Infante signs 2-year deal

So Wren isn’t just twiddling his thumbs, plotting on how to further ruin our season. From the AJC.

Braves close in on deal with Kawakami

DOB says the deal is all but done and only dependent on Kawakami passing a physical. No mention of contract length or salary, but it does seem to bode well, at least speculatively, for the signing of Lowe:

Signing Kawakami might also help the Braves in their ongoing pursuit of top free-agent pitcher Derek Lowe, whose agent said Friday that it was important to Lowe to go to a team that could contend for the expected four-year length of the contract he will sign

Chipper on the Smoltz situation

From the AJC:

It’s easy. If the Braves would have handled this right from the beginning and gone ahead and bitten the bullet and offered him a contract, knowing that when John Smoltz sets his mind to it and says he’s coming back and is going to be back at full strength, that the second another team came into this, the Braves should have taken him aside and said ‘What do we have to do to make this work.’ John Smoltz has earned that respect. We’ve all taken less money to stay here, but the fact of the matter is that John Smoltz has nothing else to prove individually. He wants to win. Who has the best chance to win right now? Boston.

Never, even in a million years did I think this day would come for John Smoltz. I never did. He was the one guy, I honestly thought that everybody would go somewhere else before John would, just for the simple fact that his family here in Atlanta, the school, all the extracurricular stuff that he does off the field, never thought this would happen. So that ought to tell you how disrespected he feels.

A.He went through the whole scenario with me. The underlying tone was extreme disappointment — and from my end it was shock. I could see anyone one else going somewhere before John Smoltz. … After everything that’s happened to this organization this winter, the players and the fans need something good to happen. I’ve been keeping up with the news. I’ve been reading the blogs. The one silver lining we had was John Smoltz being back in the lineup this year. We could have had that dominant guy back in the lineup. But we won’t — and for what, a couple of million dollars?

Q. You worried now about how things might end with you?

A. I don’t know how it’s going to end with me. This is my last year under contract with Atlanta. And this last 24 hours certainly hasn’t gone unnoticed by me. I haven’t been offered an extension. If we’re 15 games out in July or August, I doubt they’re just going to let me become a free agent and get nothing in return.”

More on the Smoltz-Red Sox Deal

From ESPN:

Smoltz responded to that, with a statement released through his agent, Lonnie Cooper. “I was going to withhold comment until the announcement of my signing with a new team,” Smoltz said, “but I now feel the need to clear up any misconceptions and inaccuracies about the contract negotiations between myself and the Atlanta Braves.

“There were large discrepancies between the offer from the Braves and offers from other teams.

“I have always loved the city of Atlanta, and it will always be my home. I will cherish my 21 years with Bobby Cox and all my Braves teammates. I continue to wish the Atlanta Braves nothing but success in the future.”

Braves CEO Terry McGuirk seemed to think the Braves deal was comparable to the Red Sox, although from what I can find it only guaranteed $3.52.5 million with a max of $10 million with incentives, one of which was the 200 inning mark, a high total for a 42 year old coming back from his umpteenth surgery. The Red Sox guranteed $5.5 million with another $5 million in incentives that were, according to McGuirk, “more attainable.”

As Sabernomics points out, Smoltz probably wasn’t worth the gamble. However, as far as fan PR during an otherwise disastrous offseason, this has to be seen as nothing short of a total failure. It’s hard to believe that Smoltz would’ve jetted to the Red Sox, a team he has had no previous affiliation with, for just three million more (he’s earned over $130 million while in Atlanta) had he not felt disrespected by the Braves. As evidenced by his contract past, money has not always been the priority (See the Yankees in 2000). I think that as time goes on more will come to light showing Wren somehow botched this or Smoltz couldn’t motivate himself to play for another mediocre Braves team that was low balling him.

Derek Lowe to meet with Braves today

Legitimate deal or last ditch effort to patch up otherwise miserable off-season by Frank Wren? Either way, signing Lowe is the only remaining option the Braves have at this point to be anything other than a contender for third or fourth place. If Lowe is productive and healthy and Chipper and McCann do what they did last year and Andruw comes back at 2/3 his old form and Vazquez becomes an ace and our bullpen heals and our outfield develops power, then I think we have a decent shot of winning. That is to say, considering all those “and”s, we have almost no chance.

Smoltz Signs with Boston, Countdown on Wren’s firing commences

DOB has the latest. Two things, I think, played into Smoltz’s decision:
1) Frank Wren taking his sweet time to make an offer.
2) The Braves, or Wren again, failing to land any of their free-agent targets, all but guaranteeing another season of losing in Atlanta. Smoltz is loyal but he’s competitive first; there’s no way he would’ve signed with the Braves for less like he did in the early 00’s if the Braves were as bad then as they are now.

Smoltz to Boston?

Olney seems to think so. The deal would be for one year, $5 million with another $5.5 million available as incentives. Here, Olney rubs salt in the wound:

Smoltz’s departure from Atlanta would come in a winter in which the Braves have struggled to fill holes in their rotation; Atlanta was unable to land Jake Peavy, after extensive trade talks, and was unable to sign free agent A.J. Burnett.

Yes, yes. Please do more to remind us of what an epic failure Frank Wren has been this off-season. Thanks for not mentioning the Furcal shitshow.

While I’m devastated that Smoltz is leaving, it makes sense for him. In Boston he’ll play on a playoff-caliber team, something the Braves are a solid 2-3 years away from being, barring any mircales.

So, let’s hope this isn’t true. But if it is, good luck Smoltzie – you’ve certainly earned the right to play where you want after all those years of loyalty to the Braves.

Then again, screw Boston. Ugh.

Giles back from baseball graveyard, signs with Phillies

After a rapid decline that saw him fall from being one of the game’s best 2bmen to being cut from the Rockies minors in just over three seasons (VORP for 2005,2006, and 2007: 41.4, 14.1, and -8.7), the Phillies are giving him another chance. If he’s placed on the 40 man roster, his salary for ‘09 is guaranteed for $600,000.

Good news for Marcus, who always seemed like a decent person and was an enthusiastic player. Hope he does alright, even if it is for the Phillies.

More on Andruw’s possible return

Sabernomics weighs in on the issue:

I think there’s some good baseball left in Andruw Jones. At 32, he is on the downside of his career, but player career paths look more like Stone Mountain than the Matterhorn. If he’s healthy and motivated, I think he’ll be a serviceable major-league outfielder. Is he worth the full value of what the Dodgers owe him? I doubt it, but that should be irrelevant to his new team. If the Braves could get him for the $5 million he will be paid next season, I’d jump at it. Especially, considering that the Braves outfield needs some players. The 2008 Andruw might be the real thing; and if that is the case, you eat the contract and write it off as a risk that didn’t turn out. But if his problems are behind him, he’ll be a bargain.

I agree. And that’s if the Braves have to take the full $5 million – if I understand the situation correctly, the Dodgers will most likely cut him and eat the $5 mil, allowing the Braves or any other team to sign him for the league minimum. Considering his off-season home is in Atlanta and that he still has a significant fan base here (RonGantForever included), my bet is that he’d choose to come back to the Braves.

A sad day

Just over a decade ago, Ron Gant was traded to the World’s Worst Place. Let’s all hope that this was against his will and that he went kicking and screaming, a childish behavior appropriate only when being forced to reside, at least part time, in that erroneously-nicknamed City of Brotherly Love. I imagine it was 227 games of Hell. Thankfully he didn’t do much for them ( and they, as was their habit back then, did nothing that season).