Braves Acquire Mark Teixeira

Hey, there's no reason Teixeira can't set the press box on fire too!

"cap room"? What are you talking about?

He's getting alittle too excited about Willis McGahee as the Ravens feature back.

Only if he would have said something about the Braves having draft picks to trade, too... I seriously would have BMCAFOTFL (broke my chair and fell on the floor laughing)

So if Tex leaves via FA...what does Atlanta get in return?! the taking team's first rounder and a sandwich pick?

They don't "take" anyone's pick (thanks to Charles O. Finley, MLB assured that draft picks couldn't be given/traded away, preventing bad owners from depleting franchises (whether for financial or incompetence reasons), depending on the tier of Free Agent they just get one (sometimes two for big FAs) between the first and second round...

So hypothetically Atl could get a first and a sandwich pick for salty and company?

They'd get the signing team's #1, if that team was in the top 15 MLB teams; otherwise, they get the signing team's #2. They'd also get a "sandwich" pick between the first two rounds.

Thanks Dan, I didn't know the scenario exactly, but i knew picks were involved...seems like a win/win for atlanta...

I'm not sure I understand that comment... As it is, the Braves have a middle-of the-road bullpen ERA, and if you don't count terrible Tyler Yates, they would have the 3rd-best relief ERA in the league. The bullpen hasn't lost an inordinate amount of games for them, either, and the current depth chart doesn't exactly look awful:

Player		ERA
-----------------------------
CL Bob Wickman		4.21
RP Rafael Soriano	3.52
RP Chad Paronto		3.57
RP Tyler Yates		5.28
RP Oscar Villarreal	3.70
RP Peter Moylan		2.04
-----------------------------
NL Average		4.01

Meanwhile, the Braves have had a decent offense thus far even with 1B being a black hole (thanks, Scott ".262 OBP" Thorman!), so the addition of Teixeira (.297/.397/.524) should be a huge shot in the arm for them. I don't know if it will be enough to get them into the playoffs, though...

To be fair, a "middle of the road bullpen" these days means "They Suck"

a 4.01 ERA for what is around 400-500 innings over the year (3 IP per game on avg, I'm guess?) is...probably middle of the road...

That's my point, 4.01 is the NL average, and Atlanta's is 3.79. They're better than average, not "awful".

I think the biggest issue is the pen is rarely consistant...They already lost 1 major arm (Gonzales?) and Wickman always looks like he's about to fall over on the mound...I'd say, if the move is there, make it...but don't force it...pen arms are expensive this year...ask milwaukee

I guarantee that won't happen...for many many reasons...

Why? Are the Phillies gonna win the division?

Multiple reasons...get ready:

Atlanta would have to make the playoffs...leapfrogging the Phils and Mets...or the NL West (even less likely)...

Then, the Braves would have to either beat the brewcrew/cubs or the NL west team (dodgers or Pads...doesn't matter)...then they gotta either beat the Mets or the NL west team in the NLCS (because if the mets also made they playoffs, they wouldn't play eachother in the NLDS)...and...its the freakin' braves they never make the series

Boston, on the other hand, has to fend of the yankees (probable), beat detroit (3-4 this season...most recently being swept)...and lets not forget the angels in the mix...

THEN assuming both make the series, and here's the kicker...no way in hell win it be an easy ticket in atlanta because sox fans will invade turner field...it'll be funny to see the red sox get a 7 game home field advantage...and tickets will be hard to find...

but, the phils will probably win the division...and cole hamels will win the wild card...by himself...

Justin's probably right, but I love this part:

"its the freakin' braves they never make the series"

Except in 1991, 1992, 1995, 1996, and 1999, right? :)

Now, Philly, on the other hand...