Then again, this is exactly why Glavine left us in the first place. He didn’t want to bolt out of town, but Schuerholz dragged his feet in his slow, methodical fashion, and offered substantially less money than the Mets when he finally did make a bid. I’m hoping Tommy comes, but it’s probably not happening.
This also implies that Omar Miyana is dragging his feet as well. Really, if it’s a slam dunk that Glavine is going to the Mets, why hasn’t Miyana done anything either? Is he going to wait unti lthe Atlanta offer is revealed and then easily top it? JS isn’t the only one dragging his feet.
Note that this season’s suckage means we’d only give up a second-rounder, not a first.
csg
on November 30, 2006 at 7:31 pm
least $22 million to retain Glavine, 40, who pitched four seasons for them since leaving Atlanta. The Mets would also give him a no-trade clause; Braves general manager John Schuerholz doesn’t do no-trade clauses
Minaya knows that he has the best offer. He can and will wait for Glavine to make up his vulcan mind. I have to admire how respectful he has been during this process.
Glavine and Clifton if they haven’t overtly communciated at least some general parameters to Schuerholz they have done so via the press. Hence the rumored/leaked Mets offer. Schuerholz is in a no win. He can’t match but if he low balls some of the less erudite fan base bashes him for letting Tommy go again. If he goes too high then for sure he is bashed for paying too much for a 41 year old pitcher and is accused of letting sentimentality rule over baseball sense. He is being smart by letting Glavine decide how much living in Alpharetta during the season is worth to him.
td
on November 30, 2006 at 10:11 pm
My perspective on JS. He is a very good businessman and negotiator. Unfortunately in many cases (not Glavine, but others), opposing GMs are so stupid that he’s lost his leverage. In other words, why should Gary Matthews’ agent negotiate with JS when he can find a sucker that will give him $50 million? In the out of control market so far, it really seems anyone with fiscal constraint (and sense) is at a huge disadvantage. I have a feeling that we’ll know after the winter meetings whether JS has lost his touch or not.
I have one related question. Has it been confirmed that next year’s payroll is $80 million max? I know it’s been alluded to, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s a little higher (90-100) and JS is playing it close to the vest. I would be interested to know what kind of profit the Braves organization turned last year, but I would imagine that a true sense of the PM would be almost impossible with all the corporate accounting going on.
Who here would play it any differently than Steinbrenner if money were no object? I’d have a tough time if i cared enough about winning and realized that no matter how much money I spent, I would never, ever even notice it was gone. What would happen to me is not that I would be responsible or try to be fair, I’d most likely get bored and stop after a while and go do something else. Winning loses its fun when you eliminate all the challenges, its like using cheat codes in video games, they might enhance the experience for a while, but once you’ve crossed that line, the game loses its appeal a lot faster. I dont understand how the owners don’t get tired of it in baseball.
Dan
on December 1, 2006 at 12:22 am
Bill Shanks via Gotham baseball via the, gasp, official site:
The deadline for the Mets’ offering arbitration is, in fact, an issue. Unlike some teams that, for some stupid reason, sign player before the deadline to sign (Hello Baltimore!), the Braves do want to see if the Mets offer Glavine arbitration. The preference is to not give up draft picks.
Now this does not mean that if the Mets offer Glavine arbitration the Braves are not going to sign him. But they want to know what the Mets are going to do first.
Let me address all of this talk from Clifton about an offer. It was reiterated to me this afternoon that Glavine and Schuerholz (not sure about Clifton) have talked about money and each side knows what it’s going to take to get a contract done.
So why would Clifton say what he’s saying? Well, if Clifton was held out of the loop to any extent, he’s probably egotistical enough to tell other reporters that the Braves have not made a contract offer since it has not come through him. I can see him saying (even to himself), “Well if the contract proposal hasn’t come through me, it hasn’t been made.” But in fact, Glavine and Schuerholz have talked numbers and are aware of what it’s going to take to make a deal happen.
What does Clifton constitute as an offer? Does it mean a written proposal that comes from Schuerholz? Well if so, that might not have happened yet. It might not happen until Saturday. I think if a team and a player have swapped numbers and let each other know what it’s going to take, that would constitute an offer.
Here are two very important questions:
1. Do the Braves want Tom Glavine back?
2. Does Tom Glavine want to come back to the Braves?
The answer to both of those questions is YES.
Glavine knows the neighborhood of what the Mets are going to pay him, so also knowing what the Braves can afford to pay him (again in the $7-$8 mil neighborhood), he would have already gone back to the Mets IF money was that much of an issue.
Glavine’s family has made it clear to him that they want him back in Atlanta. So is he going to sign with the Mets and turn around and have to tell his family that he took the extra however-million-more dollars to go back to New York? How could he do that? If they truly want him home, and have told him so, how could he chose the Mets over the Braves?
Now there is no doubt in my mind, as I have stated since Tuesday night, that Clifton is a problem here. I think he is pressuring Glavine to go back to New York, and I think he’s slimy enough to get the union to put pressure on Glavine to not turn down the extra money.
But again, is Glavine going to allow that to happen with his wife and kids wanting him home? Glavine allowed Clifton to get involved last time and he was a Met. So that’s what’s concerning to this entire process.
So I still hold to my story that was reported on Tuesday night: The Braves and Glavine were close to agreeing to a deal. Has Clifton gotten involved to jeopardize that? Are the Braves and Glavine simply waiting until Saturday to see if the Mets offer him arbitration?
I was told again today by sources that they still believe Glavine is coming back to Atlanta. At this point, even with the Clifton comments, I would still be shocked if Glavine does not return to the Braves. Again, anything can happen. But it just looks like the main reason we haven’t seen a deal happen is Friday’s arbitration deadline. Why announce ANYTHING before that deadline?
Schuerholz would certainly not come out and say a thing until after Friday’s deadline (which is at midnight so expect a pajama party in the chatroom!). It in his best interest to not tip off the Mets at all for what he’s going to do. Does this include allowing the perception that he has not made an offer to continue? Perhaps. Why does Schuerholz care right now what’s being said as long as he and Glavine have, in fact, spoken and have an understanding?
Now, with that in mind, I was also told today that the Braves are in active trade talks with at least two American League teams about Tim Hudson. This is not a surprise, but there seems to be a chance that Hudson could be moved in the next couple of days. The Braves are not going to give Tim Hudson away, especially with the recent contracts given out that make Hudson’s deal seem somewhat tame, even if he’s a middle-of-the-rotation starter. But it looks like the Braves are seeing what Hudson could get back in a trade.
Who are Shanks’ sources? Geez he’s got more supposition and interpretation than a Kremlin watcher.
td
on December 1, 2006 at 7:39 am
Bama’s next HC will be Rich Rodroguez from WVA. I think he’ll be a great hire. No announcement until the games are over this weekend – most likely a Monday press conference.
I heard Dave O’Brien on the Buck and Kincaid show yesterday talking about Glavine, and he thinks that there was a better chance of Glavine being a Brave than Hudson. Also, it looks like HoRam will be gone.
Jeff M.
on December 1, 2006 at 9:16 am
@14
Even if the payroll has increased say 10 million (of which I’ve heard nothing about, but then I’m hardly privy to any inside information…), what would that buy today? Juan Pierre? Gary Matthews? Given the meteoric rise in salaries this offseason, I’m not sure anything less than 30 million raise in budget would allow a GM, any GM, to compete for multiple free agents. That said, I wouldn’t care if we did have 10 or 30 million extra to spend, I wouldn’t want to spend many of those dimes on the likes of Pierre and Matthews.
Smitty
on December 1, 2006 at 9:23 am
When do the winter meetings start?
