Which Rookies do you think will make an impact?

[goDawgs1433]

As much as I'd like for Heyward to come up and hit .300, bomb 25 homers and drive in 80-90, I just don't see it happening.

The Braves have enough in the OF depth-wise to keep him down until at least midsummer, much like what they did with Hanson last year to make him a Super Two. That will save us an arb year (and thus lots of $$) with Heyward down the road. Unless we absolutely need him, I see the kid starting off in AAA.

[NAHSTE]

Heyward will obviously be a huge impact at some point, but it remains to be seen when exactly. I don't think he'll hit for much power this year, I'm thinking 12-15 bombs, provide he gets to 500 ABs, but he'll definitely hit at or around .300.

For those saying he's too young to contend for ROY, a 19-year old did finish 2nd in the AL voting last year (Elvis Andrus, another Braves product). Amazing that along with Tommy Hanson and Pedro (AWAKE EDIT-- Neftali! Not Pedro, Neftali! Neftali I said! I know his name it was 4 AM ok?....Ok?) Feliz, the Braves scouting dept. is responsible for 4 of baseball's best 10 or so players 23 and under. Thanks again, Frank Wren, for flipping Feliz and Andrus for what ended up being Casey Kotchman.

Can you imagine if we had those 4 right now? Don't ask me where we'd play Elvis/Yunel, but I'd take that dilemma any day of the week.

[SuperKevin]

I don't think you mean Pedro Feliz. Are you talking about the pitcher on the Rangers with the serious heat?

[NAHSTE]

I don't think you mean Pedro Feliz. Are you talking about the pitcher on the Rangers with the serious heat?

Posting at 4 AM FTLLLLL....Neftali. My bad. LOLOL at me saying Pedro Feliz, wow.

[NAHSTE]

Schuerholz was GM when that trade happened, not Frank Wren. Frank Wren took over in November of the same year and ended up making the trade be just for Casey Kotchman.

Good call, but it's still Frank Wren's fault. Schuerholz overpaid for Teixiera, but I don't think he foresaw his successor getting 10 cents on the dollar in return.

Wasn't Wren pretty much acting GM at that point? I can't remember the exact timeline, but I know Schuerholz started ramping down his responsibilities a few months before officially stepping down.

[NAHSTE]

No. When the season was over, I remember the Braves promoting Scheurholz up to team president and I was just sitting in front of the news when the announcment came like WTF??????????? And then came the whole debacle over the next couple of years. I actually think Wren has done a good job other than the Teixeira trade, the Lowe signing(which is bad now but at the time of the signing it wasn't bad at all) and the Vazquez trade(granted Vaz never done anything like he did in Atlanta, coming off that kind of year we could have raped someone for him...)

So basically, you think he's done a good job other than his two biggest trades and saddling us with an awful contract? Other than the McLouth trade and striking the jackpot with the Vazquez trade, (forgetting for a minute that he squandered the winnings) what has Frank Wren done that was overly helpful?

[NAHSTE]

McClouth trade I am actually more upset about than the Lowe signing.

Lowe was the 2nd best option available and Burnette turned us down for NY.

Where as we traded away a kid that Bobby Cox described as "could defend the world" from center field. This coming from the scouting genius who built the start of our division title run up as gm thru the late 80s and drafted Chipper and forced him to stay a switch hitter, that seen Andruw Jones(the young good fielder, play in center field.) The "defend the world" part comes quite striking to me. Apparently Wren doesn't hold the same respect to Cox as Schuerholz by not asking about trades or advice before making the moves, but that was huge to me. Vazquez wasn't a signing, we traded someone for him and because I can't even remember who, mustn't mean they were too important. How about the David Ross signing? We currently have a top 3 ML catcher on our roster plus the best backup catcher in the game? How about that Starting rotation, he built a rotation in which Derek Lowe was our worst pitcher? The guy doesn't do anything that is all fancied up but it has worked to the effect that we can get so far.

Until Liberty Media pulls out the wallet and opens it up, we'll be behind the Phillies and the Mets will eventualy pull things together and get ahead of us too. Sucks we are stuck here. I wish AOL/Time Warner would have sold to Arthur Blank...

I will tell you after this coming season exactly what I think of him (depends on who he names manager of the team when Cox steps down. If he names Terry Pendleton manager, I will personally get a torch, go to his house and set it ablaze...)

also look at how the talk was with Peavy last offseason. I remember hearing all sorts of stuff out of it but come to find out this offseason that apparently the reason a deal was never done and we ended up with Lowe was because Peavy told the Padres that he wanted to be on a winning team and he didn't think the Braves had a shot and he wouldn't waive his no-trade clause. Now he is on the white sox, I find that laughable...

Tyler Flowers, Brent Lillibridge and two other prospect who I didn't know of in the first place. Pretty solid trade. Flowers has good power but like Salty would've been blocked and was expendable. Lillibridge was a AAAA prospect it seems.

I wasn't that upset about the Hernandez/Morton for McLouth trade, because we desperately needed power in the outfield, and Gorkys and his defense would be a luxury that is still a couple years away from contributing.

LibertyMedia is equally to blame, if not all the way to blame, but I still feel like Wren counters every decent move he makes with an equally shitty or underwhelming one. When you go into an offseason needing a big-time hitter at either 1b or OF and have a Cy Young finalist to trade, you can't come out of it with Melky Cabrera, Eric Hinske and Troy Glaus. That's just not gonna get it done.

I give him credit for fixing our pitching staff and he's also done well solidifying our bullpen this offseason, but he has still done more harm than good overall, IMO. His inability to get value out of our trading assets (Tex and Vazquez specifically) is my biggest problem.

[NAHSTE]

If he names Eddie Perez manager he's got my vote as keeper. I hate TP and wish him out of Atlanta.

Yeah Teddy is a terrible hitting coach. I was at one point in favor of bringing Ozzie Guillen in I doubt that's a possibility. Eddie Perez would be a good hire, seems like players love the guy.

[NAHSTE]

lol @ heyward winning. sorry guys, but somebody whos 19/20 and coming in june will not win ROY

:bowrofl:

[FedEx227]

I like Posey a lot, if he starts everyday at catcher he's a definitely ROY contender and a definite chance to make an impact.

Also I think Austin Jackson is going to do some nice work in Detroit, not a lot of power but I feel like he can hit for a pretty solid average and will definitely make an impact.

[chazmaniandevil]

:bowrofl:

did you not comprehend my post? that was completely based off of him coming in june