What an interesting week this has been for Braves fans and front office exec's.
Rarely do the two of those entities go hand-in-hand, but this time around there is no doubt it applies.
Rafael Soriano shocked GM Frank Wren and other higher-up's by accepting arbitration and Wren was quick to announce that Soriano will be traded "well before opening day."
Considering Wren and the rest of Major League Baseball's top executives are in Indianapolis for the Winter Meetings there is a reasonable expectation a deal could be done within the next 48 hours or so.
Other Braves banter being released from the meetings has Derek Lowe being shopped around and actually drawing interest from a number of teams.
Thanks to Lowe being the best, most durable pitcher on the trade market especially when compared to the oft-injured free agent John Lackey the Braves my yet find a home for their major free-agent acquisition of '08.
According to David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution the Braves are possibly shopping Javier Vazquez in addition to Lowe. Of course most fans and front office people want team's to take Lowe, but I'm certain that if the price was right Vazquez could be had by anyone.
Doing either of those moves, as well all know, would allow the Braves to sign or trade for the offensive help they so desperately needed in 2008.
Some of the names and rumors being thrown out there run the gamut from unlikely(Adrian Gonzalez and Miguel Cabrera) to possible (Nelson Cruz and Josh Willingham).
I expect the Braves to make a play for Nick Swisher soon. I've heard the Yankees are willing to deal him and there is presumed interest in Soriano and Lowe from New York as well. Swisher strikes out a lot but he brings passion and a big bat to this team. Two things Braves have lacked for quite a while.
The free agent names are intriguing as well. Marlon Byrd would be a solid pickup for Atlanta as would Mike Cameron, Xavier Nady, and Ross Gload.
Wren has already thrown down the gauntlet with the signings of Takashi Saito and Billy Wagner for the set-up and closer roles. I think the Wagner signing was remarkable as he showed he was healthy in the last few weeks of the '08 season.
Saito worries me a tad because of his age and velocity (or lack thereof). But as long as he and Peter Moylan will alternate the seventh and eighth innings I believe the back end of games will be nearly blown save proof.
Braves fans, there is no doubt that Frank Wren is working on making this team a solid, potentially great team for Bobby Cox's swan song in 2010.
Keep your eyes and ears peeled as more exciting news could come sooner rather than later.
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