November 15
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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As the Braves and other teams explore trade and free-agent possibilities, many wrestle with a situation prevalent in baseball's changed economic landscape. Should they pursue a "Type A" free agent if it means giving up a first-round draft pick as compensation for signing him? For instance, a free agent such as Boston Red Sox closer Billy Wagner. Before free-agent rankings came out last week and Wagner was classified as a Type A, the Braves discussed the possibility of the 38-year-old left-hander as a potential replacement if they lost their free-agent closers, Rafael Soriano and Mike Gonzalez (both of them are also Type A; more on that in a moment). But with Wagner as Type A instead of ..."
November 13
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Now that the Braves' starting rotation and Tim Hudson's surgically repaired arm both appear stronger than they've been in several years, Hudson hoped to stick around to see how far they could take things. The former 20-game winner got his wish Thursday after completing a three-year, $28 million extension that includes a fourth-year option for 2013. "I'm excited, and my family is excited," said Hudson, 34, who last season was 2-1 with a 3.61 ERA in seven starts after a year-long recovery from ligament-transplant elbow surgery. "Our home is here in the Southeast, in Alabama and Atlanta. We're just really excited that I'm going to be here three more years and hopefully a fourth. "I hope I can ..."
November 12
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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It's official – the Braves have finalized a three-year contract extension with pitcher Tim Hudson, a deal that includes a fourth-year option for 2013. The contract is believed to be worth close to $9 million per season. "We are excited to have Tim back as a big part of our club the next three years," general manager Frank Wren said in the news release. "As we maintain the strength of our team, which is the starting pitching, Tim provides veteran leadership that is invaluable to our young pitchers." The Braves have scheduled a 10:30 a.m. conference call. Hudson, 33, went 2-1 with a 3.61 ERA in seven late-season starts for the Braves in 2009 after a year-long recovery from ..."
November 12
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Before Frank Wren caught a flight Wednesday from Chicago to Phoenix to see Braves pitching prospects in the Arizona Fall League, the Braves general manager met with teams interested in some of his team's older pitchers. The Braves have a surplus of starting pitchers, and during the three-day general managers meetings they talked with teams about trading one of them "We have valuable assets that almost every club here is looking for, so I think we'll be patient and watch how things develop in the first part of the winter," Wren said. "Between now and Indianapolis [site of the winter meetings from Dec. 7-10], I'm sure we'll have a lot of other discussions, but we're not in a great rush." The ..."
November 10
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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The well sourced Buster Olney of ESPN's Insiders keeps hearing the Braves will trade their best pitcher. (Link requires registration.) Writes Mr. Olney: "Some rival executives are convinced that Atlanta's Javier Vazquez, who was arguably one of the four best pitchers in the National League this past season, will be traded in the weeks ahead. Vazquez will make $11.5 million next season before becoming eligible for free agency, so the Braves might be compelled to move him now to take advantage of his value. Atlanta needs a right-handed-hitting outfielder, and the other possible trade pieces on the Braves' pitching staff - Derek Lowe (who is owed $45 million over the next three seasons) and ..."
November 8
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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When baseball's general managers begin to gather Sunday night for their annual meetings, they'll be at a Chicago airport hotel and not a typically swank resort. It's a way to save a little company money while sending a signal to the public that, hey, baseball isn't impervious to a bad economy. Yeah, right. Just don't expect frugalilty to go too far. Plenty of teams are still going to pay huge salaries to top free agents, and GMs are going to make trades for big-salaried players who can plug holes in their rosters. The Braves hope to add a right-handed power hitter, and might have to fill voids at first base and the bullpen unless they re-sign one or more of their top free agents, first ..."
November 4
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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The Braves signed veteran reliever Scott Proctor to a one-year contract on Wednesday, according to his agent. The team hopes he can overcome two recent elbow surgeries and regain something akin to his form. The right-hander missed the entire 2009 season with the Florida Marlins while recovering from ligament-transplant elbow surgery in May, after flexor-tendon surgery on the elbow in October 2008. The Braves have not confirmed the signing, as teams are urged by Major League Baseball not to make such announcements during the World Series. Soon after the World Series, the Braves are also expected to announce pitcher Tim Hudson has signed a three-year contract. He passed his physical this ..."
