Will the front office have the cajones to not panic?

P

Preacher

Where's My Cup of Coffee?
For the most part I really like what the FO has done; I thought the rebuild was overdue and needed and the minors are stacked like hay bales in Wisconsin right now; so that's awesome.

However, looking straight in the face of what could be one of the historically bad team MLB has ever seen - especially after some of the moronic comments they made in the off-season about 'being better' this year; do they have the stones to not panic?

Already hearing rumblings from DOB (granted consider the source) that Albies or Swanson could come up this year is terrifying frankly. To rush their development and start their clocks during this season would be incredibly short-sighted.

I hate what they're doing with Gant...... use him in the bullpen to start the year, send him down to get stretched out and then bring him back up to be a long-reliever? Why? Just use Williams Perez or Casey Kelly in that role, Gant might actually have a future as a starter (I think he does), why are you yo-yoing him between roles in a desperate attempt to patch a bullpen in a season that's completely lost??? Makes me question if this front office has the intelligence and vision to see this through.

Also, Coppy has to tell Fredi - its not about this year, sorry you're a lame-duck manager, but you need to play Mallex just about every day - we need to see what he is; you need to let the young pitchers go deep into games. If you can't do that; we will find someone who can.

We can get a lot out of this year, Blair/Wisler and potentially Gant/Jenkins/Folty will all get a chance in the rotation, we should end this year having a good idea of what Mallex is at the MLB level, we should have the #1 draft pick, the minor should keep progressing. That's what this season is about. Embrace it.
 
I think Gant is needed because Fredi has burned his bullpen to no repair. You had Bud Norris going last night and he hasn't gone more than 5 all year if I recall.. so you have to bring up someone who can eat some innings.. I think he will be bounced back down fairly soon.

I agree on Mallex.. just play him until Ender gets back and then send him back down. Bring him back up once you dumb Stubbs or trade Jeff.. Mallex will be so much better with another stop at AAA, just to build that confidence back..
 
bravesfanMatt said:
I think Gant is needed because Fredi has burned his bullpen to no repair. You had Bud Norris going last night and he hasn't gone more than 5 all year if I recall.. so you have to bring up someone who can eat some innings.. I think he will be bounced back down fairly soon.

I agree on Mallex.. just play him until Ender gets back and then send him back down. Bring him back up once you dumb Stubbs or trade Jeff.. Mallex will be so much better with another stop at AAA, just to build that confidence back..
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Even with Gant.... I understand the need to have that spot in the bullpen --- why can't we use Casey Kelly or Williams Perez there? Do we really care if their arms fall off, and that's a role they might actually have some value in.
 
Preacher said:
Even with Gant.... I understand the need to have that spot in the bullpen --- why can't we use Casey Kelly or Williams Perez there? Do we really care if their arms fall off, and that's a role they might actually have some value in.
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you can't bring guys back up for 10 days.. plus I believe Perez and Kelly have both just pitched. I honestly think Gant was a move because we didn't trust Norris. Now the question is how long he stays. Have Blair coming up and will have another start for Norris or a minor leaguer.. can't expect either to go deep.. He may stay until Beckham or Ender come off DL..
 
Seeing Albies or Swanson in the second half isn't that scary if they keep playing like they have. In fact, it might be nice to get them a cup of coffee. They're both heavy favorites to make the club out of ST next year. However, you promote them only because it's the right thing for their development, not to try to win games.

I agree that Mallex needs to stay up. He's taken a while to adjust when promoted in the past. Let him have a chance to adapt to the majors and see what he can do.

I'm not too worried about Gant. I don't see him having much ceiling left so it's not like we're destroying his development. He fits more as a reliever to me anyway.
 
Preacher said:
For the most part I really like what the FO has done; I thought the rebuild was overdue and needed and the minors are stacked like hay bales in Wisconsin right now; so that's awesome.

However, looking straight in the face of what could be one of the historically bad team MLB has ever seen - especially after some of the moronic comments they made in the off-season about 'being better' this year; do they have the stones to not panic?

Already hearing rumblings from DOB (granted consider the source) that Albies or Swanson could come up this year is terrifying frankly. To rush their development and start their clocks during this season would be incredibly short-sighted.

I hate what they're doing with Gant...... use him in the bullpen to start the year, send him down to get stretched out and then bring him back up to be a long-reliever? Why? Just use Williams Perez or Casey Kelly in that role, Gant might actually have a future as a starter (I think he does), why are you yo-yoing him between roles in a desperate attempt to patch a bullpen in a season that's completely lost??? Makes me question if this front office has the intelligence and vision to see this through.

Also, Coppy has to tell Fredi - its not about this year, sorry you're a lame-duck manager, but you need to play Mallex just about every day - we need to see what he is; you need to let the young pitchers go deep into games. If you can't do that; we will find someone who can.

We can get a lot out of this year, Blair/Wisler and potentially Gant/Jenkins/Folty will all get a chance in the rotation, we should end this year having a good idea of what Mallex is at the MLB level, we should have the #1 draft pick, the minor should keep progressing. That's what this season is about. Embrace it.
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I thought the rebuild was overdue and needed and the minors are stacked like hay bales in Wisconsin right now; so that's awesome Overdue? Absolutely. Stacked? Not really. It is stacked with pitching. It has some good top of the line-up guys, LO, 2 hole, in Albies and Swanson, but there are no real power threats. The hope is that Riley, Rio, maybe Davidson and Peterson could develop power, but so far they aren't showing it. And, what do the Braves need the most and have the least? Power.

