Braves release Glavine

[tbgfan 856]

http://www.ajc.com/sports/content/sports/braves/stories/2009/06/03/braves_release_glavine.html?cxntlid=homepage_tab_newstab

 

 

Life has many choices---eternity two

[trublue 939]

According to a local tv sports guy.....the Braves wanted Glavine to retire but he declined. He wants to pitch again somewhere this year. Glavine did everything asked of him by the Braves in rehab....and had some good outings in rehab. The Braves said his velocity being down was the reason he was released.....but according to others his velocity has increased since spring training. I think they should have given him a shot again to pitch in the bigs and then let the results dictate the outcome.

[vthokies4life 10]

F*** you too, Atlanta.

 

Oh yeah. Hansen is gonna get a start on Saturday and Morton, Hernandez, and Locke were traded to the Pirates for Nate McLouth, a center fielder. Doesn't bode well for Jordan. Gah, it sucks to be a braves fan today. I'm pissed.

[futbolking 766]

I know that Braves fans don't want to hear it, but this was overdue.

[BigBlueAlum 12]

F*** you too, Atlanta.

 

Oh yeah. Hansen is gonna get a start on Saturday and Morton, Hernandez, and Locke were traded to the Pirates for Nate McLouth, a center fielder. Doesn't bode well for Jordan. Gah, it sucks to be a braves fan today. I'm pissed.

 

Doesn't suck for me. I'm kinda glad to see the Braves making the moves to improve the offense. We need some more offense to help our solid pitching. Jordan was sent down to the minors the other day, his lack of offensive production didn't bode well for him. He really needs some more time in the minors to work on his offense before he is ready for major league pitching. McLouth is a solid played offensive and defensive, and he adds some much needed speed to the lineup.

 

I'm not sure what to make of the Glavine deal. I was glad to see Glavine come back to Atlanta, even after he decided to go to the Mets a few years back. But, like futbolking said, it was overdue. This is still a business, and I don't think Glavine was anything that would really help the Braves make a run this season.

 

Either way, I feel that the moves today will help the Braves make a good run this post season. The pitching was already there, now we added some offensive power and some speed to even out the offense and defense.

[hokie07 11]

Doesn't suck for me. I'm kinda glad to see the Braves making the moves to improve the offense. We need some more offense to help our solid pitching. Jordan was sent down to the minors the other day, his lack of offensive production didn't bode well for him. He really needs some more time in the minors to work on his offense before he is ready for major league pitching. McLouth is a solid played offensive and defensive, and he adds some much needed speed to the lineup.

 

I'm not sure what to make of the Glavine deal. I was glad to see Glavine come back to Atlanta, even after he decided to go to the Mets a few years back. But, like futbolking said, it was overdue. This is still a business, and I don't think Glavine was anything that would really help the Braves make a run this season.

 

Either way, I feel that the moves today will help the Braves make a good run this post season. The pitching was already there, now we added some offensive power and some speed to even out the offense and defense.

 

Agreed on just about everything that you have said here, BigBlue. As much as I love Glavine, sadly, he's just about washed up. I want to remember the Glavine of old. I'm also glad Schafer is down in Gwinnett for a while too. He was a extremely costly in the offense. Having Schafer batting 8th in the order was like having 2 pitchers batting back to back. I loved his defense, but cringed every time he had a bat in his hands (with the exception of his fist MLB at-bat!).

 

I think the Braves already have the rotation in place to make a run into October hopefully. Lowe, Jurrjens, Vazquez, and if Hanson is as good as advertised, are all capable of carrying Atlanta. Kawakami has also shown glimpses of promise, and also, don't forget that Tim Hudson will be back late in the summer. I'm worried about the relief pitching and closers, to be honest. Gonzalez and the whole bullpen have played great at times, but have also let some easy ones get away. My hope is that Kris Medlen can develop into a nice pitcher and prove helpful in the middle of games later on in the season when he's eventually out of the rotation.

 

Even though I'm biased towards the Braves, I still think they have the most talent in the division if they could just stay healthy.

[BigBlueAlum 12]

 

Even though I'm biased towards the Braves, I still think they have the most talent in the division if they could just stay healthy.

 

That will certainly be the key now. I would like to see a move that would shore up our bullpen, but I'm not sure if I see that happening.