October 29
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Pitcher Tim Hudson is expected to sign a three-year contract extension with the Braves by early next week, a person familiar with negotiations said. The Braves and Hudson's representative have made rapid progress in negotiations on a deal, which could be completed as early as Friday. It's believed it will be worth approximately $9 million per season. The extension for Hudson, 34, would replace a $12 million option the Braves hold on the right-hander's contract for 2010. The Braves have until three days after the World Series to make a decision on that option. If the option were exercised, Hudson would have the right to refuse it and become a free agent. The Alabama native said he would ..."
October 26
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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The Braves and pitcher Tim Hudson's agent plan to resume negotiations this week on a contract extension expected to be for "at least" three years, a person familiar with the situation said Sunday. The parties last week began discussing a deal that could be worth $9 million or more annually for the 34-year-old right-hander. It's unclear if the team would go to a guaranteed fourth year or offer an option year. If a deal is struck, the new contract would presumably replace a $12-million option the Braves hold on Hudson's contract for 2010. The club has until three days after the World Series to pick up or decline that option, the impetus for negotiating a new deal so soon after the season. ..."
October 24
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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It's too early to know how the Braves will go about adding a power hitter and filling expected bullpen vacancies, but second base appears set with Martin Prado. Despite a recent comment by manager Bobby Cox, who mentioned possibly moving Prado to right field and not "giving up" on second baseman Kelly Johnson, it sounds more likely that Prado will keep the starting job he won last summer. "I think we watched Martin Prado become our everyday second baseman in the second half," Braves general manager Frank Wren said, "and ... going into spring training, there's no reason to think anything's changed.""
October 18
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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It's rare to hear a player openly state that he'll take less from his current team than from others, especially before negotiations have even begun. That's what Braves pitcher Tim Hudson did last week, saying he would take a "hometown discount" -- less money to stay with the Braves than he could get on the open market. His statement indicated a few things. First, Hudson knows the Braves have five other starters under contractual control, and don't feel obligated to compete with higher offers Hudson might receive if he becomes a free agent. Braves starters led the majors with a 3.52 ERA, which included only seven late-season starts from Hudson after returning from elbow surgery. "They don't ..."
October 8
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Twenty-one major league teams hit more homers than the Braves this season, but not a single team had a better earned run average from its starting pitchers. That, plus the fact the Braves finished the year with more proven starting pitchers (six) than a rotation can accommodate, makes it less than surprising that some time this winter, they might trade one of those pitchers for a slugger. But if it's Javier Vazquez, who has one year at $11.5 million remaining on his contract, general manager Frank Wren had best prepare to be second-guessed by more than fans. "I'm not going to play GM. I'm just going to give you my opinion on it – Javier Vazquez needs to be on this team next year," third ..."
September 24
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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One more season as Braves manager for Bobby Cox and that's it. After 2010 he's taking his 2,400-plus wins and cigars and leaving the dugout. And this time, he said he means it. "Period. It's time," Cox said after signing a one-year contract extension Wednesday to manage the club for one more season in 2010, a deal that includes a five-year consulting agreement that will keep him with the organization as an advisor at least through the 2015 season. "If I don't do this right now, I would be wanting to manage again somewhere ... or here," said Cox, 68. "It's time to go ahead and say it. I don't think I would ever give up the idea of managing unless I just say, 'That's it.' That's what I'm ..."
September 23
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Bobby Cox responded this morning to a Yahoo! Sports report of discord between him and Braves GM Frank Wren. Said Cox, speaking via iPhone from New York: "Everything is fine. Frank has been outstanding … I couldn't believe it when I [learned of the report]." Gordon Edes reported Tuesday that Cox had been so angry over the handling of John Smoltz's departure and the failure to be included in personnel discussions he packed his bag and had to be talked out of leaving spring training by a Braves coach. Asked if that had indeed happened, Cox said, "No." Reached last night, Wren described the Yahoo! report as "inaccurate." Asked if he wanted Cox to continue as manager, Wren said: "Sure, ..."
September 17
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Javier Vazquez can do the math. He sees the overflowing Braves rotation. He knows he could be a pitcher the Braves try to trade in the offseason, given his skyrocketing value after a dominant season. But that's not how he would like it to play out. "Hopefully I'll be here," said Vazquez, recently named National League player of the week. "I really want to be here. Hopefully they want me here, too." If the Braves re-sign Tim Hudson, which seems more likely by the day as Hudson continues to progress in his return from elbow-reconstruction surgery, the Braves will need to trade either Vazquez or Kenshin Kawakami to free some salary and help bolster their lineup. Vazquez is having a career ..."
