There have been numerous times during this offseason when I have been convinced the Braves would eventually trade either Martin Prado or Jair Jurrjens.   Early on, there was reason to wonder if the Rockies would eventually package one of their young outfielders in a deal to acquire Prado or Jurrjens.

By the time December’s Winter Meetings concluded, there seemed to be a greater possibility of the Braves striking a deal with a pitching-hungry team that had not landed Mark Buehrle, C.J. Wilson or Yu Darvish. The belief was that once these pitchers were unavailable, there would be greater interest shown in Jurrjens.

The theory made sense.  But over the past month some of these pitching-hungry teams have shown they believe their were better options  –  Mat Latos, Gio Gonzalez and now Hiroki Kuroda  — than Jurrjens available.

So with a little more than five weeks remaining before the start of Spring Training, I’m now leaning toward believing both Prado and Jurrjens will be with the Braves at the start of the season.  Yeah, I know I jinxed it, right?  They’ll now probably both be dealt by the end of the weekend.

But seriously, I just don’t see it happening now.  The Braves entered this offseason thinking they would only trade Jurrjens or Prado if they were blown away with an offer.   As Spring Training nears, the odds of this kind of offer being made lessen.

It made sense for the Braves to at least evaluate what they might get in return for these arbitration-eligible players.  But they might have been a little optimistic to believe Prado and Jurrjens still possessed the kind of value that would warrant a significant return.

Coming off a frustrating injury-plagued season marred by a staph infection, Prado still has the potential to hit .300 with 10-15 home runs on an annual basis.  And his value increases when he once again becomes  versatile infielder who primarily plays second base or third base.

Some clubs  including the Tigers and Rockies have shown interest in Prado, but not enough to provide the Brave the kind of return they are seeking.

The same can be said in reference to Jurrjens, whose trade market value quickly diminished once his right knee became a problem after the All-Star break.   Still I think it would have made more sense for the Reds to gamble on Jurrjens’ knee than Latos’ makeup.

But it really doesn’t matter what I think.  The only thing that matters right now is that it appears both Prado and Jurrjens could be with the Braves at the start of this season.

This brings us right back to where we were in early November, when we discussed the great gamble the Braves would be taking if they traded either Jurrjens or Prado.

It’s great to have Julio Teheran, Randall Delgado and a wealth of young starting pitching.  But with Brandon Beachy and Mike Minor the Braves projected rotation already includes a pair of pitchers with less than two full seasons of experience.  This combined with health-related questions surrounding Tim Hudson and Tommy Hanson seemingly only increases the need to keep Jurrjens around a little longer.

Prado will never provide the kind of power clubs often hope to receive from a corner outfielder.  But few will be surprised if he quickly regains the form that equates to consistency at the plate and the ability to produce the  kind of quality at-bats that he produced before struggling with his confidence this past summer.

Some believe Prado’s struggles were a product of fatigue and others within the Braves organization believe he struggled under the direction of former hitting coach Larry Parrish.  Either way, he was not the same guy he had been the previous few years.

After watching Prado take a number of first-pitch fastballs down the plate, a baffled Braves coach asked him what was happening.   When Prado replied that he was “looking for (the pitcher) to hang a curve”, the coach walked away even more baffled.

In more ways than one, it was obviously a lost season for Prado.

Still thinking of the Porters:  It was great to hear Braves head athletic trainer Jeff Porter returned to Turner Field this week to start preparing for the season.   It was even more encouraging to hear that his 19-year-old son David returned to Auburn University this week, just a little more than two weeks after he and his father were involved in the fatal car accident that killed his mother, Kathy Porter.

There were many occasions over the past decade when I saw Kathy Porter with Jeff.  But since learning of the New Year’s Eve accident, most of my memories of her have focused on those days when she would shag baseballs as Jeff pitched to a young David in the outfield grass,  long after most everybody else had left the stadium at Disney’s Wide World of Sports complex.

As the Braves arrive for the start of Spring Training next month, I will occasionally think about those days Jeff and his wife enjoyed with their son many years ago.

