Gattis, Simmons, and Freeman. Your 2015 starting line up.

11/17/2014 3:43:31 PM

Hopefully they can move J-Upton and Gattis for more prospects. Braves farm system is probably the worst in baseball. Now is the time to start rebuilding with a young core. FFF and Simmons are still young enough to be good in 3 years as well as Kimbrel, Teheran, and Wood. The rest can go IMO. No reason to try and win this year and end up with 70-80 wins which accomplishes jack shit. Lose 100, get high draft picks, hope to not suck in 3 years.

11/17/2014 4:36:33 PM

Shelby Miller can be a MLB all-star. The stuff is there. Not sure about mentally. When you clash with the best catcher in the game.....

Kyle Lohse said in the five years he spent in STL, he waved off Yadi twice, and both were crushed lol.

The Braves have some potential in that rotation: Teheran, Shelby, Beachy, Minor, Wood is pretty solid if healthy.

11/17/2014 5:37:17 PM

Who plays 2nd? Who plays in RF? Is BJ Upton still in our lineup? Will we have a competent defensive catcher? Can we trade Gattis to an AL team so he can DH and get something good in return?

11/17/2014 6:16:51 PM

Right now gattis plays left, Upton plays right, and we have a huge upgrade at catcher defensively in bethancourt. Basically added bethancourt for Hayward, even defensively and probably a downgrade offensively. But I do like shelby miller

11/17/2014 7:07:10 PM

It doesn't really matter who plays where next year as the Braves are focused on 2017 and being competitive then. The next two years are rebuilding years. It's important that they get something for J-Up and Gattis. Hopefully they will trade Chris Johnson too but that is probably a pipe dream. Next year we will battle the Phils for the cellar. Wren really fucked this team with BJ and Uggla not to mention stupid moves like signing Santana last spring.

[Edited on November 17, 2014 at 7:41 PM. Reason : auto correct]

11/17/2014 7:40:35 PM

As bad as bj and Uggla have been, I can't really blame anybody but the players for being nowhere near the player they were immediately before the contracts. Unless somehow a hitting coach has that much to do with mid 20s pro hitters which I can't believe they do.

11/17/2014 8:27:53 PM

I honestly think Uggla was on the juice and quit once he got that fat contract. Still Wren has to know if his guy is on roids before taking a risk like that. BJ Upton was just a stupid signing. Outside of one amazing playoff run and a few hot streaks, everything pointed to him being vastly overrated and not worth signing to a long deal. But Wren did anyway.

Oh well. The Braves have just made a lot of poor moves over the past decade, the most glaring being the JD Drew for Wainwright/Marquis trade and the horrible Teixeria trade. Some people complain about the Prado deal, but that actually worked out well as J-Up was a stud this year.

[Edited on November 17, 2014 at 8:52 PM. Reason : e]

11/17/2014 8:52:10 PM

At least you have the phillies to keep you out of last place

11/17/2014 9:20:02 PM

^^Tex trade could be the worst move in MLB history since Babe Ruth to the Yanks. THey did not even resign him.

Gave up Elvis Andrus, Neftali Feliz, Matt Harrison, and Jarrod Saltalamachia. 4 MLB starters!

11/17/2014 9:41:55 PM

Uhh.. We also got Ron Mahay. So I'd call it a wash

11/17/2014 10:29:08 PM

My phone went off with an alert that the Barves are meeting with Jon Lester this week. Either party would be insane to entertain the idea of coming together. Lester wants to pitch for a contender. The Barves are not a contender.

11/18/2014 10:48:34 AM

Wow I really hope the Braves do not sign Lester. Since the Braves have a cap on their payroll, the last thing we need is another expensive FA. Seriously they need to make a clear decision to tank the next couple years and hope to be competitive when they move into Turner Field part deux in 2017.

11/19/2014 7:38:39 PM

Maybe they just want to sign him, wait til August, and ship him for prospects? Or sign him and trade one of their other pitchers for a player or two? I can't really think of a reason, especially when if we did have a strength it's pitching.

11/19/2014 7:43:41 PM

^ I assume Lester is a type A FA (not sure if the A's will make him a qualifying offer, but I am sure they will). In that case, the Braves will lose a 1st round pick by signing him which could negate any gain if he was traded next year.

11/26/2014 11:08:00 AM

Quote :

"not sure if the A's will make him a qualifying offer, but I am sure they will"

Lester isn't eligible for a qualifying offer, since he was traded at mid-season, so no draft picks will be given up. plus the fact that i think the deadline for QO has already passed.

11/26/2014 1:15:05 PM

Nick Markakis?? I guess they need someone to play in the OF. Justin Upton trade must be in the works.

12/3/2014 7:43:10 PM

2007-2009 Markakis i'll take any day of the week. His game has steadily declined since then however. 11 mil/year for 4 years.