[vthokies4life 10]

As much as I love Glavine, sadly, he's just about washed up.

 

That's what we said when he went to the Mets. Give Glav a chance. He could have produced more than Kawakami has. And he's MUCH cheaper.

 

And if we're so worried about the future, why give up a prospect like Morton? No, he hasn't put up good numbers in the majors (yet), but I would have liked to hold on to him. The way it is, we're going to be playing .500 ball for a long time. And that's frustrating.

[BigBlueAlum 12]

That's what we said when he went to the Mets. Give Glav a chance. He could have produced more than Kawakami has. And he's MUCH cheaper.

 

And if we're so worried about the future, why give up a prospect like Morton? No, he hasn't put up good numbers in the majors (yet), but I would have liked to hold on to him. The way it is, we're going to be playing .500 ball for a long time. And that's frustrating.

 

The moves made today were not necessarily for the future. They were for the benefit of this year. We have the pitching in place to make a run this year, we just needed some bat to back it up. Plus, it can really boost a team when managment shows they are willing to go out there and make the moves to improve the team for that season. It shows that they think they have a real chance in the post season. If the Braves were a team that was 10 games under .500 and 12 games out of first place, then this would have been a horrible move, because they should have held onto the prospects they had. But the Braves know that this maybe the best chance they have to win, and they want to take advantage of it.

 

Besides, the Braves are always trading away good prospects, but guess what...they seem to still have more to either call up or trade the next season. That is one of the benefits of having a great farm system. You can not only depend on those young guys to step up when needed, but you can also use them to trade for the proven, experienced guys when you are in the position to win NOW!

 

As, far as Glavine goes, I could care less. I used to love Glavine, but to be honest I lost some respect for him when he decided to go to the Mets. I know it was partially the Braves fault for not giving him everything he wanted, but there have been plenty of guys that have taken a smaller contract in order to stay with a team they wanted to be with.

 

Lets face it, Glavine is not going to produce the same number he did a couple seasons ago, much less in his glory days. Especially coming off an injury like he has. Besides, how long is he going to stay healthy this time...chances are he wouldn't even make it to the post season.

 

This just comes down to the player wanting to end things on his terms. Just like a child on the playground, no one wants to be told they cant play with you anymore and they have to go home. Glavine needs to retire, and I wish that he would have before the season started.

[GHS06 10]

So i hard to work all day and was planning to catch the Braves game on mlb.tv after it was over. I've been avoiding ESPN and anything sports related so i don't see the score.

 

Then my roommate texted me and said the Braves traded for Nate McLouth. I thought he was kidding. I LOVE Nate McLouth. Then I heard who he was traded for... nobody with a future on the Atlanta Braves. A steal. This is an INCREDIBLE deal for many reasons. The braves fill about 3 voids on their team with one move. A speedy ALL-STAR outfielder with power production who plays great defense. Another thing about this deal is that it was done on JUNE 3rd which is crazy in the MLB. Deals like this don't happen til much closer to the July 31st trading deadline. Wow. Kudos to the front office.

 

So i coulnd't help myself so i logged on to ESPN.com. On the sidebar it says: Braves trade for McLouth. Glavine released.I almost fell out of my chair and said Holy F*** in front of my mother. This was long overdue. Glavine will get shelled by major league hitters. He throws like a 79 mph fastball or something. Thats a batting practice fastball. I didn't put two and two together, but i was reading the Glavine article, and the third move of the day that could be the best... Tommy Hanson is called up and will start Saturday. Are you kidding me? This is just too much excitement. There hasn't been this much hype for a Braves pitching prospect since Steve Freaking Avery. Almost every scout has Hanson tabbed as a #1 or #2. The timing of the Glavine's release kind of sucks... it should have been months ago. Why they wait until he has gone through rehab and actually looked decent, i don't know, but it was absolutely necessary.

 

Frank Wren is my new favorite person. He swung a crazy trade to help with a dismal offense and made a stout rotation that much better in one day. There's still plenty of time for this team to mesh and go on a run in the East. Or Hanson and McLouth could fall on their faces, but why worry about that now?

 

The Braves are a better team now. And the future looks as bright as ever. Couldn't ask for more than that.

 

As a Braves fan, I'm giddy as a school girl and I hope you other Braves fans realize that there is something to be giddy about! WOOOHOOOOO!

