TOT: Braves Add Lowe and Kawakami. Braves Fans shudder.

Transactions of Today...January 13, 2009 - The Atlanta Braves signed Derek Lowe and Kenshin Kawakami as free agents.

Oh, this day. If any one day led to Frank Wren's firing, it was this one - even if it took years to happen.

Dilip Vishwanat | Getty Images

First, let's go with a history refresher. The Atlanta Braves lose 90 games with Bobby Cox at the helm in 2008. It was Wren's first season after taking over from John Schuerholz. He inherited a roster with promise in the field, but weaknesses on the mound. Jair Jurrjens, who just 22 years old, led the team in starts and innings pitched after Tim Hudson went down with injury. The rest of the staff? Jorge Campillo, Jo-Jo Reyes, Mike Hampton, and a not-ready-for-primetime Charlie Morton. The Braves finished with a 4.46 ERA - the third consecutive year the team had an ERA over 4 (hadn't happened since the 70's). There was little hope on the farm outside of Tommy Hanson. The Braves needed pitching and they needed it bad.

But that wasn't the only reason Wren went kind of crazy on the free agent market. After adding Javier Vazquez to the rotation, the Braves were hopeful that would be the start of a big and booming offseason. However, they struck out on acquiring Jake Peavy, who would ultimately be kept and traded at the 2009 deadline by the Padres. They also struck out on Rafael Furcal, who was all but certain to return to Atlanta. They were trying to hammer out a deal for Ken Griffey Jr., who had reached out to them, but were getting nowhere and Junior would ultimately sign with the Mariners. Wren, who was far more gifted at trading for players than signing them, felt the pressure to return Atlanta to prominence with an improved rotation. He targeted Lowe and went for broke on Kawakami.

In his defense, Lowe was coming off a 3.26 FIP in his final year with the Dodgers that included a sweet 3.27 K/BB ratio. The only problem was that he was entering his upper 30's. Kawakami had a spent a decade honing his craft with Chunichi in the Central League from Japan's Nippon Profressional League. He did have some good seasons - especially in 2006, but was also also 33 years-old.

One other thing to remember was the defection of John Smoltz. Many thought he would retire as a Brave, but Wren was not anxious to resign him for 2009. Smoltz had thrown just 28 innings in 2008, ending a streak of three consecutive 200+ inning seasons since his return to the rotation. Just months before his 42nd birthday, Atlanta waffled on a competitive offer for Smoltz. Wren seemed to access the "I want to save face, but I don't want to sign you" philosophy John Schuerholz used on Tom Glavine. Smoltz would sign with the Red Sox one day before the deals for Lowe and Kawakami were made official.

Another thing to remember was how in demand Lowe was, especially by the New York Mets. The sticking point boiled down to a fourth year. The Mets were willing to include it as an option, but they would not guarantee it. The Braves paniked and gave it to Lowe on the condition he quickly sign. He jumped at it.

All told, the Braves agreed to a $60M contract with Lowe and a 3-year, $23M contract with Kawakami. Lowe started strong, but was prone to complete crapfests (6 R or more in 5 starts). As the season progressed, his ERA ballooned to 4.67. Durable as usual, he was basically a worse Russ Ortiz in 2009. Kawakami was...okay. 4.21 FIP, 1.34 WHIP, 156.1 ING. He could have been worse. We'd find out how worse.

Lowe was better in in 2010. People have a misconception about Lowe's time with Atlanta. it wasn't great, but his 3.89 FIP in Atlanta was just 0.12 worse than his time with the Dodgers. It was just that when he was bad, he got really bad. When he was good, it never seemed like $60M good enough. One problem for Lowe was his sinker was losing sink and his control - so pinpoint with the Dodgers - was only very good rather than excellent. For a pitcher reliant on a limited skillset not eroding, age was getting to him. Still, Lowe finished strong in 2010 and even started two postseason games. He pitched well, but not good enough as the Braves depleted roster just lacked the firepower to beat the Giants.

