2009 MLB Preview: Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves overhaul the mound, add Lowe and Vazquez
Even with Tom Glavine re-signed, the Braves' rotation is hardly recognizable entering the 2009 season after Atlanta retooled their mound during the recent offseason.
April might be a good month to have the program and scorecard concession at Turner Field in Atlanta. After so many years trotting out household names to their mound, the Braves are set to start 2009 with just two starters, possibly only one, from a season ago as well as several faces that weren’t around much at all in 2008.
The turnover from the glory days of Greg Maddux, John Smoltz and Tom Glavine has been a gradual progress the past few years. Glavine left and returned last season only to make 14 starts due to arm trouble, and re-signed a 1-year deal just yesterday (Feb19). Smoltz is now gone, signing with Boston this past winter, and Maddux has retired after spending the past few seasons with various NL clubs and will presumably be enshrined at Cooperstown in 2014.
The bullpen will also have a different look, assuming three of last year’s relievers can return from their various health concerns.
And the one name that I keep thinking of more than any is a guy that never threw a pitch for the Braves. When Maddux and possibly both Glavine and Smoltz eventually reach the Hall of Fame, their plaques should include a likeness of Leo Mazzone in the background. The effect that managers and coaches have within a single game might be negligible or perhaps nil, but the impact Mazzone has made on pitcher after pitcher over the years can’t be emphasized enough.
PITCHING
Since the mound is the main focus of this team for 2009, and where we are going to see the most changes from 2008, it only seems fitting to switch up my normal routine and discuss the pitchers first.
Despite the loss of several big names recently, Atlanta enters this season with a pretty formidable Top 3 in their rotation. Brought in on a free agent deal over the winter was Derek Lowe to assume the job of staff ace. The Braves then added Javier Vazquez in a trade with the White Sox. And young right-hander Jair Jurrjens is back and ready to build on a rookie campaign that saw him take the ball for 31 starts and finish with a 13-10 record and 3.68 ERA to place third in the NL Rookie of the Year balloting.
Now ideally, you’d have those three pitching in the 2-3-4 slots of an order, but compared to where the staff was at the end of the ’08 season, Atlanta will be more than happy to list them 1-2-3.
Manager Bobby Cox and pitching coach Roger McDowell are also going to have Kenshin Kawakami to plug into the mix after singing the former Central League MVP from Japan during the winter.
With Glavine inked, he’ll be the only lefty in the group. Most likely to get the first call if and when a starter goes down is Jorge Campillo. Given Glavine’s age and recent history, Campillo figures to get some starts at some point.
The bullpen never got going last season after the Braves were counting on both southpaw Mike Gonzalez and right-hander Rafael Soriano to handle most of the 8th- and 9th-inning chores. Gonzalez missed the first 10 weeks of the season while Soriano was in and out of the mix, appearing in just 14 games before his elbow went under the knife in August to remove a bone spur.
Peter Moylan was also being counted on for setup work but was gone before mid-April with an elbow problem and eventually had Tommy John surgery in May. He is already throwing to hitters in camp and barring a setback, could be ready in April instead of the May date first targeted.
There are obviously other relievers that Cox & Co. will use this season, but those three – Gonzalez, Soriano and Moylan – hold the keys for the Braves this season.
OFFENSE / DEFENSE
While the mound will be vastly different, the regulars in the lineup will be the same from last April save for one position. That spot is first base after Mark Teixeira has since departed, landing in the Bronx via Anaheim following the Braves dealing him to the Angels last July.
Atlanta’s offense wasn’t that bad in 2008, even with the horrible season that Jeff Francoeur had and without Teixeira the final nine weeks or so. The Braves ranked sixth in the NL in runs (753), third in drawing walks (618), and third in on-base (.345). However, they were slow afoot with just 58 steals and 10th in the NL with a .408 slugging mark.
Part of the Teixeira compensation was Casey Kotchman who will open at the right corner of the infield this season. Around the horn from first will be Kelly Johnson at second, Yunel Escobar at short and Chipper Jones over at third. Johnson put together a pretty fair season for Atlanta last year, and there are high hopes teaming him with Escobar in the middle of the diamond for several years to come.
