After Cliff Lee produced his dominant performance against the Yankees  in Game 1 of the World Series on Wednesday night, I asked Phillies backup catcher Paul Bako if the pinpoint control that Lee has displayed during his past two outings merited a comparison to Greg Maddux. 

"I'm not going there," said Bako, who served as Maddux's catcher when the legendary hurler set a National League record by not walking a batter over 72 1/3 innings during the 2001 season. "But when (Lee) is on, he's one of the best pitchers that I've ever seen."

Look there's obviously no reason to throw Lee in the same heralded category as Maddux.  But while watching the veteran lefty encounter just three, three-ball counts and make a couple of defensive plays that would have made Curly Neel and Meadowlark Lemon proud, I couldn't help but draw memories from the days when Mad Dog was doing this regularity in Atlanta. 

Those were the days when Phillies fans and employees despised the Braves.  I've been reminded of this a couple of times while following the defending world champs over the course of the past three weeks. 

Some of the phone calls and emails that I've received from Atlanta have provided indication that Braves fans are ignoring National League loyalty and hoping that they don't have to see the Phillies win a second straight World Series. 

This is based on a small sample size and maybe this isn't the overwhelming feeling among Braves fans.  Maybe I would have gained a different perspective had I actually chosen to spend some extended time away from my residence during the four days that I've been in Atlanta since the regular season concluded. 

Still regardless of whether they capture this second straight world championship, it's pretty safe to assume that the Phillies have now replaced the Mets as the Braves most-hated division rivals.

While it will take a few more years for the Mets to rise back to a respectable level, the Phillies appear well-positioned to make a run at a fourth consecutive division title next year.  Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Shane Victorino, Jayson Werth and Jimmy Rollins will once again form a solid offensive nucleus and Lee will be around for at least one more year to anchor the starting rotation. 

My assumption is that the Phillies will attempt to lock Lee up long before he's given a chance to test the free-agent market at the conclusion of the 2010 season. 

Regardless of what the long-term future has in store for Lee, the Phillies will enter next year as the favorites in the National League East.  Meanwhile, with Jair Jurrjens, Tommy Hanson and Tim Hudson  in place, the Braves still should possess one of the NL's best starting rotation for many years to come. 

Once the particulars in Hudson's three-year contract extension are taken care of in the next few days, we'll start to get a better sense about the exact makeup of next year's starting rotation.  But regardles of whether it possesses either Derek Lowe or Javier Vazquez, it still should shape up as being more formidable than the one the Phillies possess.

Of course, it could prove to be an even more successful quintet if it ever solves that problem routinely presented by Ryan Howard.

Lee vs. Braves:  As many of you remember, Lee had been utterly dominant before the Braves tagged him for six earned runs in just five innings on Aug. 29.  All of the damage that evening came courtesy the three home runs that Garret Anderson, Matt Diaz and Yunel Escobar combined to hit during the fourth and fifth innings. 

These three homers came within a span of nine at-bats.  During the other 111 innings that Lee has worked since joining the Phillies on July 29, he has allowed just four other home runs.

Anderson's home woes:  Based on his demeanor, there was always reason wonder if Anderson truly wanted to be in Atlanta this year.  A quick look at his stats proves he was more productive away from Turner Field. 

Home stats:  .258 BA, 8 HR, 16 RBIs, 229 ABs
Road stats:   .277 BA, 5 HR, 45 RBIs, 267 ABs

In 38 more at-bats, his road RBI total was three times higher than his home RBI total.  Here are his RISP splits this past season:

Home:  .173 (5-for-44), 1 HR, 9 RBIs
Road:   .326 (23-for-78), 2HR, 40 RBIs

Needless to say, this isn't the kind of disparity you want to see out of a guy who batted third, fourth or fifth in 103 of the 124 starts that he made.

Odds and ends:  Former Braves, Mike Mordecai, who played in Atlanta from 1994-97, has been hired as a roving Minor League instructor by the Blue Jays. (Sorry had to correct that.  Earlier, I said he'd been named Toronto's bench coach)...GM Frank Wren, Bobby Cox and some of the club's other execs are currently holding meeting in Sea Island...Jon "Boog" Sciambi is handling some broadcast duties for his new full-time emplyoer ESPN during this week's World Series...Checked with Fox Sports South this week and didn't gain any indication about who might replace Boog on next year's Braves broadcasts.    .

