Boras for manager of the year... said no one ever.

Post by Mike

It has been a month and I can just now bring myself to write anything about the Braves. The way we lost that one game playoff still turns my stomach, but into the future we march. There is always next year.... right?

Well I have some concerns. While Wren has done a great job with the pitching rotation my main concern for next season is with the offense. Chipper is gone along with his .300 batting average, so there is one huge hole to fill. Can we replace his spot in the order, and do without Michael Bourn?

I don't think so. Bourn struggled down the stretch, but he is the best lead off man in baseball right now, and Prado was very effective in the two hole. Of the free agents on the 2012 roster I would have to rank their importance like this:

1 - Bourn
2 - Bourn
3 - Bourn
4 - Ross
5 - Durbin

But according Dave O'Brien the Braves might rule him too expensive to sign, plus his agent is Scott Boras. He stuck us on that Texeria deal, and he wants Bourn to play in Washington or New York.

Monday DOB had the following:

For the Braves, the free-agent list included Jeff Baker, Miguel Batista, Michael Bourn, Matt Diaz, Chad Durbin, Eric Hinske, Reed Johnson, Lyle Overbay, David Ross and Ben Sheets, who announced he was retiring at the end of the 2012 season.

The Braves are expected to re-sign backup catcher Ross, and also are believed to have interest in bringing back reliever Durbin and outfielder Johnson. The Braves have said since the beginning of the 2012 season that they’d like to re-sign Bourn, but the center fielder and leadoff man, who is represented by powerful agent Scott Boras, could be deemed too expensive by the Braves.

I think this is a nice way of saying "Boras is an untrustworthy ass, and we will let him come to us to negotiate. We will give him our number, but we ain't gona let him use us again to drive up a player's price."

If that is the thinking, I concur. Boras wrecked the Nationals last season with the way he demanded the team handle Strasberg. You can't allow an agent to skipper your team, and that SOB has Strasberg, Werth and Zimmerman in his stable. He is the defacto manager of the Nationals.

So take heart. If we lose Bourn to the Nats it may sting a bit, but Boras will only gain even more control of our new hated rival, and he ain't a very good manager. It could be a blessing in disguise.

Still... that won't fill in the lead off spot.