Braves.Today.Com

By Bud L. Ellis
braves.today.com

ATLANTA — Fixing a sandwich and pouring a glass of sweet tea late last night, something on the MLB Network caught my ear.

During a segment reviewing the Detroit Tigers’ season, the commentator stated: “Magglio Ordonez led the American League with 37 home runs.”

(To go down a different path for a second, remember this time last year, when everybody – including yours truly – thought the Tigers would win 105 games, what with the acquisition of Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis, and that great young pitching, and that awesome lineup? Well, just goes to show expectations in January don’t necessarily translate into a golden ticket to October.)

Back to my point: Ordonez leading the Junior Circuit last season with 37 homers. On the National League side, Ryan Howard setting the pace, bashing 48 homers.

Forty-eight homers. Thirty-seven homers. Leading the league? When I was a kid, sure. But as we saw during the late 1990s and the early part of this decade, those numbers would barely make the leaderboard, let alone stand at the top.

Of course, any talk about the explosion of home runs starts with Barry Bonds, the same Bonds who on this day stands ready not to take his gear to spring training, but instead to take his rear to federal court, as allegations of steroid use swirl around the man who hit more home runs than any other in baseball history.

I can’t help but wonder how history would’ve been different if a certain general manager had gotten his way at a couple of junctures in 1992.

Bonds was the prime offensive player on the free-agent market following the 1992 season, a campaign during which he led the Pittsburgh Pirates to their third-consecutive NL East title. But following three losses in the NLCS, Bonds hit the open market ready to see what type of deal he could get from a contender.

The team that ended Bonds’ season in 1991 and 1992 certainly was interested. The Atlanta Braves lost the World Series in both of those years, and conventional wisdom and public opinion dictated the Braves needed one more impact player to make the push from contender to champion.

The Bonds’ rumors swirled through the Georgia air that winter, starting right after Bonds’ throw to the plate was just a second late in the ninth inning of Game 7 of the NLCS, slow-footed Sid Bream lunging feet-first into the dish to send the Braves to the Fall Classic and cap a three-run ninth-inning miracle that was the greatest game I ever saw in person (yes, I was there; the ticket stub is framed in the Sports Garage).

Now, whether you believe it to be fact or merely an urban legend that’s juicy in the details, there is a story that during the NLCS in 1992, Bonds was spotted driving around the northern suburbs of Atlanta, telling a couple of people that he was house-hunting.

Maybe it’s true. Maybe it’s not. Maybe it stems from the fact that during spring training in 1992, the Braves had a tentative agreement with Pittsburgh in which Bonds would have been traded to Atlanta for Alejandro Pena, Keith Mitchell and a player-to-be-named-later. But Pittsburgh manager Jim Leyland balked at the trade, and the Pirates pulled out at the very last minute, right as the Braves were planning the press conference to announce the deal.

What if Leyland had merely fired up another cigarette and said, “OK, deal him to Atlanta,” or what if Bonds indeed had signed with the Braves after the ’92 season? How different would history be now, a history that contains Bonds’ remarkable 762 career home runs, a history that contains the stain of allegations of performance-enhancing drugs that has Bonds in trouble with the feds and pronounced “guilty” by a large percentage of the public?

Who’s to say? I’m willing to bet under Bobby Cox and John Schuerholz, things would’ve been different. Maybe Bonds wouldn’t have 762 career homers. Maybe Bonds wouldn’t be slated to appear in federal court in March. Maybe the Braves would’ve won more than one World Series.

Who’s to say? In the end, it turned out well for the Braves, even without Bonds. Had Atlanta traded for Bonds in the spring of 1992, it’s doubtful they would’ve felt the need one summer later to land a big bat, hence Fred McGriff wouldn’t have been stolen from San Diego, he wouldn’t have hit a homer in his first game as a Brave – on the night one of the private boxes in the club level of old Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium caught on fire.

And if Bonds had been signed as a free agent after the ’92 season? Well, suffice to say that would’ve been the big signing by the Braves that offseason. Instead of Bonds, who ended up signing with San Francisco, Atlanta turned its attention to a right-handed pitcher from Chicago.

Some guy named Maddux. Maybe you’ve heard of him.

—30—

By Bud L. Ellis
braves.today.com

ATLANTA — The buzz around Georgia’s capital city today is the weather, or to be more specific, what the weather may do here come Monday afternoon.