   

 
  
 

A source familiar with the negotiations said Wednesday night that Tim Hudson could be just a few days away from agreeing from the three-year contract extension that the Braves have offered.

"It's getting pretty close," said this source, who added that there are just a few "small details" that need to be ironed out. 

While financial specifics were not revealed, it's believed that this three-year extension will likely be worth $24-27 million. 

In the seven starts that Hudson made after returning from Tommy John surgery this year, he went 2-1 with a 3.61 ERA.  The 34-year-old right-hander allowed two earned runs or fewer in four of those seven outings. 

"He looked pretty good to me," said a National League scout. "He looked like he was back to normal." 

After meeting with Braves doctors in Atlanta on Tuesday, Jason Heyward learned that he won't be able to resume playing in this year's Arizona Fall League.

Heyward played just four games in the AFL before being shut down on Oct. 17 because of discomfort in the region where his hamstring meets his gluteal muscles.

According to an industry source, the Braves doctors have projected that Heyward should return to health after a few weeks of rest and rehab.  With the AFL's regular season concluding on Nov. 17, there wasn't any reason for the 20-year-old outfielder to rush back to action. 

Because the Braves are still thinking about having Heyward begin the 2010 season as one of their starting outfielders, there's a chance that he could be sent to Winter League to further his development heading into Spring Training. 

When asked about this possibility on Monday night, Braves general manager Frank Wren said that he first wanted to get the diagnosis from the club's doctors.  

As the Phillies prepare to play in something called the World Series, the Braves are taking advantage of the opportunity to get a leg up on their division rivals by planning for the 2010 season. 

Considering that Tuesday will mark the 10th anniversary of the most recent World Series game that included the Braves, there's obviously reason to write such ridiculous openings in attempt to create some sense of October optimism in Atlanta.  

OK. Before I ramble on too long and kill the journalistic lessons that I once learned, I'll let you know about some recent news involving Tim Hudson and Jason Heyward. 

Braves general manager Frank Wren and Paul Cohen have started negotiating the contract extension that could keep Hudson in Atlanta.  The two parties spoke on Friday and they're expected to resume talking on Monday. 

Like Jimmy Buffett, come Monday, Heyward is hoping that he will be alright.   The highly-regarded outfielder has been dealing with a strained gluteus muscle that has prevented him from playing in the Arizona Fall League since Oct. 17.

The Braves remain hopeful that Heyward is simply dealing with a minor injury that will allow him to resume playing with the Peoria Saguaros within the next couple of days.

There doesn't seem to be much reason to believe that Heyward is dealing with a significant injury.  But the lost playing time certainly lessens the development that would benefit him if the Braves do decide to have him start the 2010 season as their starting right fielder.

I've written that it doesn't seem logical to believe that Heyward could start next year in the Majors.  But as time passes, there's growing reason to believe that the Braves are certainly open to this possibility.

A more concerning development from the AFL stems from the early struggles encountered by Freddie Freeman.   Before recording a pair of hits in five at-bats (through eight innings) on Friday, the 20-year-old first baseman had gone 1-for-19 with nine strikeouts.

Now back to Hudson.  My guess is that the two parties could reach an agreement within the next week.  My guess is that the 34-year-old right-hander will agree to a three-year extension worth approximately $27 million and also gain an option for the 2013 season.      

If the deal with Hudson is secured, we'll likely start hearing more about the possibility of moving either Derek Lowe or Kenshin Kawakami. 

There are two ways to look at Lowe's situation.  Given that he's owed $45 million over the next three years, there aren't going to be a lot of clubs lining up to add him to their rotation.  Still, there seems to be some hope that the Red Sox, Yankees or Mets might be willing to deal for him as long as the Braves eat a portion of his salary. 

On the flip side, can the Braves responsibly deal Lowe with the the knowledge that they would gain a limited return in talent and still have to incur some of his cost? 

Lowe will be the first to tell you that he was disappointed with the fact that he went 15-10 with a 4.67 ERA this past season.   What he won't discuss are the intangibles that he brought to a club that needed a proven veteran to serve as the leader of its reconstructed rotation.

