.
n
February 8th, 2010
12:56 pm
I predict braves are in the playoffs this year. What a team they have built compared to 2 years ago when our hopes were on a few aging veterans for the 2 and 3 spots and then pray for the 4 and 5 spots plus relying on Frenchy as a #5 or better hitter. Whew, things are much better now.
Andrew
February 8th, 2010
12:57 pm
I still say that if the braves wanted to trade any pitcher then it should have been KK, Even though im not a big fan of D lowe. It would not have hurt the braves lineup at all to get Adam Dunn from the Nats, Sure he might strike out alot but so did Ryan Klesko an he hit almost 50 homers one year with the braves. I can see it now, bases loaded, no outs, then all of a sudden the next 3 batters go down an no runs score at all for the braves. Happens sooooo many times every year!
Btw, That picture above bobby cox looks miserable! LOL
DeBrave
February 8th, 2010
12:57 pm
oldfart– get the hell out of here! Nobody wants to pull for a loser except a loser like yourself. You really enjoy watching your team get their brains beat in all the time? Seriously? Shame on you!
Stat Man
February 8th, 2010
12:57 pm
Yelling “KNIGHTS” is also disrespectful as hell during your country’s National Anthem.
Not to make this more than it is, but go serve a term over in Iraq or ask any veteran what they think and then yell “KNIGHTS”.
I think it’s the Thrashers curse – they will never win until that ridiculous practice goes away, but I’m afraid the team will go away first.
badbrave
February 8th, 2010
12:57 pm
Before last season started I thought Vazquez was largely under appreciated in most articles I read. Many were questioning the decision to get him. Now after his outstanding season most articles I read over value him. I think there’s good reason to suspect he will go back to the level he was at that made writer’s question his value to begin with. His history until last season was that he had great stuff but faltered enough to make him a third or fourth starter. Obviously that’s how the yankee’s see him, plus now he’s going to have to pitch in their new bandbox stadium.
thickfreakness
February 8th, 2010
12:58 pm
DeBrave-
McCann never played a game at AAA.