Here is the second and final part of the Roundtable that team of bloggers recently completed. I would personally like to apologize to our readers for the delay in posting the completion of the the Roundtable. So without futher adu, here it is:
- What realistic trade or free agent signing would help the team the most?
Mark : Tough one. At the trade deadline last year, there were some rumors about Ian Snell coming over, and I think that might come up again. I think injuries might devastate our rotation this year, and we’ll need a guy to come in and help. Pittsburgh will be out of contention, and they may not want to go to arbitration with Snell. He’d be cheap financially, and I think we have the farm system to handle the two or three players they would want. We need a young, ace-type pitcher, and he could be it (3.76 ERA, 177 K, 68 BB). I also think Chuckie will be gone by the end of the season. Ian Snell for Brandon Jones, Cole Rohrbough, and Brent Lillibridge. As for a free agent, look for Freddy Garcia to be mentioned in June as he’ll be healthy and ready to go.
Brent : This is, of course, pure fantasy, but Atlanta should trade prospect Brandon Jones to the Boston Red Sox for Coco Crisp. Actually, I like Jones as much as Crisp, but we need reliable options if Mark Kotsay goes down. Crisp would do well in a platoon with Diaz if Cox opted to go that way, and he could split time with Kotsay as well, giving the CF much needed rest. Boston needs to end this stupid battle for CF, because we all know Ellsbury is going to get the job, or at least he should. Jones is worth at least taking a chance on if you’re Boston, and he can play both corners, which is desirable with Manny Ramirez getting older and JD Drew being, uh, JD Drew.Bsta : I can’t really say for sure. Maybe an extra arm in the pen, or a solid backup.
LSU31: I don’t see any specific move for a player x. I can see us shoring up the bullpen during the season near the deadline but right now that is it. CB: I think this team is fine as it is. I really like the depth we have at all positions. I could see us signing another, more experienced bullpen guy for the bullpen or trading for someone to work in long relief. But right now, I think we are set at all positions.
- Is this Bobby Cox’s last Spring Training?
Mark : I hope and think not. He still has that desire to go out there every year, and I don’t think he’ll stop after this year. If we win the World Series, there’s a better chance he’ll retire, but I don’t feel like he will.Brent : This is a tough call, but I don’t think it is. I think he stays as long as Smoltz stays, and there aren’t any signs that Smoltz is retiring after this season.
Bsta : Let me put it like this, if the Braves win the World Series, yes. Bobby Cox will retire after that. If the Braves fall short, I think he’ll hang around for another year or two.
LSU31: Sadly, I think it is. I always thought Bobby and JS would leave the same year. But with JS leaving the GM post after last season, Bobby was already committed to coming back. I think Terry P. will be the manager for the 2009 championship. Hopefully, the Braves will send Bobby out on a good note.CB: I’m going to say no. Unless we win the World Series, of course. If we win the Big Enchilada this season, by all means, would love to see him retire as a winner (though him retiring is what enters my bad dreams every night). I really think he has a lot left in the tank. He loves doing this. He even said this is all he knows. I can see him taking a front office job or something with the Braves too. All I know is, he’s going to the Hall as a Brave, and that matters a lot to me.
- Who bats leadoff? Second?
Mark : It seems as though Johnson will hit first and Escobar second because that is how it has worked so far. I think that’s the better arrangement because Kelly has a better reputation for getting on base, and with his new comfort at second base, he won’t work so hard and tire himself out like he did last year.
Brent :
It should be Kelly Johnson at leadoff with Yunel Escobar batting second. Johnson has a legitimately good on-base percentage, and that isn’t a flukey skill. He’s patient, he’s growing as a hitter, and he’s the guy you can trust to benefit the offense most. Escobar isn’t particularly patient, but he does make good contact, and that’s a skill I’d like to see in the #2 hole. Of course, I’ve always felt one of Bobby Cox’ flaws was how he cared more about pure speed than leadoff abilities when choosing his main man, so it wouldn’t shock me at all to see Escobar batting before Kelly Johnson, but I still feel as if that’s a waste of his greatest asset.
