I'm not sue how to feel about this as a Braves fan. On the one hand, unless Glavine offers to come back for free, I wouldn't divert any money from free agents who might be able to get the team to the playoffs (read: Ben Sheets, Pat Burrell, AJ Burnett, etc) to him. On the other hand, I don't think the Braves can make the playoffs even if we signed two of those guys. If we're just going to punt the season, I'd rather see Glavine back for one last hurrah rather than having Liberty Media pocket the money.

I have to say, though, that I'm skeptical of Glavine's ability to perform at a high level any more. How much of his recent struggles were due to injury, and how much due to diminution in talent?

"How much of his recent struggles were due to injury, and how much due to diminution in talent?"

I would tend to think mostly the latter, though of course I've been saying that about every cold streak of his for maybe ten years now.

If we're just going to punt the season, I'd rather see Glavine back for one last hurrah

I agree. If the Braves are going to have a Lima Time rotation, I'd just as soon have Glavine be a part of that as anyone else.

If the Braves are going to have a Lima Time rotation, I'd just as soon have Glavine be a part of that as anyone else.

But should the Braves do that? Why not go pretty much all-in on a Kiddie Corps and see who can hack it and who can't? Jurrjens, Reyes, Campillo (not that young, but whatever), Davies, James, and whomever else they can scare up. If they can also trade for or sign a veteran -- Sheets or whomever -- to head it up and start the rebuilding -- fine. But is it so far-fetched to think it could start with the young guys?

Jurrjens, Reyes, Campillo, Davies, James looks to me like a rotation that would give you 600 or so innings. That's an ugly way waste another year of Larry's dwindling dominant years. They still have a club with a lot of talent in the in-field at C, 3B, SS and 2B. How hard is it to cover the black holes in the outfield, especially the sub-replacement corners?

Jurrjens, Reyes, Campillo, Davies, James looks to me like a rotation that would give you 600 or so innings.

Probably, but what are the odds Glavine is going to give the Braves many more? And if he does, at what level of quality? I know this is harsh, but doesn't bringing him back "waste another year of Larry's dwindling dominant years," while also doing nothing to find out what some of these young guys might be able to do?

I get the idea of one last sentimental journey. But maybe the lesson of this year is that it just wasn't meant to be . . . .

The Braves would have a lot of problems with including Kyle Davies in their 2009 rotation.

Time to retire, Tommy. You too, John. I love you. Really I do, but now get those arms back into golf shape and enjoy yourself.

I'm with Sam on this one. But I would agree that if they're going to sign a bunch of geezers for too much money, I'd prefer Tom and John over others. But if they do that (either way), they're guaranteed to suck and they won't be building toward anything.

You have to figure Mike Hampton's good for some innings, too.

Yeah, I think we can go ahead and count Davies out of the mix. Seriously now.

Jurrjens, Campillo, Reyes, Morton, James looks like the prospective 2009 rotation, with nothing in the way of high level minor league depth.

I guess you haven't been paying much attention to a certain Tommy Hanson in AA, Flournoy... Sure, it's not AAA, but he's put up better numbers than Jurrjens did in AA prior to being called up and he projects - at worst- as a #3 or #4 type of starter with a heck of a lot more upside... There's also Redmond, who could probably be a #5 type innings eater as early as next season (he would probably have been in the Pirates' rotation at some point in 08 had he not been traded for Yates). There's also Kris Medlen, who could probably slot in mid-2009 to late 2009 and be pretty effective either in the rotation or out of the pen. Finally, the Braves did land Stephen Marek from the Angels in the Tex trade and he could also slot into the pen or as a SP late 2009. Outside of Hanson (and maybe Medlen) there's not alot of IMPACT depth at the higher levels, but its erroneous to say there's no depth.

Time to retire, Tommy. You too, John. I love you. Really I do, but now get those arms back into golf shape and enjoy yourself.

Smoltz, at least, can point to the fact that he was pitching really well when he went down. 160 ERA+, 36 strikeouts and eight walks in 28 innings.

You have to figure Mike Hampton's good for some innings, too.

Haha, very funny.

It all depends on the money. If Glavine wants 4 or 5 mil to see if his 43-year old junkball schtick still works the answer is a resounding "NO." If he wants to sign for a mil base, a few incentives and the opportunity to compete in spring training? Sure, why not. Smoltz is a more difficult call because he either doesn't pitch or pitches for $12mil. I don't think you can hang that much salary on John Smoltz making yet another injury comeback. Not with Sabathia, Sheets, etc on the market. Glavine and Smoltz were Braves during the second Reagan administration. It's time for change.