Footprints in the Snow: Braves

Footprints in the Snow is FanHouse's look at the paths to be forged by MLB teams this winter as they look ahead to 2010.

The Atlanta Braves were alive in the wild-card race late in the season due to a powerful pitching rotation that featured six viable starting candidates (at least there were six at the end of the season). The Braves ranked third in the National League in team ERA with a 3.57 mark and had two 15-game winners in Derek Lowe and Javier Vazquez. They also ranked fourth in team batting average and sixth in runs scored even without a true cleanup hitter in the lineup.

If you examine their bullpen you'll also find two relievers who were in the top five in strikeouts among relief pitchers -- Mike Gonzalez with 90 and Rafael Soriano with 102. These relievers shared the closing duties for most of the season and each had ERA's below three to finish the year.

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Who Might Leave

Garret Anderson, LF; Mike Gonzalez, LHP; Adam LaRoche, 1B; Greg Norton, INF/OF; Rafael Soriano, RHP; Jorge Campillo, RHP (released); Buddy Carlyle, RHP (released); Vladimir Nunez, RHP (released).

Shopping List

The biggest need in Atlanta heading into 2010 is a big bat to in the middle of the lineup. That person can play first base of one of the corner outfield spots as both are positional needs f the Braves right now.

The Braves have expressed interest in Josh Willingham, who hit 24 home runs for the Washington Nationals in 2009. Willingham would fit in nicely in the Atlanta outfield, but he's still not the true power hitter of which the Braves are in dire need. Also rumored to be on the radar for Atlanta are Jason Bay and Matt Holliday, but neither are likely candidates as they would require a huge outlay of money the Braves aren't willing to dish out.

Atlanta may also be searching for a closer, a first baseman and a setup man for the bullpen, but those moves are reactionary more than a glaring need. Both Gonzalez and Soriano are up for free agency, as is first baseman Adam LaRoche. The Braves would like to re-sign both relief pitchers, but the asking price may be too high for the pair, leaving the team to keep one of the two and then fill the role of the departed via free agency. Billy Wagner has been mentioned on multiple occasions.

LaRoche fits into the Braves clubhouse very well and he's also a viable place-holder at first base, but the Braves are unwilling to sign him to a long-term contract since they have a first base prospect Freddie Freeman almost ready for big-league action.

Money Matters

The Braves have already made big news by signing Tim Hudson to a new contract. This gives the Braves six starting pitchers and makes Derek Lowe or Javier Vazquez very viable trade candidates. Vazquez would surely bring a much better package back in return, but the Braves would love to shed Lowe's contract. He is still owed $45 million over the next three years.

Atlanta has close to $81 million in commitments prior to the arbitration hearings of Ryan Church, Matt Diaz, Kelly Johnson, Boone Logan and Peter Moylan. The Braves likely won't bring back Johnson or Logan, but the other three are looking at raises that the Braves may pay. Moylan, a very effective groundball specialist, appeared in 87 games for Atlanta last year, the most of any pitcher. Diaz had a career year for the Braves ,and if he truly has solved his inability to hit right-handed pitching, would surely be a valuable asset for the Braves bench.

Offseason Goals

The Braves have a lot to look forward to in 2010. Tommy Hanson only made 21 starts in Atlanta and finished third in Rookie of the Year voting. If he can provide 30-plus starts next year, the Braves will be a much better team. The same can be said for Hudson as he missed most of 2009 recovering from Tommy John surgery. Even with those two pitchers making the Braves better, if the lineup isn't enhanced with a power hitter or two, it's going to be very tough for them to wrestle control of the NL East away from the Phillies.