As September was nearing its end, an American League scout said that he didn't believe that Javier Vazquez would have been as successful had he started this past season bearing the responsibility of being the staff's ace?   Another National League scout recently voice this same opinion.

My rebuttal to this argument would be that Vazquez could return next year and once again not have to feel like he had to carry the load for the rotation.  Jair Jurrjens and Tommy Hanson are going to be front-line starters for many years to come and could easily prove to be an "ace" as early as the 2010 season.

Plus, I think that Vazquez proved that he does have the makeup to be a leader.  He was as responsible as anybody for the enhanced maturity that Yunel Escobar showed during the final months of this past season.   

Repeating is an accomplishment:  While dodging champagne and  getting interviews after the National League Championship Series concluded Wednesday, I heard many of the Phillies talk about how hard it had been to go through this season as defending world champions.

This got me to thinking whether Braves fans truly appreciate what their clubs accomplished during the 1990s. 

This year's Phillies stand as the first NL club since the 1996 Braves to return to the World Series.   They now have the chance to be the first NL club since the 1976 Reds to repeat as world champions.  

The Dodgers advanced to the World Series in 1977 and '78.  But since then, the Phillies and Braves (1991 and '92; 1995 and '96) stand as the only NL organizations who have competed in the World Series in consecutive seasons. 

Thank You:   When we returned to the press box earlier this week, it was learned that this forum had been the most-visited among the blogs authored by MLB.com writers throughout the regular season.  

This prompted a witty response from Phillies beat writer, Todd Zolecki, whose Zo Zone finished second. To which I responded, "Don't you think you guys in Philadelphia have won enough recently?"

But seriously, thanks for the regular contributions that you all have made throughout the year and let's keep this site busy throughout the offseason. 

Tired of the prescription glasses that he wore this year, Brian McCann has decided to undergo Lasik surgery again. 

Dr. Alan Kozarsky was scheduled to perform this surgical procedure at 4:30 p.m. ET on Friday in Atlanta.  Kozarsky also performed this surgery on McCann after the conclusion of the 2007 season. 

McCann, who has made four consecutive All-Star appearances, had to wear the glasses this year because his vision had changed since intiailly undergoing this procedure at the age of 23.

"It's going to be like night and day for me," said McCann, who hit .289 with 19 homers in the 125 games that he played after returning to the Braves on May 8 with the glasses.

McCann said that he had been given no reason to be concerned about undergoing this surgery twice in the span of two years.  Based on what the Braves have said in the past, the fear would be that his vision could change again.


 

 

Count Tim Hudson among those who were baffled by some recent reports that suggested that he's going to test the free-agent market if the Braves do not wow him with the financial aspect of a contract extension. 

When I boarded my flight from Denver to Los Angeles yesterday afternoon, I saw that Ken Rosenthal's report on Hudson began with this sentence: Barring a last-minute, knockout offer from the Braves, right-hander Tim Hudson plans to become a free agent, according to major-league sources.

My immediate reaction was that this is just one of the many agent-influenced articles that we're going to see over the next couple of weeks and months. 

When I arrived at LAX and saw a text from Hudson that read, "give me a shout when U get a minute", I knew that he wanted to clear up any misunderstandings that might be surfacing regarding his future.

When Hudson and I talked this morning, he basically reiterated that his primary desire is to work out a contract extension that will allow him to remain with the Braves.  In addition, he once again talked about the willingness to aceept a "hometown discount" as long as his definition is at least close to the one the Braves might possess.

"First and foremost, Atlanta is a place where I'm happy and I believe we have a chance to have a really good team there for a while," Hudson said.  "I haven't talked to (Braves general manager Frank Wren) yet.  But when that time comes, hopefully we can get something done."  

Hudson has a $12 million option for the 2010 season that includes a $1 million buyout.  Based on his conversations with Wren, he hasn't been given reason to even think about how this option might come into play.
 
"We haven't even talked about what would happen if they want to pick up the option,"  Hudson said.  "Truthfully I've never even thought that the option was an option.  I'd rather have an extension than an option.  Now if their idea of a hometown discount is a lot different than my idea of a hometown discount, then yeah, I'd have to see what's out there for me from the free agent perspective."