Marc Schneider
on December 1, 2006 at 9:34 am
I have heard nothing to suggest the Braves’ payroll will increase. TW has no incentive to do so with the sale (or whatever you call it) pending. My understanding is that the Braves broke even (according to the team); of course, that doesn’t factor in anything that the team contributed as programming to TBS or TW, which they never want to count. TW has no interest in losing money on this team just to win and I doubt Liberty does either, so unless attendence increases a lot, I doubt will see much change. (Although I would like to know where all the extra revenue is going–I assume into the corporate coffers rather than spending on the big league team. Or, perhaps, to creating an even better fan experience at Turner Field for corporate clients and the super rich, which seems to be the only people that pro teams care about anymore.)
It is fascinating that all the truly godawful contracts being given out make contracts that are merely bad, like Hudson’s, suddenly look affordable.
In non-bizarro world, that man should be an albatross. Instead, his tradeability has actually INCREASED this offseason, just because of Juan Pierre and Gary Matthews.
But God bless Dave O’Brian for giving me hope on Tom Terrific… I just hope he’s right.
Justin P
on December 1, 2006 at 10:28 am
Does anyone have any idea at all at how the Braves have received, or are scheduled to receive in the revenue sharing plan. I know some of the lower teams like KC and Flordia have received roughly 30 million dollars in the past, and seeing how Atlanta is a not a major market team anymore, they should received some benefits from revenue sharing. Mac, can you help clear this up.
Marc Schneider
on December 1, 2006 at 10:33 am
It probably has to do with revenue rather than size of market. I doubt the Braves would qualify.
Ron
on December 1, 2006 at 10:53 am
On a different note, has anybody seen any rumors on where Greg Maddux is going to sign? Wouldn’t it be fun for the Braves to re-sign both Tommy and Greg and wipe away the bad memories of the last few years’ rotations?
JonathanF
on December 1, 2006 at 11:27 am
JonathanF
on December 1, 2006 at 11:28 am
Oops. NY Times today on Glavine’s decision:
Robert
on December 1, 2006 at 11:36 am
Bama’s next HC will be Rich Rodroguez from WVA. I think he’ll be a great hire.
I have no idea if either of these things is true but just the idea of Alabama trying to run the spread offense with that roster is hilarious. And you thought Florida looked awkward…
The fact that the only thing going on for my favorite team is whether they will sign a 40 year old pitcher who has no chance of being on the next good Braves team is pretty depressing. Not Angels fan, my team just gave Gary Fricking Matthews $50 million depressing, but depressing none the less.
Johnny W.
on December 1, 2006 at 11:41 am
Everything I read makes me believe its Glavine that wants to come back to Atlanta or is having a hard time deciding while its Clifton that wants him to get the big money in NY. Of course, Clifton is prolly just looking out for his own sorry @ss since he’ll get a bigger share of the profits if his 5% commission or whatever it is comes out of a 22 million dollar pay than a 16 million (if they braves go 2 yrs. 8 per.)
Stu
on December 1, 2006 at 11:45 am
Nice post, AAR. I agree completely.
If we do sign Glavine — and I hope and think we will — it is going to feel mighty good to make all those Mets fans so mad.
If we land Glavine, I’m expecting Ububba to make a full report on everything he did to piss off the Mets fans in his office–and I’m willing to take up a collection if he feels his own modest resources aren’t enough to do the job properly.
In my office, when a “Braves triumph” occurs, I don’t have to do anything. I just sit in my office & wait. The Met fans come around, like puppies that I might’ve fed once.
In fact, they were in my office yesterday wanting to know “what’s really happening.” I gave them a big “I-don’t-know-anymore-than-you-do” story, while dropping in pointed talking points about their shaky rotation.
td
on December 1, 2006 at 1:52 pm
@34 – I don’t know why Bama running the spread with their roster would be hilarious. Bama’s O-line has been their biggest problem on offense this year, and I think the spread could help them on the line. Bama’s receivers are above average, but not deep, Wilson will be solid at QB, and a few of their RBs that were injured this year, along with Jimmy Johns should be pretty good – especially in a spread.
In general, I would agree that when you first arrive, it’s wise to adapt your offense to your personnel. I don’t know what Rodriguez’s philosophy would be on that. I have also said that Bama’s biggest problem next year may be their defense – whoever is the coach.
On to Glavine, I think bringing him back is exciting. If they can do this and build a foundation for the coming years (unlike what most of the GMs have done over the past few months), they’ll be in good shape.
Well, that doesn’t surprise me. There are questions about Hudson’s ability after two poor years, and he’s scheduled for big money. Personally, I think I’d be willing to accept a mid-level prospect for him strait up if that means we sign Glavine for 2/$15-20M. Heck, why not trade Huddy for near-nothing and give Glavine the money earmarked for Hudson? (6M next year, 13M for 2008). That deal is competitive with the Mets’ offer and nets us Glavine instead of Hudson plus a prospect of some ability (this assumes we don’t give NY a draft pick, which would kinda suck). As a bonus, the contract situation remains the same, and we don’t face any “oh nos, we’re paying Glavine more than Smoltz” deals because we can bump up Smolt’z salary when he negotiates for 2009.
Sounds good to me….
JoshQ
on December 1, 2006 at 2:53 pm
Rosenthal’s 5 points are great and all, but at this point I think it comes down to whether Tom wants to play at home or in NY.
A few million won’t be what the deal hinges on.
Dan
on December 1, 2006 at 2:55 pm
“in part because Schuerholz is asking too much for Hudson.”
Rosenthal is just speculating. I mean, at least Shanks had some source, Rosenthal just rehased old and well-known information.
I really feel if the Braves don’t get Glavine, it will be mostly Schuerholz’s fault.
Rodriguez 3:2
Paul Johnson 5:2
Joe Kines 6:1
Mike Sherman 10:1
Mike Riley 15:1
Chan Gailey (Ugh) 20:1
Jeff Tedford 30:1
Bobby Petrino 30:1
The Wake Forest Guy 30:1
Nick Saban 100:1
Steve Spurrier 100:1
Field 2:1
dark
on December 1, 2006 at 3:44 pm
man, read the comments over at metsblog; they’ve already thrown him under the bus, backed over him a few times, then dropped about eight or nine more busses on top of the first one.
Smitty
on December 1, 2006 at 3:44 pm
No Cutcliffe, Mac?
dark
on December 1, 2006 at 3:49 pm
apparently Gammons is saying Glavine’s resigned with New York.
Tennessee Brave
on December 1, 2006 at 3:51 pm
Dark, do you have a source on that? Espn.com or something?
dark
on December 1, 2006 at 3:51 pm
both metsblog and rotoworld are reporting it, but there’s nothing up at espn’s website or anywhere else.
Tennessee Brave
on December 1, 2006 at 3:52 pm
ok thanks, just wondering.
Dan
on December 1, 2006 at 3:53 pm
The ESPN ticker says Peter Gammons reports Mets and P Tom Glavine agree to 1-year deal with player option for 2008.
At least I can get over Glavine now.
Stu
on December 1, 2006 at 3:55 pm
Well.
The Winter Meetings had better be fruitful for us.
I think I want to keep Hudson now.
Stu
on December 1, 2006 at 3:57 pm
Also, can we all agree that it’s wisest to completely ignore Bill Shanks in the future?
flournoy
on December 1, 2006 at 3:58 pm
Ignoring Bill Shanks is always a good policy.
Stu
on December 1, 2006 at 4:00 pm
By the way…where the heck is Alex R.?
I’ve been waiting for him to weigh in on all of this Glavine mess.
dark
on December 1, 2006 at 4:03 pm
Oddly enough, still no story on ESPN’s website. It’s been fifteen minutes since the rotoworld / metsblog news items. Has Gammons ever announced something as being a done deal on tv, only to wind up being wrong?
Johnny
on December 1, 2006 at 4:04 pm
@43 Schuerholz’s fault? For showing restraint? With a 41 year old middle of the rotation starter? Lets face it thats what Tommy is now. The Braves aren’t going to be SIGNIFICANTLY better with Glavine in the rotation. In other words he doesn’t put us over the top. With that in mind I’m glad that Schuerholz is playing it this way.