No matter what we might say about Lowe, he was still better than Kawakami. In 2010, things just got ugly for the Japanese import. Win-loss record should be killed, but you have to suck to get to 1-10 usually. The Braves jettisoned Kawakami to the minors in July. He would make two appearances in September and finished the year with a 5.15 ERA in less than 90 innings. In 2011, injured and ineffective, Kawakami never pitched above AA ball. Mississippi fans wished he hadn't been there all the same.

Lowe's 2011 was bad - though again his other peripherals weren't terrible. He was declining at a steady rate and at a rate that wasn't hard to imagine considering his age. After 2011's 5.05 ERA, the Braves paid $10M or the remaining $15M just to trade him to the Indians.

In the end, Wren's free agent decisions in the winter of 2008-09 overshadowed pickups like Vazquez and Eric O'Flaherty, also acquired that winter. The 2009 Braves finished short of the playoffs, while the 2010 team - infused with Jason Heyward, Jonny Venters, and Kris Medlen - were good enough to go to the playoffs. 2011 would see the Braves collapse down the stretch and miss the playoffs completely. Lowe lost his last five starts, including 7-1 in the season's penultimate game against the Phillies. He gave up five runs in four innings that night. His last pitch was on a single by Jimmy Rollins to open the 5th. A batter later, Hunter Pence homered off Arodys Vizcaino to put the Braves down 6-0.

Lowe would be out of baseball by the end of 2013 and Kawakami returned to Japan in 2012, pitching three more brief years for Chunichi. Expected to be a strong middle-of-the-rotation arm for three years, he finished with just 243.2 ING in the majors.

As for Wren, the signings of Lowe and Kawakami, along with Melvin Upton Jr. and the extension for Dan Uggla would lead to his dismissal near the end of the 2014 season. The 2008-09 offseason, especially, was particularly damning. The near signing of Furcal, not being able to add Peavy, settling for Garret Anderson after Griffey went back to Seattle, Smoltz leaving...all of these things were PR nightmares, but their lasting effects were minimal. Nobody could say the same about Lowe and Kawakami.

Taking A Look at the East: New York Mets

Yesterday, I began a short and not so sweet look at the NL East, starting with the Phillies. For fans of other teams that may be visiting the blog, I perfectly realize that I'm not an expert on your franchise. Hell, I might be very wrong about some assumptions I am making. But, my win prediction - you can take that to the bank. I wouldn't call it rock solid unless it was after all.

New York Mets
Additions: Michael Cuddyer, John Mayberry Jr.
Subtractions: Eric Young Jr. (!)
Rock-Solid Win Prediction: 77-85

It was a pretty quiet offseason for the 79-win Mets, who added Cuddyer to the surprise of many. A 35 year-old who has missed significant action in 2-of-3 years since leaving the AL, Cuddyer was great as a Rockie when he played, but do we really expect him to produce in a park that isn't quiet as nice to hitters no matter how many times they bring the fences in? Well, his projections aren't exciting. Steamer is down on him (.254/.313/.414), though ZiPS has a much rosier view (.271/.325/.450). Will that be enough to help an offense that finished eighth in runs scored? Well, they started EY Jr. a lot in left field last year so probably. Wait, that hurt.

Lucas Duda had a quiet 30 homers last year to lead the Mets, who suffered down years from David Wright and Curtis Granderson. Juan Lagaris is the Mets' version of Andrelton Simmons. His defense is fantastic, but can he hit enough?

On the mound, the Mets should be young and improved, especially with the return of Matt Harvey. However, Bartolo Colon will continue to spearhead the rotation despite turning 42 in May. He had two hits in 69 trips to the plate last year with 33 K's. And that swing...oh, that swing. The pen lost Josh Edgin, but recently added Alex Torres and his helmet-hat so that's a decent trade-off. Jenrry Mejia saved 28 last year, but the pitcher I like out of their pen is Jeurys Familia. 1.18 WHIP last year and a 3.07 FIP.