Markakis hasn't had a WAR over 2.5 since 2009 and has only had 2 seasons with a WAR over 3.0 in his career. Heyward only had one season with a WAR under 3.0 and had 3 seasons with a WAR of 5.5 or higher.

Markakis has shown to have a better bat than Heyward over his career, however last season they were about equal in just about every hitting statistic. Heyward is obviously better on the basepaths and in the field. I'll be interested in seeing what kinda contract Heyward signs. Markakis isn't a terrible replacement for Heyward...but hes on the downside of his career.

12/3/2014 8:18:43 PM

And Jim Johnson.. Hopefully the 2013 version

12/3/2014 8:23:16 PM

low risk/high reward with Johnson. Like a 1.5 mil contract for one season. If he gets back to his previous form then the Braves got a steal. If not, then they prolly don't use him much and don't lose much $$$

12/3/2014 8:28:45 PM

I'm fine with the Johnson deal. Little risk, the Braves need arms in the pen, and they did a good reclamation job with Walden so maybe they can do the same with Johnson.

12/3/2014 8:42:00 PM

so the Twins gave Santana 4 years $55 mil

12/11/2014 4:19:31 PM

Looking like you'll be fighting the phillies, rockies, and diamonsbacks for the worst team in the NL in 2015

12/11/2014 6:46:07 PM

That is pretty much the plan. Braves have got to rebuild the farm system. Hopefully they can get some good pieces for J-up or Gattis.

12/11/2014 7:23:42 PM

yeah, i don't think any fan with the slightest bit of baseball knowledge is expecting a competitive team this season. All sights are pointed to being competitive when they change to the Cobb County Braves in two years.

12/12/2014 8:48:38 AM

iop1

12/14/2014 3:26:19 PM

Kris Medlen to the Royals

12/18/2014 3:43:52 PM

I still don't understand why so many North Carolina fans cheer for the Braves. Atlanta has rival teams for every Carolina based franchise (except NHL since the Thrashers moved), and has been kind of a city rival to Charlotte when it comes to NASCAR stuff. I will never be able to support any sports based in Atlanta. I also usually choose Pepsi and USAir over Coke and Delta when I can, but not really for the same reasons.

I suppose they are the regional MLB team, but if Charlotte were to get a team would you all stop being Braves fans?

[Edited on December 18, 2014 at 3:53 PM. Reason : -]

12/18/2014 3:52:29 PM

I mean, the braves are pretty much the only "southern" pro baseball team, so it would seem to make sense that many North Carolinians would root for them. That, plus their games used to be showed daily on TBS which helped build a broader fan base.

I live in Atlanta now, so clearly I'm going to be biased in any "charlotte vs. atlanta" rivalry. But when I was growing up in the triangle area without any direct ties to either city I don't remember ever feeling any allegiance to Charlotte or their teams. The Hornets were fun for a while, but that was about it for me. I also think that Charlotte being such a big UNC town was a bit of a turn off. And the Panthers' ugly helmets. But other than that, it's cool.

12/18/2014 4:10:50 PM

My whole family is from Georgia, I was born an hour from ATL. I literally have been watching the Braves since I was old enough to stare at a TV. I still remember being like 5 years old and watching games with my grandparents on TBS. Dale Murphy for life.

But in terms of the rest of the South, the Braves were the only show in town for the South for 25 years. It'll take time for that allegiance to die away. Just like the Redskin fans all over NC and even SC. And yeah the TBS thing was huge as you could always guarantee the Braves would be on between April and Sept each day.

You are a Mets fan so you would never understand. Just like we Braves fans cannot understand how anyone could be a Mets fan when the Yankees are right next door




[Edited on December 18, 2014 at 5:24 PM. Reason : fg]

12/18/2014 5:24:38 PM

^I understand (and appreciate) you cheering for the team you grew up watching. My dad was a kid in Queens in the 60's, and he was rebellious against his Dodger's fan dad, so of course he was a Mets fan and raised me to be as such. Being born in '86 was also a large contributor.

But there are so many people with no connection to the state of Georgia who still cheer for the Braves more than any team for any sport in NC. They were so good in the mid-90's so I can understand it since we had a lot of Bulls fans in Charlotte even when the original Hornets were around, and not to mention the huge Packers fan base. But most of those bases have faded as being a fan of a professional Carolina sports team has become less of an embarrassment (I have way more Panthers apparel than I do Giants at this point). I really just want to know what the Braves fan base in NC would look like if we had a baseball team.

By the way, is the logo in the OP an ongoing joke or was a misspelled logo chosen by accident?



[Edited on December 18, 2014 at 6:12 PM. Reason : -]

12/18/2014 6:10:00 PM

Justin Upton to Padres

12/19/2014 9:54:07 AM

Quote :

"I really just want to know what the Braves fan base in NC would look like if we had a baseball team."

same as it is with the Panthers. rflong already addressed it.