I want Glavine back in a Braves uniform too. But Schuerholz is correct in trying to get him for as little as possible.
Johnny
on December 1, 2006 at 4:15 pm
oops never mind. check out ajc.com. Glavine has told DOB that he is going back to the Mets.
Justin
on December 1, 2006 at 4:17 pm
Glavine hasn’t signed back with the Mets. Gammons is full of s***
Johnny
on December 1, 2006 at 4:19 pm
check out the ajc. its done. He’s a Met. I wonder if he ever got an offer from us. Bill Shanks is a shmo. Just for laughs you should read the ‘if I were the GM’ thing he as at scouts.braves.com.
Dan
on December 1, 2006 at 4:23 pm
The people at the AJC are taking it real hard:
1. I feel like such an idiot. Why did I ever get my hopes up that Glavine would truly care about anything more than the size of the offer? I’m an idiot.
2. Oh well. We’ll just have to settle for Smoltz. Hampton, Hudson, James, and HoRam. Thanks a lot, Time Warner creeps… Tom, hope you enjoy your time in NY and finish with 299 wins, and lose every game you pitch against ATL.
3. DOB: I know it’s illegal to throw things at opposing players (eggs, batteries, etc.), but could you talk to Braves officials to see if an exception can be made just when Glavine comes to town???
That’s utterly baffling. They want 41-year old Glavine at $10.5 mil, but not 28 year old Zito, whom they could easily get with at least $15 million a year.
csg
on December 1, 2006 at 5:11 pm
Sam, I think they wanted both and will get both. Its not like it was one or the other
It’s really a shame that neither Glavine nor Maddux will have worn a Braves uni while winning their 300th. Another casualty of a mid-market budget, I suppose.
Justin P
on December 1, 2006 at 5:39 pm
big sigh of relief, I was so worried that we were going to sign Glavine just to watch him suck it up for another year or two.
“Sam, I think they wanted both and will get both. Its not like it was one or the other.”
The Mets had 25 million to spend before they signed Glavine. Do they still have enough to beat the Rangers, who are rumored to be offering Zito around 7YRS/105M?
“Following the Braves in the offseason is less exciting that watching paint dry. Less.”
Yes, yes, yes. Schuerholz is so boring it’s unreal. What’s he going to do at the winter meetings this coming Monday? Nothing? Giles for Todd Coffey? Boring. Schuerholz is so slow I feel like the Devil Rays could hand him Carl Crawford on a silver platter and he’d just sit around and chew his fingernails until some other team with a quicker and more decisive GM got him.
“He said that he simply “felt more wanted by the Mets.”
Schuerholz again.
JoshQ
on December 1, 2006 at 6:06 pm
Stu I was wondering what happened to Alex R as well. If he didn’t post during all the Glavine talk, then he is probably not checking the site anymore.
This has been an incredibly boring offseason. I know JS likes to work under the radar, but this is a bit much. The tough thing about being a braves fan and trying to see what the front office is up to is that 99% of the time JS is talking trades that we never even hear rumors of happening. Sorry for the run on sentence.
bmac
on December 1, 2006 at 6:21 pm
I’m a little angry with Glavine, just as I was when he signed with the Mets in the first place. I personally think that line about him caring about what his family wants is b.s. in light of his re-signing with the Mets. If his family wanted him to stay in Atlanta, and he really cared about their wishes, he would have signed in Atlanta. I’m confident that he and his agent could have negotiated some sort of acceptable contract. He’s at the end of his career, has made many millions of dollars, and if his family was paramount, he would have accepted less to play at home. Money is more important than family to him at this point.
That said, I was always a fan of his with while he was with the Braves, and appreciate all that he did for the franchise.
Rob Cope
on December 1, 2006 at 6:24 pm
You know what isn’t boring? Winning. And if JS puts us in the best position to win by not signing the Gary Matthews Jr.’s of the world to ridiculous contracts just for the sake of being exciting, then I’ll follow college basketball fervently until March and then watch JS look like a genius when other teams are realizing they’re idiots for giving these contracts. In 3 years when the market corrects, the Angels, Astros, etc. are going to look like 2001 or 2002 Texas after they sold the farm for A-Rod and Chan Ho Park.
Dan
on December 1, 2006 at 6:24 pm
“Also, can we all agree that it’s wisest to completely ignore Bill Shanks in the future?”
Can you imagine paying $40.00 for that information and his “source.”
Rob Cope
on December 1, 2006 at 6:25 pm
Oh, forgot about the poster child for 2006 stupidity: the Cubs.
csg
on December 1, 2006 at 6:29 pm
Can we really be made at Glavine? If you only have one offer on the table its not a hard choice. Now if they come out and say we offered 1 year – 9 million then yes we have a right to be mad at him. As of now, we made now effort to sign him, cant be mad at that
bmac
on December 1, 2006 at 6:59 pm
I think JS would have made an offer to Glavine, he was just waiting to see if the Mets offered arbitration. He would have then made an offer to Glavine. Glavine just set an arbitrary deadline, and JS wasn’t willing to make an offer before then. I just think Glavine cared more about money than family, and it was disingenuous of him to say otherwise. He was talking the talk, but didn’t walk the walk.
csg
on December 1, 2006 at 7:09 pm
I dont care what anyone says, you dont care more about money than family. If you’re a man of your word and you state that you’ll make a decision by friday, then you have to do that. He only had one offer and that’s an easy decision to make. If JS was waiting to see if he could free up some salary room then that’s fine, if he was playing a waiting game with Tom and the Mets then that’s his fault. Glavine just simply did what he said he was going to do, which was to make a decision by friday. You cant say he loves money more than family, that’s ridiculous!
bmac
on December 1, 2006 at 7:12 pm
The proof’s in the pudding. We’ll just have to respectfully disagree.
csg
on December 1, 2006 at 7:15 pm
True: he’s gone and we have to move on
csg
on December 1, 2006 at 7:16 pm
what next:
Keep Giles, Huddy, and Horam….do we need to free up salary room. Js has to be very creative if he still wants better pitching
Robert
on December 1, 2006 at 7:21 pm
Yes, yes, yes. Schuerholz is so boring it’s unreal.
True, but sometimes the best deal is the one you don’t make. I feel that’s the case here. Around here they always accuse Angels GM Bill Stoneman of being boring despite the fact that the Angels consistenly win and have a productive farm system. Well, he went out and did something quite unboring this offseason.
I’m a little angry with Glavine, just as I was when he signed with the Mets in the first place. I personally think that line about him caring about what his family wants is b.s. in light of his re-signing with the Mets.
I can understand that feeling, but it’s really for the best. We don’t need any more money tied up in 40 year old pitchers, and if by using the Braves for leverage Glavine was able to put a little more of a dent in the Mets budget then it’s all good. I will admit that having Tommy use us for leverage not once but twice to fill his pockets isn’t the best feeling in the world.
I just think Glavine cared more about money than family, and it was disingenuous of him to say otherwise.
Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice…
pedro
on December 1, 2006 at 7:23 pm
Now that the mets signed Glavine JS can finally hibernate and forget about the Braves for the nextthree months.
bmac
on December 1, 2006 at 7:24 pm
You’re right csg. JS is going to have to work hard and be creative if he’s going to improve the team within the salary constraints he has. I think he would like to add another solid starter and fortify the bullpen as well. Barring some sort of blockbuster, unexpected trade, I don’t see how he’s going to do it. Andruw’s a 10 & 5 and his wife is from Atlanta. I doubt he’s going anywhere. Giles, Hudson & Horam are the most likely to move from Atlanta’s point of view, but may not fetch the return JS is looking for. It wasn’t a great year on the farm, so we don’t have any prospects with enough hype to bring a significant return. JS will be earning his money if he’s able to make any significant, positive, changes to the team
pedro
on December 1, 2006 at 7:29 pm
When he said that he wanted the best for his money…er, family he meant his other family, the one we all have: the Washingtons, Lincolns, the Jacksons, Benjamins,etc.