When something like this happens, you wonder how you might react if forced to deal with the same tragedy.  I can only hope that I would have the same kind of strength David showed at the funeral home viewing, just three days after the accident.

As he stood next to his father that evening, young David showed that he had become the kind of young man that would make his mother proud.

The Braves expressed interest in Adam Jones.  But they did not offer Martin Prado and Jair Jurrjens to the Orioles in exchange for the outfielder.

A source with knowledge of the Orioles negotiations disputed a Baltimore Sun report that indicated the Braves were rejected when they offered Prado, Jurrjens and a pitching prospect for Jones.

The source said the Braves were told Jones was unavailable when they asked about him a couple weeks ago.  The Orioles later called the Braves to see if they would trade Prado, Jurrjens and two other “premium guys” in exchange for Jones.

The Braves said they were not interested and the two clubs have not had any recent discussions about these players.

With Mark Buehrle and C.J. Wilson no longer on the free agent market, some have argued Jair Jurrjens is the best available starting pitcher for pitching-hungry teams. But the Braves still have not received a trade proposal attractive enough to trade Jurrjens.

The Yankees, Rangers, Rockies, Reds, Cubs and Red Sox are among the clubs that have been identified as potential suitors for Jurrjens.   The D-backs (trade with the A’s) and Marlins (signing of Buehrle) were more prominent members of this group most of last week.

With a number of teams still looking for starting pitching, interest in Jurrjens could increase over the next few weeks.  One definite influence is the market for Yu Darvish. Once clubs better understand what they will have to pay the Japanese hurler, they might show greater interest in Jurrjens.

There are some concerns about Jurrjens’ right knee, which has sidelined him during the latter stages of the past two seasons. But there might still be some teams willing to take a chance on him as he comes off an All-Star season with salary projected to be just north of $5 million.  The 25-year-old pitcher has one more year of eligibility beyond this year.

The Braves also have not yet heard an attractive trade offer for Martin Prado, who is also drawing attention from the Rockies.  The Tigers were quickly rejected last month when they offered outfielder Delmon Young for Prado.

The Braves are expected to non-tender Peter Moylan before Monday night’s deadline.  Given that there is a lot of uncertainty surrounding his surgically-repaired right shoulder, it definitely should not come as a surprise to hear the Braves will not tender Moylan a contract and then be obligated to pay him something in the neighborhood of $2 million in 2012.

Braves general manger Frank Wren said last week that he plans to talk to Moylan about the possibility of returning to the organization at a cheaper cost once he starts throwing and gaining a better sense of how much he could pitch this upcoming season.

Saw some chatter about Brooks Conrad on Twitter this past weekend and it might have been sarcastic.  But for those of you projecting next year’s roster, I wouldn’t reserve a spot for Conrad.   He doesn’t seem to be much of a factor in the plans for next year’s club.

As Wednesday nears its end during this year’s Winter Meetings, there is still reason to wonder where Jair Jurrjens and Martin Prado might be playing this year.   The Rockies are interested in both and could prove to be a fit.  But it does not seem like a trade is imminent.

Frank Wren and Fredi Gonzalez both addressed media members this afternoon.   Wren once again stressed that he believes he already has the foundation of a club that can gain a playoff berth last year.  Gonzalez spent time discussing a variety of topics, including his reluctance to leave the house during the weeks following this season.

These stories can be found on MLB.com and braves. com…Below are couple tidbits that did not appear in those stories.

Wren said he will not talk to Michael Bourn about a potential contract extension before entering the arbitration process in January.  He also said that he has no intention to push Chipper Jones toward making a decision about playing beyond the 2012 season.

Jones has a $9 million option for the 2013 season that would vest if he plays 123 games this upcoming season.  The veteran third baseman, who will turn 40 in April, played 126 games this past season and seemed to be at his best when given a chance to play with regular rest.

Gonzalez said he plans to continue giving Jones regular breaks this season.

“We’ll probably cut him back a little more,” Gonzalez said. “Having  (Martin) Prado, that luxury to move him to third anytime we needed to give a rest to Chipper, it’s a big plus for us.”

