are the Braves trying to sign Jesus?

This is this week's Braves Be-at for Score Atlanta. Enjoy.

The Johnny Damon watch is still on in Bravesland and it appears that the Braves may in fact be finalists for the former Yankee outfielder. Several teams including the Kansas City Royals, Oakland A’s and the Toronto Blue Jays have reportedly dropped out of the running for the former Red Sox, Royal, Athletic and Yankee outfielder, leaving just Detroit and Atlanta as potential landing areas, according to Yahoo sports. The 36-year-old free agent hit .282 with 24 home runs and 82 RBI as the New York Yankees won the franchise’s 27th World Series title. For Damon, it was his second championship after he won one previously with Boston in 2004. According to Yahoo!’s Mark Miller, Detroit, per the Detroit Free Press, would only be interested in adding Damon if Tigers management decides to up its projected 2010 payroll. The Braves meanwhile may be content to just enter spring training with Matt Diaz, Nate McLouth and Melky Cabrera as the starting outfielders with youngsters Jordan Schafer and Jason Heyward competing to make the team. The Sporting News projects that Heyward will be given ample opportunity to win the starting job in spring training and Schafer won the centerfielder spot last year in spring training, only to be sent back down to Class AAA-Gwinnett before an injury was discovered. With both young outfielders perhaps just one season away, a long-term contract would not be expected to be offered to Damon from Atlanta. Damon reportedly turned down a two-year deal from New York earlier this off-season, believing he could get more years and money from another team.
After examining the team defense last week, this week the middle relief gets a look. While free agents Takashi Saito and Billy Wagner were brought in to handle the eighth and ninth innings, respectively, GM Frank Wren and manager Bobby Cox may use plenty of familiar faces as the bridge to those two newcomers. Last season righty Peter Moylan set the new franchise record with 87 appearances. He will likely be relied upon again this season as the seventh inning stopper. Eric O’Flaherty will have some competition, at least in spring training from hard-throwing Michael Dunn, who was acquired with Cabrera in the Javier Vazquez trade. Dunn can touch close 98+ on the radar gun but O’Flaherty earned Cox’s trust last season with 78 appearances. Luis Valdez will likely get a shot at a bullpen spot after a successful run as Gwinnett’s closer last season. Valdez appeared in a handful of games with Atlanta late in the season. Finally, expect Stephen Marek to finally get a look. Marek was acquired as part of the Mark Teixeira/Casey Kotchman deal two years ago and is the only player involved in that trade to still be with either club. If the right-hander Marek doesn’t make the club out of spring training, he will likely be one of the first arms called up from Gwinnett this summer. Finally, Jesse Chavez will get a long look for the bullpen as the righty can reach into the 90s with a fastball. Chavez was acquired from Tampa Bay in exchange for Rafael Soriano earlier this off-season after Soriano surprisingly accept arbitration and forced Atlanta’s hand in a trade.