I’m not mad at anybody about this. I’m not convinced that Glavine would have a better ’07 in Atlanta than, say, Hudson.
I woulda liked to have seen the Met mini-freakout if they’d lost Glavine, but ultimately it may not be that big of a deal. He may go 11-14 again this year.
You never know, not getting Glavine could work out best for Atlanta somehow.
“Tom told [the Mets] he would make a decision before the start of the Winter Meetings [in Orlando, Fla.],” said Gregg Clifton, Glavine’s agent. “And after waiting around, he just reached a decision where he wanted to get something done.”
Wanted to get something done? Are you listening Mr. Schuerholz?
By doing so, he surprisingly indicated that his client wasn’t feeling a strong emotional pull to once again become a Brave. “If his family lived in Minnesota, he would have the same type of decision to make about possibly playing with the Twins,” Clifton said.
I can see why so many Braves’ fans are angry with Tom Glavine.
“It’s a disappointment and we’re sorry we couldn’t get it done,” Schuerholz said. “But we are going to charge hard and do what we can to make our club stronger.”
Wow, an apology. I didn’t see that coming.
Dix
on December 1, 2006 at 7:39 pm
Its true Glavine is already 40, if he’s not going to spend time with his kids now when is he planning on it. He’s going to be grandfather age by the time he gets around to his family. I guess the Mercedes he buys them when they turn 16 will heal a lot of that damage
Johnny
on December 1, 2006 at 7:41 pm
Just to be a contrarian here. I don’t think that the Braves wanted Tommy back at all unless he was prepared to take a lot less money. I’m ready to move on too but I’m with csg here. The guy only had one offer on the table. I don’t think that the Braves had any intention of making one. I know that Clifton said that no numbers or anything were discussed but I have to think that parameters were.
In the end the Braves showed a lot of class. They new that Glavine was going to get a strong offer from the Mets. Why insult him with the low ball offer that they thought he was worth. The family considerations thing had to be a negotiating ploy to get the Braves to the starting line and put them on the spot. There was no way that they could say that they didn’t want Tom back.
Shanks. I think that his ‘source’ is himself. His insistence that an offer was made however informally rings hollow now.
csg
on December 1, 2006 at 7:44 pm
#92- Lets face it, we are probably going to put the same product out there next year. Will Giles and Horam be able to bring us a top starter or reliever, probably not. The only reason to trade Huddy was to free up salary, but for $6 mil we cant find anything better. Our best bet now is to do nothing. It sounds strange, but I dont see us doing anything. If we can resign Thomson for less like he said he would do then lets sign him and Ward and make do. Thomson might actually be good out of the pen, or at least he’ll be better than Yates!
pedro
on December 1, 2006 at 7:45 pm
Why would the Braves want Glavine back? Don’t they have enough left-handed pitchers?
Stu
on December 1, 2006 at 7:45 pm
Dan, I was thinking the same thing about Shanks. I feel sorry for all the people who have paid good money to read his apparently made-up garbage.
We should petition the folks at Turner Field to play “Cat’s in the Cradle” by Harry Chapin every time Glavine pitches there.
And the cat’s in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man in the moon
“When you comin’ home dad?”
“I don’t know when, but we’ll get together then, son,
You know we’ll have a good time then….”
Dan
on December 1, 2006 at 7:48 pm
David O’Brein says John Thomson is close to signing with the Seattle Mariners.
The Braves aren’t going to offer arbitration to any of their free agents also.
A.West
on December 1, 2006 at 7:48 pm
An extra 5 million goes a long way when you have lots of kids you can help be set for life, as well as cousins, charities, etc. I’d commute extra for a couple of years for that much money. Make hay while you can, he’s got a long retirement to prepare for.
csg
on December 1, 2006 at 7:50 pm
“I guess the Mercedes he buys them when they turn 16 will heal a lot of that damage.”
I guess he was going to come and try to walk on the team for free w/ us, lets face it we didnt offer anything and we couldnt expect for him to turn down his one and only offer….
Guest Relations Aisle 119
on December 1, 2006 at 7:59 pm
you guys are disgusting. Tom Glavine is class act, and for you to attack him personally, questioning his role as a father is a joke. The Braves really look horrible here and have really disappointed me as a fan. I hope Tommy goes into the HOF as a Met, the only team that respected him in the end.
Johnny
on December 1, 2006 at 8:03 pm
Ok having read all the stuff at the mlb.com site, I must be full of crap. Not to sound like a conspiracy theorist here but I wonder if all that talk of trying to make a trade to clear salary space was just a curtosy? Anyway move on. I am betting that nothing substantive happens at teh winter meetings.
Robert
on December 1, 2006 at 8:03 pm
I hope Tommy goes into the HOF as a Met, the only team that respected him in the end.
Now that would be a bold move by the HOF committee. Put Clemens in as an Astro while you’re at it.
Tommy doesn’t get to choose.
Dan
on December 1, 2006 at 8:09 pm
“I hope Tommy goes into the HOF as a Met”
I really wouldn’t care.
Guest Relations Aisle 119
on December 1, 2006 at 8:11 pm
robert, thank you I was not aware of that. Well I hope he retires in the New York area now and moves his family he hates so much with him.
Dan
on December 1, 2006 at 8:12 pm
“I am betting that nothing substantive happens at teh winter meetings.”
BUT WHAT ABOUT THE SIGNING OF DARRYL WARD, THE TRADE OF MARCUS GILES FOR TODD COFFEY AND THE TRADING OF RYAN LANGERHANS FOR A DRAFT PICK!?
pedro
on December 1, 2006 at 8:15 pm
If this were football we all would have got an unsportmanlike conduct for all this negative comments about Glavine and his family.
Guest Relations Aisle 119
on December 1, 2006 at 8:18 pm
I just don’t understand the logic behind blaming Glavine for this. Please explain it…
How about we thank Tommy for being the only pitcher that could actually deliver a World Series Championship to our city.
mraver
on December 1, 2006 at 8:20 pm
Well, that’s too bad. I guess Tommy felt like he had to make a decision now (and I can understand the Mets needing to know ASAP and asking him to decide before Winter Mettings).
With that said, I pretty much agree that it’s disappointing that we weren’t able to get anything done. I guess Schurholtz still has enough faith in Hudson to ask for a lot in return.
Sure, I thank him for that, but even though he’s Tom Glavine, I would NOT pay him $10 million to pitch for potentially two years.
Jeff K
on December 1, 2006 at 8:27 pm
My 2 cents: Tom Glavine is my personal favorite Brave, as a fan for about 26 years. I was pissed when he left for the Mets. Mets fans don’t deserve to have him on their team. But he’s clearly comfortable there and making a lot more money than JS can offer him at this point. JS didn’t have a chance to sign him under these circumstances, and another starting pitcher would be nice, wonderful, but it isn’t a priority. I regret that I’ll root against Tom another year or two, but it is what it is.
Now, let’s get JS to the winter meetings and find the relievers we need, even a LF, and relax for 12 weeks.
mraver
on December 1, 2006 at 8:28 pm
In other news, Ray Durham has just signed with the Giants for 2 years, $14M. This leaves Ronnie Belliard and Mark Loretta as the best 2B FAs available. There’s going to be someone out there who really wants Marcus Giles in a few weeks (if not before).
I wasn’t buzzing you for that. I was buzzing you for asserting that Glavine should go into the Hall of Fame as a Met.
Ronnie James Dio
on December 1, 2006 at 8:35 pm
Money is very tight in Atlanta these days, and hopefully JS and Co. have determined adding Glavine for nostalgic value is not worth dealing away Giles and/or Hudson to clear salary room. I’m thrilled Glavine is not coming back, but I’ll always be a fan of his. As long as the Braves don’t deal Giles to make salary room for someone like Jason Marquis, I think the Braves come out ahead here.
