I think I shall take a nap.
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I think I shall take a nap.
Use code “Journal” for a 5% discount.
To follow Cliff in the last thread. But where do you think we’re going to get 3 Premium free agents for the cash we have available? What free agents are out there that fit the premium and “we can afford” mold? I think our best bet this year is to commit to one premium free agent, one FA with potential to be very good, but currently only pretty good, and then fill that last one with a Smoltzy hometown discount sort of person and try and pick up premium #3 the next year… spread the cost and risk out a bit (as we’re not likely to be a favorite next year anyway).
We have several minor leaguers that are at least a few years away, and none that are likely to make a huge impact next year. Because of that, I’m thinking that we try to build the team for 2010. I’m not sure how we do it, but I just don’t see three free agents and being able to spend 30 to 40 extra mil making us a top tier team in 2009.
But I find it amusing that you spend so much time worried about our schedule. I wonder why that is…
Because I like good football games? And the SEC favors economics over good football games and it annoys me? If that was your guess than you were right.
The agendas of the two conferences could not be more clear. When the NCAA permanently added a 12th game to the schedule, the Pac-10 said “Great, we’ll add a ninth conference game and have a true round robin. It makes perfect competitive sense.” The SEC said “Great, we’ll each add a home game against a Division I-AA team. It makes perfect financial sense”.
That used to be more fun to write when all 12 SEC teams had a I-AA team on their schedule. This year it looks like it’s down to nine. Tennessee (the schedule rebels of the SEC), Vandy (Duke, Rice, close but not quite), and Alabama (Tulane, newly minted 1-A team Western Kentucky, and Arkansas State) managed to resist. Good for them.
Charles P,
The notion of the premium players is not trying to make us compete next year. I know that sounds strange. But we have lots of young talent that we don’t need to trade or give away. To the extent that we can’t hold them on the 40 man roster, a trade of some second tier prospects is probably warranted. Otherwise, my plan is to hold on to ALL of them.
Then, if the youngsters keep coming on, you put them on the field. Then, the premium free agents will be tradeable. If the youngsters come on faster than expected (Say Hanson and Morton combine for 30 wins next year, CC holds the top spot, and Jair and Jorge round out the 5) then you are right back to competing.
If you don’t get right back to competing, the only hurt on 2010 or 2011 is the cost of the premium player who is moveable.
The problem is trying to “bottom fish” all of the time. With as much good young talent as this organization has, you need to utilize it primarily on the field.
Because I like good football games? And the SEC favors economics over good football games and it annoys me? If that was your guess than you were right.
Every university favors economics over good football games—USC just has to schedule some games outside the Pacific Time Zone in order to get the serious attention of the Eastern media. And it has to do it against relevant teams, or nobody would pay attention. Unfortunately, wins over Arizona schools just don’t add much credibility (or $$$) on a national level, so USC has to go elsewhere to find it.
If it had cash-generating match-ups with Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, Auburn, and LSU in its back yard, it wouldn’t ever leave its region, either. Football is best in the Southeast—why would the teams that play here go anywhere else with any regularity?
If you don’t get right back to competing, the only hurt on 2010 or 2011 is the cost of the premium player who is moveable.
I’m kind of torn on this issue. I don’t think there is any way to buy our way back into contention. We are going to suck for one or two more seasons. But if the choice is to sign a premium free agent and make the next few years a little more watchable or for that money to go into the owner’s pocket, then yeah go ahead a sign somebody. I’m just not sure that’s really the choice.
The Giants do this where they sign somebody every offseason just because they can and they ended up with a pretty untradeable contract. Not cool.
Having a tough time deciding if #5 is a parody or not. Stu’s too smart to just spew the homertastic SEC fanboy stuff…right?
I am siding with Cliff here, we need to go after a premium FA, but the only one i really like is Sabathia.
It is not 09 we are really looking at, but 2010. We really have to look at a new 3B and power from somewhere in the OF.
I actually like Anderson in CF but RF and LF stink, maybe Jones in LF, he has looked okay at the plate, not a great fielder though.
RF is The Blackhole.
All FA OF suck though, so we may not be able to fix that till 2010 unless it is a trade.
