Kotchman's Debut

The trade deadline has come and gone and looks like Mark Teixeira was the only member of the Braves exiting before season’s end. I would have liked for the Braves to have gotten Jason Bay, but it wasn’t meant to be. In the meantime I bring you the first photo of the newest Brave Casey Kotchman from last night’s loss to the Cardinals.

Kotchman went 0-for-5, but let’s be honest, it can only get better! Oh, and apparently he’s totally stoked to with Atlanta because I’m hoping it can only get better.
(Photo: Getty Images)

It’s been fun blogging with you,
Kate

bad day for the braves

Not only did the Braves effectively give up on the 2008 season by trading Mark Teixeira on Tuesday, but they also suffered another demeaning loss, their fourth straight. Jorge Campillo allowed two runs in seven innings, netting the score at 2 a piece. But Albert Pujols, who had already knocked a two run homer in the sixth, crossed home plate in the eighth, giving the Cardinals a one run advantage. St. Louis broke things open in the ninth racking in five runs (one earned) off of reliever Mike Gonzalez in their 8-3 victory.

The mood in the Braves clubhouse was practically morbid. Atlanta has not been sellers since 1990, although I’d be ok if they could follow up this “horribly unlucky year” with 1991 repeat. (However, I’d prefer to win game 7 of the World Series, but I may be a bit greedy in my daydreams.) Chipper Jones summed up the mood best, ''This is a first for all of us. We've never been sellers before. We're usually the ones adding, not subtracting. It's tough to come to grips with, because we felt coming out of Spring Training that we'd be right in the mix all year long.'' So did I!

With the likelihood of signing Teixeira low, this deal made sense. They would have needed a first baseman and if Casey Kotchman can stay healthy, he could be manning that position for quite a while. But this move is just a drop in the bucket if they hope to be in contention next season and beyond. They still need a power bat, some pitching and an outfielder. A tall order when they have very little to offer out into the trade market.

On the flip side, I can understand how hard it must be to effectively give up with two months to go in the season. If the Braves can look at it as an opportunity to get a two month head start on 2009, maybe they can begin to have a more positive mind set and hopefully start to draft a plan for the upcoming free agent market. No matter what GM Frank Wren says, the Braves don’t have enough players within the organization to get the job done.
(Photo: John Bazemore/AP)

News&Notes: Scott Thorman was placed on the temporarily inactive list after being named to team Canada’s baseball team for the Beijing Olympics...Pictures from Saturday's Braves/Phillies game are up. Scroll down to check them out.

It's been fun blogging with you,
Kate

Teixeira to the Angels

After weeks of rumors and speculation, the Braves have traded first baseman Mark Teixeira to the Angels for first baseman Casey Kotchman and minor league pitcher Stephen Marek. Teixeira had been a big boost to the Braves offense since coming over in a seven player deal last July, compiling 37 homers and 134 RBIs in 157 games, second only to the Phillies Ryan Howard. But during that mark the Braves failed to go over .500.

Kotchman, who is not eligible for free agency until 2011, has hit 12 homers while batting .287 this season.

Teixeira’s impending free agency and the Braves health problems sealed his fate in the Braves organization. What the Braves saw as an imminent departure, the Angels see as a long term asset, even though they did not request to meet with Teixeira and his agent Scott Boras before completing the deal.

Hind sight being 20/20, I’m guessing Jarrod Saltalamacchia would most likely still be with the Braves, but there are very few people who could have predicted the debilitating injuries Atlanta has suffered this year. If only 2 of the 5 projected starters had been injured or if Jeff Francoeur could have held off on his mental break down for a couple more years, maybe Teixeira could have been that push that got them back into contention. But it wasn’t meant to be.
(Photo: Gregory Smith/AP; Christian Petersen/Getty Images Source)

It's been fun blogging with you,
Kate

The Latest Trade Talk

After losing three in a row the Braves have officially placed Mark Teixeira on the block. I know, shocking news. The Diamondbacks seem to be at the head of the field which includes the Rays, Red Sox and Angels. GM Frank Wren told the AJC that there are deals on the table but the Braves are looking to see if they can get something better. Originally, Atanta was hoping to get Conor Jackson out of a trade with Arizona, but the D'Backs are not willing to part with him instead offering 3B/1B Chad Tracy.

