Bowman's Blogtag:markbowman.mlblogs.com,2008-03-29:/656712009-11-20T15:23:35ZInside the Braves with MLB.com's Mark BowmanMovable Type Pro 4.25Braves add five pitchers to 40-man rostertag:markbowman.mlblogs.com,2009://65671.13341512009-11-20T15:17:57Z2009-11-20T15:23:35ZThe Braves 40-man roster additions are LHPs Lee Hyde, Jose Ortegano and Jonny Venters and RHPs Jeff Lyman and Kyle Coffield. Here are the short blurbs I wrote about these guys for a story that I just filed: Hyde, who...udflyer96http://www.braves.com Here are the short blurbs I wrote about these guys for a story that I just filed:
Hyde, who was selected out of Georgia Tech in the fourth round of the 2006 First-Year Player Draft, has made just 58 appearances during his injury-plagued professional career. The 24-year-old left-handed reliever has posted a 3.00 ERA and battled some control problems while recording 13 strikeouts and issuing seven walks in 12 innings during this year's Arizona Fall League.
Ortegano gained attention when he posted a 1.48 ERA and recorded 55 strikeouts in the 60 1/3 innings he completed for Rookie Level Danville in 2007. The 22-year-old left-hander seemed to regain some of that promising form while posting a 1.16 WHIP and 3.22 ERA in the 29 combined appearances (20 starts) he made with Class A-Advanced Myrtle Beach and Double-A Mississippi this year.
Venters combined to 8-11 with a 4.42 ERA in the 29 combined starts he made for Mississippi and Triple-A Gwinnett this year. The 24-year-old southpaw has battled control problems throughout his professional career. During his 156 2/3 innings this year, he recorded 98 strikeouts and issued 77 walks.
Lyman, who was selected in the second round of the 2005 Draft, combined to go 5-9 with a 3.32 ERA in 38 combined appearances (10 starts) with Gwinnett and Mississippi this year. The 22-year-old right-hander recorded 76 strikeouts and issued 43 walks in the 86 2/3 innings he completed with Mississippi.
Cofield, who was selected in the eighth round of the 2005 Draft, battled control problems and still managed to go 10-5 with a 3.90 ERA in the 26 appearances (24 starts) he made for Mississippi this year. In the 140 2/3 innings that he completed, the 22-year-old right-hander issued 89 walks and registered 87 strikeouts.
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Braves not interested in Harttag:markbowman.mlblogs.com,2009://65671.13336112009-11-19T23:49:26Z2009-11-20T01:20:16Zudflyer96http://www.braves.com The report indicated that the Brewers seem reluctant to deal for Lowe because he is owed $45 million over the next three years. While that is certainly understandable, the Braves have also provided indication that they are not interested in Hart.
In other words, if the Braves end up having to trade Javier Vazquez to the Brewers, there's little reason to believe that Hart would be part of the return package.
Indications are that the Braves don't like Hart's undisciplined offensive approach. The Brewers outfielder, who could draw a $5 million salary via arbitration this winter, hit .260 with 12 homers and a .753 OPS this past season.
As the Braves continue to explore their options with Lowe, they still think there's a chance that the Angels may be willing to add the veteran sinkerballer to their young rotation.
It appears that instead of getting a Major League-ready outfielder in return, the Braves would be more interested in digging into the Angels farm system. ]]>
Gonzalez is now with Borastag:markbowman.mlblogs.com,2009://65671.13304112009-11-17T21:13:33Z2009-11-17T21:25:13Zudflyer96http://www.braves.com Boras' affiliation should not have much affect on whether or not the Braves attempt to get into a bidding war to secure Gonzalez's services. The well-known agent and Frank Wren seem to have a good working relationship.
While it seems highly unlikely that Rafael Soriano will return to Atlanta, there still seems to be an outside shot that the Braves will attempt to re-sign Gonzalez. But the level of their interest will be based on the cost that is set courtesy of the interest the left-handed reliever receives from other clubs.
