Imagine this:
It’s October 2010. The Atlanta Braves are playing the Philadelphia Phillies in a packed house at Turner Field. The National League East has come down to this one game. Winner take all. Tim Hudson is pitching.
For the Phillies.
OK, you can open your eyes now. It’s not going to happen.
It won’t happen because Hudson wanted to remain a Brave so much that he allowed them a “hometown discount.”
It won’t happen because the Braves wanted Hudson back so much that they’re willing to take a bit of a gamble — $27 million over the next three years for a 34-year-old pitcher who’s still coming back from elbow surgery.
It scarcely created a ripple in the waters of offseason moves last week when news agencies reported that Hudson and the Braves had reached the agreement. Perhaps that’s because many people felt it was a foregone conclusion that Hudson would stay in Atlanta, where he can be close to his family in Auburn and Phenix City.
Maybe. But wasn’t it a foregone conclusion this time last year that John Smoltz would finish his career with the Braves?
Hudson’s return is far more significant than it might appear. Let’s just start with the tangible impact. By the end of the season, Hudson had surpassed Derek Lowe and Kenshin Kawakami as the Braves’ fourth starter in terms of reliability. And he was only fourth because the trifecta of Javier Vazquez, Jair Jurrjens and Tommy Hanson is among the best in baseball. Hudson could be a No. 2 starter for many contenders.
Having a surplus of starting pitchers is a problem most teams would love to have. The worst that could happen would be moving a starter — probably Kawakami — to the bullpen. Trading Kawakami or Lowe to a team desperate for starting pitching is not out of the question.
But more than just bolstering the starting rotation, Hudson’s return signifies that the Braves are committed to contending next season. This time last year, general manager Frank Wren had to completely overhaul the roster. Now he just has to fine-tune it.
From June 28 through Sept. 28, the Braves were 52-30; the Phillies, 52-32. Keep in mind they did this without Chipper Jones or Brian McCann having their typical seasons. Another big bat in the middle of the lineup could make the difference. Jermaine Dye would be a nice fit as a one-year bridge to Jason Heyward, if they can afford him. Finding a way to keep Adam LaRoche is imperative.
Of course, the Braves are working within the confines of a budget handed down by their corporate owners, Liberty Media. Even in prosperous times, corporate owners of professional sports teams are more attuned to the bottom line than the division standings. In tough times such as these, it’s even harder to justify nine-digit payrolls for athletes when the working class are dealing with furloughs, pay cuts and layoffs.
Still, this is the optimal time — with the sports world heaping praise on the Yankees for their 27th world championship — for the Braves brass to sell their bosses on pushing that budget just a bit. The reality is paying big bucks for a championship remains a profitable investment.
Manager Bobby Cox has already announced that 2010 will be his final season.
Sending Cox out with a second World Series ring might be enough to justify the splurge.
Imagine this:
It’s October 2010. Braves and Phillies in a packed house at Turner Field. The NL East has come down to this one game. Winner take all. Tim Hudson is pitching.
For the Braves.
It could happen.
Guerry Clegg, gclegg@ledger-enquirer.com
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