By Jamie Jones
An Atlanta Braves fan might be befuddled by the team�s major offseason moves:
� Traded arguably its best pitcher to the hated New York Yankees for a utility outfielder and two prospects.
� Let the hot-hitting first baseman walk in free agency and replaced him with an oft-injured former World Series Most Valuable Player who has played four career games at first.
� Jettisoned the bullpen�s young, strong one-two bunch for a 38-year-old and a player who turns 40 on Valentine�s Day.
Gone are Javier Vazquez, Adam LaRoche, Mike Gonzalez and Rafael Soriano. Here are Melky Cabrera, Troy Glaus, Takashi Saito and Billy Wagner.
The Braves haven�t made the playoffs since the team�s run of 14 consecutive titles ended in 2005. Since 2006, the team has compiled a 321-327 record, including two losing seasons. But Braves general manager Frank Wren is bullish on the present � and future � for his team.
�We�re very excited about this ballclub and the guys we have brought in will be a nice complement to the mix we already have,� said Wren, who was at Dalton Middle School on Thursday as part of the Braves Caravan tour of the Southeast. �We felt like we had a real solid foundation as we continued last year in the second half.�
Along with Wren on the tour were second baseman Brooks Conrad, outfield prospect Jason Heyward and third base coach Brian Snitker. The mission of the Caravan is to pique the interest of Braves fans weeks before spring training officially kicks off.
Aided by national broadcasts on the Superstation TBS, the Braves have gathered a huge following not limited to the Southeast. Wren said before Colorado landed the Rockies in the early 1990s, there were many Braves fans in states such as Idaho, Montana and Wyoming due to the reach of cable television.
�What we�ve found � just yesterday we were in Charlotte � is from our fans in Charlotte they talk about driving down I-85 to a game every weekend to watch us play,� Wren said. �We have such a huge footprint in the Southeast that we have fans all over. As we started planning this Caravan last summer, we talked about mirroring a whistlestop political campaign � go town to town and just get a chance to visit with our fans.�
Perhaps Wren�s splashiest and most scrutinized move was the trade of Javier Vazquez to the Yankees for outfielder Melky Cabrera and two prospects. Vazquez was the Braves� most effective pitcher last year, compiling a 15-10 record, a 2.87 ERA and 238 strikeouts.
�We feel like we got a lot in return for him,� Wren said. �Javy Vazquez did an outstanding job for us. There�s no denying that. We spent all last year without Tim Hudson and arguably Tim Hudson in our view is at least as successful in his career as Javy Vazquez has been. We think that�s a great trade off for us.�
Before Hudson�s elbow ligament injury in 2008, he had 10 consecutive seasons of double-digit wins. Cabrera is a versatile outfielder while pitching prospects Mike Dunn and Arodys Vizcaino are two highly rated players, Wren said.
Replacing two-time Brave LaRoche at first base is Glaus, who missed most of last year with a shoulder injury. Wren points to his 304 career home runs in 10 full seasons and Gold Glove-caliber defense as reasons for the signing.
�He gives us the big bat in the lineup that we really need deep in the middle of our order,� Wren said.
The play of youngsters Yunel Escobar, Nate McClouth and Martin Prado are more reasons to be excited about the team�s chances in 2010.
Injuries last year to infielders Kelly Johnson and Omar Infante opened the door for Conrad, a career minor-leaguer. Conrad made quite a contribution to the team, hitting a three-run home against the Washington Nationals in his first at bat of 2009. He�s hoping to give a proper sendoff to manager Bobby Cox, who has presided over the team for 20 straight seasons but will make this one his last.
�You bet,� Conrad said. �We�ve gotta get in there and have a great season and get back in the playoffs for Bobby, for the city and the franchise.�
Conrad hopes to win a roster spot with the Braves this spring, but whether he makes the 25-man roster or not, he�s looking forward to the team�s chances.
�I think fans can expect another great season,� Conrad said. �Every year, the Braves are right there in it, obviously, with the 14 straight division titles. We�ve brought in a lot of good players, Troy Glaus, Melky Cabrera. These guys will provide a lot of veteran leadership and will mix well with they young guys we have coming up.�
One of those young guys is Heyward, a five-tool player recently ranked the top prospect in Major League Baseball. At only 20 years old, the product of Henry County High School in McDonough quickly climbed through the minor league ranks and could be called up to Atlanta this season.
�We have a very somewhat conservative approach to developing our young players, and we believe they�ll tell us when they�re ready,� Wren said.
Then after glancing over at Heyward, who was chatting with a group of middle school students.
�He�s already told me,� Wren said with a laugh. �Their play and their performance will tell us. We�re open-minded. When his performance tells us he�s ready, we can�t wait to have him here.�
