wow sweep huh? can't say i expected that lol.

Playing very well the last 17 games, going 12-5 against what had the possibility to be a difficult stretch with 10 of those games against the Phillies, Mets, and Blue Jays.

Quoted for +1 referring to the Giants series.

Lincecum and Johnson have always seemed to have our number, but still... this team is dead last in the majors in runs and most run-producing categories and they went off on us.

So I heard a rumor yesterday: Frenchy to the Red Sox for JD Drew.

I'm not big on JD Drew... but it'd be an upgrade. Maybe he needs a change of scenery, there's lots of pressure with him being the Parkview Hero/local kid.

I've also heard that Brad Hawpe could be available, I'd much rather go after him. He's underrated in fantasy and in real-life baseball.

There is approximately a 0.000% chance we could get JD Drew for Francoeur. I'd be surprised if we could even get a bucket of balls for him at this point considering his OPS is hovering around .600.

That's kind of what I thought too... but I read it somewhere.

I wouldn't have thought a stats-based and OPS-aware organization like the Red Sox would even sniff around on a guy like Francoeur.

It just seems like a terrible fit for so many reasons. While Drew isn't worth what he's getting paid he still provides Boston with solid defense and an .850 OPS. The other problem is if the Braves traded for him, I'm not sure how they'd fit his contract into the budget. He's signed thru 2011 at $13 million per. That's also ignoring the fact that Francoeur is basically terrible and seems to go against all of Epstein's philosophies as Boston's GM.

I think if they're still contending around June or July they try for Holliday giving one of the young arms (Morton, Reyes, Medlen) + Gorkys Hernandez as a starting point.

They wouldnt trade for Drew. They would have kept him the first time around if the thought he was reliable enough.

Of all the rumors trading for Holliday seems the most plausible. That's the one I'd do right now.

Man Frank Wren is such a piece of **** GM. I understand what they were doing by leaving Tommy Hanson in 3A to avoid arbitration, but why the hell did he feel the need to waste Glavine's time rehabbing just to cut him when they clearly are ready to call Hanson up now that he can't claim the amount of money he could later. Not like I'm in favor of an old Glavine over Hanson at this point but what a complete waste of a HOF's time and way to slap him in the face on the way out like an ******* GM Frank Wren. Take your sorry ass back to Baltimore or wherever it was your previous failure was. You track record sucks as a GM and you enjoy sending Braves legends packing with no regard whatsoever while thinking you'll ever be **** compared to Glavine, Smoltz, Bobby, Chipper and Schuerholz in Atlanta. Fire this idiot already Schuerholz. Bring somebody in who knows what they're doing and respects the players who built this team. Next Chipper will be cut in a year or 2 I predict. Wren has no class about this city and team and players that made it

I completely agree that it's ****ing stupid to spend all the time to let Glavine rehab and then after he pitches 6 scoreless innings you cut him? Weird.

I have to think one of two things, a.) either we're pushed up against the budget and can't afford the $3 million we'd owe Glavine if he makes it on the roster 60 days ($1 million for 1 day, $2 million for 30 days, $3 million for 60 days) or b.) Glavine is still hurt. Either way, a really odd decision and I've been very vocal that I don't want Glavine on the team this year.

I completely agree that I never was excited about the idea of Glavine as a #5 pitcher or anything, but to waste his time signing him with that idea in his mind while you obviously had no intentions whatsoever is such a slap in the face coming from a GM that nobody in this city likes anyways and has such a poor track record. Hell, pay him and sit him on the bench to teach Hanson and Jurrjens whatever he can. You let one HOF go with no regard which I didn't really mind because Smoltz was being greedy about what was asked to earn the same salary Boston gave him, but surely Glavine could be used for middle relief or just teaching the young guys at this cheap of a price

Hmm, I did just read that Glavine'e rehab start was in A ball and he was having trouble hitting 80 so I'm guessing they realized that he'd suck in the majors (of course, this didn't stop them from signing him in 08 or this year) and Medlen and Hanson were better options. Of course, they should have realized this 5 months ago hvachahteasiteh

Nate McClouth to the Braves for Morton, Locke, Gorkys Hernandez.
Tommy Hanson to pitch Saturday, Medlen to the pen.

Interesting times for the Bravos.

where is he gonna be in the lineup? leadoff?

can't wait to see hanson pitch

They'll probably bat McClouth clean up.

This is a great, great trade for the Braves IMO. They don't really give up anyone that was in a position to play and in return they get a young (26) cost controlled CF. Here's his contract info:


McLouth Salary: 09:$2M, 10:$4.5M, 11:$6.5M, 12:$10.65M club option ($1.25M buyout)

Next year's OF likely is McClouth-Schafer-Heyward.

Very nice.

LOVE LOVE LOVE the McLouth deal.

Tommy Hanson has something like a 90/17 K/BB rate in like 60-something innings in Triple A.

Writers are characterizing him with the Lincecum-esque/Kershaw-esque "Nothing left to prove in the minors" designation!

<3 being a Braves fan

Nice day for Wren. Good team decisions on Glavine and Jordan, great trade for McLouth.

I think penciling in Heyward for RF next year is pretty unrealistic. I'd look for him to get a taste of the majors in 2010 but not be counted on til 2011 or 12.

After sleeping on it I can't help but think we're doing The Guy Who Won Game 6 in 95 a little raw.

But I mean if he wasn't hitting 80 on the gun, I don't wanna trot him out there for 3 or 5 or 10 losses because we owe it to him.

I guess we didn't wanna see him take the mound in the uniform one more time "a million dollars" bad.

So let's retire 47, give him a statue out front of Turner Field, and remember the good times.

Olney ripped the Braves in his blog post today. Compared this to Seattle and how well they are handling a terrible Griffey.

The interesting thing is the dispute over the radar guns. From what I read the actual readings of the gun were 83-84 with him hitting 86 once. The Braves are saying the guns were not working properly (hence the sub 80 talk).

Sure is nice to have too much pitching again.

So the latest trade rumor is Francouer for Penny(5-1, 5.63 ERA, 1.60 WHIP, 34 K, 17 W). But that doesnt seem to make any sense because the Braves have starting pitching:

Lowe
Jair
Vasquez
KK
Hanson

That's a formidable rotation. The weakest link might be KK. Maybe he isn't MLB quality and management realizes that.

If they do make a straight trade, I would guess Diaz takes over right full time. Then bullpen/trade/cut KK or send him to the minors to learn American style pitching.

They really need another big hitting outfielder. Anderson is really showing his age out there and Frenchy's struggles are well documented. A upgrade at first and/or second (both in a perfect world) would be nice too. The Phillies are getting hot and that ain't a good thing for the Braves and they need to make at least one more big move soon.

On a different note: I hate to be the "Back in my day" guy, but man does the TV announcing suck on every channel now that Skip, Pete, and Ernie Sr are all gone. The red headed guy is annoying and non-funny, and the Ucker wannabe is so bland it's painful. Joe Simpson is the only one who brings anything to the broadcast. Too bad Don Sutton does radio only, he would bring some good insight.

On the bright side, Atlanta has a great new radio guy in Jim Powell.

That's the Ucker wannabe. He's annoying.

McLouth is leading off today. And of course Tommy Hanson get's his first major league start! I think we've all been anxious to see this.

TOMMYYY!!!!!