The Braves did a pretty nice job winning series against the Mets and Phillies to make things tougher on those guys. I'm glad they didn't just completely roll over near the end of this horrendous season. Here's to a 2009 season that will make me actually feel like making the drive to Atlanta a few times.
Bump Looks like we're in the running for Jake Peavy. I'll need a towel if that happens. According to Frank Wren we're also looking at Ryan Dempster, Derek Lowe and CC Sabathia. That $40 million we saved looks like its going to pay dividends.
Obviously I'd like CC and Peavy out of that crop. But I'd be happy with any one or two of them. It'd be nice to see one of them round out the rotation and compliment a hopefully healthy bullpen.
Also, Smoltz filed for free agency as did Glavine and Hampton. A rotation of Peavy, Smoltz, Jurrjens and Dempster/Lowe would be sweet. Hudson doesnt come back from surgery until August, so we'll need to bridge the gap. Maybe Charlie Morton or Jorge Campillo can settle into the 5th spot in the rotation. I doubt we land Sabathia.
Looks like Yunel Escobar and Gorkys Hernandez will be dealt for Peavy. It appears the only thing holding the deal back is a prospect in the Braves organization the Padres want in addition to those players. There are also rumors that Khalil Greene is going with Peavy to Atlanta. Id hate to lose Yunel as I think he will be great for a long time, but adding Peavy makes things interesting in the East.
I hope they pull this off. I like Yunel a lot too but Khalil Greene should be a serviceable replacement if he comes in the deal.
Looks like the Peavy deal isn't working out so well right now. ESPN - Atlanta Braves say Jake Peavy talks with San Diego Padres over
looks like the Braves are about to finalize a deal for Javier Vasquez. physicals tomorrow morning (wednesday). Braves will get Vasquez and reliever Boone Logan, and send JoJo Reyes and Brett Lillibridsge, plus another as yet unnamed prospect to the Chicago White Sox. ESPN - Source: Javier Vazquez dealt to Atlanta Braves in 5-player deal
Other news outlets are reporting different prospects. In fact several have different prospects being involved. Braves To Acquire Javier Vazquez: MLB Rumors - MLBTradeRumors.com
I've heard Reyes from one news outlet, and Flowers from another. Lillibridge is the one constant. Whoever it is, unless the ChiSox are paying the vast majority of Vazquez's salary, it's way too much.
So Vasquez is a done deal and now we're closing in on AJ Burnett. I have to admit, although these are two high strikeout guys, I worry about their ERA's and durability.
Hopefully pitching in the NL again and working with McDowell will revive his career. He was asbsolute money against us when he pitched for Montreal and Im sure the Braves haven't forgotten that.
http://forums.thephins.com/482551-post77.html Braves make offer to Burnett | MLB.com: News Deal would be for four years with 'very attainable' option for fifth While terms of the offer haven't been revealed, it's believed the Braves have been proposing to provide Burnett with an average annual salary of approximately $16 million.
The latest on Smoltz and Burnett: he Braves are prepared to lose John Smoltz if another team offers him a significant guarantee on a one-year deal, a source with knowledge of the team's thinking told FOXSports.com. It is pretty hard to see them being able to pay Smoltz $10 million or so if they add A.J. Burnett at $16 million on top of Javier Vazquez at $11.5 million. There would seem to be more room for Smoltz in the budget if Burnett turns them down. Source: FOXSports.com A source told Gerry Fraley that the Braves increased their offer to A.J. Burnett to $80 million over five years. Not only are they going the extra year, but they're apparently matching the Yankees' offer of a $16 million salary. They had been $60 million for four years. With the CC Sabathia matter decided, everything else could tumble into place soon. That may involve Burnett joining Atlanta and Lowe jumping to the Yankees, leaving Oliver Perez and Ben Sheets as perhaps the best SPs remaining. Dec. 10 - 1:43 pm et Source: FOXSports.com
supposedly smoltz is making quick progress on his rehab. This is going to be a touch decision I would think, but from what I have read either way with hudson out, wren wants to add another starter. But who knows....
geez, the Yankees are playing "anything they can pay, we can pay more" with Burnett according to espn. they (and Boston to a slightly lesser degree) are going to keep this up until the other owners get fed up and institute a salary cap. the luxury tax doesn't seem to faze the Yankees.
It's starting to get rigoddmandiculous. The New York teams are out of control and something needs to be done. Granted, neither team has won so much as a Pennant the last 6 years after spending the Gross National Product of Guam in Free Agency dollars, but it still grinds my gears.
FNC is reporting the Cubs are out of the Peavey market... maybe that'll get revisited since Wren has said he was open to revisiting a deal with SD?
Its also being reported on mlb.com. Looks like phils will try their hand next. I kind of hope we don't revist it. I think we will end up giving way to much. edit: also looks like red sox have their eyes on smoltz. We might end up getting screwed hard this offseason......
But when the Braves had the highest payroll in the league under Turner a decade ago that was ok? There definitely should be a cap but good luck getting the players association to agree to it.
When did we have the highest payroll? I could be mistaken, but I dont remember us going ape **** in Free Agency ever. We've made trades to acquire the big names.