Yep, the “s” word is in the forecast, and while the TV weather folks are going back and forth trying to dissect the computer models, you better believe every stock person at every grocery store within 200 miles of downtown is preparing to work overtime this weekend, as the bread and milk will be flying off the shelves.

(For those of you who don’t live in the South, well, you just don’t understand … snow is a big deal here, and it’s our civic duty to hoard every last loaf of bread we can find if we even think there is a chance of a snow flurry in the air).

But I digress. There were no snow flurries at Turner Field today, but white things were flying through the air, in the workout areas underneath the ballyard at 755 Hank Aaron Boulevard.

The Braves opened their voluntary pitching camp today, an annual rite of pre-spring that signals the approach of baseball season, regardless of whether snow is in the air (or being mentioned on the airwaves). During the next week, many of the arms that will compile Atlanta’s pitching staff will come in for a few days of throwing, of getting reacquainted, of beginning the slow windup toward opening day.

The camp once was called “Camp Leo,” dubbed so after former pitching coach Leo Mazzone. I don’t know if the assemblage has earned a new moniker since Mazzone left and Roger McDowell became pitching coach.

Once upon a time, these workouts were a gathering of some of the best pitchers to toe the slab in this generation: Maddux, Glavine, Smoltz. Mix in the fourth ace of the year, be it an Avery or a Neagle or a Millwood. Those days are gone, but as the Braves’ arms begin trickling into the workouts – while some won’t be there, most will make at least an appearance or two during the next week – there is plenty of reason to be hopeful this year’s staff holds up much better than last year’s.

I do know this is a sign we’re getting close to rolling the bats and balls out at Lake Buena Vista, that the Hot Stove is about to start cooling off, that box scores can’t be too far around the corner now.

On this day, with January drawing to a close, there were balls popping leather mitts at Turner Field today. That thought in and of itself warms the soul of this baseball fan on this breezy, chilly day.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to the grocery store.

—30—

By Bud L. Ellis
braves.today.com

ATLANTA — If you believe the majority opinion of Braves Nation, there aren’t any angels in this team’s outfield as we approach the start of spring training.

No, there has been plenty of moaning and groaning when the eyes of the Braves’ fanbase look beyond the infield. No matter who fills the three outfield spots for the Braves in 2009, there is certain to be a healthy level of criticism. And it’s true: in the court of public opinion, each of these defendants has their flaws:

• Gregor Blanco: Doesn’t get on base consistently enough to use his speed, and strikes out too much.
• Josh Anderson: See above.
• Jordan Schafer: Unproven, as question marks remain following his 50-game suspension for alleged HGH use last season.
• Matt Diaz: Started miserably last season, before missing four months with a major knee injury.
• Omar Infante: More valuable coming off the bench.
• Greg Norton: Not a natural left fielder.
• Jeff Francoeur: Coming off the most rotten season a major-league player could experience.
• Andruw Jones: Puh-leeze!
• Brandon Jones: Will he ever hit enough to earn a roster spot, yet alone stick in the everyday lineup?

It’s a motley assortment of potential, past performance and promise. Those attributes aren’t enough for a team that’s coming off a 72-win season. The hope of tomorrow is scuttled by the evidence of what happened in 2008.

It’s true this bunch could get a tremendous upgrade if the Braves can add a power bat – Adam Dunn may not be affordable today, but his price is dropping with each sunset. But consider me an optimist for a second:

Francoeur has to be better than he was last season. He can’t be any worse.

Blanco and Anderson were rookies last season. And when they did get on base, they were threats to steal with every pitch. Plus, they play great defense.

Schafer, despite missing all that time with his suspension, figures to benefit from playing a full season this time around. He impressed bigtime in limited Grapefruit League action last spring, and there is no denying he’s got the tools to be a big-time player in center.

Diaz, for his disaster of 2008, hit well over .300 in 2006 and 2007.

Infante is more valuable in the infield, but he certainly didn’t embarrass himself in left. Having his bat in the lineup is a plus.

The looking glass for Braves Nation this spring is solely on the outfield. Right now, public perception is all these guys are a bunch of devils. But even if Dunn or another outsider (somebody NOT named Andruw Jones) isn’t brought in for the outfield, there are some angels out there who – if they play up to capabilities – could be the X-factor in leading this team back to the postseason.

—30—

By Bud L. Ellis
Braves.today.com

ATLANTA — It’s not the dry wit of Skip Caray or the encyclopedic tones of Pete Van Wieren. But for a fan base yearning for familiarity after losing the two signature voices of the Braves, Don Sutton fits the bill.

