AJC > Sports > Braves > Blog > Archives > 2007 > December > 18
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Javy a no-risk signing; best CDs of 2007
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Let me start by saying there is absolutely no truth to a rumor that the Braves were going to bring David Justice out of retirement, but decided after the Mitchell Report came out to instead sign Javy Lopez.
No, but seriously … folks it’s only a minor league contract the Braves gave Lopez, who will need to show during spring training that he can still hit and handle himself behind the plate if he’s going to win the backup catcher job.
It would be one thing if the Braves had given Lopez a major league contract and bumped someone else off the 40-man roster to make room, if they had guaranteed him a million bucks and tried to tell everyone that Lopez is the guy they’ve been looking for.
That wasn’t the case with Monday’s announcement. The Braves merely signed him to a minor league contract, gave him a non-roster invitation to spring training and a contract worth about $750,000 if he makes the team out of spring training.
Sorry, but having a tough time seeing how that can possibly be anything but a no-risk move worth making for the Braves, who just might — repeat, might — get a guy who can still provide some pop off the bench and be an adequate defensive catcher once every five days or so.
If he stinks down at Dark Star, the Braves can simply say “Thanks for trying, but it’s not happening” and send him on his way.
In the meantime, Lopez sure can’t be bad for business. Judging from the fact that the story merely mentioning his return yesterday was the top-rated story on our entire website shortly after it was posted. He’s got that appeal to a certain segment of the fan base, as you probably know.
But if he’s not ready this spring and doesn’t deserve a spot on the roster, I think it’s safe to assume the Braves wouldn’t keep Lopez out of nostalgia or to sell a few tickets. And if they did that, it’d be quite obvious.
So let’s move forward and keep the signing in perspective, what do you say?
Oh, and by the way, someone asked if perhaps this means Bobby Cox would keep three catchers, perhaps Lopez and either rookie Clint Sammons or versatile Brayan Pena. I don’t see that happening. Really don’t.
So is this it? Plenty of denizens have asked if the Braves are done for the winter, and if so what do I think the roster will look like out of spring training.
Since I don’t think they are necessarily done for the winter, I’m gonna wait a bit longer before making any projections about the makeup of the outfield. I still believe they’re open to trading for a center fielder if something comes up this winter or even during spring training, particularly if neither Josh Anderson nor any of the younger candidates looks very promising in spring training. That might raise the urgency level and force the Braves to pull the trigger.
But right now, they don’t feel compelled to take on a bigger salary or multi-year commitment for a CF, so they haven’t. Personally, I’m not too confident with what they’ve got out there, but at worst Anderson would play solid defense and hit perhaps .250-.270 with a decent OBP.
At best, he might bat .300 and cause some havoc on the bases. So we’ll see. I do think the Braves are more than willing to open the season with him in center, rather than pull off a trade they’re not comfortable with.
In left, still looks like a Matt Diaz/Brandon Jones arrangment of some kind, perhaps a straight platoon since the Braves probably aren’t going to have a platoon at any other position. Cox does like his platoons, so this is an obvious place for him to utilize one.
Bullpen almost set: While the Braves continue to pursue another proven arm, most notably keeping up conversations with Colorado about lefty closer/setup man Brian Fuentes, they also feel confident that they could put together a solid ‘pen with what they’ve got.
But with lefty Mike Gonzalez not expected back from Tommy John surgery until around the All-Star break, and perhaps not at full strength until late in the season or in 2009, the Braves would like to add another proven setup guy.
If I had to guess on the ‘pen makeup without another addition, I’d say: closer Rafael Soriano, lefties Will Ohman and Royce Ring, and righties Peter Moylan, Tyler Yates, Manny Acosta, and Blaine Boyer or Joey Devine.
But there are caveats. If Jeff Bennett doesn’t win the fifth-starter job, he could be in the pen and be the spot starter that John Smoltz has said he’d like the team to have at the ready.
The Brave aren’t married to having two lefties, so Ring’s not guaranteed a spot if he comes to spring training doesn’t show anything, or is clearly outpitched by one of several other right-handers the Braves have available such as Phil Stockman or even young fireballer Charlie Morton, a top starting prospect.
And if they were to pull off a trade for Fuentes, bet Ring would be bumped.
Still a lot of time, right up into spring training, which is why I hesitate to even name a ‘pen. I’d not be surprised at all if at least one of those guys I listed in the seven-man ‘pen was traded by the end of spring training.
Ok, without further ado: Here’s my top 25 albums (hey, they’re still albums to me) of 2007, genres be damned. It’d take me all day to try to rank them, so I’m just gonna go No. 1 (Arcade Fire’s Neon Bible was my favorite of the year) and then rank the others in alphabetical order. It just so happens Arcade Fire would also be first alphabetically, too:
FAVORITE ALBUMS of 2007
- Arcade Fire Neon Bible
Nos. 2-25 in alphabetical order:
Arctic Monkeys Favorite Worse Nightmare
Band of Horses Cease to Begin
Bright Eyes Cassadaga
Dinosaur Jr. Beyond
El-P I’ll Sleep When You’re Dead
Feist The Reminder
Ghostface Killah The Big Doe Rehab
Grinderman Grinderman
Jason Isbell Sirens in the Ditch
Kings of Leon Because of the Times
Waylon Jennings Nashville Rebel
M.I.A. Kala
The National Boxer
Okkervil River The Stage Names
Radiohead In Rainbows
Josh Ritter The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter
Son Volt The Search
Spoon Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
Bruce Springsteen Magic
James Blood Ulmer Bad Blood in the City
Various artists I’m Not There soundtrack
Dale Watson From the Cradle to the Grave
Amy Winehouse Back to Black
Dwight Yoakam Dwight Sings Buck
If you disagree, as many of you surely will, give us a list of few of yours, or your own top 25.
In the meantime, enjoy music….
”I TAKE A LOT OF PRIDE IN WHAT I AM” by Merle Haggard
Things I learned in hobo jungle
Were things they never taught me in a class room
Like where to find a hand out
While bummin’ through Chicago in the afternoon
Hey I’m not braggin’ or complainin’ I’m just talkin’ to myself man to man
This ol’ mental fat I’m chewin’ didn’t take a lotta doin’
But I take a lot of pride in what I am
I guess I grew up a loner
I don’t remember ever havin’ any folks around
But I keep thumbin’ through the phonebooks
And looking for my daddy’s name in every town
And I meet lots of friendly people but I’ll always wind up leavin’ on the lam
Hey where I’ve been or where I’m goin’ didn’t take a lotta knowin’
But I take a lot of pride in what I am
I never travel in a hurry
Because I got nobody waitin’ for me anywhere
Home is anywhere I’m livin’
If it’s sleepin’ on some vacant bench in City Square
Or if I’m workin’ on some road gang or just livin’ off the fat of our great land
I never been nobody’s idol but at least I got a title
And I take a lot of pride in what I am
I never been nobody’s idol…
I take a lot of pride in what I am
I take a lot of pride in what I am
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