Teixeira deal too little too late?

[CBAreject]

I love Teixeira, and while I think we gave up too much for him, I'm still glad he's going to be a Brave. However, I don't think he will propel us into the playoffs, even with the addition of Dotel.

The Braves are 55-51 (on pace for 84 wins). The Mets are 59-46 (on pace for 91 wins). If the Mets hold their pace, the Braves will need to go 36-20 (a .643 winning percentage) to tie. Now, .643 sounds reasonable, but this team is still giving up every 5th game due to incapable starting pitching. As long as we forfeit roughly 1/5 of our games, we can't win at that clip.

If the Arroyo rumors have substance, we could really make a push. A starter MUST be acquired, though, if we're to have a shot. Some will remind me of the wildcard, and that's a good point, but this is a year in which it may be easier to win the division than to win the wildcard. Also, we have to consider that the Phillies, who have been on a blistering pace are now ahead of us in both races.

[Gray Mule]

Braves have always been, IMHO, a hot weather team.

The hotter the weather, the hotter the Braves. On the

back side of that, however, the colder the weather, the

colder the Braves seem to be. They have trouble early

in the year - - AND late in the year (cool weather.)

Right now, in the heat of August and September, the Braves

should, if this is true, play their best.

Hated to loose Salty. Great prospect. Then, there are

all the others leaving.

Starting pitching the real problem? Hardly. Relief

pitching, that's where we're hurting and Braves just

picked up a relief pitcher in the deal.

Why do I say the bull pen? Check out the record.

Braves have a lot of extra innings losses. Why? Not

because of the starting pitching. They got us to the

extra innings.

Then there is the fact that, with some timely hitting,

Braves would have won in nine. Teixeira may give

us that. Andrew, I'm a pull hitter, Jones may be

coming around. If he gets his act together and the

rest of the team plays like they are capable of doing,

Maybe, just maybe, things will become interesting

in our division in August and September, the Braves

best months.

[KB21]

I don't know if it is too late. The Mets have had every opportunity to put the Braves away this season with the way the Braves have played, and they still are only 4 games ahead of the Braves. The Mets and Braves still have several games between each other as well, and the Braves have controlled that series so far this year. Adding Tex to the line up gives the Braves a line up that is arguably the best in the national league, and that may be a spark they need.

However, I do agree with you that a deal for a starting pitcher is a must. Even if we can make a run and get into the playoffs with Chuck James as the #3 guy and Buddy Carlyle as the #4 guy, we won't make much noise in the playoffs having to count on those two. Adding Bronson Arroyo would allow the Braves to shift both down a slot, meaning that when they go to the 4 man rotation in the playoffs, they won't have to count on Buddy Carlyle. Buddy has pitched well, but how many actually expect him to continue this?

This team actually needs a guy like Arroyo more than they needed Tex, IMO. At least the team had the option of putting Salty at 1B.

[roezag]

The red hot Phillies might have a roster full of minor league call-ups pretty soon at the rate they are getting injured. I don't think they can keep up the pace they're playing at. The Braves definitely have an offense now that can prevail in a high scoring affair if the starting pitcher falters. I like our chances. We should at least be able to beat out the Wild Card contenders with the additions.

[archie_otu]

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I love Teixeira, and while I think we gave up too much for him, I'm still glad he's going to be a Brave. However, I don't think he will propel us into the playoffs, even with the addition of Dotel.

The Braves are 55-51 (on pace for 84 wins). The Mets are 59-46 (on pace for 91 wins). If the Mets hold their pace, the Braves will need to go 36-20 (a .643 winning percentage) to tie. Now, .643 sounds reasonable, but this team is still giving up every 5th game due to incapable starting pitching. As long as we forfeit roughly 1/5 of our games, we can't win at that clip.

If the Arroyo rumors have substance, we could really make a push. A starter MUST be acquired, though, if we're to have a shot. Some will remind me of the wildcard, and that's a good point, but this is a year in which it may be easier to win the division than to win the wildcard. Also, we have to consider that the Phillies, who have been on a blistering pace are now ahead of us in both races.

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The Braves have 9 games left against both the Mets and Phillies...they are currently 6-3 against the Mets this year. Salty is a great prospect, but what can you do with both him and McCann on the roster? The Braves have the worst production at 1st base in the majors...now they have one of the top 5 1st basemen in the National League...this trade is really a no brainer for the Braves...now they have the best lineup in the National League.

The Braves are the only team in the National League to have 3 starters in the top 15 in ERA. Their pitching is not as bad as people claim it is...If Buddy Carlyle can be a consistent number 4, we're playin October baseball.

[archie_otu]

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I don't know if it is too late. The Mets have had every opportunity to put the Braves away this season with the way the Braves have played, and they still are only 4 games ahead of the Braves. The Mets and Braves still have several games between each other as well, and the Braves have controlled that series so far this year. Adding Tex to the line up gives the Braves a line up that is arguably the best in the national league, and that may be a spark they need.

However, I do agree with you that a deal for a starting pitcher is a must. Even if we can make a run and get into the playoffs with Chuck James as the #3 guy and Buddy Carlyle as the #4 guy, we won't make much noise in the playoffs having to count on those two. Adding Bronson Arroyo would allow the Braves to shift both down a slot, meaning that when they go to the 4 man rotation in the playoffs, they won't have to count on Buddy Carlyle. Buddy has pitched well, but how many actually expect him to continue this?

This team actually needs a guy like Arroyo more than they needed Tex, IMO. At least the team had the option of putting Salty at 1B.

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You might be the only person in America who thinks that the Braves needed Arroyo more than Tex. We had the worst set of first basemen in baseball. You can't just move Salty to 1B...this isn't Beer League softball...Tex is a two-time Silver Slugger and Gold Glove winner. He's one of the most complete and consistent players in all of baseball...he does everything well...switch hits, hits for power and average, and plays great defense. Meanwhile, Arroyo is 4-11...Smoltz, Hudson, James, and Carlyle all have better ERA's than him.

[drzachary]

I think the biggest factor in who wins the NL East will be what Pedro delivers when he gets back. (He is still coming back at some point, right?)

[AtLaS]

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They have trouble early

in the year - - AND late in the year (cool weather.)

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That is so true. I don't know if it's the weather that causes this, but we always started out very average and then just tore it up for the rest of the year, even when we were still winning division titles. I've always noticed that.

[chillzatl]

well said!

and if we get into the playoffs with those three starters, we'll be a feared and favored team.

[CBAreject]

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well said!

and if we get into the playoffs with those three starters, we'll be a feared and favored team.

Yeah. Well said. It turned out Teixeira was dynamite for the Braves, but their lack of starting pitching is what kept them out of the postseason last year.