During the 90's when you had your great run of division titles you routinely ranked top 5, 1 year (I believe it was 95), maybe 2 you were #1 in payroll. I havent been able to verify which year, but I am 100% sure you were #1 in payroll one year. I guess you dont really have to go ape in FA when you had to resign half the NL all star team with Chipper, Glavine, Dye, Smoltz, Avery, Maddux, etc...
Steve Avery never made big time money, neither did Jermaine Dye. We traded Dye to Kansas City before he made any kind of significant money. Also, Chipper Jones was a rookie in '95, so no real money there either. Maddux, Glavine and Smoltz all were paid highly, but Maddux was the only one we acquired in Free Agency. Glavine we drafted and Smoltz we got via trade from Detroit while he was in the minor leagues. Believe it or not, Fred McGriff was the only real "Big Gun" so to speak that we actually went out and got and that was in 93. In our World Series championship year of 95 most of our money was tied up in pitching. So yes, our payroll may have been in the upper eschelon, but it wasn't tied up in big names acquired through Free Agency like the Mets and Yankees. With the exception of Reyes and Wright (and Jeter), both teams in NY have spent a ridiculous amount of cash on guys whom they didnt draft or develop. Furthermore, just because you spend ungodly amounts on Delgado, Beltran, K-Rod, Sabathia, Pavano and so forth doesn't mean thats the going rate. Boston, LA and the New York teams have made a habit of "overpaying" for free agents the last decade and it's ruining baseball IMO. /end rant
The whole point of free agency is that the market is set by whatever teams will pay for a player services. Free agency is ruining being able to attend games and increasing the cost of going for the average fan but its not ruining anything. They have a luxury tax in place and some teams just dont care about it. For big market teams their greatest resource is their money. Small market teams have to be a little more creative but like hell the braves are a small market team. Its no ones fault your ownership is cheap despite the fact ATL is a huge market. Sell out every game and maybe your ownership will spend more. Say what you will about the New York teams, fans of both teams go to games. Both owners know that when the teams are good attendance will be awesome. Also as far as the Mets and NYY go as far as player development: Youre definitely right theres a lot to be desired. The Mets for years have been horrendous there and for a while after developing Bernie, Posada, petitte and Mo the Yanks were very marginal as well. But again, when you can afford to go out and get established players theres less emphasis on doing it internally and waiting for players to mature...its up to the younger player to force his way in to a role so I guess the way players are developed is a little different. One thing i will say is that at the lower levels of the minors I can definitely see a change in the mets drafting philosophy and I am optimistic we can turn the corner there. There are two excellent prospects coming through the system; Wilmer Flores and Fernando Martinez and a handful of good ones like Ike Davis who should be a solid replacement for Delgado.
I understand what you're saying about the markets and attendance, but Im not complaining about it from a Braves fan standpoint. I'm saying it's irresponsible in this economic climate to spend as much as they have this off-season. Additionally, the forumula hasn't worked! As for Atlanta, they rarely overpay for anyone (F U Mike Hampton) or throw big time money at FA's. You call that "cheap" but I call it smart business. While you guys were paying out the *** for Mo Vaughn and Pedro Martinez, we were winning Division titles with Rico Brogna and Russ Ortiz.
Find me the documentation for that claim. It dosen't exist. The Braves never had the highest payroll. Regardless of who it is it dosen't matter anyway. The need of a cap in baseball is obvious. Its a complete joke how MLB is run. It's actually very hard for me to continue to be a fan of any professional sports leagues now days. The pay scale for grown men playing a game is ridiculous.
Im actually glad we didnt sign Burnett. Too much money for an unreliable pitcher. We have some studs in Minor leagues, Tommy Hanson should be ready this season.
I can assure you that the Yankee brass knows how to handle money and understands how the economy affects their spending. Maybe that's why Atlanta can't get people to fill their seats? There is no excitement with that team. Even with the big 3, it was the same team every year.
Of course, what am I thinking? The Yankees have spent their money very wisely over the last 8 years. And you're right, Giving CC Sabathia the largest contract for a pitcher in Major League History was very responsible. And where did this notion of Atlanta not being able to fill their seats come from? With a crappy team this year we were #14 in attendance. Neither of our teams have won lately, but at least mine isn't depleting its farm system in trades and throwing a Brink's truck at every top notch FA in the market.
1993 they were 2nd: 1993 Baseball Payrolls: BaseballChronology 1994 they were 2nd: 1994 Baseball Payrolls: BaseballChronology 1995 they were 4th: 1995 Baseball Payrolls: BaseballChronology 1996 they were 3rd: 1996 Baseball Payrolls: BaseballChronology 1997 they were 4th: 1997 Baseball Payrolls: BaseballChronology 1998 they were 4th: 1998 Baseball Payrolls: BaseballChronology 1999 they were 3rd: 1999 Baseball Payrolls: BaseballChronology 2000 they were 2nd: 2000 Baseball Payrolls: BaseballChronology And even since then they have stayed in the top 10 just about every year in payroll. Hearing complaints about payroll from Braves fans is like Donald Trump crying poverty. EDIT: and to be clear, Im not saying baseball doesnt need a cap. Im saying good luck getting the players union to agree to it. Its not happening.
