The Atlanta Braves haven’t had a consistent lineup since the early part of this ending decade. Frank Wren is largely responsible for the big trades he has made, but only to ship the players away when the team decides it doesn’t want to spend the cash to compete.
I know nothing about what it takes to run a baseball team. I just know, as a fan, I like to see my team compete. And this past year the Braves came real close to returning to the playoffs in what I think is a pretty tough division.
Now, the Mets signed Jason Bay [...]

I’ve simmered down a bit since the Atlanta Braves let Javier Vazquez sail away as they threw out the welcome mat for Troy Glaus to play first base. It could have been worse. And Glaus ain’t so bad.
Let me explain. Yes, he’s old in baseball talk.  He’s 33. What people do not know is if Glaus fully recovers from shoulder surgery, one of several injuries this guy has had in his career. But, Glaus is also a former league leader in home runs. For a few years he was a power bat with a decent batting average. Just two years [...]

The Atlanta Braves signed third baseman Troy Glaus to a one year deal today. Although Glaus has mostly played third, the Braves are likely going to put Glaus on first base, essentially saying goodbye to Adam LaRoche for the second time this decade.
This move is a bit mind boggling. Glaus is rarely healthy for the entire season and his large frame causes problems for his knees and shoulders. He is also 33 years old, which is no spring chicken in baseball.
Glaus was one of the league’s top power hitters.He hit .270 with 27 homers and 99 RBIs in 2008, and [...]

The Atlanta Braves trading Javier Vazquez to the NY Yankees for Melky Cabrera cries of a rip-off, that’s fore sure. But the trade does make one wonder if the Braves and the crafty Frank Wren plan to make a move for Adrian Gonzalez to play first base.
The Braves have alienated Adam LaRoche, who came to the Braves in the second half to add some life to the declining offense. Many who follow baseball thought LaRoche had earned a starting spot. But the Braves haven’t said a word to him, which led him to tell the press, “Maybe I should have [...]

The Atlanta Braves drastically degraded their pitching staff with the trade of Javier Vazquez to the New York Yankees for Melky Cabrera and Mike Dunn.
Apparently the Braves thought Cabrera had some talent that could help the team, while Vazquez, a true rock of the pitching staff, is gone. Unbelievable.
Derek Lowe, who recently pouted about the thought he was on the trade block, is still on the team. Not only have the Braves weakened the team with this trade, but they’ve alienated some fans who thought this was the year that was going to be a little bit different.
Apparently, we’ve been [...]

In what seems like such a silly move, the Atlanta Braves signed minor-leaguer Mitch Jones to a contract so he can compete for a position during spring training.
Jones is no spring chicken. He’s 31 and he spent a decade in the minor leagues.  Jones has consistently hit for 20 home runs or more in the past seven years, says AJC’s David O’Brien. His average is just .255 but he has consistently gotten better each year.
Is this Frank Wren’s answer to the power weakness for the Braves?
It can get worse. There are teams that have strong interest in scooping up Javier [...]

The Atlanta Braves need to fill a hole at first base, and for some reason no one with the organization has even reached out to Adam LaRoche, after almost single-handedly lifting the Braves to a winning record and a near playoff berth.
I love LaRoche’s response to AJC’s writer David O’Brien, when he asks him if he has heard a peep from the Braves.
“No talk from ATL that I know of. Guess I should have hit .400 while I was there.”
What I do not understand is why no one from the team, such as Chipper Jones, isn’t calling his team’s brass [...]

The Atlanta Braves game ample time to Jordan Schafer to see if he was the next up-and-coming star in the league. After his home run in the first series of the season against the Phillies, he produced very little from there and he was eventually dismissed back to the minors.
Now, the Braves are turning their attention to another young outfielder. His name is Jason Heyward and so far he’s been a stud in the minor leagues. He doesn’t hit a lot of homers, but he is a player who can do everything it seems.
This is what Kevin Goldstein of Baseball [...]

Although the blockbuster trade that will send Roy Halladay to the Philadelphia Phillies and Cliff Lee to the Seattle Mariners has not been officially agreed upon, National League East fans are left wondering if this trade will put the Phillies on top of the entire league.
Heck, the Atlanta Braves have shored up a new bullpen, but they aren’t making the splashes teams like the Phillies, Red Sox and Mariners are making. Rumors heated up that the Braves were interested in Xavier Nady, but nothing has been reported on the interest so far this week.
Does it even matter?
I will be the [...]

Kelly Johnson’s days with the Atlanta Braves are over and Martin Prado will have an opportunity to build on his break-through 2009 season.
The Braves did not offer a deal to Johnson, who is coming off his worst season with the team. The move comes as no surprise, as Prado earned a starting job.
AJC reports that the Braves have tendered deals to Pete Moylan and Boone Logan. Keeping Moylan should be very useful for what is still a stocked bull pen.
Braves manager Bobby Cox said today that the team is not bidding for baseball superstars Jason Bay and Matt Holliday.  Instead, [...]