It may come as no surprise but doesn't this make you feel even better about sending Edgar to Detroit for Jurrjens and Hernandez?

$11 million would be too much to pay after a .270 10 HR, 55 RBI year.

But do you think anyone would be willing to go with a Edgar as a cheap option at short? I know the Dodgers are serious about Manny and not so serious about Rafael. Maybe with the money they have to put toward Ramirez's check they'd like a less expensive version of Renteria.

They took a chance with Andruw. Any thoughts?

1) Lose weight. That means NO Trick or Treating,  NO pumpkin pie, and especially NO dinner dates with Andruw Jones... even if he offers to pay. 

2)  Batting practice. 

3) Note to self: If for some strange reason, the Braves offer me a contract for more than one year... JUST TAKE IT! Otherwise... Kansas City 2010. 

4) Try to get better at hitting. 

5) Go by the optometrist. That contact didn't do crap for me!

6) Wake up. Eat. Batting practice. Sleep. 

7) Call Smoltzie. What was the name of that "sports psychologist" he kept talking about?

8) BP with TP.

9) Ok so maybe just one night of trick or treating won't hurt. I've already got the costume the "Franks" let me borrow. 

via www.braveslaunchpad.com

We desperately need a couple of good starting pitchers in Atlanta. Would you like to be one of them? We are looking for:

-A Starting pitcher who doesn't suck (like Chuck James).
-Won't spend considerable time on the DL while under contract (like every pitcher but Jurrjens)
-And will pitch more than 30+ times a year after signed. (not like Hampton)

Must have impressive W-L record, excellent ERA and WHIP and give 20 QS's a year. Experience is required and company loyalty is a bonus.

Perks include:
-Multi million dollar contract for each year.
-Pitching for a Major League Baseball team.
-Adoring fans (unless you suck).

Please contact me directly if you're interested!

~FWren

Check out the Craigslist post here.

Hey Rays fans!

First of all congrats on your "worst to first" season. Great to see y'all get the division and I wish you the best of luck in this year's playoffs.

Here's the skinny. I'm putting out a "Want Ad" for Rays bloggers who would like to contribute to a baseball blog that will be covering every game of the playoffs. As the first round opponent is decided, I'd like to feature the ALDS from a TB perspective.

So if you're a Rays blogger I'd love to hear from you! If you already have your own blog it would be a great way to generate some traffic and get some link ins.

Contact me at JB@braveslaunchpad.com , through my SB profile, or visit my site to learn more.

Thanks, and Go Rays!!

~JB in Atlanta, GA

~JB, Atlanta, GA

Last November, the Braves sent "The Vulture" to Houston for then 25 year old Josh Anderson. It gave the Braves one more candidate for the future center field position vacated by the free agent departure of Andruw Jones. Shortly before spring training however, the Braves traded for Kotsay on January 14th, 2008 and Anderson's fate was all but sealed and he would spend '08 in Richmond. 

We all know how the story goes from there. Kotsay gets center, gets hurt, Josh comes up, Josh promptly goes right back. But the with the wash of 2008 fully realized and Kot's contract coming up, Mark (and his wife) were sent to Boston and Josh comes back. 

But let's flashback to look at Josh's short major league career to date. 

A year ago yesterday, Josh Anderson made his major league debut with the Astros. During his time in the September callup of 2007 for Houston, Josh did fairly well.  He hit .358 in 21 games with 3 doubles 11 RBI's and a stolen base. His OBP was      .413 and an OPS of .816.

This year, now that he's getting some significant playing time after Kotsay's departure to Beantown, here's how Josh's stats look before today's game had started;

                G   AB    R    H   2B  3B  HR    RBI     SB    CS  BB   SO   BA     OBP    OPS 

Atlanta   17   49    8   16    2    1    1       4          5        0      6     7     .327   .400     .869

This year has seen only a slight drop in batting average but 5 stolen bases in 5 attempts, a higher OPS and a slight pop in the bat that's produced 4 RBI and a triple to go with his homer for '08. Now, 17 games doesn't tell all, so perhaps a better indicator of his readiness to play in Atlanta every day  would be what he's done all year long in Richmond.

