Atlanta Braves 2007 onwards . . .

[tripli00]

Well here goes a dynasty report to get back into OOTP. It will be on and off as I'm meant to be working and studying as well!!

Played OOTP 6 and had 2007 for ages but never really got into it. Trying again before 9 comes out to see if I want to go that way

To give you the background I ran a 50 year history with the excellent icy mlb template from 1957 to 30th October 2007 where I jumped in. Was always going to pick the Braves with them being my favorite team for years. I will planned to sim the games to about 6th innings and then decide on whether I will play or sim from there.

Philosophy as a GM will be high average hitting team - little bit of power always helps. Like some speed and defense - and good couple of pitchers and will try to have them go deep into games - will scrimp on the MR!

[tripli00]

So we join in 30th October 2007.

"Today the Atlanta Braves have announced a new GM Ian Triplow with an aim to take the team to the WS in the next 3 years"

A brave move considering the Braves just went 98-64 for their best season in 50 years. However the first round exit for the Braves was unacceptable with this squad and GM Shaw paid the price with his job. This marked the 3rd time in five years the Braves reached the playoffs with no ring, and only once past the first round.

Triplow said that over the next few days the organization would have a good hard look at itself and set some plans for the future.

The club was not in the best of pictures financial - with a 2007 payroll of $90mill and $70 mill already committed for 2008. Fan level is at a nice 81 and fans slightly above average.

First place to start was the roster which had such a good record

[tripli00]

Well best player (and rightly so at $16.8 mill) is the CF Jorge Perez. A .301 career hitter averaging 20HR and 100 RBI with gold glove defense. Worry has to be the 3 injuries in the 2007 season including achilles for 3 months limited him to 78 game.

Also in the outfield we have the $15 mill Angel Ortiz signed through 2011 who had a monster 40 HR, and league leading 134 RBI season - which is now only an average season. A worry is the .270 average down from the career .299.

We then have a really interesting infield - that seems completely interchangeable (multiple players having played 15+ games at at least 3 positions). C playing 1B and 2B is showing some flexiblity! The true strength of the side is shown with the SB with 2 players with 40+, 3 with 30+, and 3 more with 10+.

On the DL are two more stealer's, although the 23HR from the 3B Kerry Powers was missed for the last 6 months. At only 24 he looks good for the season if we can keep him fit.

Not much depth it looks in the organization but there are several young key players before arbitration at the ML level. Injuries look like they lost a lot of games for the team.

After a tiring first day at the office the pitching staff was left till tomorrow

[tripli00]

Well thought I would move straight onto the pitching - but the finances worried me further so back to the line up. Not a lot of flexibility with only the starting catcher coming off the books at 7mill but 5 players off to arbitration. There is another catcher (a 40 steal man) who looks okay on defense but average is going down. Nothing out of this world in the system but looks like there is enough there to cope.

Hands at this level look tied tight so going to look through the organisation. There looks like there is a good 2b at AAA - might be stuck behind a very overpriced 16 mill 2b (with 2 years left). Going to be coming back to that I think. Apart from that there is little around, and what there is seems to be a long way away from the major level. Very little power in the organisation with what there is at ML (only 5 players in club with 10+ HR - all at ML ) I like speed - but this looks very reliant on it without many options.

Now pitching. Will I have options or are my hands equally tied? A seem to have an expensive good club - but no back ups. I'll be looking around for some depth I can tell you now!!

[tripli00]

Well pitching - easier in a way as there is less multi positions!

Starters
Vizier 17-8, 4.02 ERA - soon to be FA
Quiroz 15-7, 3.82 - Another year at 6.7
Rangel 11-6, 4.00 - 2 more at 3.68
Lewis 4-15, 5.80 - 2 more at 2.75
Patton 10-6, 3.13 - another year 4.6

Well Lewis looks like a bad signing - Vizier at 27 and with a career 105-75 4.05 is going to get some dollars but unlikely from me.

MR
Crum 10-4-2SV, 4.24 - auto sign an previously a starter
White 4-2. 4.3 another year at 4.4 and a left handed innings eater
Steele 5-2-1SV, 3.14 - arbitration and innings again
Dixon 1-0-1, 4.99 - arbitration eligible for the first time and looks expendable

SU
Kerr 5-2-1, 3.45 - auto sign
Johnston 5-3-18, 3.26 FA ex-closer who doesn't seem to have realised his age

CL
Meyer 9-9-31, 4.03 - auto sign jumped from A ball 2006!! 22 and 6'7''

Well the pitching looks okay - nothing great (interesting CL). I think I'm short of a starter unless I'm stuck with Lewis.

