FanPost

Suprises

Honestly, if someone told me the Braves would acquire Javier Vasquez and Rafael Furcal sometime during this offseason, I would have told them to go to the doctor.  They have some kind of mental disorder.  But we have them.  And they are two great acquisitions.  I don't know why so many of you are against both of them.  gondeee made a great point on his post.  When was the last time the Braves made the playoffs?  2005.  When was the last time we had a good leadoff hitter?  2005.  When was the last time Furcal wore a Braves uni?  2005.  In part, that is coincidince.  But really, most of it is not.  We have not had a good table setter since Furcal.  We have had many good 2 hole hitters.  Giles, Renteria, Escobar, Johnson, and Blanco just to name a few(ok, maybe all).  And you can't win in the MLB without a good leadoff hitter.  Yes, you might be able to offset this with power, but we don't have very good power.  Yes, we now have three middle infielders worth starting.  But is that not a good problem to have?  I would rather have three than only one or none. 

On to Vasquez.  Seriously, he isn't a number one starter.  But he is a better number one starter than JJ or Smoltz, unless he returns completely healthy.  JJ could be a number one in the future, but not yet.  Still unproven for the most part.  And by 2010, we will have a number one.  His name?  If he recovers completely, Tim Hudson.  Yes, he is good enough to be a number one starter.  Is he as good as Peavy?  No.  Is he as good as Burnett?  I think he is, and without too much of an injury history.  And by the time Huddy leaves, we should have a new number 1, if one of them doesn't pull a Chuck James.  Either Jair Jurrjens or Tommy Hanson.  Vasquez isn't here to be too much of a big pitcher for us.  More of a gap filler for Hanson and JJ to completely develop. 

Overall, Frank Wren has done a good job this offseason.  If you don't think so, then I will not hold it against you.  You are entitled to your own opinion.  And mine is that FW is doing a good job so far.

 

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