we lost ray-ray

http://atlanta.braves.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20061013&content_id=1710688&vkey=news_kc&fext=.jsp&c_id=kc

10/17/2006 10:31:37 PM

10/17/2006 10:59:38 PM

Oh well Ray faded badly in the 2nd half. Given our questionable bullpen situation, I'm not sure we should have put him on waivers though. Dayton Moore must have liked what he saw from Ray last year.

Hopefully if Davies, Hampton, Ramirez are all healthy, then one of them can be a solid long relief guy next year (I'm guessing Davies) to go along with Hudson, Smoltz, and James. Villareal, Tyler Yates, Wickman, McBride, and Boyer should be the foundation of the pen next year. I'm not sure what they'll do with Cormier, Paronto, or Reitsma. Cormier wasn't too bad as a fill in starter late in the year so he has some value.

It sounds like the Mets are going to overpay for Glavine to stay in NY next year since Gaydro is out for half of 2007. I was really, really hoping Glavine would come back to Atlanta to finish his career. It also sounds like Giles is almost a lock to be traded, but I am not sure why anyone would give up much for him. His career is kindof in a downslide if you look at his stats the last four years.





[Edited on October 18, 2006 at 10:33 AM. Reason : 4]

10/18/2006 10:31:14 AM

I dont see much hope for the braves next season, esp with the phillies increasing their payroll and the marlins' young team getting a year older

10/18/2006 10:35:23 AM

^Assuming Chipper stays healthy, the Braves lineup should be pretty solid if Franceour, McCann, and LaRoche continue to improve. Renteria and Andruw should put up similar numbers again. They still need a leadoff hitter though. A guy like Carl Crawford to play LF would be awesome.

The pitching is still suspect of course so that makes it hard to believe they'll do much better. If they had Wickman for the whole year though, they would've won the wild card (granted the NL was extremely weak this year).

10/18/2006 10:39:58 AM

in on page 1

10/18/2006 10:40:56 AM

^^^ the marlins just fired the guy who was managing all of that young talent

10/18/2006 11:43:36 AM

Quote :

"^^^ the marlins just fired the guy who was managing all of that young talent "

just?

10/18/2006 11:46:38 AM

okay, so they did it fifteen days ago.

is that better?

10/18/2006 11:49:20 AM

It doesnt really matter if girardi is there or not.

Their lineup of

Ramirez
Hermida
Uggla
Cabrera
Willingham
Jacobs
(whoever else they decide to play)

is good enough to help their pitching make it far, not to mention its avg age is like 23

10/18/2006 11:50:35 AM

the braves offense is just fine, only the phillies scored more runs in the NL

Quote :

"Hopefully if Davies, Hampton, Ramirez are all healthy, then one of them can be a solid long relief guy next year (I'm guessing Davies) to go along with Hudson, Smoltz, and James. Villareal, Tyler Yates, Wickman, McBride, and Boyer should be the foundation of the pen next year. I'm not sure what they'll do with Cormier, Paronto, or Reitsma. Cormier wasn't too bad as a fill in starter late in the year so he has some value."

no way we bring back yates, boyer, paronto, or reitsmsa -- villareal and cormier are questionable

ramirez is probably gone too



lonnie smith?

10/18/2006 12:09:00 PM

^ What I've been reading is that Yates will definitely be back and assuming Boyer is healthy he'll have his shot in spring training to join the pen. Villareal was valuable to us last year as a fill in stater and long relief so I don't see why he'd be gone. I certainly hope Reitsma is gone, but Paronto wasn't bad so why let him go.

I'd be in favor of getting rid of HoRam as well, but I don't see it happening. We don't need another lefty if Hampton is back, but we'll see what Bobby and John will do. Package HoRam and Giles for a decent LF with speed - someone like Dave Roberts or something.

10/18/2006 12:48:06 PM

The Marlins will regress this year, the league will catch up with Ryan Howard, and the Braves will compete with the Mets for the NL East. So it shall be.

10/18/2006 12:50:19 PM

^ only because the Mets starting pitching will be thin/inexperienced. That lineup is going to pound out some runs.

10/18/2006 12:53:35 PM

Yeah, it's going to be

Glavine
El Duque
Maine
Pelfrey
Humber/Ollie Perez

until Pedro gets back. That is some serious young talent but young also means inconsistent. I'm hoping the offense can back them until they get some experience and confidence.

I really do think the Marlins will regress next year though. They'll be decent but I don't see a .500 record from them. The Phillies are from Philadelphia so they aren't going to win the East.

10/18/2006 1:14:27 PM

okay, time to make it 26 out of 27

10/20/2006 12:20:41 AM

I don't know. The NL east shoudl be pretty competitive next year. Hopefully the braves won't have a 2-459 month. If they dont' do that, the wild card should at least be up for grabs.

10/20/2006 12:28:45 AM

NL East Next year :

1. Phillies
2. Mets
3. Marlins
4. Braves
5. Nats

Phillies already have a great lineup but they will add a good right handed bat (A. Ramierez, M. Ramierez, A-Rod, Sheffield, etc) and one or two solid starting pitchers (Suppan, Carpenter, Schmidt, etc).

Mets are gunna be right there the whole year and will def sign some free agents so 1 and 2 could swap easily

Marlins are gunna have a sophmore slump but if they keep everyone they will be dangerous in the next couple of year.

The braves just dont have alot of talent right now but alot of it is developing (Mcann & Davies)

The Nats are the Nats

Also to whoever said that the braves would have won the wild card if they had wickman all year is retarded.

[Edited on October 20, 2006 at 7:48 AM. Reason : typing]

10/20/2006 7:47:44 AM

^ you are a fucking idiot. Do you even know anything about baseball at all?? I seriously doubt it. First of all the Phillies will NOT win the East in 07 and the Braves will be better than 4th.

