Yesterday, a number of Braves fans gathered up their torches and pitch forks and started to load up a wagon bound for the Mexican beach on which Frank Wren is vacationing.
"Why did we trade our ACE for a fourth outfielder?!?!
"We need power!!! Not a s%*##y Yankee scrub!!!"
Well, today I hope that at least a few have jumped off of that wagon, as the Braves acquired their big right-handed bat that all of us Braves fans have for so long sought.
Sort of.
The Atlanta Braves have signed Troy Glaus to a one-year, $2 million contract...plus incentives, according to multiple sources that should know.
Now you may be asking why I say "sort of."
After all, Troy Glaus in a perennial threat to belt 30 homers and drive in 100 from the right side of the plate.
Isn't that exactly what the Braves were looking for?
Well, it is a very simple issue.
An issue that has plagued so many key players in Atlanta for the past few years (Chipper, Rafael Soriano, Mike Gonzalez, Peter Moylan, Tim Hudson, the list goes on...).
And that issue is health.
Last season, Glaus was limited to 14 games in St. Louis following multiple set-backs such as a January shoulder surgery and nagging injury after nagging injury.
Obviously, the Braves feel that, after reviewing his medical files, Glaus will be OK.
But, with the Braves putting so many question marks at key positions on the field (3B, RH-set-up, closer, and now 1B), I'm thinking a bit on the cautious side of things.
Did I just question a front office move a bit?
Wow, that surprises me...
Now, that's not to say that I'm one of these pessimistic Braves fans who have been saying that Wagner, Saito, and Chipper are all going to be on the DL from May to September.
In fact, I think Wagner and Saito will prove to be more dynamic and durable than either of the old duo of Gonzo and Soriano.
I'm just saying that we have to be cautiously optimistic about this team next year.
After all, a yearlong line-up of:
McLouth
Prado
Jones
Glaus
McCann
Escobar
Heyward/Diaz
Cabrera
offers up a ton more upside than what the Braves Opening Day lineup did in 2009.
No doubt.
You just have to accept that there's a good chance that some of these guys will not be there at times because of their histories.
With B-Mac's eyesight still floating up in the air a bit (only a bit), Chipper being Chipper, and the new cleanup hitter seeing only 29 ABs in 2009, you have to.
But you also have to admit that, if too much doesn't go wrong, this lineup would be right there with the best of them in terms of power, gap-hitting (this will be the Braves' true strength in 2010), and versatility.
I like the Glaus signing a lot, though.
Even with what I just said bout his questionable durability, the potential for 25-30 homers at only a $2 million risk is awesome.
And if Glaus can manage 135 games at his career average of about .255 and those type of power numbers, you have to think that the age-dropping Braves (sorry, there is no good antonym for "aging") will be fine.
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