Wednesday, February 10, 2010

recap of '09 season and this off-season Part I

Wow, it has been quite awhile since I last published anything of note on this 'number one' fan site (hahaha). Let me bring everyone ( or no one as my follower tracker indicates) up to speed about what has happened in the year+ since I last published:

The Braves signed future HOF Tom Glavine and then released him after his final rehab start in AAA this past year. Since then, fellow future HOF and ex-Brave John Smoltz has publicly spoken out in Tom's behalf and criticized the Braves (and Frank Wren) for doing a terrible injustice to their once beloved hometown hero. The Braves preemptively gave Glavine his walking papers after their minor league pitcher of the year, Tommy Hanson, gave them plenty of reason to test his meddle at the big league level. He did not let them down by putting up a 2.84 ERA and an 11-4 and coming up 2nd in the National League ROTY voting. Personally, I think it was the right move at just the wrong time. Glavine was not going to come anywhere close to a 2.84 ERA and 11 wins. From a business perspective, they had every right to let him walk.

Grade: B+

After getting a 50 game suspension for testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs in 2008, Jordan Schaefer had plenty of reason to show up to spring training in 2009 and win the starting center field job. His only competition was Josh Anderson. After hitting over .300 in spring training and displaying his stellar defense abilities, Schaefer just edged out Anderson for the job. Because Anderson was out of options for the minors, he was promptly Designated for Assignment and, then traded to the Tigers for a minor league trade and follow, Rudy Darrow. After hitting homeruns in his very first at-bat in a major league baseball game and hitting a homerun in consecutive games, he struggled for the majority of the first half of baseball, barely staying above the Mendoza line. He was consequently sent to AAA after the acquisition of Nate McLouth. It was later found out that Jordan was playing with a wrist injury after just a few games and that may been the reason for such high strikeout totals. He had wrist surgery in August but says he is ready to make a contribution at the major league level in 2010.

Grade: C-

Speaking of McLouth, the Braves acquired Nate 'the Great' about a month before Major League Baseball's trade deadline for a slew of prospects including Gorkys Hernandez (also acquired in the trade for Edgar Renteria), Charlie Morton, and Jeff Locke. McLouth, having just signed a 3 year 15.75 Mil contract with the Pirates was quite shocked when word reached him that he was just traded to the Braves. However, despite the trade, he played hard for the Braves down the stretch and was an immediate spark plug for the offense, manning the leadoff spot for the majority of his PA's for the Braves in '09. However, Nate battled hamstring problems that sidelined him for several weeks and his OPS was sorely missed. He never quite reached the 27 homers, 94 RBI's plateau in 2009 that the Braves had envisioned when they sent 3 blue chip prospects for him to the Pirates.

Grade: B-

Javier Vasquez turned out to be as good or better than advertised, having a career year with the Braves and just missing out on his first CY Young award. He tied for the team lead with 15 wins and set career marks with a sub 3.00 ERA and finishing 2nd in the NL with 239 strikeouts (finishing only behind Tim Lincecum with 245). However, baseball is a business like any other, and Javy was traded this past off-season to the pitching hungry Yankees for Melky Cabrera and prospects Michael Dunn and Aroldys Vizcaino. The trade was necessitated after the Braves signed Tim Hudson to a 3-year contract extension through 2012, essentially paving the way for a blockbuster trade. The dividends of this trade may not be known for some time as Vizcaino is only 19 and Dunn is still in the minors. Vazquez is only signed through 2010, so if he doesn't resign with the Yankees, the Braves may have gotten a steal.

Grade: B

The Braves started 2010 with stopgap Casey Kotchman at first base with the intention of allowing future 1B Freddie Freeman to gain more seasoning in the minors and be ready for the start of 2011. By the trade deadline in '09 it was apparent that the production they had envisioned from him when they dealt Mark Texeira to the Angels was not going to materialize with their ballclub at the hot corner. They traded Kotchman to the Red Sox for just traded Adam LaRoche with the intention of giving Chipper Jones more protection in the 3 hole and getting more offensive production than the 6 homers that Casey had given them. LaRoche was an instant boost to the Braves and combined to hit 14 homers and 50 RBI's in only 2 months he would see as their everyday first baseman since 2005. The Braves consequently went from a sub .500 ballclub before the trade to within 2 and a half games of the wildcard leading Rockies. However, they would not make the postseason after a late season collapse. This past off-season they did not tender LaRoche a contract and he subsequently signed with the Diamondbacks. They signed perennial 3B Troy Glaus 2 Mil plus PA incentives to be their everyday 1B. The experiment is still in progress and LaRoche's 14 homers are being hit someplace else.

Grade: B-

Thus ends the first part in a two part series about the Braves '09 season and their recent off-season acquisitions and trades. In part two, I explore the Rafael Soriano dilemma, parting ways with Gonzo, "You're going to be our new closer Billy Wagner" and why Eric Hinske may win the Braves the World Series.