Sutton, who broadcast Braves’ baseball from 1989-2006, returns to the franchise as part of the newly formed radio team, joining University of Georgia alum and Atlanta-area native Jim Powell. While fans might not know a lot about Powell, who spent the past 13 years with the Brewers calling games alongside Bob Uecker, Braves Nation knows plenty about Sutton.

Above all else, his return is welcomed and needed by a fan base still reeling from Caray’s sudden death in August and Van Wieren’s retirement in October. For the past 33 seasons, Skip and Pete called Braves baseball, chronicling some really wretched years, and some of the most memorable moments in the franchise’s rise to the penthouse.

Sutton was there for the climb, too. Sure, he wasn’t as beloved as Skip or Pete, but there is no denying the man knows his baseball. The Hall of Famer won 324 games during his 23-year major-league career, and while being successful between the lines doesn’t automatically translate into success behind the mike, Sutton made the transition and turned into a pretty good analysis.

It’s going to be great to have Sutton back as 2009 dawns, because it’s not going to be easy starting this season without the two constants of Braves baseball since 1976. It’s going to be strange for all of us, folks, starting the season without either of the two iconic voices of this franchise.

In recent years, part of the joys of spring training’s arrival for me was Pete’s voice over the Internet, chronicling the action from the Sunshine State. His voice, coming over my computer, signaled the arrival of spring, the first steps in a seven-month journey that we all hope would continue into October.

We won’t hear Pete this season. Sadly, we’ll never hear Skip again. But we will hear Don Sutton. I for one am glad he’s back in the Braves’ booth.

—30—

By Bud L. Ellis
braves.today.com

ATLANTA — Throughout this offseason, we’ve seen time and time again the reluctance of Braves’ brass to sell the future for the present.

Come February at Lake Buena Vista, we’ll see the fruits of those protective measures.

The Braves have extended spring training invites to several of their top prospects, minor-league standouts who make up the next wave of promising talent expected to begin trickling into Atlanta during the next two or three years.

Out of Baseball America’s ranking of the top 10 prospects in the organization, half will be with the Braves when workouts begin next month: Jordan Schafer, Tommy Hanson, Jason Heyward, Freddie Freeman and Kris Medlen.

In remaking the starting rotation by acquiring three new starters, Braves’ GM Frank Wren only had to part with one prospect who figured to make an impact in Atlanta anytime soon: Tyler Flowers. Dealing Flowers is softened by the fact he’s a catcher, and the Braves have a pretty good one in Brian McCann behind the plate, and under contract, for the foreseeable future.

While Heyward, Freeman and Medlen will draw plenty of attention at camp, the spotlight clearly will be on both Schafer and Hanson.

Schafer – the center fielder who wowed the Arizona Fall League with his play in 2007, then impressed with his limited duty in Grapefruit League action – drew less-than-savory headlines last spring when he was suspended for 50 games for alleged HGH use. He finished last season hitting .269 with 10 homers at Double-A Mississippi, but has the speed and the talent to win the center field job outright in what should be an interesting competition with Josh Anderson and Gregor Blanco.

Hanson took his turn turning heads in Arizona this past fall, going 5-0 with an 0.63 ERA and 49 strikeouts in 28 2/3 innings during Fall League play. This came after a season where Hanson won eight games (including a no-hitter) at Mississippi after his promotion from Single-A, and led all of minor league baseball with a .175 opponents batting average. Every time somebody asked about Hanson’s availability in the offseason, Wren said no way, the biggest reason why Jake Peavy isn’t a member of the Braves today.

With just four months above Single-A, it’s likely Hanson will start 2009 at Triple-A Gwinnett. But if Tom Glavine isn’t able to pitch, Hanson definitely will be in the mix for the fifth starter’s spot, along with Charlie Morton, James Parr and Jo-Jo Reyes.

(And if Glavine is able to come back from surgery and secure the final spot in the Braves’ rotation, Gwinnett’s going to have quite a rotation of its own, with Hanson, Morton, Parr, Reyes and Medlen).

Speaking of Medlen, don’t be shocked if he gets a serious look in camp, too. After moving into the rotation at Double-A Mississippi, the right-hander posted a 3.11 ERA in 17 starts. It’s possible he impresses enough to make the team as a reliever, but like Hanson, the Braves would prefer for Medlen to start the season at Gwinnett.