Gonzalez posted a 2.42 ERA and limited opponents to a .209 batting average in the career-high 80 appearances he made for the Braves this past season.
The Braves are definitely expected to offer arbitration to Gonzalez, who made $3.45 million this past season. Because he has been classified as a Type-A free agent, this offer would provide them the opportunity to receive draft pick compensation if he were to sign elsewhere.
If a Type A free agent signs elsewhere before Dec. 1 or recieves an arbitration offer from their former club, the former club is eligible to receive a first-round draft pick and a sandwich selection between the first and second rounds.
In the event that the signing club has one of the Draft's first 15 selections, the former club would receive the sandwich selection and a second-round selection.
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Braves not talking to Dodgers about Vazqueztag:markbowman.mlblogs.com,2009://65671.13260712009-11-13T18:53:25Z2009-11-13T19:18:06Zudflyer96http://www.braves.com As many of you have already pointed out in this forum, Vazquez's contract includes a clause that prevents him from being traded to any of the teams from the West divisions of the American and National Leagues.
In addition, early Friday afternoon a team source said that the Braves and Dodgers aren't currently in the midst of any trade discussions.
Before moving Vazquez and the $11.5 million that he is owed next year, the Braves will concentrate their efforts on moving Lowe and the $45 million that he is owed over the course of the next three years.
Earlier this week, I mentioned that the Yankees might have some interest in Lowe. But it now appears that they won't attempt to land the 36-year-old sinkerballer, who went 15-10 with a 4.67 ERA for the Braves this past season.
It now appears the more likely suitors for Lowe would be the Brewers or Angels, a pair of teams looking to add a veteran front-line starter.
But the Angels will first wait to get a better understanding about how much it might take to bring John Lackey back to serve as their ace. If the highly-sought right-hander signs elsewhere, they could gauge the possibility of trading for Blue Jays ace Roy Halladay before turning their sights toward Lowe.
As for the Brewers, there has been some indication that they would be more interested in acquiring Vazquez.
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The Waiting Gametag:markbowman.mlblogs.com,2009://65671.13233712009-11-11T21:45:37Z2009-11-11T21:51:50Zudflyer96http://www.braves.com One year later, many, if not all, of you are rejoicing that fact that Peavy didn't feel that the future was very bright in Atlanta. Had the Alabama native chosen to waive his no-trade clause to play closer to home, the Braves would have lost Yunel Escobar and likely the comfort to once again dig into their organizational depth to acquire Javier Vazquez in early December.
This topic has been debated many times and I present it only to set up the consequences of the waiting game that clubs experience during these early days and weeks of the offseason.
While waiting to see if Peavy would provide the Padres the OK to attempt to send him to Atlanta, the Braves held off on their attempt to obtain Nick Swisher from the White Sox. The Yankees acquired Swisher on Nov. 13 and 24 hours later, Braves GM Frank Wren revealed that he was no longer actively pursuing Peavy.
As the Braves saw their left fielders combine to hit .270 with 17 homers, 70 RBIs and a .725 OPS this year, Swisher was hitting .249 with 29 homers, 82 RBIs and an .869 OPS for the world champions.
(I used the left fielders as the comparative point because I would assume that Swisher would have started the season there while Jeff Francoeur maintained his position in right field).
Had the Braves been able to get Swisher in the same deal that brought Vazquez to Atlanta, there's no guarantee that the Braves would have improved their fate. But they wouldn't currently find themselves potentially looking for an outfielder during a second consecutive offseason.
If Swisher had joined the Braves, it's hard to tell how the rest of the offseason might have unfolded. Along those lines, maybe his presence would have prevented the Braves from making the Nate McLouth midseason acquisition that still has a chance to prove very profitable.
While we don't know this for sure, we certainly realize that everything that occurs in November and December has an effect on what transpires between the first weeks of April and November. And with that one sentence we've once again proven that instead of referring to this current period as "the offseason" it would be more appropriately be called "the non-playing season".
