Braves remake starting rotation

[Guest bob_barron]

From the AP-

 

Quickly remaking their starting rotation, the Atlanta Braves (news) acquired Russ Ortiz (news) from San Francisco on Tuesday and signed free-agent Paul Byrd (news) to a $10 million, two-year contract.

 

The Braves already had landed Mike Hampton (news) in a trade and lost Tom Glavine (news) to the New York Mets (news). Greg Maddux (news) — like Glavine, a free agent — has until Thursday to accept the Braves' offer of salary arbitration.

 

 

To get Ortiz, Atlanta sent pitcher Damian Moss and minor league pitcher Manuel Mateo to San Francisco.

 

 

Ortiz, a 27-year-old right-hander, was 14-10 last season with a 3.61 ERA, helping the Giants reach the World Series (news - web sites). He has a 67-44 career record with a 4.01 ERA.

 

 

"Russ was the Giants' No. 1 starter last year and has demonstrated on a consistent basis his ability to be a top-of-rotation starter," Braves general manager John Schuerholz said.

 

 

Ortiz is to earn $4.6 million in 2003, and the Braves have a club option for $5.7 million in 2004 with a $300,000 buyout option. The option could increase by as much as $900,000 based on the number of innings he pitches next season.

 

 

Byrd pitched for Atlanta in 1997 and 1998 and went 17-11 last season with a 3.90 ERA for the Kansas City Royals (news). He gets $3 million next season and has a $7 million player option for 2004.

 

 

Moss, a 26-year-old Australian, went 12-6 with a 4.11 ERA as the Braves' fifth starter last season, his first in the majors. The left-hander signed with the Braves as a free agent in 1993 and spent seven years in their minor league system.

 

 

"To acquire a player with Damian's upside at this point in his career is an opportunity that we couldn't pass up," San Francisco GM Brian Sabean said. "He has a quality arm that hitters in the league have obviously had a tough time figuring out. He's the type of pitcher who will have quite a bit of success in our ballpark."

 

 

Moss will become the first Australian-born player in Giants franchise history.

 

 

The Giants also got Mateo, a 20-year-old right-hander who went 7-3 with a 1.98 ERA in 12 games with the Braves' rookie Gulf Coast League team last season.

 

 

The Braves also are trying to rebuild their bullpen after losing three relievers this offseason. Mike Remlinger (news) (to the Chicago Cubs (news)) and Chris Hammond (news) (New York Yankees (news)) left as free agents, while Tim Spooneybarger went to Florida as part of the Hampton deal.

 

 

Atlanta traded infielder Wes Helms (news) to Milwaukee on Monday for left-hander middle reliever Ray King.

[Guest the pinjockey]

Apparently it is just fate for the Braves to rule the NL East forever.

 

Maddux-Millwood-Hampton-Byrd-Marquis is better than last year.

[Guest bob_barron]

I like the moves but I think this means Maddux is leaving which would just crush me and completely depress me.

 

But it looks Boras is being a dick so I sympathise with the Braves

[Guest MaxPower27]

Where's Maddux going to end up?

 

::prays he goes to Boston::

[Guest bravesfan]

Either resigns with Atlanta via arbitration, or he's going to Arizona.

 

That's the only 2 teams I could fathom Maddux going to.

[Rob E Dangerously 0]

Paul Byrd goes to Atlanta..

 

...

 

FUCK YOU DAVID GLASS!

 

FUCK YOU PAUL BYRD!

 

Guess what suckers.. Byrd only seemed good because the rest of the KC rotation was too young or they sucked.

 

Byrd's gonna bomb.

 

The sad thing is with KC.. Contraction is the best thing that could happen. We're never gonna be a competitive team with that waste of sperm David Glass (dumbass- Wal Mart) owning the team.

 

Beltran is gonna go

 

Sweeney is gonna go

 

KC got Atlanta's #30 pick in the Draft. But the Baseball draft is absolutely worthless anyways.

 

maybe the only way to save KC Baseball is to kill it

[Guest Downhome]

I don't want Maddux to leave, but if he does, how evil would it be if the Mets somehow got him also?

[Guest bravesfan]

Guess what suckers.. Byrd only seemed good because the rest of the KC rotation was too young or they sucked.

 

Byrd's gonna bomb.

 

...Byrd pitched for Atlanta in 1997 and 1998 and went 17-11 last season with a 3.90 ERA for the Kansas City Royals (news).

 

I highly doubt Byrd's stats are justified by KC's lack of pitching. How are they even indirectly related?

 

Let's focus on the supposed offense. Byrd's stats are great, even though...

-- Sweeney was out for 30+ games.

-- There were no players with 30+ homeruns.

-- Only ONE player batting over .300 (Sweeney)

-- Only 5 players with more than 10 homeruns

 

....where's the offense to help him out?

 

 

If Glass passes on quality players like Sweeney and Byrd, then I say "good riddance" to the Royals.

[Rob E Dangerously 0]

let's put it like this..

 

It was a fluke.

 

Anyways.. Byrd's a god damn liar. He said he'd stay in Kansas City even if we offered him less.

 

Don't worry.. you can cheaply trade Byrd off in a year or two

[Guest teke184]

Boo freakin' hoo...

 

If Glass wanted Byrd, he should have signed him for what he claimed he'd take DURING the season instead of waiting for him to test the free agent market.

 

As for him being a fluke, he also had an All Star season for the Phillies a couple of years ago. That seems to say that if KC was actually worth a crap, he'd have had well over 20 wins last season and certainly lost less than 11 games.

[Guest alkeiper]

A quick glance at baseball-reference.com reveals some odd stats. Byrd gave up 36 home runs last year, but only walked 38. That's a Schiiling-esqe ratio if I ever saw one. Still, it doesn't really match his career numbers. Let's face it, Byrd's 31, and he's won 10+ only once. Every thing about his numbers would indicate a decline next year. He's not going to get any better. Could he be any good? Absolutely, but its not a sure thing by any means.

 

As for the Braves rotation, anyone else think Hampton should play first and hit more?

[B. Brian Brunzell 0]

Hampton playing 1B would get better production that what the Braves have there now.

[Guest Vern Gagne]

Maddux will end up resigning with Atlanta or signing with a West Coast team. Maybe SF, who got rid of Ortiz?

 

It was rumored that Houston was in serious talks with Jeff Kent. Wonder what that means for Biggio.

[Guest Choken One]

Maddux resigns for Two years and goes 18-4 and 17-2 and chokes in the 1st round both years and retires. Goes to HOF and we forget him.

[Guest Mad Dog]

Does anyone else think that the Braves are stupid for letting Moss go?

[Guest Shawn 5]

I agree. Moss is better at this point in his career than Maddux, Glavine, Smoltz, or Millwood were at the same point. The guy has unlimited potential and if the Braves are able to resign Maddux, he would have had on the job tutering from the best pitcher of the last 15 years, not to mention the best pitching coach ever (Leo Mazzone).

[Guest alkeiper]

Moss is better at this point in his career than Maddux, Glavine, Smoltz, or Millwood were at the same point.

 

I disagree. Moss is 25. Maddux had 75 wins by that age. Glavine had 53, and Smoltz had 57. Moss also walked 89 batters, nearly as many as he struck out. Ortiz is every bit as good, IMO.

[Guest the pinjockey]

If Moss was a little younger 22-23 like I thought he was than I wouldn't like this deal for the Braves because in the games I saw him pitch last year he looked like he had good stuff and could be excellent if he got under control, but being 25 I would trade potential in a heartbeat for an estblished pitcher only a few years older.