Heyward
<B>Voted Worst Poster <br>'13, '14, '15 (Co-Winner
Go cry in the corner.
And this has been talked about already.
We're at a scrunch for 2015 and dont have a ton of payroll flexibility.
DOB: Braves offseason about to get a lot busier. - Gamel released.
- Thread starter Heyward
- Start date
Go cry in the corner.
And this has been talked about already.
We're at a scrunch for 2015 and dont have a ton of payroll flexibility.
NinersSBChamps
<B>Voted Worst Poster <br> 2015 (Co-Winner)</BR>20
Wren has made the bed and he has to sleep in it. As fans of the Braves we were spoiled in the 90s. Maintaining the status quo is s sign of not improving and not attempting to. This has been the same story for seasons upon seasons now. This group of players isn't getting it done during the playoffs. If you suddenly think that is all going to change this season, then good for you. Other people realize that we need changes and expected that to happen.
Heyward
<B>Voted Worst Poster <br>'13, '14, '15 (Co-Winner
I already said i would of liked to add a veteran LHP out of the pen, but other than that, i dont think much was needed.
Realistically speaking.
NinersSBChamps
<B>Voted Worst Poster <br> 2015 (Co-Winner)</BR>20
That's completely fine. There are two camps here. Your in a different one than myself and dalyn.
Obviously I wasn't expecting a major overhaul, but these minor moves don't do it for me. Maybe another season of the same ol'e story will open up some eyes in the front office.
nsacpi
Expects Yuge Games
I remember you once mentioning Sizemore and Ellsbury as two guys you would have gone after this off-season. Would those have been your moves or are there other ideas you liked better?
NinersSBChamps
<B>Voted Worst Poster <br> 2015 (Co-Winner)</BR>20
Well Ellsbury for sure, but he was more or less a pipe dream. BJ wasn't going anywhere and Jacoby got a massive contract out of the Braves price range. Sizemore would have been worth a look. Low risk high reward type of guy.
I would have found another LHP for the bullpen, ideally EOF. Additionally I would have retained Reed Johnson for the bench. It's safe to assume their were at least some discussions with McCann's camp and clearly he was out of our price range. Can't complain about that one. A veteran presence in the rotation to go after a proven commodity would have been my top priority though. Who knows if Price or Sale were ever going to be available for a trade?
nsacpi
Expects Yuge Games
So realistically, your shopping list would have included:
1) Veteran starting pitcher
2) Reed Johnson
3) Lefty for pen
4) Grady Sizemore
I'm curious about the first item, your top priority. Which of the FA starting pitchers would you have made a bid for? Which of the starters who moved via trade would you have made an offer for? I know Fister is one that a lot of us think we could have offered more for than the Tigers got. Anyone else besides him.
First you say that this group of players isn't getting it done in the post season and that changes need to be made. Then, your top-5 off season wish list includes KEEPING EOF, Reed, and McCann. What other moves were you hoping for? Obviously a TOR pitcher would make a difference, but Sizemore wouldn't. Sounds like you just want to be disappointed.
NinersSBChamps
<B>Voted Worst Poster <br> 2015 (Co-Winner)</BR>20
Well there wasn't a ton of activity for ML starting pitchers via the trade this past off-season. Jeff Samardzija was rumored to be a potential target for a bit, but again we don't know how much truth there was to that. As far as free agents go. I would have preferred to keep Tim Hudson and I feel as if he would have taken a lesser deal than what he got with the Giants to stay here. Josh Johnson would have been worth a one year deal as well. Bronson Arroyo I would have loved to have added, but money is/was an issue. Ideally I would have liked to have seen a trade for a stud pitcher though. As it stands now our rotation is full, so a trade would have made more sense. A Medlen perhaps and a prospect(s) for said starter.
NinersSBChamps
<B>Voted Worst Poster <br> 2015 (Co-Winner)</BR>20
Realistic wish list man. My dream wish list is just that. These are moves that weren't out of the question which is why I wanted them done.
zitothebrave
Connoisseur of Minors
What holes did we have? 2B, TOR starter? New BP whipping boy? CF?
2B and CF we have unmovable players there. If Uggla sucks we'll replace him. If Bossman sucks, we're boned because we have him under contract for 4 seasons.
What TOR starter could we realistically get?
As far as the bullpen goes, we have tons of arms at out disposal.
BRule
<B>BBQ Lead Hostess</B>
Wren hitched his wagon to Uggla and BJ, the fact that BJ is signed long term doesn't change the fact that it's a huge concern, same for Uggla. We still have the same holes we did last year....I don't blame the fans that aren't bowing to Wren....we did nothing this offseason.
zitothebrave
Connoisseur of Minors
Without a time machine, how would you have addressed those holes? Uggla was a risky signing, but no one saw Bossman happening.
NinersSBChamps
<B>Voted Worst Poster <br> 2015 (Co-Winner)</BR>20
Myself and Matt were vehemently against the BJ signing from the beginning. Neither of us pegged him as a disaster like he was last season, but a marginal season at best is should have been expected.
BRule
<B>BBQ Lead Hostess</B>
Not true, I didn't see him being THIS bad but I said from the time the rumors started I wouldn't touch him. BJ Upton was far from a sure thing, especially with the contract we gave him.
Gary82
Called Up to the Major Leagues
I was never thrilled with the extension of Uggla or the FA signing of BJ. However, I never knew or could have predicted it would be this bad. It's straight up comical.
Okay, I concede the point that there wasn't much that could have been done this offseason. It still sucks either way.
Negatives aside, I will say that I have all the confidence in the world when it comes to the team's pitching.
zitothebrave
Connoisseur of Minors
I was the most vocal pro-Bourn person on the board. I wanted him back like the Jackson 5. No one knew he would sht the bed and be a "hole" for the team. They just weren't fans of the contract.
stpeteirish
Called Up to the Major Leagues
Wren's on the clock; his contract is up this year. Bet he'd love to have another 10-12 million to spend on someone like AJ Burnett, but he doesn't, and those overpays to Uggla and BJ are a big reason why. So they may end up costing him his job, and I'm all for accountability.
But why can't we raise payroll? Everybody else is, or so it seems.
Heyward
<B>Voted Worst Poster <br>'13, '14, '15 (Co-Winner
We are.
Read the 2015 payroll thread by cajun.
I'd imagine payroll goes up when the Braves go to the new stadium.
Regards to Burnett, wouldnt hurt, but not a huge deal either way.
AUTiger7222
Called Up to the Major Leagues
Frank Wren is not getting fired. This talk that he's on the hot seat is complete and utter BS. Frank Wren has done a terrific job since taking over. The Braves are only of the winniest teams in baseball since Wren took over. You look at the situation he was given by JS after the 2007 season and no one could realistically expect much more than what the Braves have done since 2008. It's not Wren's fault the Braves lost to the Giants in 2010, Cardinals in 2012 and Dodgers in 2013. If the Braves hadn't been decimated by injuries in 2010 against the Giants they probably win that series. But no Chipper, Prado and Jurrjens (who were 3 of the Braves 5 best players that year) made it impossible. Having to play the Cardinals in that game in 2012 was complete and utter crap after the Braves beat the Cardinals 5 out of 6 times in the regular season and finished 6 games better than them in the standings. Then in 2013, who knows what would have happened had that moron Fredi Gonzalez not left Kimbrel sitting in the pen in the 8th inning of game 4. Not Wren's fault. You can bitch about the Uggla and BJ deals until you're blue in the face but Wren can't be taken to task for either deal when both looked like good deals when they were made.