September 9
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Of all the things that didn't work out as planned for the Braves this season, we've known a for a while now that Javier Vazquez isn't one of them. What we don't know is: Where do they go from here? Or maybe the better question is: Where does Vazquez go from here? The ripple effect of the contracts the Braves gave pitchers Derek Lowe (four years, $60 million) and Kenshin Kawakami (three years, $23 million) is going to be felt this off-season. General manager Frank Wren has some options but he's also somewhat painted into a corner. The chances of trading either Lowe or Kawakami are minimal because of the contracts. So that's two starters. Tommy Hanson and Jair Jurrjens are young and good and ..."
September 7
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Braves shortstop Yunel Escobar missed his second consecutive game after turning his right ankle lunging at first base Friday night trying to beat out a throw. He took batting practice on Sunday and said the injury, which has migrated more toward his heel, didn't bother him fielding ground balls but bothered him some at the plate. It hurt the most when he put all his weight on his back side to "load up" at the start of his swing. Still, he thinks with the day off Monday, he should be ready to play on Tuesday in Houston."
September 7
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Chipper Jones was out of the lineup Sunday, this time with a sore abdomen muscle. He missed three games early last month with an oblique strain, but Jones was told this is a different area of the same muscle. He doesn't suspect they're related. The area he hurt a few weeks back was more to the side, while this pain is right under his rib cage in the front. "I started feeling it a couple days ago, and it just gradually got worse," Jones said. "It was sore. When [the trainer] was poking and prodding on it [Saturday] night, I almost came out of my chair." He was hoping with the off day Monday, he would be ready to play again Tuesday night in Houston. "I've never had pain in the front part ..."
August 24
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Martin Prado has been in a difficult place for a ballplayer, particularly one who takes pride in being a scrappy, tough guy who can always be counted on. The Braves second baseman is not on the disabled list, but he's been unable to play because of headaches that might be stress-related, from worrying too much. And here he is, trying not to worry about when those headaches might subside. The Braves didn't want to place him on the 15-day disabled list, because they believed he would be cleared to return soon. It's not been an easy situation. But there was reason for optimism Sunday. Prado, who hasn't played in a week, began feeling better over the weekend, enough to take batting-practice ..."
August 22
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Braves second baseman Martin Prado said Friday he was feeling better, but he still wasn't ready to resume baseball activities. He was out of the lineup for the third day, after returning home from New York on Wednesday to be examined by Dr. Richard Bernstein, a neurologist for the Falcons, at St. Joseph's Hospital. Prado was diagnosed with exertional headaches after he had sudden-onset headaches after during at-bats both Saturday and Tuesday. Prado was not optimistic that he would return for this weekend series against the Marlins. He was planning to do only some light weight-lifting and stretching today but wasn't sure when he'd swing again. "I think tomorrow I'll start doing my stuff ..."
August 14
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Tim Hudson pitched four innings for Class AAA Gwinnett on Thursday without any problems with his hamstring as he resumed his minor league rehabilitation from elbow surgery. Hudson had to be scratched from his previous start July 31. This time he made it through, allowing Durham two runs on five hits and a walk, striking out three. He threw 63 pitches, 42 for strikes. After 13 days off, Hudson was rusty in the first inning, giving up four consecutive two-out hits, including back-to-back line-drive doubles, but a groundout stranded two runners, and he faced one batter over the minimum from that point on. "I was a little tentative at first from my stride standpoint, but after the first and ..."
August 9
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Third baseman Chipper Jones missed his second consecutive start Saturday after straining the oblique muscle in his left side during batting practice Friday. Jones said he felt better Saturday, but any movement requiring torso twisting was painful. He said he probably wouldn't test it to see if he's ready until Tuesday's game against Washington. The Braves are off Monday after completing a seven-game road trip today in Los Angeles. Jones missed a week in spring training with a right oblique strain that knocked him out of the World Baseball Classic. He didn't know how long this one might keep him out, but he hoped to miss only the rest of the weekend series."
