Smoltz...and Bonds!

Dugout Central chimes in with this column.

Last season Smoltz threw the second-most innings on the staff – about a seventh of their total innings. The team finished with the third-lowest ERA and the sixth-fewest runs allowed. Last season they probably didn’t have anyone capable of doing what Jair Jurrjens could do this season, and their pitching staff wasn’t as deep. It’s still hard to see this year’s pitching staff being significantly better than last seasons’. The Smoltz injury and subsequent move to the bullpen costs the Braves a lot of great innings.

It is a valid point. Without Smoltz in the rotation, someone has to pitch the other 170ish innings that coming into the season, Smoltz was relied on to pitch. That is a hell of a lot of innings to go. While I can agree with the comment at the bottom and having Smoltz for 40-60 more innings is better than zero innings, it does hurt this staff tremendously, turning what many called a deep staff into a thin one.

You can replace Mike Hampton. You can't replace John Smoltz.

To make the playoffs, they’ll need their offense to continue to be as good as expected. They’ll also need Tim Hudson to step up and Jurrjens to continue to pitch well. One more above average starter would also help. You can bet GM Frank Wren is working the phones looking for anyone willing to give up any decent starter to provide the Braves some quality innings. The challenge? What GM isn’t looking for the same?

Exactly. I did a little research last night for the kind of names the Braves might target (low cost, little investment in time) and came up with Odalis Perez, Livan Hernandez, and Shawn Chacon. Now, maybe the Braves want to put a big investment on the table...but it's going to cost them and I just don't think they are comfortable making their second straight prospect dump like they did with Teix.

Elsewhere, the MLBPA doesn't have enough to do is questioning why Barry Bonds is still a free agent and received no offers. At first glance, its easy to say "well, he has his legal troubles." Then maybe you can add that he's old and can't field worth a damn and always has had a girl's arm.

But it actually is a question worth asking. Last year, Bonds hit .276/.480/.565. There is not an AL team around that can't improve their DH numbers with Bonds?

Of course, he's a PR risk. And a clubhouse cancer. And he has small testicles after years of steroid abuse. But I gotta think the Orioles would have a better offense with Bonds.