Replacements for Teixeira

The Atlanta Braves have plenty of young guys that are a few years away as replacements for Mark Teixeira. First, they will try to fill in with a guy like Chad Tracy, and they will grow tired of his lack of power and lack of athleticism after a year or so, so they will bring up Scott Thorman for the end of the year in 2009. He will hit .200 with a few hr's because like Russell Branyan when Thorman gets hits they tend to be homeruns. So at the end of the year they will be stuck with 2 guys that do not belong on the Atlanta Braves as first baseman. Finally, the Braves will deal Tracy for nothing and move on to their talented first baseman in the minor leagues, to start in 2010 or 2011. Here is a list of these players that I think we will see at 1B.

Barbaro Canizares- Richmond Braves- 28 yrs old (old)- .292 12hr 51 rbi

Kala Kaaihue- Mississippi Braves-23 yrs old- .263 11hr 49rbi

Ernesto Mejia- Myrtle Beach Pelicans-22 yrs old- .262 15hr 65rbi

Freddie Freeman- Rome Braves-18 yrs old-.317 17 hr 78rbi

I am most excited about Mr. Freeman but he is still very young and it might be 3 to 4 years before he is up with the Braves. So, the Braves might be rebuilding the next 2 yrs, because Hudson, Smoltz, Hampton, Glavine, Chipper, all might not be healthy enough to play next season. The Braves need to start the youth movement, but it seems they might be held back by their older players that want to stick around one or two more years. The Braves are in terrible shape as far as who the veterans are and what to do with each one. I want to retool the whole team up and just leave Francoeur, Chipper, Escobar, McCann as position players. I would love get rid of everyone but Gonzalez, Soriano, Jurrgens, and Morton on the pitching staff. It is a circus, and it is not going to get any easier for the Atlanta Braves. Start the trading.......

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The Joe