[Deleted Account 5,203]

Agreed on just about everything that you have said here, BigBlue. As much as I love Glavine, sadly, he's just about washed up. I want to remember the Glavine of old. I'm also glad Schafer is down in Gwinnett for a while too. He was a extremely costly in the offense. Having Schafer batting 8th in the order was like having 2 pitchers batting back to back. I loved his defense, but cringed every time he had a bat in his hands (with the exception of his fist MLB at-bat!).

 

I think the Braves already have the rotation in place to make a run into October hopefully. Lowe, Jurrjens, Vazquez, and if Hanson is as good as advertised, are all capable of carrying Atlanta. Kawakami has also shown glimpses of promise, and also, don't forget that Tim Hudson will be back late in the summer. I'm worried about the relief pitching and closers, to be honest. Gonzalez and the whole bullpen have played great at times, but have also let some easy ones get away. My hope is that Kris Medlen can develop into a nice pitcher and prove helpful in the middle of games later on in the season when he's eventually out of the rotation.

 

Even though I'm biased towards the Braves, I still think they have the most talent in the division if they could just stay healthy.

 

I agree with this post. I hate to see Glavine leave, as he was the last of the original "5 Aces" and last original member of that magical '91 team.

 

However, Glavine's well past his prime. Reminiscent of how many pitchers do hang on a bit long. I recall reading about how Tom Seaver hung on quite a bit too long, and David Cone suffered from the same.

 

Thought I think the Braves MUST get some offensive production, so I'm on board with the trades they've recently made. Though you don't like to see 3-for-1 deals when you can avoid it.

[BigBlueAlum 12]

So i hard to work all day and was planning to catch the Braves game on mlb.tv after it was over. I've been avoiding ESPN and anything sports related so i don't see the score.

 

Then my roommate texted me and said the Braves traded for Nate McLouth. I thought he was kidding. I LOVE Nate McLouth. Then I heard who he was traded for... nobody with a future on the Atlanta Braves. A steal. This is an INCREDIBLE deal for many reasons. The braves fill about 3 voids on their team with one move. A speedy ALL-STAR outfielder with power production who plays great defense. Another thing about this deal is that it was done on JUNE 3rd which is crazy in the MLB. Deals like this don't happen til much closer to the July 31st trading deadline. Wow. Kudos to the front office.

 

So i coulnd't help myself so i logged on to ESPN.com. On the sidebar it says: Braves trade for McLouth. Glavine released.I almost fell out of my chair and said Holy F*** in front of my mother. This was long overdue. Glavine will get shelled by major league hitters. He throws like a 79 mph fastball or something. Thats a batting practice fastball. I didn't put two and two together, but i was reading the Glavine article, and the third move of the day that could be the best... Tommy Hanson is called up and will start Saturday. Are you kidding me? This is just too much excitement. There hasn't been this much hype for a Braves pitching prospect since Steve Freaking Avery. Almost every scout has Hanson tabbed as a #1 or #2. The timing of the Glavine's release kind of sucks... it should have been months ago. Why they wait until he has gone through rehab and actually looked decent, i don't know, but it was absolutely necessary.

 

Frank Wren is my new favorite person. He swung a crazy trade to help with a dismal offense and made a stout rotation that much better in one day. There's still plenty of time for this team to mesh and go on a run in the East. Or Hanson and McLouth could fall on their faces, but why worry about that now?

 

The Braves are a better team now. And the future looks as bright as ever. Couldn't ask for more than that.

 

As a Braves fan, I'm giddy as a school girl and I hope you other Braves fans realize that there is something to be giddy about! WOOOHOOOOO!

 

Well said!

[BigBlueAlum 12]

 

Thought I think the Braves MUST get some offensive production, so I'm on board with the trades they've recently made. Though you don't like to see 3-for-1 deals when you can avoid it.

 

What do you mean? They did pick up offensive production. Here are McLouth's 2008 stats:

 

Avg: .276

RBI: 94

HR: 26

SB: 23

OPS: .853

 

Those are pretty good numbers. Add, his gold glove to all of that, and you have a very solid player.