Guest Relations Aisle 119
on December 1, 2006 at 8:36 pm
123 i know you were, thats why i said you didnt want to talk about the real issue
Wahoo! First post.
What in the hell are the Braves waiting for? Make an offer for Glavine or go in a different direction. Gees what is taking so long?
Personally I don’t think the Braves really want Glavine but are kind of stringing the process along to complicate the Mets plans. I could be wrong.
Then again, this is exactly why Glavine left us in the first place. He didn’t want to bolt out of town, but Schuerholz dragged his feet in his slow, methodical fashion, and offered substantially less money than the Mets when he finally did make a bid. I’m hoping Tommy comes, but it’s probably not happening.
@4
This also implies that Omar Miyana is dragging his feet as well. Really, if it’s a slam dunk that Glavine is going to the Mets, why hasn’t Miyana done anything either? Is he going to wait unti lthe Atlanta offer is revealed and then easily top it? JS isn’t the only one dragging his feet.
This isn’t a one-way street, you know.
DOB:
Decision time looms for Glavine | ajc.com
Note that this season’s suckage means we’d only give up a second-rounder, not a first.
least $22 million to retain Glavine, 40, who pitched four seasons for them since leaving Atlanta. The Mets would also give him a no-trade clause; Braves general manager John Schuerholz doesn’t do no-trade clauses
yep, he’s not coming!
well, all right, that answers that then.
That’s a load off my mind.
Update: BREAKING NEWS
JS and the Braves continue to do nothing!
@10
Stop it, just stop it, that’s getting SO old.
#11 – okay
Minaya knows that he has the best offer. He can and will wait for Glavine to make up his vulcan mind. I have to admire how respectful he has been during this process.
Glavine and Clifton if they haven’t overtly communciated at least some general parameters to Schuerholz they have done so via the press. Hence the rumored/leaked Mets offer. Schuerholz is in a no win. He can’t match but if he low balls some of the less erudite fan base bashes him for letting Tommy go again. If he goes too high then for sure he is bashed for paying too much for a 41 year old pitcher and is accused of letting sentimentality rule over baseball sense. He is being smart by letting Glavine decide how much living in Alpharetta during the season is worth to him.
My perspective on JS. He is a very good businessman and negotiator. Unfortunately in many cases (not Glavine, but others), opposing GMs are so stupid that he’s lost his leverage. In other words, why should Gary Matthews’ agent negotiate with JS when he can find a sucker that will give him $50 million? In the out of control market so far, it really seems anyone with fiscal constraint (and sense) is at a huge disadvantage. I have a feeling that we’ll know after the winter meetings whether JS has lost his touch or not.
I have one related question. Has it been confirmed that next year’s payroll is $80 million max? I know it’s been alluded to, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s a little higher (90-100) and JS is playing it close to the vest. I would be interested to know what kind of profit the Braves organization turned last year, but I would imagine that a true sense of the PM would be almost impossible with all the corporate accounting going on.
@12
Thank you.
@14
It’s “money to burn” syndrome, I guess.
Who here would play it any differently than Steinbrenner if money were no object? I’d have a tough time if i cared enough about winning and realized that no matter how much money I spent, I would never, ever even notice it was gone. What would happen to me is not that I would be responsible or try to be fair, I’d most likely get bored and stop after a while and go do something else. Winning loses its fun when you eliminate all the challenges, its like using cheat codes in video games, they might enhance the experience for a while, but once you’ve crossed that line, the game loses its appeal a lot faster. I dont understand how the owners don’t get tired of it in baseball.
Bill Shanks via Gotham baseball via the, gasp, official site:
The deadline for the Mets’ offering arbitration is, in fact, an issue. Unlike some teams that, for some stupid reason, sign player before the deadline to sign (Hello Baltimore!), the Braves do want to see if the Mets offer Glavine arbitration. The preference is to not give up draft picks.
Now this does not mean that if the Mets offer Glavine arbitration the Braves are not going to sign him. But they want to know what the Mets are going to do first.
Let me address all of this talk from Clifton about an offer. It was reiterated to me this afternoon that Glavine and Schuerholz (not sure about Clifton) have talked about money and each side knows what it’s going to take to get a contract done.
So why would Clifton say what he’s saying? Well, if Clifton was held out of the loop to any extent, he’s probably egotistical enough to tell other reporters that the Braves have not made a contract offer since it has not come through him. I can see him saying (even to himself), “Well if the contract proposal hasn’t come through me, it hasn’t been made.” But in fact, Glavine and Schuerholz have talked numbers and are aware of what it’s going to take to make a deal happen.
What does Clifton constitute as an offer? Does it mean a written proposal that comes from Schuerholz? Well if so, that might not have happened yet. It might not happen until Saturday. I think if a team and a player have swapped numbers and let each other know what it’s going to take, that would constitute an offer.
Here are two very important questions:
1. Do the Braves want Tom Glavine back?
2. Does Tom Glavine want to come back to the Braves?
The answer to both of those questions is YES.
Glavine knows the neighborhood of what the Mets are going to pay him, so also knowing what the Braves can afford to pay him (again in the $7-$8 mil neighborhood), he would have already gone back to the Mets IF money was that much of an issue.
Glavine’s family has made it clear to him that they want him back in Atlanta. So is he going to sign with the Mets and turn around and have to tell his family that he took the extra however-million-more dollars to go back to New York? How could he do that? If they truly want him home, and have told him so, how could he chose the Mets over the Braves?
Now there is no doubt in my mind, as I have stated since Tuesday night, that Clifton is a problem here. I think he is pressuring Glavine to go back to New York, and I think he’s slimy enough to get the union to put pressure on Glavine to not turn down the extra money.
But again, is Glavine going to allow that to happen with his wife and kids wanting him home? Glavine allowed Clifton to get involved last time and he was a Met. So that’s what’s concerning to this entire process.
So I still hold to my story that was reported on Tuesday night: The Braves and Glavine were close to agreeing to a deal. Has Clifton gotten involved to jeopardize that? Are the Braves and Glavine simply waiting until Saturday to see if the Mets offer him arbitration?
I was told again today by sources that they still believe Glavine is coming back to Atlanta. At this point, even with the Clifton comments, I would still be shocked if Glavine does not return to the Braves. Again, anything can happen. But it just looks like the main reason we haven’t seen a deal happen is Friday’s arbitration deadline. Why announce ANYTHING before that deadline?
Schuerholz would certainly not come out and say a thing until after Friday’s deadline (which is at midnight so expect a pajama party in the chatroom!). It in his best interest to not tip off the Mets at all for what he’s going to do. Does this include allowing the perception that he has not made an offer to continue? Perhaps. Why does Schuerholz care right now what’s being said as long as he and Glavine have, in fact, spoken and have an understanding?
Now, with that in mind, I was also told today that the Braves are in active trade talks with at least two American League teams about Tim Hudson. This is not a surprise, but there seems to be a chance that Hudson could be moved in the next couple of days. The Braves are not going to give Tim Hudson away, especially with the recent contracts given out that make Hudson’s deal seem somewhat tame, even if he’s a middle-of-the-rotation starter. But it looks like the Braves are seeing what Hudson could get back in a trade.
http://www.welcomecoachspurrier.com/
Totally
In
Denial
Everyday
@19
What a waste of webspace. lol
Who are Shanks’ sources? Geez he’s got more supposition and interpretation than a Kremlin watcher.
Bama’s next HC will be Rich Rodroguez from WVA. I think he’ll be a great hire. No announcement until the games are over this weekend – most likely a Monday press conference.
I heard Dave O’Brien on the Buck and Kincaid show yesterday talking about Glavine, and he thinks that there was a better chance of Glavine being a Brave than Hudson. Also, it looks like HoRam will be gone.