Again the depth is concerning with so little anywhere else in the club. Could do with something in the MR and might have to see what is around there must be something out there

[tripli00]

Well awards for the season out of the way and the GM's round the league start looking at what is out there. I'm determined to get rid of Lewis as his record stinks and now am short at the C position as well.

Looking back the squad 15 and 16 mill over the next two seasons for Nelson at 2b who has hit under .300 for three straight seasons and is a contract that I would love to move. But its a whopper and no-ones up for it surprisingly!

Monday, November 19th, 2007: Atlanta-Philadelphia Deal: Lewis for Wallace
A trade between the Atlanta Braves and the Philadelphia Phillies was made official this morning. The Atlanta Braves have sent 33-year old starting pitcher Chuck Lewis and 29-year old minor league catcher Casimiro Meléndez to the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for 21-year old minor league catcher Bartolo Quinto-Gómez and 23-year old minor league starting pitcher Ben Wallace.

In his career Lewis has 74 victories and 86 defeats with a 5.08 ERA.


Gomez is a 5 star prospect and I pull straight into the big squad as a defensive star that has an offensive future.

Wallace went 12-9 with a 3.84 ERA at AAA last year and also joins the big team squad looking for the 5th starter spot. Free's up so budget to put me back to a projected 8mill for the season - but still no cash.

More trading to do I think

[tripli00]

Well spent a good hour trying to offload Nelson - and no takers despite some very lopsided deals. That contract it too much. I've left him on the trading block and hopefully as the year goes on I can free up some cash and get creative. Have to see what I do with his spot as his replacement at AAA is ready and probably deserves to come up - and the rest of the infield is so multi positional (expect at SS).

Spring training will be interesting - have one player too many on the infield but the only two that are trade worthy are the future 2b who I don't want to - or Powers the 3b on the DL till May time who might provide some power. This budget is so tight though that I have no options.

[tripli00]

Spring Training has nearly reached its end and the relief pitching looks pretty good, but the starting pitching has me a little worried. Wallace has had a rocky spring but there is little choice in that.

As for the roster - cutting down to 25 players a had task. Lots of good performances and multi position players hasn't helped.

One position that hasn't gone well is the pitching. Gomez (bought in on trade) took 2 and a bit weeks to get a hit - although defensive looks good. He's going to stay for now as a defensive replacement and hopefully more offensive in the future. He has been warned though and I've shuffled another catcher onto the 40 man just in case.

3B is still a worry - although it looks like Powers only 1-2 weeks away from coming of the DL - and the only power that I have with him.

[tripli00]

Good news today

Tuesday, April 1st, 2008: Braves-Diamondbacks Deal: Nelson for Delus
The rumor has been going on for a while now, but today it was made official. The Atlanta Braves sent 31-year old second baseman Ryan Nelson to the Arizona Diamondbacks for 32-year old right fielder Santiago Delus and 19-year old minor league third baseman Forrest Frank.

Officials from both teams seem to be pleased with the deal.

His numbers show Nelson is carrying a .298 lifetime batting average with 99 home runs and 591 RBIs.

Delus boasts a career batting average of .302 with 1392 hits, 213 homers and 782 RBIs.



Okay reasons for the trade. A) Nelsons 16 mill for 2 years contract - leveled out with Delus 10 x 2 plus option (player damn) for a third. Delus has had major injury problems (18 months with two injuries recently) but does bring some real power potential to the roster, and three genuine threats in the outfield.

B) Frank is more than a throw in with potential to play 3B at the majors level - and the system is very short there!

The fans were less than happy to see Nelson go - but happy with Delus as an arrival. I actually have 2 mill of cash available now and am off to look at SP!

[tripli00]

Well opening day is here and we go in with confidence that we have a strong squad and system.

SION rates our system as the 9th best - although most of that is in the majors now (to balance those high salaries!!) and power rankings has at 15th.

15th doesn't sounds great but thats 2nd in the NL behind San Diego (6th) so playoffs are a definite plan. Owner has piped in with I must play .500 ball so looks like the job is safe with this squad.

As for playing the games - I'm going to sim to 6th inning and either jump in or sim from there. I do trust my manager - but whats the fun if you don't play the game. I also have a major inability to not fiddle - so everyone likely to see their position and place changing over the first few weeks as I "tweak" and look for the line up the consistently works.