The Braves could also move reliever Will Ohman. According to espn.com, the Tigers, Rays, Yankees and Cardinals have all inquired about his availability. In addition to Ohman I've read that Mark Kotsay, Kelly Johnson and even Jeff Francoeur could be made available. Fire sale, anyone?

According to mlb.com, the Braves were thisclose to bringing in Pirates outfielder Jason Bay on Friday. In the deal that was nixed by Pittsburgh ownership, the Braves would have sent four prospects, likely including Brent Lillibridge and Brandon Jones to Pittsburgh for Bay.

It's been fun blogging with you,
Kate

Musings from Citizens Bank Park

Saturday I drove down the Turnpike to the beautiful Citizens Bank Park to watch the Braves take on the Phillies. I had read stories and heard whispers that Mike Hampton may actually take the mound for the Braves but I had adopted an I’ll believe it when I see it policy with Mikey. Not only did he have to warm-up, which could be dangerous for him (see-April’s peck muscle injury) then there was that long flight of stairs from the Braves bullpen to the outfield grass, that long walk from the bullpen to the dugout, those dugout stairs (see-Jair Jurrjens Wrigley Incident) and then some more warm-up throws. But Mr. Hampton made me eat a massive slice of humble pie as he pitched into the fifth inning before being relieved of his duties. Admittedly, not an amazing start for your average pitcher, but a solid one for a guy who hasn’t taken the mound in a major league game in oh about three years.

The Braves tacked on nine runs in the fourth inning chasing Phillies phenom Cole Hamels out, but it wasn’t enough as the Phillies struck back with 7 runs of their own in the fifth, in their 10-9 win. The fourth inning was such a mess for the Phillies between Hamels’ errant throw to nowhere, the dropped pop between Chase Utley, Ryan Howard and Hamels, Mark Teixeira’s big three run homer, I figured things would have to go the Braves way, but it was not meant to be. I learned a valuable lesson on that day, nine runs means nothing if the other teams got 10!

Here are few pictures from the game:

Blaine Boyer and Will Ohman

Mike Gonzalez

Jo-Jo Reyes

Royce Ring

Buddy Carlyle have fun with the fans

Jair Jurrjens and Jorge Campillo

Proof Mike Hampton actually took the mound

Last look at Teixeira in a Braves uniform

Click here for the rest of my photos from the game.

It’s been fun blogging with you,
Kate

Huddy could be done for the year, Chipper out too

Tim Hudson’s season could be ending a bit sooner than expected after experiencing elbow discomfort during Wednesday’s game against the Dodgers. An MRI later revealed ligament damage that is thought to be both a new and old injury. Hudson will seek the advice of Dr. James Andrews and hopefully will not have to undergo Tommy John surgery. Even after experiencing some pain during a bullpen session on Sunday in Philadelphia, the extent of the injury seemed to surprises Tim, “I was floored," said Hudson. "I thought they were almost joking with me at first." Oh, no, that’s just the way things have been going for the Braves rotation.

Also hitting the DL on Monday was Chipper Jones, who had been out since leaving Wednesday’s game early with a hamstring injury. Jones said the injury did not get progressively better over the weekend and expects his 15 day vacation to be enough to get him back into action in a few weeks.

Catcher Brian McCann missed Monday’s game after suffering a mild concussion on Sunday in a collision at the plate with Phillies outfielder Shane Victorino. McCann has not hit the DL, but catcher seems to be the only position that has been injury free so far, so why not join the bandwagon?

