Braves Trade Rumor Updates

All indications are pointing towards the Braves taking a passive approach to the non-waiver trade deadline. Here are the Braves related notes I have been hearing as of this morning:

• Mike Gonzalez - The Braves closer has received interest from the Texas Rangers organization. The Rangers, in desperate need of bullpen help would be willing to trade an outfielder for Gonzalez. Outfielders could include David Murphy, Frank Catalanotto, Brandon Boggs or Marlon Byrd. While the Braves need an outfielder, it would be unwise to sell Gonzalez at this low of a price. He has a top-5 closer ceiling, it would be painful to see that production in another organization. Murphy and a top prospect might get the trade done however. For those who do not know David Murphy yet — he is a hard-nosed player that pounds the gaps hard. He will not be an all-star but has some above-average years in him. The rest of that crew would not be an attractive solution to our problems with outfield power.
• Mark Teixeira - The Braves have apparently started to seriously consider moving Teixeira. CBS Sportsline has a report up stating that the Braves have made a list that includes Boston, Los Angeles (AL), Tampa Bay, and Arizona of potential trading partners. These are four organizations with deep minor league systems that could really turn into a bidding war if two or more organizations get involved in this deal. I don’t see how Tampa Bay is interested in this because they have a long term commitment to Carlos Pena who has power and plays great defense, much like Teixeira. Putting one of the two at DH would be a detriment to those two players. A new rumor that was floating around is Robb Quinlan and Brandon Wood of the Angels to the Braves for Teixeira. That is a terrible offer if that is indeed the truth. Quinlan is a career bench player and Wood’s star has burned a lot dimmer in recent years since hitting 43 home runs in 2005 at High-A Ranco Cucamonga. Also, where does Wood fit on this team? He is a third-baseman/shortstop. There isn’t a place for him this season. Los Angeles would be a lot closer offering Casey Kotchmann and Juan Rivera.
• Tim Hudson - His name has been mentioned once, but it is highly doubtful that the Braves would be interested in moving their ace.
• Mark Kotsay - He has just this year left on his contract but has played well despite some injuries.  I have doubts that they could get much for him - but you never know.
• Will Ohman - This is a name that may be mentioned more frequently over the next few days. While I have not heard of any specific deals in which Ohman might be involved in, he has put together a great season and is a lefty. I can’t imagine anything that might make him more attractive.
• Jeff Francoeur was mentioned by Braves.com today in trade rumors - though this may be shocking to some people, he’s not doing well at all.  The Royals may be interested - their GM was formerly in the Braves organization.

It may be 4:01 on July 31st when the baseball world finally knows what the Braves intentions were for this trade season.  Rumors will continue to flutter around and we may not know what’s going on until it happens.

- Dan & Colin

Morton’s Chipper, Taking On Phillies

Charlie Morton takes the mound tonight against the Phillies - hoping the Braves offense can back him this time out.  And, unexpectedly, Chipper Jones may be in the lineup doing his part. That’ll help Morton feel happier - or even Chipper - if you will, about this game.

Chipper ran some sprints today and noticed significant improvement in his right quad.  He told Bobby Cox about an hour ago he was ready to be in the lineup for the game tonight.  The final decision will be made after batting practice, but Chipper, who was expected to go on the DL today, normally knows his body pretty well.  I’d expect to see him doing his part.  Hopefully he’s kept up his hot swing while he’s been unable to run, because I can’t wait to see him in front of Mark Teixeira, who has been absolutely on fire recently.  Oh, and we get Mark Kotsay back from the DL tonight.  And if that’s not good enough, we’ll get Yunel Escobar back in the lineup tomorrow.  We’ll see an improvement in offense with those three.

Morton needs a win.  He’s had three starts and is 1-1 with a 4.24 ERA, but he’s pitched very well in all of those starts - not giving up more than 3 earned runs.  He’s due tonight and if the guys can deliver offensively, we should see another W for the Bravos.

Time to make a run to the top of the division, gentlemen.  Go get ‘em!

- Colin

Kotsay, Schafer Back Hanson’s No-Hitter

While on his rehab assignment in double A ball, Mark Kotsay got to see something pretty special—a no hitter. Tommy Hanson threw the Mississippi Braves’ first no-hitter and struck out 14 in what became a career night for the young prospect. Hanson pitched the gem against the Birmingham Barons—the Chicago White Sox’s double A affiliate.

Hanson saw some trouble in the first inning when he had the bases loaded after a walk, a hit batsman and another walk. Hanson got the next hitter to pop out and saw calm seas after that. Hanson allowed just one base runner after the first inning, that coming on a walk. Hanson struck out the side in the second inning, fifth inning and again in the seventh for nine of his 14 total strikeouts.