 

The three for one deal was a steal in this case. Giving up three prospects that have no immediate role on the club, for a proven major leaguer, is not a bad deal. Like I said earlier, the Braves are constantly trading away young talent, but they always have more to trade away. When you grow the talent like the Braves farm system does, than you can afford to trade some of the young guys away. Besides, its a risk on both sides. Sometimes the prospects turn out to be studs, sometimes duds.

[trublue 939]

The timing of the Glavine's release kind of sucks... it should have been months ago. Why they wait until he has gone through rehab and actually looked decent, i don't know,

 

Sports is now a business....sentiment and loyalty to any player is a thing of the past..... but, I agree w/your above statement. Many fans (and even local sports talking heads) here in ATL think it was probably the right thing to do.....but, again, why let Glav go through a "solid" rehab w/expectations of returning to see "if" he could "get it done."

[BigBlueAlum 12]

Sports is now a business....sentiment and loyalty to any player is a thing of the past..... but, I agree w/your above statement. Many fans (and even local sports talking heads) here in ATL think it was probably the right thing to do.....but, again, why let Glav go through a "solid" rehab w/expectations of returning to see "if" he could "get it done."

 

They may have done him a favor though, if he truly still wants to play somewhere. Teams may have been more reluctant to give him a shot, had he been released by the Braves at the beginning of the season, with an injury. But, they gave him the chance to rehab with them, and I say that if he wants to play then a team will probably give him a shot.

 

He should have just retired at the beginning of the season, the same goes for Smoltz.

[Deleted Account 5,203]

What do you mean? They did pick up offensive production. Here are McLouth's 2008 stats:

 

Avg: .276

RBI: 94

HR: 26

SB: 23

OPS: .853

 

Those are pretty good numbers. Add, his gold glove to all of that, and you have a very solid player.

 

The three for one deal was a steal in this case. Giving up three prospects that have no immediate role on the club, for a proven major leaguer, is not a bad deal. Like I said earlier, the Braves are constantly trading away young talent, but they always have more to trade away. When you grow the talent like the Braves farm system does, than you can afford to trade some of the young guys away. Besides, its a risk on both sides. Sometimes the prospects turn out to be studs, sometimes duds.

 

 

Far enough, they did get some offense in this deal. I like the OPS, and the HR/RBI combo is respectable. Good SBs for a balanced hitter. I wish McLouth's average were higher, but all in all its not bad. There's no doubt that the Braves got the better end of this steal, I just think Atlanta still has to upgrade the offense to be a serious contender.

[trublue 939]

They may have done him a favor though, if he truly still wants to play somewhere. Teams may have been more reluctant to give him a shot, had he been released by the Braves at the beginning of the season, with an injury. But, they gave him the chance to rehab with them, and I say that if he wants to play then a team will probably give him a shot.

 

He should have just retired at the beginning of the season, the same goes for Smoltz.

 

BA, you're using rationale and I totally agree w/you if it was just "another" player/players....but Smoltzie and Glavine are both HOF guys....that being assured through their time w/the Braves. It's kinda like looking at elderly parents and deciding when is the best time to take their driving privileges before it becomes detrimental....after all, they are "who made you"....(speaking strictly about the ATL Braves, not Milwauuuuukee.)

[BigBlueAlum 12]

Far enough, they did get some offense in this deal. I like the OPS, and the HR/RBI combo is respectable. Good SBs for a balanced hitter. I wish McLouth's average were higher, but all in all its not bad. There's no doubt that the Braves got the better end of this steal, I just think Atlanta still has to upgrade the offense to be a serious contender.

 

The OPS is definitely the indicator of a good offensive player. The avg could be higher, but it isn't bad for someone they consider somewhat of a power hitter. And I agree we could certainly use some more offensive production, but I like the way they went with this deal. Still a lot of time until the trade deadline.

[BigBlueAlum 12]

BA, you're using rationale and I totally agree w/you if it was just "another" player/players....but Smoltzie and Glavine are both HOF guys....that being assured through their time w/the Braves. It's kinda like looking at elderly parents and deciding when is the best time to take their driving privileges before it becomes detrimental....after all, they are "who made you"....(speaking strictly about the ATL Braves, not Milwauuuuukee.)

 

But, the Braves also had a part in making those two guys. The management surrounded them with great players over the 14 year streak. Sure the pitching was amazing, but they were not the only ones on the team. They may still have won a bunch of games on any other team, but the Braves of the 90's were special all around.

