Braves Report

It’s seemingly happened. The Braves have acquired an outfielder that has some power. The AJC is reporting that Garret Anderson has agreed to a one-year deal with the Braves:

The team finalized a one-year contract worth about $2.5 million with the free agent on Sunday, according to a person familiar with negotiations. An announcement is expected to come Monday, and Anderson was en route to Florida to join the Braves at spring training.

Anderson, 36, has a .296 career average and 272 home runs in 15 seasons in the majors, all with the Los Angeles Angels of the American League. He was with that team so long, he played for it when it was known as the California Angels and later the Anaheim Angels, before the L.A. name change.

Anderson hit .293 last year with 15 home runs, which was more than half of what the Braves’ outfield managed. He is expected to play left field, in a possible platoon with Matt Diaz.

Either way, I don’t readily expect this deal to fall through, because it’s supposedly already done. So this means it looks like the Braves have actually signed somebody with some power. Rock on.

Update #3: According to seattlepi.com, Griffey has chosen the Mariners over the Braves. A disappointing end, to be sure, that only adds to the list of the players that the Braves have been unable to sign.

As for the current situation of the team, I question how the lack of a powerful offense will affect the Braves in 2009. Hopefully, Wren will make some moves for a bat, because this team only has two or three consistently reliable bats and an outfield that is deficient in power. At this point, however, I just hope that they sign someone.

Update #2: Griffey has not made a decision yet.

Update #1: The Braves’ website is reporting that Griffey has not made a decision yet. Hopefully, this doesn’t turn into another Furcal incident. Will update again as soon as more information is revealed.

While it appears that the Braves have seemingly done nothing to address their power problems/outfield this off-season, a piece to the puzzle has been found. Ken Griffey Jr. has tentatively agreed to sign with the Braves, according to the AJC.

Ken Griffey Jr. has chosen to sign with the Braves, according to a person close to the veteran star and familiar with the ongoing negotiations. Griffey and Braves general manager Frank Wren met Monday in Orlando, and Wren and Griffey’s agent were scheduled to meet today in an effort to finalize a deal.

…

The two teams made similar offers, believed to be in the range of $1.5-2 million guaranteed, with incentives tied to staying healthy and getting a high number of plate appearances.

The 13-time All-Star would likely play in a platoon (ugh) in left field with Diaz and/or as a backup center fielder. Either way, because his guaranteed salary is so low, the Braves aren’t taking that much of a risk for somebody who has so much experience. Certainly, he stands to add more power to the outfield, which was absolutely deprived of it last year.

[Above: An artist's depiction of "The Kid"]

As for me, a Little Big League aficionado, this is a dream come true. If nothing else, he’ll provide some entertainment value in the upcoming season.

More details will follow as they become available.

The AJC is reporting that former Dodgers pitcher, Derek Lowe, has accepted a 4-year, $60 million offer from the Braves.

They’ve agreed to terms with veteran pitcher Derek Lowe on a four-year, $60 million contract, a person familiar with negotiations said this morning. The deal will be finalized after Lowe takes a physical Wednesday.

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In 2008 with the Los Angeles Dodgers, he was 14-11 with a 3.24 ERA in 211 innings, including 6-1 with a 1.27 ERA in his last 10 starts.

This is a huge signing for the Braves. Lowe is now the ace of the staff and joins a rotation that will, surprisingly, be quite formidable.

Lowe/Vasquez/Jurrjens/Kawakami/Campillo (or Hanson/Glavine)

According to the AJC, the Braves have signed Japanese pitcher, Kenshin Kawakami.

This is good news for a franchise in desperate need of it. Kawakami could get penciled in as the Braves #2 starter or #4 starter, depending on signings and ST. He is flying to Atlanta for a physical.

AtlantaBraves.com and Mark Bowman’s blog are reporting that veteran pitcher, Cy Young winner, future Hall-of-Famer, and face of the Braves, John Smoltz, is likely to sign with the Red Sox tomorrow afternoon:

A Major League source who was in contact with Smoltz on Wednesday night said the 41-year-old right-hander will be calling the Braves on Thursday morning to tell them that he has decided to sign with the Red Sox..

Smoltz, who had been with the Braves since making his Major League debut in 1988, will make a guaranteed $5.5 million. The source said his offer also includes “very attainable” incentives that could raise his 2009 earnings to $10 million.

So, what does this mean for Braves fans? To be blunt, it feels like salt on a wound a dagger through the heart. The Braves’ 2008 season left a lot to be desired, and this off season has been far too quiet. With the only notable addition of Javier Vazquez, the starting rotation looks to be in worse shape than ever, raising a lot of questions in the minds of Braves fans. The loss of Smoltz, then, despite his current injury, would seem to be monumental.

Moreover, Smoltz was a player whose name has been synonymous with the Braves for over two decades and the team that I grew up with. He was the dominating pitcher for the past couple of years, which included roles both as a starter and closer. He was absolutely phenomenal and proved that when he earned his 3000 career strikeout in April last season. No longer being able to see him as a Brave is personally devastating; the face of this team just seems to be changing so quickly. It’s hard to put my emotions into words, but it feels like a cornerstone has just been ripped from the foundation of this team, and all we can do as fans is watch. Although I hope Frank Wren does something to fix it, I think I can safely say this team will never be the same.

Farewell, Smoltzie. Thanks for all of the great memories.