Atlanta Braves
Just wanted to start a discussion on what you guys think of the Braves going into the 2007 season? I'll start...
Rotation
Smoltz - Shouldnt skip a beat, age means nothing to him
Hudson - Has a lot to prove, needs to step it up and carry this team more
Hampton - Needs to stay healthy all year and earn his paycheck
James - Next coming of Tom Glavine?
Davies - This is the year to show his promise or its bye bye
Cormier - Should get a nice handful of starts once Hampton goes down and Davies struggles, i think he's a lot better than most would think
Redman - Hoping to strike lightning in a bottle, a great cheap sign and if he fails no big deal
Bullpen
Wickman - I dont see him being the closer for long, he's on a short leash despite his fine pitching last year. hes not gettin any younger
Soriano - Will step in as the everyday closer eventually, we need to hold on to this guy. the NL wont be able to touch him
Gonzalez - Although he is an accomplished closer, i think we'll use him more so against the mashing lefty's and occasionally close games
Paronto - Hard sinker, great for situations with men on base
McBride - Finally the Braves have a reliable situational lefty
Villarreal - We'll likely see him more in long relief this year and why not, hes great for it
Moylan - Been lookin great all spring, hopefully his control is under wraps. its always good to have a sidearmer to switch things up
Yates - Questionable, but i think he'll dwindle just like Ken Ray did last year
Lineup
C.Jones - 2 words STAY HEALTHY, could have been an MVP candidate last year if he was. He can still hit a ton, but his quirky body makes me nervous
A.Jones - Year in, year out you know what to expect from this guy. Lets hope we can re-sign him before the Yankees gobble him up.
Francoeur - The new fan favorite? Its scary when you hit 30hr and 100+ rbi and you know you havent even gotten to the good stuff yet
McCann - Should continue to be an all star for years to come, the Braves have their franchise catcher
Renteria - Yeah hes one of the better SS's in the NL, but isnt it Yunel Escobar time yet? Another season of Edgar and we can start to get to the good stuff
Langerhans - Solid defensive skills and better than average batting talent keeps this guy around, i want to see him emerge as the everyday starter
Johnson - Who knows how hes going to handle 2B and leadoff duties, theres a lot of pressure on him to fill the void left behind by Giles.
Thorman - Could turn heads this season, although i think he still needs time. He'll be given the first chance at 1B, but i dont see him holding it long
Wilson - A great nab from the FA market, versatility, power, experience. Should share time with Thorman more than anything
Diaz - Great bat, but there isnt much room for him in the field. None the less its always nice to have a skilled bat in those pinch situations
Woodward/Aybar - Seems these guys will share the utility IF spots, dont know much about either so we'll see how they perform.
Pena - A nice switch hitting backup catcher, but has never played a full season before.
Orr - I feel bad for this guy, hes a good backup 2b/3b with nice speed, but theres too much talent in the system for him to thrive in atlanta
Prado - Could eventually take Kelly Johnson's spot if Kelly struggles, Bobby really likes this guy
Reply With Quote