Heyward and Freeman are both 19 years old, just two years out of high school. While neither will make the major-league roster to start 2009, both have tremendous upside and could be in the running for spots on the big-league squad this time next season.

—30—

By Bud L. Ellis
braves.today.com

ATLANTA — So here we are, one month from today when the Grapefruit League season opens for the Atlanta Braves. Yes, we are one month from an Atlanta Braves baseball game, the first since last season ended in Houston on Sept. 28.

One month until the journey begins, a trek that starts at Joker Marchant Stadium in beautiful Lakeland, Fla., at 1:05 p.m. on Feb. 25 when the Braves and Tigers begin the exhibition season. It’s certainly beginning in a lovely place: steeped in tradition, there are few venues in all of Florida or Arizona better for spring training baseball than the home of the Tigers.

But where will that journey ends up? Will it be another early winter for a franchise that hasn’t tasted October baseball the past three seasons? Will be it the year the Braves burst back into the playoffs, the place where the Braves went for 14 consecutive seasons, spoiling its fan base in the process.

OK, so maybe spoiling is a strong word. But let’s face it: the Braves reaching October was about as much a lock as taxes being due on April 15 and partying on Dec. 31. But I remember the days before the Worst to First Braves captured the sports world in 1991 (even if that team fell one run short in capturing the World Series).

Yes, through most of the lean 1980s, the mere thought of this team reaching the playoffs was a pipe dream. How far we’ve come as a fan base that a three-year drought from the postseason would cause a near revolt.

As we sit here one month from the first pitch, I’m starting to get the question from folks: “Hey man, is this the year the Braves get back to the postseason?”

Funny. Nobody was asking that until the Braves signed Derek Lowe and Kenshin Kawakami to go into the starting rotation with Javier Vazquez, a trio of newcomers who along with Jair Jurrjens

I like the Braves’ chances of playing meaningful baseball in September, mid-September. Beating out the Phillies and the Mets for the division title isn’t going to be easy, and the wild-card chase always is a free-for-all down the stretch.

But with the additions to the starting rotation, the strength of the bullpen and the bench, and enough offense in the lineup to keep this team in games most nights, it’s going to be interesting to see it all unfold.

And it begins in just one month.

—30—

By Bud L. Ellis
braves.today.com

ATLANTA — It may seem strange, in this day and age of varied information streams and 24/7 access, to focus so much on radio announcers.

I mean, who listens to radio anymore, with satellite radio, TV, and video and audio clips all over the Internet and accessible by cell phone?

But those who say that don’t realize the hold radio has on baseball fans. And not just for those who are in their golden years, those who grew up in a world where TV was a luxury and one game a week on the tube was the standard.

No, those of us who love this game so dearly have an inherent connection with listening to the game over the radio. Baseball by its nature is a perfect fit for audio, as it allows the listener to take the words coming over the speakers and paint the image of what’s happening. The slower pace of baseball lends itself to radio perfectly, as those behind the mike just don’t bring you the play-by-play, but instead become a conversation partner.

Radio holds its special place in baseball to this day. I can attest to that in a variety of ways. Whether it was sneaking my small headset radio to bed so I could listen to Braves’ games on the West Coast as a kid during the 1980s, or listening through the static on the deck of my Northeast Georgia mountain apartment during the summer of 1998 as Jack Buck on KMOX called another Mark McGwire home run, radio’s always been a part of the deal for me.

During my college years, when I held partial season tickets and the Braves were winning the NL West, my battery-powered Walkman was a constant companion on so many summer and fall nights at old Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium. There I would sit, watching some of the greatest baseball of our time unfold right before my eyes, and amid the atmosphere and electricity of being there, I had the voices of Braves’ radio right there in my ears.

As difficult as it was to watch the Braves plunge to 90 losses in 2008, as discouraging as it was to see player after player after player land on the disabled list, the death of Skip Caray in August tore at my heart. Like so many who follow the Braves, Skip’s death brought me to tears, as if I had lost a member of my family.

And in a way, I had, we all had. Then, when Pete Van Wieren retired after the season, the void expanded. The radio voices of a team are always in the same place, game after game after game. TV stations change and broadcast crews shift around like the wind, but the radio – as it has for so long – remains constant.

We don’t have Skip or Pete anymore, and that will be difficult to swallow as 2009 dawns, as the team they described for 33 years looks to return to contention. Atlanta native Jim Powell has been named for one of the team’s radio spots, and another familiar voice from the past – former Braves’ broadcaster Don Sutton – is rumored to be the choice for the other chair.

