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...