As for the Wickman comment - I made that and it is true. Look at the number of blown saves the Braves had before he arrived and then look at how he did as a Braves closer. Had he even converted just 10 of those blown saves and based off his conversion rate as a Braves, he easily would have, the Braves win the wild card.

10/20/2006 9:16:00 AM

should've thrown some "OFFICIAL" stuff in the title, but it's all good

GO BRAVES!

10/20/2006 9:24:48 AM

The offense will be fine. The lineup should put up plenty of runs, and will be even better than last year if Jeff Francouer and Adam Laroche learn how to hit pitches that do something other than go straight. We need to figure out how to get Tim Hudson a new contract with Satan, preferably a 3 or 4 year deal. And get John Smoltz on whatever "workout" program Roger Clemens has been on for the last 5 years. If Hampton comes back strong, we'll be competing again.

10/20/2006 10:42:38 AM

i agree with ^ that guy

but he has the most unfortunate unity id ever

10/20/2006 1:57:52 PM

^Ha! Most people think it's funny. I like it, personally. It's easy for people to remember.

10/20/2006 2:03:59 PM

Do you know anything about baseball? With or without wickman you can't say they would have won the wild card, they just weren't that good. None of the teams contending for the NL wild card were good. Next year the Phillies will be good and just because you know very little about them does not mean they automatically have no shot.

10/22/2006 5:37:09 PM

I think the Braves would have won the wild card with wickman. If you take his save% and look at the braves save% before wickman..We would have gotton about 20 more wins which =wild card.

10/22/2006 5:47:09 PM

It doesn't work that way. There's too many what if's involved in that and it might be the stupidest argument ever.

10/22/2006 5:50:02 PM

i know you're not saying other people make stupid arguments.

10/22/2006 8:02:11 PM

I am saying that that is a stupid argument because basing your argument on a hypothetical situation is stupid.

10/23/2006 7:13:52 AM

ahahaha wtf

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/sports/15946528.htm

lonnie smith had a plan to assasinate schuerholz

11/7/2006 5:37:19 PM

damn that is bizarre!

11/7/2006 5:40:51 PM

^^ WTF!?! Maybe all those drugs he took back in the 80s is what fucked up his base running in the 91 WS. Damn you Lonnie Smith

11/7/2006 10:51:35 PM

would someone please awaken john schuerholz and tell him the free agent signing period has began

11/30/2006 12:03:00 PM

Well I wouldn't be signing anyone in a market where Gary Matthews gets a 4 year, 50MM deal with a complete no trade clause either. The 1 year, sub 9MM deals are the way to go this year until the market settles down...

Omar Minaya hasn't made any real big deals besides signing Alou to the one year deal... though we all know Barry Zito will be a Met.

11/30/2006 12:04:24 PM

glavine is reportedly holding out for a 2-year deal with a no-trade clause

which means he'll likely be a met again

11/30/2006 12:06:28 PM

The Braves should just give Glavine two years. Assuming he can pitch at 80-90% of what he did last year, that is still 100X better than Ho Ram or Davies.

11/30/2006 12:23:20 PM

^ Agreed. If for no other reason than to screw up the Mets rotation worse than it already is, the Braves GOT to get Glavine. I wish Schuerholz wouldn't be so slow to make moves.

11/30/2006 1:18:22 PM

Mets rotation is going to be

Zito 29 years old
Duque 36 (but probably more like 41)
Glavine 41
Maine 26
Perez/Pelfrey/Humber 25,23,23

[Edited on November 30, 2006 at 1:24 PM. Reason : if glavine comes back of course..]

11/30/2006 1:23:49 PM

OH NO


we're gonna suck again

11/30/2006 1:24:49 PM

braves and cardinals fans everywhere are hoping the mets sign zito

12/1/2006 12:28:30 PM

The Rangers are going to get Zito

12/1/2006 12:39:18 PM

I think Zito can be a pretty solid pitcher in the national league. He is still somewhat inconsistent year to year, but he's better than Steve Trachsel.

Any word on the Braves plans with Giles?

12/1/2006 12:53:39 PM

glavine back to the mets, one year deal, per gammons and espn news....

12/1/2006 4:08:19 PM

GO BRAVES

12/1/2006 4:08:52 PM

That is serious bullshit if the Braves could not give Glavine a one year deal matching the Mets.

12/1/2006 4:39:24 PM

^ I agree

From what I've read they never even made him an offer

12/1/2006 4:43:07 PM

if glavine really wanted a two-year deal and/or a no-trade clause, then i'm glad we didn't sign him

12/1/2006 4:43:51 PM

^ how would a no trade clause really hurt the Braves on a one year contract? If they are in the chase, they are not trading him and if they're out of the chase, they're not making any trades anyhow unless they're dumping salary (which doesn't really matter when his contract is up anyway).

I guess if they had him and could trade him, maybe they would be able to get prospects if they're out of the race, but no one is going to give a ton unless he was pitching awesome (which in that case, the Braves are probably in the race).

Basically I don't see why a no trade clause would be a big deal on a 1 year contract.

Oh well fuck the Mets.

12/1/2006 4:53:05 PM

it wouldn't, you're right

everything i heard though said it was two years + no-trade

which i'm glad did not happen

12/1/2006 4:55:09 PM

I really want to see Glavine retire as a Brave and not in that shit ugly Met uniform. Maybe they'll give him a ghetto Emmitt Smith type thing when he's done fucking around in Queens.

12/1/2006 4:58:08 PM

10.5MM for year 1. Player option that vests at 160 IP for 6MM. No no-trade clause, but that doesn't matter to the Mets anyway. They surely will be in the playoff race and won't be trading him no matter what... Just so you guys know...

12/1/2006 7:12:04 PM