The Braves had a rough 2008, injuries to their rotation coupled with offensive struggles made it very tough for them to stay in games, as they ended the year at 72-90. Jeff Francoeur's troubles lead to some concern about his future, it's not too often that a 24 year old's offensive game completely falls apart, however if he can improve his plate discipline he may be in line for a big rebound in '09. Free agent signings Javier Vazquez, Derek Lowe, and Garret Anderson should help plug some holes.
Projected Lineup:
C - Brian McCann
1B - Casey Kotchman
2B - Kelly Johnson
SS - Yunel Escobar
3B - Chipper Jones
LF - Garret Anderson
CF - Jordan Schafer
RF - Jeff Francoeur
Projected Rotation:
#1 - Derek Lowe
#2 - Javier Vazquez
#3 - Jiar Jurrjens
#4 - Kenshin Kawakami
#5 - Tom Glavine
Closer - Mike Gonzalez
Position Battles:
CF - Three young guns, Josh Anderson, Gregor Blanco, and Jordan Schafer will battle it out in spring training. Schafer, a highly touted prospect, has the most upside of the bunch and appears to now have enough polish to be a productive at the major league level--he should come away with the job.
2009 Outlook: If Kotchman can hit for a little more power, and Francoeur can learn how to take a walk, they, and McCann, Jones, and Anderson should prove to be a solid lineup. Yunel Escobar and Kelly Johnson are one of the best offensive middle infield tandems in the National League and should continue to hit the ball well throughout the year.
Atlanta will feature a completely revamped rotation in 2009, headlined by veterans Derek Lowe and Javier Vazquez. Kenshin Kawakami comes over from the Japan and should be a durable strike thrower with solid control. Mike Gonzalez should handle the closing duties to start the season, he's had injury troubles in the past and if he ends up on the DL, Peter Moylan or Rafeal Soriano should get the first crack at the ninth inning role.
Projected Finish: 3rd Place, NL East.
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