Chipper posted a career-best .364 average to win his first batting title at the age of 36, poking 20+ homers for the 14th consecutive season in the process despite playing just 128 games. Whether or not he will be able to coax that many games or more from his body this season remains to be seen. Omar Infante will be around to spell Jones when he can’t answer the call.
Brian McCann is behind the plate once again after another solid campaign. The Braves backstop picked up his second Silver Slugger in three seasons and will be part of Team USA in the World Baseball Classic this spring. That might be something to watch in April as McCann will have less time in camp to spend catching the new additions to the starting rotation. David Ross appears to be set to back McCann up.
Francoeur will try to put last year behind him after hitting under .240 with just 11 homers in 155 games. The right-fielder amassed just 71 RBI after topping the century mark the previous two campaigns, and with Jones another year older and Teixeira no longer in the lineup, Francoeur has to return to that 90+ RBI mark this time.
The other two outfield slots should wind up being a mix of Matt Diaz, Josh Anderson and Gregor Blanco. Not landing Ken Griffey Jr as appeared to be the case earlier this week could wind up hurting, but I do like Blanco the best of that trio after he had a pretty nice time in winter ball down in Venezuela.
Overall, there isn’t a lot on this bench, so staying healthy is a huge key for this year’s version of the Braves.
SCHEDULE
The Braves have a pretty fair and balanced slate on the season, and if they can survive the early road games against NL East opponents, should be in good shape on their slate.
Atlanta came in anywhere from 72 wins to 85, and averaged 80.8 over the course of five sims. I like them right at that 81-82 win mark. The bullpen is my focus right now as the team goes nowhere if more than one of the trio (Gonzalez, Soriano, Moylan) goes out.
The Greek has set the Braves at +1415 to win their first NL crown in a decade, and +3250 to win their first World Series since 1995. If everything goes right, I think their best-case is being in the mix for the NL Wild Card.
Even with Tom Glavine re-signed, the Braves' rotation is hardly recognizable entering the 2009 season after Atlanta retooled their mound during the recent offseason.
April might be a good month to have the program and scorecard concession at Turner Field in Atlanta. After so many years trotting out household names to their mound, the Braves are set to start 2009 with just two starters, possibly only one, from a season ago as well as several faces that weren’t around much at all in 2008.
The turnover from the glory days of Greg Maddux, John Smoltz and Tom Glavine has been a gradual progress the past few years. Glavine left and returned last season only to make 14 starts due to arm trouble, and re-signed a 1-year deal just yesterday (Feb19). Smoltz is now gone, signing with Boston this past winter, and Maddux has retired after spending the past few seasons with various NL clubs and will presumably be enshrined at Cooperstown in 2014.
The bullpen will also have a different look, assuming three of last year’s relievers can return from their various health concerns.
And the one name that I keep thinking of more than any is a guy that never threw a pitch for the Braves. When Maddux and possibly both Glavine and Smoltz eventually reach the Hall of Fame, their plaques should include a likeness of Leo Mazzone in the background. The effect that managers and coaches have within a single game might be negligible or perhaps nil, but the impact Mazzone has made on pitcher after pitcher over the years can’t be emphasized enough.
PITCHING
Since the mound is the main focus of this team for 2009, and where we are going to see the most changes from 2008, it only seems fitting to switch up my normal routine and discuss the pitchers first.
Despite the loss of several big names recently, Atlanta enters this season with a pretty formidable Top 3 in their rotation. Brought in on a free agent deal over the winter was Derek Lowe to assume the job of staff ace. The Braves then added Javier Vazquez in a trade with the White Sox. And young right-hander Jair Jurrjens is back and ready to build on a rookie campaign that saw him take the ball for 31 starts and finish with a 13-10 record and 3.68 ERA to place third in the NL Rookie of the Year balloting.
Now ideally, you’d have those three pitching in the 2-3-4 slots of an order, but compared to where the staff was at the end of the ’08 season, Atlanta will be more than happy to list them 1-2-3.
