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."
June 6
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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This is not the way Tom Glavine thought it would go, and that's what hurt the most. The 305-game winner said Friday he felt "a sense of betrayal" over his release by the Braves. He thought he would be returning to the mound Sunday from elbow and shoulder surgery. Instead, the day after he finished his rehabilitation, he found out prospect Tommy Hanson would replace him. Glavine dissected his version of what had happened, speaking publicly for the first time since his release on Wednesday. It boiled down to this: Glavine felt the Braves misled him, in both their intentions during his rehabilitation and their explanation of why they were parting ways. He went so far as to say he believed the ..."
June 6
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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First baseman Casey Kotchman's right shin and calf have been slow to heal since he was hit by a pitch Sunday at Arizona, and the Braves will consider placing him on the 15-day DL if he's not ready soon. "I don't want to want to" put on him the DL, manager Bobby Cox said. "But he's still a ways away from being ready. We'll wait a couple more days, see if there's a miracle." X-rays on Kotchman's shin showed only a severe contusion. But he also strained his calf making an abrupt movement during the incident. He still has significant swelling and hasn't been able to run. "It's improving every day, but I just want to make sure it's right before I come back," said Kotchman, who hit .267 with ..."
June 6
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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General manager Frank Wren said there was no truth to an ESPN.com report Friday that the Braves expressed interest in a trade for Boston Red Sox pitcher Brad Penny. "There is no validity to that," Wren said. "That has not even been discussed." Several Braves players and manager Bobby Cox seemed equally surprised by the report, which speculated that the Braves might open a spot for Penny in their rotation by moving Kenshin Kawakami to the bullpen. Kawakami is in the first season of a three-year, $23 million contract. He is 3-6 with a 4.63 ERA, including a 3.19 ERA in six starts since May 1. Penny is 5-1 with a 5.63 ERA in 10 starts, and has been the beneficiary of the fifth-highest run ..."
June 5
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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The Braves may not be done changing the rotation. ESPN's Buster Olney is reporting that the Braves have had conversations with the Boston Red Sox regarding veteran right-hander Brad Penny. Just last week, the AJC's David O'Brien reported that Boston had been scouting Jeff Francoeur and might have a trade interest in the Braves right fielder, who is hitting .251 with four homers and 25 RBI. The report makes no claim that the Braves are close to sending the 25-year-old outfielder in exchange for the 31-year-old pitcher, who is 5-1 with a 5.63 ERA."
June 5
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Chipper Jones has always said he prefers his third spot in the batting order, so reporters went straight to his locker Thursday for reaction after seeing the lineup with new center fielder Nate McLouth hitting third and Jones fourth. "I told [manager Bobby Cox] I was open to whatever he thought was best for the club," said Jones, who spoke with Cox after the Braves finalized their trade Wednesday for the All-Star center fielder from the Pittsburgh Pirates. "I don't know if this is permanent, but we'll see." The Braves' scheduled game against the Cubs was rained out Thursday, but Cox's batting order had second baseman Kelly Johnson in the leadoff role, followed by shortstop Yunel Escobar, ..."
June 3
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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After throwing six scoreless innings and earning a win in his third minor-league rehab start in two weeks, Braves pitcher Tom Glavine pronounced himself ready to return to the major leagues Tuesday night as the 43-year-old veteran turned in a solid outing in Rome's 3-0 win over the Augusta Green Jackets in front of a sellout crowd of 5,105 at State Mutual Stadium. "I don't know what else I can do," said Glavine, who threw 65 pitches for the low-Class A Rome Braves, 45 of those for strikes. "Physically I felt good and I feel like I'm ready. "I'd love to get to Atlanta and help the team," he said. "I'll go [to Turner Field] tomorrow and prepare to pitch on Sunday, wherever that is." Glavine ..."
May 28
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Braves general manager Frank Wren would not comment on a report that the Boston Red Sox have recently scouted Jeff Francoeur and might have trade interest in the Braves right fielder. It's not known whether the Braves have entertained offers for the player who was once expected to become the next face of the franchise, but whose career has stalled. The Braves would presumably have to get an outfielder back in any trade for Francoeur, 25, or have another deal lined up to get a replacement. The Lilburn native was hitting .259 with three homers, 21 RBIs and a .281 on-base percentage before Wednesday night's game at San Francisco. Yahoo's Gordon Edes reported that the Red Sox were looking at ..."
May 19
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Tim Hudson's rehabilitation from elbow reconstruction surgery is going so well that it's hard to wipe the smile off his face. Hudson is throwing at 150 feet and expects to be back on the mound for bullpen sessions next week when the Braves are in San Francisco. "It's feeling phenomenal," Hudson said. "I feel like I could go out there and get people out." Hudson threw some bullpen sessions in spring training but took a few weeks off in April - a break that was built in to his rehab schedule - before building back up arm strength by throwing long toss. He will throw fastballs exclusively when he first gets on the mound, then gradually work in changeups, breaking balls and split-fingers. He ..."