I hate what they're doing with Gant...... use him in the bullpen to start the year, send him down to get stretched out and then bring him back up to be a long-reliever? Why? Because that is what Gant's upside is. Using Gant, Weber, Perez and similar guys this year is what they should be doing. Maybe one or more will turn into a solid long term middle reliever. However, Blair is a guy who you view, and hope, is part of the long term rotation as a #3 or better. Better to let him develop in the minors.
 
The one major concern I have is they mismanage the service clocks of Albies, Ruiz and Swanson. Would be extremely short sighted to let it happen.
 
Preacher said:
Also, Coppy has to tell Fredi - its not about this year, sorry you're a lame-duck manager
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First, I agree with the long term vision over this season purpose of the post.

I just think it's funny when fans think that this is how things should work in management. If my boss told me that he was going to fire next year, I'm going to do my best to screw him over. Sports isn't different.
 
Horsehide Harry said:
Because that is what Gant's upside is. Using Gant, Weber, Perez and similar guys this year is what they should be doing. Maybe one or more will turn into a solid long term middle reliever. However, Blair is a guy who you view, and hope, is part of the long term rotation as a #3 or better. Better to let him develop in the minors.
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I think you're underrating Gant a bit. His stuff has ticked up since we acquired him from the Mets and there has been an accompanying rise in his strikeout rate. He has three good pitches. I think the team should give him every opportunity to develop as a starter.

We have guys like Kelly, Perez and Weber who I have no problem yoyoing around from minors to majors and from the rotation to the pen. I think of Gant more as one of the group that includes Wisler, Blair, Sims, Newcomb and Foltynevich as potential starting pitchers for the major league team. Not all of those guys are equal, but I think we want to give all of them every possible chance to develop as starters.
 
chop2chip said:
First, I agree with the long term vision over this season purpose of the post.

I just think it's funny when fans think that this is how things should work in management. If my boss told me that he was going to fire next year, I'm going to do my best to screw him over. Sports isn't different.
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yes it is!! if Fredi ever wants to be employed again, he won't do that. Sports is a very public job... EVERYONE knows how you do. If you screw your boss over at First National of I don't care.. you can go across town and get a job at 'I only care sometimes credit union'... sports jobs don't work that way.

Now I wouldn't tell Fredi, regardless of how you perform, you won't be back.. but I would tell him that this year is an evaluation process for the entire organization. I want key pieces in higher leverage situations.
 
bravesfanMatt said:
yes it is!! if Fredi ever wants to be employed again, he won't do that. Sports is a very public job... EVERYONE knows how you do. If you screw your boss over at First National of I don't care.. you can go across town and get a job at 'I only care sometimes credit union'... sports jobs don't work that way.

Now I wouldn't tell Fredi, regardless of how you perform, you won't be back.. but I would tell him that this year is an evaluation process for the entire organization. I want key pieces in higher leverage situations.
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The other thing is there is a good chance Fredi will be offered a different position within the organization if he doesn't come back as manager. So he does have some incentive to remain in the good graces of his current and possibly future bosses.
 
I'm hopeful that Gant will be optioned down today. He pitched 4 and two thirds yesterday on regular rest, so it was basically a spot start. If they want to carry 8 RPs, he needs to be optioned for another 40-man arm. Krol has pitched this afternoon in the GWI extra innings game, but Burawa has not.
 
nsacpi said:
The other thing is there is a good chance Fredi will be offered a different position within the organization if he doesn't come back as manager. So he does have some incentive to remain in the good graces of his current and possibly future bosses.
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Yep, I think this is what we'll see. Special Assistant to the GM or something squishy like that.
 
bravesfanMatt said:
yes it is!! if Fredi ever wants to be employed again, he won't do that. Sports is a very public job... EVERYONE knows how you do. If you screw your boss over at First National of I don't care.. you can go across town and get a job at 'I only care sometimes credit union'... sports jobs don't work that way.

Now I wouldn't tell Fredi, regardless of how you perform, you won't be back.. but I would tell him that this year is an evaluation process for the entire organization. I want key pieces in higher leverage situations.
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Politics plays both ways. Strong arming your manager to do certain things is a very good way to get you blacklisted in manager circles.

But enough of this silly debate. Being a professional organization means treating your subordinates with respect. Wasn't that the reason we ultimately fired Wren?
 
chop2chip said:
Politics plays both ways. Strong arming your manager to do certain things is a very good way to get you blacklisted in manager circles.

But enough of this silly debate. Being a professional organization means treating your subordinates with respect. Wasn't that the reason we ultimately fired Wren?
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I agree about it going both ways.. that is why I said I wouldn't tell a manager that..
 
dak said:
Well I'll be . . . looks like Burawa got his card pulled yesterday and is now off the 40-man. Didn't catch that.

http://m.braves.mlb.com/roster/transactions/

4/26/16 Atlanta Braves sent Danny Burawa outright to Mississippi Braves.
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I mentioned in the minors thread that it was a good time to DFA him and that after his recent bad outings that he'd surely clear waivers meaning they can keep him without using a 40-man spot. Looks like they were thinking the same.
 
Braves1976 said:
I mentioned in the minors thread that it was a good time to DFA him and that after his recent bad outings that he'd surely clear waivers meaning they can keep him without using a 40-man spot. Looks like they were thinking the same.
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Still wish that they had kept Todd Cunningham on the 40 man rather than Burawa.
 
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