AJC > Sports > Braves > Blog > Archives > 2006 > January > 09
Monday, January 9, 2006
Catching up with DOB
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Welcome back to the Braves blog. Nothing happened since we shut things down, because the Braves also shut ‘er down a while. Vacations and such.
Won’t say I told you so, but the Braves were never going to blow the budget for a Zito or Nomar or Millwood (at $50 mill for five years, they’d have been insane to get involved in that) or trade for Manny or Tejada or Sammy Sosa or anyone else with a bloated price tag, despite the wild rumors and speculation. They even got outbid for Jeff Conine by the Orioles, which tells you how tight things really are in the Braves’ payroll, or rather how careful they’re being with every dollar.
And sorry to disappoint, but the team wasn’t going to be sold quickly to Arthur Blank and the payroll raised to $120 mill for 2006. Christmas came and went without any of those gifts left behind.
One other thing while I’m thinking about it: Braves weren’t close to trading Ryan Langerhans to Cleveland, despite a published report by a New England newspaper that speculated it would allow Coco Crisp to then be dealt to the Red Sox. The Braves were interested in Indians reliever David Riske (still might be), but weren’t anywhere near completing a Langerhans trade when that report came out before Christmas.
For those who may be wondering what’s up with the sale of the team, I’m not going to lie and tell you I know. I don’t. I’ve said all along I’m not convinced they’ll even be sold, but if they aren’t I think it’ll move at a glacial pace, like everything else does involving the sale of baseball teams. And it’s outside my realm in most respects, since we have sports-biz reporters making those calls every day.
(I think we have a savvy enough crowd here to make the following unnecessary, but I’ll say it just in case: The Braves are not, under any circumstances, regardless of who buys the team, going to move. Period. Just felt I should say that after reading some of the baseless concerns expressed by some in other AJC blogs after the sale story broke.)
On to other pertinent matters: Braves haven’t done anything significant since trading for Edgar Renteria, unless trading for Matt Diaz qualifies. And actually Diaz could become significant, since he’s raked against lefties in minors and even in brief time in majors, and he’s got power. He’ll get a chance to platoon in left field, either with Langerhans or Kelly Johnson. But someone could get traded before now and opening day from that group as the Braves try to fill the closer role.
Braves have also expressed interest in Detroit OF Craig Monroe, who’d be a solid pickup — right-handed hitter, batted .277 with 20 homers and 89 RBIs last season, when he made only $400,000. He’s arbitration eligible and Tigers are trying to use him to land someone big in trade market, so Braves might have to wait to see if he remains available. Should be noted — he hit .303 with seven homers and .360 OBP in 122 ABs vs. lefties last year and could be perfect platoon guy if Braves wanted to use him that way. But I think a Monroe deal has become less than likely for the Braves.
What else? Oh, the closer. Right now it’d probably be Reitsma, but right now the Braves don’t have to make that call to the bullpen. Still three months until they have to do that, at least in a game that counts.
By then, I still think they could have someone else to handle the closer job and Reitsma will be in charge of the eighth inning, where he’s been very effective when he’s not overused. If I had to guess right now, I’d still say Braves will land Danys Baez from Tampa Bay to close. I know Mets and others are also in running for him, and something could happen soon. But I just get the impression that the Braves know how much they need a closer and won’t be outbid for him as they’ve been for so many other closers — free agents and trade targets — this winter.
With the way the D-Rays overvalue their guys and hold out for the top price, a Baez deal also might not happen until spring training. Until Baez is in another uniform, I just think there’s a good shot he’ll end up a Brave by opening day — and if not then, perhaps later in the summer. And if he doesn’t, I’ll just edit these two paragraphs out and those who respond by calling me an idiot will look foolish later when people read your response and there’s nothing in this post that warranted said response (just kidding).
Braves still have money to spend — my educated guess is about $6 mill — but Schuerholz might decide to use it later when Braves could target a couple of high-priced guys at trade deadline and be able to afford them for stretch run. Of course, they’d only do that if they looked at the team they have during spring training and decided it would be good enough to stay in the NL East race until the trade deadline. Otherwise, gotta make the move this spring.
As for leadoff, please stop with the Corey Patterson talk (I’m getting e-mails). Folks, if the Braves are targeting Patterson and counting on him to be their leadoff man, the Braves are in far worse shape than any of us imagined. Not that they might not be able to use him in some capacity (Bobby has turned around bigger busts than him … hasn’t he? Wait — Patterson is a pretty huge bust, let me check on that….) but no way would they be counting on a 26-year-old outfielder with a .252 average and .292 OBP in 589 career games to step in and lead off for the 14-time division champions. No way.
(In case anyone forgot, Patterson bottomed out last year when he batted .215 with 118 strikeouts in 126 games for the Cubsters and was demoted to the minors at one point.)
Hopefully, Patterson will be dealt somewhere soon and locals who long for locals coming home to the Braves and flourishing will be able to get some rest.
Where do I see the Braves finishing in 2006? Glad you asked. I’ll go out on a limb and say they’ll win the NL East again. Mets have a loaded lineup and closer Billy Wagner, but still don’t have the starting pitching to knock them off, and Phillies are better but still have too many concerns.
But unless they have John Smoltz and Tim Hudson both healthy and pitching at top form when the playoffs start, and unless Andruw Jones has another monster year and Marcus Giles (if he’s the guy) succeeds in the leadoff spot and — important — Chipper Jones stays healthy up to and through the playoffs, they won’t get past the first round again. That’s not pessimism or optimism, that’s reality. No one does it better over 162 than Bobby and his lads, but that mentality alone doesn’t win it for you in the playoffs; pitching and hitting, and to some extent defense, win in the playoffs, and the Braves haven’t particularly excelled either in pitching or hitting during recent postseasons.
Here’s a bit of what should be good news for Braves fans: Smoltz told me last night he’s almost certainly not pitching in World Baseball Classic in March. It’s what he calls the first step in being smart and doing right things this year to stay healthy for the entire season and postseason. The bigger part of that plan is not overdoing things in midseason, and Smoltz realizes that. He knows it wasn’t so smart to pitch 8 or 9 innings every start for about two months last summer, and he thinks new pitching coach Roger McDowell will help remind him and monitor him and keep him from repeating the mistake this year.
Smoltz really does sound determined to stay healthy and not put his arm at risk, but we’ll see how that pans out once his competitive juices start flowing and if the Braves aren’t doing as well as he hopes this summer and he decides to put team on his shoulders. Can’d do that and hope to keep it going into October, and he knows it.
Smoltz also says Chipper is doing more to keep himself in shape this winter than in previous years, with a personal trainer and all. Can’t confirm that myself; Chipper hasn’t been reachable. I’ll believe it when Hoss tells me himself. I do know that Andruw and Smoltz and others, including several of the rookies, are doing the intensive training regimen again that Smoltz and Andruw did last year at the Forum gym and elsewhere. Andruw and several others are also hitting all the time at the private batting cage at Andruw’s home.
The man (Andruw) liked the results that his new program yielded last year in his 51-homer, NL MVP runner-up season, and seems determined to stay at his new echelon.
OK, that’s it for now. I’ll update if I hear anything.
