Braves Bullpen for 2007

Wickman's contract runs out after the season, whereas Soriano doesn't become a free agent until 2009 and Gonzalez doesn't until 2010 (although both will be subject to arbitration during the intervening years). Devine hasn't pitched well enough to be trade bait yet, but that doesn't mean he can't become a solid member of the bullpen in future years. I doubt he has the stuff to ever be an above average closer, though.

 

Don't agree on Devine at all. He does have above major league stuff and that's why the Braves took him out of NC State. I have watched him pitch, his problem is the fact he was thrown into the fire by the Braves last summer before he was ready. I do have an indea that Gonzalez could be closing before the season is over.

 

Devine was chosen because he was the closest to major league ready and the Braves felt they needed a bullpen arm soon, but he wasn't considered by any media source before the draft to have first round talent. He barely cracked Baseball America's top 10 prospects for the Braves this time around and has never made one of their top 100 lists. It's fine for us to disagree, but given the scouting reports I've read and the results of what he's done on the mound, it's hard to see him ever amounting to more than a middle reliever.

 

As long as Reitsma isn't in the pen...He absolutely sucks. I like Bob Wickman. seems like a good guy too.

 

I read the AJC and all the Braves message boards on a regular basis and the consensus is that Aybar will be playing quite a bit of 3rd base this season so they can keep Chipper healthy. Infact in a perfect world, Aybar might get in as many as 40-50 games this year.