I like the rotation, but not much else about this team stands out especially in the wake of Zack Wheeler's injury. The offense is depending heavily on bounceback seasons from their veterans while their kids mature into productive major leaguers. That said, the rotation could get even better with the much-anticipated arrivals of Noah Syndergaard and Steven Matz. There's a couple of of hitters on the verge of being ready for the the move up the chain as well. They could soon be an exciting young team, but they might be at least a year away. I see the Braves battling them for third, but I imagine the Mets will be a few games better.

Interesting Rule 5 Guys

The Rule 5 draft rarely hurts the team losing the player and rarely does much for the team gaining the player. The Atlanta Braves last drafted a player in the Rule 5 in 2011, picking up lefty Robert Fish from the Angels. While Fish was kept as the Angels weren't that interested in getting him back for the second straight year (he was a Rule 5 choice the year before), the former sixth rounder never played above A-ball for the Braves and was released. You have to go all the way back to 1997 to find a player the Braves picked in the Rule 5 and who broke camp with the team. Brian Edmondson appeared in ten games for Atlanta that season before being waived in early June. A few followed the Chris Spurling road. Get drafted, spend most if not all of the spring with the Braves, get traded.

While Atlanta has rarely selected players, it has been more frequently raided by other teams. Most recently, the Twins picked up left-hander Scott Diamond in 2011 and he started 58 games for them between 2011 and 2013. A Canadian fan favorite and outfielder, Adam Stern was picked in 2004. Like Diamond after him, fans bemoaned the loss as another player on the 40-man roster was kept over him. He also shares the fact that his career was short and unremarkable with Diamond.

Not that there aren't Rule 5 success stories. Johan Santana stands out and as does our former friend Dan Uggla. It's just rare that the player even sticks around to play for the team he was drafted by and rare that the Braves even try.

But this year could be the kind of season to give it a try. We've heard all winter how Frank Wren destroyed the minor league depth for the organization. Whether that's fair or not, looking at who the Braves worked to keep a few weeks ago, it's fairly obvious that there truly is a problem. If Atlanta wants to add depth, the answer might come in December 11th's Rule 5 draft. The only problem is that to get a draft choice, you need to have room on the 40-man roster. Currently, Atlanta is carrying 40 players. That could change and I truly hope it does. Here are some of the guys who could be useful for the Braves in 2015 and beyond.

An Option for the Starting Rotation

Jed Bradley - Milwaukee

As rare as picking a pitcher that sticks is, it's almost never seen that a starter jumps into his new team's rotation like Diamond did as Rule 5 choice. However, as it stands, the Braves do have an empty spot at the bottom of the rotation. Sure, there are the flirtations with Jon Lester and Justin Masterson, the intriguing cases of Kris Medlen and Brandon Beachy, and the exceedingly mediocre David Hale, but as of right this second, the fifth spot is wide open. Could Bradley be an option? Obviously, he would have to make an impression in spring training and pitching coach Roger McDowell would have to do his magic, but Bradley is only three years removed from being the 15th overall selection out of Georgia Tech. The left-hand starter could get a shot at bullpen work, but let's look at him as a starter first. He certainly hasn't been overly impressive stat-wise just yet, but something to consider was that he moved toward getting more groundballs last year. Things clicked and led to a promotion to AA, where he started strong and was roughed up late. Making the jump to the majors after 17 starts in AA is hard for huge prospects, let alone fringe ones. He has a nice mid-90's fastball and a good feel for his change-up. Would he stick with the Braves? Probably not. However, if pitching depth is a problem, why not take a chance? An alternate route is if McDowell likes him and wants to keep working with him, the Braves could work out a deal with the Brewers to keep Bradley, but send him to the minors.

