What a difference a year makes. Tom Glavine is back. John Schuerholz is no
longer making the deals. Mark Teixeira is the new power broker, and Andruw
Jones no longer has a tomahawk sewn across his chest. The team that won
14 straight division championships but hasn’t seen October baseball the last
two seasons appears poised to make a run at a division title. But is a fresh
face at first base, an old one on the mound and a new GM calling the shots
enough to push the Braves past the Mets and Phillies? Says Frank Wren, the
new general manager, “From my perspective, we will be a very exciting club.
I think our pitching will be much better and our position players will be coming
of age as run producers.”
Rotation Despite the fact that the team won 84 games last season,
the rotation was a mess at times, and the team hopes Glavine is the remedy.
Going into 2007, the starters were supposed to be John Smoltz, Tim Hudson,
Mike Hampton, Chuck James and Kyle Davies. The oft-injured Hampton never
made it out of spring training, while Davies was a bust and then exported to
Kansas City. James had trouble staying consistent in the No. 3 spot, and manager Bobby Cox played musical chairs with the other two positions in the rotation. If Hampton, who hasn’t thrown a ball in a regular-season game since August 2005, can give the team some starts, and Glavine can pitch 200 innings, the rotation could be a team strength. Jair Jurrjens, acquired from the Tigers, appears to have won the battle for the fifth spot. Meanwhile, one has to wonder just how much more the 40-year-old Smoltz (702 games and 3,367 innings) has in that right arm, though over and over last year he proved he could bounce back after experiencing some pain. Also, after a couple of disappointing seasons in Atlanta, Hudson went 16–10 with a 3.33 ERA, cutting more than a run-and-a-half off his ERA from 2006.
Bullpen No matter how hard they try, this always seems to be a troubled spot. It was supposed to be the strongest part of the team last year with Bob Wickman, Mike Gonzalez and Rafael Soriano. But Wickman blew a gasket and Gonzalez blew out his arm, leaving Soriano to hold everything together. With Wickman gone, Soriano gets the closer’s role again, while the Braves will have to wait until June to see if Gonzalez can return from arm surgery. Gonzalez appears to be on track and could be a huge boost at midseason. Behind setup man Peter Moylan, the rest of the spots are up for grabs, though management loved the way rookie righthander Manny Acosta came up late last year and had a 2.28 ERA in 23.2 innings. James could be a solid option as well.
Middle Infield Looking to the future and trying to build up some talent in the minors, the Braves traded veteran shortstop Edgar Renteria and will go with the young Yunel Escobar. The Cuban native has a fabulous career ahead of him, both in the field and at the plate, hitting .319 last season in 94 games. His double-play partner is converted outfielder Kelly Johnson, whose move to second base last season was a masterstroke by Cox. Johnson is very athletic, and despite his inexperience at the position, he made very few mistakes.
Corners Chipper Jones remains one of the best pure hitters in the game. He hit .337 with 29 home runs and 102 RBIs in 2007, but he hasn’t played more than 137 games in a season since 2003. At first is Teixeira, who was acquired for the stretch run last year. In 54 games with the Braves, he hit .317 with 17 homers, 56 RBIs and a .615 slugging percentage. He underwent arthroscopic knee surgery in November but is expected to be 100 percent well before Opening Day.
Outfield This is where it’s going to be interesting, considering the player (Andruw Jones) who has roamed center field since 1996 is gone. Cox believes strongly in giving Matt Diaz a chance to get in the lineup, and he’ll play left, while the steady and quickly improving Jeff Francoeur (208 RBIs over the last two years) is in right. Mark Kotsay comes over from Oakland to fill the void in center. The Braves are convinced he has recovered from the back problems that plagued him last season. Josh Anderson has only 67 major league at-bats, but by midseason you may see him in the mix as well as Jordan Schafer, the team’s top prospect.
Catching Everyone in baseball knows the name of Brian McCann, who is quickly becoming one of the best all-around catchers in the game. Only 24, he has gone to two straight All-Star games and gives the Braves consistent run production, driving in a combined 185 runs over the last two seasons. He also has caught 269 games over the last two years, and most important, the pitchers love working with him.
Bench With Diaz pegged as a starter, the pop off the bench will come from Scott Thorman, who started last season at first base. Newly acquired Omar Infante will see plenty of work as he can play second, short and third. Touted prospect Martin Prado, a second baseman, will also have a chance to make the team, and the young Brandon Jones will likely see some work in the outfield. The Braves also brought back former catcher Javy Lopez, who is in great shape and can still swing the bat. But the Braves have no confidence in his defense behind the plate or his throwing. Brayan Pena will likely be the backup catcher.
Management Cox is now in his 27th season, and it could be his final one as the Hall of Famer continues to be one of the best regular-season skippers in the game. However, this year will be different as his partner upstairs, John Schuerholz, is now the team president. But Wren, the new GM, has been with the Braves for the last eight years as Schuerholz’s assistant, and Cox has tremendous respect for his new boss.
Final Analysis With the Mets adding Johan Santana to their rotation, and the Phillies looking as strong as last season, the Braves have a challenge ahead of them. Last year, Atlanta was really just one winning streak away from being right there at the end. This year’s team has a chance to win 90 games, and there are several prospects who should be ready to help that cause toward midsummer. But as usual, the key will be starting pitching, and the team is hoping that Glavine has one great season left in what will likely be the last campaign of his Hall of Fame career. Also, don’t be surprised if the Braves bring in a big outfield bat if they are in the thick of the race in July.
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