Hudson hasn't provided a clear picture of what he might be seeking from a financial standpoint.  But it's safe to assume that the hometown discount that he'd be willing to accept wouldn't be anything like a two-year, $10 million offer. 

My guess is that the Braves would likely have to offer a three-year contract extension worth $26-30 million to satisfy Hudson.  Of course, to find the financial flexibility to get this done, they may first have to find somebody willing to trade for  Derek Lowe and the $45 million that he's owed over the next three years.

Hudson understands that he may be among the many Major Leaguers who file for free agency once the World Series concludes.  But he's hoping this is just a procedural move that would protect him in the event that a contract extension is not agreed upon.

"If we can't get a deal done, I think potentially it could be a good offseason for me from the free-agent side," Hudson said. "But I'm hoping it doesn't it come to that."   

Clark's replacement:  With Roy Clark leaving to become an assistant general manager with the Nationals, the Braves are now mulling their options to fill his role as their scouting director.

If Tony DeMacio is willing to accept the position, they won't have to look too far to find a prime candidate.  DeMacio has served as a special assistant to the GM for the Braves since December 2006 and is recognized as one of the game's top scouts.

More importantly, he's a well-organized and highly-respected individual in the scouting field.

DeMacio, whose first signee was a young kid out of the Boston-area named Tom Glavine, was honored at MLB's  2008 Winter Meetings as the Scout of the Year, an honor given to those who have spent at least 25 years in the scouting profession.

         

 

Roy Clark's 11-year tenure as the Braves scouting director came to a close on Tuesday, when Clark informed general manager Frank Wren that he had accepted the opportunity to become an assistant general manager with the Nationals. 

Throughout the summer there were indications that Clark was angling to find an organization that would allow him to oversee both the scouting and player development departments.   It's believed that the Nationals are going to provide him this opportunity. 

Sources have indicated that Clark has already started calling scouts to see who is willing to join him in Washington.

There's no doubt that Clark is one of the game's best talent evaluators of amateur talent.  But a  team source indicated that his departure could allow the Braves scouting department to be a more cohesive unit.

Roy has always been good to me and I wish him all the luck as he and GM Mike Rizzo attempt to build the Nationals organization into a winner.
  

Roy Clark, who has spent the past 11 years  as the Braves director of scouting, will interview with the Nationals on Monday afternoon.  Clark is expected to be interviewing to gain a similar role that would also provide him the tag of being an assistant general manager.

Widely regarded for his nose for talent, Clark has run each of the past 10 First-Year Player Drafts for the Braves.  He joined the club as an area scout midway through the 1989 season and then served as both a scouting supervisor and national supervisor from 1995-99. 

Throughout the summer, there has been speculation that Clark might part ways with the Braves.  Many individuals within the baseball industry have felt he might have ended up with the Padres if Jerry DiPoto was cleared to leave the Diamondbacks and become San Diego's general manager.

 


 

Before Sunday afternoon's series finale, Greg Norton talked about how frustrating this past season had been and the reality that he'll likely opt to retire. 

If this was indeed Norton's final season, he went out in record fashion.  According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the 20 walks he drew as a pinch hitter matched the Major League record that Matt Franco set with the Mets in 1999. 

Franco, who played for the Braves in 2002 and '03, hit .237 and compiled a .425 on-base percentage in the 80 plate appearances that he registered as a pinch-hitter during that record-breaking season. 

Norton hit .162 with a .360 on-base percentage in the 89 plate appearances he compiled as a pinch hitter this season.  His 20 walks were one more than Omar Infante collected in 132 more plate appearances this season.

The Rockies-Phillies Division Series includes a number or links to the Braves organization. 

The Rockies contingent include hitting coach Don Baylor, who held that same role in Atlanta and right-handed pitchers Jason Marquis and Matt Belisle, who were both once highly-regarded prospects in the Braves system. 

Greg Maddux's former catcher Paul Bako is serving as Philadelphia's backup catcher.

Prediction:  Ubaldo Jimenez will set the tone today against a struggling Cliff Lee and Aaron Cook will outduel Cole Hamels on Thursday afternoon.  I'm thinking the Rockies win this one in four games and meet the Cardinals in the National League Championship Series. 