[tripli00]

Game one down - 3-1 win with 7 good innings from Rangel and due to a mistake from me (already) a 2 innings save for Meyer

Perez (CF) was hurt fielding and has a 2 week day to day thats a bad start. My young 2B didn't get the start so back to fiddle the line ups!

Learning on the job!

[tripli00]

Gain another MR through the waiver wire - which lead to me demoting Crum from 5th starter down to AAA to and Morin moving from long relive into the role.

I'm okay with Morin in that role - but may have to look at Crum again and this gives me another starter at least if Wallace can't pull it off.

[tripli00]

Okay not funny game two again bought the closer in too early (is it that hard to count).

Worse still back up at all outfield positions Clemens dislocated a finger and has a week day to day - meaning I'm seriously short in the outfield.

Hey a win and another good start

[tripli00]

Well the winning streak comes to an end with a bump. Lewis (who I traded away) pitches 7 shutout innings, my SP Patton cannot get out of the first and a lopsided 12-1.

I've moved Ortiz into CF (an got an error with his 11 rating) due to the injuries and Delus comes into right and hit third. Miner (my waiver claim) pitched 1 1/3 and gave up 3 ER as well which summed up the day.

Off to Houston now for a four game set with the back end of the starters to come. I'm a little worried now about this .....

[tripli00]

Well first things Meyer gets sent down to AAA with Powers coming off the DL and going into the 2 spot. Some power and a high average historically so high hopes. Wallace to start so my fingers crossed.

A great response from Wallace - 3 ER over 7 innings leads to a 15-8 win with 4 HR from the team.

Interesting 5 SB and 4 CS means we are now at 12-8 for the season. I think I'll tweak the settings we should and can run - but the ratio there isn't good.

[tripli00]

Morin starts and 4 laboured innings sees him leave with 10 hits and 4 ER. No offense from us bar a solo shot for Powers in the 8th inning. A 5-1 loss with 17-5 hits tells the story.

Worry now is Ortiz with 1 hit in the first 5 games and he is meant to be the clean up hitter. Delus is hitting .385 and look good for the RF slot at this rate when Perez is fit.

Gomez got his first start behind the plate and had a good game, and got a 2-4 which I am delighted with.

Once through the rotation and 3-2 with a blow out each way in that. Line up looks okay and I am sure that there is plenty of fiddling to do there!

[tripli00]

Rangel gets the start and its a messy one with 6 1/3 for 6 ER. Left him in too long but was trying hard to rest the bullpen which has put too many innings in.

Thankfully the bats come through in the 7/8 with HR and the bullpen shuts up shop and the 9-6 score is a nice win. Ortiz gets a couple of hits since the line up warning and now have 5 starters hitting over .300.

A week till then next off day means that the starters have to get some innings in - and want to get my CF back to playing. PH is okay but don't want to roll out 15 mill of talent on a dodgy knee!

[tripli00]

An 8-3 win after a good start is followed up by Patton pitching another poor performance. 2 starts 2.1 innings and 11 ER. Very worrying. Thats twice the bullpen got killed for him. He's too good for now to send down - but I'll send him down if he throws another of those performances in.

1 and 4 days left on the injuries so some decisions to make there re the starters

[tripli00]

Couple of losses and then Rangel stops the rot and the bats squeeze enough runs out. Perez gets a game in CF to allow some of the older legs to get rested and then some bad news as Pollock is injured running the bases. A dislocated wrist will see me taking no risks and sending him to the DL. Hernandez will come up from AA - where he is showing some promise and an infield shuffling will start. Latour may sit for a game or two as Porter goes to third, Walton in a first and Power slides over to SS.

Perez also is fighting fit and goes back to CF, with Delus into right and Ortiz going to take a rest. Expensive bench player at 15 mill - but hitting .184 after 10 games is not great!

Pitchers are a bit better rested thanks to some starters putting in the innings.

[tripli00]

Third time through the pitchers and Patton finally realises that his spot was in doubt and he goes 5 2/3 (for him - stunning ) and back up by a Powers HR looks on for a win.

However Ortiz blows the save but another bunt sacrifice moves the runner over in the 8th. This again can't be held (my bullpen ) but 2 runs in the 9th win the game.

The speed of the team really helps in these situations and I'm happy using it.

With the "tweaks" to the line up as well there are some HR going out which is helping. Power rankings has us 6th in MLB at a +1 as well. Half a game up at this stage is also fine. The 0-3 home record isn't nice though.

Highlight is Delus - hitting .395 very nice.