This certainly doesn’t mean the Braves won’t trade Prado.  Gonzalez was simply pointing out that Prado is the kind of player that gives him the confidence to rest Jones on a regular basis.

Nate McLouth  has signed a one-year, $1.75 million deal to serve as the Pirates fourth outfielder.   He talked to reporters today and took time to reflect on his time with the Braves:

“It was really difficult. Other than certain family tragedies, it was the most difficult time in my life. To struggle performance-wise as much as I did and to have the injuries that I did was tough. I really am looking foward to getting back to a place where I played (most of) my career, where I had a little success and really felt comfortable. The past couple of years were very, very difficult.”

“If I could put my finger on it, I’d have fixed it a lot sooner. I dug myself into a hole, kept digging deeper and searching for answers and ways out. I only found myself getting in deeper. It’s tough to find better people to work with than the Braves. I have nothing but good things to say about everybody there. Unfortunately, it didn’t happen for me there. I could never get the right feel. I could never get in a groove.”

Braves general manager Frank Wren has said he does not need to make a significant trade this winter.   But scouts and executives from other Major League clubs are still getting a sense either Jair Jurrjens or Martin Prado will be moved.

Jurrjens would provide the more significant return, especially after C.J. Wilson and Mark Buehrle are no longer free-agent options for pitching-hungry teams.    Right now, some potential suitors believe the Braves are asking for too much in return for the right-handed pitcher.

With fewer options available for these clubs to fill their respective starting rotations, teams might be willing to provide more for Jurrjens.

There are a number of clubs concerned about Jurrjens’ durability.  His right knee has prevented him from pitching down the stretch during both of the past two seasons.   But he did provide himself and the Braves some confidence when he threw five strong innings while wearing a knee brace during an Instructional League game one day after this year’s regular season concluded.

By moving Jurrjens or Prado, the Braves would gain approximately $5 million worth of payroll flexibility.  But Wren has continued to stress that he does not have to make a trade for payroll purposes.

When the Braves hired Scott Fletcher to serve as an on-site  advance scout/assistant hitting coach, they revealed they would no longer employ an traditional advance scout who would travel to various cities to create reports on upcoming opponents.   This raised some eyebrows considering they had just hired highly-regarded Bob Johnson to fill this role one year earlier.

The Braves are simply following the lead of a handful of other clubs who have already adopted this method of having their advance scout remain with their own Major League club and prepare for upcoming opponents via video.

But according to a National League scout, this decision was also seemingly influenced by the fact that Johnson’s traditional way of compiling reports did not provide  manager Fredi Gonzalez what he was seeking in his advance reports.

Fortunately for the Braves, Johnson decided to stay with the organization to serve as a professional scout, who will monitor a handful of other organizations.   The veteran scout remains one of the more respected individuals in his profession.

Good to hear  J.J. Picollo is among the top candidates to become the Astros next general manager.  Picollo spent seven years in the Braves player development department before following Royals general manager Dayton Moore to Kansas City.

Braves general manager Frank Wren confirmed adding  a power-hitting outfielder remains on his wish list.  But while meeting with a small group of reporters Monday afternoon, he said his only true roster need is to find a backup shortstop.

The Braves would like to add a veteran to serve as a backup infielder and provide insurance in the event that Tyler Pastornicky proves he is not ready to serve as Atlanta’s starting shortstop.   Their free agent targets include Nick Punto and Ronny Cedeno.

Jack Wilson’s offensive woes hurt his candidacy and Edgar Renteria is no longer deemed durable enough to serve as an insurance option who might have to  play on regular basis.

“We feel like we do have a 95-win team,” Wren said. “When you have a 95-win team, you don’t look to do a lot.  You look for guys to maybe bounce back from whatever held them back the year before or fine tune. We’re still in that mode.

“If we did nothing more than sign a backup shortstop, we feel really good about our team going into Spring Training.”

If the Braves make a significant acquisition, they will likely do so via a trade involving either Jair Jurrjens or Martin Prado.  But as the first day of this year’s Winter Meetings neared its end Monday, it remained unclear whether the Braves will move either of these players.