Mark Kotsay and prospect Jordan Schafer helped in the effort with their offense. Kotsay had two hits and scored a run, while Shafer’s bases-loaded triple drove in three more.

Obviously, Hanson’s no hitter was the story of the evening. Hanson (4-3, 4.32 ERA) went 3-1 with a 0.90 ERA in seven games in A-ball at Myrtle Beach. He has struggled in just two of his nine starts, but those have been the cause of his inflated ERA.

Hanson is a guy that could be a trading chip for the Braves this year or next year. With the rotation set up the way it is, it looks solid from Hudson at the top to Morton at the bottom.

There’s still about a month left till the trade deadline, so we’ll see how Hanson’s no hitter affects his trade value.

- Akshay

Kotsay To DL, Anderson Called Up

Braves’ center fielder Mark Kotsay was placed on the 15-day DL today after tightness in his lower back prohibited him from even taking batting practice Thursday before the game against the Brewers.  Speedster Josh Anderson was recalled from AAA Richmond and will be in Cincinnati on Friday night for the start of a three-game series against the Reds.

Kotsay, who missed his last four starts, had back surgery in March of last year.  He came to the Braves in a trade for prospect Joey Devine.  Kotsay is not the first Braves outfielder to go on the DL - Matt Diaz is expected to miss about six weeks with a partially torn PCL that will not require surgery.  While Diaz and Kotsay are on the DL, Josh Anderson is expected to share time in center field and left field with Gregor Blanco.

Anderson was acquired from the Astros in a trade last year in November for reliever Oscar Villareal.  He impressed in spring training and was beat out for the fourth outfield spot by Blanco.

Here Goes Another Road Trip

Well, the time has come for us to buckle down on the road.  By the end of June, the Braves have 19 road games.  In my opinion, these games will define the rest of the season for the Braves.  Without going .500 to .600 in those road games, I don’t see us standing much of a chance to compete, especially if we can’t topple teams such as the Brewers and Reds.  Tonight, we kick off a set against Milwaukee with Tim Hudson taking the mound with his 7-3 record.

The Braves will be without the help of Mark Kotsay tonight and possibly for longer as they ponder placing him on the disabled list with his back problems.  Hopefully the rest of the offense can stay healthy and we see some quality performances out of the pitching staff to try to right the ship against our worst-in-MLB 6-16 road record.  It’s time to get it going on the road, guys.  Go Braves!

Rue’s Rants - The Andruw Counter

I hate our “Andruw Would Have Gotten That” counter.

This counter is crap for more than one reason, but I actually get aggitated every time I see it. At first I thought it was a great idea to have this counter since we thought we’d sorely miss Mr. Jones in the lineup. I can’t say, though, that I’m sorry to see him gone.  For starters, Mark Kotsay is fielding amazingly.  The counter says three, I say MAYBE one, and more accurately if it was called the “Young-Skinny-Athletic-Andruw Would Have Gotten That” counter.  Andruw Jones can hardly carry his 8-month-pregnant belly up a flight of stairs these days, let alone run down some of the stellar hits that Kotsay has gloved.  During the first few games, my boys kept yelling over “write one up for the Andruw counter” on impossible plays.  Andruw thought he was Superman, and still does, but I’ll guarantee you he wasn’t making those catches either way.  The first think we needed to do was be realistic with Kotsay, not sell him short for being less than super human.

Secondly, Kotsay is a much better addition to the batting lineup. Do YOU miss the current Andruw Jones in the lineup? His batting average is worse than Corky Miller’s! The only time a 0.091 is worth $18 million is when it’s an ERA.  Kotsay is hitting like crazy right now. Should we trade that in and wish that Andruw was still here?

Finally, welcome to Atlanta, Mark Kotsay. I think my boys were a little too sad to see the big-man with all of his silver cars hit the road to LA. The cocky man fits in better in LA with his attitude and lack of Southern Hospitality. Mark Kotsay is playing fabulously, is a veteran, has lots of skill and ability, and is the absolute best fit for our team. I’m glad he was chosen over Josh Anderson for the spot. Kotsay is our man, I hope to see him stay here.

So good riddance, Mr. Jones. I’m glad to have you here, Mark. Thanks for making us proud.

Braves Fall To Rockies Once Again

Without even writing it, I’m sure everyone could guess how many runs the Braves lost by in last night’s outing. That’s right.  One run.  For the fifth time out of five losses this season, the Braves lost a one-run game.  This time, again, to the Rockies, with a final score of 4-3, in a second consecutive game where the Braves struggled to find an offensive rhythm.

