Braves News World

Think the Braves should re-sign Jaret Wright? Should they keep J.D. Drew or let him go? How about trading for a starter like Kevin Brown? Wednesday, December 1st, you can sound off about what personnel moves you think the Braves should be making this offseason and pick the brain of Braves GM John Schuerholz in an online chat starting at 3:00 pm eastern. At that time you can log in at the official Braves site to participate. Every month throughout the rest of the offseason and the 2005 season a new Braves player or coach will participate in a live online chat.

Addendum: Here’s the chat transcript.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution quoted Jaret Wright’s agent, Craig Landis, as saying “Atlanta is not going to happen; they don’t have the [financial] resources.” I wrote about how I feared as much back on Nov. 7th. Landis added that Wright “did like it there, but it’s not really even a possibility.”

Wright may like Atlanta in which case his agent would just be trying to squeeze all he can out of the Braves. But I’m not holding my breath. Time to look elsewhere for a starter or get a closer and move Smoltz back to the rotation (the thought of that still makes me cringe!).

Smoltzie donned his chef’s apron Tuesday night. He volunteered, as he has for many years, to help prepare Thanksgiving meals for needy families in the Metro Atlanta area. Falcons linebacker Keith Brooking also volunteered at the event that was sponsored by the Atlanta Community Food Bank and the Renaissance Waverly Hotel. His involvement with the community is yet another reason Smoltz stands above the rest.

The Atlanta Braves submitted their 40-man roster to Major League Baseball on Friday and here’s how it shakes out:

1. Wilson Betemit
2. Blaine Boyer
3. Jose Capellan
4. Roman Colon
5. Juan Cruz
6. Kyle Davies
7. Mark DeRosa
8. Johnny Estrada
9. Rafael Furcal
10. Marcus Giles
11. Nick Green
12. Kevin Gryboski
13. Mike Hampton
14. Luis Hernandez
15. Mike Hessman
16. Kelly Johnson
17. Andruw Jones
18. Chipper Jones
19. Onil Joseph
20. Ryan Langerhans
21. Adam LaRoche
22. Anthony Lerew
23. Eli Marrero
24. Andy Marte
25. Tom Martin
26. Macay McBride
27. Billy McCarthy
28. Dan Meyer
29. Pete Orr
30. Tony Pena, Jr.
31. Eddie Perez
32. Horacio Ramirez
33. Chris Reitsma
34. John Smoltz
35. Charles Thomas
36. John Thomson
37. Scott Thorman
38. (open spot)
39. (open spot)
40. (open spot)

Notable absences include:

- Zach Miner, who has been dominating of late in the Arizona Fall League
- James Jurries, a solid third baseman who has run into a roadblock with Chipper Jones at third (and Andy Marte waiting in the wings)
- Buddy Hernandez, who posted an impressive 2.42 ERA at Richmond last year
- Kevin Barry, who turned heads at the AA and AAA levels last year, possibly paving the way for a trip to the majors in 2005

We can only cross our fingers that they’re not snagged in the Rule 5 draft or, if they are, they are not kept on the 25-man roster in which case they’d return to the Braves. But having too much talent in the minors is a great problem to have…

Peter Gammons reported that Atlanta offered Giles, Dan Meyer and another minor leaguer to the A’s for either Barry Zito, Mark Mulder or Tim Hudson. Officials from both teams denied the report.

Mark this one down in the “ludicrous” column! Schuerholz would be out of his mind to do such a deal. Giles is going to be counted on to deliver lots of pop next season (and at a very affordable price tag) with J.D. Drew likely leaving. The Braves can’t afford the drop in production from a switch to Nick Green or Mark DeRosa.

Adam Miller from Athletic Supporters explained in May why he thinks the A’s may try to pawn off Zito on a team like the Braves. Don’t do it Schuerholz!

This has been touched on before, but Zito’s strikeout rate has declined from a high of 8.61/9IP in 2001 to 5.67/9IP in 2003. His strikeout rate is back up again this season, but trends of declining strikeout rates can be signs that a pitcher’s performance is on track to decline, as well.

Assuming that Zito can bring his numbers down to more palatable levels in the coming weeks, he may be the best candidate to trade for offensive help and prospects. He is likely still perceived around the league to have ace value, as his 2002 Cy Young award would indicate. He is due the largest salary increase of the Big Three over the next two years. He is represented by Scott Boras, and may be difficult to sign to an extension. And he may end up providing the worst relative performance level of the Big Three.

If they took Tim Hudson, he’d likely be with the Braves only one year (he is a free agent after the 2005 season). So Mulder would be the best option for the Braves. That being said, the Braves will be in deep trouble next year if they don’t have Giles’ offense in the lineup. Unless they have some serious tricks up their sleeves, it just wouldn’t be worth it. I don’t see it happening and I think Gammons has just gone senile…

The Braves will be conducting an online holiday auction on their official site to benefit the Atlanta Braves Foundation. The auctions will run from November 22 - December 8. Featured items that will be auctioned are listed below. Let the bidding begin!

John Smoltz autographed baseball
Chipper Jones autographed baseball
Andruw Jones autographed 2004 Opening Day game-worn cap
J.D. Drew autographed baseball
Marcus Giles autographed 2004 Opening Day game-worn cap
Rafael Furcal batting practice-worn jersey
Mike Hampton autographed 2004 Opening Day game-worn cap
Mike Hampton autographed game-worn home jersey
Julio Franco batting practice-worn jersey
Mark DeRosa batting practice-worn jersey
Bobby Cox signed 2003 NLDS Game 5 lineup card
Bobby Cox autographed game-worn jersey
Leo Mazzone game-worn away jersey
Terry Pendleton batting practice-used jersey
2004 NLDS Game 1 game-used base

After over a month of negotiations, Don Sutton has agreed to return to the Braves broadcast booth in 2005. In September, Turner Sports officials picked up the options of the contracts of Skip Caray, Pete Van Wieren, and Joe Simpson. Sutton wasn’t satisfied with the terms he was offered at that time. Since then, Turner added Skip’s son Chip Caray to the broadcasting team, prompting speculation that Sutton would not be returning.