@14
Even if the payroll has increased say 10 million (of which I’ve heard nothing about, but then I’m hardly privy to any inside information…), what would that buy today? Juan Pierre? Gary Matthews? Given the meteoric rise in salaries this offseason, I’m not sure anything less than 30 million raise in budget would allow a GM, any GM, to compete for multiple free agents. That said, I wouldn’t care if we did have 10 or 30 million extra to spend, I wouldn’t want to spend many of those dimes on the likes of Pierre and Matthews.
When do the winter meetings start?
I have heard nothing to suggest the Braves’ payroll will increase. TW has no incentive to do so with the sale (or whatever you call it) pending. My understanding is that the Braves broke even (according to the team); of course, that doesn’t factor in anything that the team contributed as programming to TBS or TW, which they never want to count. TW has no interest in losing money on this team just to win and I doubt Liberty does either, so unless attendence increases a lot, I doubt will see much change. (Although I would like to know where all the extra revenue is going–I assume into the corporate coffers rather than spending on the big league team. Or, perhaps, to creating an even better fan experience at Turner Field for corporate clients and the super rich, which seems to be the only people that pro teams care about anymore.)
I thought winter meetings started Monday.
It is fascinating that all the truly godawful contracts being given out make contracts that are merely bad, like Hudson’s, suddenly look affordable.
In non-bizarro world, that man should be an albatross. Instead, his tradeability has actually INCREASED this offseason, just because of Juan Pierre and Gary Matthews.
But God bless Dave O’Brian for giving me hope on Tom Terrific… I just hope he’s right.
Does anyone have any idea at all at how the Braves have received, or are scheduled to receive in the revenue sharing plan. I know some of the lower teams like KC and Flordia have received roughly 30 million dollars in the past, and seeing how Atlanta is a not a major market team anymore, they should received some benefits from revenue sharing. Mac, can you help clear this up.
It probably has to do with revenue rather than size of market. I doubt the Braves would qualify.
On a different note, has anybody seen any rumors on where Greg Maddux is going to sign? Wouldn’t it be fun for the Braves to re-sign both Tommy and Greg and wipe away the bad memories of the last few years’ rotations?
Oops. NY Times today on Glavine’s decision:
Bama’s next HC will be Rich Rodroguez from WVA. I think he’ll be a great hire.
I have no idea if either of these things is true but just the idea of Alabama trying to run the spread offense with that roster is hilarious. And you thought Florida looked awkward…
The fact that the only thing going on for my favorite team is whether they will sign a 40 year old pitcher who has no chance of being on the next good Braves team is pretty depressing. Not Angels fan, my team just gave Gary Fricking Matthews $50 million depressing, but depressing none the less.
Everything I read makes me believe its Glavine that wants to come back to Atlanta or is having a hard time deciding while its Clifton that wants him to get the big money in NY. Of course, Clifton is prolly just looking out for his own sorry @ss since he’ll get a bigger share of the profits if his 5% commission or whatever it is comes out of a 22 million dollar pay than a 16 million (if they braves go 2 yrs. 8 per.)
Nice post, AAR. I agree completely.
If we do sign Glavine — and I hope and think we will — it is going to feel mighty good to make all those Mets fans so mad.
If we land Glavine, I’m expecting Ububba to make a full report on everything he did to piss off the Mets fans in his office–and I’m willing to take up a collection if he feels his own modest resources aren’t enough to do the job properly.
In my office, when a “Braves triumph” occurs, I don’t have to do anything. I just sit in my office & wait. The Met fans come around, like puppies that I might’ve fed once.
In fact, they were in my office yesterday wanting to know “what’s really happening.” I gave them a big “I-don’t-know-anymore-than-you-do” story, while dropping in pointed talking points about their shaky rotation.
@34 – I don’t know why Bama running the spread with their roster would be hilarious. Bama’s O-line has been their biggest problem on offense this year, and I think the spread could help them on the line. Bama’s receivers are above average, but not deep, Wilson will be solid at QB, and a few of their RBs that were injured this year, along with Jimmy Johns should be pretty good – especially in a spread.
In general, I would agree that when you first arrive, it’s wise to adapt your offense to your personnel. I don’t know what Rodriguez’s philosophy would be on that. I have also said that Bama’s biggest problem next year may be their defense – whoever is the coach.
On to Glavine, I think bringing him back is exciting. If they can do this and build a foundation for the coming years (unlike what most of the GMs have done over the past few months), they’ll be in good shape.
Ken Rosenthal is saying that Glavine will most likely return to New York, in part because Schuerholz is asking too much for Hudson.
Well, that doesn’t surprise me. There are questions about Hudson’s ability after two poor years, and he’s scheduled for big money. Personally, I think I’d be willing to accept a mid-level prospect for him strait up if that means we sign Glavine for 2/$15-20M. Heck, why not trade Huddy for near-nothing and give Glavine the money earmarked for Hudson? (6M next year, 13M for 2008). That deal is competitive with the Mets’ offer and nets us Glavine instead of Hudson plus a prospect of some ability (this assumes we don’t give NY a draft pick, which would kinda suck). As a bonus, the contract situation remains the same, and we don’t face any “oh nos, we’re paying Glavine more than Smoltz” deals because we can bump up Smolt’z salary when he negotiates for 2009.
Sounds good to me….
Rosenthal’s 5 points are great and all, but at this point I think it comes down to whether Tom wants to play at home or in NY.
A few million won’t be what the deal hinges on.
“in part because Schuerholz is asking too much for Hudson.”
Rosenthal is just speculating. I mean, at least Shanks had some source, Rosenthal just rehased old and well-known information.
I really feel if the Braves don’t get Glavine, it will be mostly Schuerholz’s fault.
Or just Glavine’s decision.
“If we land Glavine, I’m expecting Ububba to make a full report on everything he did to piss off the Mets fans in his office”
Glavine hasn’t even made a decision and the Mets’ fans are already trashing him:
“While Tom Glavine spends his nights curled up in a ball on John Schuerholz’s front porch waiting for an offer that may never come….”
http://www.amazinavenue.com/
Imagine if he signs with the Braves.
Odds (My Opinion) On Next Bama Coach:
Rodriguez 3:2
Paul Johnson 5:2
Joe Kines 6:1
Mike Sherman 10:1
Mike Riley 15:1
Chan Gailey (Ugh) 20:1
Jeff Tedford 30:1
Bobby Petrino 30:1
The Wake Forest Guy 30:1
Nick Saban 100:1
Steve Spurrier 100:1
Field 2:1
man, read the comments over at metsblog; they’ve already thrown him under the bus, backed over him a few times, then dropped about eight or nine more busses on top of the first one.
No Cutcliffe, Mac?
apparently Gammons is saying Glavine’s resigned with New York.
Dark, do you have a source on that? Espn.com or something?
both metsblog and rotoworld are reporting it, but there’s nothing up at espn’s website or anywhere else.
ok thanks, just wondering.
The ESPN ticker says Peter Gammons reports Mets and P Tom Glavine agree to 1-year deal with player option for 2008.
At least I can get over Glavine now.
Well.
The Winter Meetings had better be fruitful for us.
I think I want to keep Hudson now.
Also, can we all agree that it’s wisest to completely ignore Bill Shanks in the future?
Ignoring Bill Shanks is always a good policy.
By the way…where the heck is Alex R.?
I’ve been waiting for him to weigh in on all of this Glavine mess.
Oddly enough, still no story on ESPN’s website. It’s been fifteen minutes since the rotoworld / metsblog news items. Has Gammons ever announced something as being a done deal on tv, only to wind up being wrong?
@43 Schuerholz’s fault? For showing restraint? With a 41 year old middle of the rotation starter? Lets face it thats what Tommy is now. The Braves aren’t going to be SIGNIFICANTLY better with Glavine in the rotation. In other words he doesn’t put us over the top. With that in mind I’m glad that Schuerholz is playing it this way.