 G    AB    R    H   2B   3B   HR  RBI    SB   CS  BB      K   BA   OBP    OPS 

 121 494  77  155  25   4      4      40     42     7   30     57 .314   .358   .763

So the guy can steal bases and he did it at an impressive 85%.  A quick peek at his fielding stats and 

you'll see nothing too impressive. Eight assists and 2 DP's but only 4 errors this year to give him .987% for all positions played in Richmond.  

So there are your numbers on Josh. But why am I so certain Josh will win the starting position for 

centerfield? 

Well to start with Josh is defying some expectations. One of the biggest flaws brought up on his scouting report say he doesn't hit lefties well. A righty who hits from the left side, Josh's AB's against lefties are few in 2008 but the numbers are good. He's 4-11 hitting .364, .364 OBP, with a double and 1 RBI against southpaws. So though this is a small scope of AB's they are major league AB's and if he's truly adjusted, and he can hit lefties, he would have a lot to offer and be a great every day guy. 

The other critique is that he doesn't have a lot to offer in the power department. But his is irrelevant as his strengths are really in his ability to get on base, steal, and help manufacture runs. In an outfield that saw very poor power production, some Braves fans may cringe at the idea of not bringing in a thumper. But Anderson is the kind of player the Braves need to add some moderate pop (the occasional homer or triple but  good doubles numbers) and of course he will steal bases. Being a true table setter is Josh's forte and I can't say I don't love the idea of bringing this element back into the lineup  for the first time since Furcal. 

So the Braves' next move should be to get a power bat, most likely by trade, but the starting job for center field 2009 should go to Anderson. He's making the most of the grooming he's getting in the Show in spite of an 0-5 day in Miami today. 

So that leaves Blanco and Schaefer in to be the odd men out. Of course we won't know anything until the job is filled in Spring but if you've watched Josh this month he's playing like centerfield is his to lose. Plus, I think it's time we got a young center fielder who won't strike out like Andruw, hurt his back like Kotsay, or bring potential drama like the "J.S.". And though Blanco has done well with his duties this year, I think Anderson is making him, and any other candidate, look dispensable. 

My prediction is that where we once saw #25 patrolling the lawn, #24 will soon be a fixture.  

JB @ The Launching Pad

c/o TheLaunchingPad

After shaving off the beard, the "rally stache" just doesn't work the same way.

Frenchy sat out today's game against the Cubs after a 0-4 showing in the Desert that included 6 LOB's and a GIDP  against the Snakes. I'm not trying to rip on Frenchy but maybe he needs more than a few spot sit out's to get the bat going again. 

I was hopeful when he was sent to Mississippi he would have time to clear his head, retool, and get his act together. But Wren's bizarre decision making made that a futile effort. A good week on the bench and some time to unplug may do him some good. 

But what do I know? I'm no hitting coach. 

All I can say is, I wish Francoeur the best and hope for the return of the (almost) .300, 100+ RBI season real soon. 

And I hope that mustache works out for him... the beard didn't. 

~JB

JB@TheLaunchingPad

So Teixeira came to Atlanta a year ago to bolster the Braves postseason push. He was brought in with much aplomb and excitement even sparking the now somewhat famous (if not annoyingly repetitive “Teixeira Song”). We all expected things to change and every Brave was a flutter with World Series talk in the clubhouse.

But as another faltering series closes out and further insult is piled upon injury, the Mark Teixeira “era” along with any deluded playoff hopes are over.

We now welcome Casey Kotchman in the first of many moves to come in the Braves first real rebuilding year since 1990. It’s been a while since we’ve had one and now it’s our turn to look for long term building blocks rather than an array of short term fixes. I have to say… Casey seems like a good step in that direction.

Adding a reasonably priced, young, talented first baseman who doesn’t resemble Scott Thorman, Rico Brogna, or Julio Franco is a breath of fresh air. Of course Kotchman does not replace Tex’s bat, but at 25 he gives us hope for the future and we’ve made a trade that gives us the option of keeping him as a Braves for at least 3 years if not beyond.

What’s the next step in rebuilding? Many would say we should bring on a true slugger and grab some talented starting pitching.

I’m one of those.  Among other things, our outfield needs a heavy hitting boost badly. Let’s face it, your biggest slugger should rarely be the guy behind the plate or the perennial DL All Star.

As for pitching, Jair Jurrjens has officially made himself the face of the patchwork starting staff. He, in all likelihood (fingers crossed), should be rejoined next year by Hudson but we really need three more proven starters. I know Smoltz would love to pitch next year and he may, but the need for at least two youngsters to replace Hampton and Glavine are glaring.

