Tagged: Braves

Brave Old World

Dan:

Prior to 1991, the Atlanta Braves could be counted on for one thing year-in and year-out: mediocrity. Now, after enjoying a great run for the better part of the past 17 seasons, the Braves seem to be on the fasttrack back to irrelevancy.

Witness their recent deal with Rafael Furcal. According to reports, the Braves have just signed their former shortstop to a 3-year deal. The details of how much the contract is worth aren’t out yet, but you can bet it is probably north of $12 million a year.

Maybe after losing out on their prized-target — the highly questionable AJ Burnett — the Braves felt the need to make a splash. Their splash was to sign Furcal — an oft-injured, under-achieving could’ve-been who missed most of last season with back problems. That’s the kind of resume you might take a risk on for a firstbaseman or DH . . . but a shortstop? Not if you want to be relevant. Expect Furcal to spend most of the next three seasons chilling with Chipper Jones on the disabled list while the Braves wrestle with the Nationals for the basement of the N.L. East.

I have to say, kind of fitting for a franchise that had 10,000 empty seats in playoff games. (I don’t think I’ll ever be able to let that go . . . that and introducing us to the Tomahawk Chop.)

It’s Good To Be Rich

Dan:

So far, the Red Sox have taken a slow and steady approach to this offseason, and as a result they could end up reaping big rewards.

Three days into the Winter Meetings, and this long, slow Hot Stove season is only just beginning to simmer. Partially because some teams have overspent in recent years, and partially because some are wary of and feeling the effects from the struggling economy, many teams just don’t have the money to spend this offseason. And the free agent market seems to be stalling because of it. Witness K-Rod’s recent contract for just 3 years at $37 million.

Meanwhile, teams that overreacted out of the gate could end up way overspending for players. Given the market, there’s a great chance the Yankees could maybe have landed Sabathia for less than they have so far offered — at least that is if it is just about the money. They could have started out trimming a few years and few million off their initial offer, seen what the market looked like, and then upped it if need be. Instead, they have offered a bigger contract than maybe they needed to. Down in Atlanta, the Braves reacted to the potential overreaction of the Yankees on AJ Burnett, offering the oft-injured 32-year-old a four-year contract for big money. And over in Los Angeles, the 2-year contract in the mid-40-million range the Dodgers originally offered Manny hasn’t been put back on the table, even as the two sides begin talking again. Could it be the Dodgers realize they aren’t in a bidding war with anyone over Ramirez?

As all this is going on, some teams are even starting to shed payroll. The Astros are looking to dump Miguel Tejada’s salary. More are bound to start coming.

And then you have the Red Sox. They have taken their time to assess the market and haven’t overreacted and overbid on anyone. They have set their sights on Texeira, and can now go after him with a contract that reflects his value in this market. It’ll be huge; but maybe they can save $10 or $15 million over the life of an eight-year contract. That’s better than just throwing money you don’t have to at a player (CC and $140 mill). Meanwhile, they have money to spend, thanks to a passionate fanbase and good planning through integrating talented young players into their roster. Maybe they do end up benefiting from a down market to steal a talented arm or two like a Brad Penny, or even an AJ Burnett (which I still don’t see). And maybe they cash in on some of these players on teams looking to shed payroll.

Right now, the Red Sox are holding all the cards.