CBS Sports.com’s Jon Heyman tweeted that Reds were showing interest in Jurrjens.  But it does not appear the Reds have shown any interest in the right-handed pitcher.

Nothing has really changed in relation to Prado and Jurrjens.  The Braves are only going to move them if they are gaining a significant return.

“There’s an adrenaline rush to making a deal,” Wren said. “But the bottom line is, does it make us better? We’re not going to make a deal just to make a splash at home.  We’re not going to make a deal just to make a deal.  We’re looking to get better.  We’ve identified some areas where we think we can get better and that’s our whole goal here.”

The Braves arrived in Dallas prepared to be busy during this year’s Winter Meetings. But as the opening hours progressed Monday morning, it was still unclear what they might do.

There is certainly still reason to believe rumors and buzz will develop regarding potential trades of Jair Jurrjens and Martin Prado. Multiple teams have shown interest in these players and the Braves might be willing to work a deal if receiving a significant return.

There have been many discussions regarding whether the Braves should be reluctant to trade Jurrjens when there is some uncertainty surrounding Tommy Hanson’s shoulder.

Now there are also questions surrounding Tim Hudson.

When Hudson underwent surgery to repair a herniated disc in his back last week, Braves general manager Frank Wren said early reports indicated Hudson will be ready at the start of Spring Training.

But a Major League source said Monday morning that Hudson has told some close friends that he is not confident he is not sure he will be ready to be in the starting rotation at the start of the regular season.

Because there is impressive starting pitching depth with the likes of Julio Teheran, Randall Delgado and Kris Medlen, the Braves could certainly get by with Hudson missing a few weeks or the first month.

But Hudson’s situation seemingly provides even more reason for the Braves to be hesitant about dealing Jurrjens, even if the return is significant.

Braves general manager Frank Wren and his staff will likely be quite busy during next week’s Winter Meetings in Dallas.  But instead of shopping to fill specific needs, they will likely spend much of their time listening to trade offers for Jair Jurrjens and Martin Prado.

The Braves entered this offseason looking to find a replacement for free agent shortstop Alex Gonzalez and exploring the possibility of adding a power-hitting outfielder. They believe they could acquire the kind of impact outfielder they are seeking via the significant returns they will request from any club interested in dealing for Jurrjens or Prado.

As for the shortstop position, it seems like the Braves would be content to enter Spring Training with Tyler Pastornicky projected to handle the role.  They are currently looking to sign a veteran like Jack Wilson or Edgar Renteria to serve as a backup and provide insurance in the event that Pastornicky is not ready.

With Pastornicky and Andrelton Simmons in their system, the Braves are not looking to make a long-term commitment to a veteran shortstop.  Simmons, who is considered one of the game’s top defensive shortstop prospects, might be ready to make the jump to the Majors after the All-Star break.

While it will certainly be interesting to see if the Braves do indeed enter the upcoming season with Pastornicky as their starting shortstop, next week’s attention will primarily center around Jurrjens and Prado.

Over the past month it has become even more apparent that Wren has told all interested teams that they will have to provide a significant return to get either Jurrjens or Prado.

The demand for Jurrjens will likely increase once C.J. Wilson and Mark Buehrle, this year’s top free-agent starting pitchers, decide where they will be pitching next year. The Rangers, Yankees, Marlins are among the teams that are expected to talk to the Braves about Jurrjens.

While the Phillies have upgraded their bench with a couple acquisitions (Jim Thome and Ty Wigginton), the Marlins have spent the past couple weeks supposedly courting every top-tier athlete, including Aaron Rodgers and Sidney Crosby.

Seems like they’re trying to form one of those Dream Teams in Miami. Oh yeah.  That’s right they already did that in that other sport.

Since we’re on the subject of LeBron James, I was dumfounded this morning as I watched ESPN’s First Take and actually heard them debate whether Jacksonville’s Maurice Jones-Drew crossed the line when he scored a touchdown and then mimicked the “powder toss” James performed back when he was playing games.

Seriously?

Yeah, I understand the hatred the city of Cleveland still has for James.  But what happened to that once feared group of fans that inhabited that intimidating zone known as The Dawg Pound?