I like the move made this week to get a long term addition. It excites me to see what Casey can bring to the plate and on the field. Now with some spending money in our pockets, let’s go burn a little cash this off season and get some proven yet young talent to fill the voids left by injury, departure, old age- or all three.

Who are your suggested next pickups/rebuilding blocks? Ohman's on the block and there's a moderatley good free agent market coming up before '09.

~JB @ The Launching Pad

Just before I start.

Chip, I don’t hate Mike Hampton. I don’t think he’s a bum. I don’t blog just so I can rip him apart every time I’m alerted to yet another one of his startling and bewildering injuries. Now I’ve had some fun at Mike Hampton’s expense but that’s just because his injuries are so comical.

Mike Hampton is just a complete anomaly. His many explanation-defying injuries are just fodder for bloggers (like me) because it gives us something to talk about. And as much as it disappoints me that his comeback is happening in July rather than in April against the Pirates, I’ve gotten to the point where all I can do is laugh-and I do- at how strange it all is. I mean something like this is too good of a story to just ignore because it defies logic, all expectations, and is just plain bizarre. It’s more bizarre than Frenchy’s inexplicable trip to Mississippi and back that didn’t even last the fortnight it was supposed to. It’s more bizarre than our road record and one run loss mishaps at the beginning of the year. But that’s just been our season. Bizarre. A tale of two teams, a swath of moves that I just don’t get, and now Mike Hampton… in all his ironic beauty, is going to pitch in a crucial series coming off a night that the Braves actually looked very good.

So speaking of two Braves teams, which team showed up last night in Philadelphia?

Was it the team that had been swept twice at home by the Phillies?

The team that had just headed to Miami after dropping a weekend series loss at home to the Natspos?

No, it was the team that some how manages to win ballgames by very large margins and have explosive run production rather than the team that has almost been no-hit twice and shut more times that I want to go find the stat for.

Last night was a great win for many reasons. McCann homered twice and one of those shots was a nail in the coffin, sayonara, man-its-good-to-have-McCann-type, grand slam as part of a 7 run ninth inning in which every Brave hit.

And Jurrjens… He was just on last night. The 2008 NL ROY got his 10th win but check out his line in Philly: 8 IP, 6 K’s, 0ER, 3 H’s. I love you, Jair.

The Mets won again last night keeping us at 6.5 by today’s 3:55pm start. Boo hoo.

And yes as we mentioned earlier Mike Hampton is slotted to start today’s game. And if the Braves are going to have any serious thoughts about baseball beyond September, this series (and thus this game and/or tomorrow’s) is a must win.

But the Braves don’t have to just play great baseball from here on out. They need two things. To play exceptional baseball and Mets Collapse (Version 2.8). But they also need the Phils to keep playing the way they have lately and they need the Marlins to just finally bite it. (So four things).

Folks, the Wild Card ain’t coming out of the NL East so just get that naughty little thought out of your head (for those of you who like to say “Well there’s always the Wild Card”- bull hockey!). The Wild Card will be a Central team for sure and so in the East it’s do or die. If we can manage even getting back within 3.5 games back by our next Mets series (Auguest 19-21) we can control our own destiny. IF.

I said after the All Star Break that the Braves magic number is 44. They need at least 44 wins until the end of the season (and also the aforementioned choking of three other teams) to even have a prayer. So far the Braves are 4-3 since the start of the second half. It’s less likely that the Mets will fall apart two seasons in a row even if the Braves do get hot. But let’s put it this way. They’d have to get very hot and against some pretty good teams over the next month.

The Brewers, Two Cardinals’ series, and the Cubs, are in our near future. Even the .500 NL West leading Diamondbacks are not going to be easy. The only “push over” we have are the Giants but like the Nats I’m afraid they wouldn’t mind playing spoiler. And depending on which Braves team shows up in San Francisco… they could.

Here’s irony for you as we close. What if Mike Hampton gets a win today? If there ever was going to be a turning point and it’s July 26th, how suiting would it be if Mike was part of the Miracle? Because nothing short of a Miracle will keep us in this.

Your thoughts?

Keep Choppin’

PS I still have Mike Hampton’s backup ready if Bobby needs him.