Atlanta Braves

In the 2009-2010 season, Tommy Hanson looked to be the ace that Braves fans had desperately hoped he would be. With an 11-4 record and a miniscule 2.89 ERA, the flamethrowing young pitcher gave hope to the fan base that so desperately wanted another young stud in their rotation.

His sophomore season, as a result of the high standards that were created by his first year, has to be viewed as somewhat of a disappointment thus far. At least on the outside it must be.

Let’s dig a little bit deeper.

Following the 2008 season, Braves GM Frank Wren made it clear that he was looking to acquire at least two starting pitchers to bolster the rotation and lead the Braves back into the playoffs.

While Javier Vazquez and Kenshin Kawakami eventually made their way to Atlanta, the Braves wanted an ace, and targeted a couple big name pitchers.

Over the years, the Atlanta Braves have been very active in the trade market.

With five All-Stars and 50-plus wins before the break, the Atlanta Braves look very strong going into the second half of the 2010 season.

They’ve combined their stellar pitching staff with timely hitting (16 wins in their last at-bat before the All-Star Break) and have steered clear of the Phillies and Mets to jump out to a 4-game lead in the NL East.

The unofficial halfway point of the 2010 baseball season was culminated by the National League's 3-1 win of the All-Star game on Tuesday night. In addition to the game acting as a celebration of baseball itself, the All-Star break often serves as an opportune time to reflect on a team's position in the standings and what it can realistically achieve going forward. 

Which teams will be buyers or sellers at the July 31st trade deadline?

What prospects will be called up that can make a difference for their respective team?

Stop me if this sounds familiar. A mid-20s middle infielder loses the faith of the Atlanta Braves organization and is sent packing, making him a classic change of scenery guy.

Yup, I will call this Yunel Escobar trade “Kelly Johnson Part 2.” Now of course the biggest difference between Escobar and Johnson is that Johnson left as a free agent after he wasn’t tendered a contract. With Escobar, the Braves got something in return.

Escobar is headed north of the border.

The Atlanta Braves had to move to the top of the list of teams that are racing towards the National League crown with their move today to bring in SS Alex Gonzalez.

The Braves traded once heralded players, SS Yunel Escobar and Jo-Jo Reyes, to the Toronto Blue Jays for SS Alex Gonzalez and two minor league players.

The move is sure to bolster the middle of the lineup that has been struggling in the power department (Chipper Jones 6 HR, McCann 10 HR, Glaus 14 HR, Hinske 6 HR, and Escobar 0 HR).

I've been on record as saying that I'm a Yunel sympathizer.

I've lauded his talent and said that his occasional lapses are just part of an incredible, high-upside, (overall) well-rounded Major League shortstop.

But you know what?

When I got this text from my friend: "Did you see that trade?", and shimmied my way over to MLB Trade Rumors to be greeted by "Blue Jays Acquire Yunel Escobar..." I wasn't nearly as torn up and angry as I would I have anticipated myself being when I started bracing for this news about a month ago.

At the end of the season, legend Bobby Cox will finally retire and hand the Braves over to another manager. The Braves would love to send him off with another World Series Title.

Last night in the All-Star game, Braves catcher Brian McCann could have helped them in a very crucial way.

As we all know, the game decides home field advantage in the World Series, and that’s what it is: an advantage.

You're a general manager with a team in the thick of a pennant race, trying to make it back to the playoffs for the first time since 2005. Your shortstop has not yet produced at the plate, but has performed well in the field (sixth in the league in fielding average, and first in the league in double-plays turned). Shopping for a replacement, you come up with two choices:

Shortstop 1: .299 batting average, .837 OPS, 14 homers.

Shortstop 2: .238 batting average, .635 OPS, 8 homers.

You want shortstop No. 1, right?