CC is gonna get a Santana type contract, and with the amount of innings he’s thrown (he’s pitching complete games like we’re in the 20’s), he’s bound to blow up some time, most likely in the middle of his fat contract. No thanks.
Here is a question to ponder — why would one of this year’s “premium” free agents want to sign with the Braves? We’re not particularly ready to contend in 2009, and our vaunted organizational stability is no longer a factor. And any four- or five-year mega-contract is going to include a no-trade clause — guys like Sabathia are looking not just for the money, but for their next long-term destination. So you can’t just flip them next July if it doesn’t work out.
No, the best plan is to soak up Liberty’s ’09 budget with some second-tier FAs who will sign two-year contracts that we CAN flip, and who will help us remain nominally competitive while the rebuild continues. Raul Ibanez and Derek Lowe would be my top two targets.
I think the Braves should sign Buddy Carlyle to a long term extension for say 5 years 50 million. He is far too valuable to let get away.
Woooo?
Most unwooo.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/more/09/09/bulgaria.hockey.ap/index.html?cnn=yes
Jeff Francoeur:MLB pitching::Bulgarian women’s hockey:Slovakian women’s hockey
if we offer CC the most money, he will be a brave.
Less money, but all the Varsity hot dogs he can eat.
There are premium free agents every year. If we beef up the youth movement in ’09 via top prospects acquired for tradeable veteran talent, we’ll be able to sign a big name in a couple of years to get us over the top and make sure we stay there. A solid foundation of young players, complemented by one or two stud veterans when the time is right. That should be the plan.
Ha!
Ha ha!
Ha ha ha?
Argh?
Campillo might yet hold on to this game, but if he starts giving up homers he’s in big trouble.
Arrr.
Holding on for dear life going into the eighth.
For some reason, I started laughing when I saw that Dexter Fowler was inserted as a pinch-runner.
RIP Mike Gonzalez save streak.
June 2004-September 2008
Sigh. Remember when Gonzalez didn’t suck?
Don’t be surprised, people, just… don’t be surprised or angry or any of that. This is 2008. This is the Braves. It’s almost over.
Brian J,
Yeah, but I also remember that Gonzalez was also as wild as hell, like he was in that at-bat.
I won’t fault Gonzo for that dinger. Hard to keep up his kind of intensity in the dog days, I’m sure. Sure woke him up though, didn’t it?
I hate this team so damned much. And now we’re probably going to have extra innings, again, before it loses.
Mac,
… yeah, but you still can’t quit them, why is that? ;P
*bad joke*
It’s not just that at bat. Gonzalez has been having trouble for the last month (0-2, 7 ER, 8 BB in 7 IP).
Epic fail.
Mac, I hate it when you’re right.
The Braves have twice as many hits and the same number of walks as the Rockies, but have only scored the same number of runs. The three homers have a lot to do with that. I was concerned the last two years with the Braves’ post-Leo problems with allowing homers; it seems to have returned.
I know I would be fired up if I were pitching 7 innings a month, as the closer.
And now, Tavarez versus Podsednik, or the resistable force meets the movable object.
How baseball fans who don’t follow the Braves react when they first see the 2008 season stats of Jeff Francoeur, a player they still think of as a star:
http://i36.tinypic.com/2r41rid.jpg
Followed by the long-awaited Taveras/Tavarez matchup!
Leo, the legend never leaves….I thought Marte never would either, but I feel there is still some hope
Tavarez wins
My point being that under Leo the Braves had a consistent philosophy of throwing down-and-away. There are some problems with this, and it doesn’t fit every pitcher, but the positive is that this philosophy makes it hard to hit home runs. McDowell doesn’t hold to this philosophy, and it has worked in some instances, but the fact is that the Braves’ most consistent stat in the Mazzone years was a low number of home runs allowed, and that this is no longer the case.
Well, that was anticlimactic. I’ll take it, though!
a balk win??? what….
You mean the Braves weren’t the one to commit the balk-off?
As if this season couldn’t get any stranger…
Well, good win, boys… I guess.
And at 10:26 pm EDT, the Atlanta Braves were mathematically eliminated from the playoffs, as the Mets have beaten the Nationals 10-8.
I’ve actually committed a balk to end the game before, not a very cool feeling.
Recap is up.