AJC > Sports > Braves > Blog > Archives > 2006 > July > 04
Tuesday, July 4, 2006
Is Mets’ huge lead safe?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
First of all, this is coming from me, your always-friendly correspondent, David O’Brien. Just wanted to say that in case I screwed up the byline trying to post this myself on the blog page today.
Usually someone else posts these things for us with format, etc, but it’s holiday and I’m doing it myself, cutting out the middleman, as it were.
So please direct all missives and threats toward me and me only. Thanks.
OK, on to matters of Braves import:
Now, I’m not saying the Braves are going to catch the Mets. I still think the deficit is too great and too many other teams with a say in the matter in the NL East.
But I am saying the flaw that so many of us saw in the Mets before the season began — lack of depth in the starting rotation — is finally rearing its ugly head, and the Mets are hardly the winning machine some of their more ardent supports would’ve had you believe a month ago.
There’s apparently also some dysfunction there that we weren’t aware of, between key team officials.
Their pitching staff is limping toward the All-Star break, and with Pedro and his ailing hip (the man apparently needs grip tape on his bathroom floor) and Omar Minaya and Willie Randolph not communicating well on key personnel matters (see NY papers today for details of that mess), it’ll be fun for Met fans to watch them down the stretch — fun like a harrowing ride on a ginormous rollercoaster.
The Braves? Yeah, they just had a stinkin’ June for the record books, a June that effectively cleared the bandwagon of all but their most optimistic fans. But take a look at the group of wild-card teams ahead of them and tell me you honestly believe any of them are clearly better than Atlanta. I’m waiting… . Cincinnati? Come on, clearly better? I think not.
Granted, Braves have flaws, significant flaws. But so do the others.
They’ll have to play at least as well as they have for the past week for the entire remaining half of the season, and none of the others in front of them can have a real good second half if the Braves hope to win the wild card, obviously.
But I’m just saying, I understand why those in the front office and seemingly all the players (and Bobby Cox, it goes without saying) believe they still are in this race. Which is why you’re not going to see any fire sale, as we said a few weeks ago. Because they’re not going to fall far enough out of it to take that radical step and wave a white flag for the first time since the run began.
So do they make significant additions? I think they’ll make additions, but don’t know how significant.
The Cubs are the first free-falling, out-of-it team to indicate they’ll move a lot of players who don’t figure in their plans beyond this season, and the Braves could use a couple of them, including reliever Scott Williamson. I know they’ve had interest in him earlier this season, so that wouldn’t surprise me to hear them heavy in those talks.
Phil Nevin? Probably not. Having a bad season, even though he’s still got pop.
Todd Walker? Not unless Marcus Giles is traded, in which case it would make sense as a stopgap guy to get Braves through this season. Walker has played first base, too, but LaRoche hits lefties at least as well as Walker has this season.
Still not buying the Smoltz-to-Detroit rumors, believe they’re total speculation based on 2-and-2 theory — Smoltz is from Detroit, blah blah blah. Tigers are just doing too well to alter chemistry of their team by trading the pieces the Braves would demand in return. Detroit’s doing quite nicely without Smoltz, thankyouverymuch.
By the way, who on early would’ve predicted Zach Miner to be the impact guy in the trade that sent Roman Colon and Miner to Tigers last July for Kyle Farnsworth. Miner is 5-1 with a 2.68 ERA in six starts for Detroit. Holy Farnsworth gopher balls… .
Andruw to whomever? Still don’t see it, not this year. Trading him would send terrible signal to Braves fans, because the Braves are simply not going to get in return what they’d lose for rest of this season. If you must trade him, do it in offseason or next summer. But I don’t think it’s a foregone conclusion that he’ll be traded.
I say that because look at the very select group of teams with the $15-18 mill or more a year on a 4-5 year contract, what it’ll probably take to sign Andruw away from Braves. Yankees? No, not with Matsui and especially Johnny Damon signed to huge contracts. You gonna move Damon and his girl arm to right field?
Boston, Anaheim and maybe the White Sox are about the only teams I can see with the funds they’d be willing to commit long-term to Andruw. Even the Cubs wouldn’t have that kind of money, I don’t think, not for a 4-5 year deal. AL makes more sense anyway, because if Andruw’s shoulders get so banged up he can’t play outfield in 3-4 years, he could always DH.
Is it likely Braves will re-sign him? I wouldn’t say likely. But I think they have a shot, especially since he loves living and playing in Atlanta. If Andruw believes Bobby will be around a few more years, that’ll be huge in his decision, too, trust me. Don’t ever, ever underestimate how big Cox is for the likes of Andruw and Smoltz in decisions regarding their futures.
OK, gotta figure out how to post this blog without assistance, since I don’t think anyone’s on the desk that can do it on the holiday. Send me stipends for me going out of the way to post something on the holiday, will you folks?
Because we don’t post blogs on holidays, but I figured you good people could use a platform for discourse.
Oh, couple of music recs: The new solo CD by Tim O’Reagan of the Jayhawks is excellent. And so is Nine Black Alps’ CD, which absolutely rocks. I recommended that highly a few weeks ago, hope some of you ventured to try it.
But the CD I’ve purchased recently that might be the most entertaining is this group Art Brut, with lead singer who has the best Brit accent since Joe Strummer. Awesome debut CD “Bang, Bang, Rock & Roll” (I think it’s their debut).
Later. Off to sweat profusely at the ballyard.