I want Glavine back in a Braves uniform too. But Schuerholz is correct in trying to get him for as little as possible.
oops never mind. check out ajc.com. Glavine has told DOB that he is going back to the Mets.
Glavine hasn’t signed back with the Mets. Gammons is full of s***
check out the ajc. its done. He’s a Met. I wonder if he ever got an offer from us. Bill Shanks is a shmo. Just for laughs you should read the ‘if I were the GM’ thing he as at scouts.braves.com.
The people at the AJC are taking it real hard:
1. I feel like such an idiot. Why did I ever get my hopes up that Glavine would truly care about anything more than the size of the offer? I’m an idiot.
2. Oh well. We’ll just have to settle for Smoltz. Hampton, Hudson, James, and HoRam. Thanks a lot, Time Warner creeps… Tom, hope you enjoy your time in NY and finish with 299 wins, and lose every game you pitch against ATL.
3. DOB: I know it’s illegal to throw things at opposing players (eggs, batteries, etc.), but could you talk to Braves officials to see if an exception can be made just when Glavine comes to town???
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=mlb&id=2682791
Glavine is gone.
Mac, I think it’s time to put Smoltz above Glavine on that list of “44 greatest Atlanta Braves” just for his loyalty.
yep he’s gone
Well, good then. He can run out of gas with the Mets and they can look stupid.
NY METS is trying to post; he is very upset that the Braves didn’t sign Glavine. Make of that what you will.
“Well, good then. He can run out of gas with the Mets and they can look stupid.”
If Glavine keeps the Mets from getting Barry Zito, then it’s all really worth it.
@68
I say LOL!!! to that! 😀
@69
That’s utterly baffling. They want 41-year old Glavine at $10.5 mil, but not 28 year old Zito, whom they could easily get with at least $15 million a year.
Sam, I think they wanted both and will get both. Its not like it was one or the other
Just heard Glavine on WFAN. He said that he simply “felt more wanted by the Mets.”
And yes, I believe the Mets will still attempt to sign Zito. Their M.O. has been spend, spend, spend. And last year, it finally worked.
Following the Braves in the offseason is less exciting that watching paint dry. Less.
@71
That is a load of money to spend.
It’s really a shame that neither Glavine nor Maddux will have worn a Braves uni while winning their 300th. Another casualty of a mid-market budget, I suppose.
big sigh of relief, I was so worried that we were going to sign Glavine just to watch him suck it up for another year or two.
Rodriguez to Bama
http://www.wvmetronews.com/index_forsub.cfm?func=displayfullstory&storyid=17521
“Sam, I think they wanted both and will get both. Its not like it was one or the other.”
The Mets had 25 million to spend before they signed Glavine. Do they still have enough to beat the Rangers, who are rumored to be offering Zito around 7YRS/105M?
“Following the Braves in the offseason is less exciting that watching paint dry. Less.”
Yes, yes, yes. Schuerholz is so boring it’s unreal. What’s he going to do at the winter meetings this coming Monday? Nothing? Giles for Todd Coffey? Boring. Schuerholz is so slow I feel like the Devil Rays could hand him Carl Crawford on a silver platter and he’d just sit around and chew his fingernails until some other team with a quicker and more decisive GM got him.
“He said that he simply “felt more wanted by the Mets.”
Schuerholz again.
Stu I was wondering what happened to Alex R as well. If he didn’t post during all the Glavine talk, then he is probably not checking the site anymore.
This has been an incredibly boring offseason. I know JS likes to work under the radar, but this is a bit much. The tough thing about being a braves fan and trying to see what the front office is up to is that 99% of the time JS is talking trades that we never even hear rumors of happening. Sorry for the run on sentence.
I’m a little angry with Glavine, just as I was when he signed with the Mets in the first place. I personally think that line about him caring about what his family wants is b.s. in light of his re-signing with the Mets. If his family wanted him to stay in Atlanta, and he really cared about their wishes, he would have signed in Atlanta. I’m confident that he and his agent could have negotiated some sort of acceptable contract. He’s at the end of his career, has made many millions of dollars, and if his family was paramount, he would have accepted less to play at home. Money is more important than family to him at this point.
That said, I was always a fan of his with while he was with the Braves, and appreciate all that he did for the franchise.
You know what isn’t boring? Winning. And if JS puts us in the best position to win by not signing the Gary Matthews Jr.’s of the world to ridiculous contracts just for the sake of being exciting, then I’ll follow college basketball fervently until March and then watch JS look like a genius when other teams are realizing they’re idiots for giving these contracts. In 3 years when the market corrects, the Angels, Astros, etc. are going to look like 2001 or 2002 Texas after they sold the farm for A-Rod and Chan Ho Park.
“Also, can we all agree that it’s wisest to completely ignore Bill Shanks in the future?”
Can you imagine paying $40.00 for that information and his “source.”
Oh, forgot about the poster child for 2006 stupidity: the Cubs.
Can we really be made at Glavine? If you only have one offer on the table its not a hard choice. Now if they come out and say we offered 1 year – 9 million then yes we have a right to be mad at him. As of now, we made now effort to sign him, cant be mad at that
I think JS would have made an offer to Glavine, he was just waiting to see if the Mets offered arbitration. He would have then made an offer to Glavine. Glavine just set an arbitrary deadline, and JS wasn’t willing to make an offer before then. I just think Glavine cared more about money than family, and it was disingenuous of him to say otherwise. He was talking the talk, but didn’t walk the walk.
I dont care what anyone says, you dont care more about money than family. If you’re a man of your word and you state that you’ll make a decision by friday, then you have to do that. He only had one offer and that’s an easy decision to make. If JS was waiting to see if he could free up some salary room then that’s fine, if he was playing a waiting game with Tom and the Mets then that’s his fault. Glavine just simply did what he said he was going to do, which was to make a decision by friday. You cant say he loves money more than family, that’s ridiculous!
The proof’s in the pudding. We’ll just have to respectfully disagree.
True: he’s gone and we have to move on
what next:
Keep Giles, Huddy, and Horam….do we need to free up salary room. Js has to be very creative if he still wants better pitching
Yes, yes, yes. Schuerholz is so boring it’s unreal.
True, but sometimes the best deal is the one you don’t make. I feel that’s the case here. Around here they always accuse Angels GM Bill Stoneman of being boring despite the fact that the Angels consistenly win and have a productive farm system. Well, he went out and did something quite unboring this offseason.
I’m a little angry with Glavine, just as I was when he signed with the Mets in the first place. I personally think that line about him caring about what his family wants is b.s. in light of his re-signing with the Mets.
I can understand that feeling, but it’s really for the best. We don’t need any more money tied up in 40 year old pitchers, and if by using the Braves for leverage Glavine was able to put a little more of a dent in the Mets budget then it’s all good. I will admit that having Tommy use us for leverage not once but twice to fill his pockets isn’t the best feeling in the world.
I just think Glavine cared more about money than family, and it was disingenuous of him to say otherwise.
Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice…
Now that the mets signed Glavine JS can finally hibernate and forget about the Braves for the nextthree months.
You’re right csg. JS is going to have to work hard and be creative if he’s going to improve the team within the salary constraints he has. I think he would like to add another solid starter and fortify the bullpen as well. Barring some sort of blockbuster, unexpected trade, I don’t see how he’s going to do it. Andruw’s a 10 & 5 and his wife is from Atlanta. I doubt he’s going anywhere. Giles, Hudson & Horam are the most likely to move from Atlanta’s point of view, but may not fetch the return JS is looking for. It wasn’t a great year on the farm, so we don’t have any prospects with enough hype to bring a significant return. JS will be earning his money if he’s able to make any significant, positive, changes to the team
When he said that he wanted the best for his money…er, family he meant his other family, the one we all have: the Washingtons, Lincolns, the Jacksons, Benjamins,etc.
