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02 August 2010
Every once in a while, we need to see what's going on around the rest of the NL East. This post is that brainchild of one Brandon Martin. Huge Braves fan, thusly a largely unintelligent man or else he wouldn't have been swayed so easily by TBS in the early 90's. However, here's his take on the NL East as it is now and where it's going.
As we come into the last 2 months of the season, it’s fair to say that the Atlanta Braves have lived up to high expectations. In Bobby Cox’s farewell season, the team was assembled with a “win-now” mentality, even with a 20 year-old rookie filling in the missing piece of the last 5 seasons. That rookie, All-Star Jason Heyward, has become the link in the order that the Braves desperately needed and that experts predicted when he was ranked as the #1 prospect in all of baseball. But for the Mets and Phillies fans who have put the Braves in the back of your minds because of their inability to win the East or make the playoffs since 2005, there is one word why you are looking up at the Braves in August 2010…. DEPTH.
The two reasons why the Braves have been so good in 2010 is because Hall of Fame manager Bobby Cox has had options with his lineup, and one of the best bullpens in the National League. A rotation that is as good as any in the league, can only win if supported by the bullpen and the Braves relievers rank T- 1st in MLB with 21 wins and 2nd in the NL with a 3.20 ERA. The depth of the bullpen is outstanding and showcases 4 lefties including rookie fire-baller Jonny Venters who has become another go to guy in the 8th inning with veterans Peter Moylan and Takashi Saito. The Braves have 6 starting pitchers in the bigs with Kawakami the odd man out making important spot starts giving Cox even more options. The Braves roster offers tremendous flexibility as Chipper Jones, who used to be a SS and LF, may be the only position player who doesn’t play more than one position anymore. Having so much to choose from is very dangerous, especially in the hands of one of the best pitchers in baseball. Even when one of last years offensive leaders and annual 20/20 guy such as Nate McLouth can’t get the ball out of the infield, this team hasn’t slowed or skipped a beat because of the depth that they have.
Frank Wren has to be applauded for putting together an exciting, balanced roster full of experienced veterans and exciting young guys. Dating back to last season, trading hometown kid Jeff Franceour to a division rival didn’t seem like a popular or helpful move at the time, but with Frenchy off gone it not only cleared RF for Heyward, but got his $5 million dollar 2010 salary off the books which is being used on everyday guys like Eric Hinske ($1 mil), Melky Cabrera ($3.1 million) and team HR and RBI leader Troy Glaus ($1.75 million). He let young fan-favorites Mike Gonzalez and Rafael Soriano leave and replaced them with experienced veterans Takashi Saito and Billy Wagner who is having a phenomenal season as the Braves closer. Now, a day after the deadline, Frank Wren was able to pick up some nice pieces to help the Braves down the stretch. The Alex Gonzalex-Yunel Escobar deal not only rid the Braves of a “problem” and kid who didn’t fit the mold of a “Braves type” player, but once again gives the Braves a shortstop who has shown above average power this year and who has been deep into the postseason before (Marlins World Series Champions 2003).
The acquisition of CF Rick Ankiel and RP Kyle Farnsworth at the deadline for CF Gregor Blanco, RP Jesse Chaves and prospect Tim Collins is right in line with Wren’s 2010 themes and the Braves came out way on top. Blanco was expendable as never reached his potential behind Nate McLouth, Jordan Schafer and Melky Cabrera and would have been buried in AAA Gwinnett with the acquisition of Ankiel. Chavez, who is arguably the worst pitcher in the Braves bullpen and only acquired because the Braves had to get rid of Rafael Soriano’s contract, probably wouldn’t have made the playoff roster anyway if his ERA remained around 6. While Collins has had some success in his brief minor league career, he was just acquired in the Gonzalez deal from the Blue Jays and probably wasn’t in any of the Braves long term plans. In return, the Braves get a RP in Farnsworth who is having a phenomenal year and who thrived in Atlanta in 2005 when acquired mid-season from the Tigers when we converted 10/10 save opportunities with a sub-two ERA. Ankiel is a guy who has shown pop, and is a great defender with an excellent arm at a position where the Braves had defense first players in all year. With September call ups a few weeks away, it will be interesting to see how Cox mixes McLouth, Cabrera and Ankiel. Either way, he can choose from a gold-glover, a switch hitter, or a 25 hr-threat and one of the games best OF arms for the number 8 hitter in the lineup.
The only thing that Frank Wren and the Braves failed to do with the 2010 Braves is add speed. Chone Figgins was rumored in a deal to Atlanta and he would have given the club the only part of the game they are lacking. Speed never slumps and the Braves are limited to a conservative style of play as they rank 14th out of 16 NL teams in Stolen Bases. However, there is an outstanding urgency to win in Atlanta, and the buzz is still circling from the Spring Training debut of 20 year old Heyward, to Cox’s last season, to a last second trade at 3:59 PM on July 31st to beat the deadline. It’s all amounted in something special so far as the Braves still sport the best home record in all of baseball. With guys like Chipper Jones and Billy Wagner possibly playing their last seasons in the majors, everyone realizes there is a little bit more at stake. Hopefully the “Leprechaun” and good luck charm Eric Hinske, can take the Braves to his 5th straight World Series appearance and all signs point to this being a very realistic possibility.
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