Greg Peavey - New York Mets

A member of the Little League World Series in 2000, Peavey's velocity stays in the low 90's. With a good, hard slider, he might be better off in the bullpen, but is coming off a solid year with AA Binghamton in the Eastern League where he posted a 2.90 ERA and 1.04 WHIP. A six-start run in the Pacific Coast League with Las Vegas didn't go so well and his AAA numbers are abysmal, but the former sixth rounder from Oregon State has superb control and is a bit of a surprise that he's even available.

Bullpen Depth

Greg Infante - Toronto

Unlike many that could interest the Braves, Infante has some major league experience as he appeared in five games with the White Sox in 2010. He hasn't got back to the majors since, but the now 27 year-old did have a 1.94 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, and 2.4 K/BB in 41 games last season. Bullpen guys have a better chance of sticking than starters out of the Rule 5 draft and Infante could possibly help the Braves next season.

Andrew McKirahan - Chicago Cubs

You want strikeouts? He has plenty. You want control? Impeccable. You want a lefty? Bingo. McKirahan has only pitched 21 games above A-ball, but seems to stand a great chance of being drafted in a few weeks (or traded beforehand). Another member of the Tommy John Saved Our Career Club, McKirahan could surprise some people in 2015.

Keith Butler - St. Louis

Recently outrighted by the Cards, Butler has appeared in 18 games in the majors over the last two seasons and has great ratios in the minors. However, he missed most of last season with Tommy John and could miss significant time in 2015 working his way back. After an exhaustive rehab stint, the Braves will be forced to make a decision. The good news is that Butler could be a really good reliever. The bad news is that it might not come until 2016.

Sean Gilmartin - Minnesota

Amazingly, people were sweating losing Gilmartin in last year's Ryan Doumit trade. While Doumit and his demon eyes crashed and burned, Gilmartin stagnated. But he pitches with his left arm and that makes him a bit more valuable than he probably should be. As a long reliever/emergency starter/sometimes LOOGY, Gilmartin could be an option.

John Stilson - Toronto

Unlike many available prospects in the draft, Stilson has extensive time at AAA. He also is coming off shoulder surgery that will likely keep him from competing for a spot in camp. However, his mid-90's fastball and good change-up could interest Atlanta into taking a shot on the former Texas A&M pitcher.

Bench Options

Mark Canha - Florida

With right-handed pop at a premium, Canha could intrigue teams like the Braves. While his natural defensive position is blocked by Freddie Freeman, Canha does have limited experience at third base and in the corner outfield positions and the good news there is that experience is recent. He's coming off a season with AAA-New Orleans where Canha slashed .303/.384/.505, which were mild improvements over his career numbers.

Delino DeShields - Houston

It's remarkable that he is available for this draft, though that also might be a sign that there is something that doesn't add up with this kid. The son of a former MLB player, DeShields possesses world-class speed included 101 steals in 2012. He gets his fair share of swings-and-misses, but still does a solid job getting on base, making his speed a real weapon. He also has enough pop to surpass ten homers in two-of-the-last three seasons. Defensively, he's probably nothing special in center, which he was moved to last season, though he also plays seconds. So, the problem? Attitude, it appears. He has been pulled more than a few times for not running out balls. Talent-wise, he's probably the best offensive player in this draft. But will he accept coaching and play hard? Well, the Astros, of all teams, did leave him unprotected for a reason.

Jared Mitchell - Chicago White Sox

Always a strikeout-prone left-hand hitter, this 2009 first-round talent has been a bust for his entire career. Until last season, that is. The former LSU Tiger still struck out a ton, but he posted his best season with an .806 OPS and 19 HR. He has some speed, though his basestealing isn't much of a skill. He also walks at a solid rate. Could be a late bloomer with platoon capability in left.

Matt Skole - Washington

With the Braves reportedly interested in a platoon option to pair with Chris Johnson, Skole could attract some attention. A fifth rounder in 2011, Skole came onto the scene the following season with a .291/.426/.559 slash that included 27 homers. A significant wrist injury sidelined him in 2013 and the his numbers were down in 2014, but he did hit 5 of his 14 homers in his final 19 games. However, he moved across the diamond for most of the season so he might not be able to play a competent enough 3B at this point.

