2011/2012 Offseason Thread

[PureBaseballFan]

I would like to have him but not for either of those guys, much less both of them. As several other people have noted, this is why the Orioles are who (and where) they are.

Even if that offer didn't happen, (and I trust DoB's sources), they could have gotten a nice package for him at the deadline last season. They need to get someone there who understands the concept of leverage.

To be honest Jones doesn't interest me in any real manner, to me Adam Jones looks like another Nate McLouth for the Braves.

Jones is a guy who doesn't get On Base very much, hits HRs but most (19 of 25) come at home in a hitter's friendly park, and has a reverse split posting a .673 career OPS against lefties compared to .790 vs. righties.

Defensively he has won a Gold Glove but in the same vain of Nate McLouth in that he made great highlight reel plays but advanced numbers don't provide evidence that he really is a good or even average CFer defensively.

The next problem is he is only under control for 2 more seasons and his 25 HRs in 2011 and Gold Glove tend to be overrated and to keep him beyond 2013 would likely mean overpaying him.

Jones fills a lot of needs the Braves need on the surface, a RH hitter with good power and can play CF if Bourn were to leave, but in reality he is everything that the Braves have struggled with the past 2 years in CF, a guy who struggles against lefties while playing a poor defensive CF. He isn't Nate McLouth bad but he is hardly someone I would give up a bunch of quality players/prospects for.

Edit :: As for the Orioles I believe that they will continue to flail as long as Peter Angelos owns the team, he simply gets in the way of what is likely positive moves to the future by singling out players who he simply likes and thus prevents deals from getting done.

[SamtheBravesFan]

Braves sign Prado to a one-year deal, avoiding arbitration

Braves bring back Jack Wilson to back up Pastornicky

Clearly, not earth-shattering news, but this makes the 2012 picture much clearer.

[Francoeurstein]

If the Braves do not make any somewhat significant moves, I will be largely unimpressed.

[SamtheBravesFan]

If the Braves do not make any somewhat significant moves, I will be largely unimpressed.

It is not necessary to be impressed. The team really didn't need to make many changes. The Marlins got better, yes, but it'd take an unabashed act of God for there not to be multiple controversies coming out of that team. The Phillies will be the Phillies, and the Natonals will have to have everything go right for them to be a threat.

[Los Bravos]

Bourn and JJ have signed one year deals to avoid arbitration and Moylan has been signed to a minor league contract and invited to spring training. I think we're where we're going to be when the whistle blows.

I would like to make a tweak or two but all in all, I'm okay with where we are. We practiced a great deal of addition by subtraction this winter. Just knowing I'm not going to have to suffer a hive attack every 4th or 5th day with Lowe on the mound sets my mind at ease, tremendously.

[PureBaseballFan]

I would like to make a tweak or two but all in all, I'm okay with where we are. We practiced a great deal of addition by subtraction this winter. Just knowing I'm not going to have to suffer a hive attack every 4th or 5th day with Lowe on the mound sets my mind at ease, tremendously.

You can add that to making me want to claw my eyes out whenever Alex Gonzalez came up to back with RISP.

[Los Bravos]

With me, it was more like clasping my hands together and imploring him to get a strike before he started flailing away but, yeah...I hear ya.

[PureBaseballFan]

I was reading the article with Terry McGuirk from the AJC when this line caught my attention.

“It’s hard to predict, but there’s no pressure [to sell],” McGuirk said. “Public companies, when they do poorly, have different pressures. Liberty has done extremely well and is a very successful company. ... Public companies are public companies, but there’s nothing to indicate that any sale could be happening in the near future.”

My personal reaction

There is a lot of good stuff in the article the, as well as things which make me want to burn down Time Warner because once you read that TV deal section it makes you realize how much we got screwed by them.

[Los Bravos]

Yeah, that deal was clearly the beginning of the problem and the start of our slow slide into mid-markethood.

[PureBaseballFan]

#Braves excited by Hanson's revamped delivery. He's more compact, making better use of legs. Shoulder issue forced adjustments.

interested to see the new motion.

[Goo64]

I recently read a write up regarding the financial situation of the Braves. Looks like we have money coming off the books in the offseason, but the payroll is not going to grow because the owners care more about their profit margin than their product. This just got me thinking about things I don't normally consider. I wonder if the Braves will be active on the waiver wire this year? Finding some diamonds in the rough that other teams have given up on. Just trying to spur some conversation.

[Blue387]

Has Chipper Jones ever played first base? I think he could be moved there.