We've long known that the Braves are going to end up trading either Derek Lowe or Javier Vazquez. Based on what happens to John Lackey, we'll gain a better sense about where the Braves might send either of these two right-handers.
As the top available free-agent starting pitcher Lackey will command interest from those same clubs that would be financially-capable and willing to assume the $45 million cost that Lowe will bring over the course of the next three seasons.
Early indications are the Braves believe that the Yankees or Angels might be willing to deal for Lowe. Before doing this, the Yankees will make a run for the younger Lackey, whose financial demands will determine whether the Angels attempt to bring him back to continue his role as their ace.
If Lackey does exit Southern California, there is a belief that the Angels would then attempt to work a trade for the Blue Jays to acquire Roy Halladay, who will cost just $750,000 more than Lowe next year.
This obviously could further complicate things for the Braves, who are looking to move one of these starters to create the financial flexibility to take care of some of their other roster needs -- first baseman, closer and outfielder.
So while the Braves would like the opportunity to keep Vazquez, they may find that they have to deal him before paying the consequences of the waiting game that will transpire as they wait to see whether there will be a team that is willing to trade for Lowe.
If the Braves are able to deal Lowe, then they are expected to begin seriously discussing the possibility of offering Vazquez an extension that would keep him in Atlanta beyond the 2010 season.
Vazquez found a comfort zone in Atlanta and he has made it known multiple times that he doesn't want to be traded. But for now, like the rest of us, he finds himself simply playing the waiting game.
Hudson update: Speaking of waiting games, it looks like the Braves will finally be able to announce Tim Hudson's three-year extension before Thursday concludes. Just to play it safe, let's just assume that I meant tomorrow or any other remaining Thursday during this calendar year.
McDowell has high praise for Wallace: As you likely read yesterday, Braves pitching coach Roger McDowell is a big fan of Dave Wallace, who was recently hired as the club's Minor League pitching coordinator. McDowell met Wallace during the early 1990s and has the highly-respected pitching guru for giving him his first shot at being a pitching coach at the professional level.
You can't discount the fact that McDowell and Wallace share a history and more importantly many of the same beliefs about pitching. Too many young pitchers have recently arrived in Atlanta and shown that they haven't yet received the proper development at the Minor League level.
This should change under the leadership of Wallace, who will be able to provide the Braves young pitchers with many of the same beliefs and philosophies that he's shared and gathered during his many conversations with his close friend Sandy Koufax.
"We have a history and I think for a lack of a better word he's 'the best'," McDowell said on Tuesday "He'll make the kids better and I think he'll make the coaches better. The body of work that he's had under him speaks for itself. Dave is as quality as you get."
McCann's event: If you want to do something other than watch West Virginia beat Cincinnati on Friday night, you should head down to Georgia Tech's Russ Chandler Stadium to see Chipper Jones, Andruw Jones, Tim Hudson, Kelly Johnson and Leo Mazzone participate in the inaugural Brian McCann Rally Softball Game.
With the help of Delta Air Lines, McCann has been able to organize this event which aids the Rally Foundation in its fight to find better cures and treatments for children battling cancer. First pitch is set for 7:35 p.m. ET and a home run derby will begin at 7 p.m.
Question to ponder: As I was leaving Yankee Stadium after Game 6 of the World Series last week, a Japanese reporter approached me and told me how excited they were that Hideki Matsui had just been named the World Series MVP.
In fact, he said that he and many of the other members of the Japanese felt that this honor was bigger than the accomplishment that Ichiro Suzuki achieved in 2004, when he recorded a record 262 hits.
Needless to say, I'm going to have to say I view Ichiro's season-long accomplishment to be a bigger deal. What is your view?