Bsta : Yunel will be our leadoff hitter. He’s one of those players who you can stick anywhere in the lineup, and he’ll produce. I expect him to provide a much needed spark in that spot that the Braves have been missing for quite some time now. Behind him we’re going to see Kotsay. Bobby will try Kotsay up front early on to see how he handles it. But I think the lineup is going to change so much that it’s pointless discussing this.LSU31:
I think Kelly will lead-off, after the success he had there last year. Maybe I am crazy but I can see him becoming the first lead-off hitter the Braves have had to hit .300 since Kenny Lofton. Yunel replaces both Edgar’s batting spot and position. He will hit about .285. He will not duplicate the success he experienced last year but will be a very valuable piece to the Braves puzzle in 2008.
CB: Tough question. I think that it’ll flip a lot, but I think the majority of the time, it could be Yunel leading off and getting on base with Kelly batting 2nd. That can flip a lot though, depending on how each player is doing. But I really think Yunel gets more at-bats at leadoff than Kelly.
- Which player who starts in the minors will be in the majors making significant contributions by season’s end?
Mark : Charlie Morton. He seems to have righted the ship, and he’s impressed Cox with his dedication and stuff. Jurrjens or James will start the year at No. 5, but Morton works his way in when Hampton and/or Glavine go down.
Brent : This reminds me of the non-roster question from round 1, but I’m gonna say Jo-Jo Reyes for this answer. I think James and Hampton both share DL time, and Reyes gets another shot, and this time finally shows the major league talent that he has flashed so many times at lower levels.Bsta : The “surgin’”(that’s mine, don’t steal it) Jurrjen. He’s already putting up spectacular numbers in Spring Training. As I type this, Jair boasts an amazing 1.00 ERA in three games. I know it’s just Spring Training, but it’s still pretty damn impressive.
Now, the way he’s going, Jair should be on the team opening day, but Bobby will probably o with Chuck over him because of his experience and put Jair in Richmond. Don’t expect him to stay there long.LSU31:
Jordan Schafer. Schafer is just too good to be held down in the minors all season. He has been tearing the cover off the ball this spring. He plays good defense also. He will at the very least be called up when the rosters expand on September 1st.
CB: I could see Charlie Morton making a big impact with this team. I mean, you look at what Cox has said about him so far in the spring, and you also look and see that he has great stuff too makes me think he could be in the bullpen by the end of the year. Also, this guy, in my opinion, will start off the season in AAA but will have a major impact on the Braves before the end of May: Chuck James. If/when Hampton goes down, James could come up and step right in.
- Other than the top prospects in the system (Schafer, Lillibridge, Heyward, etc), what minor leaguer would you pay to go watch, and why?
Mark : Does Teheran count as a top prospect? I really want to see what all the hype is about. If not, then Gorkys Hernandez would be my choice. He’s supposedly a five-tool player with blazing speed.
Brent : Considering we’re probably not going to see much of Julio Teheran this year (and he’s a top prospect, so that doesn’t really count), I think I’ve gotta go with Cody Johnson. There isn’t anyone in the organization (that includes the major league level) with as much raw power potential as Cody Johnson. He hit 17 HR in 270 at-bats last year in the Gulf Coast League, batting .305/.374/.630 for the year. And to his credit, he did cut his strikeout rate by nearly a third. Unfortunately, it’s still more than 1/4 of his plate appearances. There’s time to get it to manageable levels, and they’re not that far away. Adam Dunn and Ryan Howard deal with it well, and so can Cody Johnson, hopefully. I plan to go see Johnson play at Rome this year, which really does validate this answer, doesn’t it?
Bsta : Wow. There’s so many. But, if I had to choose one, I’d go with the most recent aquisition, Gorkys Hernandez. He put up awesome stats in the Tigers farm system (.303 BA, .413 SLG over 2 seasons). Now, those stats may not wow you, but remember, he’s only 20 years old. I was really hoping to see him at Spring Training this year, but I guess have to wait ’til next March.LSU31: Jon Gilmore. He could be the replacement for Chipper Jones at third. He can hit. His power is his calling card. He needs to work on his defense and his plate discipline in order to become a big time prospect that he has the potential to be. He hit .284 in 40 games for the GCL Braves. CB: Brandon Flowers. That guy has pop. And after hearing of his exploits in spring training, I would love to see him play. I hear he’s a lot of fun to watch swing the bat. And there was a good article in the AJC the other day.