However, it was apparently their aim all along to carry 5 broadcasters. In addition to the TBS and Turner South telecasts, Braves can be heard in Atlanta on both WGST 640 AM and WKLS 96.1 FM (96 Rock) starting in 2005. It is widely expected that Chip Caray will take over for his father Skip in the coming years. It will be nice to have that Caray continuity to hopefully span another 30 years of Braves baseball. I’ve always been a fan of Skip’s wisecracks and the fact that he doesn’t take himself too seriously.

If you suffered, as I did, through the 1980’s as a fan of the bumbling Braves, you remember Ozzie Virgil, Jr. as their all-star catcher in 1987. Today Virgil was named the manager of a new independent league baseball team in Surprise, Arizona. They will be playing in the newly-created Golden Baseball League. Other former major leaguers that have been tapped to manage in the league include Terry Kennedy and Les Lancaster. Congratulations Ozzie!

Don’t worry… Those aren’t fly balls Andruw Jones is dropping – they’re turkeys! Andruw Jones and his wife, Nicole, will be participating in the first ever “Atlanta Braves Foundation Turkey Drop” on Friday 11/19/04 starting at approximately 11:45 am. They’ll go door-to-door in the Turner Field neighborhood giving away turkeys and other holiday goodies (provided by Publix supermarkets) to lucky families.

Braves should-be Hall-of-Famer Dale Murphy is scheduled to sign autographs from 12:30 pm - 2:30 pm this Saturday 11/20/04 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center (5555 N. River Road) in Rosemont, IL. Autograph ticket prices are $39 for flats/balls and $59 for bats/jerseys/numbers. You can contact the promoter, Mounted Memories, at (800) 749-7529. Admission tickets are $10 per day ($5 per day for children age 7 and under). The status of this appearance is subject to change at any time. Call the promoter for further information.

I’ll be posting the dates and details of upcoming autograph signings by current Braves players and notable former Braves. Of course, this will not comprise an all-inclusive of all Braves player appearances and the status of these appearances are subject to change at any time. Call the promoter for further information.

Braves great Phil Niekro is scheduled to sign autographs at 12:00 pm this Sunday 11/14/04 at the I-X Center (6200 Riverside Dr.) in Cleveland, OH. Advance autograph ticket prices range from $40 - $80 and photo opportunities are $40 each. You can contact the promoter, Tri-Star Productions, at (713) 666-9595. Admission tickets at the door will be between $8 and $10 per day for those age 6 and over and free for ages 5 and under.

For the first time since 1991, Bobby Cox took home National League Manager of the Year honors today. He really did a great job patching together the team amidst an injury-plagued first half. I’m surprised how much he (and Mazzone) got out of essentially a no-name bullpen beyond Smoltz. The voting wasn’t even close with Cox garnering 22 first-place votes to Tony LaRussa’s 4. In typical Cox fashion he suggested LaRussa was more deserving of the award.

Cox is signed through 2005 but I bet he’ll manage the Braves at least another 4 years. That would entrench him in 4th place on the career wins list, behind Connie Mack, John McGraw, and presumably the younger LaRussa.

Rumors at the general manager meetings in Key Biscayne, FL indicate the Braves may sign John Smoltz to a contract extension, possibly through 2007. Smoltz really wants to return to the starting rotation. The Braves may work a deal whereby he accepts a lesser salary starting in 2006 in exchange for getting his wish to start again. As great as Smoltz was a starter, he’s been even more valuable as a closer. And, again, the Braves rotation will likely be in fine shape next year without him. The old adage “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” comes to mind…

The Braves announced their 2005 schedule on Friday. The A’s and Angels will visit Atlanta for the first time next year. The Braves’ season opener will take place April 5 in Florida against the Marlins. Stay tuned for tickets ordering information…

Welcome to Braves News World, a blog about all things Atlanta Braves. If you don’t mind, let’s skip the formalities and let the “news and views” begin!

Schuerholz has his work cut out for him this offseason (doesn’t he every year nowadays!). J.D. Drew, Jaret Wright, Russ Ortiz, Paul Byrd, and Julio Franco have filed for free agency. The exodus of pitching talent has the potential to decimate the Braves’ pitching staff so much that there has been discussion of John Smoltz returning to the starting rotation.

As much as I’m hoping the Braves can find a way to retain Wright’s services, I’m afraid it’s a lost cause. Rumors are already surfacing that the Phillies have contacted Wright and, for that matter, Russ Ortiz (possibly in breach of the league’s collusion laws).

But, regardless, I think these concerns are overblown and the Braves will still have a strong staff next year. I understand Paul Byrd has strong ties to Atlanta and may sign for less to stay in Atlanta. He quietly put together a very solid season in 2004. Hampton and John Thomson will be back and don’t forget Horacio Ramirez… Adding Smoltz to those four borders on overkill. If they do move Smoltz back, I don’t see them counting on Alfonseca to close. Rumors point to free agent Troy Percival as a more likely candidate.

That’s it for the inaugural post! I look forward to your comments and many great discussions about the Braves.