At this point, the injuries to the Braves have been almost comical. They must be nearing some sort of record for number of players to be on the DL in a given season. I think they’re up to 15 and it’s only July so who knows how many more they can get by the end of September.

(Photo: Alan Diaz/AP)

It's been fun blogging with you,

Kate

Costly Win

The Braves bounced back from a one hit loss on Tuesday with a 9-4 victory over the Marlins. But the win was marred by the loss of Chipper Jones and Tim Hudson who both left the game early with injuries. Yunel Escobar put Atlanta on the board with a double that scored Hudson in the third and the team never looked back tacking on runs in the fourth, seventh and eighth innings. The Braves have an off day before marching into Philadelphia to take on the co-division leading Phils.

I can’t help but get nervous about Chipper’s hamstring injury which forced him out of the game in the fourth. Jones said he’s hoping he’ll be able to avoid the DL but will most likely miss the beginning of the series against the Phillies this weekend. On the other hand, Hudson who left after six scoreless innings, felt a bit more optimistic say, “I don't foresee it being that big of a deal. It doesn't feel too bad. It just feels like tight muscles." He doesn’t even think he’ll miss a start which is a relief.

Trade Update: Jon Heyman of si.com is thinking that Mark Teixeira will go and that the Braves will be well compensated for his services, but still not as well as the Rangers were in 2007 when the Braves brought him over…Ken Rosenthal of foxsports.com is feeling the same way making a case for a possible Diamondbacks or Yankees trade…And Mark Kotsay is ok with any decision the Braves make regarding his future with the team.

News&Notes: Are you ready for hell to freeze over? Because that’s what will happen if Mike Hampton steps on that mound in Philly on Saturday. I’ll be at CBP and report back if he indeed makes a start...The Braves offense is driving hitting coach Terry Pendleton mad.
(Photo: Alan Diaz/AP)

It’s been fun blogging with you,
Kate

one hit again, the Braves look to be sellers

Rick VandenHurk had spent the last three months in the minors after a pretty horrible start in April, but that time looked as if it was well spent after he went five innings of no hit baseball in the Braves 4-0 loss to the Marlins. This is the 10th time this season the Braves have been shut out, matching their season total for 2007. With the loss, the Braves now sit seven games behind the division leading Phillies and 10 games behind Milwaukee in the wild card. I hate to give up on things but it’s looking like the Braves could be big sellers over the next eight days.

The question now becomes who will be traded and to where? Obviously Mark Teixeira seems to be destined for greener pastures come 2009, but can the Braves find a new home for him in 2008? There aren’t that many teams in need of first baseman that are willing to trade the farm for him, especially without knowing whether they’ll have him after the end of the season. And while he could serve as a DH for a team in need of some pop, part of what makes him so great is his defense, which he would be unable to use in that position. I’ve heard of a couple of teams that could have some interest mainly Arizona, the Dodgers, the Angels and Boston, but they seem like long shots. (Plus Boston has said they are not interested in Mark.) Not only would the quality of players included have to be better than the compensation draft picks they would receive in the offseason if Teixeira walks (which come on, he’s not staying in Atlanta with the Yankees in need of a first baseman) they would also need a major league ready replacement in the deal.

Another name bandied about is Will Ohman. A solid reliever, many teams would love to get him on their staff. To me, he seems more likely to go, but that depends mostly on what the Braves could get for him and whether they feel like they can re-sign him in the off season. A lot of the rumors have been surrounding the Rockies Brian Fuentes and the Orioles George Sherrill, but with many teams looking for relief help, Ohman could be just what they’re in the market for.

Finally it looks like Mark Kotsay could be on the block. With teams looking to fill up an outfield holes, Kotsay could be a welcomed addition. I've been reading a lot of rumors about the Pirates Xavier Nady and Jason Bay and also the Rockies Matt Holliday so Kotsay seems like a likely plan C or D for some teams but so far I haven't read about anything in particular about Mark.