Zach Borenstein - Arizona

A left-hand hitting corner outfielder, Borenstein was picked up by the D'Backs in the trade that send Joe Thatcher to Anaheim. In four seasons since being drafted in the 23rd round, all he has done is hit to the tune of .286/.359/.509 while climbing to AAA for 20 games last year. Does he have much upside? Probably not. Will he be a AAA regular for the next five years before moving to Asia? Possibly. But he's worth a look for a team that could use options in the outfield.

Chances are that none of these players become productive major leaguers. Teams have essentially said that they are not good enough to be protected and they are probably right in most cases. This is where the scouts earn their money. Atlanta probably won't select anyone in the Rule 5 draft, but for a team that has plenty of holes, I believe it's worth a shot on these players I've profiled and others I didn't mention.

Frenchy Goes Philly

How absolutely perfect is it that Jeff Francoeur is now a Phillie? After all, the Phillies are an organization that is not expected to finish with a winning record, yet they will pay three players at least $23M next year. This is the same organization that refused to truly entertain the idea of trading Chase Utley last year when his value was at his highest. And while Frank Wren is circling job ads in the classifieds, Ruben Amaro Jr. continues as the GM for the Phillies. And now, Frenchy. How perfect.

It wasn't that long ago that the Braves were crossing their fingers before the 2002 draft that no team would take the plunge on drafting Francoeur before the Braves' first selection, the 23rd overall. Francoeur, who was committed to Clemson where he would play football, had informed other teams that his future included either the Braves or a shot playing defensive back for Clemson. Makes you wonder what the Braves would have done had the Phillies selected Francoeur 17th instead of Cole Hamels. What if the Indians picked Francoeur 22nd, right in front of the Braves, instead of Jeremy Gutherie? Who would have been next on Roy Clark's big board? A pair of college righties like Guthrie and Joe Blanton (picked #24th)? Or maybe Matt Cain, the high school senior from Germantown, TN?

But as we know, it was the Braves that drafted Francoeur with their first choice in 2002 and invested $2.2M into Francoeur to convince him to give up the silly dream of playing for Tommy Bowden. That signing bonus remained the largest the Braves had given to an amateur until 2009, when Mike Minor signed a $2.42M signing bonus. Once he signed, Francoeur would rake at Danville and the 19 year-old was quickly pushed to Rome. The Braves, for years it seems, love to let their minor league prospects settle into being in a full season atmosphere with a full year at low-A which is what Rome is. Brian McCann joined him for a full year and later bromancers Freddie Freeman and Jason Heyward spent nearly all of a full season with Rome. They would hit the fast lane after their time in Rome, but the Braves appear to want them to get their feet wet for a full season in one spot before doing too much moving.

Whereas Francoeur hammered Appalachain League pitching in 2002, his numbers were impressive, but not knock-your-socks off with Rome. He lashed .281/.325/.444 with 30 walks and 68 K's. He also grounded into 21 soul-killing double plays. Still, the argument was solid. He was young for the level. He would head to Myrtle Beach to open 2004 and got some of his mojo back, though he still couldn't be bothered to take a walk. He also took one off the cheek trying to bunt after a promotion to Greenville. In 2005, Francoeur again posted numbers similar to his previous production. .275/.322/.487. He was a top-20 prospect, though, and the Braves needed lots of help in the major leagues. So, naturally bringing up their home-grown star prospect was only reasonable. The Braves were trying to make due with several players surrounding Andruw Jones. It should be noted Andruw was having the best season of his career (.263/.347/.575, 51 HR), but he had Brian Jordan in left and Raul Mondesi in right to open the year. Clearly not the best combination of players. Ryan Langerhans began to take playing time away from Mondesi and at the end of May, Mondesi was cut in favor of Kelly Johnson, who took over as the regular in left. The Braves were in second place on July 7th, trying to catch the surprising Nationals. Atlanta was still doing well at 47-37 so it's not like Francoeur was a savior to a lost season, but the Braves needed a spart. Following a rain out, the Braves played a double header against the Cubs. After Horacio Ramirez of all people tossed a shutout in the opener, ESPN had the night cap and Francoeur joined the major league team, playing right and batting seventh. His first at-bat ended on a groundout to open the third and he stranded a pair with a strikeout in the fourth. He also K'd to end the sixth, bringing us to the 8th inning. The Cubs were up 4-3 when Marcus Giles opened things off Roberto Novoa with a triple to right. Andruw did what he did a lot of that year and hit a massive game-changing homer. Yet, what we remember was Francoeur's three-run, full-count homer off Glendon Rusch that extended the lead to 8-4. The Braves scored six runs that inning and cruised to a victory, but it was Francoeur's homer in his first game with his dad watching that was etched in the memory of Braves' fans.

