The Braves contend that they still have enough money in their budget to sign two veteran starters and an outfielder who hits right-handed, but they got started by acquiring two pitchers via trade.
The price to get right-hander Javier Vazquez and left-handed reliever Boone Logan from the Chicago White Sox was steep, in terms of prospects: mega-hitting catching prospect Tyler Flowers, shortstop Brent Lillibridge, left-hander Santos Rodriguez and third baseman John Gilmore. Vazquez takes free agent Mike Hampton's spot in the rotation, and Logan figures to replace free agent Will Ohman in the bullpen. Braves manager Bobby Cox likes watching ballplayers, whether they're on his team or someone else's, and he has liked Vasquez for a decade, at least -- Cox got to see him often when Vazquez pitched for the Expos.
This is not as attractive a move as getting Padres right-hander Jake Peavy, but Vasquez should be good for 200 innings -- and possibly as many strikeouts -- as a No. 3 guy in the rotation.
That positioning assumes right-hander Jair Jurrjens as the No. 2 behind free agent righty A.J. Burnett. That general manager Frank Wren can sign Burnett may be a stretch, even if the Braves break their long-held rule to include a fifth year in the deal. So Vazquez could end up being the No. 2 starter behind Jurrjens.
Meanwhile, the Braves lost Hampton to the Astros. Strange as it sounds, given that Hampton missed nearly three seasons with multiple surgeries and bizarre muscle pulls, that was a blow. But Hampton took less money from the Astros to be near his kids, and his kids like Houston.
At the moment, the Braves' rotation stands pretty much where it was last season: average.