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The Waiting Gametag:markbowman.mlblogs.com,2009://65671.13233412009-11-11T21:45:37Z2009-11-11T21:49:37Zudflyer96http://www.braves.com One year later, many, if not all, of you are rejoicing that fact that Peavy didn't feel that the future was very bright in Atlanta. Had the Alabama native chosen to waive his no-trade clause to play closer to home, the Braves would have lost Yunel Escobar and likely the comfort to once again dig into their organizational depth to acquire Javier Vazquez in early December.
This topic has been debated many times and I present it only to set up the consequences of the waiting game that clubs experience during these early days and weeks of the offseason.
While waiting to see if Peavy would provide the Padres the OK to attempt to send him to Atlanta, the Braves held off on their attempt to obtain Nick Swisher from the White Sox. The Yankees acquired Swisher on Nov. 13 and 24 hours later, Braves GM Frank Wren revealed that he was no longer actively pursuing Peavy.
As the Braves saw their left fielders combine to hit .270 with 17 homers, 70 RBIs and a .725 OPS this year, Swisher was hitting .249 with 29 homers, 82 RBIs and an .869 OPS for the world champions.
(I used the left fielders as the comparative point because I would assume that Swisher would have started the season there while Jeff Francoeur maintained his position in right field).
Had the Braves been able to get Swisher in the same deal that brought Vazquez to Atlanta, there's no guarantee that the Braves would have improved their fate. But they wouldn't currently find themselves potentially looking for an outfielder during a second consecutive offseason.
If Swisher had joined the Braves, it's hard to tell how the rest of the offseason might have unfolded. Along those lines, maybe his presence would have prevented the Braves from making the Nate McLouth midseason acquisition that still has a chance to prove very profitable.
While we don't know this for sure, we certainly realize that everything that occurs in November and December has an effect on what transpires between the first weeks of April and November. And with that one sentence we've once again proven that instead of referring to this current period as "the offseason" it would be more appropriately be called "the non-playing season".
We've long known that the Braves are going to end up trading either Derek Lowe or Javier Vazquez. Based on what happens to John Lackey, we'll gain a better sense about where the Braves might send either of these two right-handers.
As the top available free-agent starting pitcher Lackey will command interest from those same clubs that would be financially-capable and willing to assume the $45 million cost that Lowe will bring over the course of the next three seasons.
Early indications are the Braves believe that the Yankees or Angels might be willing to deal for Lowe. Before doing this, the Yankees will make a run for the younger Lackey, whose financial demands will determine whether the Angels attempt to bring him back to continue his role as their ace.
If Lackey does exit Southern California, there is a belief that the Angels would then attempt to work a trade for the Blue Jays to acquire Roy Halladay, who will cost just $750,000 more than Lowe next year.
This obviously could further complicate things for the Braves, who are looking to move one of these starters to create the financial flexibility to take care of some of their other roster needs -- first baseman, closer and outfielder.
So while the Braves would like the opportunity to keep Vazquez, they may find that they have to deal him before paying the consequences of the waiting game that will transpire as they wait to see whether there will be a team that is willing to trade for Lowe.
If the Braves are able to deal Lowe, then they are expected to begin seriously discussing the possibility of offering Vazquez an extension that would keep him in Atlanta beyond the 2010 season.
Vazquez found a comfort zone in Atlanta and he has made it known multiple times that he doesn't want to be traded. But for now, like the rest of us, he finds himself simply playing the waiting game.
Hudson update: Speaking of waiting games, it looks like the Braves will finally be able to announce Tim Hudson's three-year extension before Thursday concludes. Just to play it safe, let's just assume that I meant tomorrow or any other remaining Thursday during this calendar year.
McDowell has high praise for Wallace: As you likely read yesterday, Braves pitching coach Roger McDowell is a big fan of Dave Wallace, who was recently hired as the club's Minor League pitching coordinator. McDowell met Wallace during the early 1990s and has the highly-respected pitching guru for giving him his first shot at being a pitching coach at the professional level.
You can't discount the fact that McDowell and Wallace share a history and more importantly many of the same beliefs about pitching. Too many young pitchers have recently arrived in Atlanta and shown that they haven't yet received the proper development at the Minor League level.