I remember being on the now defunct Chopnation forums ahead of Francoeur's call-up and talking about how he hadn't shown progression as a player and was a very flawed player. I felt, in comparison to his best buddy McCann, Francoeur was not ready. He was showing no maturation. But on that day, even I was awestruck when the ball left his bat and landed beyond Turner Field's walls that insure no cheapies.

Francoeur would go on to finish third in the Rookie of the Year voting while OPSing .884 in 70 games, but he ended the year on a .212/.244/.341 slash over his final 22 games. In the brief, awful NLDS against the Astros, Francoeur had four hits in 21 PA. Yet, the expectations were crazy high for Francoeur in 2006. His first full season and he had the opportunity to take the torch away from Chipper Jones. He belted a career-best 29 HR, but he also on-based just .293. To put that in a different way, in his 686 PA, he made outs in 485 in them. That is Chris Johnson-ugly. But amazingly, many looked at his 29 HR and 103 RBI and counted the season as a good one. But 17 unintentional walks in 686 PA? Wow.

However, Francoeur bounced back in 2007 and his career was back on track. He slashed a very acceptable .293/.338/.444 with 42 walks (only 5 intentional). It remains the most walks he has ever had in a season in the major leagues, plus the best OBP. There was actually some real hope that Francoeur had turned a corner. Sure, maybe he wasn't "The Natural," but he was still productive. He even won an undeserving Gold Glove. While Francoeur would have a good year with the Royals, I still count his 2007 season as the best of his career.

Things quickly unraveled for Francoeur. He slashed .239/.294/.359 in 2008, which also included a very public demotion to Mississippi that lasted just about long enough for bloggers like me to praise the Braves for making the right move. Francoeur said he felt betrayed by the demotion. I think there were a good amount of fans like me who probably felt betrayed by his quick recall.

Francoeur would struggle again the following season and the 25 year-old would be shipped off to the Mets for Ryan Church. Francoeur would actually finish strong, putting up a good 70-game run for the second time in his career to put hope in his team. Meanwhile, Church, who was a fairly talent ballplayer in his own right, had struggled to perform after concussions had taken away his best playing days. But this move, much like yesterday's Kyle Wren trade, had little to do about an exchange of talent or improving the team and/or organization. This trade was about getting rid of Francoeur. Another demotion would likely have exploded into another bitchfest to the media and the Braves simply couldn't keep Francoeur around. It was too much.

As I said, Francoeur finished strong with the Mets who brought him back through arbitration for another season. That was more than the Braves did with Church, who was non-tendered. Francoeur would have another woeful season and was eventually sent packing to the Rangers. Amazingly, he would play in the World Series for the first time in 2010, as the Rangers lost to the Giants. He went 0 for 6 against San Francisco with a walk. The following season, Francoeur latched onto the Royals and posted his best season outside of a Braves uniform, hitting a career-high 71 extra-base hits with 22 of his 52 career steals. He actually got a two-year, $13.5M extension out of it, but never was able to reclaim his glory. The Royals would release Francoeur in July of 2013 and he got his shot with the Giants for about a month before they too cut him.

