Earlier in the offseason, I was very cautious about the Braves and their playoff chances. The Braves were losing Billy Wagner and Takashi Saito, as well as key bench players.
I was pleased with the Dan Uggla move, but that was only one player and the two relievers the Braves signed struggled lasted season.
The future for the Braves was looking a little foggy, but in the past month the news has been getting better. The first of this news is about Chipper Jones and his recovery.
Jones' injury that occurred during the final stretch of the 2010 regular season looked to be a career killer. He had to have surgery as well as extensive rehab in order to make it back with the club, but still he looked to be on his last leg.
Now my outlook of Jones has changed; I believe he will have a Jones-like year this year. In spring training, he has hit over .400 and leads the team in HRs and RBI.
He has been the key offensive player for the Braves for the past 15 years, telling you how valuable he is. He can get on base, hit home runs and have a high batting average. He won the batting title only three years ago.
Although it is only spring training, it still is a great sign. The Braves need him to perform well this year to have a good chance of making the postseason and even winning the NL East.
Another good sign for the Braves is the choices made by the management. Instead of keeping Joe Mather, who has underperformed so far this spring, the Braves put him on waivers. Also, the Braves cut reliever Scott Proctor, another poor performer.
These smart moves show that the management is moving in the right direction. Bobby Cox had a tendency to hold on to veteran players or "favorites" of his instead of utilizing those who were actually playing well.
It remains to be seen if the bench players that are chosen are any better than Proctor or Mather, but regardless, I still love these moves.
The last of the noteworthy good news for the Braves is the Phillies' problems. As the Braves' major competitor and rival, anything that affects them affects the Braves.
Recently, the injury bug once again has struck—and struck hard. And like last season, the bug targeted the Phillies.
Dominic Brown injured his hand, Utley has an injured knee and Brad Lidge has shoulder problems. Although all three of these players will likely return to the team early in the season, it still is foreboding for the Phillies' season.
Remember last year when a lot of their team was injured? The Braves took the lead and held it until September. If those players that were injured last year did not return like they did, the Braves probably would have won the division.
Am I saying that the same thing will happen this year? No, but I cannot rule it out. The Phillies are an older team, which is both good and bad.
The good is that they are veterans or are in their prime, the bad is that they are more susceptible to injuries. We have seen both with the Phillies, but the bad soon could outweigh the good.
With many of the Phillies' important players injured, the Braves have a great opportunity to jump out with the lead early in the season. Of course, being first in the division at the end of April doesn't mean much, but it still makes it easier for the Braves to finish the season in that same spot.
We shall see if this good new translates into wins for the Braves, but so far signs are pointing upward.
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