I know.  You don’t care.  You’re much more concerned about what might happen to Martin Prado and Jair Jurrjens.

Truthfully not much has changed regarding either of these players.  Both are obviously drawing interest from a number of teams.  But the Braves have made it known they will need to receive a significant return to trade either Prado or Jurrjens.

Since this past season concluded, I have often referred to Prado and Jurrjens  as the Braves “most tradeable” veterans.  In other words, Jason Heyward, Brian McCann, Dan Uggla and none of the young pitching prospects are going anywhere.

So if the Braves are going to at least explore the possibility of improving their roster via the trade market, Prado and Jurrjens are the players that arguably make sense.

But I would be among those who would argue that the Braves are not currently in a position where they can comfortably deal Jurrjens.

Tommy Hanson’s shoulder might never again bother him.  But with the projected rotation already including Brandon Beachy and Mike Minor, the Braves can’t afford to trade Jurrjens and then deal with the consequences if Hanson’s shoulder proves to be a lingering problem.

Yeah, Kris Medlen’s presence provides some insurance in this department.  But once again, you’d be taking a gamble here on Medlen, who has not started a game since he blew out his elbow in August of 2010.

As the Rockies, Royals and Tigers have proven, there are a number of teams that would love to add Prado’s versatility to their roster.  At the same time, the Braves could certainly benefit from keeping him around for at least another season.

There’s no doubt that Chipper Jones could continue to benefit from the opportunity to get some regular rest.  Having Prado around to play third base would allow manager Fredi Gonzalez to allow Jones to get a breather whenever necessary.

But with the right deal, it would be much easier for the Braves to find a versatile asset like Prado than it would be to find a starting pitcher that they could immediately place in their starting rotation with confidence.

Quick hits:

As you likely saw from this weekend’s story, Jason Heyward is looking forward to entering the 2012 season feeling a little lighter.  With the help of a better diet and workout program, he now weighs between 235-240 pounds.  He weighed 258 pounds at the start of Spring Training.

Heyward certainly never looked overweight.  But with his shoulders looking a little less bulky, he looks a little more athletic.  More importantly, he’s excited about putting this past year behind him.  Check the story for his thoughts about his shoulder and  not playing an everyday role down the stretch.

Congrats to Joe Terdoslavich and Christian Bethancourt for being named to this year’s Arizona Fall League Top Prospects team.  Check out the details by clicking here.

Follow me on Twitter @mlbbowman

The Braves gained some financial flexibility by trading Derek Lowe to the Indians earlier this week.  They are now exploring the possibility of gaining more flexibility while talking to clubs interested in trading for Jair Jurrjens and/or Martin Prado.

A Major League source said the Braves have informed some teams they might be willing to trade Jurrjens and Prado.  Both players could see their respective salaries rise from the $3 million range to the $5 million range through arbitration this offseason.  <p>

The additional funds gained by trading Jurrjens or Prado would aid Braves general manager Frank Wren in his search to land a shortstop and add some more power to his outfield.

The Royals are among the teams the Braves have approached about Jurrjens.  The Braves are interested in a number of Kansas City’s highly-regarded young prospects, including outfielder Wil Myers, who has spent the past few weeks impressing in the Arizona Fall League.   <p>

Along with Myers, the Braves have also talked to the Royals about Lorenzo Cain.  With centerfielder Michael Bourn’s contract set to expire at the end of the 2012 season, the Braves will spend time this winter looking at  Cain and other similar players who could serve as Bourn’s replacement.

There are concerns surrounding Jurrjens (right knee) and Prado as they come off disappointing seasons.  At the same time, there is reason to wonder if the Braves can comfortably part ways with either of these players.

With uncertainty surrounding Tommy Hanson’s shoulder can the Braves remove Jurrjens from a rotation that is already projected to include two pitchers with less than two full seasons of experience.

Prado might not stand as the long-term replacement for Chipper Jones at third base.  But if he is traded, the Braves will certainly have  to find a reliable backup third baseman for the upcoming season.

Check MLB.com and braves.com later for a more detailed story.