John Hart

[Edwards Kings]

"FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal reports that John Hart will be named the Braves' president of baseball operations.
Hart had been serving as the Braves' interim general manager since the September 22 firing of Frank Wren and will now take a permanent role in Atlanta's front office. Hart is the former general manager of the Indians and Rangers. He also served as an in-studio analyst for a couple of years on MLB Network. The Braves still need to name a new GM, and that person will work directly under Hart. "

Actually, I hear Hart and the Assistant GM will spit the GM duties. The contract is for three years so that will get the Braves through the opening of the new stadium (I think they have two corporate sponsors fighting for naming rights for the stadium, dollars being the only condition, so it will either be the "Massengill Disposable Douche" Stadium or the "Tidy Bowl Double Flush" Stadium).

I do not have high hopes over the next couple of years for the Braves. I think they will clean house in advance of the new digs. Gone will be Justin, BJ, Gattis, Minor (as soon as his arm shows it is healthy), and Johnson. They will probably build around Teheran, Kimbrel, Freeman, Simmons (both the SS and the reliever versions), Bethancourt. Maybe Heyward too, but only because we like his defense and his last name is not "Upton", and they have him for $8.3M in 2015, then free agency will call, so they will have to fish or cut bait with him. Maybe Wood too, but I still think his motion is TJS waiting to happen. They will fill in the blanks until some of the low minor talent is ready (say Peraza, Sims, Graham) plus whatever the Braves can get out of trading the other pieces (not so much value beyond El Oso Blanco and Minor). I expect the payroll to be driven down, but a few focused LT committments. It would really suprise me if they made any play for the "big" name FA (Headly, Sandoval, Cruz, Santana, Shields). Expect a few retread pitchers like Harang. Beachy and Medlen are toast.

Not going to be pretty.

[DOUGHBOYS]

My only question is how Fredi Gonzalez retained his job......

[Edwards Kings]

Bobby Cox.

But wouldn't be surprising if a new manager happens with the new stadium.

Now they just need a hot, new manager that will look good in the press...is Bobby Valentine available?

[headhunters]

the south has been and always will be about 2 things in sports- college football- specifically the sec- and nascar. 97.5% of all sports teams in the south don't draw. texas is not the south- it is its own country- so not the south. the rest don't draw well and interest is nill. ask around- nascar or the braves, georgia football or the hawks or the falcons or the flames- oh wait- they are gone. you get the idea. actually kinda like it. The 3rd most popular sport in the south is either hunting or fishing.

[Edwards Kings]

The 3rd most popular sport in the south is either hunting or fishing.

And we do them concurrently...but sometimes we get the equipment backwards which really messes up the fish and pisses off the deer....