Braves sign Garret Anderson

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What are the Braves doing? Trading prospects. Not giving kids a chance (Schaffer, B. Jones, etc.). Signing players over 35. This is the exact opposite of everything that made the Braves what they were in the 90s.

 

I don't know if the Braves are that far off from their roots. Since they didn't resign him, I'm a bit bewildered by the Texeira trade, but other than that they're playing Matt Diaz, Jeff Francoeur, Yunel Escobar, Kelly Johnson, Gregor Blanco, Martin Prado, Jair Jurrjens (though they traded for him), Jo-Jo Reyes, Jorge Campillo, Charlie Morton, Chuck James, etc.

 

Schafer is only 21, playing in AA and putting up an .849 OPS and a .254 EqA. I'd be afraid to bring him up for fear of rushing him.

 

Brandon Jones has been playing some in the majors, but wasn't very good last year. I could understand wanting him to play more as he's 24 now, but he hasn't shown a lot of power and that's what their outfield is lacking.

 

Francouer and Johnson have experience, so they aren't being thrown into the fire. But of those other names, Blanco and Prado are on the bench. The Braves MO would have been to trade Johnson and let Prado play. Three of Reyes, Campillo, Morton, or James will be in the bullpen or AAA if you assume Lowe, Jurrjens, Vazquez, Glavine are 1-4. Then you have the Japanese guy who could start pushing all 4 out.

 

Though Schaffer is young, the Braves have gone with a younger players with less experience in the past. Granted guys like Andruw and Chipper were absolute can't misses, but AJ had 50 ABs over A ball and was 19 in a pennant race when called up.

 

The Braves traded value for Vasquez. They were rumored to trade tons of young talent for Peavy, a good idea, but not their MO. They were even rumored to be close to giving up Escobar for Jermaine Dye. They would have had enough veteran leadership with a team with Chipper, Hudson, either Lowe or Vasquez, and Norton. Their best chance of competing with the Mets and Phils was hoping some of the young guys blow up ala Tampa. They took away the chance for a lot of those guys.

 

I see where you're coming from now.

 

I think some of the issues they're facing this year is some of their prospects not panning out - James for instance - and the need to contend. When they brought all those youngsters up in the early 90s, they were terrible and were rebuilding. They were a very good team already before taking chances on guys like Andruw, Dye, etc.

 

There was talent around those guys already and that was the Braves philosophy - get an established winner together and then bring up young pieces a little at a time. It's tougher now than it was in the early 90s to go heavily youth because the only way the Braves fans will get behind the team is if they're contending. I think that's the strategy they're taking.

 

That said, it is a bit risky. They'll need some resurgent years (Anderson, Kotsay, Vazquez) and some good health (Lowe, Chipper) to have a chance to fight with the Phils and Mets. I don't know if all that will come together, but going all youth would drive away that fickle fan base.