With the season over, the Braves are already back to the drawing board, beginning to look where to add, subtract and possibly move people around.
Manager Bobby Cox brought up the idea Monday that second baseman Martin Prado could move to right field if the Braves decide they want to give Kelly Johnson another shot at second base.
"He plays right field on a regular basis in Venezuela [in winter ball], has for the last few years," Cox said. "He's a possible candidate, depending on what we do with Kelly. We just can't give up on Kelly. He had too good of a solid year last year."
Johnson hit .287 with 12 homers and 69 RBIs in 2008. In a limited role this season after losing his job to Prado, Johnson hit .224 with eight homers and 29 RBIs.
That's a decision Braves general manager Frank Wren said the team will hash out at organizational meetings in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., beginning next Tuesday.
Prado is now someone the Braves view as an every-day player in this lineup, no longer the super utility player he was before Cox made him the starting second baseman after his four-hit game June 28.
Since that day, Prado hit .318 in 78 games with eight homers and 40 RBIs. He hit .307 for the season.
"We've got a foundation of pretty good offensive players," Wren said, listing five players the Braves think of as .300 hitters: Prado, Brian McCann, Chipper Jones, Yunel Escobar and Matt Diaz.
Of course, the Braves have another internal candidate for right field in prospect Jason Heyward. Wren wasn't prepared to say if Heyward would be invited to camp with a chance to make the club next spring, but if he has a good Arizona Fall League, it's hard to imagine otherwise.
"I'm sure he will be a huge topic of conversation at these meetings," Cox said.
Jurrjens learning from Vazquez
The Braves head into the offseason with six starting pitchers. Depending on if they pick up Tim Hudson's option or sign him to a multi-year contract, the Braves could have an arm like Javier Vazquez to trade.
Jair Jurrjens, for one, would hate to see that happen. Not only is Vazquez one of his closest friends on the team but Jurrjens pointed out over weekend how much he's learned from Vazquez this season, particularly when it comes to putting away hitters.
"I haven't had any problems throwing strikes but I had problems putting people away," Jurrjens said. "I watch him pitch and see him go up and down [in the strike zone]. I went up [in the zone] on my strikeouts for a couple this year. Just watching him pitch and seeing how he set up people, I try to take that same approach to my game."
Watching Vazquez use multiple pitches to record 238 strikeouts – the fourth most in the majors this season -- has also encouraged Jurrjens to trust his third-best pitch more.
"I'm starting to strike out people with my slider," Jurrjens said.
Cox reacts to Marlins' Gonzalez reports
Reports surfaced over the weekend that Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez was in danger of losing his job after the team failed to make the playoffs. An ESPN.com report has also connected former Mets manager Bobby Valentine to a possible job with the Marlins.
The news was met with surprise from Cox, who remains close to Gonzalez, his former third base coach with the Braves.
"I can’t believe that," Cox said. "He’s done a remarkably great job over there. Fredi can do a little bit of everything. He’s knowledgeable, great communicator, disciplines well … he’s got a lot of stuff in his favor."