When I arrive at Citizens Bank Park for this afternoon's  Division Series workout,  I'm going to present Ryan Howard with the First Annual White Flag  --  an award that will be presented to the player that proves to be the most destructive to the Braves over the course of the regular season.

Howard won this year's award in a close battle against Dan Uggla and Jeff Bennett, who  will receive an autographed picture of Kevin Brown to recognize that he was  unanimously chosen as the Braves player who was most destructive against clubhouse property this year.

When the Braves won seven of the first nine games they played against the Phillies this year, Howard hit .250 with two RBIs, seven strikeouts and a .659 OPS.  The powerful first baseman didn't homer or walk during this span

While dropping six of the final nine games played against the defending world champs, the Braves saw Howard hit .438 with eight homers, 14 RBIs, eight strikeouts, two walks (one intentional) and a 1.776 OPS.

Despite his early struggles, Howard still hit more homers (8) and  collected more RBIs (16) than any other player against the Braves this year.  Among those who registered at least 20 plate appearances, his .794 slugging percentage ranked fourth behind Jay Bruce (1.000), Ryan Braun (.833) and Andre Ethier (.800).

During their final six wins against the Braves this year, the Phillies totaled 27 runs.  Howard drove in 11 of those runs and each of these RBIs came courtesy of the longball.

When Tommy Hanson took the mound during home games this year, he was serenaded by Green Day's "Know Your Enemy."

My suggestion would be for the Braves to provide a friendly reminder to their pitchers by playing this song whenever Howard strolls to the plate at Turner Field in the future.  Or maybe they should just cut to the chase and play Aerosmith/Run DMC's  "Walk This Way".  

Before flying to Philadelphia last night, I went to Turner Field to talk to Bobby Cox and Frank Wren.  Here are some of their interesting thoughts that weren't included in the story I wrote for MLB.com and  braves.com.

At the All-Star break, I chose Yunel Escobar as the team's first-half MVP and I think I'd have to say he deserves he still deserves this distinction when evaluating the entire season.   (We'll debate that in a blog I'll post later this week).

Anyhow, those mental mistakes that tarnished Escobar's tremendous talents during the first half were basically non-existent during the second half.  He committed just two errors in his last 75 games and continued to take advantage of a healthy percentage of the opportunities he was provided to drive in runs.

When I asked Cox if Escobar made some impressive strides this year, he chose not to address the improvement element.  But he does now share the opinion that Chipper Jones expressed last year, when Escobar's name was being included in the Jake Peavy trade talks.  
"He's the best shortstop in baseball right now," Cox said.  "I can't think of anybody better honestly."

Another guy who would draw consideration as the club's MVP this year is Martin Prado, whose value extended far beyond his .307 batting average.   He's not  a Gold-Glove infielder, but he certainly enhanced the club's defense after he was provided a chance to play second base on a regular basis.

When asked about Prado, Cox talked about what he's heard about the defensive skills Prado has shown while playing the outfield in Venezuela.

"They say he's a real good outfielder ," Cox said. "That's why we weren't hesitant to put him out there  (on Sunday)) when we had to pinch-hit  (Brooks) Conrad to try to win the game.  He plays right field on a regular basis in Venezuela.  He has for the past couple of years.  So he's a possible candidate."  

Yes the Braves will be looking for a power-hitting, right-handed outfielder.  But I wouldn't expect Prado to ultimately fill this need.  

Cox's comment likely had something to do with the fact that the Braves don't know what they'll do with Kelly Johnson.  Despite his struggles this year, Johnson is still drawing attention from a number of clubs, who recognize his talents and believe he can still experience some of the success  that has been on display in the past.

So I would think they'll be able to trade him before reaching a point where they may have to debate whether to tender him a contract.

"We just can't give up on Kelly," Cox said. "He had too solid of a season last year.  I think if he'd have gotten the at-bats, he'd have been close with all of those numbers (from 2008), except for the batting average maybe.  But the homers, doubles and triples, if you add another 250 at-bats would have probably been the same.

