Pitchers and Catchers report to the Braves spring training camp on February 19th, but I thought I'd weigh in with some thoughts on the team before they head on down...
To borrow an idea from Notre Dame Football, the motto of the 2010 Braves may just be “win one for the skipper.” As the Atlanta Braves franchise enters the 2010 season, manager Bobby Cox enters his final season as Braves manager. The Braves management therefore elected to forego a rebuilding effort and instead has cobbled together a squad capable of giving its long-time manager one last shot at a second World Series title with Atlanta. Unlike the last few seasons though, this team should make the playoffs though in a Wild Card role.
Any discussion of the Braves must start with the rotation, just as the discussion always did during the Braves magical run in the early 1990s. The team moved out last season’s best pitcher Javier Vazquez but did so because some of the young guns proved they could more than handle the load. Tommy Hanson and Jair Jurrjens form the best under 25 one-two punch this side of Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain, and Tim Hudson and Derek Lowe both bring experience to the park every time they pitch. Hudson pitched well enough after coming back from Tommy John surgery that the team decided to resign him for a home team discount. Derek Lowe struggled his first season in Atlanta but still posted 15 wins and was strong to start the 2009 season.
This year’s bullpen has been totally renovated with Rafael Soriano and Mike Gonzalez out and Billy Wagner and Takashi Saito in. Both Wagner and Saito are former all-stars that should be able to close out games if need be. Wagner is sixth all-time in saves and the lefty can still deal.
On the offensive side of things, the team may have solved its two year question of a cleanup hitter after the team dealt Mark Teixeira. Newcomer Troy Glaus will be asked to play first base, a position he’s only played in a handful of games, as well as protect Chipper Jones by batting fourth in the lineup. Glaus hit 27 home runs in 2008 but missed most of last year with a shoulder injury. If Glaus can rediscover his form of just two years ago, the Braves lineup will feature some sorely needed pop. Glaus’s acquisition will also enable all-star catcher Brian McCann to slide down to the five-hole, a spot he is more suited for. McCann has some power and hits for a high average, and if he isn’t asked to do so much in terms of home run power, he can relax and stroke doubles as he did early in his career.
McCann’s defense has also improved over the last two years. Early in his career he was well known for calling a superb game but now he can gun down potential base runners. The Braves defense overall is a question mark however as several new additions prevent a grade from being given. Melky Cabrera is penciled in to start right now and he would be an upgrade over the lead-footed Garrett Anderson of one year ago, but if youngster Jason Heyward makes the club, Cabrera is pushed into a platoon with Matt Diaz. Heyward’s arm has been awing minor league scouts though his bat has them simply drooling. Nate McLouth in centerfield could very well bring the Gold Glove back to Atlanta and his speed on the basepaths is a weapon that Cox can use to put pressure on the Phillies in the division.
As far as making the playoffs, the schedule sets up well for Atlanta with no Boston or New York Yankees on the slate. The Braves should be in contention for the wild card throughout the season and if the team can benefit from the schedule, perhaps one final run at a division title could send Bobby Cox out on top. I predict the Braves sneak into the postseason via the Wild Card and from there, it is a crapshoot. Hanson, Jurrjens and Hudson would be a nice postseason rotation and if the Braves do make the postseason, it likely means another all-star year from McCann plus likely valuable contributions from the rookie Heyward and newcomer Glaus. This team from all reports loves its manager and wants to send him out the right way. What better way than a playoff run with perhaps a trophy presentation at the end?
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