- Realistically where do you see this team finishing?
Mark : I think first is not out of the question, especially with everyone counting this as a two-horse race. The Phillies have major pitching issues that I think will come to roost, and the Mets bullpen looks shaky outside of Wagner and Heilman. If Sanchez doesn’t prove to be healthy, they may be a repeat of the ’06 Braves. Honestly, the most likely scenario puts us in with the Wild Card, but I can see us winning the division. If Hampton holds up and one of the young pitchers proves his worth, we’ll be dangerous in the playoffs.
Brent : Realistically, I see the Braves winning between 85 and 90 games, and being in the forefront of the wildcard race. I think 2nd place in the division is realistic, because the Mets really are a better team on paper, and they’re going to win more games unless these minor injury problems they’re having become cataclysmic. Even if that happens, Philadelphia is nearly as good as Atlanta - close enough where a small dose of luck could push them past us. That’s why realistically, I think we wind up 2nd in the division. It doesn’t matter. As Braves fans, we know all too well, however, that wild card teams are often the hottest team in the league. In fact, 2001 was the last time we had two division winners reach the World Series. I’m perfectly fine with the wild card. Let the Mets win 95 in the regular season, much like we used to do. I’d love to take on the Marlins role, for once. Bsta : 1st place. Yes, I said it. I don’t care who reads this, Mets fans, Philly fans, anybody. The Braves are not to be taken lightly, but everyone seems to be doing just that. And more seriously than in recent years. They act like we have no rotation, batting order, or bullpen. Heh. Do they even look at the team, or do they look at ‘05 and go, “That’s their team this year!?” I truly belive the Braves have the best, and most certainly deepest rotation in the division. They’re also better at most every position than their rivals. The two positions the Braves lose in is SS, and CF. And Ryan Howard is dominating at 1B, but Tex is a more all-around player, and beats out Howard there. And bullpens, though while most aren’t particularly strong, the Braves are certainly better than the Phillies in the department, and are neck and neck with the Mets. And that’s BEFORE Gonzo comes back. No, the Braves are to be taken seriously this year, and I’m not kidding. LSU31: I realistically see the Braves finishing as the 2008 National League East Champions. Our biggest weakness last year was our number 4 and 5 starters or lack there of. This year we have 7 starters that are capable to pitch well in the majors now. Doing the math means that 2 of the 7 will not be in the rotation. Which means if one or two go down, that we will be able to replace them with a major league ready pitcher. Our offense is probably the best in the division. The average OPS+ in for the 3 NL East contenders for 2008 based on the OPS of the projected starters in 2008 for the 2007 season was lead by the Braves. Only Mark Kotsay did not have an OPS+ of over a hundred. The Braves are being severely underrated by many fans. CB: 1st in the East. I just think we have a better team all-around than all the other teams. If you look at our rotation depth, which is better than the rest of the teams, the lineup from 1-8, which is ALSO better than the rest of the teams, the bullpen, which I find to be better than most of the teams in the division (when healthy), I just think we have it all this year. Time to start a new streak.
I suppose “Coxsy” is doing a lot of running his fingers through his hair these days as he looks over his potential Opening Day roster and figures out who stays and who goes in the 2008 bullpen.
You had to be looking at Detroit if you were a Braves fan last year trolling the minor leagues for a team with the right young starting pitcher for John Schuerholz/Frank Wren to pick up in return for Renteria. Leyland was a good fit for Edgar and they had the arms, so it was a perfect match. Andrew Miller was the big fish, and the Tigers flipped him and Maybin for Miggy, but there was another solid pitcher in their system who got less attention, a fellow from Curacao with a funny name: Jair Jurrjens. When the deal went down, some in Braves Nation were asking: we got WHO for Renteria??!\
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Last year’s starting rotation involved the hapless Mark Redman and the now-Royal Kyle Davies. Have we made any progress since then or will we be looking for more stop gaps like Anthony Lerew just to finish the season? 