Manager Bobby Cox and pitching coach Roger McDowell are also going to have Kenshin Kawakami to plug into the mix after singing the former Central League MVP from Japan during the winter.
With Glavine inked, he’ll be the only lefty in the group. Most likely to get the first call if and when a starter goes down is Jorge Campillo. Given Glavine’s age and recent history, Campillo figures to get some starts at some point.
The bullpen never got going last season after the Braves were counting on both southpaw Mike Gonzalez and right-hander Rafael Soriano to handle most of the 8th- and 9th-inning chores. Gonzalez missed the first 10 weeks of the season while Soriano was in and out of the mix, appearing in just 14 games before his elbow went under the knife in August to remove a bone spur.
Peter Moylan was also being counted on for setup work but was gone before mid-April with an elbow problem and eventually had Tommy John surgery in May. He is already throwing to hitters in camp and barring a setback, could be ready in April instead of the May date first targeted.
There are obviously other relievers that Cox & Co. will use this season, but those three – Gonzalez, Soriano and Moylan – hold the keys for the Braves this season.
OFFENSE / DEFENSE
While the mound will be vastly different, the regulars in the lineup will be the same from last April save for one position. That spot is first base after Mark Teixeira has since departed, landing in the Bronx via Anaheim following the Braves dealing him to the Angels last July.
Atlanta’s offense wasn’t that bad in 2008, even with the horrible season that Jeff Francoeur had and without Teixeira the final nine weeks or so. The Braves ranked sixth in the NL in runs (753), third in drawing walks (618), and third in on-base (.345). However, they were slow afoot with just 58 steals and 10th in the NL with a .408 slugging mark.
Part of the Teixeira compensation was Casey Kotchman who will open at the right corner of the infield this season. Around the horn from first will be Kelly Johnson at second, Yunel Escobar at short and Chipper Jones over at third. Johnson put together a pretty fair season for Atlanta last year, and there are high hopes teaming him with Escobar in the middle of the diamond for several years to come.
Chipper posted a career-best .364 average to win his first batting title at the age of 36, poking 20+ homers for the 14th consecutive season in the process despite playing just 128 games. Whether or not he will be able to coax that many games or more from his body this season remains to be seen. Omar Infante will be around to spell Jones when he can’t answer the call.
Brian McCann is behind the plate once again after another solid campaign. The Braves backstop picked up his second Silver Slugger in three seasons and will be part of Team USA in the World Baseball Classic this spring. That might be something to watch in April as McCann will have less time in camp to spend catching the new additions to the starting rotation. David Ross appears to be set to back McCann up.
Francoeur will try to put last year behind him after hitting under .240 with just 11 homers in 155 games. The right-fielder amassed just 71 RBI after topping the century mark the previous two campaigns, and with Jones another year older and Teixeira no longer in the lineup, Francoeur has to return to that 90+ RBI mark this time.
The other two outfield slots should wind up being a mix of Matt Diaz, Josh Anderson and Gregor Blanco. Not landing Ken Griffey Jr as appeared to be the case earlier this week could wind up hurting, but I do like Blanco the best of that trio after he had a pretty nice time in winter ball down in Venezuela.
Overall, there isn’t a lot on this bench, so staying healthy is a huge key for this year’s version of the Braves.
SCHEDULE
The Braves have a pretty fair and balanced slate on the season, and if they can survive the early road games against NL East opponents, should be in good shape on their slate.
- Six of first 15 games vs. Washington
- 24-27 (Home-Away) through May; 65-66 through August
- 14 of first 22 NL East games on the road
- 3-6 (Home-Away) vs. Cincinnati, 9-6 vs. AL
Atlanta came in anywhere from 72 wins to 85, and averaged 80.8 over the course of five sims. I like them right at that 81-82 win mark. The bullpen is my focus right now as the team goes nowhere if more than one of the trio (Gonzalez, Soriano, Moylan) goes out.
The Greek has set the Braves at +1415 to win their first NL crown in a decade, and +3250 to win their first World Series since 1995. If everything goes right, I think their best-case is being in the mix for the NL Wild Card.
Thanks for the good laugh, XL.