Giles not offered arbitration

[joannes3000]

Well, what we all expected has happened. It was almost a foregone conclusion that we were gonna part ways with Marcus Giles. I had only hoped that we swung a deal involving him instead of essentially losing him for nothing.

Immediately I think of the ridiculous budget the Braves have to operate on. Sure we have plenty of middle infield help on the way from the minors. Sure, Giles wasn't a world beater. But still, it sucks to see that we simply can't afford to keep a homer like Giles and can't bring back a guy like Glavine.

Oh, and we didn't offer Reitsma arbitration either.

[terrynoonan]

Day late, dollar short Schuerholz does it again. We waited too long. Everyone knows he was on roids now. BTW- I hear Soriano is topping out at 91 or 92. WTF? That's why we got him for almost nothing.

[frosgrim]

How is a budget issue Shurholtz's fault??? He signed players while Turner had control of the team. Then T-W cut the payroll by 40 million! There are still legacy contracts that John has to deal with. If T-W had given him several years to get payroll down, then I think he could have made this work better, but as is, the budget came down and he had to do what he had to do: see the trade of Milwood as a prime example.

As far as Giles is concerned, he really isn't that great of a player. He's a solid .275 hitter that plays solid but not spectacular defense. He's injury prone and couldn't handle lead-off. Giles was a likable player, but nothing special. One of the young guys will fill in just fine. No team was going to trade for Giles because they knew that T-W has tied John's hands financially. Stop you are really something to dis on one of the best GMs in baseball. This is an assesment not just by me, but by his peers who know what they are talking about.

[Vol4ever]

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How is a budget issue Shurholtz's fault??? He signed players while Turner had control of the team. Then T-W cut the payroll by 40 million! There are still legacy contracts that John has to deal with. If T-W had given him several years to get payroll down, then I think he could have made this work better, but as is, the budget came down and he had to do what he had to do: see the trade of Milwood as a prime example.

As far as Giles is concerned, he really isn't that great of a player. He's a solid .275 hitter that plays solid but not spectacular defense. He's injury prone and couldn't handle lead-off. Giles was a likable player, but nothing special. One of the young guys will fill in just fine. No team was going to trade for Giles because they knew that T-W has tied John's hands financially. Stop you are really something to dis on one of the best GMs in baseball. This is an assesment not just by me, but by his peers who know what they are talking about.

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Here is the problem. Marcus was put into the lead-off position by the manger and the GM did not provide the manager with a lead-off hitter. Bottom line is this once GREAT Organzation has been deflated by an "don't give a damn about the team and fans" attitude.

I will not buy another ticket until things change. The want to charge increase ticket prices for a first rate product that is not first rate.

[chillzatl]

They're doing what they can with what they've got. YOu won't find many teams that can be hamstrung by payroll the way we've been and still compete.

Yes, forcing him to be a leadoff hitter obviously didn't work out, but was it the organizations fault? I can't say that because a hitter should be able to hit, regardless. I don't buy that moving him up one spot in the lineup changed that much because Furcal wasn't a big on base guy anyway. Much of what Giles did was with nobody on ahead of him, so batting leadoff isn't much of an excuse in my book. It's entirely possible that he just couldn't get over having to do something he didn't want to do, so his hitting suffered.

The reason Giles wasn't offered arbitration is simple, the braves got screwed by Maddux in arbitration and they don't want to take a chance on the same happening with Giles. I'd gladly pay Giles 4-5mil, but I'd be pretty sore if they went into arbitration and he walked out with 8-10mil, which could EASILY happen.

[codyatl]

I decided last season that it was my last as a hard core Braves fan who never misses a game and attended 4 or 5 a year. I will gladly come back when they are sold to an owner, not a corporation. If MLB is ever going to catch up to NFL they need to get rid of corporate owners. They care only for bottum line and not about the team or the fans. I understand its their job to make the shareholders happy but damn.

[AHF]

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I decided last season that it was my last as a hard core Braves fan who never misses a game and attended 4 or 5 a year. I will gladly come back when they are sold to an owner, not a corporation. If MLB is ever going to catch up to NFL they need to get rid of corporate owners. They care only for bottum line and not about the team or the fans. I understand its their job to make the shareholders happy but damn.

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You still need the right owner. Anyone want to see Donald Sterling or Steve Belkin running an Atlanta franchise? It wouldn't be pretty.

