Atlanta Braves

With news that the Angels have signed free agent reliever Scott Downs, the Angels have been removed from the amazing Rafael Soriano race.

Now that the front-runners have ran off the track, which bullpen will the veteran closer join for the 2011 MLB season?

Here are 10 possible destinations for the rejuvenated Soriano.

Well, folks, the Atlanta Braves have been doing some much-needed improvements to their roster and the results are starting to look nice.  Gone is the dead weight of guys like Rick Ankiel, Kyle Farnsworth, Melky Cabrera and a few more who weren't worth the uniforms they had on.  Also, Derrek Lee and Matt Diaz are now free agents and can test the waters. 

So, what does this mean for Atlanta?  Let's find out.

The Atlanta Braves acquired veteran right hander Scott Linebrink today from the Chicago White Sox in exchange for pitching prospect Kyle Cofield.

The move solidified the Braves' need to add a veteran presence in the bullpen. He will help out with the impressive, young core of arms the Braves already possess.

Though it was mostly Jason Heyward grabbing all the rookie headlines this season for Atlanta, Jonny Venters was the team's true freshmen MVP. Often times, the players that fly under the radar and have the least amount of pressure put on them become the major contributes to their team.

Note: I wrote this article on my old blog (11/17/10). Any time-sensitive material should be disregarded.

A glaring hole in the Atlanta Braves' lineup since Rafael Furcal left for free agency after the 2005 season has been consistent on-base percentage and speed. Not coincidentally, the Braves' postseason hopes have been mostly held in check since that time.

As a fan of the Atlanta Braves, we have had much to complain about for the past few years.  However, in the spirit of Thanksgiving, I believe we should also consider a few things that we can give thanks for as fans of this great franchise.

The fact is that 2010 was just a starting point for what should be a nice few years of success in Atlanta.  I do predict the Braves should be very competitive in 2011 and battle the Phillies again for the NL East title.  I honestly think this year the Braves should win the division as long as there are no major injuries.

You know, it wasn't that long ago that Andruw Jones was ruling the NL East alongside his buddy Chipper Jones (no relation).

Andruw played 11 full seasons from 1997-2007 with the Braves after getting a call-up late in the 1996 for the Braves' playoff push.

In seven of those 11 full seasons, Andruw eclipsed the 30-plus home run mark. Once he hit 41 and another time 51. Andruw was, no doubt, a slugger.

Braves fans everywhere remember Ryan Klesko's 1994 season. Robbed of finishing a solid rookie campaign by the strike-shortened season, Klesko still managed to hit 17 homeruns in just 245 at bats in his first "full" major league season.

Rumors rumors everywhere.  Where will Cliff Lee land?  The Yankees, duh.

It seems every off season that pitching is the biggest issue for those teams looking to make a big splash in free agency.