The Home of the Brave...Third Place

Atlanta Braves 2007 Record: 84-78 (3rd in NL East)
2008 Prediction: 3rd in NL West


In

• Mark Kotsay (OAK) - acquired for Joey Devine and Jamie Richmond - 1/14/08
  
• Jair Jurrjens and Gorkys Hernandez (DET) - acquired for Edgar Renteria - 10/29/07
  
• Tom Glavine (NYM) - signed to a 1 year, $8 million contract - 11/19/07
  
• Omar Infante and Will Ohman (CHC) - acquired for Jose Ascanio - 12/4/07
  
• Josh Anderson (HOU) - acquired for Oscar Villareal - 11/16/07
  

Out

• Chad Paronto (HOU) - signed to a 1 year, $500,000 contract - 12/18/07
  
• Andruw Jones (LAD) - signed to a 2 year, $36.2 million contract - 12/12/07
  
• Ron Mahay (KC) - signed to a 2 year, $8 million contract - 12/20/07
  
• Octavio Dotel (CHW) - signed to a 2 year, $11 million contract - 1/22/08
  
• Lance Cormier (BAL) - signed to a minor league contract - 1/22/08
  
• Willy Aybar (TAM) - traded for Jeff Ridgway - 1/17/08
  
• Willie Harris (WAS) - signed to a 1 year, $800,000 contract - 12/13/07
  

Remaining Free Agents

• Julio Franco
  
• Rheal Cormier
  
• Chris Woodward
  
• Corky Miller

Projected Opening Day Starters
C - Brian McCann
1B - Mark Teixeira
2B - Kelly Johnson
3B - Chipper Jones
SS - Yunel Escobar
LF - Matt Diaz
CF - Mark Kotsay
RF - Jeff Francouer

Projected Opening Day Rotation
John Smoltz
Tom Glavine
Tim Hudson
Chuck James
Mike Hampton/Jair Jurrjens/Buddy Carlyle

Projected Opening Day Closer
Rafael Soriano

Improvements: Once they officially acquire Kotsay, he will be looked at as somewhat of an improvement. Surely, he's no upgrade over Jones. But once the Braves acquired Teixeiria last summer, it was pretty clear Jones was not going to be a Brave in 2008. So heading into 2008, the Braves had a couple of young kids to play center - but now they have a capable veteran in Kotsay (as long as he can stay healthy). Getting Glavine back in Atlanta should help the rotation, Jair Jurrjens (part of the Renteria deal) could prove as a young back-up in case any of the veterans become unable to pitch.
Lack of Improvements: Before the 2007 season, the Braves acquired Mike Gonzalez from the Pirates in hopes he would be their closer. But 18 games (and two saves) into the season, Gonzalez was shut down for the season, and is now another Tommy John surgery story and probably won't be back on the mound until at least May. The Braves don't have Bob Wickman anymore, who picked up the slack left by Gonzalez' injury, which means saves will probably come from a closer-by-committee type method, with Rafael Soriano picking up the major bulk of the opportunities (he had 9 saves in 2007 - second most to Wickman). The Braves clearly needed to mend their closer issue, but have thus far failed to do so.
Keys to success: Chipper, Kotsay, and the majority of the pitching staff has had their histories of injuries, and will need to remain healthy for as long as possible to have any chance to regain their division crown. And while the combination of Chipper/Teixeira/Francoeur/McCann can be very good, they will have to be very good without Renteria and Andruw.