The Braves' Rough Offseason

Greensboro, NC -- This baseball offseason has been one of the most bizarre winters in recent memory. The depressed free agent market, the abundance of solid hitters still left on the market, the admission of guilt by AR*d for using steroids, and the absurd Manny Ramirez negotiations have all led to a winter that mirrors our nation's current economical situation. Some teams have not been affected by the economic recession -- the Yankees, Red Sox, Giants, and Dodgers -- appear to be operating as "business as usual (BAU)." Other teams have not been allowed to spend, such as the Tigers, Astros, Padres, and Rockies. The Braves, in particular, have had a rough offseason -- not being able to agree on prospects in a deal for ace Jake Peavy and being jilted by Rafael Furcal, after reportedly agreeing to a 3 year-$30M deal -- these two sequence of events have ramrodded the front office's makeover plans.

Aside from a pressing need for another outfielder, the roster of position players is all but set. Behind the plate, there is All-Star catcher Brian McCann. At first base, the slick fielding Casey Kotchman, acquired in the Mark Teixeira deal, is adequate. Across the diamond at third base, there's the legendary Chipper Jones. The middle infielders were supposed to be important cogs in proposed trades. Yunel Escobar, when he is swinging the bat, is an above-average shortstop. He's still here after the failed Peavy talks. Kelly Johnson, the mediocre second baseman, was supposed to shift to left field to make room for Furcal at 2B. In the outfield, Frenchy returns to right field. After such a poor year, he has really fallen out of favor with the front office. If Frenchy struggles early, he will be demoted. After initially flirting with the idea of bringing back Andruw Jones to play center (a bad idea in my book), the Braves will have to hand the keys over to top prospect Jordan Schaefer sometime this year. For now though, look for fellow rookie Josh Anderson to patrol center. The left field situation is all but unsettled; do you go with Matt Diaz? I think the Braves could steal Bobby Abreu off the free agent market and plug him in here. Give him a 3 year-$30M deal, and if he wants more annual salary than $10M, lower the number of years to 2, and the make the total compensation package $24M ($12M AAV).

On paper, the rotation appears to be much improved. The cold separation between John Smoltz and the Braves will be hard to handle if Smoltz performs at a peak level for the Red Sox. The signing of Derek Lowe appeared to be out of desperation, after being spurned by Furcal. I think the Braves could have signed Lowe to a lower price (no pun intended) because their only competition appeared to be the Mets, who were set to re-sign Oliver Perez (overrated). Acquiring Javy Vazquez from the White Sox was an even trade. Vazquez is both durable and effective. Similar to Lowe, he keeps the ball down; a key to pitching at Turner Field. The Braves also dipped in the Asian market to pluck Kenshin Kawakami. These moves enable Jair Jurrjens, the one returning starter, to slot in the middle of the rotation. Further, the Braves can pencil in Jorge Campillo at the end. I like the rotation; however, aside from Campillo, and maybe Tom Glavine re-signing, it's dominated by right handers.

Manny Acosta and Mike Gonzalez comprise a very formidable righty-lefty punch in the bullpen. With the loss of Rafael Soriano, the Braves will need to build more depth in the 'pen.

I'm not sure what to expect from the Braves this season. They have underperformed during the last three seasons. With the Phillies returning the same team this year, and with the Mets finally constructing a bullpen, I'm not sure if the division is within grasp.