I look forward to hearing Powell call a game. I’ve never listed to him before, but I know as a kid he listened to Skip and Pete and Ernie Johnson Sr., as many of us who follow this team did.

I know Sutton; he, along with Skip, Pete, and Joe Simpson, provided the soundtrack of the Braves’ dynamic streak of postseason appearances, pennants, and the 1995 World Series championship. It’d be great for Sutton to be back in Atlanta; he currently is under contract to broadcast for the Nationals in 2009, but both sides reportedly are working to get Sutton out of that deal and return him to the South.

Let’s hope it happens. Familiarity is what radio is all about. We don’t have Skip and Pete anymore, and that’s tough to fathom. Those two gave so much to this franchise, to all of us, for so very long.

—30—

By Bud L. Ellis
braves.today.com

ATLANTA — It’s one of those nights where sleep doesn’t come easy, where the ol’ mind keeps churning long after the body screams uncle.

It’s early Friday morning here along the southern rim of the capital city, and with spring training opening in just 22 days, there are plenty of random baseball thoughts passing through the brain at this early hour.

Yes, this is a Braves blog, but there are thoughts surrounding the grand old game that touch on those outside of Braves Nation on this morning. Such as:

Jeff Kent announcing his retirement on Thursday. Yes, dude is a Hall of Famer. No, I don’t think he’ll get in on first ballot. Yes, I admired his candor and his passion for playing the game the right way. In this era of “me-first” thinking, Kent definitely was a throwback, one who gave his all and who wasn’t afraid to challenge his teammates who he didn’t think were as committed to the team cause.

If you’re a free agent at this point, and there are some pretty big names left out there (Manny Ramirez, Adam Dunn, Oliver Perez among them), you have to wonder if you’re going to see the dollars you thought you would when the 2008 season ended. There is no denying the economic crisis has filtered its way through baseball. Somebody’s gonna get a heck of a deal for some pretty good players in the days leading up to spring training.

Is there anything better than hearing “pitchers and catchers report?” No. “Gentlemen, start your engines” at the Daytona 500 – an event I covered twice in my sports writing career – comes close, but nothing beats the rolling out of the bats and balls in Florida and Arizona in mid-February.

It’s been unseasonably cold in Atlanta this winter – the most nights below 20 degrees in five winters, the coldest temperatures in six years – but the new MLB Network has helped to warm those chilly nights. Seriously. If you love baseball, nothing beats this new network’s programming and analysis. Watch it for an hour or two, and it’ll feel like June, not January.

I know two years ago, the buzz around baseball surrounded the San Francisco Giants, with Barry Bonds chasing and surpassing Hank Aaron’s all-time home run record. But being a purist, I’m more intrigued to see the Giants this season, with future Hall of Famer Randy Johnson (just five wins from 300) joining a rotation that includes NL Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum, young star in the making Matt Cain, and the ever-intriguing Barry Zito.

I know the Yankees spent a ton of money for CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Mark Teixeira, but remember folks, the Yanks have spent plenty of jack before with no championships to show for the cash outlay. The AL East remains tough, with the pennant-winning Devil Rays and the resilient Red Sox looking good. If the Yanks finish third, it’ll cause the Hudson River to flow backward, but it won’t surprise me.

Ah, a great season soon will be here for us to enjoy, to ingest, to analyze and chat about and turn inside out. The Hot Stove has been fun – and for those of us who follow the Braves, it’s been an interesting journey – but soon, all of that will be replaced with the 2009 season.

That in and of itself warms the heart on a cold winter’s night.

—30—

By Bud L. Ellis
braves.today.com

ATLANTA — For a guy who struggled to hit his weight for most of last season, spent three days in Double-A and endured the frustration of an entire fan base, any type of raise would seem to be questionable at best.

But in the financial fantasy land that is Major League Baseball, that’s what you get.

Jeff Francoeur is eligible for arbitration for the first time this winter. That’s how the system works, and considering his production and impact in 2005, 2006 and 2007, the six-figure salary Francoeur pulled down those seasons was a bargain … a bargain in baseball terms only, mind you, but a bargain nonetheless.

Then came last season, in which Frenchy needed a strong September just to raise his final average to .239. His 11 homers underscored the lack of power in the Braves’ lineup. His demotion to Double-A Mississippi on July 4, and the subsequent whining that ensued from the former Atlanta prep star, only made the disaster that was Francoeur’s 2008 season all the more difficult.