The game got off to a similar start to the one from Monday night.  Kelly Johnson and Yunel Escobar got on base and Chipper Jones drove in a run with a single to get the Braves out to an early 1-0 lead.  After that, however, the bats fell flat once again.  The only sign of life for the Braves’ offense outside of that was a 2-run home run that Mark Kotsay drove a little over 400 feet to right-center.  That brought the score to 4-3 and ended the offensive output for the night.

Clutch hitting is still a weak point of the Braves.  We hit well when we’re not pressured and have decent leads, but when the game’s on the line, we just can’t seem to get the bats going.  Bobby Cox said it best after the game when he said that we have a great team and we’ve been in every game.  We just need the one-run matchups to start falling our way.  0-5 in one-run games after only 8 games in the season isn’t the way you want to get started off.

From the mound, Jurrjens had a solid outing, pitching through 7 innings.  He gave up 4 runs on 9 hits while striking out 3.  His 2 walks for the night were both intentional passes.  Manny Acosta pitched the 8th inning for the Braves and looked a little unsettled allowing a hit and a walk before striking out two to get out of the inning.  Jurrjens earned his first loss on the season, bringing his record to 1-1.

The Braves face off against the Rockies again tonight in the third game of this four-game series.  Chuck James is slated to make his first start of the season for the Braves against former Brave Mark Redman.  Hopefully Redman will give up as many runs against us tonight as he did when pitching for us last season.  We’ll also be looking for the offense to break out of the slump that has only produced 9 hits through the last two games.

Schafer Suspended for HGH Use

The Braves’ star prospect Jordan Schafer, who had a decent spring, was suspended for 50 games after it was revealed he violated the league’s substance abuse policy. Apparently Schafer tested positive for HGH, not something good to see from a young player who is supposedly the future face of the franchise.

Everywhere you read about this guy and his supposed maturity, but I’m not sold on him yet.  Just because you can play ball (apparently with the help of HGH) doesn’t mean you have the composure and maturity you need to be a major league player and the potential face of the franchise.  You can’t convince me he’s ready for the big league level for at least a year or two.

As for his placeholder, Mark Kotsay, the guy has been great so far.  Solid hitter, great arm, and he does his best to cover ground.  Heck, we haven’t even had to add a single point to our “Andruw would have gotten that” counter.

Schafer is going to need to come back from this suspension with some sincere remorse and work hard to make up for this significant shortcoming.  Not only does it cast doubt on his strong spring, but it shows character flaws and immaturity.  I think Schafer has bought into the hype surrounding his rising star career way too much - and has passed way over the line between confident and cocky.  One has to be worried about seeing someone like Schafer go down this path.  The truly good players - character wise - are the Jeff Francoeurs and Brian McCanns.  They keep their mouths shut and play baseball - don’t dig into anything suspect or suspicious, and let their numbers back up the hype surrounding their careers.

Schafer has a long way to go - good thing we have those extra outfielders now, isn’t it?  Josh Anderson next season, anyone?

Braves Crush Mets, 11-5

In a rainy matchup, the Braves’ offense took it to the Mets’ pitching in yesterday’s matchup that pitted John Maine against Tim Hudson.  Maine never really settled into a groove of looking comfortable, walking three and giving up eight hits and four runs in only four innings of work.  Hudson looked decently strong in his outing, issuing six hits, striking out four, throwing no walks, and giving up three earned runs through six innings.  The Braves provided the needed run support to give Hudson his first win of the season.  I still think Maine will have a solid season for the Mets, he just struggled to find the needed consistency in yesterday’s game.

The Braves got on the board early by scoring in the first inning and continued to do so throughout the game.  Kelly Johnson sealed the victory in the 7th while pinch hitting for Peter Moylan with the bases loaded.  Johnson drove one deep over the right field wall for a grand slam, putting the Braves up 9-3 at the time.  The Mets and Braves both scored 2 in the 8th to bring the final score to 11-5.  Hopefully the Braves saved some offense for today’s game that surely will be a pitcher’s duel.

The strange point in the game came in the Mets’ half of the 5th inning.  The bases were loaded with 1 out for Jose Reyes, who drove a sharp line drive to center.  Mark Kotsay made a diving stab at the ball, but apparently was a trap instead of a catch.  I had to confirm with JB from BravesBlog.net as he was enjoying the game in the dry warmth of his home instead of sitting out in the cold rain with the rest of us.  Kotsay relayed the ball back to the infield into what was originally scored a 8-2-4 double play.  In one of the stranger moments I’ve seen in baseball, the call was actually reversed, the runners were sent back to the bases and the Braves were sent back out in to the field.  In the end, it proved irrelevant.

Today’s matchup is the much awaited meeting of John Smoltz and Johan Santana.  Two aces of their respective staffs, facing off against one another.  This is what baseball is really all about.

