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BravesBlast 2009 Christmas Wish List
Written by Jonathan on December 24, 2009 – 8:42 pmWell it’s that time of the year. The BravesBlast crew is putting together our Christmas wish list for this offseason and 2010. While 2009 provided a lot of highlights and improvements over the year before, there are still a lot of improvements and changes needed. So we’ll take a minute from the normal Christmas desires for Playstations and electronics and power tools to talk about one of the things we miss the most this time of year.
5. Add another setup man. The bullpen for the Braves is going to look a little different come 2010. Gone are the days of Soriano and Gonzo splitting time in the 8th and 9th innings. If all goes as planned, the 2010 season will see a lot of Takashi Saito working the 8th and Billy Wagner working closing duty. If Wagner can come back successfully from his Tommy John surgery and return to his dominant closer form, the Braves will be a lot better off than they have been. What we’d like to see however is one more quality setup man to help bridge the gap to the 8th/9th duo. Bobby’s known for utilizing the bullpen a good bit (no thanks to the lack of quality starting pitching we saw before the 2009 season), but it can never hurt to have quality relievers to bail out your starters if need be.
4. More offensive threats. It’s not a big secret that the Braves lack a big-name offensive threat since the departure of Mark Teixeira. Let’s put some numbers behind it. Last season, the Braves hit 149 home runs, ranking 22nd out of the 30 teams in the majors. First place? 244. And while the Braves may have the 5th best team batting average in the National League, they have only the 10th best slugging percentage; that equates to the 22nd ranked slugging percentage in all of baseball. Offense isn’t just hitting however. The Braves often lack the ability to be aggressive on the base path. 2009 saw all of 58 stolen bases for the Braves; next to last in baseball. Having a little more power in the lineup however would open up a lot more opportunities for the team.
3. Solidify the outfield. I’ve had issues with the outfield for the Braves for awhile now. I still agree with the decision to move Francoeur just not necessarily what we got in exchange. I’m happy to have McLouth around until we can bring up some of our prospects (which, by the way, we have a very stout outfield in the making if we can keep out prospects around). I’m still not thrilled about the addition of Melky Cabrera, but I’m happy with some of the other pieces we got out of that trade. So what’s the answer? I say try to track down another power-hitting outfielder that can help with that previous item on my wish list.
2. Find the next Bobby Cox. I know it’s not on the mind much yet, but this is Bobby’s last season managing the Braves and, while the focus needs to be on the season at hand, the future is important as well. So the question is, who is the best option to fill the shoes of one of the most revered managers in the game? To be honest, my answer to that question right now is that I just don’t know. In the end, it needs to be someone that can maintain a positive clubhouse attitude……and get thrown out of games as well as Bobby (though that may just be a personal preference).
1. Going all the way for Bobby. With it having been decided that 2010 is Bobby’s last year at the helm of the Braves, it’s only right that we send him out with the best season possible. The ideal situation obviously is to get out there and take it all the way, but let’s start by focusing on what needs to happen in Atlanta. We need playoff baseball back. After so many years of getting used to having a few guaranteed October games, things have cooled off a little. Let’s get Bobby back to the playoffs one last time!
So there you have it. That’s what we’re looking for out of the organization as Christmas presents to us and the rest of the Braves family. What’s on your wish list for the Braves?
Happy Holidays Everyone!
Tags: Bobby Cox, Braves Offseason Goals, christmas, offseason, wish list
Posted in General | 2 Comments »
By Kent Covington on Dec 26, 2009 | Reply
Good piece, Jonathan! Couple thoughts in regard to the bullpen…
While many will (fairly) reserve judgment on Wagner until at least a couple months into next season… an argument could be made that he ALREADY HAS successfully returned from TJ surgery and once again shown dominant form.
As for having someone to pave the way to Saito and Wagner, I think between Peter Moylan, O'Flahery, and Chavez, who was very solid for Tampa in the middle innings… we're in pretty good shape there.
Also, Scott Proctor, who the Braves signed a few weeks ago, is due back in May from TJ surgery rehab. Sometimes there's a big adjustment period, but other times, relievers are able to make an immediate impact (Mike Gonzalez and Billy Wagner, just to name a couple of recent examples).
Rounding out the back of the bullpen will be Medlen, and probably Mike Dunn, who came over in the Vazquez trade.
Overall, I'm pretty comfortable with the composition of the 'pen.
By Kent Covington on Dec 26, 2009 | Reply
Also, I don't mean to be contrary here, but… I don't think the Braves '09 season totals are all that relevant when evaluating what the team needs to do from '09 to '10.
Reason being that the Braves literally changed this lineup more mid-season than they did over the entire previous off-season. So all the stats from the first 2-3 months of the season really tell us nothing about the team with which we headed into this winter.
From June 28 until the last week of the season, the Braves led the NL in runs scored. That's a stretch of 80+ games (more than half a season). Not a fluke. And that stretch began a month before LaRoche's arrival, though he certainly played a big role.
But my point is simply that many people look at ATL's '09 season totals and think this team has further to climb back on top than it actually does. The Braves SUBSTANTIALLY upgraded THREE positions mid-season… so a Jason Bay, a Matt Holliday (or anyone else that pricey) wasn't/isn't necessary.
I think Glaus was a nice pick up, but one more bat is still needed… If for no other reason than the fact that Glaus hasn't exactly been Iron Man in recent years. If the Braves can now add someone like Nady or DeRosa (with Heyward also set to impact), I think this offense will be in great shape for '10!