Atlanta Braves pitcher Craig Kimbrel reacts during a spring training baseball workout, Sunday, Feb. 16, 2014, in Kissimmee, Fla. The Braves agreed to terms with Kimbrel on a four-year contract. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)Well, so much for easing into the blogosphere.
Fact is, this actually my second Atlanta ProView blog. The first one now sits in my computer's trash file (thanks John Hart!) and it was filled with reasons why this new assignment is both exciting and cathartic for someone who has been a fan of Atlanta pro sports since the '70s.
For now forget all that. Today I'm a upset Braves' fan, not because its new poo-bah traded away elite closer Craig Kimbrel on the eve of opening day. Heck, the deal makes a lot of sense if for no other reason than the team will no longer have to pay B.J., I mean Melvin, Upton.
I'm angry because I didn't deserve to be lied to. None of us did. I have watched or listened to a dozen games this spring and in each one, including a game with a Hart cameo on ESPN, we were brainwashed with "This team has every intention of competing this year," or "The players and the front office are offended by talk from pundits that this is a rebuilding season."
I even started to buy into it. Hart had changed the makeup of the team from being home run reliant to one that just might be able to manufacture more runs. More importantly, he had overcome years of draft screw ups by adding several top-tier prospects. Even if the price was Jason Heyward, Justin Upton and Evan Gattis, the returns were legit and in the cases of Heyward and Upton the team got building blocks for players that were not going to be with the team beyond this season.
I get it. I liked it. There were times last season when I just couldn't watch anymore. It wasn't the losing - remember, I was a fan when 80 wins was overachieving - it was the way they lost. The 2014 Braves were my least favorite team ever. Strikeouts and popups with runners in scoring position; batters insistent on pulling the ball directly into shifts; guys like Andrelton Simmons constantly swinging for the fences and, for the love of Abner Doubleday, the inability to get a bunt down.
Worst of all, the players didn't seem to care. Just once I wanted to see statue Fredi Gonzalez rip into someone for loafing or popping up a bunt. How cool would it have been if Heyward, Gattis or Chris Johnson bad busted up a water cooler or showed...any...emotion...at...all.
OK, back to the point, we were mislead, but it's not the first time a team's management has hidden its intentions. However, why wait until Sunday to pull the trigger on a deal that had to be in the works for some time and after weeks of feeding us so much feel-good fubar? Nobody wants to hear their favorite team is rebuilding. It's bad for ticket sales, right?
Exactly.
New Brave Matt WislerOn the bright side
The Braves tried like crazy to get Matt Wisler in the Justin Upton deal but the Padres refused to deal their No. 1 prospect. He will immediately go to the head of Atlanta's prospect list and, despite a 5.01 ERA last year in his first triple-A action, the 6-3, 200-pound right-hander appears to be as much of a cant-miss pitcher as you could expect.
Getting raw outfielder Jordan Paroubeck in the deal could really pay off. He's something the Braves don't have in the farm system, an athletic player with big-time power potential. There's also the No. 41 overall draft pick, something that could allow the revamped scouting department to take a chance on a player others might pass on due to signability issues.
Then there's money. Even taking back $15 million in veteran outfielders Cameron Maybin and Carlos Quentin (who will be released), the Braves will save nearly $60 million in salary over the next three years. Getting rid of Melvin Upton, a player considered untradeable, is the icing on the cake.
Another thing to consider is that Kimbrel, as good as he is, will be a free agent after the 2016 season. Would he really make that much of a difference this season and next?
Atlanta Braves pitcher Rafael Soriano (39) hugs catcher Brian McCann after a baseball game with the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park in Washington, Wednesday, April 22, 2009. The Braves won 1-0.(AP Photo/Alex Brandon)So what's ahead?
There's still a season to be played and the team needs a closer. Jason Grilli likely gets the first shot, with Jim Johnson setting up and next in line if needed. Neither is the future of the position. The guess here is the club will start trying some of its top minor league power arms in closer roles and see who can handle it.
Would the team look at former Brave Rafael Soriano to add to this year's mix? He's still a free agent and could be had fairly inexpensively. Even if the season has been written off, the bullpen has to be bolstered after a shaky spring and, as noted, there's plenty of coin in the bank.
As for the outfield, Sunday's trade was great news for Eric Young, Jr., because Upton was going to see time when he came off the DL. Does Maybin fit in? The Braves have liked him for some time, but the last thing they need is another subpar hitter who believes he's a slugger. Then again, he can't be worse than Melvin.
Heck, Quentin, who runs like Fred Flintstone, would be an upgrade on Bossman Jr.
Let's hear it Braves fans. Angry? Happy? Confused? Apathetic? Will trading Kimbrel keep you from going to a game? Which prospect are you most excited to see?
Next time we'll talk Hawks' title chances and Falcons' draft.