But not likely to be shopped are Mike Gonzalez and Rafael Soriano who the Braves are willing to pay top dollar to to keep them on the team next season. I'm a bit nervous about that. I like Gonzo, but both he and Soriano are coming off of tough injuries, I don't want to start throwing around money to people who won't be able to play for the forseeable future because they're constantly injured. Call it the Mike Hampton effect.

News&Notes: Tom Glavine and Mike Hampton both had throwing sessions on Tuesday. Mike Hampton even boldly predicted he could be ready to go next week, “I told them if everything went well, I would be ready.” Oh, but Mr. Hampton your career for the past two years has been nothing but “ifs.” Not that I don’t want him to take the mound to justify his crazy contract, but if he doesn’t make a start this season, does that mean the Braves can collect insurance on him, because that might be better for the team...Meanwhile Glavine says he felt he threw better on Tuesday than he did on Saturday and could make some rehab starts next week, if everything goes well…Bobby Cox served his one game suspension for what was deemed an extended tirade following his ejection on Sunday…The Braves optioned Brent Lillibridge to Richmond after activating Omar Infante from the DL.
(Photos: AP/Yahoo! Sports)

It’s been fun blogging with you,
Kate

Braves win, Soriano activated and Glavine throws off the mound, oh my!

After a disastrous weekend series against the Nationals that included a 15-6 blowout on Sunday, the Braves rebounded nicely off the strength of Jorge Campillo’s seven inning shutout in their 4-0 victory over the Marlins. Mark Kotsay, Chipper Jones, Mark Teixeira and Martin Prado all tallied RBIs in the win.

The Braves are a strange animal; they can play as poorly as ever and then turn around and show signs of real live major league team. I just wish they could do that more often. I know I always tout how important each series is, but this one against the Marlins is truly make or break. Not only do they get a chance to add some momentum heading into this weekend’s series against the Phillies (which I’ll be attending on Saturday and post some pictures on Monday) but the Phillies will be battling with their co-NL East leading Mets beginning on Tuesday, meaning the Braves must keep pace. Adding to the urgency is the July 31st trade deadline which would spell doom if the Braves chose to become sellers in the trade market, a fact that is looking incredibly more likely by the minute.

Tuesday the Braves will send Charlie Morton to the mound to take on Rick VandenHurk who is 0-1 with an 11.81 ERA. Hopefully the real live major league team can show up and take advantage of this kid, but you’ll have to tune into SPSO at 7:10 PM to find out.

News&Notes: The Braves activated Rafael Soriano from the DL on Monday. Let’s hope he’s able to stay relatively healthy for the foreseeable future…Yunel Escobar was held out of Monday’s lineup but is expected to return on Tuesday after missing a few games with a shoulder injury…Tom Glavine threw off the mound for the first time since hitting the DL…John Smoltz will join the pregame crew on FSN South and Sports South.
(Photo: AP Photo/Alan Diaz)

It’s been fun blogging with you,
Kate

Mike Hampton Injured Again, Anyone Surprised?

Mike Hampton was forced to leave his start with Class AA Mississippi short after "tweaking" his groin. This was his sixth rehab start since straining his pectoral muscle warming up in early April. Six starts?!?!?!?! He made it to his sixth start without being injured. This must be like some sort of modern day record for Hampton. And he couldn't have been sent up to make one of those starts with the Braves? Who am I kidding, he probably would have gotten injured throwing a signed ball up to some kid behind the dugout. So I guess we'll be waiting a bit longer for Mr. Hampton to make his first start with the Braves in three years or about the same time for his contract to finally expire.

News&Notes: Because I stayed at Yankee Stadium until 1:37 AM, I got to see Brian McCann finally take the field as a catcher in the 15th inning. Here's an article about his trip to the Big Apple...And here is one about Chipper's start for the National League.
(Photo: Forbes)

It's been fun blogging with you,
Kate