Atlanta Braves willing to spend ‘extra’ for 2012 – MLB Update
The Atlanta Braves, after staying competent throughout the regular season, lost to Philadelphia Phillies in the season-ending three-game series and thus lost the top notch in the Wild Card standings, making room for St. Louis Cardinals to qualify through
to the playoffs.
The loss was colossal for Braves, who had everything in place to make this season count. However, a dip in form during September and the exhaustion of the bull-pen at the wrong time ensured the collapse for the National League East stalwarts.
For 2012, the Braves are willing to go the extra mile in a bid to avoid a similar crash. While dealing with injured players is one concern, it is not the only worry. Atlanta needs to devise a line-up that is not only consistent, but is top-quality as well.
At the same time, the Braves will have to deal with the ever-growing payroll and might even place the axe on players who exceed their true worth for the next season.
One such player is Jair Jurrjens, who missed a major chunk of this past season with injuries and then returned to produce a subdued performance. He was a strong candidate to start the All-Star Game for the NL team, but a right knee injury forced him out
of the game and allowed him to start only seven games after the break, hampering his season significantly.
Further, as Jurrjens enters his final two years of the contract, his price is expected to soar. The Braves are thus expected to seek a potential trade for Jurrjens and save on the extra dollars. The team needs to inject some right-handed hitters to uphold
a balance in the line-up, which is dominated by left-handed hitters. The likes of Tim Hudson, Brandon Beachy and Tommy Hanson have the ability to hold the bull-pen together and combined with one of Mike Minor or Randall Delgado, a formidable starting rotation
may be in the offing.
The Braves, like many other teams, will aim to bring long-term replacements in order to instil stability in the ballclub. Sources have stated that the Braves might show flexibility in the payroll if a few big names show interest in the ballclub.
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