"I feel bad about Kelly Johnson, not being able to get him in there at all. After Prado got in there, you couldn't take him out.  He was the hottest hitter we had."

Next week, Jason Heyward will begin competing in the Arizona Fall League.  At the same time while the Braves are holding their planning meetings in Orlando, the 20-year old top prospect's name will be a hot topic of discussion.  Or that's at least Cox's expectation.  

Heyward has just 173 at-bats above the Class A level.  This was Wren's response when he was asked if the club could go into Spring Training with an open mind about the possibility of the young phenom starting the 2010 season in the Majors:  

"I think it's premature to have any mindset about Jason," Wren said. "We know that he's an outstanding  young talent.  We just want him to go play in Arizona and get as much experience as possible.  We'll see where that takes him."  

I'll be covering the Phillies-Rockies Division Series and the NLCS.  But obviously I'll be keeping up with the Braves-related news and updating this blog frequently.    The Hot Stove season will allow us to keep this forum just as lively as it was during Spring Training and the regular season.  

Matt Diaz still can't fully explain what forced him to stray too far off third base and get picked off to end Wednesday night's loss to the Marlins.  But the Braves outfielder now has a better understanding of why he suddenly went from red-hot to ice-cold at the plate in September. 

When Diaz awoke Friday morning, he saw that his right thumb that had bothered him over the course of the past couple of weeks had swollen significantly.   Hours later, doctors drained fluid out of this area and found the cause of infection to be a small foreign substance, which could have been the shard of a bat he'd broken a few weeks earlier.  

"They had to take out an infected cyst that's been there for a while," Diaz said. "(The doctor) said this infection could have been stirring for quite a while.  For a month, I haven't had an at-bat where it didn't feel like I got jammed, even if I hit the ball with the sweet spot."

Diaz remembers feeling some discomfort during the series that was played against the Reds during the first week of September.   His sudden dropoff in production supports the belief that this is likely when the foreign substance entered his hand. 

From Aug. 18-Sept. 4, Diaz hit .463 with a 1.234 OPS.   In the 21 games he played after this stretch, he hit .243 with a .754 OPS.

"Theoretically whenever I would swing I would drive that splinter or shard or whatever it was further down in there," Diaz said. 

When Diaz arrived at Turner Field on Saturday, his hand was heavily wrapped with gauze to protect the infection that can't be sealed.  He'll visit with a member of the Braves medical staff on Monday and then likely head back to Florida for the offseason.  

Jon Sciambi's three-year run as a Braves broadcaster will conclude on Sunday afternoon, when he calls his last game for Fox Sports South.

Sciambi, who is widely known as Boog, has accepted the opportunity for an enhanced role with ESPN.  Over the course of the past five years, the veteran broadcaster has called Major League Baseball and college basketball games for the cable network.

Along with continuing to do some television work, Sciambi will now be the lead play-by-play announcer for Major League Baseball games carried on ESPN Radio. 

"I'm excited," Sciambi said.  "It's a cool opportunity to be with ESPN and to do big games.  It was a really hard decision, because I really loved my time here and everybody welcomed me from the start. The fans are awesome.  It's funny, the Braves organization has a reputation for being one of the classiest in the game and it lived up to every word that you hear."

When Sciambi arrived before the start of the 2007 season, Skip Caray and Pete Van Wieren, the club's legendary broadcasters, both took an immediate liking to the big redhead, whose studious approach and knowledge of the game drew respect throughout the game of baseball.

In addition, Joe Simpson, another long-time Braves announcer gained what seemed to be an immediate bond with Sciamb.  These two shared the television broadcast booth together for the past three years.

"It was as good of an experience as I've had professionally," Sciambi said. "I think I can honestly say that I hope I get to do this for a long, long time, but I don't think that I'll ever have the chemistry that I had with him.  I looked forward to seeing him every day, looked forward to working with him every day and we had fun everyday." 

There has been no indication about who may replace Sciambi in the broadcast booth next year.

"We have truly enjoyed Jon being our Braves' play-by-play broadcaster during the past three seasons," Fox Sports South senior vice president and general manager Jeff Genthner said. "As a broadcast team, Boog and Joe were embraced by the fans.  We wish him continued success in his new career, and we look forward to beginning the process of finding our next Braves' play-by-play broadcaster after the season ends." 