This should change under the leadership of Wallace, who will be able to provide the Braves young pitchers with many of the same beliefs and philosophies that he's shared and gathered during his many conversations with his close friend Sandy Koufax.
"We have a history and I think for a lack of a better word he's 'the best'," McDowell said on Tuesday "He'll make the kids better and I think he'll make the coaches better. The body of work that he's had under him speaks for itself. Dave is as quality as you get."
McCann's event: If you want to do something other than watch West Virginia beat Cincinnati on Friday night, you should head down to Georgia Tech's Russ Chandler Stadium to see Chipper Jones, Andruw Jones, Tim Hudson, Kelly Johnson and Leo Mazzone participate in the inaugural Brian McCann Rally Softball Game.
With the help of Delta Air Lines, McCann has been able to organize this event which aids the Rally Foundation in its fight to find better cures and treatments for children battling cancer. First pitch is set for 7:35 p.m. ET and a home run derby will begin at 7 p.m.
Question to ponder: As I was leaving Yankee Stadium after Game 6 of the World Series last week, a Japanese reporter approached me and told me how excited they were that Hideki Matsui had just been named the World Series MVP.
In fact, he said that he and many of the other members of the Japanese felt that this honor was bigger than the accomplishment that Ichiro Suzuki achieved in 2004, when he recorded a record 262 hits.
Needless to say, I'm going to have to say I view Ichiro's season-long accomplishment to be a bigger deal. What is your view?
]]>
Hudson passes physicaltag:markbowman.mlblogs.com,2009://65671.13119512009-11-04T16:03:00Z2009-11-04T16:11:04Zudflyer96http://www.braves.com Hudson and the Braves agreed to the terms of the three-year extension last week and then had to wait to find a doctor that the insurance company would approve.
Financial specifics of this three-year extension were not yet revealed. ]]>
Braves deny interest in Chapmantag:markbowman.mlblogs.com,2009://65671.13101012009-11-03T03:35:26Z2009-11-03T03:39:28Zudflyer96http://www.braves.com "We don't have any plans to meet with him at this time," Wren said via an email response on Monday night.
The Orioles, Red Sox, White Sox, Cubs, Yankees, Mets, Athletics and Cardinals are among the teams that have reportedly shown interest in Chapman, who defected on July 1 while the Cuban National team was participating in an international tournament in The Netherlands.
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Now it's Braves fans who are jealous of Philly fanstag:markbowman.mlblogs.com,2009://65671.13040112009-10-29T19:23:40Z2009-10-30T01:30:16Zudflyer96http://www.braves.com "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.
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. .
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Hudson nearing extensiontag:markbowman.mlblogs.com,2009://65671.13023712009-10-28T23:21:48Z2009-10-28T23:27:25ZA 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...udflyer96http://www.braves.com "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." ]]>
Heyward will not return to AFLtag:markbowman.mlblogs.com,2009://65671.13002412009-10-27T19:16:27Z2009-10-27T19:22:20ZAfter 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....udflyer96http://www.braves.com 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. ]]>
Hudson talking and Heyward is limpingtag:markbowman.mlblogs.com,2009://65671.12951812009-10-24T00:07:42Z2009-10-24T00:09:44Zudflyer96http://www.braves.com 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. ]]>
McCann undergoing Lasik surgery againtag:markbowman.mlblogs.com,2009://65671.12847912009-10-16T20:36:13Z2009-10-16T20:47:42Zudflyer96http://www.braves.com 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.
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Hudson still hopeful to remain in Atlantatag:markbowman.mlblogs.com,2009://65671.12818212009-10-14T18:59:31Z2009-10-14T19:20:44Zudflyer96http://www.braves.com 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.
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Clark accepts role with Nationalstag:markbowman.mlblogs.com,2009://65671.12806312009-10-13T21:17:17Z2009-10-13T21:50:33Zudflyer96http://www.braves.com 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.