FanHouse Greg Norton

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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Footprints in the Snow is FanHouse's look at the paths to be forged by MLB teams this winter as they look ahead to 2009.

It's obvious that Billy Beane doesn't understand the concept of Footprints in the Snow. You see first, we tell major league GMs what they oughta do, then we predict what they will actually do. After that, the GMs go and do something nobody expects and they show us why they're running baseball teams and we're blogging about it.

Beane has the order wrong. He's not supposed to go and leave his footprints in the offseason snow before we write about it? What fun is that? But that's exactly what Billy did yesterday as he went and traded for Matt Holliday. So what you're about to read is a second draft done through the prism of the Holliday trade. Thanks a lot Billy. Next time, could you take better notes at our meetings?

This will be only the second time in his 22 year career that Tom Glavine goes on the DL. It will also be the second time this year. At this point, I could mention "curses" and "demons" inside the Atlanta mound, but obviously, those are fictional. Besides, Tommy Glavine is old as mess.

Braves officials will meet Wednesday to discuss their options regarding who will take his spot on the roster and in the starting rotation.

Glavine, 42, lasted three innings and was charged with six hits, four runs and four walks. Glavine has won twice in his past 15 starts dating to Sept. 20, when he was with the New York Mets. He has a 4.85 ERA in 12 starts this season.

It's not "good" by any means, but it's not horrible either. If anything, it puts the pressure on Frank Wren to make a move for a starter. Assuming he can do so without giving up an integral young player (like a Greg Norton-type) or any other pitchers, then whatever he pulls off is probably a good deal.

And, that, sadly is the state of affair right now. An already too heavy reliance on the minor leagues has the Braves thinking trade early, instead of actually promoting someone. (Note they could promote someone, but making a deal for Greg Maddux makes much more sense.)

Fantasy Spin: Glavine should be DL'd (deep leagues) or dropped (most leagues) if he was owned. His K/9 is way down this season from an already low number and he represents a risky fantasy start/investment.

Frank Wren, the new general manger of the Atlanta Braves, did something that not even his relatively self-promotional predecessor, John Schuerholz, would attempt to pull off. That would be to simultaneously bash a former player (and beloved homegrown talent Andruw Jones), bash another GM and promote himself, all with one swift, not-so-innocuous comment on Sporting News Radio (via Larry Brown).

'We had the ability to watch over the last two or three years that Andruw was not the same, and he wasn't the same player he was three years ago. We had already seen the decline begin. Now he very well may get it back to some extent but we had seen the decline so [letting him go] was easier.'

Not for nothing, Frank, because Ned Colletti is hardly a genius (see: Jones and Pierre, Juan), but what, exactly, have you pulled off this season? Greg Norton is a beast but until the Braves lock up another innings eater or middle infielder, it might be better to let actions speak instead of words.

Look, we all saw Druw stink up the joint last year but in terms of power, I find it tough to believe Wren thought that was a permanent outage. LB makes a good point about "work ethic" (or as I like to call it "ability to stop pounding donuts")

Either way though, it just seems silly. There's no benefit for Wren -- aside from pumping himself up -- from embarrassing both Jones and Colletti on the air, so just throw the DL'd chubster a bone and say you "hope the longtime Brave can find his stroke again" or somesuch fake speak.

I didn't think it was really worth writing up the Greg Norton trade when I saw it "break" this afternoon. After all, if you're a Braves fan and you heard the team made a trade, your immediate thoughts were "Ooooo, I wonder what mid-level starter we grabbed to eat innings" or "Dang! An extra middle infielder to back up Kelly Johnson and Yunel Escobar? I was hoping we could jerk Lillibridge back and forth a little more."

Your thought was probably not "YES! GREG _____ING NORTON! You've done it again, Wren, you sly dog! (/fist pump)" Reports actually have the swap for a PTBNL, but whatever, this team has bigger needs right now.

Smoltz is headed to the bullpen, and the starters are either dirt old, injured or young as mess, and that presents a problem. KJ hasn't been healthy all season and Yunel (who could play second as well) hasn't been a modicum of perfect health either.

So, the big question is, when is the signature Frank Wren trade coming? The guy is a protege of Schuerholz, so shouldn't he be wheeling/dealing/etc and landing the Braves some players that relate to serious roster needs? Answers: Good question, and yes, he should.

Obviously, this early in the year it's tough to pull of a starter; most teams haven't given up on their seasons yet and pitchers will be more expensive. But the Braves probably won't be the only NL East team shopping for pitching, so it doesn't hurt to get a head start.