| Brian Reynolds. 25th February, 2009 - 10:14 am
 Braves GM, Frank Wren, it’s your choice. You have a vacancy in left field, who do you want? Here are the 2008 Resumes.
Player A - .249 BA, 18 HR, 71 RBI, .424 SLG, 143 GP
Player B - .293 BA, 15 HR, 84 RBI, .433 SLG, 145 GP
After a difficult offseason for one of baseball’s most recognized franchises, Atlanta has come to terms with one of baseball’s purest hitters over the last 15 seasons, Player B – Garret Anderson.
And Braves fans, yes, it’s official.
Garret Anderson passed a physical on Tuesday, which makes the $2.5 million one-year signing officially complete. This comes on the heels of the Braves unsuccessful pursuit of Mariners icon Ken Griffey Jr, who if you haven’t guessed already, is Player A.
This is a great signing for Atlanta. The Braves outfield hit a MLB-worst 27 home runs last season. And while the former Home Run Derby Champion isn’t known for his ability to hit the ball out of the park, he will provide a consistent bat in the middle of the order.
Garret, a three-time-All Star, has flied under the radar his entire career. He debuted in 1994 and finished a close second in the Rookie of the Year race to the Twins’ Marty Cordova. In 2002, he led the Angels to their first ever World Series title. Also, in both 2002 in 2003, Anderson led the American League in doubles.
He holds the Angels’ club record for RBIs. He has tallied 2,368 hits in his career. Although Anderson is not getting any younger, his production is proven—and still there. Last year, the modest outfielder hit .293 and had 84 RBI’s in 145 games. He also had a very strong second half with an OPS of .855.
Anderson will join fellow All-Stars Chipper Jones and Brian McCann in the middle of the Braves line-up, a 3-4-5 of the order no pitcher will want to face.
So, while the Braves have received a lot of negative press for their failure to secure a big-named player in this year’s offseason (ie – A.J. Burnett, Jake Peavy, John Smoltz, Rafael Furcal, Ken Griffey Jr.), Garret Anderson may be a savior. For a cheap price, Anderson brings a veteran presence and a bat that the Braves desperately needed.
While he might not be a great fantasy draft selection, Garret Anderson makes the Braves lineup respectable in the competitive NL East. Good work, Wren. Even if you didn’t mean to.
Grade for the Braves: A |