August 8
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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About 20 hours after a Braves loss that Chipper Jones said hurt as much as any, the third baseman experienced a different sort of pain. He strained his left oblique in batting practice Friday and was scratched from the lineup for the second game of a four-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Jones, 37, had a strained right oblique that knocked him out of the World Baseball Classic during spring training, and he had a September 2006 stint on the disabled list for a strained left oblique. He has missed games this season for groin, thumb and toe injuries, but he still led the Braves in games played (97) before Friday. The severity of the injury wasn't immediately known, but the Braves ..."
July 28
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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When faced with the last two trade deadlines, the Braves have been right in the thick of the biggest deals in baseball, first acquiring Mark Teixeira in 2007 from the Rangers, then trading him away to the Angels last year. Not so, this July 31. The Braves figure to go much more quietly through Friday's deadline, most likely making only a tweak to their roster, if anything. "I've talked to a lot of clubs last week and today," Braves general manager Frank Wren said Monday. "I can't tell you that anything is really imminent or on the front burner." Though it may seem presumptuous for a team 6 1/2 games out of first place, for the first time in a while, the Braves don't feel they have any ..."
July 15
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
columnist Mark Bradley
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Frank Wren is a man in a hurry. That's his nature. He walks fast. He's forever fiddling with his BlackBerry. His predecessor gave the impression of having all the time in the world, but this general manager is always in motion. (Perhaps that's due to their backgrounds: John Schuerholz started as a school teacher, while Wren was a minor-league center fielder.) Wren's default mode is to try something. No GM was more aggressive over the winter, and now we arrive at the fortnight when GMs feel duty-bound not just to try something but to do anything. And surely the temptation of Wren will be massive as July winds down. His team is six games out of first place in a division where nothing is ..."
July 6
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
columnist Mark Bradley
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Here are six, as listed by Buster Olney of ESPN.com, who assumes the Braves are looking to trade Yunel Escobar and Javier Vazquez. (And didn't someone we know suggest the Vazquez thing two months ago? Why, yes he did.) Since this is an ESPN Insiders thing and the link requires registration, I'll again quote extensively: Boston: "In order to make a deal for Escobar, the Red Sox would probably have to engage a third team, and here's the thing - they are perfectly suited to do this, because they have the commodity that everybody else want: pitching. In theory [and what immediately follows is pure speculation], they could engage the Brewers about Corey Hart, or the Indians about someone like ..."
July 5
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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The Braves announced Saturday they have promoted prospects Jason Heyward and Freddie Freeman to Class AA Mississippi. Heyward, ranked the Braves' No. 2 prospect by Baseball America, hit .296 with 12 doubles, 10 homers, 31 RBI and 34 runs in 49 games for Class A Myrtle Beach."
July 2
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
columnist Mark Bradley
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Yunel Escobar is, shall we say, a different sort of Brave. He has blond highlights in his hair. He doesn't always pay attention. He has a temper and is given to the sulks. He has yet to respond to the gentle urgings of Bobby Cox, which have become less gentle over time. According to Buster Olney of ESPN.com, the Braves "are willing to trade Escobar for a good hitter right now." (Link requires registration.) But I don't think they will. Nor do I believe they should. Because Yunel Escobar is a different sort of Brave in another way: He can really hit. And he can really play. The Braves have become so skilled at siphoning off higher-maintenance types that they have lesser tolerance for one ..."
June 9
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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About the only time losing has privileges is on this day - draft day - and for the Braves, it means they are entitled to pick seventh overall in baseball's first-year player draft. This marks the highest overall pick the Braves have had in the draft since 1991, when they took outfielder Mike Kelly with second pick overall. The Braves could use some depth at third base, for example, or perhaps at a middle infield spot. But club scouting director Roy Clark said Monday the Braves won't be looking to fill a specific need, just to take the best available player. "The year we took Jason Heyward and Freddie Freeman, it was just exceptional," Clark said of the 2007 draft, when the club filled ..."
June 7
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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FoxSports.com reported Saturday that Tom Glavine is considering filing a grievance against the Braves over the reasons for his release. The report said the lefty's agent, Gregg Clifton, had spoken with a labor attorney and the players' union. The collective-bargaining agreement states that players can't be released by their teams because of financial reasons. Glavine would have received a $1 million bonus if he was activated from the disabled list to the major-league roster. Braves general manager Frank Wren and CEO Terry McGuirk have stated that Glavine was released strictly for performance reasons - because the team didn't believe he could be successful at the major-league level."