Quote :

"But in terms of the rest of the South, the Braves were the only show in town for the South for 25 years. It'll take time for that allegiance to die away. Just like the Redskin fans all over NC and even SC. And yeah the TBS thing was huge as you could always guarantee the Braves would be on between April and Sept each day. "

this. I'm a Charlotte native and while I would support any MLB franchise if one ever came to Charlotte i'll be a Braves fan first and foremost for the rest of my life.

Quote :

"Atlanta has rival teams for every Carolina based franchise (except NHL since the Thrashers moved), and has been kind of a city rival to Charlotte when it comes to NASCAR stuff. I will never be able to support any sports based in Atlanta. I also usually choose Pepsi and USAir over Coke and Delta when I can, but not really for the same reasons."

none of this stuff mattered when most of us were 5-10 years old.

12/19/2014 10:38:25 AM

The Panthers fan base was assisted greatly by the Redskins sucking dick during the Panthers entire existence.

If the Braves stayed competitive it would be more difficult for a Charlotte baseball franchise to make in-roads.

Hurricanes were different because no one gave a shit about the NHL in NC before they got here, and pretty much continued to not give a shit until they went on that playoff run in 2001.

12/19/2014 11:01:34 AM

If you grew up in NC, particularly Charlotte (where I was born and raised), and you loved the game of baseball it was a no brainer that you would be a Braves fan, as they were a great team in the 90's and were on TV every day. The only other options would be the Cubs (always on WGN, but of course they were terrible) or if your family passed down fandom from another team after moving to NC from somewhere else. So I don't understand your not understanding of NC fans cheering for the Braves.

12/19/2014 11:08:03 AM

^ I picked the Cubs.

I chose... poorly

12/19/2014 11:13:42 AM

Braves traded upton and the best prospect they got back won't even play this season because of Tommy John surgery. I give up on this team

12/19/2014 4:50:55 PM

yeah 2015 is looking rough. the JUpton trade may appear to be a nail in the coffin, but part of me thinks that we won't be that much worse than 2014.

we won 79 games last year. I think we'll be around the same point this year (to put a number on it, I will say within 5 games) just as a dumb optimistic guess.

12/22/2014 3:50:56 PM

Would the Braves try to block NC from getting a team? It seems to be happening a lot with NFL teams trying to relocate or expand into another team's media range.

12/22/2014 3:58:09 PM

eh, i doubt it. They haven't had quite the exposure in NC since the loss of TBS coverage and the introduction of the Fox Sports regional networks. Only about half the state is considered "Braves country" today. Plus, I would think any MLB team in Charlotte, just going by the geography, would be an AL team.

12/22/2014 4:23:30 PM

Charlotte is not getting an mlb team anytime soon (I'm talking 15-20 years probably) so it doesn't matter right now

12/22/2014 10:41:36 PM

yep pretty much...the best prospect would be the Rays once they finish out their agreed term in Tampa Bay. But that's roughly 13 more years. but hey, 43 year old me would be pumped.

12/23/2014 8:27:53 AM

Signed Pierzynski. I don't know if I dislike a player that has ever played more. Might just have to sit 2015 out unless he gets cut or something.

Also signed Grilli, solid but he's old.

12/24/2014 11:07:56 PM

Perizinsyki is certainly a douche, but there's no way he is out-douched by guys like Bryce Harper, Carlos Gomez, and Melky Cabrera

12/24/2014 11:32:52 PM

Braves just signing place holders at this point. AJ will be there to mentor Betancourt some and Grilli will be the pretend setup man for a team that will be fortunate to win 75 games. Going to be a long season watching BJ Upton, Gattis, and Markakis fuck up in the OF while Chris Johnson eats the dick at 3B. Will probably be Tigers-bad in the field other than Simmons.

12/25/2014 10:54:43 PM

Gattis gone. Supposedly got two of the astros better prospects for it.

We're going to be bad.

1/14/2015 6:12:17 PM

Should we just start the 2016 thread?

1/14/2015 6:26:40 PM

More like 2018

1/14/2015 8:14:38 PM

2017 is the target. Two year rebuild. Glad Gattis got moved to an AL team as he's clearly a lifetime DH. If 2-3 of these prospects they've picked up this off-season pan out as solid regular players along with a couple draft picks they'll get the next couple years, the Braves will only need to add a couple guys through free agency to be contenders again. Freeman and Simmons are the core with Teheran, Minor, and Miller to anchor the staff. Wondering if they will have the balls to actually trade Kimbrel while his value is maxed out. I hope so. A talent like him should not have to rot in the pen on a 95 loss team.

[Edited on January 14, 2015 at 9:38 PM. Reason : rather lose 100 games than 80.]

1/14/2015 9:37:11 PM

Guys.. Everything's going to be okay. We've signed Johnny Gomes.

Why would we sign another sub. 250 hitter? Haven't we been here before?

1/23/2015 7:51:01 AM