[PureBaseballFan]

Has Chipper Jones ever played first base? I think he could be moved there.

That doesn't make a whole lot of sense as that would mean moving Freeman which would be a downgrade defensively both at 1st and wherever Freeman was moved to.

[SamtheBravesFan]

That doesn't make a whole lot of sense as that would mean moving Freeman which would be a downgrade defensively both at 1st and wherever Freeman was moved to.

Depends on who you ask. I'm sure there are people who think Freeman is horrible defensively because he's only a wizard while on the bag.

The only place to move Freeman would be left and moving Prado to third. Prado was apparently an underrated left fielder last season, so your point would still stand.

[PureBaseballFan]

Depends on who you ask. I'm sure there are people who think Freeman is horrible defensively because he's only a wizard while on the bag.

The only place to move Freeman would be left and moving Prado to third. Prado was apparently an underrated left fielder last season, so your point would still stand.

Sure I don't think he has the best range of a 1B but on the bag I think he is going to be one of the best 1B at picking balls out of the dirt while doing full splits. Moving Chipper to 1st would be terrible because it really wouldn't be a big improvement in range and the fact Chipper has had problems with groin muscles and leg problems you might actually set him up for more potential injuries then if he were to stay at 3B.

It makes sense in general to move an aging player to 1B but for the Braves everything is against it.

[Los Bravos]

Depends on who you ask. I'm sure there are people who think Freeman is horrible defensively because he's only a wizard while on the bag.

Ben Duronio makes that exact argument at Capitol Avenue Club.

[SamtheBravesFan]

Ben Duronio makes that exact argument at Capitol Avenue Club.

Well, there you go. Freeman's method of defense is probably why his dWAR and UZR/150 both stink.

[Los Bravos]

I've got no dog in that hunt, really. I just wanted to mention that it's a strain of opinion about FF. I don't always agree with Ben's conclusions but I like his writing and I know he comes to his views from a place of seriousness and high regard for the team.

[SamtheBravesFan]

I've got no dog in that hunt, really. I just wanted to mention that it's a strain of opinion about FF. I don't always agree with Ben's conclusions but I like his writing and I know he comes to his views from a place of seriousness and high regard for the team.

Well, I was interested to hear what you had to say.

[Los Bravos]

I like a first baseman with soft hands and deft reflexes. Galarraga, LaRoche, even Teixiera when he was here. That's sort of the mold Fred's out of so he's cool with me.

[SamtheBravesFan]

I like a first baseman with soft hands and deft reflexes. Galarraga, LaRoche, even Teixiera when he was here. That's sort of the mold Fred's out of so he's cool with me.

Freeman has some of the best reflexes I've seen in a while.

[Blue387]

Are The Atlanta Braves Headed For A Fall?
http://mlb.sbnation.com/2012/3/13/28...-chipper-jones

Note: The author is a Cubs fan.

[PureBaseballFan]

Are The Atlanta Braves Headed For A Fall?
http://mlb.sbnation.com/2012/3/13/28...-chipper-jones

Note: The author is a Cubs fan.

There are question marks for this team but this article brings up half pointless spring training stats (which he admits mean little in predictive power), and injury questions we already knew about. That isn't to say the questions aren't legit but saying "and another, Brandon Beachy, has pitched poorly this spring." are we really going to make him a question mark because his first 2 starts (5 Innings) in spring training were bad, I mean questioning if he got lucky his first year out whether his HR/FB% will become more of a problem with such a low GB% is fine but his reasoning is terrible and he knows it.

The article brings up a few true questions for the Braves but to bring up a 12 game sample size as somehow a true reason to worry is comical. The Braves could decline this season but the first week and a half of spring training hasn't added any more questions then what they already had just like it hasn't improved the outlook of any teams.

[dominik]

the spring training means nothing. what would worry me more is the marlins improving a lot over the offseason. getting reyes and buehrle will make them stronger. so the second place and WC could be harder to achieve.

[SamtheBravesFan]

the spring training means nothing. what would worry me more is the marlins improving a lot over the offseason. getting reyes and buehrle will make them stronger. so the second place and WC could be harder to achieve.

You know, all that didn't worry me one bit. Josh Johnson has to remain healthy and Carlos Zambrano has to remain sane for the rotation to be improved. After having to deal with Jose Reyes on the Mets for so long, I kind of tuned that news out. Hanley has to make a seamless transition to third base for the Marlins to be improved there too.

They're good concerns to have, I'll admit, but I don't want to waste my time worrying about everything going right for the other teams right now. It happens enough during the season anyway.