Hudson was pretty good in his September return, essentially no different than his 07-08 form. This could be a significant bargain for the Braves.

Time to make Hanson into the closer.

Vazquez, Jurrjens, Hanson, Hudson, and Lowe.

It's not everyday your 5th starter is going to make 15 million a year. What a rotation. They need to do something about the bullpen though with both Gonzalez and Soriano free agents.

Always liked him with the A's.
Given his history, I think he's only got one really good season left -- for the Braves' sake, I hope it's 2010.

Six starting pitchers is in no way too much starting pitching. Absolutely one of those guys will suck a shocking amount or get injured; a good team has got to plan for that.

Given his history, I think he's only got one really good season left

Why? What history?

I figure they'll offer Gonzalez and Soriano both arbitration but make Gonzalez first priority. I'm not sure what sort of shape they'll be in if both of them leave, but I wouldn't mind seeing them give Moylan a shot at closer. They signed Scott Proctor to a minor league contract already, so that makes for some cheap depth, if nothing else.

As for having six starters, I seem to remember other teams with a surplus of starting ending up with a deficit through injury and ineffectiveness. Still, they probably still want Medlen to eventually be a starter, so he could #5 if they trade someone and someone else gets injured. What could they get in a trade that they'd want, though? Are any first basemen available who won't cost too many prospects and won't block Freeman when he's ready?

Its great and all, but unless they're looking to deal Vazquez - I can't imagine anyone having much interest in the two candidates at the top of their trade list. Supposedly Jair and Tommy are untouchable... I can't imagine this is a sign-and-trade.

Lowe might be the one traded. If they could just find a team that will pick up his salary, the Braves shouldn't care who they get back.

Does the term "re-up" predate The Wire? It's interesting how it's sneaked into our lexicon. I recently found myself saying I need to re-up my laundry detergent.

Six starting pitchers is in no way too much starting pitching.

This Jays fan nods in agreement.

Remember when the Red Sox had "way too much starting pitching" at the beginning of this year? They ended up needing to get Paul Byrd off the scrap heap in August. No such thing as too much pitching.

I can't imagine this is a sign-and-trade.

You can't sign and trade, right? Once a new contact is signed, you can't trade that player until ... June 1st? I forget, but something like that.

Anyway, if we're looking long-term, Vazquez is the obvious trade candidate, if there's a team out there in win-now mode, and has a first baseman or reliever to trade. Unless they're resigning both LaRoche and at least one of Soriano/Gonzalez, I think the sixth starter is better used as trade bait than as depth in case someone gets hurt. Medlen as the swingman/sixth starter is just fine by me.

I thought you can sign and trade your own free agents?

Hudson was never even a free agent. He and the Braves both still had a decision to make on a mutual option for 2010 until he signed this deal.

Does the term "re-up" predate The Wire? It's interesting how it's sneaked into our lexicon. I recently found myself saying I need to re-up my laundry detergent.

I've never seen The Wire but I'm sure I've heard the phrase for a long time.

I'm a big fan of this deal. The Braves' rotation looks really good next year. Of course, it was really good last year.

Now, what's left? 1B and a real outfield? Hmmm.

Quick search reveals that re-up is ~100 years old.

Believe it or not, people sold drugs prior to The Wire.

Thought Adam LaRoche was re-upping with the Braves?

Believe it or not, people sold drugs prior to The Wire.

Since the eighties, right?

EDIT: thanks, Greg.

I've never seen The Wire but I'm sure I've heard the phrase for a long time.

What the hell is wrong with you?

Believe it or not, people sold drugs prior to The Wire.

I laughed

I use lots of Omar quotes out here in Ozland - people have no idea

I've never seen "The Wire", but I don't think the word has become more popular since that show has existed.

What does it have to do with drugs?

re-up
"to re-enlist," re-sign up, that is, to enlist again.
1906, U.S. armed forces slang, from re- "back, again" + up "enlist."

It's not news, but the general shape of the Braves' offseason plan is:

1) Extend Hudson, extending the team's current strength (depth of starting pitching - which also includes Kris Medlen at seven.)

2) Work the trade market for Lowe, Kawakami and Vazquez and see what the best return is.

3) Trade one of those starters to improve the offense. The primary need is RH power at either 1B or LF.