2014 started for Francoeur like it did for Aaron Harang. Trying to make the Cleveland Indians roster. Two days before Harang was cut on March 24th, Francoeur was cut and three days later, he hooked on with the Padres. He posted decent enough numbers with the Padres highest minor league squad and also appeared in ten forgetful games with San Diego, but his season was far more notable for a prank his teammates in El Paso played on him. Plus, he was used eight times as a pitcher as a mop-up reliever. That's something of note, I guess.

And now, he's a Phillie. The Face of the Baby Braves...the guy who made the cover of Sports Illustrated...the guy who had his big ESPN moment against the Cubs all those years ago...

As much as I hated Francoeur back in the day - and trust me, I railed against the guy in forums and blog posts while giving no respect - I can't help but hope he gets back to the majors with the Phillies. That's not just because it gives me something to make fun of. After all, it's the Phillies. They give you plenty so you don't need Francoeur. But he's apparently a good enough guy and it's not his fault he was overhyped to such a large degree. And I'm sure if he looked back at it, he would feel a little different about that demotion to Mississippi a long time ago. He probably wouldn't whine about it. You also have to respect a guy who has made over $25M in baseball and is still willing to keep trying. He'll be 31 by the time the 2015 season begins, but he's still on buses trying to get back to the majors and stay. I think if any of us could play baseball professionally, we would do it until the calls stopped. Good luck, Frenchy. After all, how worse can you be than Domonic Brown anyway?

My Buddy!

This is how bad the Braves pitching was in 2007.

Chuck James, Kyle Davies, Jo-Jo Reyes, Lance Cormier, and Mark Redman made a combined 71 starts.  Those five suck.  I don't mean to demean their efforts, but damn, they were awful.  Redman only made five starts and do you realize how bad those five starts were?  Worthless bugger gave up 29 runs.  Oh, I won't cheat you, Mark.  Only 28 of them were earned.

Something called a Wil Ledezma pitched for the Braves in 2007.  One of the whitest, most boring player ever (Kevin Barry) pitched in a game.  Tyler Yates pitched 75 times.  Do you realize how much you have to scrap the bottom of the available pitcher market to use Yates 75 times?

Just how bad was that year's staff?  I actually had an element of faith in Buddy Carlyle.  Maybe it wasn't faith.  Maybe I just wanted to believe he could surprise everyone.  Did you know Buddy's real name is Earl?  Well, of course you didn't.  Carlyle had been drafted in 1996 by the Reds, but he never appeared for them.  He broke into the bigs in 1999 and was awful.  Four more bad games with the Padres in 2000 and he was sold off to Japan.  Carlyle came back state side after two seasons across the Pacific and played in the Royals, Yankees, Dodgers, and Marlins organizations over the next four seasons, though he only appeared in the bigs with the Dodgers for ten forgetful games in 2005.

So, when the Braves added him for the 2007 season, he was a good bet to play in Gwinnett.  But because of injuries and general suckiness, Carlyle was called up in late May and stuck around.  To be sure, he was not good.  He gave up 19 homeruns in just 107 innings.  But on a team with guys like Redman and Cormier, plus worthless prospects like Reyes and Davies, Carlyle was a guy you could hope for.  Plus, you simply can't hate a guy named Buddy, even if his name is actually Earl.

Carlyle was finally let go after the 2009 season and since played in the Yankees and Blue Jays organization with a return trip to Gwinnett in 2012.  Yesterday, he signed with the Mets because, well, if you are looking for teams that will give a guy like Carlyle a chance, why not try the Mets?

Of 253.1 ING in the majors, 191 innings came with the Braves between 2007-09.  He has been credited with eleven career wins and all but one came with the Braves (and eight came in 2007).  But it wasn't that he pitched that much better with the Braves than he did the Padres, Dodgers, or Yankees.  Atlanta was simply that desperate.

Good luck, Buddy.  Thanks for being a guy I could root for in 2007.