Billy Wagner to Braves, 1 year/$7MM
Another wonderful reason to hate the ever-loving %#&@ out of that team.
8 months ago
WholeCamels
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It's a bad signing by them
They spent ~28% of their available money (assuming a $95 million payroll with ~$70 million already on the books) on an old, injury-prone reliever who will pitch in only 5% of his team’s innings… if he’s healthy and productive all year.
Their more pressing needs are at first base and in the outfield. Right now, they’re still not a .500 team even with Wagner, and I like that Frank Wren is starting this off-season off on the wrong foot.
There are very few teams willing to forego having a Proven Closer™ and clearly the Braves aren’t one of them. Wagner should do a nice job for them, but the cost isn’t ideal for their needs.
Still, I think they’re easily a .500 team right now even with replacement players at first base and in left field. That starting staff is damn impressive, and I expect some sort of rebound from Chipper and Kelly Johnson along with eventual contributions from Jason Heyward. If they manage upgrades at their two openings, I’ll be scared stiff of them come next year.
Didnt Chipper say he might call it quits next year?
by philiafan14364 on Dec 2, 2009 7:32 PM EST up reply actions
Chipper is in a phase similar to late-1980s Mike Schmidt, in that he is openly wondering if he can compete at a level he’s comfortable with (he didn’t ask me, but I’m very comfortable with the 2009 version). Depending on the Braves’ organizational depth, there may be no imminent move they can make, especially given his franchise player-like status. And the caution is understandable—declining years of Mike Schmidt may well have been very similar to what Rick Schu and Charlie Hayes were able to put up.
And they have to give up a draft pick
Remember the Phitans
by RememberthePhitans on Dec 2, 2009 10:44 AM EST reply actions
My hatred for the Braves has waned a lot since they stopped being really good a few years back. My hatred for Wagner, however, has not. So I’m looking forward to hating the Braves more in the future.
He’ll neutralize the Phillies lineup, apparently. And we all know being able to neutralize one team’s lineup for 3 or 4 innings per year is a great argument for spending $7 M and the #20 pick on a 39 year old pitcher who spent most of 2009 on the DL and was waived (subsequently traded) by a sub .500 team.
I wonder why they think that? Wagner has blown a few saves against the Phils already and certainly has it in him to blow some more. Even though it is a small sample size, he’s shown a tendency to blow games against his former ballclubs when the game is important. Can’t wait to see what happens when he faces the Mets to see if this still holds true.
first you need a solid offense in order to have a guy save them games.
I would have focused more on the bat, but hey thats the Braves for ya
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