If the Braves had no holes in the offesne, they'd be smart to go into 2010 with all seven of their starters available. Sliding Kawakami in as an emergency starter is better than sliding Jo Jo Reyes in, when needed. But they don't have that luxury. They need a starting 1B and they need RH power. They could use an upgrade on one of the corner OF slots but don't necessarily have to have that to succeed.

Current options/rumors include:

1) Trading Lowe for salary relief and signing a major free agent (Holliday, Bay.) The risk there is having the FA sign elsewhere.

2) Trading Lowe in a salary exchange for someone else's "bad OF contract." Names like Milton Bradley and Magglio Ordonez surface here.

3) Trading Vazquez for a quality RH bat. I'm not sure who matches up nicely there, but the MLBTR.com "idea" of flipping Vazquez for Dan Uggla is a non-starter. You'd have to get a lot more back for Vazquez coming off of last year.

4) Trading one of the younger pitchers - Jurrjens or Hanson - for Adrian Gonzalez. I personally would send anyone not named "Jason Heyward" to SD for Gonzalez.

5) Minor deals for someone like Uggla.

Sam, where would Uggla play--would he slot into LF? Prado seems to have sewn up the second base job, but he does have some outfield experience.

Sam, where would Uggla play--would he slot into LF? Prado seems to have sewn up the second base job, but he does have some outfield experience.

The conventional wisdom is that Uggla would slot into LF, with a defensive replacement available in late innings with a lead situations. There's also some talk of Mark Reynolds at 1B, giving the Braves a bit of Chipper insurance and not blocking Freddie Freeman in two years. I personally think that "blocking Freddie Freeman" should be the least of the team's concerns, as there is a wide gulf between Freeman's projectable path and that of say, Jason Heyward.

It is more or less assumed in Atlanta circles that Heyward will be called up by June of 2010 - a la Hanson this year - if he doesn't pull a Schafer and break camp with the ML team.

The Braves have more options in the OF than they do at 1B, for the record. They wouldn't be sucking air if they went into 2010 with the players they have - Diaz/McLouth/Church - with Schafer and Heyward in the wings. They need to address 1B, and they're rightly skeptical of Adam LaRoche as a long term solution, his sick second half production notwithstanding.

They need to address 1B, and they're rightly skeptical of Adam LaRoche as a long term solution, his sick second half production notwithstanding.

LaRoche isn't a superstar but he is a perfectly average 1st baseman and has been for a few years. He definitely could be the solution for a few years.

LaRoche is a perfectly viable alternative as long as he's affordable. The Braves don't want to lock into a three year deal because of Freeman. They're higher on Freeman than I am. With that said, it's important to pay LaRoche for what he gives you all season, not what he gave them in 2.5 months last year. He's not a 1000 OPS player.

I'd be fine going into 2010 with LaRoche at 1B, Uggla/Church in LF and Diaz holding down RF until J-Hey comes a'callin. You could probably do that without moving a pitcher at all.

I said this in another thread, but Kawakami or Lowe + cash for Luke Scott makes a lot of sense for both teams.

I'd move Lowe for obvious reasons, and I'd move him for Scott.

I'd move Lowe for obvious reasons, and I'd move him for Scott.

I'm sure Ollie Perez is available.

How much cash would the braves throw in? I think Lowe is a decent risk, but with his current contract he has negative value.

I think LaRoche will sign a 3y/25-30 M dollar contract and he'll provide decent return on that contract.

I'd do Lowe and a significant amount of green for Scott. Kawakami works, as well. Is Willingham on the block at all?

You'd think Uggla would be cheapish because of what Willingham/Olsen went for last year.

Ideally, Chipper would move to 1st, Prado to 3rd, and Uggla could play 2nd. I really wouldn't mind giving KJ another chance, but that's not in the cards.

Why? What history?

I think of him as injury-prone. But at this moment, I'm not sure precisely why I think that.

Hudson obviously had Tommy John surgery in August of '08 and missed a year, but beyond that his injury history is limited to some oblique problems in '04 and '05. Given that he came back very strong from TJ, I don't have any more concerns about his health than I have for any other healthy pitcher.

Ahh, it must be the obliques -- some kind of problem when he was with the A's, too.
I probably just started thinking "Hudson = injury-prone" without really thinking about it.
Carry on.