 

Ryan Church made some key contributions after gaining distinction as the man the Braves acquired from the Mets in exchange for Jeff Francoeur on July 10.  But there's definitely reason to wonder if the veteran outfielder has played his final game in Atlanta. 

Church returned to Viera, Fla. on Friday to be with his wife, Tina, as she gave birth to their second child, Madison Noel, who entered this world at 6 pounds and 11 ounces.
 
With Church unavailable for Friday night's game against the Nationals, Braves manager Bobby Cox opted to use Omar Infante in right field to spell Matt Diaz, who was scratched from the lineup because of a bruised right thumb.   

Since joining the Braves, Church has hit .260 with two homers and a .749 OPS.   But the soon-to-be 31-year-old outfielder has struggled since his back began to bother him during the latter portion of August.   He hit .207 (6-for-29) while playing in just 13 games (8 starts) since Sept. 1.

As an arbitration-eligible player, Church could see his current $2.8 million salary increased to somewhere around the $3.5 million range next year.  Given his back problems, the Braves may balk at that potential cost and attempt to trade him before having to make a decision about whether or not to tender him a contract. 

Some clubs have already expressed some interest in obtaining Church.  Obviously, the return for the Braves likely wouldn't be significant. 

The decision regarding Church will be just one of the many facing the Braves this winter.   But it's quite obvious that they are in a much better position entering this offseason than they were at this time a year ago, when the only definite returnee to their rotation was Jair Jurrjens. 

Postseason hope might not be officially dead in Atlanta.  But I think it's pretty safe to say it's currently floating down the E. Coli-infested Chattahoochee River with Chad Paronto on its back.

There's no doubt that the Braves are capable of sweeping their four-game series against the Nationals this weekend.  But you have to think the Rockies will likely clinch the Wild Card spot by winning at least one of their last four games against the Brewers and the Dodgers, who have lost four straight and five of six during a stretch against the Pirates and Padres.

When Matt Diaz hit his game-tying, three-run homer against the Marlins on Tuesday night, it was still easy to Believe that the Braves were going to find a way to get into the playoffs.

Two losses later, it's hard to Believe how that one last gasp to keep legit hope alive was destroyed.

While getting picked off third base to end Wednesday night's game, Diaz went from being the unsung catalyst to the goat in the matter of minutes. 

That same aggressive, shoes-on-fire approach that led Diaz to stray too far off third base was arguably what had allowed the Braves to load the bases in the ninth. 

Had Diaz not busted down the line after producing his two-out grounder, Marlins third baseman Wes Helms might not have rushed his throw that resulted in the inning-extending error.

In the end, there is no excuse for getting picked off in that situation.  Diaz knows that and he'll continue to be bothered by this event for many days to come.

But as the Rockies continue to roll and the Dodgers continue to slide, Sunday may conclude with the realization that even with a perfect finish the Braves might have found themselves forced to face the fact that the hole they had dug was too deep to escape.

With the playoff picture now fading out of focus, there will still be a few things to follow over the next couple of days.

Perez Watch:  The Indians will likely call the Braves to ask permission to interview bullpen coach Eddie Perez for their vacant managerial role.   While playing in Cleveland in 2002, Perez developed a strong bond with Indians general manager Mark Shapiro. 

While Perez might not yet be deemed ready for a managerial role, it will be interesting to see what he would do if the Indians were to offer him the greater responsibility that he'd experience as their bench coach.

Perez's ultimate goal is to serve as Bobby Cox's successor and remain in Atlanta.  But he could also be tempted to leave for a role that would allow him to better prepare himself to serve as a manager in the Majors.

Garret eyeing 2500:  Garret Anderson is just one hit shy of becoming the 90th player in Major League history to record 2500 in his career.  Dating back to the start of 1995, Anderson's first full season in the big leagues, Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez are the only players to have compiled more hits.

Chipper needs two more: Chipper Jones remains two homers shy of becoming the first Major Leaguer to ever begin his career with 15 consecutive 20-homer seasons.  I think it's pretty safe to assume we'll see the veteran third baseman coming out of his shoes with a couple of swings during this final weekend.