I’m not mad at anybody about this. I’m not convinced that Glavine would have a better ’07 in Atlanta than, say, Hudson.
I woulda liked to have seen the Met mini-freakout if they’d lost Glavine, but ultimately it may not be that big of a deal. He may go 11-14 again this year.
You never know, not getting Glavine could work out best for Atlanta somehow.
http://atlanta.braves.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20061201&content_id=1749284&vkey=news_atl&fext=.jsp&c_id=atl
“Tom told [the Mets] he would make a decision before the start of the Winter Meetings [in Orlando, Fla.],” said Gregg Clifton, Glavine’s agent. “And after waiting around, he just reached a decision where he wanted to get something done.”
Wanted to get something done? Are you listening Mr. Schuerholz?
By doing so, he surprisingly indicated that his client wasn’t feeling a strong emotional pull to once again become a Brave. “If his family lived in Minnesota, he would have the same type of decision to make about possibly playing with the Twins,” Clifton said.
I can see why so many Braves’ fans are angry with Tom Glavine.
“It’s a disappointment and we’re sorry we couldn’t get it done,” Schuerholz said. “But we are going to charge hard and do what we can to make our club stronger.”
Wow, an apology. I didn’t see that coming.
Its true Glavine is already 40, if he’s not going to spend time with his kids now when is he planning on it. He’s going to be grandfather age by the time he gets around to his family. I guess the Mercedes he buys them when they turn 16 will heal a lot of that damage
Just to be a contrarian here. I don’t think that the Braves wanted Tommy back at all unless he was prepared to take a lot less money. I’m ready to move on too but I’m with csg here. The guy only had one offer on the table. I don’t think that the Braves had any intention of making one. I know that Clifton said that no numbers or anything were discussed but I have to think that parameters were.
In the end the Braves showed a lot of class. They new that Glavine was going to get a strong offer from the Mets. Why insult him with the low ball offer that they thought he was worth. The family considerations thing had to be a negotiating ploy to get the Braves to the starting line and put them on the spot. There was no way that they could say that they didn’t want Tom back.
Shanks. I think that his ‘source’ is himself. His insistence that an offer was made however informally rings hollow now.
#92- Lets face it, we are probably going to put the same product out there next year. Will Giles and Horam be able to bring us a top starter or reliever, probably not. The only reason to trade Huddy was to free up salary, but for $6 mil we cant find anything better. Our best bet now is to do nothing. It sounds strange, but I dont see us doing anything. If we can resign Thomson for less like he said he would do then lets sign him and Ward and make do. Thomson might actually be good out of the pen, or at least he’ll be better than Yates!
Why would the Braves want Glavine back? Don’t they have enough left-handed pitchers?
Dan, I was thinking the same thing about Shanks. I feel sorry for all the people who have paid good money to read his apparently made-up garbage.
The Braves don’t have enough good pitchers.
We should petition the folks at Turner Field to play “Cat’s in the Cradle” by Harry Chapin every time Glavine pitches there.
And the cat’s in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man in the moon
“When you comin’ home dad?”
“I don’t know when, but we’ll get together then, son,
You know we’ll have a good time then….”
David O’Brein says John Thomson is close to signing with the Seattle Mariners.
The Braves aren’t going to offer arbitration to any of their free agents also.
An extra 5 million goes a long way when you have lots of kids you can help be set for life, as well as cousins, charities, etc. I’d commute extra for a couple of years for that much money. Make hay while you can, he’s got a long retirement to prepare for.
“I guess the Mercedes he buys them when they turn 16 will heal a lot of that damage.”
I guess he was going to come and try to walk on the team for free w/ us, lets face it we didnt offer anything and we couldnt expect for him to turn down his one and only offer….
you guys are disgusting. Tom Glavine is class act, and for you to attack him personally, questioning his role as a father is a joke. The Braves really look horrible here and have really disappointed me as a fan. I hope Tommy goes into the HOF as a Met, the only team that respected him in the end.
Ok having read all the stuff at the mlb.com site, I must be full of crap. Not to sound like a conspiracy theorist here but I wonder if all that talk of trying to make a trade to clear salary space was just a curtosy? Anyway move on. I am betting that nothing substantive happens at teh winter meetings.
I hope Tommy goes into the HOF as a Met, the only team that respected him in the end.
Now that would be a bold move by the HOF committee. Put Clemens in as an Astro while you’re at it.
Tommy doesn’t get to choose.
“I hope Tommy goes into the HOF as a Met”
I really wouldn’t care.
robert, thank you I was not aware of that. Well I hope he retires in the New York area now and moves his family he hates so much with him.
“I am betting that nothing substantive happens at teh winter meetings.”
BUT WHAT ABOUT THE SIGNING OF DARRYL WARD, THE TRADE OF MARCUS GILES FOR TODD COFFEY AND THE TRADING OF RYAN LANGERHANS FOR A DRAFT PICK!?
If this were football we all would have got an unsportmanlike conduct for all this negative comments about Glavine and his family.
I just don’t understand the logic behind blaming Glavine for this. Please explain it…
How about we thank Tommy for being the only pitcher that could actually deliver a World Series Championship to our city.
Well, that’s too bad. I guess Tommy felt like he had to make a decision now (and I can understand the Mets needing to know ASAP and asking him to decide before Winter Mettings).
With that said, I pretty much agree that it’s disappointing that we weren’t able to get anything done. I guess Schurholtz still has enough faith in Hudson to ask for a lot in return.
@106
*BZZZZZZT, Price is Right losing horns*
Ooooooooh, that’s too bad. But we have some nice consolation prizes for you.
“How about we thank Tommy for being the only pitcher that could actually deliver a World Series Championship to our city.”
Yeah, because Smoltz, Maddux, Avery and Wholers didn’t help at all.
@113
Sure, I thank him for that, but even though he’s Tom Glavine, I would NOT pay him $10 million to pitch for potentially two years.
My 2 cents: Tom Glavine is my personal favorite Brave, as a fan for about 26 years. I was pissed when he left for the Mets. Mets fans don’t deserve to have him on their team. But he’s clearly comfortable there and making a lot more money than JS can offer him at this point. JS didn’t have a chance to sign him under these circumstances, and another starting pitcher would be nice, wonderful, but it isn’t a priority. I regret that I’ll root against Tom another year or two, but it is what it is.
Now, let’s get JS to the winter meetings and find the relievers we need, even a LF, and relax for 12 weeks.
In other news, Ray Durham has just signed with the Giants for 2 years, $14M. This leaves Ronnie Belliard and Mark Loretta as the best 2B FAs available. There’s going to be someone out there who really wants Marcus Giles in a few weeks (if not before).
link
Ehh… trying again:
http://www.fantasybaseballcafe.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=242711
@113
He played with our feelings. I had already bought 10 of his jersey and a welcome-back Hallmark card.
115 you can try and debate the straw man, thats fine, but how about you explain how this is glavines fault
@122
I wasn’t buzzing you for that. I was buzzing you for asserting that Glavine should go into the Hall of Fame as a Met.
Money is very tight in Atlanta these days, and hopefully JS and Co. have determined adding Glavine for nostalgic value is not worth dealing away Giles and/or Hudson to clear salary room. I’m thrilled Glavine is not coming back, but I’ll always be a fan of his. As long as the Braves don’t deal Giles to make salary room for someone like Jason Marquis, I think the Braves come out ahead here.
123 i know you were, thats why i said you didnt want to talk about the real issue
What real issue? I don’t blame Glavine at all for not signing with the Braves. In fact, I’m glad he didn’t!
Only the Mets and Yankees would spend $10 million on a pitcher who is in the twilight of his career and bound to slip up sooner or later.
Only a Braves fan would not be whining about Glavine signing with the Braves.
@128 Huh?