Now comes this: The Braves have made Francoeur a $2.8 million contract offer for 2009. Francoeur and his agent have countered with – get this – $3.95 million.

If I were Jeff Francoeur, I’d be a little nervous as the days toward the arbitration hearing draw closer.

I understand what Frenchy and his agents are doing. The arbitrator doesn’t just look at last season, but rather the past two or three seasons, the player’s overall potential to continue developing, what other players in comparable situations make … sure, I understand all of that.

Like it or not, that’s how the system works.

But given just how far Frenchy fell last season – from young pillar of the franchise to public whipping boy No. 1 – being that far apart in the salary figures is a little discouraging. It probably won’t do much to help the public persona of a kid that at one time was the toast of the capital city, but now is squarely in the sights of a fanbase sick of missing the playoffs.

It’s not the first time the Braves and their Gwinnett-bred star have disagreed on money. When Brian McCann signed a six-year deal in spring training 2007, the Braves tried like heck to get Francoeur to join his childhood buddy in signing a long-term deal. Francoeur said no, willing to roll the dice when becoming arbitration eligible.

I’d bet he never dreamed he’d reach arbitration on the heels of a season where he looked as lost for a four-month stretch as any major-league hitter in recent memory.

It seems petty in these economic times, where thousands are losing their jobs and working-class families are watching every dime, to squabble over whether a player makes $2.8 million or $3.95 million. But even though the financial crisis is having an impact on baseball, arbitration business continues.

It’s a business that hopefully won’t get done. The Braves and Francoeur – along with their other two arbitration-eligible players, Kelly Johnson and Casey Kotchman – still have time to negotiate. The hearings will take place sometime between Feb. 1 and Feb. 21, and players and teams can negotiate up to the date of the hearing.

The Braves have made it a long-standing practice to try and reach agreements without using an arbitrator. From the standpoint of the court of public opinion, it would behoove Francoeur to try and meet the team somewhere in the middle.

—30—

By Bud L. Ellis
braves.today.com

ATLANTA — Back at it following a day away from the ol’ blog, on a chilly morning in Georgia’s capital city and a historic day in our nation’s capital.

Inauguration coverage is everywhere, and rightly so. But while the world focuses on the swearing in of a new president in D.C., here in Atlanta, we’re rolling on with coverage of the Atlanta Braves.

Can you believe spring training opens in just three and a half weeks? Doesn’t feel that way here this morning, after snow flurries skirted the city last night and the wind chill has returned to the single digits.

Yep folks, it won’t be long until pitchers and catchers report, the most magic words any baseball fan can hear. We’ve warmed ourselves alongside the Hot Stove through this chilly winter, a winter that was frigid and frustrating for the Braves until the past 10 days, when the signings of Kenshin Kawakami and (more notably) Derek Lowe warmed the hearts and minds of Braves Nation.

Monday, Atlanta announced it has avoided arbitration with closer-to-be Mike Gonzalez, signing the fiery lefty to a one-year, $3.45-million deal. Along with inking Matt Diaz last week, that leaves just three Braves who are facing potential hearings with an arbitrator: Kelly Johnson, Casey Kotchman and Jeff Francoeur.

Usually, the Braves do everything they can to avoid arbitration, and typically, players and the club agree before the third-party is called in to assign a salary for the upcoming season. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if the Braves reach an agreement with Johnson, Kotchman and Francoeur before a hearing is necessary.

Gonzalez clearly is the frontrunner for the closer’s spot. He saved 14 games after returning from surgery in June, but his ERA ballooned down the stretch, finishing at 4.28.

The Braves would like to work out a longer deal with the 30-year-old, but I think his struggles in September (three losses, 5.84 ERA) along with the fact he was rehabbing from surgery this time last year gives the team pause. But if Gonzalez is healthy and pitches well, it wouldn’t surprise me in the least if the Braves attempt to lock Gonzalez up to a two- or three-year deal.

Yes, signing a closer long-term always is a roll of the dice, and we’ve seen a revolving door in the ninth ever since John Smoltz decided to return to the starting rotation entering the 2005 season. But Gonzalez has the stuff, the competitive fire, and the makeup to own the ninth inning. If he can do just that, the rest of the bullpen figures to fall in line nicely, and could be one of the stronger relief corps in all of baseball.

—30—