 

They both showed there loyalty to the club and the city when they both bolted to other teams for more guaranteed money. Again, I know it is a business, so I'm OK with that...but the door swings both ways. I lost respect for both the club and players in both instances. Its a sad thing, but it happens more and more everyday.

[BigD4VT 11]

Sports is now a business....sentiment and loyalty to any player is a thing of the past..... but, I agree w/your above statement. Many fans (and even local sports talking heads) here in ATL think it was probably the right thing to do.....but, again, why let Glav go through a "solid" rehab w/expectations of returning to see "if" he could "get it done."

They let Glavine go because, according to MLB TV, they can't add payroll right now. The money they save by cutting his salary, plus the $1,000,000 bonus he would get if they had activated him, is the money they will use to pay McClouth.

 

McClouth appears to be a rising young star who won't be eligible for free-agency anytime soon. He will more than likely be a fixture in Atlanta for years to come. This is the best move Frank Wren has made and it was straight out of the John Schuerholz playbook.

[vthokies4life 10]

Sports is now a business....sentiment and loyalty to any player is a thing of the past..... but, I agree w/your above statement. Many fans (and even local sports talking heads) here in ATL think it was probably the right thing to do.....but, again, why let Glav go through a "solid" rehab w/expectations of returning to see "if" he could "get it done."

 

This is what I'm most outraged about. The questions about his ability were there at the beginning of the season. Why sign him? Instead, Wren looks like the DOUCHE BAG he is by treating another venerable member of the Braves organization like a bag of baseballs. Quick word to Chipper Jones: You had better watch your ass in the next couple of years, buddy. Apparently we're "moving forward". And, as recent history suggests, you and your age won't be welcome aboard.

[BigD4VT 11]

He was signed as an insurance policy. One that they no longer need. There is no loyalty in pro sports. Never has been. What Glavine has done for them, or even what he has/hasn't done for them lately isn't the question. The question is what can he do for them right now?... And the answer is nothing a younger, cheaper pitcher can't do.

 

I love Glavine and I hate to see him released... but he should have retired gracefully. I've followed his career since he was in the minor leagues. I saw him pitch in Richmond when he was 20 years old. The last thing I want to see is for him to become a mediocre middle reliever who can't walk away. That's exactly what happened to Steve Carlton and it wasn't pretty.

[trublue 939]

They let Glavine go because, according to MLB TV, they can't add payroll right now. The money they save by cutting his salary, plus the $1,000,000 bonus he would get if they had activated him, is the money they will use to pay McClouth.

 

.

 

Wren says it wasn't about money. See excerpt and story linked:

 

"For those who attributed the move to finances, general manager Frank Wren said it had nothing to do with a $1 million bonus Glavine would have received for being placed on the major league roster. Instead, the team felt it had a better chance to win with a younger pitcher in the rotation."

 

"This was not a business decision," Wren said. "This was a performance decision."

 

http://abcnews.go.com/Sports/wireStory?id=7751607

[bluefieldRocks 14]

Why have Glavine on the roster if he wasnt doing a damn thing for us? I think it is a good move. I my opinion, we improved out team A LOT by bringing up Hanson and Signing McLouth. We finally get some power in the outfield after sending Schafer to the minors.

[GHS06 10]

This is what I'm most outraged about. The questions about his ability were there at the beginning of the season. Why sign him? Instead, Wren looks like the DOUCHE BAG he is by treating another venerable member of the Braves organization like a bag of baseballs. Quick word to Chipper Jones: You had better watch your ass in the next couple of years, buddy. Apparently we're "moving forward". And, as recent history suggests, you and your age won't be welcome aboard.

 

Chipper is getting what he deserves: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=4029831

 

Tom Glavine was signed to be the 5th starter. He was given until the fifth spot in the rotation came up, April 20th or so, to be ready. He wasn't.

 

Why do the Braves owe Tom Glavine? He had no problem going to their biggest rival for 5 years. He was given the chance to be the fifth starter and he couldn't do it. The Braves scouts said he wasn't going to be able to perform at the major league level. The front office gave him the option to retire. He asked for his release. He got it.

 

I don't remember what happened in 1994, maybe someone who was older than 6 at the time does, but from what I've read the main point coming from Tom Glavine was the fact that baseball is a business. Maybe you do reap what you sew.