It's Time For The Braves To Cash Out On 2009

It's over. It's done. Forget about it Braves fans. This team is the most dysfunctional, mentally deficient Braves team I have witnessed since 1989.

Sure, the record doesn't indicate that, but the stats surely do.

For that reason alone General Manager Frank Wren should wave the white flag on this season and sell off valuable, veteran pieces that could net the Braves a serious influx of young, talented players for 2010.

Now I know what some of you will say.

"You're an idiot! We're only four games out!?!" or "You aren't a true Braves fan!"

Some others might say, "Who cares what some stupid blogger thinks about my Braves!"

To the first excuse I say, yes, the Braves are only four games out.

But as badly as the Phillies, Mets, and Marlins have all played, the Braves had played that much worse. How else do you explain a Mets team with injuries galore still playing over .500 ball? Or a Phillies team that cannot win at home, and has no starting pitching yet they are still over .500 and sit alone atop the division? Or how about that Marlins team that started out on fire, then hit rock bottom, and then actually put more than three wins together at a time?

That's right, these Braves have won no more than three in a row all season long. When one thing goes right, four things go wrong. When four things go right, one thing goes wrong and it costs them the game.

It's not going to change anytime soon, folks.

To the folks who would challenge my fandom, on this forum I am first and foremost a writer, not a fan. Some of you should try that for a change. You can spin this team any way you want to, but the truth is they are nothing more than a barely .500 ball club who would already be out of the race in the NL Central, NL West, AL East and AL West.

And if you want to complain about me being a "just a blogger," what are you doing on this site? That's what we all are.

The truth is these Braves need wholesale changes from top to bottom. It's time to forget '09 and focus on the future.

Yunel Escobar is a great hitter. Unfortunately his defensive IQ is negative-25. His attitude is about a negative-90. And his antics have gotten on many, many nerves in Atlanta.

For a player to look up into the press box and curse the official scorer for giving him an error is downright unacceptable. Especially after said player has made a buffoon out of himself in the field at least once a week for the past month.

He needs to be the first one to go. Trade him for a nice package of young guys. I'm sure his bat alone would be enough for some team to trade a decent prospect for him.

I love Javy Vazquez, but if Wren disbands the team this will be the guy who gets the biggest return. There are no decent starting pitchers on the trading block so Wren could basically name his price for a guy like Javy.

I have no doubt that teams like the Dodgers, Brewers, Rangers and/or Rays would give up a king's ransom for a guy who has pitched like Vazquez has thus far. I think Atlanta could command two top prospects and one solid player for Javy.

Next, the Braves should flat out release Jeff Francoeur. I don't care how well he's played lately. He is a liability in that lineup. No one is interested, so just release him.

His attitude has been nothing short of arrogant lately as well. He was miffed at Bobby Cox for benching him Sunday after Francoeur had his "most comfortable night at the plate all season" on Saturday night. You know, the same night he came up with two runners on in a 2-0 ballgame and grounded into a double play.

Atlanta has some decent pieces to build on.

Nate McLouth will surely be a Brave for years to come. He's an all-out defensive player. He hits for average and power. He's a great piece to build around.

Chipper Jones will be here for the rest of his career as well. He can mentor this new wave of youth.

Brian McCann might be the best offensive catcher of this generation.

The pitching staff is pretty well set for the future as well. With Jurrjens, Hanson, Lowe, and Kawakami this might once again be the best rotation in the NL East in 2010.

Let Hudson come back and prove he can pitch in August. Then trade him away during the off season for some more youth.

I've also been a fan of Bobby Cox for a very long time.

I believe he has been one of the greatest managers the game has ever seen. But even he should step down at seasons end. His archaic management of players and games no longer works apparently.

The Braves need to clean house all the way from the roster to the coaches. Heck, after the multiple PR nightmares that Frank Wren has caused or been apart of this season maybe even he should go.

Look, it has worked for the Florida Marlins for years now. Sure they had to endure some bad seasons, but these young kids they have now will be ready to dominate when they move into that nice new stadium in a few years.

So there, I said it.

It's time for the Braves and Wren to give up on 2009. This team is simply not good enough to compete with the big boys, and there is no sense in allowing payroll to accumulate while your team languishes around .500 all season long.

Now, let the piranha chomp. I'm a big boy. I can take it.