[frosgrim]

I completely agree, coporate ownership is a mess. Cowering to shareholders is simply bad business across the board, but is especially problematic when you have a coporation that lists a major sports team in its holdings. Bad owners are one thing, but apaleptic corporate ownership is a whole other ballgame.

Re the problem with putting Giles in leadoff. Walt Weiss handled it when he got moved up there. Jeter did fine at the top of the Yankees lineup. The Red Sox continually win without a real leadoff hitter. Giles had a bad year, and I have to wonder if its a sign of things to come from him. Those injuries are going to catch up with him. Paying him 6 or million for one year is crazy with all the other needs of the team. Aybar, Prado, or Pena can handle the top of the lineup. I know the Braves are saying Aybar is to be the fill-in guy, but he was the Dogers lead-off guy in training. Have to think the trade for him was with an eye to him leading off this up coming year.

[terrynoonan]

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How is a budget issue Shurholtz's fault??? He signed players while Turner had control of the team. Then T-W cut the payroll by 40 million! There are still legacy contracts that John has to deal with. If T-W had given him several years to get payroll down, then I think he could have made this work better, but as is, the budget came down and he had to do what he had to do: see the trade of Milwood as a prime example.

As far as Giles is concerned, he really isn't that great of a player. He's a solid .275 hitter that plays solid but not spectacular defense. He's injury prone and couldn't handle lead-off. Giles was a likable player, but nothing special. One of the young guys will fill in just fine. No team was going to trade for Giles because they knew that T-W has tied John's hands financially. Stop you are really something to dis on one of the best GMs in baseball. This is an assesment not just by me, but by his peers who know what they are talking about.

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I have loved J.S. for a long time. The simple fact though, is that he has not gotten it done. Not getting Tommy back was the last straw. It would have done many things. It would have excited the fan base. It would have weakened our main rival. 300 wins. As a Brave! I don't want to hear about payroll. We still have a very high budget. Giving Bobby those scrub relievers and Langerhans last year were terrible assumptions. Then, after no production, he stands pat. We traded for 3 guys. 1 of which worked. Too bad he waited a month too long. Renteria has no range in the hole, or going to second. Along with the poor pitching, that killed. We missed Furcal bad. Not to mention T-Hud and his one pitch. Listen, I am a Braves lifer, I am just fed up with his refusal to look past his own ego. Look at these great players he has aquired in the last 7 years.

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Schuerholz is dead to me. He's been a day late and a dollar short for the better part of a decade. Just to name a few. Albie Lopez, Quilvio Veras,John Thompson, Kenny Lofton, Reggie Sanders, Russ Ortiz, Ken Caminiti, Paul Bako, Juan Cruz, Kyle Farnsworth, Todd Holandsworth, Jose Hernandez, Brian Jordan(2nd time), Darren Bragg, Rico Brogna, Ken Ray, Edgar Renteria(anyone else think we missed Furcal's range and arm?) Dan Kolb, Walt Weiss, Tim Hudson, Shane Reynolds, Chris Rietsma, Raul Mondesi, Pete Orr(the guy makes Lockhart look like George Brett), Kurt Abbot, Andy Ashby, Rey Sanchez, B.j.Surhoff, Robert Fick, Steve Karsay, Todd Pratt, Jaret Wright, Matt Diaz, Willy Aybar, Ryan Langerhans, Danys Baez, Tyler Yates, Chad Poronto, Blaine Boyer, and Wilson Betemit sucked for like 10 years, when he finally delivers, we trade him for nothing the day Chipper gets hurt. I know there are others, but these are a few. Here are some guys he let leave-Jermaine Dye, Dave Justice, Jason Schmidt, Rafael Furcal, Kevin Millwood, Leo Mazzonne, Pat Corralles, Javy Lopez, Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, and next year you can bet he'll trade Andruw. I guarantee it was a matter of a few million dollars. We needed that money for Joey Devine and Tyler Yates. Quality pitchers like that. The guy has lost it. Or, maybe we all gave him waaaaaaay too big a pass these last 7 or 8 years. What other GM could stay with all of those moves blowing up in his face? P.S. Roger McDowell is the worst pitching coach I have ever seen, but he stays? He made about 5 mound visits last year. This is disgusting.

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[DrReality]

With the team in limbo with the new owners, who knows what will happen. They've got so much money tied up in a half dozen guys that will likely strap them with the remainder of the decisions they have to make. Probably won't be pretty.