ATLANTA - Braves general manager Frank Wren and his staff will discuss looming
decisions on two free agents, catcher Brian McCann and pitcher Tim Hudson, in
organizational meetings which being Tuesday in Orlando.
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players to be discussed are Dan Uggla and B.J. Upton, who lost starting jobs
this season. Wren said Monday he still feels the disappointment of Atlantas NL
division series loss to the Dodgers. He said the team "took a step forward" by
winning 96 games and the NL East division title. "We didnt reach our ultimate
goal and so Im disappointed," Wren said. "Our ultimate goal was to win a World
Series. Thats why we do what we do. Division championships are nice. Winning 96
games is great, but if youre not still standing as one of the last few teams to
get to the World Series, its somewhat disappointing." Wren said the Braves
struggled to overcome the loss of Hudson, 38, whose season ended with a broken
ankle on July 24. Brandon Beachy had setbacks when trying to return from elbow
ligament-replacement surgery and didnt rejoin the rotation as expected. Wren
said he will "need a little more information than we have now" on Hudsons
recovery but said the right-hander "is progressing." "It would surprise me if we
did not at least have some conversations with him," Wren said of Hudson.
Left-hander Paul Maholm also is a free agent. Wren said the Braves have good
depth in starting pitchers but said there would be room for Hudson in the
rotation if he is re-signed. Candidates for the 2014 rotation could include
Julio Teheran, Mike Minor, Kris Medlen, Alex Wood, Beachy and possibly Hudson.
Wren said despite that depth, the rotation lacks an ace. He said there are
potential aces in the farm system. Top Braves pitching prospects include
Sean Gilmartin, Lucas Sims and Jason Hursh, all first-round picks, and
J.R. Graham. "We recognize that is an area of need and whether we can acquire
that prior to our young guys arriving here, Im not sure," Wren said. "Its very
difficult to acquire." McCann, who will be 30 at the start of the 2014 season,
could be difficult to re-sign. He has hit 20 or more homers in six straight
seasons and is a seven-time All-Star. Wren said he is confident Evan Gattis, who
spent much of the second half of his rookie season as the starting left fielder,
can be a capable defensive catcher. "We saw enough of his catching skills early
in the season to know that he could handle this job," Wren said of Gattis. Upton
and Uggla each hit below .190. Uggla was left off the post-season roster after
hitting .179 with 22 homers. Ugglas hitting woes continued following laser eye
surgery in August. He hit .083 in August, .112 in September and then was left
off the division series roster. "I think we made a decision who is our best 25,"
Wren said Monday. "He wasnt on that roster, and so we need him to perform
better. Thats plain and simple. "I hope for Dans sake and our sake that he can
make some adjustments with an off-season of getting used to normal vision." Wren
said he believes Upton tried too hard to play up to the biggest free-agent
contract in team history — five years and $72.25 million. "What I hope happened
to B.J. and what Im theorizing is that he fell into the same trap that so many
free agents fall into, trying to do too much and trying to justify and win over
a new fan base," Wren said. "Its a deep hole that gets deeper and deeper the
harder you try. Weve seen dozens and dozens of players go through it." Upton,
29, hit only .184 with 9 homers, 26 RBIs and 12 stolen bases. He had three
strikeouts in three at-bats in the division series. It was his fifth straight
season hitting below .250, but it was a sharp decline from his 2012 season with
Tampa Bay, when he hit .246 with 28 homers, 78 RBIs and 31 stolen bases. "B.J.
is very talented," Wren said. "Hes young. He can do a lot of things on the
baseball field. Weve got to help him get back on track. Thats plain and simple.
There a reason why there were a number of clubs after him last winter. I know he
didnt show it very consistently here." Manager Fredi Gonzalez said last week he
expects Upton to open next season as the starting centerfielder.
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17 points, all but two in the second half, and Lawson had 14 after halftime and
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. He was followed closely by David Clarkson, donning red, seconds later.
Clarksons actions one night earlier, leaping off the bench in defence of Kessel
during a pre-season game against the Buffalo Sabres, will cost him the first 10
games of the regular season.ROTTERDAM, Netherlands -- Third-seeded Tomas Berdych
of the Czech Republic beat Andreas Seppi of Italy for the fifth time in a row
6-3, 6-3 to open his account at the ABN Amro tournament on Monday. Berdych,
coming off a semifinal run at the Australian Open and Davis Cup win over the
Netherlands, didnt face a break-point. A semifinalist two years ago here, he
will play the winner of an all-French faceoff betweenn Gilles Simon and Nicolas
Mahut.
Lamar Neagle Jersey. Fifth-seeded Jo-Wilfried
Tsonga hit 10 aces in beating Florian Mayer of Germany 4-6, 6-3, 6-1, and
Germans Philipp Kohlschreiber and Michael Berrer and Frenchman Paul-Henri
Mathieu were also winners. Defending champion Juan Martin del Potro and
Wimbledon champ Andy Murray -- a last-minute wild card addition as second seed
-- will appear on Wednesday.
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