Hampton Hurt, Braves Fall

Mike Hampton didn’t even pitch one pitch in the game, but somehow he managed to strain his left pectoral muscle and was replaced by Jeff Bennett.  Wouldn’t you know that something had to happen to Hampton? It’s like the guy is cursed.  I feel sorry for him - getting ready for his first major league start in a long while, and now he’s down with a day-to-day status.  I think we’ll see him back for his next start, if the stars align properly.

Jeff Bennett is a trooper, stepping in for the spot start in the emergency start.  He worked hard each of the last two nights and still jumped in there for the start, pitching four innings and 77 pitches.  He struck out three, walked two, and gave up two earned runs.

But the Braves saw the night turn into one much like they experienced the first two nights.  The bullpen (and a Martin Prado error) let the Pirates back into the game, and the Braves lost their third game this season by one run in extra innings.  Bobby seems to like using everyone out there - these guys are going to be tired if we can’t get some solid starting pitching and get them some rest.

Offensively, Chipper continued his hot start, going 3-5.  Reliever Chris Resop got sent to left field for Adam LaRoche’s at-bat, when Royce Ring came in to deal with him.  Resop then came back to the mound and finished his outing.  At least it was entertaining to watch.

The Braves tried to tie it in the bottom of the 10th.  Mark Kotsay hit a monster drive to dead center that was within six inches of going over the wall.  He ended with a stand-up triple.   But that counts for nothing when you can’t score him, and we didn’t.

The final score was 4-3; mark it down as a 1-3 start with all three losses by one run, two of them in extra innings.  Something’s gotta start going our way.

Next up, the Mets come to town, and Hudson will take on John Maine tomorrow.  Should be a good game - tune in here for coverage.  Look for Hudson, Glavine and Smoltz to make the starts against the Mets.  Hopefully we can get the bats going early and we should have some great games to watch.

Home Opener Thoughts

I’m not trying to manufacture drama here, but I do need to say, last night reminded me even more why baseball is still America’s pastime passion and why the game is important.  Sure, the Braves lost, but that’s not the point.

What did I love about last night?

The feeling of walking up into Monument Grove at 4:30, hours before the game started and seeing the crowd of Braves fan. Looking at those statues of Aaron, Spahn, and Niekro…it felt like…history.  Looking at the Phil Niekro statue. Knowing that, like his fellow Grove-mate, Warren Spahn, he’s not going to be with us forever.

The smell of the ballpark food.

Batting practice. Where any slob (myself included) can, for a moment, be a big league outfielder.

The Braves showing the ultimate salute to one of their own. Asking Javy Lopez to throw out the first pitch. You gave us your best years, Javy. And, most recently, you gave us everything you had. Yeah, it wasn’t enough, but we love you for the effort.

And catching Javy’s pitch? In a beautiful and timeless role-reversal: One John Smoltz.

Tom Glavine. Not only was he wholeheartedly cheered when announced in the roster, but at his first pitch, the stadium stood and screamed encouragement and approval.

But how about the game itself?

Read more »

Braves Drop Exhibition To Tribe

It was great to go back to Turner Field and watch baseball.  Though the crowd was light, the evening was perfect - the sunset and great weather combined with seeing the Braves made it a great evening.  Unfortunately, the Braves dropped the game 7-1 to the Indians behind a bad fourth inning outing by Blaine Boyer.

Jair Jurrjens got the start, giving up two runs in over three innings of work.  However, one of those runs should be charged to Boyer, who did not look good at all in the fourth after he came in.  Some other quick observations:

• Yunel made some great plays defensively, including a nice leaping catch.  I’m excited to see him play a full season.
• Kotsay made a diving grab in the outfield that scared me a little bit - he seemed to catch his arm a little bit but he came up fine.
• I was impressed by Kotsay on the basepaths.  He stayed alert and stole second when the catcher simply dropped the ball.  Caught everyone off guard.  It resulted in Atlanta’s only run of the day.
• We had a “Andruw would have gotten that” moment tonight - but it was later in the game and I think Gregor Blanco was in center, not Kotsay.  So we won’t pop that counter yet.  At least not until the regular season.
• Chipper still won’t run out infield ground balls.
• Fernando Nunez looked good today.  Never heard of him before today, but he looked good.
• Acosta looks good - he’ll be an important part of our bullpen this season.
• The Kelly Johnson / Yunel Escobar double play duo this season will be fun to watch.  They’re getting in the groove and should be really smooth here soon.

Next up, Hampton starts against the Indians at 1:10 tomorrow.  The Braves will have their 25-man roster done tomorrow at some point too.  They have to have it set before Sunday’s game against the Nationals.